The unending quest to do away with President Trump has entered a new phase this week. The lamestream mediais full of hopeful, frenzied speculation that Mr. Trump will surely be impeached, so he should just resign. The next fake news scandal will do the trick! Just ask Lanny Davis. Congressional Democrats and their media PR shop—that would be the lamestream media—are salivating over all the investigations they’ll spring on Trump if they take over the House of Representatives in November, so he should just resign right away. And if Nancy Pelosi regains the Speaker’s gavel, they’ll just impeach him outright because Trump, so he’d better resign, yesterday. But only the most Trump deranged among them believe any of that. Well, OK, that’s most of them, but just in case none of those schemes work out, a long time Clinton/Democrat mouthpiece has come up with an entirely new scheme to get rid of Mr. Trump. The good folks at Legal Insurrection report:
Robert Reich, who served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, has taken on a new role as a leader of the progressive resistance movement. Like many others on the left, Reich is taking unhinged rhetoric to new levels.
In a recent post on his website, Reich suggested that impeaching Trump would not be enough. His presidency must be annulled:
‘Don’t Just Impeach Trump. Annul His Presidency
The only way I see the end of Trump is if there’s overwhelming evidence he rigged the 2016 election. In which case impeachment isn’t an adequate remedy. His presidency should be annulled.
Let me explain.
Many people are convinced we’re already witnessing the beginning of the end of Trump.
In their view, bombshell admissions from Trump insiders with immunity from prosecution, combined with whatever evidence Robert Mueller uncovers about Trump’s obstruction of justice and his aide’s collusion with the Russians, will all tip the scales…
Impeachment would remedy Trump’s ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’ But impeachment would not remedy Trump’s unconstitutional presidency because it would leave in place his vice president, White House staff and Cabinet, as well as all the executive orders he issued and all the legislation he signed, and the official record of his presidency.
The only response to an unconstitutional presidency is to annul it. Annulment would repeal all of it – recognizing that such appointments, orders, rules, and records were made without constitutional authority.’
Eureka! He’s got it (the whole thing is here)! This is the obvious way to do away with all that annoying presidential succession stuff. What’s the point of doing away with Trump if it will leave Mike Pence in the Oval Office? He’s a crazed Christian dictator who will force everyone into Jesus camps, and take away everyone’s right to say horrible things about Christians, while not allowing them to force Christians to bake cakes for Gay people and Satanists. And then there are all those annoying laws and executive orders Trump passed, and the horrible appointments he made of Constitution-supporting radicals! We can’t have the kind of unprecedented prosperity and relatively low taxes we’re experiencing; people might come to expect it, and then where would Democrats be?
credit: polkadotbride.com
But there may be a little problem. Let us first, gentle readers, be sure we know the definition of “annul.” Merriam-Webster helps:
Annul: annulled; annulling
1:to declare or make legally invalid or void
* He wants the marriage annulled
* His title to the estate was annulled.
2:to reduce to nothing : obliterate
3:to make ineffective or inoperative : neutralize
* to annula drug’s effect
Ah, so that’s what Reich is saying! We’ll just declare Trump’s election legally invalid or void. We’ll make it ineffective or inoperative! That should be easy, right? We’ll just refer to the Constitution, Article II, Section 5, which says:
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on annulment upon the desires of former minor cabinet officers that worked for the Clintons, because Trump.
That seems pretty clear…what’s that? There is no Section 5 in Article II of the Constitution? Well, what’s that got to do with anything? I mean Robert Reich wants to annul Trump, and he’s a past semi-famous Democrat, so what does the Constitution have to do with it?
Sigh. Just in case anyone is interested, the actual Constitution may be found here. It explains how a president may be impeached and removed. There is no such thing as annulling a president, no matter how much the fevered brains of the Trump deranged might desire it.
Reich’s suggestion is as pathetic as it is ridiculous. He, like so many other leftists and never-Trumpers, think themselves so much more intelligent and moral than normal, God and gun clinging Americans they have the divine power to overturn any election if they don’t like the results. Theirs is a higher patriotism, and they’re only doing what is necessary because we’re not patriotic enough to see that following the Constitution will upset their applecart. Not only that, they must overturn everything resulting from that election, even if Democrats had some hand in passing it. It’s the only way. They have the power to invent out of thin air mechanisms—annulment—by which to manifest their designs, and the power to disenfranchise anyone that voted against their divine, enlightened, woke will. True, their divinity stems from progressive philosophy rather than from a higher power, but they see progressive philosophy and their latest messiah as the only higher power, so what’s your point?
