New rules of law in Washington, D.C.
For a party that has successfully branded itself as the protector of “law and order,” the GOP rhetoric during the impeachment proceedings is astonishing. Then again, considering that the candidate who made the “law and order” mantra central to his campaign was Richard “I am not a crook” Nixon, perhaps it’s not so surprising. The “new rules” of legal proceedings that Congressional Republicans are using to protect President Donald Trump’s abuse of power not only show contempt for law and order, they are an insult to Americans’ ability to discern right from wrong.
New rule: if the corrupt act isn’t brought to fruition, the defendant isn’t guilty. Ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee Doug Collins (RGa.) offered as proof there was no quid pro quo that, “Ukraine received the aid and a meeting with President Trump, and never opened an investigation.” This “new rule” is tantamount to claiming attempted murder isn’t a crime because the victim wasn’t killed.
New rule: if the defendant asserts he’s not guilty, he’s not guilty. Trump’s allies have unabashedly asserted that the president’s claims that “there was no quid pro quo” are proof of his innocence. Indeed, Trump, reading from notes lest he misquote his own words, relayed to reporters what he told Ambassador Sondland: “I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo.” Under the Republican “new rules” if defendants’ protestations of innocence are to be taken at face value, there are untold numbers of innocent people in jail, as most defendants initially plead “not guilty.”
New rule: if someone with a gun to his head says he isn’t being threatened, he isn’t being threatened. Rep. John Ratcliffe (RTexas) put forward as proof that there was no pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky to open a politically motivated investigation of Joe Biden that, “Both presidents expressly have stated there was no pressure, no demand, no conditions, no blackmail, no corruption.” How ironic that a party so devoid of courage to stand up to Trump’s bullying believes that a foreign leader would put U.S. support — that is literally a matter of life and death for his country — at risk by admitting he was being coerced by the president of the United States.
New rule: defendants should be in charge of their own trials. Senate Majority “I’m not a” Leader Mitch McConnell (RKy.) has audaciously announced that he will defer to the White House on matters concerning the conduct of the Senate impeachment trial. Telling Fox News, “I’m going to take my cues from the president’s lawyers,” McConnell went on to say there would be “no difference between the president’s position and our position as to how to handle this to the extent that we can.”
New rule: oaths to uphold the Constitution are just for show. Both the Constitution and Senate rules require senators to render impartial justice. Explains the conservative Heritage Foundation, “the requirement that senators be on Oath or Affirmation in impeachment trials was plainly designed to impress upon them the extreme seriousness of the occasion.” Yet Senator Graham (RS.C.) revealed that he intends to violate his oath from the getgo, telling reporters that he’s “not trying to pretend to be a fair juror.” McConnell has decided to speak for the entire jury of 100 senators before the trial has even started, announcing, “There’s no chance the president’s going to be removed from office.”
The worst new rule written by Republicans, though, is: subverting free and fair democratic elections is fine if that’s the cost of staying in power. For weeks Republicans have railed against the impeachment process, accusing Democrats of trying to overturn the will of the people. On this point, they actually got it right. What Republicans refuse to concede, however, is that impeachment was made part of our Constitution to address egregious abuses of power.
What could be more egregious than subverting an election for one’s own political advantage? And what could be more deceitful than Republicans saying the 2020 election should decide Trump’s fate when the very reason Trump is being impeached is because he’s trying to, in his own words “rig the election?”