Earlier today our good friend that lovable gadfly Paul Ogden wrote a great, great post about
how Indianapolis gambled taxpayers money on the past and we all got hosed. By a remarkable coincidence this post spurned us on to right about another exercise in gambling stupidity. As our readers are well aware INDY REPUBLICAN like the late great Gary Welsh, loathes and despises the milquetoast, obsequious, toady that is Vice President Mike Pence. Unlike some in the Never Trump band of conservatives and republicans, we are as much Never Pence as we are Never Trump. Whether it’s old Mikey
being less than honest on his voter registration, using his
political pull to get his less than qualified nephew John Pence a cushy political job, or putting on his best
imitation of a Christian. Vice President Mike Pence has never failed to exceed our already low expectations of his worthless butt.
Back on April 15th, 2020 Adam Wren a writer for Politico and Indianapolis Monthly wrote “
Four Years Ago, Mike Pence Hated Presidential Overeach”. When recounts how Mike Pence looked uncomfortable at President Trump’s April 13th, 2020, when the President said that his authority was “total”.
Wren reports Pence’s response to his master Trump’s proclamation of supreme power. According to Wren, Pence said:
“Make no mistake about it,” a stone-faced Pence replied. “In the long history of this country, the authority of this country, the authority of the president of the United States during national emergencies is unquestionably plenary.”
There’s a governor who spent his time in office arguing exactly the opposite: that the states had the right to refuse Washington’s dictates, that state autonomy was a constitutional bulwark against overarching presidential power. His name was Mike Pence.
Wren makes reference to a 2011 Washington Times Op-Ed
then Congressman Mike Pence wrote, defending states against the overeach of federal power. Here are a few excerpts from that op-ed, back when Pence still pretended to be a conservative:
“ To ensure a lasting victory for limited government, it will not be enough simply to cut government spending. We must permanently reduce the size and scope of the federal government by restoring to the states and the people those responsibilities and resources that are rightfully theirs under the Constitution of the United States.”
“In 1982, Mr. Reagan came to Indiana to address the issue of federalism before a joint session of our state General Assembly. He used that Hoosier setting as a backdrop to announce a new presidential commission on federalism, which he called the “new phase” of the “great American experiment.” As a start, he offered to return 40 federal programs and the revenues associated with them back to the states. The commission and its work fell flat, but Mr. Reagan was right 30 years ago, and he is more right today.“
Some have attempted to defend Pence by saying he has pushed behind the scenes to reign in Trump, or that he has no choice but to obey Trump. Our response to this is “Bullshit”! The belief that Pence has tried in ANY way at all to undermine Trump, is as flimsy as the evidence for Scientology’s belief in invisible space aliens infesting our bodies. Or in other words there is NO proof of either, because like Scientology’s body thetans, the legend of Pence having a spine is a complete fabrication. As to the argument that Pence has to do as he is told by Trump. Let’s quote from the Constitution that Pence swore on a Bible to uphold:
Article I, Section III, Clause I: The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
That is pretty much all the Constitution says about the Vice President. He cannot be fired by Trump. At the very least he could take stands against the President when he oversteps his bounds. Sure Trump would rage tweet at him, and he may not get elected to another office. But he will get a government pension, and any TRUE Christian would stand against the blasphemies uttered by the mouth of Donald Trump.
For a more in depth view of Pence selling his soul, checkout yesterday’s episode of Joe Walsh’s podcast “Fuck Silence”:
Thanks for the kind comment about yesterday's column.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree that Mike Pence has sold his soul to the devil for the Vice Presidency. I think there is a very good chance that he gets replaced on the ticket if Trump's numbers continue to be in the toilet as the 2020 election approaches. Trump is going to look for a scapegoat and he doesn't have to look far to see Pence. Plus, he will be looking for a way to counter the bump Biden will get having a woman as a running mate.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, it is always a pleasure to read your work. Gary Welsh would have liked yesterday’s column you wrote. He is still our friend. I agree with you on your comments with the exception that Trump already has a woman on the ticket with him in Mike Pence. If he wanted a man he would pick Kellyanne Conway or Ann Delaney!
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