![]()
With 25 days to Election Day 2020, here's the news that you'll want to know: (1) Pelosi introduces Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office -- which could let Congress activate the 25th Amendment
(2) seemingly anti-Trump tweet from upcoming debate moderator is deleted and blamed on a hacker
Speaker Pelosi introduces legislation for a new commission to evaluate president's "presidential capacity" and potentially invoke the 25th Amendment. "'House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Friday announced legislation that would create a commission to rule on a president's fitness for office and enable Congress to attempt to oust any president deemed unfit under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution." (The Blaze) • What's happening: After telling reporters yesterday that she'd discuss the 25th Amendment today, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced new legislation that would create a commission to determine whether the president is able to hold office or whether the president should be removed under the 25th Amendment.
Speaker Pelosi has claimed this isn't about President Trump ... but any reasonable person would object to that. The Speaker has spent this week criticizing President Trump for "erratic behavior" and saying "there should be an intervention" from White House staff.
For background --
-- The 25th Amendment was added to the Constitution after the assassination of President Kennedy.
-- Among the amendment's provisions (read them all here), it establishes that:
> the Vice President becomes president if the President is no longer able to hold office
> if the VP and the majority of the presidential cabinet present to Congress "written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President"
-- The new commission included in the legislation that Speaker Pelosi announced today would determine whether the president is able to discharge the duties of the office, i.e. if a president is able to serve in the role.
-- The House (currently controlled by Democrats) would name the members to the commission. Those selected could include "physicians, psychiatrists and retired public officials like former presidents and Cabinet secretaries," the Daily Wire reported from The Hill.
• What's at stake: Just when you thought you'd seen it all, the 2020 political process brings a new surprise.
(1) It is highly unlikely that this legislation will become law. Although it would likely pass the Democratic House, there's little chance it would be taken up by the Republican Senate -- and, we bet, even less chance that President Trump would sign it if it came to his desk.
(2) Beware Democrats bearing plans for non-partisan commissions. You've seen how they responded to President Trump's appointment of a third Supreme Court Justice: a relentless focus on "packing," i.e. increasing the number of justices, on the Court.
It's highly unlikely this would be a neutral commission; instead, it would at best likely skew center-left -- and if it didn't, Democrats would protest and likely find a way to circumvent their own creation.
(3) Bottom line, in our opinion: this is a cynical Democratic power play, not a move for the good of America. We struggle to take seriously anyone who suggests otherwise.
Upcoming debate moderator's seemingly anti-Trump tweet is now deleted, being blamed on a hacker. "The report comes the day after Scully tagged Scaramucci in a now-deleted Twitter post cryptically asking him for advice on whether to 'respond to Trump' just days before the next debate was scheduled to be held. The former White House communications director who was fired 10 days after his appointment for criticizing the Trump administration responded to the tweet, encouraging Scully to 'ignore' Trump because 'he is having a hard enough time' and 'some more bad stuff about to go down.'" (The Federalist) • What's happening: The Twitter account of Steve Scully of C-SPAN, an upcoming presidential debate moderator, posted a tweet directed to Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director, asking for what seemed like anti-Trump tactics.
But now the tweet is being blamed on a hacker, though as journalist Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist noted on Twitter: "Wow, that would be huge news if it were true. And what a bizarre thing for a hacker to tweet. What evidence in support of this claim did CPD Co-Chair Frank Fahrenkopf offer?"
• What's at stake: First, this comes as the debate commission faces criticism from the Trump campaign for unilaterally changing the rules of the debate and proposing a virtual debate for next week.
Second -- even if it is a social media account attack -- the incident bolsters the complaints of President Trump and his supporters that the first debate was unfair to him.
North Carolina Senate race scandal continues with Senate GOP majority potentially at stake. "'The whole premise of Cal Cunningham’s campaign has imploded over the past four days. So clearly it’s going to be a factor,' Tillis said. “I’m not going to call on him to get out of the race. I’m calling on him to be transparent and provide a full explanation.'" (POLITICO) • What's happening: The scandal in the North Carolina Senate race is now receiving more national media attention, with stories in POLITICO (linked above) and the Wall Street Journal out today.
-- Although he is trying to duck the press, Cal Cunningham is back on the campaign trail. He skipped events on Monday and Tuesday but publicly apologized on Wednesday.
-- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) didn't comment when asked, but he turned reporters' attention to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee -- which has put an additional $3 million into the race to support Cunningham.
-- The campaign Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), the incumbent and Cunningham's opponent, is now running TV ads that highlight the story.
-- Sen. Tillis is currently off the campaign trail as he recovers from COVID-19.
• What's at stake: The North Carolina Senate race is critical for determining which party will have control of the Senate next year -- and this scandal has up-ended the race.
As POLITICO explains: "Steven Law, who runs Senate Leadership Fund, the powerful super PAC closely aligned with McConnell, conceded the race had 'kind of frozen into place with a gap in polling between Tillis and Cunningham.' But now he sees a shake-up."
Cunningham has pledged to remain in the race, as it appears North Carolina law would require anyway.
As Townhall reports: "The state’s law says that the deadline for candidates to exit the race is 'the first day on which military and overseas absentee ballots are transmitted to voters,' which would have been in September."
We'll keep you updated as this story develops.
P.O. Box 455, Leesburg, VA 20178 |