Robert's Wreck

On February 5, 2020, John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, decided that the United States should no longer be a democracy. He left us in Roberts’ Wreck, a ruined vessel breaking up on a rough shore: dictatorship.

In Don Trump’s impeachment trial, Roberts did the unthinkable. He let a majority of the jury—the Senate—decide not to call witnesses. He did this even though the jury foreman, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, had announced before the trial that he would coordinate the jury’s findings with the accused.

Two witnesses, John Bolton and Lev Parnas, volunteered to appear. The evidence identified several more witnesses who Roberts should have summoned. Due process required nothing less.

Indeed, Rule V of the 1868 Senate Rules for Impeachment says: “The presiding officer (Roberts) shall have power to make and issue, by himself or by the Secretary of the Senate, all orders, mandates, writs, and precepts authorized by these rules, or by the Senate, and to make and enforce such other regulations and orders in the premises as the Senate may authorize or provide.”

In spite of Rule V, Roberts decided not to call the witnesses who volunteered or those who the evidence required. He decided instead that due process—the same due process that we all rely on to defend ourselves against simple parking tickets—is not applicable in the United States.

Roberts approved of a procedure tainted from the outset and let the process move forward without objection.

In a sickening turn of events, broadcast live to all Americans, indeed all the world, Roberts removed our country from the list of democracies.

What makes Roberts’ actions stunning is that he knowingly gave Vladimir Putin everything that Putin wanted, and then some. And we watched him do it.

For the GOP, now the Grand Old Putinistas, Roberts actions are wonderful. Mitch McConnell showed Putin that he is indeed Moscow Mitch. We can only conclude that he must have been handsomely rewarded for his work. Nothing else explains such deep and determined anti-Americanism. The rest of the Grand Old Putinistas followed Moscow Mitch. What was their reward?

Don Trump reacted immediately in the way that the Grand Old Putinistas wanted him to. He is stomping all over his Attorney General Bill Barr and purging Barr’s department. He intervened with the courts to reduce the sentence of Roger Stone for supporting Putin’s interference in the 2016 election. He has declared his absolute right to make law as “the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the country.” All judges must subordinate themselves to him.

Robert’s Wreck has broken the country. There is no way back.

November 20, 2020

Having lost the election, Don has decided on a rolling coup: He will say that the election is in litigation and there can be no transfer of power until the process is completed. Robert's Wreck paves the way to four more years.