Whitaker hearing erupts in partisan acrimony as top Republican seeks to adjourn it

The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee ripped the panel’s Democratic members Friday over testimony from Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, saying his appearance served as “nothing more than a character assassination.” Panel ranking member Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., complained during an oversight hearing that Democrats had hauled Whitaker before the committee to press him on things like his conversations with Trump and his past work before becoming acting attorney general.

“This is no way to run the railroad and it’s definitely no way to run one of the most prestigious committees in the House,” Collins said. “I’m thinking maybe we just set up a popcorn machine in the back, because it’s becoming a show.”

He then moved to adjourn the hearing, but the motion was rejected in a party-line vote. Whitaker’s testimony before the committee came after Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and the Justice Department sparred Thursday over whether he would appear. The standoff began Thursday after the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to give Nadler the power to subpoena Whitaker to compel him to testify. The acting attorney general, however, told the committee he wouldn’t testify under the threat of a subpoena and would only appear if he received assurances that the subpoena would not be issued.

“Based upon today’s action, it is apparent that the committee’s true intention is not to discuss the great work of the Department of Justice, but to create a public spectacle,” Whitaker said in a statement Thursday. “Political theater is not the purpose of an oversight hearing, and I will not allow that to be the case.”

The impasse ultimately ended Thursday night after Whitaker agreed to appear before members of the House Judiciary Committee. Justice Department spokeswoman Kerry Kupec said Nadler “made the committment” not to subpoena Whitaker if he testified Friday.

"Given our concerns about your attendance until late last night, our taking steps to ensure your appearance seems perfectly appropriate,” he said. “Now that you are here and prepared to testify, I agree there is no need for us to resort to that measure — for now."

But Collins slammed Nadler for his battle with Whitaker and called it “offensive” that Whitaker would be pressed on Trump’s motivations for naming him acting attorney general.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/whitaker-hearing-erupts-in-partisan-acrimony-as-top-republican-seeks-to-adjourn-it

Secret group seeks medical panel to judge the mental health of Trump and other candidates

A secretive working group is devising a plan to create a medical panel that would screen the health of the president and candidates in the hopes of determining that President Trump is not fit for office or stopping another like him. The public face of the five-person group, most of whom have decided to remain anonymous, is Dr. Bandy Lee, a Yale University psychiatrist who edited a controversial book of essays concluding Trump is dangerous to the country because he has shown he is mentally unfit.

“Based on the experience with the current president, we are calling for regular fitness for duty exams on presidential and vice presidential candidates, preferably as a requirement sometime before they take on the job, and even preferably before they run,” Lee said.

Lee's group realizes that Congress won't enact such a requirement, which would include annual exam every year after winning the election, and instead is looking to demand that candidates voluntary submit to being examined by the panel. They plan to publish a proposal and make the case that the medical panel is needed to prevent mentally unfit people from entering high office.

“We would like to keep this entire process as voluntary and confidential as possible, but also in a democracy we believe the public has a right to know if a dangerous person is pursuing the presidency,” Lee said.

The book Lee edited, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, outlined a model for an independent medical panel. The idea in the book was for Congress to create the panel, but now the group is finding a way to set it up without lawmakers. The panel would have three neuropsychiatrists — one clinical, one academic, and one military — one clinical psychologist, one neurologist, and two internists. The mental and physical evaluations would be confidential, unless candidates choose to reveal them or insist on running despite unfitness. The medical experts would be nominated by an outside organization, such as the highly respected National Academy of Medicine, and serve for six-year terms, with one rotated out and replaced every year. “It’s just like having a medical checkup to make sure you qualify before going ahead,” Lee said. “Any reasonable person should be able to submit.”

The Washington Examiner asked the campaigns of the 10 Democrats who have announced their candidacy whether they would submit to the medical exam and whether they planned to release their health records. Inquiries also were sent to the Trump campaign and to Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO who said he’s considering running as an independent. The campaign for Andrew Yang, a former official in the Obama administration and tech entrepreneur, was the only one to respond. "I do believe that the president, and candidates for the office, should undergo a physical and mental health examination," Yang said. "I'd be happy to submit to an examination by an independent body, with the overall conclusion as to fitness to serve being publicly shared. I also believe this should be a regular occurrence throughout the presidency.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/secret-group-seeks-medical-panel-to-judge-the-mental-health-of-trump-and-other-candidates

>>5079312

Forgot to include this.

>>5079318

I think we should be able to know, in addition since these are lifetime appointment they should also be subject to this if indeed it would be required of POTUS and his cabinet members.

>>5079238

>>5079261

Although this is not surprising, we agree, I do believe that this situation could easily be twisted into an entirely different story as we have seen in the past…so for, the sake of documentation, we have something to look back on and present factually.

>>5079348

Indeed, the point is that she is still at it..deranged as she is!

>>5079424

Agreed, not missed on me. moves counter moves.