Take it for what it’s worth

[LuFins Dad]

Seymour Hersh has been… Unreliable in recent years…

https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/leaving-las-vegas

'On Sunday morning,' the official told me, with the approval of Pelosi and Schumer, 'Obama called Biden after breakfast and said, ‘Here’s the deal. We have Kamala’s approval to invoke the 25th Amendment.'

[Horace]

That’s what it’s for.

[LuFins Dad]

@Horace said in Take it for what it’s worth:

That’s what it’s for.

To threaten somebody to quit the race?

[Jolly]

@LuFins-Dad said in Take it for what it’s worth:

@Horace said in Take it for what it’s worth:

That’s what it’s for.

To threaten somebody to quit the race?

Yep.

I could see that call being made, too.

[Mik]

I would not be surprised if they threatened that, made a deal not to invoke then did it anyway.

[George K]

@Mik said in Take it for what it’s worth:

I would not be surprised if they threatened that, madd a deal not to invoke then did it anyway.

I've read that they threatened him with the 25th, but when they did, he agreed to step aside and then...endorsed Kamala. It was a giant "Fuck You!" to Obama, Pelosi and Schumer.

Once he did that, they were stuck.

[LuFins Dad]

So everyone here thinks the 25th was threatened?

[LuFins Dad]

@Jolly said in Take it for what it’s worth:

@LuFins-Dad said in Take it for what it’s worth:

@Horace said in Take it for what it’s worth:

That’s what it’s for.

To threaten somebody to quit the race?

Yep.

I could see that call being made, too.

But that’s not the purpose of the 25th…

[Jolly]

Section 4
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.

[LuFins Dad]

@Jolly said in Take it for what it’s worth:

Section 4
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.

None of that has anything to do with being blackmailed by the VP and other party leaders to drop out of the race. They didn’t ask him to step down from the post, they forced him to step down from the nomination. That’s quite different from what the amendment proscribes.

[LuFins Dad]

If they honestly feel that he’s not capable of fulfilling the duties, she is obligated to follow the 25th amendment.

By not actually calling for his removal, she is stating that he is fully capable of executing the duties. So why is he stepping down?

[LuFins Dad]

She used the 25th to extort/force the duly elected nominee to drop out. That is not the purpose of the 25th.

[Jolly]

You take him out of the post and I think the loss nomination is almost automatic.

I think Schumer (who he's worked with for decades) brought the sugar, Pelosi brought the hammer and Obama drove the final nail.

[Jolly]

I think it is also correct that The Resident's endorsement of Kamala was a middle finger to the machine.

[Doctor Phibes]

Here’s what I think. In the absence of evidence, people believe what they want to believe. Sometimes they continue even when there is evidence.

Seems to me like Kamala was the obvious alternative choice if Biden could be talked into stepping down. Not particularly creative but obvious. I don’t really understand the need to come up with an alternative explanation

[Mik]

We will probably never know for sure. It is interesting that he did these two things in separate letters.

[jon-nyc]

Just let me know whom to thank. Pelosi is already in my list, but if I need to include Obama and Schumer I’m happy to.

[taiwan_girl]

IF the above it true, does President Biden endorsement of VP Harris that powerful that it "forced" all the other democrats to follow?

If he is that weakened, I think it would have been possible to get someone else other than VP Harris if that was wanted.

[LuFins Dad]

@taiwan_girl said in Take it for what it’s worth:

IF the above it true, does President Biden endorsement of VP Harris that powerful that it "forced" all the other democrats to follow?

If he is that weakened, I think it would have been possible to get someone else other than VP Harris if that was wanted.

~$100M, the campaign infrastructure that was already built, and Biden still commanded about 30% of the party’s support.

Plus, the politics of interparty warfare would have amplified all of the problems.

[taiwan_girl]

@LuFins-Dad Ah, makes sense!!