The danger, gentle readers, is that if annulment succeeds, the Constitution becomes nothing more than a yellowing document reposing in the Federal Department of Yellowing Documents, a historic curiosity for only as long as progressives decide it should be allowed to exist. Some of the people that wrote it were slave holders, and old dead privileged white guys who would have done loads of microaggressions if microaggressions were a thing back then, whenever it was, so that shouldn’t take long.
When extra-constitutional means can be invented as needed to further any progressive desire, America is over. We become a dictatorship, and as with all dictatorships, there will be rivers of blood. After all, if annulment doesn’t succeed, what’s left? Calls for violence against the property of God and gun clingers–oh wait, they’re already doing that–and very quickly, violence against God and gun clingers. What’s that? They’re doing that too? Oh.
I have often observed that if progressives succeed in provoking a civil war, it will be blood, but brief, and they will not be the victors. Virtue signaling and gaseous rhetoric tend to do rather poorly against well-armed, tactically proficient and determined actual patriots. I have also observed that we all must do everything we can to avoid such a conflict.
I am told by various media spokestwerps and swamp dwellers that Mr. Reich is a bright fellow. Perhaps, but this suggestion of his, which is apparently sincere, does not speak to intelligence. It speaks of desperation, hatred, and abject contempt for the deplorables that dared vote for a man that would work against the status quo. That’s the point of the Constitution. It gives deplorables the power to elect people that will shake up the status quo, that will drain the swamp of the self-imagined elite like Reich that think they know better. It also keeps those superior beings from overturning their lawfully enacted choices. That’s the essence of our representative republic. That’s what Mr. Reich, in his self-imagined brilliance, wants to discard.
The irony is that if he succeeds, he creates a new rule: whoever is in power makes the rules, without restraint. Should Democrats seize power through the means Reich suggests, and should they then be removed from power as they intend to remove Mr. Trump from power, they will very likely find themselves being annulled. That would be ironic justice indeed.
Stately McDaniel Manor 
Annulment.
They are going full 1984.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every picture has been repainted, every statue, street, and building renamed, every date has been altered. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right.”
-George Orwell
Little Bobby Reich has been known as an angry clown on a stool for a long time. I heard that friends have been trying to institutionalize him for his own good for years. But they so far have found none that would admit him for the safety of other residents. This truly shows how desperate the progs are for any loud mouthpiece of propaganda to add to their gaggle of honking geese. The more desperate for a power coup they become, the louder they screech. This of course is my learned opinion, but based on some damning evidence delivered courteously by the MSM.
I don’t think he can be dismissed so easily. He’s a Professor at UC Berkeley. In fact, not just a Professor, but a Chancellor’s Professor. Before that, at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He’s the real deal. An economic guru. A true expert.
A Top. Man.
I was really not going to give your post here much attention given it was a typical conservative latching on to some obscure tidbit on some conservative website, and somehow elevating that to encompass the unified policy of all liberals hell-bent on doing whatever it is to irritate conservatives so much. BUT.. (there had to be a “but”).. when you mumbled this.. well…
You wrote…
“I have often observed that if progressives succeed in provoking a civil war, it will be blood, but brief, and they will not be the victors. Virtue signaling and gaseous rhetoric tend to do rather poorly against well-armed, tactically proficient and determined actual patriots. I have also observed that we all must do everything we can to avoid such a conflict.”
This crazy talk about some idiotic civil war is just nonsense. And on top of you suggesting the possibility, you are actually strutting and thumping your chest in some “I gotta gun!” bravado… and “they will not be the victors.” I’m telling you, pal… no one will be a victor. I’ve written on all this before.. and you’ve read some of it. No one will walk away from any ill-conceived fighting, and whoever, whatever, ends up still standing will just be fractions and factions of local warlords.. say adios to the Constitution by that time. No one will be around to enforce what’s left to enforce.
