Showing posts with label Magna Carta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magna Carta. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2026

No Two Kings the Same: Charles III and Donald Dumpling II

 

 

No Two Kings the Same:

Charles III and Donald Dumpling II

 

AS APRIL FADES into history, we should take note of a recent uproar, fueled by angry dopes on X. These dopes demand to know how Democrats in Congress could stand and applaud Charles III during his recent address, when those same Democrats, and people like me, use the phrase, “No Kings,” in protest.

I doubt anyone has ever said, “I go to X to get the latest carefully crafted analysis,” on any topic, but holy shit. 

If one were to read what the real King of Great Britain said, you would understand why people on our side applauded. 

But that would require reading, and “influencers” on X don’t go in much for reading (or introspection).


Charles III addresses Congress.


"No Kings" protesters. Donald Trump deals in hate.

 

* 

POLICY-WISE, here are Charles’ main points (in bold) that those of us left of center can applaud.   

(Interpretation for the MAGA faithful is added in orange, as needed.) 

(King Charles III and Donald Dumpling II are not the same.) 

(Orange being The Dumpling’s favorite skin toner color.)

 

On the Founding Fathers, for example, Charles had this to say: 

They carried with them, and carried forward, the great inheritance of the British Enlightenment – as well as the ideals which had an even deeper history in English common law and Magna Carta.

 

These roots run deep, and they are still vital. Our Declaration of Rights of 1689 was not only the foundation of our constitutional monarchy, but also provided the source of so many of the principles reiterated, often verbatim, in the American Bill of Rights of 1791.

 

And those roots go even further back in our history: the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society has calculated that Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances. 

No American, now or in the future, will ever be well-served if one man or woman grasps too much power in his or her hands. Note that Charles specifically mentions the need to check and balance executive power. 

He’s talking about Donald …


A reference to the Magna Carta is a reminder to check the power of any king.

Got it?
 

 

What animates our great nation? Charles mused: 

Distinguished members of the 119th Congress, it is here in these very halls that this spirit of liberty and the promise of America’s founders is present in every session and every vote cast.

 

Not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many, representing the living mosaic of the United States. In both of our countries, it is the very fact of our vibrant, diverse and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today. 

We’re not ruled by a king. He’s still talking about Donald Dumpling II. 

 

On faith, he points out that while Christianity is his rock, he also believes in building a broad understanding: 

Through it I am inspired by the profound respect that develops as people of different faiths grow in their understanding of each other. It is why it is my hope – my prayer – that, in these turbulent times, working together and with our international partners, we can stem the beating of plowshares into swords.

 

I am mindful that we are still in the season of Easter, the season [as a Christian] that most strengthens my hope. It is why I believe, with all my heart, that the essence of our two nations is a generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding and to value all people, of all faiths, and of none. 

For lawmakers like Rep. Andy Ogles and Rep. Randy Fine, who love to hate on Muslims, it must have been painful to listen to Charles. King Dumpling, of course, has preferred to call Somali immigrants “garbage,” and has said he doesn’t want any more immigrants from places where, frankly, they’d be non-white.

Compassion, promoting peace – we have a fool in the White House talking about “ending a civilization” in Iran. 

We who speak out and say, “No Kings,” find almost no overlap in the words Charles III uttered, and the words of hate that so regularly spill from Donald Trump’s mouth. 

 

The king of Great Britain continued: 

The alliance that our two nations have built over the centuries, and for which we are profoundly grateful to the American people, is truly unique. And that alliance is part of what Henry Kissinger described as Kennedy’s ‘soaring vision’ of an Atlantic partnership based on twin pillars: Europe and America. That partnership, I believe Mr. Speaker, is more important today than it has ever been.

 

The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that foundational principles simply endure. As my Prime Minister said last month: “ours is an indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last eighty years. Instead, we must build on it.” 

Great Britain and the United States have combined strength for a hundred years to defeat fascism, to curb Islamist forces, and more. If Trump wants to knock down one pillar, we’re all endangered. 

The king wants our nations to remain friends. It’s pretty stupid to have to listen to Donald threaten to take over Canada – which still, nominally, listens to the commands of Charles, himself.  



Mural from the Eisenhower Presidential Library,
celebrating our alliance with the British and many other allies.


