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Jeff Biss's avatar

Great discussion of what "federation of states" actually means provides even more proof that the GOP is THE internal enemy. The GOP has been working since Reagan to implement their unconstitutional idea of a unitary executive in their effort to make "government small enough to drown in a bathtub" such that their oligarchs can take control of society for their benefit. This may sound contradictory to what the libertarian GOP would want, but libertarians do believe that the rich are more industrious, makers, who should control society because the takers, the rest of us, are obviously not capable.

This plays well with the conservatives' belief that the rich are god's elect and should control society to ensure god's will is done. Horrible people all. They are the enemy, treat them as such.

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Kentuckistan's avatar

During Trump's 1st Impeachment over Impounding Congressional funds being sent to defend Ukraine his legal teamed argued among other things, that if the President, with the Article II Executive power determines that his or her re election is in the vital national interest of the United States...then its ok to break a small Law in service of the greater good. In addition to "if the President does it its legal"

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cinders0905's avatar

So military and their families don't get to vote anymore.... Riiiight.

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Sooke's avatar

Thanks Tim & Marc for your ‘Take’ on Trump’s plan to jigger upcoming elections. Two thoughts I wanted to share: (1) Trump claims paper ballots are the most secure, least vulnerable to fraud. Mail in ballots are paper ballots. (2) If Trump somehow succeeds in restricting people only voting in person—he will have his masked hooligans lurking around key polling stations—to intimidate & spook people away from voting.

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Rich Wingerter's avatar

He might try. But I want Democrats to have masked hooligans (or more respectable people) lurk around polling stations and make sure that people aren't intimidates or spooked away from voting.

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Rich Wingerter's avatar

Just a reminder:

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."

[Article IV, Section 4]

The federal government should not be sending troops into any state without the request of that state's legislature. So, there should be no Marines or National Guard in LA until the California state legislature.

NB: "Republican Form of Government" means a democracy as opposed to a monarchy. The purpose of a republican form of government is to discern the will of the people. See the Declaration of Independence, if you want to see why.

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Rich Wingerter's avatar

Criminal Trump might think that the "states act as agents of the federal government". That was considered at the Constitutional Convention and rejected.

In a democracy, power flows from the people to the government, not the other way round. But Criminal Trump is a fascist. To be fascist, he has to get away with breaking the law. So, he's trying to violate the Constitution. To the degree he gets away with it, he gets to be a fascist dictator.

His "problem" is that vanishingly small numbers of Americans believe anything like that. If they did, they wouldn't all have guns.

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Kathy Lynn Taylor's avatar

This is critical information. Thank you for covering it closely.

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Buster Nibbs's avatar

Thank you for highlighting this and calling it for what it is. Trump's power grab. He is getting Democratic pushback on his Texas redistricting scheme. So, now he'll just take full control and dictate his whims to the states.

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Jen_K's avatar

Don't we need a war chest to help combat these efforts. Obviously support Democracy Docket, ACLU, etc. However, don't we need the Democrats to win? As pissed off as many of us are at them, with their fundraising in the tiolet, are we shooting ourselves in the foot? How do we contribute in a way that has the most bang for the buck? There are so many super pacs that feel like scams. We have to turn this around somehow.

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Kristin Powers (Chin)'s avatar

I've doubted we'd ever see another free and fair election, figuring they wouldn't do all this horrific crap if they were concerned about mid-terms. Rapey, rapi$t in-chief bankrupts everything he touches so I don't think it's a surprise that he's all in. Morally bankrupt is the qualification for this party. Disgraceful. Luv Marc and wish we could multiply him.

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Rich Wingerter's avatar

That may be what they think, but the American people have other ideas.

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Bob's avatar

Trump has floated the idea of the Presidential control of elections. One claim is the existence of fraudulent voting machines on the very dag Newsmax settles the Dominion lawsuit for $67,000,000. Trump also claimed that Putin told him that mail in voting facilitates rigging elections. Trump wants to eliminate mail in voting by virtue of his presumptive authority. Some coincidences.

Elias' concern that the mainstream media will ignore MAGA election shenanigans is belied to the extent that NPR covered the NC Supreme Court electoral dispute. We'll see.

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Rich Wingerter's avatar

It's just totally illegal. He can try any excuse he wants, but the Constitution is specific. The states set the terms. Only Congress can override that. It doesn't mention the President anywhere in this.

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Lynn  Bentson's avatar

wonder if that S}+C coverage has any connection to them being defunded ?

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Lisa A's avatar

Marc Elias has been and is fighting now with eyes wide open and I believe will be one of the important voices when - hope springs eternal - we rebuild. The Bulwark calling it like it is builds trust. Also a valuable tool when we rebuild this country. These authoritarian incompetent assholes are going to use gerrymandering and the SAVE act and undermining mail in ballots and the military in the streets to steal the election. I'm with Sarah in that I think only about 32% of the country is actually in the cult. As horrible as that number is, it means 68% can be reasoned with. And to quote Gandalf, "That is an encouraging thought."

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Judith Hofeditz's avatar

Thanks for the timely though depressing update on this latest dictator in chief move. Marc is great!

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Valerie Solano's avatar

Constantly speaks out both sides of his mouth: It belongs to the States ... No, it belongs to the Fed.

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Holmes's avatar

*Red* states rights

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Valerie Solano's avatar

Point taken

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Valerie Solano's avatar

Expert legal minds, though the minds of sick fucks, go into all of his EOs.

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Valerie Solano's avatar

I knew he wasn't kidding when he said under his breath that his "lawyers are working on it ... some very good lawyers."

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