What’s made all this even worse.. is that today, Trump the Buffoon, has opened his mouth with some cracked up warning that if the Republicans lose Congress then there will be violence. What an indescribable idiot. With the nutcases galore on both side, some jerks are going to accept what Trump just said as some call to arms for his base. Jeez… all this is truly nuts and you are feeding it… and now our Dear Leader is inviting it.
And you’re sitting there thinking your guns are going to insure the government YOU want? You better save your ammo to protect you and your family.. because saving some government is going to be the least of your concerns.
A null is usually what comes to mind when thinking of Robert Reich.
And we are supposed to be surprised that a socialist is delusional?
What is Marxism about if not accepting the irrational belief that
man can become cogs in the wheel of the state while promising
a literal utopia?
The contemporary left gave up any pretense that they were well-
intentioned people who care about the masses back in the 60s.
Obama’s political mentor (Bill Ayers) once discussed the necessity
of exterminating 25,000,000 American’s. That was his estimation
of the number of citizens who would resist re-education.
He had no idea an FBI informant was in the room. Where do you
think Obama’s “bitter clingers” or Hillary’s “basket of Deporables”
came from? It certainly did not come from someone who cared
about the unwashed peasants. The modern left believes in
skipping the socialist phase and dive head first to the same
kind of totalitarian police state that existed in the USSR and
Nazi Germany.
If the left ever seizes power in America, things are going get very
ugly. Our only salvation will be 90,000,000 gun owners, veterans,
law enforcement officers, and bikers. The radical left comprises
about 6.5 percent of society at large. They cannot do it alone
especially if the military and LEO’s turn their guns around Both
still have a majority of good people who took their oaths seriously.
“If the left ever seizes power in America…” Where do you get this nonsense? You think this would be just a big game of who has the largest penis or something based on the length of a rifle barrel??? You think this would be some holy crusade to promote your ideals over all others?
It boggles the mind that “you people” are so anxious to prove yourself on some battlefield to kill fellow Americans. Truly.. you all should be ashamed of yourselves for fomenting this kind of thing.The damn Russians are outright attacking our sovereignty, the President cares more for saving his own butt, and you are more concerned with ridding the world of liberals???
“Trump the buffoon”? I think that statement tells us much more about you than him, or Mr. McDaniel’s article.
“The damn Russians are outright attacking our sovereignty”. The Russians made a pathetic attempt to sow discord in 2016 via some Facebook adds. They’ve likely done this in every election, by various means, since WW2. They’ve succeeded this time beyond their wildest imagination with the help of the Democrats and the media.
Yes a civil war would likely destroy the country. Our side understands that. That’s why I suspect that Mr. McDaniel is trying to warn them that they are getting very close to inciting violence, and that it will not turn out as they hope. Why all of the hostility?
Wait.. you folks are posting outright challenges for war and chest thumping you would win.. and I AM the hostile one?? No.. Mike is warning using some schoolyard challenge… “don’t try anything or else”. I’ve been doing warnings that suggest “you want war no one will win, so you might wanna consider a compromise”.
If you think my “Trump the Buffoon” remark is more significant than Mike’s post suggesting a civil war.. you need to consider your priorities, friend. Also.. here’s a little note… this “our side” knows that… no.. YOU may understand that, but there is no way you can speak for all of “your side” anymore than I can speak for more than myself. You may share a political opinion… but there is no “side”
I think you need to re-read Mike’s article. He said that if we fail to follow the Constitution then we’re headed for dictatorship, which always leads to bloodshed. Are you disputing that statement? That’s a warning against, not a threat of, violence.
Not disputing that statement at all.. ALTHOUGH I see absolutely no reason to even imagine such alarmist concepts when we are no where near that point. If the nation has existed for the last 240 years with intervening liberals and conservatives in control… why all the alarmist rhetoric now? Makes no sense.
Are you truly fearful of something? Maybe you might try and be fearful of Russians.. but fellow Americans? Get a grip.
THIS is Mike’s statement I was referring to… a distinct threat.
“I have often observed that if progressives succeed in provoking a civil war, it will be blood, but brief, and they will not be the victors. Virtue signaling and gaseous rhetoric tend to do rather poorly against well-armed, tactically proficient and determined actual patriots. I have also observed that we all must do everything we can to avoid such a conflict.”
