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Thom's blog
Would a Democratic President Wield Power as Ruthlessly as Trump?
 Interestingly, the current divide in the Senate gives us an insight into how powerful a genuinely progressive Democratic president could be, and how much he or she could get done. As we saw yesterday, the Republicans voted repeatedly to participate in a cover-up of Donald Trump's crimes. If a Democratic president were to exercise the same kind of control over the Democratic caucus in the house and as Trump has done with the Republicans, that person could pass Medicare for All, wealth taxes, free college education, and a number of other progressive goals without difficulty. The question is whether the Democratic president would be willing to wield power as raw and ruthlessly as Trump has done. If you go back and look at how Franklin Roosevelt got the New Deal done in the 1930s, and how Lyndon Johnson got the great society done in the 1960s, it was not that different. In both cases, those presidents used their presidential and their political power with great force, and accomplish great things. They used power in many of the way is Donald Trump is, only for good instead of evil. Oddly, this means that even this impeachment hearing could be a very good sign for the future of our country, if Trump and the Republicans lose power in the election this year. -Thom |
Wednesday's Daily Stack 
Hour One: Would a Democratic President Wield Power As Ruthlessly As Trump?
Quote: " So far, I'm sad to say, I see a lot of senators voting for a coverup. Voting to deny witnesses and obviously a treacherous vote. A vote against an honest consideration of the evidence against the President. A vote against an honest trial. A vote against the United States." - Jerry Nadler. Quote: " In the 1905 Swayne trial, a senator objected when one of the managers used the word 'pettifogging.' And the presiding officer said the word ought not to have been used. I don't think we need to aspire to that high of a standard, but I do think those addressing the Senate should remember where they are." - John Roberts. Article: " Constitution of the United States" Article 2 section 1. " The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them." (domestic emoluments clause). Article: " Constitution of the United States" Article 1 section 9. " No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." (foreign emoluments clause).
Hours Two and Three: Live Coverage of the Senate Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump - House Manager, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA, 28th District) Begins Opening Arguments...
Quote: " When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits-despotic in his ordinary demeanour-known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty-when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity-to join in the cry of danger to liberty-to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion-to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day-It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may "ride the storm and direct the whirlwind."" - Alexander Hamilton. Article: " Federalist No 65" by Alexander Hamilton. " A well-constituted court for the trial of impeachments is an object not more to be desired than difficult to be obtained in a government wholly elective. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated political, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself. The prosecution of them, for this reason, will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community, and to divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused. In many cases it will connect itself with the pre-existing factions, and will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other; and in such cases there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt." Quote: " Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press." - Donald J. Trump.
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Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET
The impeachment continues. Will Republican support for Trump begin to crack?
And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"
And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...
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Watch & Listen to Thom
CIA Refuses To Hand Over Vital Impeachment Documents
Trump Impeachment Rebuttal Falls Apart
Trump's Impeachment Will End In One Of Two Ways
Trump's Impeachment Just Put Democracy Itself On Trial!
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On the Road Again
"The War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote--and How To Get it Back" - Book Tour Is Coming...
Fri, Feb 28, 7:30pm PT: Powell's, 1005 W Burnside St., Portland.
Sun, Mar 1, noon: Frugal Muse Books -Chicago- tickets will go on sale Feb 3rd.
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