Unchecked

Former senator and one-time presidential candidate Gary Hart penned a really smart piece yesterday for the New York Times (link here) about how once Donald Trump is out of office, which hopefully will be next January, Congress must establish a select committee to study presidential secret powers, how they might be abused, and how the legislative branch needs to establish strict oversight.

As Hart notes, "we have recently come to learn of at least a hundred documents authorizing extraordinary presidential powers in the case of a national emergency, virtually dictatorial powers without congressional or judicial checks and balances.... Trump alluded to these authorities in March when he said, 'I have the right to do a lot of things that people don’t even know about.' No matter who occupies the office, the American people have a right to know what extraordinary powers Presidents believe they have."

In a backdoor way, this is an example of how some good can come out of Trump's horrible presidency, the same way much-needed reforms came after Richard Nixon's presidency. Many of those reforms, it's worth noting, Trump has worked to dismantle, thanks in great part by William Barr, his deeply corrupt and fanatical attorney general.

This is also a good reason why it's absolutely essential that not only must Trump be defeated in November, but both houses of Congress must be kept out of Republican hands. We can have no positive reform with a divided Congress or a Congress at war with Trump's successor.

All the more reason to make certain your voter registration is current and in good standing so you're ready to vote in November or even earlier if allowed in your state. And it's also part of the reason to encourage every relative, acquaintance, and friend you know who will vote against Trump actually show up to vote or complete a mail-in ballot from home.

Together, we can bring this nation back from the brink of insanity.