Even though District Judge Sarah B. Wallace ruled that Donald Trump engaged in an act of insurrection in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, she nevertheless added that doesn't mean he should be barred from a Colorado presidential ballot. This despite Section III of the 14th Amendment, which states “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. " The judge's reasoning? She's not sure it applies to a president. Well, rereading that amendment, I do see the word president. Or rather, President. Capitalized just so we wouldn't miss it. OK, it does say "elector of" right before it. So the elector can't engage in an insurrection but the person who the elector elects can? That's a little like arresting a mob boss for murder but then letting the hit man go free (well, that may not be the best analogy in the world as the hit man always can turn state evidence and then disappear in the Witness Protection Program, something I wish Trump would do, even if he witnessed nothing but his own act of treason.)
Oh, well, the judge has ruled, and for the time being we just have to accept it. But it makes me wonder what would happen if such a ruling was applied retroactively.
Fort Sumpter, shmort shmumpter. Jeff, dude, you could be president of both sides of the Mason-Dixon line!
Benedict, baby, you could be a Founding Father!
So what's 30 pieces of silver between apostles? Mister Iscariot, you can be the first Pope!
Lucifer, just blame Dominion.
I have already prepared myself that every Court case Donald Trump will be held accountable to some point but he'll get out of it in the long run. I don't think he'll see any jail time, he will go on to get the nomination of president and then it's going to be a bloody election with Biden once again. And I think Biden will just barely hold on by a camel's hair. Trump will lose and then there's going to be Mass hysteria again.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, Maddie, your scenario is more OPTIMISTIC than most.
DeleteJudge Sarah B. Wallace seems rather incompetent in her role. It seems like a clear cut matter to me but as it goes, you have to be in court at the time and hear the evidence.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I've read that some legal analysts find it significant that Judge Wallace did at least find that Trump is guilty of fomenting an insurrection. Now if only a judge would find that it MATTERS.
DeleteIt's certainly not explicit (which is not a good thing) but couldn't the office of President be subsumed in the phrase "hold any office, civil or military, under the United States"? I think it's at least arguable. And yes, it is absurd if the President is not subject to the same restrictions as every other elected official. I hope the District Judge's decision is under appeal.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading it could go to the Supreme Court, Debra, at which point it will hang on whether or not Clarence Thomas spent time at Mar-a-Lago.
DeleteP.S. And as for your post title -- GROAN!
ReplyDeleteDebra, I would like to reply to your second comment, but this giant cane has appeared out of nowhere and is pulling me away...
DeleteWas Wallace appointed by tRUMP or another republican?
ReplyDeleteMike, she was appointed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat. A Republican-appointed judge most likely wouldn't even have found that Trump had engaged in an act of insurrection. So there's the 21st century two-party system for you.
DeleteNothing makes any sense. Trump will walk and he may even be the next (and final) president of the U S of A
ReplyDeleteTrump walks, Mitchell, and the rest of us may end up crawling.
DeleteThe things that are going on in the world right now. I can't even.
ReplyDeleteI can't even either, Lux.
ReplyDelete