General Discussion

Dennis Donovan

(18,770 posts) Sat Jan 18, 2020, 07:02 AM Jan 2020

Dersh is going to make a fool of himself with his planned defense of Trump

Robert Maguire ✔ @RobertMaguire_

Hate to break it to Dersh, but when the Founders discussed impeachment, they specifically discussed it as a remedy for abuse of power.

TheBeat w/Ari Melber ✔ @TheBeatWithAri

Alan Dershowitz, a member of Trump's impeachment team, on 'abuse of power':

"Abuse of power, even if proved, is not an impeachable offense. That's what the framers rejected. They didn't want to give Congress the authority to remove a president because he abused his power."

Debating the Constitution, George Mason asked if the president has "the power of granting pardons before indictment, or conviction, may he not stop inquiry and prevent detection?"

In other words, what if the president abuses a power we are granting to him?

James Madison responded, "If the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any Person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him"

9:19 PM - Jan 17, 2020

Link to tweet

15 replies

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Dersh is going to make a fool of himself with his planned defense of Trump (Original Post) Dennis Donovan Jan 2020 OP

I don't get why he still has any kind of reputation. hlthe2b Jan 2020 #1

Hope he plays the fool that he is. n/t sprinkleeninow Jan 2020 #2

Andrew Wakefield was a respected doctor. Archae Jan 2020 #9

He has been exposed for decades by the medical and public health community. hlthe2b Jan 2020 #11

His only job is help senators feel it's ok leaving a monster in control of the country. IADEMO2004 Jan 2020 #3

This makes me wonder if Laurence Tribe might contemplate Submariner Jan 2020 #4

Tribes response riverwalker Jan 2020 #5

How could he join the "defense?" Trump would have to ask him. He has consulted with the House hlthe2b Jan 2020 #12

That was one of my dumber ones Submariner Jan 2020 #14

My guess is they have kompromat on him so he has no choice but to fall on his sword. usaf-vet Jan 2020 #6

Well, that's something to look forward to. greatauntoftriplets Jan 2020 #7

The news media is sure building him up to be the doc03 Jan 2020 #8

Going to? GoCubsGo Jan 2020 #10

Anyone can make outlandish statements but few get called out. KY_EnviroGuy Jan 2020 #13

Dershowitz is like Dyson Freeman, genius global warming skeptic Cicada Jan 2020 #15

hlthe2b

(102,454 posts)

1. I don't get why he still has any kind of reputation.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 07:20 AM

Jan 2020

If a lauded physician or surgeon went around spewing obviously erroneous information, the backlash from true experts would be deafening, but equally important, large segments of the public and media (who were particularly interested and well-researched) would have skewered him as well.

Apparently he went on CNN and confused Hamilton with Aaron Burr! Geebus.

sprinkleeninow

(20,268 posts)

2. Hope he plays the fool that he is. n/t

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #1)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 07:59 AM

Jan 2020

Archae

(46,362 posts)

9. Andrew Wakefield was a respected doctor.

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #1)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 10:08 AM

Jan 2020

Until he became a whore for the anti-vaxxers.

As to Dershowitz, he became a whore for OJ Simpson, and now is Trump's whore.

hlthe2b

(102,454 posts)

11. He has been exposed for decades by the medical and public health community.

Reply to Archae (Reply #9)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 10:39 AM

Jan 2020

His study was quickly adopted by anti-vaxxers, but directly questioned and discounted within a short time of publication by the REAL medical and scientific community.

Big damned difference.

IADEMO2004

(5,574 posts)

3. His only job is help senators feel it's ok leaving a monster in control of the country.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 08:25 AM

Jan 2020

Bat shit world we have now.

Submariner

(12,512 posts)

4. This makes me wonder if Laurence Tribe might contemplate

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 08:31 AM

Jan 2020

Last edited Sat Jan 18, 2020, 11:18 AM - Edit history (1)

joining the prosecution to argue against the Dershowitz interpretation. Crushing the perve in this venue would be fun TV.

riverwalker

(8,694 posts)

5. Tribes response

Reply to Submariner (Reply #4)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 09:34 AM

Jan 2020

On MSNBC: “I understand the concept of alternative facts, but you can’t have alternative Law”

hlthe2b

(102,454 posts)

12. How could he join the "defense?" Trump would have to ask him. He has consulted with the House

Reply to Submariner (Reply #4)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 10:51 AM

Jan 2020

pretty much continually on the impeachment articles, as has his co-author (and one of several House Impeachment Counsel), Joshua Matz.

I do hope the House managers find a way to incorporate Tribe (or Neal Katyal) as official rebuttal to Dershowtiz though.

Submariner

(12,512 posts)

14. That was one of my dumber ones

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #12)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 11:20 AM

Jan 2020

thanks for catching that.

usaf-vet

(6,229 posts)

6. My guess is they have kompromat on him so he has no choice but to fall on his sword.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 09:59 AM

Jan 2020

The "Epstein Factor"?

greatauntoftriplets

(175,760 posts)

7. Well, that's something to look forward to.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 10:01 AM

Jan 2020

doc03

(35,407 posts)

8. The news media is sure building him up to be the

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 10:04 AM

Jan 2020

greatest legal mind ever.

GoCubsGo

(32,098 posts)

10. Going to?

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 10:14 AM

Jan 2020

He's already well on his way to it with just that quote alone.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,498 posts)

13. Anyone can make outlandish statements but few get called out.

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 11:02 AM

Jan 2020

This is where our press fails us - in not asking for historical and legal basis for such statements on the spot when a statement has such potential for high impact on our public.

Some others, perhaps not as notorious, that gained attention through the years......

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”

President George W. Bush, August 5th, 2004

“By integrating women into particularly military institutes, it cripples the readiness of our defense. Schools like The Citadel train young men to confidently lead other young men into a battlefield where one of them will die. And when you have women in that situation, it creates a whole new set of dynamics which are distracting to training these men to kill or be killed.”

Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell

“When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.”

Richard Nixon in an interview with David Frost in 1977

“Literally, if we took away the minimum wage — if conceivably it was gone — we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level.”

Congresswoman and GOP Presidential nominee Michelle Bachmann, January 26th, 2005

KY..........

Cicada

(4,533 posts)

15. Dershowitz is like Dyson Freeman, genius global warming skeptic

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Original post)

Sat Jan 18, 2020, 11:39 AM

Jan 2020

Dyson Freeman is a genius physicist. But psychologically he is always drawn to taking views contrary to conventional wisdom. He loves it when he disagrees with everyone else. So his arguments against the theory of global warming should not surprise us. So too Dershowitz delights in arguing against conventional wisdom. He will almost always gravitate to the seemingly crazy view, if it is consistent with limiting government prosecution. So we should not be surprised by his argument for narrow grounds for impeachment.

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