Welcome, readers, to the Good Men Project Daily News Brief! In this new column, we will be distilling and listing current important stories we feel are affecting Democracy.
Thomas Jefferson is attributed as saying “The cornerstone of democracy is a well-informed electorate.” This is something I believe in the very fabric of who I am. This country, this great experiment in self-governance, relies on one thing above all else: the choices we make at the polls are driven by the information we are provided as a citizenry.
Therefore, it is my great honor and privilege to be tasked with collecting for the Good Men Project what I feel are the previous day’s most important stories that affect our democracy and offer them to you as close to daily as possible.
My name is Mckay Williams, I’m an editor here with the Good Men Project and this is your daily brief.
For the first time since at least 1950, the leaders of both Korean countries have met to discuss an official end to the Korean War, which has been in an armistice since 1953. With the upcoming meetings with the Trump Administration looming on the horizon, we can’t tell for sure if the Kim regime is being forthright in their moves of peace on the peninsula, or their suggestions of denuclearization. This may be one of the biggest stories to watch of the decade.
The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution ensures that no American will ever be asked to provide evidence against themselves and in his defense against the case being built by the FBI and New York’s Southern District Court. It’s important to note here that, contrary to popular opinion, an invoking of this right does not imply guilt. What is more worrying to President Trump, is frequent quotes on the campaign trail stating he believes that it does. This is important as Michael Cohen could possibly be a witness against him in the Mueller probe, if he doesn’t feel the President can back him in this case, he may be more apt to “flip”.
Speaking of the President’s legal troubles, Thursday morning’s appearance on Fox News’ Fox and Friends did not go well. In what appeared to this writer as a frightening glimpse into the President’s frame of mind, the President contradicted his defense’s stance that Michael Cohen’s seized files are subject to Attorney-Client Privilege and that the sheer volume of materials makes it impossible to even review them for evidence. With Trump’s admission that Michael Cohen has handled only a “tiny, tiny fraction” of his legal issues, the defense’s major premise was ruled invalid by the court. As we close tighter into the possibility of a constitutional crisis over the rule of law, it will be important to see where this case goes. Are documents relating to the President above the Justice System? Or are we all one nation, subject under the law?
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Mckay Williams is a political columnist and commentator. He writes The Daily Brief at the Good Men Project. He lives in Oakland, California. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter for updates on current projects.
