We begin today’s roundup with an op-ed by Mark Schmitt at The New York Times on holding the president accountable and structural reforms to strengthen our democracy:
When corruption is perceived as universal, those in power can use investigations and allegations of corruption as a weapon. This has been the pattern in Brazil, for example, and Mr. Trump has followed the playbook as well, invoking his catchphrase again in recently calling for an investigation of former President Barack Obama.
American politics is in urgent need of repair, but the idea of the swamp feeds a cynicism that’s not only inaccurate but also makes it harder to distinguish between decent people who are trying to do the best they can in a difficult system and real malfeasance — and even allows the latter to flourish unchecked.
David Lurie at The Daily Beast:
With all the focus on how a largely symbolic impeachment might affect Donald Trump’s re-election prospects, numerous investigations and lawsuits concerning the president and his associates seem to have dropped off the political radar. But they are still ongoing—and could still affect the result of the next election.
Trump has done his best to stonewall many of these matters, particularly those before Congress, by litigating almost every demand for testimony and other evidence. That strategy of maximum resistance could backfire.
At Politico, Kyle Cheney and Sarah Ferris dive into the status of the House impeachment inquiry:
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler stunned many with his recent declaration that the House had already launched “formal impeachment proceedings.” The New York Democrat followed up with a series of court filings demanding expedited access to special counsel Robert Mueller’s evidence and witnesses in order to further his committee's “impeachment investigation.”
Yet Speaker Nancy Pelosi has continued to resist that posture, telling colleagues in a caucuswide call late last month, “The public isn’t there on impeachment.”
The technical status of the House drive toward impeachment may hinge on whether the courts agree with Nadler's interpretation, and September is packed with opportunities for the federal judiciary to weigh in. But the bottom line is that Pelosi will have the ultimate say.
At The Hill, David Janovsky warns that allowing the president to claim he was joking about pardoning those who steal land to build the wall sets a dangerous precedent:
When presidents have issued questionable pardons, Congress has often stepped up to investigate. Should any of Trump’s “jokes” turn into action, Congress must do so again here. Even short of that troubling scenario, Congress can and should ensure that ongoing work on the border wall is taking place in compliance with existing laws. Elected officials cannot take the rule of law lightly, or for granted.
On a final note, just a reminder that it’s not just Trump that is violating norms and ethics rules:
Pence flew to Dublin on Tuesday after spending the night at the Trump International Golf Club in Doonbeg on the west coast of Ireland. The hotel also hosted the Trump family during a short trip to Ireland by the president in June.
Asked if Trump had suggested Pence stay at the property, the vice president’s chief of staff, Marc Short, told journalists, “I think that it was a suggestion.”
“It’s like when we went through the trip it’s like, `Well, he’s going to Doonbeg because that is where his family is from, it’s like `oh, you should stay at my place’,” Short said. “It wasn’t like a `you must’. It wasn’t like a `you have to’.”