I think the Afghanistan announcement was a cover, of course. When has the WH ever released any statement that's close to the truth? And, if they were discussing Afghanistan strategy, wouldn't they do it in secret?

Why Camp David? Trump hates the place. He visited once. Don't think it even has a decent golf course (does it have one at all?)

Why is Pence returning early to discuss Afghanistan with Trump at Camp David?

My guess: Mueller has some very, very dirty stuff on Trump. Subpoenas have gone out. Mueller wants to speak to current WH officials. Mueller has turned up the heat on Trump, and the Orange Grifter wants out.

So, my guess is that he recalled Pence to Camp David to negotiate an exit strategy. Pence will become POTUS and immediately pardon Trump and all members of his family for any and all crimes committed in the past and in the future. And Pence will find some way to pardon Trump for all NY crimes too (how, I don't know, but I'm sure there's a loophole for that).

Also, his presidency is starting to affect Trump's bottom line, which, let's face it, is all he cares about. The Cleveland Clinic, the huge fundraiser, American Friends of Magen David Adom, and the American Cancer Society have pulled their big meetings out of Mar A Lago. The chamber of commerce of Palm Beach has urged charities to stay away from Mar A Lago.

Of course, who can predict Trump? I think he wants out, but who knows? Maybe he wants to bomb Afghanistan? Maybe he wants Betsy DeVos's brother to become even richer? Maybe they are discussing North Korea? Maybe he hates transgender people so much he's giving the military official notice that he wants them out of the armed forces?

God, what a mess the Republicans have given us. Why can't they just get rid of this man!!!

Anonymous wrote: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

Doe that mean the VP AND The other body that Congress provides for. Or is the other body an alternative to the VP and the cabinet together?

IE can congress by law provide for a body (say 10 congressmen) that can report without the participation of the VP?

VP needed in either case. But don't kid yourself. Pence wants to be POTUS.

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

Doe that mean the VP AND The other body that Congress provides for. Or is the other body an alternative to the VP and the cabinet together?

IE can congress by law provide for a body (say 10 congressmen) that can report without the participation of the VP?

Moynihan who was highly respected said that he could not vote for Clinton's removal, despite his misgivings about Clinton's suitability to remain in office given his actions, because the Republicans were trying to stage a bloodless coup and he was not going to be part of that effort.

I am pretty sure Daniel Patrick was not worried about Clinton having his finger on the nuclear button. Or that Clinton would make statements that would aggravate division in the country (by that time Clinton was well into triangulating and leaning over backwards to be bipartisan) dangerously. Or that Clinton was alienating key demographics from the Democratic party forever by his words and actions.

Clinton was not publicly attacking the congressional leaders of his own party. Or his own Attorney General. Or the head of the FBI. He did not have a key WH staffer leading a campaign of vitriol against Clinton's National Security Advisor.

Really, I was around in the late 1990s, and this is not like the late 1990s.

OP here. Truth from Frank Bruni at the NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/opinion/sunday/president-trump-resignation.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region®ion=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

American version of the Israeli Red Cross just pull it's event from Mar ALago. It was the biggest gala held there last year.

Head of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce is urging everyone to pull out, and says staying is "morally reprehensible".

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/cleveland-clinic-cancels-plans-for-gala-at-president-trumps-mar-a-lago/2017/08/17/a412f596-8369-11e7-b359-15a3617c767b_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-more-top-stories_maralago-1120pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.94f1ffe59493

All the members of the Presidential Arts Commission just resigned. Not that Trump care about his Arts Commission.

The Titanic struck an iceberg this week, and everyone is trying to get on a lifeboat.

It would actually help if people commenting on the use of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump actually knew what is states. Here it is:

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.

You need Pence to transmit such a notification after getting the majority of the "principal officers" to concur with that decision and if Trump challenges it, then two thirds of the House and Senate would confirm such a decsion.

Good luck with any of that happening!