Below is my column on Rep. Dan Goldman struggling to overcome a challenge from Mamdani-backed Brad Lander. Goldman is sticking to his impeachment-heavy campaign pitch as Lander pushes bread-and-butter issues. He is reportedly over 20 points behind the popular housing advocate.
Here is the column:
Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) is fast becoming the Marie Antoinette of New York politics. As Democratic socialists rage against the privileged elite and promise sweeping welfare programs, Goldman is doubling down on promises of more impeachments and investigations. The ultimate establishment candidate is floundering. He is reportedly over 20 points behind his Mamdini-endorsed opponent, housing advocate and former Comptroller Brad Lander. It appears that the “let-them-eat impeachments” is not resonating with his constituents.
While Goldman is trying to fight off the challenge from the left with some pocket-book pitches, he is sticking to the narrative that got him elected a few years ago. In an “age of rage,” Goldman has excelled, pushing unstepped on, unadulterated rage. Since his entry into politics, he has run on what was viewed as the sure winner in New York politics: obsessive, unending attacks on Trump. Goldman made sure that no one was more enraged at all things Trump, all the time.
In this campaign, Goldman has returned to the same theme of promising new investigations and impeachments.
Goldman claimed recently on MSNOW that he will lead any impeachment of Trump. (“Jamie Raskin and I will be leading investigations into Trump’s corruption and all cabinet officials”).
Even as his polls showed him trailing Lander, he was promising this week that he had yet another basis to impeach Trump over his $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a settlement fund that is expected to go to people investigated and prosecuted over the Jan. 6th riot.
Some of us have criticized the creation of the fund as irregular and lacking congressional consultation. That is not to say that Trump is not right about the violation over the leaking of his taxes or the abuses that occurred after January 6th.
In an interview with CBS News, Justice Department official Michael Sherwin declared that they wanted to send a message with the harsh treatment of defendants “to ensure that there was shock and awe.” The result was excessive measures against some who were simply present at the protest or did not engage in any violence.
Despite my objections to how the fund was created, it is neither illegal nor impeachable in my view. These settlement funds have long been left to the discretion of the Justice Department and past Administrations have made generous settlements with politically aligned groups.
However, the race in the 10th District may answer a more important question than another impeachment frenzy in Congress.
The question is whether Goldman and other candidates can secure another term on rage alone. We will soon know whether Goldman’s “let them eat impeachments” pitch can override the bread-and-butter policies of Lander or Mamdani.
It is not that anger has lost its cachet, but the subject has changed as socialism sweeps over the Democratic Party, particularly in New York.
In this “eat-the-rich” environment, Goldman is hardly a natural fit in modern Democratic politics. He is no “one percenter,” mind you. He is the guy the one percenter looks on as privileged and entitled.
As emphasized by Lander in his campaign, Goldman inherited his vast wealth as heir to the Levi Strauss family and is worth more than $200 million. He reportedly has at least three luxury homes in Atlantic Beach on Long Island, Manhattan, and Water Mill in the Hamptons.
He seems to be the perfect example of the super-wealthy denounced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez when she insisted that “you just can’t earn” a billion dollars. In Goldman’s case, he was born into such wealth. Goldman is not the antagonist, but the embodiment, of the socialist scourge.
To be fair to Goldman, he hasn’t focused on being an average Joe with shared life experiences. He has made himself known to the establishment as someone willing to enthusiastically do those things that repel others.
When attacks on ICE personnel increased exponentially (including attacks shown on television), Goldman denied seeing examples of such increasing attacks.
When evidence mounted of Biden influence peddling, it was Goldman who denied the corruption, insisting that they were just honest businessmen making money.
When evidence mounted of the Biden Administration coordinating a massive censorship system, it was Goldman who dismissed such concerns.
When other Democrats decried the Biden Administration’s seizure of members of Congress’ phone records, Goldman ran out to downplay the attack on the legislative branch.