This is not difficult to understand – though some loud mouths on X, want not to pretend they understand. Stirring up daily anger is their only real trick. Charles understands how alliances make all involved stronger, and he made clear his support for NATO, citing the response of allies after the attacks of 9/11: 

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article Five for the first time, and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together – as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder, through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security.

 

Today, Mr. Speaker, that same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people. It is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace. From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting icecaps of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries. 

As we all know, if we don’t have our heads stuck in jack-o-lanterns, Donald continues to trash NATO, and our NATO allies. He has gone so far as to denigrate the sacrifice of NATO troops in the fight against the Taliban, though more than a thousand gave their lives. 

Note also the “melting icecaps,” a clear reference to the damage being done by climate change. Trump thinks climate change is a “hoax,” and wants to block efforts to expand renewable energy sources. 

The icecaps aren’t melting by chance. 

Meanwhile, The Dumpling truly believes that windmills cause cancer. Charles III and Donald J. Trump are not the same.


Melting ice in Greenland: A warning sign to all humanity.
 

 

The real king adds: 

Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality, they are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. The rule of law: the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice.  

No individual ever to have been seated in the Oval Office has so continuously attacked the judiciary as the Dumpling King, including members of the U.S. Supreme Court, chosen by is dumpling self. He has called judges who oppose his will “disgraces,” and much worse. 

 

Then Charles III addresses the dangers of climate change – without using the term “climate change,” which otherwise might send Trump over the edge into full fear-the-windmills meltdown. 

No pun intended.

 

“So as we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset.

 

… The natural wonders of the United States of America are indeed a unique asset, and generations of Americans have risen to this calling: indigenous, political and civic leaders, people in rural communities and cities alike, have all helped to protect and nurture what President Theodore Roosevelt called ‘the glorious heritage’ of this land’s extraordinary natural splendor, on which so much of its prosperity has always depended.

 

Yet even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature. We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems, in other words, nature’s own economy, provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security. 

Look, if you don’t know that Donald has been the worst guardian of the environment of any modern American leader, I feel sorry for you. You’re almost too clueless to be allowed to handle scissors.

There’s a reason almost every major environmental organization in this country has opposed electing Trump – three elections in a row. 

 

Charles continued: 

I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking. 

Politely speaking, “America First” doesn’t cut it. The same idea failed in the 1930s and early 40s, when the fascist powers, and a militaristic Japan rose to power, and then came close to winning World War II. 

The Chinese, the Russians, the Iranians, and the North Koreans would love to see the United States falter; and if they work together (and they are doing so), we will need strong alliances, as always. 


 

POSTSCRIPT: If you love Donald Trump, you don’t have to like this analysis. But if you are too obtuse to understand why our side does, you need to read more and scream less. On climate change, for example, if we get this threat wrong all our children and grandchildren will be screwed. 

And do we really want the Chinese – the communists the MAGA folks insist we on the left love, but don’t – do we really want them to dominate the rest of this century, with Russian help? 

Thursday, June 9, 2022

April 11, 2018: Just Because the President is Frustrated, that Doesn't Mean the U.S. Constitution is Negated

 

4/11/18: I think we can assume the president spent another restless night in the West Wing. It turns out Trump is fuming about “an attack on our country in a true sense,” and by that we mean...North Korea? 

Russia? 

No…we mean the F.B.I. raid on Michael Cohen. 




____________________ 

“It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller.” 

Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa)

____________________ 

 

What do we know about the gentleman in question? We know Cohen has been referred to as Trump’s “pit bull.” We know Cohen likes to compare himself to Tom Hagan, lawyer for the Corleone family in The Godfather. We know he has threatened Trump’s enemies in the past. He has worked the boss out of legal jams related to shady business deals and paid out of his own pocket (or so he claims) to silence porn stars who might have dirt on Trump. We know in December 2015, with Trump already running for president, that Mr. Cohen was excited to see a news story quoting Vladimir Putin, saying Trump was “talented” and “very colorful.” 

Cohen viewed that story through the same lens anyone who works for Donald J. Trump would. Namely: green-colored glasses. This was a chance to cash in! Cohen emailed a friend who had been talking extensively with the Russians in an effort to close the deal and build a Trump Tower in Moscow. “Now is the time,” Cohen told Felix Sater, that friend. “Call me.” 

