There’s a Surprisingly Plausible Path to Removing Trump From Office

Yet this allows the fear of going against the tribe (Trump supporters) to steer ones vote rather than being steered by loyalty to the Constitution where all politicians loyalty should be. Team Trump is compromised by bias in that through a misguided and slavish loyalty to Trump they are going to let Trump get away with something that if a democrat did would lead to them being removed from office. A secret vote mitigates said bias as it allows moderates to vote their conscience. The electorate on both the left and right are compromised by bias. If we do not take steps to mitigate said bias then loyalty to party will continue to trump loyalty to country on both sides and that is no in the best interests of America.

 

Funny, isn't it?

This is the third lefty in a week I've seen asking why Congress shouldn't have a secret vote.

I mean it's something that takes all of 3 seconds to figure out.

 

This was a nice touch.

 

Oh, brother! C'mon, Mr TLegal -- are you so desperate for a Trump removal that now you're playing "what if" games with yourself? Really? You're down to THAT?

Even if (IF) all those Republican senators were secretly hot to remove Trump from office (and turn the White House over to some moron, wanna-be socialist), the whole feasibility of a 'secret' vote in the Senate is utter nonsense. One of the first things you learn about the workings of the federal government is that there are NO secrets inside the Beltway. Maybe you aren't nearly as well-informed as you have thought you were....

 

Your vote represents just yourself, an elected representative's vote in Congress represents hundreds of thousands añd effects millions.

As to elected officials fearing public opinion, that's healthy.

"Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty."

 

They don't.

 

The Executive branch has more power than it should. I voted Obama and Hillary, but I was tempted by MCcain until Palin got on board. I would never vote for Trump, even though he has been great for my stock and bond investments.

Generally, I am a centrist, slightly left of center on some issues and moderate on others. I read both the NY Times (generally liberal) and the Wall Street Journal (generally conservative) and The Economist, (slightly left, but more centrist) and Forbes (Conservative with some centrist ideals).

The House has less power than it should. I support the Electoral College even though it got Trump elected in the end.

Having said this to set my context and tone: I support proper checks and balances; the Executive under George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump have become too powerful and definitely Unconstitutional. Mind you, I still love the hell out of Obama, but he fell into traps that George W. Bush fell into, and now Trump has definitely taken the mantle of Federal power in a more extreme direction.

While I like the idea of a secret Senate vote, it is impossible, the way the laws around the interpretation of Executive powers and the duty of the Senate. I also think, even though, I subjectively like the idea, it is objectively a horrific idea in practice; kind of like Bernian free college and Sanders tax the wealthy only, scaring Bloomberg to possibly take a run at the Presidency... it is a dangerous precedence for both sides.

 

Agreed.

 

Ha ha ha... less then 3 seconds...

 

Unfortunately for Trump, that only settles his federal crimes - not any State crimes. This article posits that Trump might, like the Sackler family in regards to the Opioid epidemic, might try to file a settlement with multiple states at that juncture.

 

Not an answer to the question. What's your confidence level that Trump survives removal if the vote is held in private?

 

Impeachment is not a coup.

 

Sure it does. The people elect Representatives and those Representatives are free to vote how they wish.

Now there are two primary methods for how people believe those Representatives should act - should they act as a reflection of their constituents or should they act according to their own decision making.

The problem for Republicans in the Senate, if their votes are public, is that they have to act in accordance with the minority portion of their constituents who would support an even more ardent Trump supporter in the primary if they vote according to their Conscience.

 

Pence is not a wanna-be socialist.

And as the article makes clear, the Senate can set their own rules for how they govern this impeachment trial. If they want to vote in secret (and presumably there would be ways to keep that record secret), then they could do so. The reality, of course, is that there would be leaks and rumors that would get out, but if the impeachment vote were as unanimous for removal as I suspect it would be in private, the political damage would be very minimal.

 

Perhaps, but voting in private has its own unintended consequences.

 

I agree, but what are some that you foresee?

 

it's possible the states will go after him, I have a feeling if he slinks into obscurity no one will bother, but if he disrupts the government after out of office, I suspect they will go after him

 

Of course what does that have to do with them doing so in a secret manner so they won't be accountable to the People?

 

yep, failed campaign promise, now show where he lied like Trump, from crowd size, to boy scout leaders praising him, magic marker on the map, the list goes on and on and on

 

It is utterly amazing that some would even consider removing a duly elected President by a secret ballot so that those who are doing the deciding have some sort of political cover. Outrageous.

 

The way to get Trump out of office is to vote him out in 202. Everything else, including a "secret ballot" and closed door impeachment is nothing short of Soviet Style KGB tactics.

 

"You can keep your doctor"

 

A prosecutor can bring the charges to the Congress for impeachment and removal and hold the indictment until by whatever means he is no longer in office as happened with Clinton. There were NO charges brought against Trump.

 

Trump wont be removed, and even if he was Pence is still President

Trump should not of used the power of the presidency to try to force a foreign nation to effect the outcome of an election - we have rules, even Trump has to follow them or lose his job

do you think the founders would have approved of Trump actions, not hardly, that is why the impeachment option is there

don't worry though, this is just a stain on Trump already stained record for the history books, he wont be removed till 2020 by the vote of the people

 

yep, if we had the public option, nothing changed under Obama on what doctor you picked, your employer and insurance provider decide that

I still have the same doctors

we are not talking about failed campaign promises based on plans that never passed Congress, Obama failed to get his public option, doesn't mean he did not want it, just did not have the votes in congress... way it works