Our local congressional representative, Tim Burchett, issued the following about his vote last night regarding the 25th Amendment.
"Congress does not have the constitutional authority to invoke the 25th Amendment, and Vice President Pence said he will not do so."
Not exactly. Section 4 of the 25th Amendment reads, "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal offices 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..."
Congress also plays a voting role if the President disputes the conclusion. Further, Congress is quite capable of passing a "sense of the House" resolution about what should happen. Thus, Burchett's statement is incomplete and misleading (and trying to cover his outrageous Trumpism, ignoring Trump's incitement of insurrection).
|
|
Discussing:
- Feds indict civil rights group (3 replies)
- Georgia issues burn ban, first time in state history (2 replies)
- State of TN proposes exempting voucher students from standardized testing (1 reply)
- UAE asks for financial assistance? (1 reply)
- Are our deployed military going hungry? (1 reply)
- Tennessee passes bill to restrict college students' protests (1 reply)
- Inflation up, gas up, food up, consumer sentiment lowest ever (1 reply)
- Some AI uses are "outside the bounds of safe/reliable technology" (2 replies)
- A Letter to the U.S. Congress (1 reply)
- President: we can't take care of daycare, Medicare, Medicaid (1 reply)
- U.S. House Democratic Leadership says to Stop the Madness (1 reply)
- Am I missing something? (1 reply)
TN Progressive
- Blount County early voting record turnout (BlountViews)
- Louisville, TN, town center coming soon? (BlountViews)
- Siemens expending in Blount County, But... (BlountViews)
- Maryville Arts Walk - 3rd Thursday - today thru Oct. 15 (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
- July 4, 2024 - aka The Twilight Zone (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- Al Gore talks renewable energy, data centers and climate crisis at Tennessee conference (TN Lookout)
- In Appalachia, deaths from ‘diseases of despair’ continue to outpace the nation (TN Lookout)
- Columbia U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles says U.S. DOJ has returned his phone, signaling end of investigation (TN Lookout)
- US Senate GOP wants $1 billion for security for Trump’s ballroom in immigration bill (TN Lookout)
- A heavenly conversation with Tennessee Republican statesmen (TN Lookout)
- Tenn. GOP to limit public input on redrawing U.S. House map as protesters descend on Capitol (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- One Book Read City sets sail with a new adventure for Knox County kids (Knox TN Today)
- Happy early Mother’s Day to the moms! (Knox TN Today)
- Upheaval on the school board: Good-bye to Butler, Henderson, Kristy (Knox TN Today)
- Mama said: ‘A leopard doesn’t change its spots.’ (Knox TN Today)
- Youth Scoop: Activities for all ages in Knox & area (Knox TN Today)
- Student-athlete has top 5 finish in 2026 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon (Knox TN Today)
- Former Vol Aaron Green announces retirement from coaching basketball (Knox TN Today)
- Young Reader’s Shelf: National Cartoonists Day ( a day late) (Knox TN Today)
- Hope Springs annual fundraiser, May 21 (Knox TN Today)
- 5/6: HEADLINES: Election Results + News and events from the World, the USA, Tennessee, Knox & Historic Notes (Knox TN Today)
- Trouble with Tories (Knox TN Today)
- Suddenly last summer: the 1982 World’s Fair (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- Alcoa man in custody after Knoxville shooting, one injured (WATE)
- Parents say new TN law could limit education options for children with disabilities (WATE)
- Why Beau Hawk thinks he can win the Knox County Mayoral Race (WATE)
- Betsy Henderson wins Republican nominee for Knox County mayor (WATE)
- Results: Jefferson County primary election results from May 2026 (WATE)
- See Loudon County's May 2026 primary election results (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Voters choose White for Hamilton County school board - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Hamilton County Business Development Center sale could reduce incubator program capacity by half - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Mocs softball team ready to host SoCon tourney - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Free Press Opinion: New athletics rule gives school district an opportunity to think about changes - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Pope Leo rejects claim he supports nuclear weapons after Trump tirade - The Guardian (US News)
- Former FedEx driver sentenced to death for killing seven-year-old Texas girl - BBC (US News)
- Trump orders military to pause Strait of Hormuz mission to allow time for peace talks - The Washington Post (US News)
- Stock Market Today: Nasdaq Opens Higher as Tech Stocks Continue Rally, Oil Slides — Live Updates - WSJ (Business)
- Wearable patches: How Barrière is trying to disrupt the supplement industry - CNBC (Business)
- Ken Griffin vows to 'double down' on Miami move, says NYC 'doesn't welcome success' - Fox Business (Business)
- Josh D’Amaro Lays Out “Long-Term View” for Disney in First Earnings Report Since Taking Over as CEO - The Hollywood Reporter (Business)
- Apple Will Pay $250 Million to Settle Lawsuit Over Siri's AI Features - WIRED (Business)
- Trump’s commerce chief Lutnick to face Epstein grilling in closed-door interview – US politics live - The Guardian (US News)
- Federal employment agency sues NYT for discrimination - Axios (US News)
- Trump administration axes fast-track training for new ICE recruits - Politico (US News)
- A trip to Europe? In this economy? Expensive flights keep vacations closer to home - NPR (Business)
- AMD Stock Jumps on Solid Earnings - Barron's (Business)
- Democrats win big in US special elections, but Trump reinforces hold on GOP - The Times of Israel (US News)
- Top takeaways from fiery, at times ugly, California governor debate on CNN - Los Angeles Times (US News)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

A LITTLE POLITICAL ADVICE
HERE IS A LITTLE POLITICAL ADVICE...WHEN MARK HARMON AND BRIAN HORNBACK ARE ON THE SAME PAGE and it involves your political career... either (a) your looking at a Nobel Prize or (b)
you are really screwing up! Both these men are from opposite sides of the political spectrum and have rung the clarion bell, YEARS AGO in an attempt to show, just who the real Tim Burchett really is!