“why all the alarmist rhetoric now?“
Are you serious. We’ve recently had the near slaughter of 13 Republican congressmen by a Bernie bro, a Senator was assaulted and had ribs broken by a leftist neighbor, several people have been arrested for making death threats against Republican lawmakers, the left is chanting death to cops and ICE agents, publishing the names and addresses of ICE agents, comparing NRA members to Nazis, in Charlottesville and San Diego we have examples of police forcing peaceful and lawful demonstrators to walk into armed unlawful protestors and watching the carnage, former high ranking government officials accusing Trump of treason (a death penalty offense) and of finding a way to annul the election. Oh, and let’s not forget the ongoing attempt to frame Trump for the non-crime of collusion, to undo the results of the election. These are extraordinary times.
Dear Phil:
What you said. I’ll have a more detailed response to Doug’s arguments up tomorrow night.
Hey Doug, looks like Front Page Mag author Bruce Thornton agrees with Mike.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/271142/deep-state-winning-bruce-thornton
Dear Phil:
What you said.
Dear Doug:
Are you asserting the Left is not trying to seize power? That they’re not trying to overturn a lawfully elected president by any means possible?
I most certainly do. Totally an unequivocally. I believe in the Constitution and, in spite of the “President” suggesting otherwise, I believe in the institutions of government. I’ve said it often enough… Trump’s agenda may have some merit and worthy of debate/compromise… but the man himself is a self-destructive element. So.. the question I present to you is…. is it his agenda that has you all scurrying around and circling the wagons for him… or are you truly for the man at all costs?
Doug,
These are facts. I will highlight when I’m speculating.
NSA Director Mike Rogers, in March 2016, discovered widespread violations of FISA 702 database by “FBI contractors”. He shut down the program and reformed it to prevent abuse. It seems likely that the Obama administration was spying on many US citizens since at least mid-2015. We’re they spying in all of the Republican candidates for president at that time?!!!
We all should know about FBI agent Peter Strzok, who talked about an insurance policy to prevent a Trump presidency. He was head of counter intelligence, ya’ know, the guy who should have been working to stop Russian election interference, but he was apparently too busy covering for Hillary to do his real job. Oh, he was also deeply involved in the early parts of the Trump collusion investigation. By the way there is no criminal statue on collusion.
Bruce Ohr was the #3 guy at DOJ. His wife was being indirectly paid by the Clinton campaign to write the fake dossier on Trump, for GPS Fusion.
Andrew McCabe was deputy director at FBI while his wife was collecting $700,000 in campaign contributions from long time Clinton hack Terry McAuliffe’s PAC, all while he was working in the Clinton email investigation.
The judge who accepted Mike Flynn’s December plea deal, Contreras, was forcibly recused from the case the week after the plea deal was announced. No reason has been given, but later text messages were released showing that he knew Strzok, and in fact show Strzok conspiring to get invited to a party that the judge would also be attending, so they could talk without raising suspicions. Flynn’s new judge has delayed sentencing multiple times at Mueller’s request. Hmmmm…
In the infamous Trump tower meeting, Don Jr met with a Russian lawyer who said she had dirt on Hillary. She also meet with GPS Fusion’s Glenn Simpson the day before and the day after the meeting. In other words, it was probably all a set up.
And I’m just scratching the surface. Look up any of these up for yourself.
Geez, Doug, I haven’t read anyone here scurrying or circling. I, for one, am pleasantly surprised with Mr. Trump’s agenda. You, however, have expressed unconditional dislike for him. Projection?
Consider this: A gang of ruffians is abusing your wife, and you are powerless to stop it. Would you choose a buffoon who will put a stop to it, or a well-mannered passerby who does nothing?
A gang of ruffians…?
Well, jee… there was a world once, before Trump, where there was police that took care of the ruffians. Are you suggesting Trump had made the streets safer? I did not know that.
C’mon. The man is completely selling you fear and you are buying into it.
So, you are saying you like his agenda.. therefore the man himself doesn’t matter to you?
