Mark Rubin

Impeachment? No thanks!

September 20, 2019
Mark Rubin

Impeachment? No thanks!

Impeachment

President Donald Trump

For months the House of Representatives majority has struggled over impeachment. Do we? Don’t we? What?

Impeachment Basics

Briefly, to impeach the president, vice president, or any other civil officer involves bringing before the House articles of impeachment. A simple majority of the House members must vote aye to send any article to the Senate. There, a trial occurs. Two-thirds of the Senators who are present must vote to convict, to remove anyone from office.

No president has ever been convicted and removed from office. Only Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton had trials. In both cases, the Senate acquitted them.

The standard for impeachment is High Crimes and Misdemeanors. The Constitution offers no

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Dale Carnegie He’s Not!

August 29, 2019
Mark Rubin

Dale Carnegie He’s Not!

Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie

President Donald Trump

America, Pre-Trump

Dale Carnegie died in 1955, more than 60 years ago. Still, the book he wrote in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People, remains very popular. How popular? No. 11 on the Amazon Chart (if I’m reading it correctly.)

Mr. Carnegie’s message has always been simple: Make people like you and help them see things your way. The message resonates, even if his style—a bit hucksterish—does not sit well with everyone. And it works! I know plenty of people—including one regular MRW reader—who followed the path, with significant success.

I mention Mr. Carnegie for a reason. He offered optimism. He saw a big wide world, conquerable by

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Trump: Changing the Presidency?

August 26, 2019
Mark Rubin

Trump: Changing the Presidency?

presidency

Mark Rubin

I read Sixty-eight minutes in Biarritz: A glimpse into Trump’s unorthodox mind on Monday. It offers a recounting of one strange, meandering press conference … but, so what? Another Trump moment. Hardly worthy of notice.

Okay, what caught my attention was the last phrase in the third paragraph: “… the myriad ways he has changed the presidency in 31 months.” Changed the presidency? Not so much.

The Presidency

Respectfully, I believe historians will see January 20, 2017 through January 20, 2021 as a sojourn into the surreal—or perhaps, the executive branch on an acid trip—from which it will recover quickly, starting soon after the Trumps leave town. Don’t misunderstand me, please: Mr. Trump has

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Because I Said So

June 22, 2019
Mark Rubin

The “Because I Said So” Presidency

because i said so

President Donald Trump

Much gets written about the lack of coherency in the Trump presidency. Not so much, in fact, for policies do fit within labeled circles. Anything Obama did, I do the opposite. Science means nothing, if the people disagree. Afflict the afflicted—even if they support me—and comfort the comfortable. (I’m sure there are more, so comment away.)

In the foreign policy realm, “because I said so” explains much. Many (most) of us have known (or been, or both) the parent who believes his or her status, alone, justifies everything. Or the boss, dealing with an underling. Or anyone else in a power situation who thinks power, alone, suffices.

That Donald Trump adopts

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Defrauding Voters and Campaign Finance Law Violations

December 9, 2018
Mark Rubin

Defrauding Voters and Campaign Finance Law Violations

campaign finance laws
President Donald Trump

Peter Baker and Nicholas Fandos wrote Prosecutors Effectively Accuse Trump of Defrauding Voters. What Does It Mean? for the New York Times. By doing so, they helped me better understand why campaign finance law violations, as opposed “real crimes,” leave us so deeply dissatisfied. And how did they accomplish this task? By using the word fraud! (Truth be told, the Baker / Fandos piece wanders into deep rough, which happens too often when writers describe this disaster.)

Let me dispense, first, with some nonsense, brought to us by Senator Rand Paul (R – Ky.). Senator Paul tells us “incredibly complicated” campaign finance laws involve “thousands and thousands” of

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Say Anything

October 18, 2018
Mark Rubin

The Say Anything World

say anything

Mark Rubin

Many years ago, I tried a lot line dispute. Soon before the trial I asked my clients a question. The answer, unfortunately, contradicted everything important they’d already told me. “So what,” they said, “everyone else is lying too.” Not, actually! Unfortunately, I paid for their dishonesty by forcing a settlement which resulted in their not paying me. They got a much better outcome than they deserved. Me? Not so much.

Recent stuff brought my old case bubbling up for me. Jamal Khashoggi, specifically. And more.

The evidence suggests very, very strongly that Mr. Khashoggi died on October 2, 2018 in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. (You could describe what happened, with the

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Kavanaugh: Final Thoughts!

October 6, 2018
Mark Rubin

Kavanaugh: Final Thoughts!

Kavanaugh

Justice Brett Kavanaugh

It’s over! Thirty-three days ago, I wrote Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Lots of noise since then, but we now have a full complement on the Court, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Party Rules

Voting matters, majorities matter, and politicians vote party first. Only Senators Joe Manchin (D – W. Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R – Alaska) crossed on the Kavanaugh vote, and both did so for seemingly different reasons.

Senator Manchin represents the most pro-Trump state and he’s running for re-election. As for Senator Murkowski, she runs again in 2022. Alaska likes Rs, but it likes Murkowskis too. Senator Murkowski’s father Frank served as Senator and Governor. The current Senator Murkowski won re-election

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Still More on L’affaire Kavanaugh

September 29, 2018
Mark Rubin

Still More on L’affaire Kavanaugh

Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

From There to Thursday / Friday

President Donald Trump and 11 angry white men who comprise the majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee. What a crew!

They got their guy right up to the finish line by mid-day on September 28, after an 80-day span from nomination to committee vote. Then, they sounded like stuck pigs because the Ds had the temerity to be unhappy after they got their one-day hearing. You’d have thought the Ds destroyed the confirmation process as we know it, to listen to Senator Lindsey Graham (R – S.C.) (No, we never liked him, even though he hung around with Senator John McCain (R – Ariz.), who we liked

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The Kavanaugh Affair, Again

September 27, 2018
Mark Rubin

The Kavanaugh Affair, Again

Mr. Goody Two-Shoes

Brett Kavanaugh

The Testimony

Well, that happened. Ugly, but at least I won’t read any more comments about how the *** won’t even show. (Right Winger foul language about women leaves me cold.) She showed up. She spoke. And for no personal or political gain.

As my day played out, I heard more from Brett Kavanaugh. No one should vote for this man to serve on any court, based on his performance. Sure, he was under pressure and felt attacked. Still, he—a sitting judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia—sounded and acted like a thug. He interrupted senators. He offered snarky responses. Rude and surly.

Of course, President Donald Trump

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Justice Brett Kavanaugh

September 3, 2018
Mark Rubin

Justice Judge Brett Kavanaugh

justice brett kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins its hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday, September 4. Here’s the schedule, not that anything about the process will affect the outcome.

Judge Kavanaugh sits presently on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He has served on that court for a dozen years. Prior to his appointment he did the private / public shuffle, working for Ken Starr on the Clinton Whitewater (Lewinski) case, the Bush II White House, and for Kirkland & Ellis.

Judge Kavanaugh meets the legal requirements for service on the Supreme Court. He’s a sentient being, and

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