Both men have been vilified for their attempts to uncover the faKe Tim Burchett.
We NOW see without question, that the "Tim Burchett ahh shucks" driver of a beat-up jeep. Flag-waving, Political Outsider, who supports our troops and our country, and puts the people ahead of public interests...is well...bull crap.
He just bought a mansion for over a MILLION DOLLARS, HE IS CONTINUING TO SHOW LOYALTY TO ONE MAN INSTEAD OF ONE NATION.
My question is why?
Sadly, I think we need to go back to "Crazy Allison."
MAYBE SHE WASN'T SO CRAZY AFTER ALL?
Tim has always been the rebel. He fought KNS, the Chamber, Dr. McIntyre, the millionaires and the billionaires. Yet, he won't stand up to fight for our constitution?
Folks, can we be God Honest for a moment? Why would someone who has made a political career out of being the rebel...throw it all away to support Trump?
Is he that worried about a primary?
I mean is this a result of his lack of control over the media? Meaning, when Tim was Mayor, he had a lot of "political groupies."
This is where Mark Harmon and Brian Hornback, respectfully stood their ground. Maintaining the journalistic integrity, that many, including me early on, fell for.
For those that don't know what I am writing about, Tim was a mastermind in controlling the local media. He accomplished that using "Isolated Trust"
One of my best examples of this was when I started out. Tim called me in his office and said 'I'm going to give you inside information about a story,,,but you can't tell anyone...not even Hunley.'
So I agree. As I was driving home I was in tears. Finally, I decided to call Hunley... I will never forget that call... He said 'Dan, first off you did the right thing. When you get home, turn on your computer and call me.' So I go home and call Steve...he goes 'ok go to brian's blog...now look his blog post from 3 hours ago...' I literally screamed "WTF...he told me that was ultra confidential and I was the only person who had that info." Hunley then explained "Isolated Trust" and said that Hornback had learned from experience. The moral of the story and I am just using my experience as a groupie early on, is that Tim knew everything that was going on. While he was Mayor, he was single, so he had the time and energy to create his image and further his career. I can honestly say Tim was always 3 steps ahead. Now that he is in Washington, he is married with children and is more like a block behind.
You might be unclear on the meaning of "imprecise."
You maybe also ought to brush up on the meanings of "incomplete" and "misleading." Or don't - I don't care. But Burchett's right about this. Congress doesn't get to jam together a majority of one kind or another and use it and the 25th to kick a president to the curb all by its lonesome. Why is this hard for you to understand, but not for Burchett? Because you, my friend, might be struggling with grammar in a way that he is not.
Using a bold typeface after that "or" in that critical either-or equation doesn't mean the veep isn't an essential spring in the trigger, there, ol' journo ol' pal. If Pence doesn't bring it, it's not brought, because it's him AND either one majority or the other. The 25th doesn't give the legislature a private backdoor way to impeachment or even sidelining the president. That's not its purpose, for reasons that should be obvious even to the most partisan of hacks.
It's clear that you and many others on the political left hate Burchett and everyone else who's politically to the right of Pol Pot, and by now everyone should recognize that we in the US are enjoying life in a purely post-Truth moment, but whatever else he may be, Burchett's absolutely right about this issue, and your ineptitude and/or dishonesty is/are duly noted.
HERE IS WHAT IS DULY NOTED....
HERE IS WHAT IS DULY NOTED! This man died for his country. Why? Cause this hero stood up for our country and BURCHETT DID NOT!
Right. And your COMPOUND WORD FOR THE DAY IS BELOW!
(in reply to danandrews)
non sequitur
non se·qui·tur (nŏn sĕk′wĭ-tər, -to͝or′)
n.
1. An inference or conclusion that does not follow from the premises or evidence.
2. A statement that does not follow logically from what preceded it.
(SHAMELESSLY PIRATED from this here online dictionary up here in the interpipes https://www.thefreedictionary.com/non-sequitur)
Oh, and I MUST SAY: if you pronounce your new word nŏn sĕk′wĭ-to͝or′, people around here (and by that I mean anywhere you will ever be) will think you're pretentious, and an ass.
Oh, and I MUST SAY
Calling danandrews response a non sequitur is quite fair but unfortunately for you, you show yourself to be an enormous ass as do so. You must be a conservative.
Your accusation is fair, if silly.
I show myself to be an ass every week, at least 1619 times, and since you said them, I'll take your words as praise, but, again, they don't have anything to do with anything.
Like the fact that Mark Harmon's post is propagandistic bullsh*t, and displays a high degree of either ignorance, cynicism, or intellectual corruption. Or all three. I really don't know. And to be perfectly transparent: this is not a personal attack against Mark. He can't help it, poor man.
Be that as it may, neither you nor Dan have changed my mind about anything relevant. I realize that you have some of the same limitations Mark has, so you don't need to keep saying predictable, dumb, and irrelevant things if you don't want to.
neither you nor Dan have changed my mind
Wasn't trying to change your mind. I was insulting you, Genius.
Re-reading 25/4 -
Re-reading 25/4 - particularly "or of such other body as Congress may by law provide" - there seems to be ambiguity about who would initiate the removal of a President. For example, Congress could pass a law saying a majority of Congress (or the House or the Senate) demands the removal of the President, but the Vice President would have to agree. The key words, in my opinion, are 'and', 'either' and 'or'.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal offices of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide ...
Maybe, and certainly.
(in reply to michael kaplan)
As to the order of things you mention in your first paragraph, maybe. But that's not what the great Teacher of Journalism said in his original, remarkably off-target post.
As to your second paragraph: yeah. This really isn't that hard.