THE OTHER "I" WORD. IT'S NOT JUST FOR IMPEACHMENT ANYMORE

By Philip Drucker

Today, I start with a simple concept. Difficult times call for difficult solutions. Urgent solutions, creative solutions or in other words, not talk, but real solutions. While I appreciate many of my colleague’s opinions on the constitutionality of various means of redress available, we must begin to expand our thinking. We find ourselves in a constitutional mess today including issues involving the usurpation of Supreme Court and Federal Judicial appointments that could influence not only the current generation but the next, and possibly even the next. Throw in the growing clearly deleterious effects of climate change, a weaponized presidency unwilling or unable to act unless it’s placing its own self-interest above all other societal concerns and what we have is a potential crisis of unknowable length and scope careening out of control toward an inevitable, and at some point, irreversible certainty. There are those who say there is profit in chaos, but the truth is, there is nothing in chaos but chaos, followed by more and more chaos.

Time and time again I hear the phrase we are a divided nation. We are not. There is only one America and America has room for more than one political, social and philosophical point of view. Everybody is not always going to agree on everything and we should stop proceeding in a manner that requires 100% unanimity of thought. Those types of elections are held in North Korea where the outcome of any “election” is predetermined and disagreement with the unusually bold and courageous leader, who is also a capable equestrian, a fearless sailor and an aggressive tank driver who apparently writes our emotionally adolescent on a good day president beautiful love letters, is considered an act of treason. The real questions we should be asking ourselves is given the various options, good, bad and indifferent available to us, what is the best way to move forward? If you want to be best, here is your chance.

Time is not on our side. Global warming and extreme weather conditions are real. Racism and intolerance are on the rise with no end in sight. The stock market will fall. How far is anyone’s guess. My best estimate is because there is no GM to bail out, probably not quite to depression 2.0 levels, but most certainly into wipe out the gains of the last ten years or so territory. The do little but feel good McJob growth we have been experiencing will quickly decline and then shift into reverse. The additional corporate funds Trump claimed as part of his tax cut shadow puppet show as leading to a hiring frenzy will be right where everyone always knew they would end up. Safely stashed away in off shore tax havens and beyond the reach of an economy desperate for an influx of capital to spur consumer spending.

Government funds will turn illiquid and Social Security funds will be tapped to pay our debts. In an odd moment of ‘America First”, someone at a high enough level will fiat it is in our best interests to pay off our debts to Germany’s Central Bank lest the EU fall into economic chaos. Next, government health services including Medicare will be slashed if not eliminated entirely in a shamefully inadequate and thinly veiled in conservative ideology effort to “save money”. Next, China and Russia could simultaneously call in their investments in US bonds. The frenzy will be in full swing. Banks will close their doors. Gold prices will soar. Those who can’t afford gold will begin hording cans of food including little Friskies if it’s all that is available.

During the ensuing turmoil, Mother Nature hits Puerto Rico with a hurricane sending the island back to the dark ages of civilization. In the effluence, Florida disappears under the sea. No, the hidden island of Atlantis will not rise to save us with its previously lost ancient wisdom. Soon, aliens realize we as a species are defenseless and Thanos arrives with the Infinity Glove to spare us, or at least half of us, from further human misery. Could it happen? Thanos might be a stretch, but I do know as for the rest of my purposefully dire dystopian scenario, there will be no green-skinned Avengers coming to save us. This time, we need to save ourselves with the key word being fast.

Our current court system is slow and particularly at the top, unreliable. Presidential impeachment may or may not be followed by removal in the Senate. Besides, removing a blemish does not cure cancer. We need an idea, a path, a bold initiative to unravel the carnage and prevent further erosion of our republic, of our country, of our lives, for the here and now and for the future. It is time for the second “I” word. Illegitimate. Undoing all the damage of an illegitimate presidency. From day one.

The word “illegitimate” does not appear in Article II of the Constitution. Certainly, not in conjunction with the general office and obligations of the presidency. But there are many hints it’s there. Hiding in the penumbras of the amendments. As my readers know, our Constitution is subject to inference, meaning some powers and rights not explicitly mentioned in the black letters of the document may in fact be discoverable and enforceable as necessary to the protection of our natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Forgive my imprudence, but if this Trump Uber Alles nonsense continues ain’t noboby gonna be happy, except maybe Thanos (if he exists).

Perfesser! What is your basis for such an assumption? Is Russian interference in the election enough? Saudi, Chinese, Israeli, North Korean interference? The answer is the same. If votes were changed, electronically or otherwise to tip a county or two, say in Michigan, Wisconsin or Pennsylvania…? You get the picture and since Scott Walker was in Wisconsin, Wisconsin is a prime target for investigation starting yesterday. Assuming there are no such things as coincidence, evidence of election fraud tampering continues to accumulate.

What if I told you there is no such thing as a “shy”, “hidden” or “secret” Trump supporter flying under the radar of canvassers and pollsters and radio hosts and television cameras everywhere? Have you ever seen one or heard one? Do you truly believe the average Storm(y) Trumper is sophisticated enough to understand his or her staying “silent” is a key to his Electoral College success? His Electoral College victory was all but statistically impossible without a little outside help? That he didn’t win fair and square? He cheated, and left it at that?

What if I told you Mitch McConnell defied the Constitution by refusing to advise and consent to then President Obama’s explicit right to appoint Merrick Garland to the US Supreme Court? Is his unconstitutionality somehow excusable? He did it.

What if I told you President Trump’s use of his emergency powers in defense of our national security in tandem with our Southern Border is beyond serious constitutional scrutiny? The caravans, the cages, the entire fiasco? He did it.

What if I told you his kids can’t have security clearances because they are his kids? He can’t refuel military planes for his personal gain at a golf course in Scotland? He doesn’t have blanket executive immunity and is subject to congressional oversight? Every lie he tells is a lie to the American people? He did it all and continues to do so.

What if I told you Mad King Trump is the very walking dictionary definition of a person of low moral character the Founders sought to prevent from taking office at any level of government? He absolutely cannot conspire with a foreign nation to put his political interests above that of national security? For that this is exactly why we revolted in the first place? To escape the tyranny of a foreign monarch who lost touch with his subjects across the seas? That Insane King George could no longer rule a nascent nation of rugged individuals bent on attaining freedom no longer content with putting the interests of England, suddenly a hostile, foreign country, first?