impeachment – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

Letter to Zeldin about Impeaching Trump

David Posnett — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:15:38 +0000

This is a letter sent to Lee Zeldin on Jan 12th urging him to vote for impeachment of Trump. (I was having trouble posting until now). Although I knew it would have no effect in persuading him, I thought it important to say these things anyhow.

Rep Zeldin, it is not too late. You have one last chance for redemption. That chance is joining your principled Republican colleagues to impeach President Trump.

You have been instrumental in creating the environment that led up to an armed insurrectionist mob storming the Capitol and threatening our democracy. Shortly after you were elected to your first term you addressed a meeting of Oath Keepers. Oath Keepers is one of the far right armed militia groups that went all in on storming the Capitol on Jan 6. They’ve been lusting for armed uprising and civil war for years. More recently, during Trump’s first impeachment, you were one of the Congressmen who participated in the storming of the SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities) inside the Capitol during a hearing involving classified information. This, in spite of the fact that you already had secured access to the SCIF. The room was entered by force and security protocols were breached. Afterwards you spoke at a press conference praising this illegal action, thus abusing your position as a Congressman to set a terrible example of the lawless exercise of force to enter a secured area in the heart of the Capitol.

The worst of all was your vote to object to the certification of President-elect Biden’s wins in Arizona and Pennsylvania, AFTER the House chamber itself had been invaded by an angry mob baying for blood. There was no more ambiguity at that point about what the “stop the steal” rhetoric, led by President Trump and echoed by you, would lead to. It’s no use hiding behind sophistic and pettifogging language about “legal” votes and “investigations”. It was plain as day that you were aiding and abetting resistance to the peaceful transfer of power, and encouraging the delusion that the 2020 election was not free and fair, and that Trump should be declared the winner.

If ever a President fit the description of what the nation’s founders had in mind when they wrote the power to impeach the President into the Constitution, it is President Trump. Even before the election he refused to commit to the peaceful transfer of power should he lose. He in fact refused to concede the possibility that he could lose. That is the behavior of a dictator. Then, after he lost, he convinced millions of Americans that the election was rigged, broadcasting the “stop the steal” lie through Twitter and other media. On Jan 3^rd he called the Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensberger, and cajoled and threatened him to “find” the votes necessary to make him the winner in Georgia, even going so far as to name the exact number of votes Raffensberger needed to “find”. This followed multiple calls and meetings with state officials overseeing elections pressuring them to overturn the election result in their state. During all this you gave your backing, even though you are a Congressman sworn to defend the Constitution, to this effort to cast into doubt and perhaps nullify the verdict of millions of voters in various states, all based on what you must have known, as a lawyer and educated person, was a lie.

Then on Jan. 6^th Trump addressed a mob which he himself had summoned to Washington using inflammatory rhetoric, demanding that Vice President Pence act in clear violation of the Constitution and simply arbitrarily declare Trump the winner. The mob, as we all know, then marched to the Capitol, overpowered the Capitol police who for reasons yet to be explained fully were unaided by any other federal agency, and smashed their way into the Capitol building itself, chanting, amongst other things “Hang Mike Pence!”. A Capitol police officer was fatally injured and other Capitol police officers were also injured. The legal and Constitutional process underway of counting the electoral votes was interrupted. The Vice President, Senators and Representatives were forced to flee for their lives to a secure location. Only after several hours, when reinforcements from the Washington D.C. police arrived was the Capitol cleared of the angry and bloodthirsty mob, after an orgy of pillage and looting had occurred, including the theft of electronics possibly containing classified information. It was only through both the bravery and quick thinking of certain outnumbered Capitol police officers that much worse did not occur, including the injury or murder of the Vice President, Senators, or Representatives.

Meanwhile, as all this was occurring President Trump was in the White House watching television. He refused numerous pleas coming from both those besieged in the Capitol and from officials of his own Administration to do something and summon help to clear the Capitol of the angry mob. In fact, reports are that he appeared to be enjoying himself and was pleased by the events that were occurring at the Capitol. During the critical hours the Capitol building was occupied by an insurrectionist mob, there was, in effect, no President of the United States. Donald Trump had abdicated his responsibility to preserve and protect the Constitution.

It is impossible for me to believe that you seriously think the behavior of President Trump is not impeachable. If his behavior is not impeachable what is the meaning of the impeachment clause in the Constitution? What would a President need to do to be impeached? Commit murder? Defect to Russia? Clearly that’s not what the founders had in mind by the phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors”.

This is your last chance to change your course and act in defense of our democracy instead of in defense of one autocratic and delusional man. Think about how you will be judged by history. Think about your daughters and what kind of country they will live in. Please, please think about the good of the country instead of pandering to the worst part of your “base”. This is your last chance to redeem yourself and act as something other than a political robot.

Bolton and Zeldin: it is comical!

David Posnett — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 19:23:35 +0000

Back in March of 2018 Lee Zeldin sang the praise of John Bolton: “ridiculously knowledgeable”, “chemistry and work will be ramped up”, “very underrated, amazing American”, “extraordinarily talented”, etc.

And now he is a bad guy and should not testify? Go figure.

If you just repeat talking points from the White House, you lose all credibility and you look like a fool, as in the following video which has gone viral:

https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/1222373357372497925

This has been picked up by the Gershon, Goroff, and Fleming campaigns, as it should.

We have previously blogged about John Bolton when he was nominated to the National Security Advisor position:

https://resistancesuffolk.blog/2018/05/14/bolton-wars/

https://resistancesuffolk.blog/2019/05/26/drumbeat-of-war/

#NotAboveTheLaw – Rallies across America

David Posnett — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 04:33:10 +0000

On the eve preceding the historic vote of congress to impeach President Trump, there were rallies across America: more than 500 rallies in 50 states involving perhaps 0.5 Mio protestors.

