Jon Meacham: J.D. Vance Might Be ‘Setting a Predicate’ to Break Apart This Constitutional System of Checks and Balances

SCARBOROUGH Republicans control the ░░░░░░░░ Republicans control the House ░░░░░░░░ have slim majorities in ░░░░░░░░ but they do control ░░░░░░░░ They have a right ░░░░░░░░ move forward and try ░░░░░░░░ pass legislation that moves ░░░░░░░░ in the direction where ░░░░░░░░ want it to move ░░░░░░░░ they cannot redefine unilaterally ░░░░░░░░ powers of the presidency ░░░░░░░░ J D Vance s ░░░░░░░░ yesterday that courts cannot ░░░░░░░░ a president s legitimate ░░░░░░░░ I mean of course ░░░░░░░░ can t But it ░░░░░░░░ the courts and not ░░░░░░░░ presidents MEACHAM Yeah SCARBOROUGH ░░░░░░░░ is William Rehnquist and ░░░░░░░░ it is Warren Burger ░░░░░░░░ determine the outlines of ░░░░░░░░ president s authority and ░░░░░░░░ Spiro Agnew and Richard ░░░░░░░░ That is we saw ░░░░░░░░ in Nixon v U ░░░░░░░░ I suspect we will ░░░░░░░░ that again soon But ░░░░░░░░ is important I love ░░░░░░░░ editorial and I m ░░░░░░░░ what you took from ░░░░░░░░ MEACHAM Well I think ░░░░░░░░ is what for instance ░░░░░░░░ Federalist Papers were drafted ░░░░░░░░ This is what the ░░░░░░░░ you look at the ░░░░░░░░ founding you see in ░░░░░░░░ ways an imperfect group ░░░░░░░░ men and they were ░░░░░░░░ trying to create the ░░░░░░░░ perfect system they could ░░░░░░░░ the while knowing that ░░░░░░░░ were going to fail ░░░░░░░░ that But they made ░░░░░░░░ argument that because human ░░░░░░░░ is sinful and we ░░░░░░░░ fallen and frail and ░░░░░░░░ re fallible and we ░░░░░░░░ power because you know ░░░░░░░░ the third chapter of ░░░░░░░░ we ve been taking ░░░░░░░░ of giving And the ░░░░░░░░ understood that And as ░░░░░░░░ said ambition must be ░░░░░░░░ to counteract ambition So ░░░░░░░░ French my neighbor in ░░░░░░░░ Tennessee wrote a really ░░░░░░░░ piece as well in ░░░░░░░░ New York Times in ░░░░░░░░ last 24 hours or ░░░░░░░░ which I recommend to ░░░░░░░░ And it s not ░░░░░░░░ Mika because he quotes ░░░░░░░░ Anti Federalist Papers but ░░░░░░░░ it was part of ░░░░░░░░ charm What they understood ░░░░░░░░ the Founders understood and ░░░░░░░░ is by the way ░░░░░░░░ t this what conservatives ░░░░░░░░ supposed to be fascinated ░░░░░░░░ points like this is ░░░░░░░░ whenever you give one ░░░░░░░░ one party one interest ░░░░░░░░ man too much power ░░░░░░░░ the body politic and ░░░░░░░░ always use those terms ░░░░░░░░ borrowed from the ancient ░░░░░░░░ body politic corruption words ░░░░░░░░ talked about how important ░░░░░░░░ were as important as ░░░░░░░░ health right I mean ░░░░░░░░ s where the metaphorical ░░░░░░░░ comes from You have ░░░░░░░░ have the balance And ░░░░░░░░ s what Madison s ░░░░░░░░ was He borrowed it ░░░░░░░░ was a theological insight ░░░░░░░░ much as it was ░░░░░░░░ political one The head ░░░░░░░░ what became Princeton a ░░░░░░░░ named John Witherspoon who ░░░░░░░░ many of these figures ░░░░░░░░ a deep Calvinist and ░░░░░░░░ that most of what ░░░░░░░░ would want to do ░░░░░░░░ be wrong and selfish ░░░░░░░░ so therefore we were ░░░░░░░░ as Hamilton said by ░░░░░░░░ and choice to create ░░░░░░░░ system where we would ░░░░░░░░ our worst impulses And ░░░░░░░░ problem of course is ░░░░░░░░ s against executive power ░░░░░░░░ they have it But ░░░░░░░░ is an extreme version ░░░░░░░░ that And of all ░░░░░░░░ of all and I ░░░░░░░░ in the keep calm ░░░░░░░░ carry on absolutely as ░░░░░░░░ ve talked about before ░░░░░░░░ know as John Belushi ░░░░░░░░ great political scientist said ░░░░░░░░ did not give up ░░░░░░░░ the Germans bombed Pearl ░░░░░░░░ that said the thing ░░░░░░░░ is the most troubling ░░░░░░░░ me in the past ░░░░░░░░ number of days was ░░░░░░░░ vice president weighing in ░░░░░░░░ that way because it ░░░░░░░░ to me and I ░░░░░░░░ I pray that I ░░░░░░░░ wrong it felt to ░░░░░░░░ as if it might ░░░░░░░░ setting a predicate a ░░░░░░░░ for the kind of ░░░░░░░░ that would potentially potentially ░░░░░░░░ apart this constitutional system ░░░░░░░░ checks and balances.”