Flake to denounce Trump media attacks as Stalinist in Senate speech

[highplainsdem]

Source: NBC

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Flake is planning to slam President Donald Trump's attacks on the press on the Senate floor this week in a speech that will compare the president's use of the term "enemy of the people" to describe the media to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

"When a figure in power reflexively calls any press that doesn't suit him ‘fake news,’ it is that person who should be the figure of suspicion, not the press," Flake, R-Ariz., will say, according to excerpts of the speech provided to NBC News.

-snip-

"It bears noting that so fraught with malice was the phrase 'enemy of the people,' that even (later Soviet leader) Nikita Khrushchev forbad its use, telling the Soviet Communist Party that the phrase had been introduced by Stalin to for the purpose of 'annihilating such individuals' who disagreed with the supreme leader," Flake will say.

-snip-

The speech from one of Trump's fiercest Republican critics comes as the president has promoted his "Fake News Awards" on Twitter, saying that the awards, expected to be on Wednesday, will go to "the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media."

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/flake-denounce-trump-media-attacks-stalinist-senate-speech-n837556

---

And before we get the condemnations of Jeff Flake:

Yes, I know he could do more.

Yes, I know he sides with Trump too often.

But I want to thank him for at least doing this, for timing it for the same day as Trump's "Fake News" awards (he said something about that timing on NBC), and for speaking up at least this much when so many of his Republican colleagues are afraid to.

[Voltaire2]

1. Until they start talking about invoking the 25th I don't care.

[highplainsdem]

7. Impeachment is much more likely than invoking the 25th:

http://www.newsweek.com/trump-mental-health-impeachment-25th-amendment-773854


Impeachment will require retaking Congress.

And having someone like Flake -- who still has SOME supporters in the Republican party, Republicans who agree with him and not just in his own state -- saying these things about Trump makes it more likely those Republicans will stay home or vote for Democrats.

[Voltaire2]

9. Impeachment is much less likely. Not only does it require retaking congress,

it requires a 2/3 majority in the Senate. That is a near impossible barrier. The 25th just requires a few people to act.

[deancr]

14. The opposite is true

It's easier to impeach than utilize the 25th amendment. The 25th requires a 2/3rds approval in both the house and senate whereas impeachment only requires 2/3rds in the senate.

I didn't know either until I saw someone spell it out on the tv. Whodathunk we would have to scramble for such options in an enlightened age.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/unpacked/2017/06/09/the-25th-amendment/

[Dave Starsky]

15. Trump could rape a toddler on national television.

Neither of those would ever happen. He's completely surrounded by sycophants, enablers, and coconspirators. The ONLY way he will leave is if WE make him not want to be there.

[highplainsdem]

16. First of all, it's unlikely you'd find even "a few people" in the Cabinet to agree to remove Trump,

let alone get Pence to agree with them, unless Trump has a complete mental breakdown on live TV.

Second of all, even if those few people used that part of the 25th Amendment, the amendment allows Trump to challenge that, and after that challenge, it requires a 2/3 majority of BOTH houses of Congress to keep him from resuming the presidency.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their 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.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

So UNLESS Pence and a majority of the Cabinet try to use the 25th Amendment and Trump goes along with it, you do have a higher Constitutional hurdle to clear.

The 25th Amendment is primarily useful for removing a president incapacitated by illness and too ill to challenge the people who say he's unfit.

[ThoughtCriminal]

21. Best bet: Force him to resign

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2018, 02:39 PM - Edit history (1)

How?

Threaten to release his tax returns.

What will it take?

About five Republicans or a Democratic majority in House and/or Senate.

Will it work?

I think that he would take the deal. If the tax returns are public, I don't think he'll be worried about impeachment. He will be too busy fighting extradition.

[MBS]

23. Good idea.

And central to why he's apparently so terrified of Mueller's probings into money issues.
Come on, Repubs- can 5 of you grow a spine?

[erronis]

27. Take away his T.V. privileges and his little twittly thing.

[procon]

13. Pointless fantasy tropes like that make us look ignorant.

Do you not understand what it takes for that to kick in? The 25th Amendment needs the Vice President and 13 of Trump's 24 Cabinet members to agree to remove the president from office... that's 14 Republicans who queue up attend meetings just to sing Trump's praises on camera, yeah? Then, even if that happened, two-thirds of both houses of Congress would have to agree... this is the same Congress where Republicans hold the majority and are so terrified of their own voters they support everything Trump says.

