Robert B. Reich's Blog, page 71
April 7, 2017
Bannon, Kushner, and Trump’s Upside-Down Populism
wouldn’t matter in a normal...
April 5, 2017
4 (And maybe 5) Grounds to Impeach TrumpBy my count, there are...
4 (And maybe 5) Grounds to Impeach Trump
By my count, there are now four grounds to impeach Donald Trump.
The fifth appears to be on its way.
First, in taking the oath of office, a president promises to
“faithfully execute the laws & the constitution.” That’s Article II Section
2.
But Trump is unfaithfully executing his duties as president by
accusing his predecessor, president Obama, of undertaking an illegal and
impeachable act, with absolutely no evidence to support the accusation.
Second, Article I Section 9 of the Constitution forbids
government officials from taking things of value from foreign governments. But
Trump is making big money off his Trump International Hotel by steering foreign
diplomatic delegations to it, and will make a bundle off China’s recent
decision to grant his trademark applications for the Trump brand – decisions
Chinese authorities arrived at directly because of decisions Trump has made as
president.
Third: The 1st Amendment to the Constitution bars any law
“respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof.” But Trump’s ban on travel into the United States from 6 muslim
countries – which he initiated, advocated for, and oversees – violates that
provision.
Fourth: The 1st Amendment also bars “abridging the freedom of
the press.” But Trump’s labeling the press “the enemy of the people,” and
choosing who he invites to news conferences based on whether they’ve given him
favorable coverage, violates this provision.
A fifth possible ground if the evidence is there: Article II
Section 3 of the Constitution defines “treason against the United States” as
“adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.”
Evidence is mounting that Trump and his aides colluded with
Russian operatives to win the 2016 presidential election.
Presidents can be impeached for what the Constitution calls
“high crimes and misdemeanors.” The question is no longer whether there are
grounds to impeach Trump. The practical question is whether there’s the
political will.
As long as Republicans remain in the majority in the House,
where a bill of impeachment originates, it’s unlikely. Another reason why it’s
critically important to flip the House in 2018.
4 (and maybe 5) Grounds to Impeach TrumpBy my count, there are...
4 (and maybe 5) Grounds to Impeach Trump
By my count, there are now four grounds to impeach Donald Trump.
The fifth appears to be on its way.
First, in taking the oath of office, a president promises to
“faithfully execute the laws & the constitution.” That’s Article II Section
2.
But Trump is unfaithfully executing his duties as president by
accusing his predecessor, president Obama, of undertaking an illegal and
impeachable act, with absolutely no evidence to support the accusation.
Second, Article I Section 9 of the Constitution forbids
government officials from taking things of value from foreign governments. But
Trump is making big money off his Trump International Hotel by steering foreign
diplomatic delegations to it, and will make a bundle off China’s recent
decision to grant his trademark applications for the Trump brand – decisions
Chinese authorities arrived at directly because of decisions Trump has made as
president.
Third: The 1st Amendment to the Constitution bars any law
“respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof.” But Trump’s ban on travel into the United States from 6 muslim
countries – which he initiated, advocated for, and oversees – violates that
provision.
Fourth: The 1st Amendment also bars “abridging the freedom of
the press.” But Trump’s labeling the press “the enemy of the people,” and
choosing who he invites to news conferences based on whether they’ve given him
favorable coverage, violates this provision.
A fifth possible ground if the evidence is there: Article II
Section 3 of the Constitution defines “treason against the United States” as
“adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.”
Evidence is mounting that Trump and his aides colluded with
Russian operatives to win the 2016 presidential election.
Presidents can be impeached for what the Constitution calls
“high crimes and misdemeanors.” The question is no longer whether there are
grounds to impeach Trump. The practical question is whether there’s the
political will.
As long as Republicans remain in the majority in the House,
where a bill of impeachment originates, it’s unlikely. Another reason why it’s
critically important to flip the House in 2018.
April 4, 2017
TRUMP’S INCREDIBLY DUMB BET ON COALWhen Donald Trump was running...
TRUMP’S INCREDIBLY DUMB BET ON COAL
When Donald Trump was running for president, he talked a lot about putting people back to work. And one of the industries he focused on most was the coal industry. He even put on a hard hat and waved around a pick axe to show how much he loved coal.
But there simply aren’t very many coal jobs to be had any more in the U.S. That’s not because of anything Obama did. Coal jobs are decreasing because demand for coal is decreasing, and because machines now do much of the work.
In 1985 the coal industry employed a over 178,000 miners. By 2016, it employed just 56,000.
By contrast, in 2016, wind and solar energy provided more than 6 times the number of jobs as coal. The trend is toward even more jobs in wind and solar, regardless of what Trump does.
Solar energy is exploding worldwide, an almost sixfold increase in just the last 5 years. But America ranks fifth in the production of solar energy, behind China, Germany, Japan and Italy.
If we really want to lead - if we really want to join the New Energy Economy - we have to go with the energy of the future, not the energy of the past. The other option — the one Donald Trump is proposing – leaves us following, not leading.
It’s our choice.
March 29, 2017
Trump’s Fog Machine
March 27, 2017
Trump’s Business of Government
March 25, 2017
No, Paul, It Wasn’t Because of “Growing Pains”
following the demise of his bill to replace...
March 24, 2017
GORSUCH SHOULDN’T BE CONFIRMED UNTIL WE KNOW THE PERSON WHO...
GORSUCH SHOULDN’T BE CONFIRMED UNTIL WE KNOW THE PERSON WHO PICKED HIM IS CLEARED OF WRONGDOING
Neil Gorsuch shouldn’t be confirmed until Trump comes clean.
Nominating a new justice of the Supreme Court is one of the most important responsibilities of a president. But until we know Trump is a legitimate president, he can’t be presumed to have the authority to make such a pick.
First, we need to be sure Trump didn’t collaborate with Russia to rig the election. The FBI says it has enough “credible evidence” that Trump aides colluded with Russian operatives to affect the outcome of the election, to move forward with a full-scale investigation.
At the least, Gorsuch shouldn’t be considered until that investigation is concluded.
We also need to be sure Trump isn’t motivated by financial conflicts of interest around the world. We need to see his tax records to know he doesn’t owe a bundle to Russian oligarchs or big global banks that would affect his judgement.
And we need to know he’s not violating the Constitution by raking in money from foreign governments. For example, Trump still owns a 77 stake of his luxury hotel in Washington and his children are splitting the rest, even as foreign governments assign their dignitaries rooms at the hotel.
China just granted Trump trademark rights to the Trump brand, potentially worth billions of dollars to Trump and his family. Although it’s normally difficult to obtain brand-name rights in China so quickly, the Chinese authorities apparently saw this as a payback in return for Trump’s backing away from recognizing Taiwan.
Last year Senate Republicans wouldn’t move forward with Obama’s pick of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court on the bizarre theory that a president in his last year of office has no legitimacy nominating a Supreme Court justice.
But a true cloud of illegitimacy now hangs over the presidency of Donald Trump. Unless and until that cloud disappears, the Senate shouldn’t move forward with anyone Trump picks for the Supreme Court.
March 21, 2017
The Crisis of Governance
March 20, 2017
My Visit to Trump’s Washington
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