In those days, Sater  (a convicted felon) was working on drumming up Kremlin support. More emails and phone calls flew back and forth. Negotiations progressed to a point where Candidate Trump signed a letter of intent to build in the Russian capital. Then the business deal stalled. 

Cohen reached out to the Russians again in January 2016. 

Now remember: His boss is running to become the President of the United States. And what is the focus? 

Money.

 

That January, he contacted Vladimir Putin’s private secretary to ask about getting a tower built. According to Cohen nothing lucrative could be arranged. “I decided to abandon the proposal less than two weeks later for business reasons,” he said, “and do not recall any response to my email.” 

Again, don’t miss the point. Trump and his personal lawyer and his felonious friend would have happily worked with Vladimir Putin, the kleptomaniacal leader of a nation ranked first or second on a list of our implacable foes. The moral questions didn’t matter. The money just wasn’t right. 


$$$$$

 

In addition, we now learn that the president had to be talked down from the White House roof Tuesday – not to mention last December, as well. The raids aimed at his lawyer left Trump in a rage. 

Trump spent the day glaring at the television and steaming over how to respond to news of this raid. He might, for example, allow the investigations to continue, potentially clearing his name. If the whole investigation is really a “witch hunt” he has nothing to hide because witches can’t fly. Or he could just fire everyone he can, and maybe a few people he legally can’t. 

In the wake of the Cohen raids, Trump was wallowing in self-pity. He threatened to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He would put some hack, maybe Fox News howler, Judge Jeanine Pirro, in his place. Then the hack would fire Mueller. Trump would fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions and F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray. 

According to one White House source, behind the scenes the president was acting like a madman. Asked by reporters on Monday if he intended to fire Mueller, Trump responded, “We’ll see what happens. …Many people have said ‘you should fire him,’” he claimed. Then he went with the clincher: “Again, they [the investigators] found nothing and in finding nothing, that’s a big statement.”  

Of course, if we’re being honest no one knows yet what the F.B.I. has found, including the F.B.I. 

What we do know is that to get a search warrant, agents would have to prove to a judge that they had “probable cause” to suspect crimes were being or would soon be committed if they did not quickly act. (See: 4/12/18; 4/25/18; 5/4-5/18; 5/7/18 and  7/2/18 for comparison):

 

* 

TUESDAY, PINOCCHIO SANDERS tells reporters at the daily press briefing that she hates her job lying for Trump and would rather work for the D.C. Sewer Department than keep up the charade. 

No, seriously, she says the president believes he has the power to fire Mueller. If Trump told Sanders he had the power to levitate the Pentagon, she would go out like a parrot and squawk agreement. 

For once there were rumblings among Republicans, however gingerly they decided to rumble. Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was at the forceful end of the spectrum. “It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller,” he warned. 

Sen. Milksop Mitch McConnell was waiting to be enrolled in the Witness Protection Program and could not be reached for comment. 

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan gave it all up and announced he would retire at the end of his term. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, of Iowa, a war veteran, and someone from whom you might expect a little courage, punted when it came to upholding the U.S. Constitution. “No,” she said, she didn’t see why the Senate should pass legislation to protect Mueller from being fired, “because I don’t think the president’s going to do it – and do you think the president would sign that legislation?” 

Ha, ha, good one Sen. Ernst. “Checks and balances.” So passé.

 

Other Republicans at least had something to offer. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana gave the president the benefit of the doubt and said he thought Trump was “too smart” to get rid of Mueller. “I think it would provoke some sort of reaction by Congress. I think he knows that,” Kennedy said. Besides, “the president can’t just fire Mr. Mueller, Kennedy added. “He’s got to direct Mr. Rosenstein to fire him, and I don’t think Mr. Rosenstein would do it.” 

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said firing Mueller wouldn’t do the president any good. “The facts will come out one way or the other.” Mueller and his team would be expected to compile a report, even if he were fired, and that report would be made public, whether to exonerate Trump or not. 

Finally, when I called my own Republican senator, Rob Portman, and left a message, I got a lengthy email response. In a key paragraph, Portman provided the kind of response that gave a shred of hope: 

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is well qualified to oversee this probe and I continue to support his efforts to fully investigate this issue. Determining the extent of Russian efforts to influence our democratic process is a matter of national security and is far more important than partisan politics. Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation should be allowed to run its full course, and he should remain in charge.

 

In the House of Representatives, however, abject cowardice has been more the rule of the day. 

