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A history teacher and an engineer walk into a bar…ouch! Except there isn’t a bar. But there are dad jokes. And whiskey. Two guys who know a few things, have been around a few blocks, and a few cocktails, discuss politics, science, history, technology, and the planet Earth. They also warp through rabbit holes in both the Federation and the Galactic Empire, and toast the ashes of the Twelve Colonies. And did I mention dad jokes? Yeah. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us for Civics on the Rocks.
Episodes
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Not to oversell it, but this type of episode is why we created this podcast. Do you really know how impeachment works? Are you sure of your dusty memories of high school civics class? Come, find out!
References
What is impeachment?
USA.Gov. “How federal impeachment works.” Last updated February 2, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment
Learn about the impeachment of King Charles I:
Paradis, Michel. “Three Lessons From the First Time a Head of State Was Impeached.” October 3, 2019. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/three-lessons-first-time-head-state-was-impeached
How impeachment works between the House and Senate:
United States Senate. “About Impeachment.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.htm
About the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas:
Mascaro, Lisa. “House votes to impeach Mayorkas in a historic rebuke of a sitting Cabinet member.” February 13, 2024. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-votes-to-impeach-mayorkas-in-a-historic-rebuke-of-a-sitting-cabinet-member
What’s a writ of mandamus?
Legal Information Institute. “Mandamus.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mandamus
The only other time a cabinet member was impeached:
United States Senate. “Impeachment Trial of Secretary of War William Belknap, 1876.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment/impeachment-belknap.htm
The bit on “60 Minutes” with the Clinton’s:
60 Minutes. “Hilary Clinton’s first 60 minutes interview.” 1992. https://youtu.be/-UqKNgrwK8E?si=FM8Fw4Yz6MQMvft6
Not familiar with Senator Gary Hart?
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gary Hart.” May 1, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Hart
How did Gerald R. Ford define impeachment?
Davis, Kenneth C., “The history of American impeachment.” The Smithsonian Magazine, June 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-you-need-know-about-impeachment-180963645/
Want to learn more about immigration issues in the U.S.?
Kobucista, Claire, Cheatham, Amelia, and Roy, Diana. “The U.S. Immigration Debate.” Last updated June 6, 2023. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0
Senator Chuck Schumer’s formal response to the Mayorkas impeachment:
Senate Democrats. “Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks on the Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.” April 17, 2024. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-impeachment-trial-of-secretary-mayorkas
Read about how the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas was deemed unconstitutional:
Pecorin, Allison and Hutzler, Alexandra. “Senate kills Mayorkas impeachment trial, votes both articles ‘unconstitutional’.” April 17, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senators-sworn-jurors-impeachment-trial-dhs-secretary-mayorkas/story?id=109349278
What’s malfeasance?
Legal Information Institute. “Malfeasance.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/malfeasance
The impeachment book that Steve referenced:
Charles R. Black. Impeachment: A Handbook. (Yale University Press, 2018).
Learn about President Nixon’s near impeachment:
Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S4.4.7 President Richard Nixon and Impeachable Offenses.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-7/ALDE_00000695/
The Watergate trials that happened prior to that:
United States Senate. “Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/watergate.htm
Which senators voted which way in Trump impeachment trial:
Booker, Brakkton. “Trump Impeachment Trial Verdict: How Senators Voted.” February 13, 2021. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/2021/02/13/967539051/trump-impeachment-trial-verdict-how-senators-voted
When we recorded this podcast, the New York trial was still in process. In case you were unaware of the results:
Scannell, Kara, Del Valle, Lauren, and Herb, Jeremy. “Donald Trump found guilty of all 34 charges in hush money trial.” May 31, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-30-24/index.html
If you need some help keeping track of all the trials that Trump is involved in:
Lawfare. “The Trump Trials.” https://www.lawfaremedia.org/current-projects/the-trump-trials
In case you want to read about Trump cheating charities:
New York State Attorney Journal. “Donald J. Trump Pays Court-Ordered $2 Million For Illegally Using Trump Foundation Funds.” December 10, 2019. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/donald-j-trump-pays-court-ordered-2-million-illegally-using-trump-foundation
Don’t remember Eugene V. Debs as well as Mack and Steve?
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Eugene V. Debs.” May 31, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugene-V-Debs
In case you don’t remember, Trump bragged he could shoot someone without consequence:
Dwyer, Colin. “Donald Trump: 'I Could ... Shoot Somebody, And I Wouldn't Lose Any Voters'” January 23, 2016. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/23/464129029/donald-trump-i-could-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters
The podcast (with a PowerPoint presentation!) that Steve referenced:
Wittes, Benjamin and Anderson, Scott R. “A Criminal in the White House: How It Might Work and What It Might Mean.” November 2, 2024. Lawfare Podcast. https://youtu.be/e_9Tsoxs-UA?si=L7_FWfL6Ki2Qfijq
Recipe for a gin martini:
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/martini-cocktails-2009
Recipe for a Manhattan:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/
Recipe for a boulevardier without Scotch because you don’t like to drink bad ideas:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/boulevardier/
More about that town in Alabama that refuses to have a mayor that Steve told us about:
Walker, Adria R. “Alabama town that hasn’t held elections in decades sued to allow voting.” March 29, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/29/newbern-alabama-election-lawsuit-mayor
If you want to be a geek like Steve and get to know cybersecurity guy, Bruce Schneier:
Yet another book that Steve referenced:
Jared Diamond. The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? (Penguin Books, 2013.)
The article about Kennedy and Nixon that Mack referenced:
Bender, Bryan. “The Night Kennedy and Nixon Were Bunkmates.” April 29, 2022. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/04/29/jfk-nixon-bunkmates-00028388
Unfamiliar with the Taft-Hartley Act?
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Taft-Hartley Act.” June 17, 2015. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Taft-Hartley-Act
A little history on the friendship of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia:
Cox, Chelsey. “Fact Check: It’s true, Ginsburg and Scalia were close friends despite ideological differences.” September 27, 2020. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/27/fact-check-ruth-bader-ginsburg-antonin-scalia-were-close-friends/3518592001/
And, “Stay on target,” is a Star Wars reference. But you already knew that.
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