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Ash writes: "Nixon's motivation for The Saturday Night Massacre was simple. Nixon was no fool, he understood that forcing the firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox was certain to have severe political repercussions and might likely lead ultimately to his resignation."

Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Washington D.C., 2017. (photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Washington D.C., 2017. (photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)


This Is Going to Get Very Ugly, Very Quickly

By Marc Ash, Reader Supported News

10 April 18

 

ixon�s motivation for The Saturday Night Massacre was simple. Nixon was no fool, he understood that forcing the firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox was certain to have severe political repercussions and might likely lead ultimately to his resignation.

He didn�t do it because he thought it was a smart move, he did it because he thought it was the only move he had left. While the final showdown between Nixon and Cox was over the White House tape recordings, the real problem for Nixon was that Cox was closing in and if allowed to continue would, Nixon was sure, force him from office or worse. It was in political terms the nuclear option, and he saved it as his last option.

The fully warranted raids on Donald Trump�s personal attorney Michael Cohen�s Manhattan office, home and hotel room were technically coordinated by the U.S. Attorney�s Office for the Southern District of New York, not by Special Counsel Robert Mueller�s team. But Mueller referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney�s Office based on evidence his investigation uncovered, and his presence in the matter is palpable.

In any case the FBI�s Cohen raids were extraordinary, both historically and legally. Normally obtaining warrants that would allow for the seizure of records from an attorney whose client was under federal investigation would draw the most rigorous scrutiny from the courts. It�s a very high threshold, a very high burden of proof for law enforcement. But this is the personal attorney for the president of the United States so the review would have been even more rigorous. Whatever evidence federal investigators presented to the courts had to have been stark, material and compelling.

But that would have been the evidence they had before the raids. Now in possession of Cohen�s devices and documents, investigators acting on behalf of U.S. Attorney�s Office would not face the same limitations Mueller�s team would. They could act on any evidence of criminality they uncovered directly under the jurisdiction U.S. Attorney�s Office or refer appropriate evidence back to the Special Counsel�s office at their discretion.

These developments are not lost on Donald Trump. In unscripted remarks after the raids were reported, Trump took direct aim at Special Counsel Robert Mueller and top officials at the Department of Justice overseeing his probe. He spoke in direct terms about firing Mueller. It was a threat thinly veiled.

When Trump is absolutely certain Mueller will win, he will do what Nixon was forced to do when his moment came. He will cynically use the powers of the presidency to save himself.

At that moment a very real and immediate constitutional crisis is inevitable. It is highly unlikely that Donald Trump will relinquish power in an orderly way. The argument that an American president is not above the law is about to be tested.



Marc Ash is the founder and former Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

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+26 # swimdoc 2017-05-19 18:05
Go for it, Iowans! Demand Improved and Expanded Medicare for All! Don't prematurely "compromise" by accepting the promise of a public option before you even get started. Insist that your elected members of Congress sign on to HR 676 while still opposing dismantling of the ACA. It's time to move beyond the ACA to real national health coverage for everyone living in the U.S.
 
 
+3 # JCM 2017-05-19 18:56
 
 
+10 # Charles3000 2017-05-19 19:27
I wish everyone could learn that Medicare is NOT single payer; it is either two or three payers involved. We need "single payer" NOT Medicare for All!"
 
 
+13 # Scott Galindez 2017-05-19 22:18
You are right Charles...Medic are for All is a slogan but Conyers bill and Bernie's that is coming expand Medicaid to a single payer system. Medicare is popular with the American people so we are using that to sell universal healthcare.
 
 
+18 # diamondmarge7 2017-05-19 19:32
This is SUCH exciting news! I had heard of NY & CA moving towards single psayer; I have also contributed & fotwarded emails to contacts regarding the heavy efforts in CO. How fabulous that IA is moving in this marvelous direction, too. Mebbe we "exxceptional" Americans might finally join the rest of the industrial world & stop being gouged and screwed by for-profit
BigMed and BigPharma. I AM SO THRILLED.
 
 
+3 # elkingo 2017-05-19 23:07
Socialized Medicine Goddammit!
 
 
+15 # lamancha 2017-05-20 00:28
I find it almost criminal that the network pundits - CNN, MSNBC and others - are not taking up the cause of single payer. Even the so-called liberal network hosts & pundits ( no progressives in sight ), are not taking up the cause. All they report on is what the Republicans are proposing. What a waste!
 
 
0 # RNLDaWy 2017-05-20 10:28
Correct they make their money on whining about losing the election and mislead you with that. Also elected officials who work for our government have the best healthcare and salaries and guaranteed income of any person in the country same as high earners in the private sector. They don't want you to know the facts Medicare is not single payer .. at least a two tier system would be better .. Medicare for All .. unless you are a high earner then you can choose your plan .. because not a problem for those with the dough .. or WORKING IN GOVERNMENT .. wink wink wink!
 
 
+5 # virtualaudio 2017-05-20 16:45
Kudos to Bernie for planting the seed of Single Payer in the minds of most Americans. Though I'd prefer he had won the election, this profound shift of public sentiment justifies the time & money I put into his primary bid. If only the Dems in Congress and the 'progressive' news & opinion outlets would take up the cause.. Before the presidential race, I'd occasionally hear people like Chris Hayes talk about single payer. He also did a lot of segments on climate change. Since the election season started, I haven't heard a peep about these issues from him or others. There seems to be a an attitude of disdain toward Bernie from these guys.. During the primary, Maddow interviewed Sanders & Clinton on the same day, while Matthews did Trump; Trump made a stupid comment about punishing women for getting abortions, which Maddow used to ambush Sanders.. when asked, Sanders reiterated his commitment to women's rights, then dismissed Trumps comment as more B.S. Maddow then tracked down Clinton and told her only the 2nd half of what Sanders said, which gave Clinton the opportunity to slam Sanders for not being sufficiently pro-choice. Maddow had this smirk on her face when she talked to Clinton, like a little kid who knew they were doing something bad and getting away with it. What's wrong with these people? If you want the public's trust, be consistent! Otherwise Trump's assault on the media will continue to resonate. (sorry to digress, but it is annoying)
 
 
0 # futhark 2017-05-20 10:12
The government has no more business in providing medical insurance than it does providing fire protection and police services, educational opportunities for minors, roads and highways, or protection from foreign invasion. It seems that an increasing number of people are waking up to the fact that there is little justification to have any of these without the others.
 
 
+7 # Wise woman 2017-05-20 10:41
State by state looks like the only way single payer will be accomplished. If that's the way it has to happen, so be it. All the more reason we have to get on top of our elected officials to do the right thing for America. Here in CT, where I live, big med and big pharma rule. Blumenthal and Murphy have to get on the ball and change that. That and legalizing mj which is presently under the control of the state and the price gaugers as well as the criminal element.
 
 
-3 # Rain17 2017-05-21 20:00
The biggest obstacle to single-payer:

"I don't want my tax dollars going to pay for other people's healthcare ( i.e. illegal immigrants, minorities on welfare, or any other umpopular group) at my expense."

Too many Americans maintain that position. Until artitudes toward socisl programs chanfe for the better single-payer will remain politically a nonstarter in this country.
 

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