When the Administration sought to investigate those burning Teslas and dealerships by protesters, Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) denounced it as a “political weaponization” of the legal system.
Lander continues to attack Goldman over his inherited wealth and for pouring huge amounts of his own money into the race. Despite the dismal polling, Goldman has outspent Lander in the campaign, vowing to match every donated dollar with his own money.
It is shaping up as the ultimate race of the socialist wing of Mamdani and Bernie Sanders with Lander versus the Establishment with Goldman.
Nevertheless, Goldman is an example of how the impeachment frenzy is likely to continue as members search for new targets to curry favor with voters. This week, Rep. Steve Cohen has announced that he will file frivolous articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts “for compromising the credibility of the court.”
That may not be enough for Dan Goldman, who could find himself the latest establishment casualty of the very mob that they hoped would keep them in power.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
This column appeared on Fox.com
It’s cheating, scam, rip off world ushered in by Barack Obama. Shrinkflation cut every product in half and doubled the price. Brand names aren’t available. People are paying for the name only because the actual product is some cheap blue stuff. We’ll be charged for each grain of rice and each bean next.
Republicans had better
^^^ Republicans had better get serious and mean now rather than later. Bondi has thyroid cancer? Too much radiation? Gabbard’s husband?
Socialism/communism it nothing more than theft. Stupid people think they will be getting the stolen good for free. Then they find out the are the ones the socialist will be stealing from!
Mamdani Announces Confiscations of Private Property
https://discernreport.com/mamdani-announces-confiscations-of-private-property/
The administration may use 7A administrative proceedings to remove buildings from negligent owners’ control and install new management in cases involving serious health and safety risks.
Because of rent control landlords can’t keep their buildings up without losing money. Mamdani wants to turn them over to the tenants. The tenants will have to pay for upkeep and repairs won’t be able to do that they can afford that even less than the landlords. The buildings will fall further in to disrepair and there will be less rental apartments in NY City. Organizations and trusts will take over the buildings, tear them down and build new office towers or exclusive high cost condos. You can bet a good portion of that money will end up back in Mamdani’s pockets.
Office towers? Nah. Nobody wants to work in a NYC tower. Look at Portland, Seattle, SF. NYC isn’t special. And no one wants commercial real estate in a communist city. Even a dumb redneck can figure THAT out.
Dan Goldman….now there is a study for those interested in people that would never find themselves in a book entitled “Profiles In Courage” such as written by another Democrat….John F. Kennedy.
Goldman on the other hand does have lots of others that have no core principles or willingness to follow the Rule of Law….as the Democrat Party is filled with such swamp critters.
It is not the Age of Rage that motivates these clowns….but rather the advancement of their own personal advancement that does so.
They exploit the lunacy that “Rage” fueled by pure propaganda and power seeking manipulative radicals in the media and on social media..
The Professor plays nice with his words….but what he is describing is the advancement of Communist ideology by the radical Left of the Democrat Party….the Wing that controls the Democrat Party today.
There can be no compromise in this movement to the Left by the Democrat Party…..it must be defeated and that cancer upon society be excised just would a malignant cancer be removed.
Back in JFK’s time, we were lectured and warned by a fellow named Khrushchev re the goal of the Communist Movement and that was the complete takeover of the United States Government and economic system.
He was not joking folks….take a step back and fully consider what is going on today inside the Democrat Party.
For a reality check….look to the state of the State of Virginia! Look at what is going on in New York (the Professor notes that for you.).
Then look at Washington (both the State and DC), Oregon, California, and Minnesota and try to tell yourself this is not real and a very direct threat to this Nation.
The Democrat Agenda leads only in one direction….and with only one final outcome….if it is not stopped in its tracks.
Down through history those that thought Communists could be engaged with and compromises be made with were called “Useful Idiots” by those very Communists. Nothing has changed in that regard unfortunately.
Communism fails because it ignores the true nature of the Human Spirit and has never succeeded without a great loss of lives, freedom, and an abundance of corruption, incompetence, and misery.
