A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

President Andrew Johnson being served with the summons of impeachment by Congressional Sergeant-at-Arms George T. Brown, as sketched by Harper's Weekly in 1867. (Library of Congress) If President Donald Trump were impeached and Mike Pence became president, how long would his term be? Would it be for 4 years or would there still be a 2020 election? First, let’s clear up certain misconceptions that are laid bare by the wording of the question. Impeachment does not mean “automatic removal of a Federal official by Congressional fiat.” It is a trial under specific conditions that have to be met Impeachment only results in removing a President or other official if, as implied by the term “trial,” if he or (eventually, she) is found guilty by the Senate It’s now late July 2019, and the 2020 election cycle is currently underway. As in, there is a group of aspiring Democratic Presidential candidates already jockeying for prominence and a decent shot of winning the nomination of...

On Quora, David Bolick, a conservative troll who has been edit-blocked for violating site rules, asks this sarcastic and insincere question about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): Is one new rule that Pelosi is now more powerful than the President and that he now works for her? My reply to Mr. Bolick: No. One of the basic principles that all Americans are taught in school is that the Federal government is divided into three equal but separate branches, each one with powers and responsibilities specified in the Constitution. This was designed so that one branch would not become more dominant than the others. The three branches are: The Executive Branch, which includes the President, the Cabinet and the various Departments that run the day-to-day government operations. (Example of a Cabinet-level Department: the State Department, which handles our diplomatic efforts overseas). The Legislative Branch, which consists of a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature c...