You are saying I have an unconditional dislike for him. To be more accurate, I have an unconditional dislike that he IS the President, for non-agenda reasons. And no.. please don’t echo that Trumpian nonsense that Trump-haters don’t accept his win. Of course I do because I accept the Constitution. Which also means I accept those other parts of the Constitution called impeachment, the 25th amendment, and using my vote. One of those three should work.
Look, Jeffery.. you can believe in whomever you think will make YOUR life better. You’re not going to change my mind, and I am not going to change your mind. My original reply to Mike was in regards to his (and now our Dear Leader) suggesting killing Americans to “win” might be a good thing to get even because Trump’s base has all the guns and all the patriots.
I guess is matters not that none of these were proven indictable… or that the speculative conclusions make for nice conspiracy theories.
You failed to answer my question…. you for Trump’s agenda or Trump the man?
Are you seriously surprised that the DOJ/FBI hasn’t indicted itself?
And you have this all proven and decided.. based on what? The Trump News Network? Conservative blame blogs?
Doug,
This whole discussion started with you claiming that Mike and his commenters were itching for a civil war or some such inane statement. That’s the topic at hand. But, to be nice, I’ll try to answer your question. I didn’t vote for Trump to be my pastor (he’s on his 3rd wife, after all). He was hired to make America great again, and he’s succeeded beyond my wildest imagination, in spite of a deep state coup and a hostile congress, including most of his own party. He’s killed the Paris climate accord, NAFTA, and TPP, cut regulations and taxes, leading to massive 4.1% GDP growth (remember he was mocked by the smart folks in 2016 for saying that he’d get us up to 3%), record employment, essentially destroyed ISIS, etc.
On Russia he has increased in US military spending, allowed the military to kill 200 Russian mercenaries on a Syrian battle field, shoot down a Russian-made Syrian fighter jet (not good for Russian military hardware exports), enforce Obama’s previously-unenforced red line in Syria twice (once while he was hosting Chinese Premier Xi for dinner at his home in Florida) that destroyed a lot of Russian-made hardware (the only video released by the US military of the 2nd strike showed the destruction of a newer model Russian made air defense system…again, not good for Russian exports), increased sanctions on Russia and Putin-affiliated oligarchs, threatened Turkey to stop the purchase of Russian air defense missiles, increased US oil production (which hurts Russia), helped to achieve better relations with Saudi Arabia who is now helping to keep oil prices down (which hurts Russia), has forced Europe to increase military spending, is trying to stop Germany from buying Russian natural gas (and instead buy US LNG), increased military cooperation with Poland and the Baltic states, and has cornered Iran. And there’s probably more that I’ve forgotten, or don’t know about.
On China, he’s signed beneficial trade deals with South Korea, India, Australia, Mexico, and is on the verge of signing new deals with Canada and Japan, and has the European’s talking nice on trade, all of that in an attempt to encircle China on trade. He’s sanctioned Venezuela (who owe China a lot of money), has cut aid to Pakistan (who owe China a lot of money) on the premise that they are not helping fight the Taliban (which has been true for 17 years), and is trying to separate North Korea from China’s control. The primary goal of changing NAFTA is to eliminate the “back door” through which China was able to dump vast amounts of raw materials into Canada and Mexico for duty-free export to the US under NAFTA. The new deal with Mexico essentially puts a stop to that, and Canada will probably be forced to follow suit. Oh, and it will probably force Canada to open its now-closed banking, telecom, and dairy markets to US companies.
He’s also exposed the deep state, the left wing media bias, and has driven the left in general so crazy that their previously-hidden marxism is finally being put on full display for all to see.
It’s called making American great again. But you can’t enjoy it, or even recognize it, because you’re so blinded by your Trump Derangement Syndrome. Sad.
You can decide how that fits into your silly little question.
I could make a nice little list of equally negative situations Trump has thrown the country into…including being an un-indicted co-conspirator (and other “potential” Mueller revelations to come) but back to my original post to Mike.. you make my point precisely, Phil.
“This whole discussion started with you claiming that Mike and his commenters were itching for a civil war or some such inane statement.”
I ask you, trying to point out an apparent desire of Americans wanting to kill other Americans is “inane”? That in itself makes my point.
Then at the end of your list…
“You can decide how that fits into your silly little question.”