Even if you don't care about anything, at least be realistic, the Republicans in Trump's administration are never going to stage a mass mutiny and remove him from office.

[Voltaire2]

33. Impeachment needs an even larger majority.

But not my point really. If Flake is not calling for removal then he is denying the obvious and not working to remedy the problem.

[procon]

34. It won't happen. Flake is still a Republican, his wealth and future sucesses

is inexorably linked to the agenda of his party, and the Republicans will never admit that Trump has done any wrong. Flake gains nothing by turning on Trump, he might occasionally cough up a few weasel words that sound like mild criticisms, but it's all just a gimmick. We shouldn't keep letting these charlatans distract us with their hollow words, they're lying.

[Funtatlaguy]

2. Easy to speak out when not running for re-election.

[pangaia]

20. ++++ Seems to be all too common.

[Leghorn21]

3. Sometime this week - will keep any eye out - thanks, dem. nt

[Iliyah]

4. Eff you

[Hekate]

35. Are you referring to the OP or the subject of the OP? You might want to clarify.

[Liberalagogo]

5. Won't RUMP take that

as a compliment?

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Flake isn't "one of Trump's fiercest Republican critics", he's the ONLY

Republican critic.

[PSPS]

11. He's no critic at all. He's still a reliable vote for all trump legislation.

[Dave Starsky]

19. I'm waiting for his Lindsey Graham moment.

When the Russians show him a tape they made of him, and then he becomes the lead singer in the Moron Deplorable Choir. It's only a matter of time.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. People need to decide - Would you rather have a repuke who occasionally shines

and speaks out for what's right - OR - do you want one who never does ? I always lean toward the former. Some want GOPers to be 100% Democrat - if they were - then they'd be Democrats

[Hekate]

36. +1

[cilla4progress]

8. He's kinda all over the place,

Flake is.

I hope he will stick with this version.

[not fooled]

10. He's doing this because he's planning to run for something else

and is hoping that by offering criticism of dump he can make us forget he voted with him >90% of the time including for the tax heist.

You can't hide your record, flake--we see you.

And I agree, it's a good thing he's doing this but just remember he's doing so not because he's a courageous, principled statesman but rather a typical puke who's scrambling to preserve his ability to get elected again.

[notdarkyet]

12. He needs attention. No journalists or papers or news agencies should go to his stupid

Awards show except fox. They deserve all the awards. He’s still trying to be a reality tv star. It would be funny if nobody came and he gets stuck with his awards and no one to tell what a fake pos they are. He wants a public platform to rant some more against the media and the first amendment. Really who wants to go? Colbert wants an award.

[flibbitygiblets]

29. Flake should get a giant flipflop

Or perhaps a golden waffle?

[SHRED]

17. This is the same Jeff Flake

Who voted against internet privacy and net neutrality.

He's Stalin's helper.

[Honeycombe8]

30. That makes this speech all the stronger, IMO.

In other words, it's SO bad that even a sheepdog feels compelled to send out a warning.

[bucolic_frolic]

18. Be grateful for what you are given

so thank you, Senator Flake.

Just beware that the principles of democracy are scattered and being enunciated by one or another Republican here or there.

They're trying to keep the lights on in their party.

Not sure a flicker is sufficient.

[triron]

22. Need more dems to do similarly.

[sandensea]

25. And then proceed to vote for just about every fascist bill Cheeto supports.

Robmey, should he win the Utah senate seat, will be the same.

[dalton99a]

26. Same flake who gave us the tax scam and voted to kill Obamacare

[Honeycombe8]

28. Wow. Powerful, to the point. And by a Republican, no less! nt

[D23MIURG23]

31. Agreed. Its important to recognize when a Republican is doing something patriotic...

Even if they tend to default to cynical, craven and unpatriotic. Flake is far from my favorite senator, but at least he isn't Mitch McConnell.

[bronxiteforever]

32. Arizona media should follow up with questions to McSally on this.

Does she agree with Trump or Flake on the media? Smoke the gopers out or they will hide their true beliefs.

[Hekate]

37. Good for Flake. I hope a few others are empowered to speak out, or simply wake up. nt

[Cha]

38. This is important.. I'm with you on this, hpd.

Coming from a repub it should carry more weight for those sucked in by shithole and his war to silence media who calls him out.

[derick38]

39. GOP Blah Blah Blah.......S**hole...Blah....Blah

Hillary Clinton Bad...…….Trump Good.....Blah Blah etc. More shit like that