Is that what we shall see happen or shall we see it finally being rejected despite the best efforts of the Democrat Party to take us down that road to perdition?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot
A standing army is a communist creation. Federal highways, communist.
The current path is oligarchy. You will own nothing, you will be enslaved to the wealthy with the illusion of freedom, but they have exported the jobs, exported the oil, exported the water. Destroyed your property without compensation. Bow and scrape while they steal you blind.
Communism fails because it ignores the true nature of the Human Spirit and has never succeeded despite a great loss of lives, freedom, and an abundance of corruption, incompetence, and misery.
Fixed it for you — communism has never succeeded, period; its ultimate side effects are the same everywhere it is tried.
Turley Writes:
Despite my objections to how the fund was created, it is neither illegal nor impeachable in my view.
* * * *
Only Congress has the power to appropriate federal dollars. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution states that “no money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law.”
The so-called ‘settlement’ for Trump’s slush fund was between Trump and Todd Blanche, Trump’s former attorney and ACTING Attorney General. In other words, Blanche was NEVER confirmed by Congress.
Makes no difference, he’s still the AG and has the authority that office possesses.
Judge Cannon wouldn’t hear Jack Smith’s case because Smith was never confirmed by Congress.
Correct – Smith was unlawfully appointed.
Smith was not appointed by the president.
He was not the ACTing Special Counsel.
He was not appointed to some other position approved by congress and then laterally transfered to be the Special counsel.
He was a random outsider chosen by Merrit Garland without regard to the law or constitution, not appointed by the president and not even submitted to congress.
In several other cases attempts to remove Special Counsel have failed – because they were appointed by the president and confirmed by congress and then laterally transfered by the AG to be an SC.
While personally I think that too is unconstitutional
SCOTUS disagrees and has for over a century.
Blanche was nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate for a different role. He has been laterally transfer to be the acting AG.
SCOTUS has repeatedly allowed that in the past.
He can constitutionally serve as Acting AG for up to 180days, after which he can no longer serve as Acting AG and Trump must appoint another Acting AG.
However Blanch can subsequently be confirmed as AG.
All of this is longstanding law.
Garland Screwed up in appointing Smith – unless you buy into the argument that Garland deliberately picked Smith because he would be a disastrous failure.
Smith was a very stupid appointment. Both constitutionally and as someone you actually expected to succeed as SC.
Put another way: The independent counsel statute (the Ethics in Government Act of 1978) officially expired on June 30, 1999.
“Special counsels” appointed since then, like Mueller and Smith, have no Constitutional authority. The regulations ginned up by the DOJ lack statutory support. Their appointments violated the Appointments Clause
The Settlement was between Trump and the IRS for malfeasance by the IRS.
Would you prefer that instead of the pittance this case was settled for, that it go to trial and a jury award Trump an order of magnitude more ?
The IRS leaked Trump’s tax return – that is not merely illegal – it is a federal crime.
Trump or anyone else whose tax return is leaked is entitled to compensation for the damage that caused plus punatives.
it’s not the treasury’s money, it’s President Trump’s money. If they don’t allow the settlement it is back to the lawsuit of $10 billion dollars. Trump can take it all and start a non profit to administer the damages to harmed people.
This will expose the Democrat’s lies and tell you the truth with laws and facts. I suggest you watch this video.
https://youtu.be/3tUHD8CEIpE
ATS
Are you arguing that everytime anyone sues the Federal Government and wins or settles that Congress must pass a law to confirm the direction of the court ?
Then we are going to have to rollback myriads of cases all the way back to washington.
Personally I think the executive branch should have very limited latitude in settling lawsuits – democrats for a long time have used court settlements as the means to circumvent congress not just on spending but on policy and law.
Regardless, nothing in this instance is particularly unique or any more unconstitutional than president have been doing for 250 years – except for the degree od TDS involved.
The money comes from the judgement (or settlement) fund which was already appropriated by Congress. It does not need to be appropriated again.
They eat their own