 

“I think the president is very frustrated.” 

These lawmakers have elections to win every other year, and what matters most to them is 2018, not 1215, when, in the Magna Carta, the English enshrined the rule of law. A bill to protect Mueller, sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN.) has the backing of almost every Democratic member of the House. One Republican, Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, is supporting the bill. 

In theory, this would be the chance for all members of the House to prove we still have three coequal branches of government and that two are working to protect fundamental principles. 

Sadly, it’s not happening with these clowns and cowards. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL.), one of the head clowns on the House Judiciary Committee, has been calling, instead, for a panel to bring in Attorney General Sessions, Deputy A.G. Rosenstein, and Special Counsel Mueller to explain the thinking behind their investigative efforts. “I think the president is very frustrated,” Gaetz explains. 

There it is in a terrifying nutshell. If the president is frustrated, then the guiding principles laid down by the Founding Fathers in 1787, including the belief that no man is above the law, may be swept aside.




Sunday, April 17, 2022

February 18, 2020: Think the Rule of Law is Under Threat? More than 2,000 Former DOJ Officials Agree

 

2/18/20: If you’re not following this story you should: As of this morning, more than 2,000 veterans of the Department of Justice have signed a letter calling on “Banana Republic Bill” Barr to resign. 

That would be 2,003, to be exact.




Words carved on the walls of the Department of Justice.


 

____________________ 

“As former DOJ officials, we each proudly took an oath to support and defend our Constitution and faithfully execute the duties of our offices.” 

2,003 signatories

____________________

  

Based on a quick estimate, it seems likely they represent more than 20,000 cumulative years of experience at DOJ. Signatories have served every president, back as far as Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

These are people dedicated to the rule of law, men and women from both parties, and of no party affiliations, and they are deeply concerned. 

You can listen to them. Or you can listen to Trump, a profoundly flawed human being, and a prolific liar.

 

The American system of justice is not “a disgrace” as Trump has said repeatedly, every time he doesn’t get his way. Rather, Trump is a threat to the independence of the judicial branch of the federal government. 

If one leg of the Constitutional stool is broken, we’ll need a new seat to replace it, only this time a throne. 

The signatories agree: 

As former DOJ officials, we each proudly took an oath to support and defend our Constitution and faithfully execute the duties of our offices. The very first of these duties is to apply the law equally to all Americans. This obligation flows directly from the Constitution, and it is embedded in countless rules and laws governing the conduct of DOJ lawyers. The Justice Manual — the DOJ’s rulebook for its lawyers — states that “the rule of law depends on the evenhanded administration of justice”; that the Department’s legal decisions “must be impartial and insulated from political influence”; and that the Department’s prosecutorial powers, in particular, must be “exercised free from partisan consideration.”

 

…President Trump and Attorney General Barr have openly and repeatedly flouted this fundamental principle, most recently in connection with the sentencing of President Trump’s close associate, Roger Stone, who was convicted of serious crimes.

 

The president, of course, has been calling for Stone to get a much lighter sentence than was originally recommended (see below).

 

* 

IF THAT isn’t enough to worry you, it might be time to read a related story. Even Fox News has been forced to pay attention to an account that first broke in USA Today earlier this morning: 

A national association of federal judges reportedly called an emergency meeting Tuesday to tackle mounting concerns about President Trump and senior Justice Department officials’ intervention in cases involving Trump associates.

 

USA Today first reported that the independent Federal Judges Association would hold the meeting.

 

Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, who leads the group of more than 1,000 federal judges, told USA Today that the group “could not wait” until their originally scheduled spring conference to address the issues.

 

…The emergency meeting comes after a tumultuous week at the Justice Department. Last week, U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr intervened in the cases involving Trump associates Roger Stone and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

 

…Last Monday, federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of between 87 and 108 months in prison for Stone after he was convicted on seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering, and making false statements to Congress on charges that stemmed from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

 

As this blogger has repeatedly and correctly noted, every lie Stone told (and he told a great many) had the effect of shielding President Donald J. Trump during the Mueller investigation.


The rule of law was enshrined in 1215.
So far, it has survived for eight centuries.

De regula iuris est et mori. 


BLOGGER’S NOTE: When editing my blog, on 9/25/21, I checked the list of signatories on the letter calling for Barr to resign. 

That list eventually grew to 2,689.