The last time the Sargent-in-arms arrested anyone was 1934. The person arrested was held in the Sargent-in-arms HOUSE for a night (and the “prisoner” slept in the seargent’s bed), then at a hotel for a second night. Congress doesn’t have a jail.
This is the first part of the podcast I posted above, and details how outdated this was.
The Senate actually detained a member of the administration of President Herbert Hoover in 1934. Senate investigators were looking for information about certain government contracts, and Assistant Commerce Secretary William McCracken declined to provide information that had been requested. He was detained first at the home of then-Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Chesley Jurney and, for a second night, at the Willard Hotel in Washington.
Unsurprisingly, McCracken contested the detention in court. The resulting case, Jurney v. McCracken, landed at the Supreme Court. The justices determined that the Senate did, in fact, have the power to do precisely what it had done.
You know what else was going on in 1934?.. :)
Buncha got damn SOCIALISTS were trying to take away all our FREEDOM?
If Sanders hadn’t gotten us into this mess I would know if i wanted pasta for dinner tonight or not.
No! Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable were taking America by storm in It Happened One Night!
If Pelosi springs for 2-day delivery, she could have this on the House floor by Thursday:
None
2895
Surely she could borrow a cage from one of those ICE fellows. Or are those only suitable for small children?
Was thinking the same thing. If it’s good enough for innocent immigrants, it’s good enough for guilty trumpers.
Yes, I was just going to say, who gets detained harder – A child seeking asylum under international law or a member of the administration thumbing their nose at established constitutional law?
Timex
2898
I would pay money to see him in a dog cage.
Jokes aside, I’m all for shame as a penalty.
C-SPAN cameras 24/7 on McGahn in a bigass hourglass wearing see-through pants. Make it happen.
We also have plenty of private prisons that the House could contract out to using the power of the purse. Maybe a border detention facility with solitary confinement? ;)
I vote we stake pillory him.
Zylon
2903
Just start loudly proclaiming that he’s not smart enough to do a cover-up.
Timex
2904
I feel like Pelosi understands how to play this game way better than most of the folks clamoring for impeachment right now.
Precisely. The best thing to do is say words and do nothing. Fucking masterful. Glad we elect people capable of putting party over country.
Menzo
2906
It seems like she’s letting Trump do all the hard work of convincing people it’s necessary. At some point I imagine she’ll just say that enough is enough and Trump’s obstruction has gone far enough.
I’ve changed my mind about not doing it because we know the Senate won’t convict. I think you could set expectations ahead of time just by saying that we KNOW he won’t get convicted, but we have to take a stand or the rule of law means nothing.
Timex
2907
But they aren’t doing nothing.
They are currently winning cases in court. Shit is happening, and that shit is important.
And frankly, the people who don’t understand this aren’t the guys who should be running the show.
I agree. The House is trying to bring people in to testify. They are trying to get Trump’s taxes, which I’m sure have some damaging revelations in them. Give it some time. They haven’t had any testimony yet on Mueller’s report. Have they even seen an unredacted copy?