I attended the rally in Patchogue NY, in front of the offices of Lee Zeldin, Trump apologist extraordinaire. The story is already on News 12. And here it is in Newsday.

It was truly electrifying. In pouring and freezing rain, some 500 protestors showed up!

A note from one of the organizers: Last night’s ‘impeach and remove’ event in Patchogue was a huge success! Despite the freezing rain, more than 500 people turned out to uphold the constitution, defend our democracy, and stand for the rule of law. (Read about the event in Newsday and News12LI.)

The patriotism, commitment, and indomitable spirit of those who attended was inspiring!

Whatever happens in the Senate, rest assured that we are on the right side of history.

Thanks! Amy

Here are some videos and photos:

GOP Asleep at the Security Booth

David Posnett — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 15:49:17 +0000

Letter published in The Boston Globe

Lawmakers must hold a lawless president accountable.

In “GOP needs a soul cleansing” (Boston Globe, Ideas, Oct. 6), Michael A. Cohen expressed a basic solution to our problem. Lawmakers in the Senate must hold a lawless president accountable. America aspires to lofty goals that provide security and possibility. Somehow the negativity of “American carnage” has permeated the country’s spirit. Donald Trump claims that he alone can fix it. He has spent his time destroying our civility and trampling on the Constitution, but fortunately there is a solution, and it lies with Republican senators.

I was told many years ago by a US senator that he wanted to become a senator because it was the world’s most exclusive club. The membership should include having a backbone and not becoming a moral pygmy.

The civic lessons we learned in grammar school should be obvious to every legislator. The law requires that the Trump administration ends. The Founding Fathers saw him coming and provided a clear process to derail this runaway train.

It’s time to act in the name of justice. I studied hard to pass the bar exam. What was the point if our nation’s lawmakers ignore the high crimes and misdemeanors that are right in front of them?

Steven A. Ludsin, East Hampton, N.Y.

Bravo East Hampton Star!

David Posnett — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:27:51 +0000

Reprinted verbatim from: https://www.easthamptonstar.com/20191010/shrinking-congressman

This is gutsy. And overdue.

Shrinking Congressman

By Star Staff

October 10, 2019

Here we go again. Representative Lee Zeldin is out front in his support of President Trump, dismissing as phony a serious impeachment inquiry based on credible allegations.

If there is one skill Mr. Zeldin has mastered it is disingenuousness. It is one thing to be partisan. It is another to be so cut off from a sense of right and wrong that he and other outspoken Trump faithful are willing to risk their life’s work and reputation when the facts, at a minimum, demand caution. For Mr. Zeldin there is no middle ground. From the earliest days of the 2016 campaign, Trump was his man, and there has been no going back.

Mr. Zeldin has lashed himself to the mast of the 45th president’s ship come hell or high water. He has never been interested in reflecting the views of a district with wildly diverse opinions. His so-called public appearances have been only in front of friendly audiences, and any give and take with constituents is rarely conducted in the open.

The congressman’s most recent question and answer session was at the annual legislative breakfast of the Suffolk American Legion, an organization that would not have welcomed dissident voices had they tried to be heard. In August, Mr. Zeldin spoke at a Patchogue Chamber of Commerce meeting. His mobile office hours and “Coffee With the Congressman” sessions are carefully managed by his staff. Visits to street fairs and other public events are never announced in advance, nor is it obvious how someone might sign up for “Lunch With Lee”; the last held anywhere near here was at Digger’s Ales and Eats in Riverhead. Nor does he or his staff make any noticeable attempt to reach out to the district’s large Spanish-speaking population. Make note, too, that since he went to Washington he has been on cable television far more than he has been in East Hampton Town.

Had Mr. Zeldin made it out of the air-conditioned comfort of his jet-black sport-utility vehicle and actually taken the pulse of constituents regarding the president’s conduct, he might have a more measured tone. In repeating the White House’s talking points in defense of the president word for word, he makes it clear he values party loyalty over duty to country. A real representative of the divergent views of this district would have reserved judgment until fully reviewing the inquiry’s facts and testimony. Had Mr. Zeldin actually been out and about he might know this.

Adviser says Donald Trump wants to resign

David Posnett — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 21:27:37 +0000

The Palmer Report

By Bill Palmer
Updated: 6:18 pm EDT Sun Jun 18, 2017 |

The demise of Donald Trump’s presidency is now inevitable, with his exit merely being a matter of when and how. Will the Republican Congress throw him overboard to try to avoid being wiped out in the midterms? Will a Democratic Congress impeach him after the midterms? Will Mike Pence and the cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment? According to one of Trump’s own advisers, Trump wants to resign – he just has hesitations about doing it.

All the way down in the last full paragraph of a new Politico article (link), you’ll find this reveal: “But Trump, too, is cognizant of the comparison to Nixon, according to one adviser. The president, who friends said does not enjoy living in Washington and is strained by the demanding hours of the job, is motivated to carry on because he ‘doesn’t want to go down in history as a guy who tried and failed,’ said the adviser. ‘He doesn’t want to be the second president in history to resign.’”

In other words, Donald Trump very clearly wants to resign. His only hangup, according to what he’s telling his own advisers, is how history will end up portraying him. He’s only five months into his term, and he’s still clueless about the realities of politics. So perhaps he hasn’t figured out that his historically low popularly will never recover. And perhaps he’s in denial about how his scandals will ultimately force him out of office one way or the other. But the key here is that he wants out, which is half the battle when it comes to getting rid of him.

How much worse do things have to get before Donald Trump figures out that his presidency has already failed, and that the longer he remains in office, the worse history will judge him? That’s unclear. But by his own words he already wants out, which means we’re closer to his exit than was previously known.

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