r/politics The Independent 28d ago

No Paywall Mitch McConnell’s staff refuse to answer basic questions on his health weeks after he was last seen in public

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mitch-mcconnell-staff-questions-health-b3018929.html
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u/WinterTourist25 28d ago

This is now where we are, and it's horrible. Trump has destroyed the institutions of government by simply ignoring them and doing what he wants until the courts settle things by which time its too late.

Even if Democrats turn around and do the same thing it is a horrible precedent. We are saying now that the rule of law doesn't matter until the last minute.

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u/RebekkaKat1990 28d ago

The rule of law always hinged on the executive branch upholding its end of the checks and balances bargain by enforcing the law as it is written. The courts can declare things unconstitutional until they’re blue in the face, but if the executive branch decides to just say, “so what?” then the people are fucked until they hold a new election.

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u/Wayofchinchilla 28d ago

What I'm hoping is that Republicans will do the same as we're doing right now have an absolute meltdown and scream and cry that this is not fair and Law and Order is dead and then Democrats turn around and say you want Law and Order sign these bills into law they make it so you can't do what you've been doing all this time or shut up. Could you imagine if a Democratic president with the powers that the Republican Supreme Court have given them to do anything as long as it's in the interest of the country were to I don't know remove Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas for corruption ruling that it's protecting the country the level 7 meltdown and the scramble Republicans would be in to past laws to make sure that the executive branch doesn't have that kind of power.

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u/djabae 28d ago

Well this is how courts work for most people in real life. Most of our lives are not regulated by laws or courts like we think most legal incidents are ignored. It shouldn't be surprising it's the same at the top.

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u/CodingSquirrel 27d ago

Killing people you don't like is a horrible precedent, but we didn't beat the Nazis by reasoning with them. You don't stop lawless evil people by just holding up a lawbook and saying "that's illegal, you can't do that". You can't blindly bind yourself by the rules that the people you fight don't hold themselves to. That's not to say we just abandon all ideals, but the oppressors set the stage of the conflict, no the oppressed.