Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, asserted on Sunday that acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton ought to testify in the committee’s upcoming impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.
"…that assures that when policy is being developed within the administration, those discussions are unfettered, are candid, are thinking outside of the box,” he added. “That’s why the doctrine of executive privilege exists.”
And if it’s in pursuit of illegal and un-American activities, then what?
“…Outside the Box”. Box? That’s a funny thing to call the Constitution.
the enormous catastrophic damage that would do to the doctrine of executive privilege
Which they can still invoke in answering particular questions. The version of executive privilege that asserts all officials past and present don’t have to respond to Congressional subpeonas is new, and does “enormous catastrophic damage” to separation of powers and to the Constitution.
Russia is outside of NATO.
Is that clear enough for you, Congressman?
Question is: Is this a strong “should” or a weak “should?”
Because without either willing testimony or a subpoena to compel, these are just words.
I am sort of a fan of Laurence Tribe at this point. So far, the majority of Trump’s activities are still under wraps. Tribe believes that the GOP will have two choices when that is made known. (convict or run for Office as an accessory to Trump)
Saying anything at this point is only ping pong, not tennis…and Politics 101 teaches the Art Of Saying Nothing.
The accessory part has crossed my mind.
Honest question: can political silence be construed as misprision of a felony? Being that withholding information about a criminal act is a felony all by itself.
(not asking for a friend)
Wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on. Discussions? Candidness? “Thinking outside the box”?
Where do these concepts intersect with the venal interests of Donald Trump?
NAL…but certainly acquiescence of Trump’s crimes is not a good thing as a campaign issue.
“But of course he has to weigh that against the enormous catastrophic damage that would do to the doctrine of
executive privilegeGOP Omerta that assures that whenpolicycrime is being developed within the administration, thosediscussionsconspiracies areunfetteredhidden from law enforcement, arecandidtreasonous, are thinking outside of theboxConstitution,” he added.
Fixed.
Allow me to translate:
___ the doctrine of executive privilege (only in place between 2016 and 2020)
that assures that when policy is being developed (Who will we bomb now?)
within the administration (45, Ivanka, and the one remaining man 45* will listen to) ,
those discussions (explaining it to the president in words of one syllable)
are unfettered, (Can we use the children we’ve caged as food for our troops in Afghanistan?)
are candid, ( I don’t like Mnunchin - do you?)
are thinking outside of the box,” (asking for bribes) he added.
The problem here is that Trump’s base doesn’t consider what he did a crime. They’re okay with soliciting a foreign government to put a thumb on the scale of a US election. They want Trump reelected and they don’t care how the sausage is made.
Tribalism has overcome Patriotism in this country, at least as far as the R base is concerned. It’s only the R Congresscritters in vulnerable purple and about-to-be blue states that have to worry about this.
You’re right, there’s only one ‘tribe’: Republicans. On the other side are those who (for the most part, anyways) act in the interests of the Constitution.
One would think.
Scheduled for the 14th of Never.
And in fact, yeah, it would be to the President’s advantage to have them testify now
AHHH… unless you know that Bolton will perjure himself for tRump, this seems like a pretty stupid statement to make… but I guess it’s to be expected from today’s GOP
“But of course he has to weigh that against the enormous catastrophic damage that would do to the doctrine of executive privilege that assures that when policy is being developed within the administration, those discussions are unfettered, are candid, are thinking outside of the box,” he added. “That’s why the doctrine of executive privilege exists.”
horseshit
That might be a good disguise to get Trump out of the country When The Time Comes.
The problem with that would be that Trump cannot laugh 
“And in fact, yeah, it would be to the President’s advantage to have them testify now.”
SO perjury is now a requirement protected by executive privilege.
didn’t know that.
