Plan B Forum

Finally, a smoking pun. A simple play on words told us everything about the impeachment inquiry, the current mindset in Congress and the state of the nation.

The witness Pamela Karlan cracked a joke that delighted liberals and infuriated conservatives. Or rather, it delighted conservatives because it gave them a talking point to whip up outrage.

The afternoon session of the House judiciary committee hearing on the constitutional framework for impeachment had just begun when the Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee posed the question: “What comparisons can we make between kings that the framers were afraid of and the president’s conduct today?”

Karlan, a Stanford Law School professor, replied: “Kings could do no wrong because the king’s word was law. Contrary to what President Trump has said, article two [of the constitution] does not give him the power to do anything he wants.

“I will give you one example that shows the difference between him and a king, which is: the constitution says there can be no titles of nobility. While the president can name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron.”

Jackson Lee smiled and there was laughter in the big and ornate committee room, where two carved eagles look down under the words “E pluribus unum” (out of many, one) and a dozen uniformed Capitol police lent an air of a courtroom drama. Karlan’s point echoed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s recent opinion, cited at Wednesday’s hearing, that “the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that presidents are not kings”.

But could we forgive the pun? Not when the president’s son, tall but only 13 years of age, was involved. Republicans’s well-oiled fury machine clicked straight into gear. Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary, tweeted: “Classless move by a Democratic ‘witness’. Prof Karlan uses a teenage boy who has nothing to do with this joke of a hearing (and deserves privacy) as a punchline.”


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wesw wrote:I am pretty sure that s0me 0f y0u must have privately asked the 0ffender t0 st0p, because they did.....

Burning Petard wrote:Funny thing is, I did not hear it as an attack on the kid--I took it as another attack on the father for a stupid choice.

snailgate

BoSoxGal wrote:After all the ways that Chelsea Clinton was cruelly attacked by conservatives when she was a minor, I’m outraged by the outrage over this very simple reference to the kid’s stupid name to make a very relevant point - especially considering the extraordinary nepotism in this administration.

The afternoon session of the House judiciary committee hearing on the constitutional framework for impeachment had just begun when the Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee posed the question:  “What comparisons can we make between kings that the framers were afraid of and the president’s conduct today?”

Karlan, a Stanford Law School professor, replied:  “Kings could do no wrong because the king’s word was law.  Contrary to what President Trump has said, article two [of the constitution] does not give him the power to do anything he wants.

“I will give you one example that shows the difference between him and a king, which is:  the constitution says there can be no titles of nobility.  While the president can name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron.”

Bill Clinton had been president-elect for just a few days when, on November 6, 1992, Limbaugh launched one of the nastiest attacks of his career against an innocent target: 12-year old Chelsea Clinton.
Complete video of that day's program does not appear to be available online, but a portion of Limbaugh's attack was aired in a 1995 documentary about Limbaugh by PBS' Frontline. Also, a transcript of the program is posted in the Nexis database.
Limbaugh began the segment by noting that the New York Daily News' David Hinckley published a list of who's entering and leaving the White House. Limbaugh stated: “He says, In: A cute kid in the White House. Out: Cute dog in the White House.' Could -- could we see the cute kid? Let's take a look at -- see who is the cute kid in the White House.”
The program then put up a picture of Millie, the Bush family's dog. Limbaugh responded, in mock confusion, “No, no, no, no. That's not the kid.” The program then puts up a picture of Chelsea Clinton, with Rush saying, “that's the kid.”

[video inset -- watch it]

After the audience had finished laughing and applauding, Limbaugh said, according to Nexis' transcript: “No, just kidding.”
Limbaugh then related the story of how he once apologized for calling Amy Carter, the daughter of President Carter, “the most unattractive presidential daughter in the history of the country.” He added: “I apologize again. I -- that's the third time the crew makes a mistake by showing you Millie the dog when I intended to show you Chelsea Clinton, and then I followed with that terrible story.”