My question asking if you prefer the man’s agenda or the man himself.. you judged that to be a silly little question?
I rather perceive you being pretty judgmental, Phil. Not that you are not allowed; we all march to a beat of some drum somewhere.
I’d like to see the list. Put up or shut up.
“ un-indicted co-conspirator”??!!! Please name the crime. Collusion isn’t defined in the criminal statues. Nor is conspiracy a stand-alone crime, it must be a conspiracy to commit…something that is defined as a crime. Thus is just sad.
Yes it is, Phil. The whole thing is sad; all the politics emanating from Washington is sad. We agree on that part, although I suspect your “sadness” is a little more defined ideologically than mine.
No.. I’m not providing some list for this kind of conversation to carry on indefinitely and go no where. We both know there’s an impasse. But honestly…. the hammer is getting close to slamming down on our Dear Leader politically between our upcoming election and Mueller’s investigation. Cohen’s legal testimony has implicated Trump in campaign finance irregularities. There’s that feeling Mueller is going to find more revelations.. Russian collusion aside… he’s going to make anything allegedly done illegally by Obama or the Clintons’ look like child’s play. But.. ok.. for now we wait. My concern is exactly the reason I replied to Mike’s post here… killing fellow Americans so that Trump, and/or his ideas, stay in office.
Or you won’t provide one because you can’t. You seem to have plenty of time to spend here.
Yes, an impasse for sure. We’ll see who’s October surprise is better.
Dear Doug:
I did not, in any way, suggest killing fellow Americans so Trump or his ideas stay in office. You know better than that. I argue only for the maintenance of the Constitution and American constitutionalism. I would be making the same argument if a Democrat was in office and a soft coup was underway against them. No one here–certainly not me–is arguing that Donald Trump is some sort of Messiah. That sort of false deity worship was common during the last administration, not this one.
Look, Mike, words matter. And I am sure we both can very well agree that there are nutcases on both sides of the fence that are easily convinced and led down various paths to no good… whether it’s neo-Nazis or Antifa hardcases.
You said….
“I have often observed that if progressives succeed in provoking a civil war, it will be blood, but brief, and they will not be the victors. Virtue signaling and gaseous rhetoric tend to do rather poorly against well-armed, tactically proficient and determined actual patriots.”
What’s that nonsense all about?
“…if progressives suceed in proking a civil war…”? Just how might that happen at all, Mike?
There’s no victor to a shooting war. And now Trump has mentioned the potential for violence.. and most certainly some nutjobs are picking up on that as a queue to lock & load. The President should shut up. But he won’t. I’d rather side on our better angels and try and curtail this kind of talk.
(“Actual” patriots?? Being patriotic has reached an all time low in its meaning. There’s no patriotism in killing fellow Americans.)
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By the sheer number of posts, and the hostile nature of the comments,
I’d say we have a leftist troll on our hands.
That’s it! Doug must be a Russian. Gaak!
Dear Phil:
Collusion!
You could say that, Leonard. Afraid of having you thoughts challenged? I make a post about the idea of Americans wanting to kill Americans.. and now I’m a hostile troll?
I’m sorry.. did my being here disrupt your secret plans to take up arms and march off to.. um… where exactly are you fellows going to march off to, to kill fellow Americans?
I really don’t care about some “troll” moniker.. by current definition that’s a correct description of my commenting on this blog. When Mike gets tired of me he can always do what he wants, and then you folks can return to the comfort and camaraderie of always being in agreement with each other, slapping yourselves on the back for the most recent anti-liberal post being great and wonderful… that points out all the “there-there” of everything wrong in your lives that’s the fault of Obama and Hillary’s 30,000 emails.
Oh, by the way, there were 650,000 individual messages from Hillary on Weiner’s computer, not 30,000. If any one of those contained classified info then that’s a felony. And the FBI seized it in late September 2016, then let it sit until late October when the original FBI agent raised a stink because he was worried that he’d be the fall guy if the story broke that they were hiding evidence on the eve of a Presidential election. So we’re supposed to believe that the FBI reviewed all 650,000 messages, without metadata, in one week prior to Comey announcing that they found nothing? But according to Doug there’s nothing to see here and…Trump is a buffoon anyway.
Dear Phil:
What you said.
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