Democrats who control the Maine Legislature on Tuesday rejected a Republican effort to impeach the state’s top election official for her decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The Maine House voted 80-60 against the resolution targeting Shenna Bellows, the first secretary of state in history to block someone from running for president by invoking the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause.

Bellows, who watched the entire proceeding from the gallery, vowed to abide by any legal ruling on her decision to keep Trump off Maine’s March 5 primary ballot, which is under appeal in Maine Superior Court.

Republicans are furious over Bellows’ conclusion that the GOP frontrunner shouldn’t be on the ballot. They argued that her decision disenfranchised the more than 300,000 voters in Maine who chose Trump in the last election.

  • Jaysyn
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    9 months ago

    Republicans are furious over Bellows’ conclusion that the GOP frontrunner shouldn’t be on the ballot. They argued that her decision disenfranchised the more than 300,000 voters in Maine who chose Trump in the last election.

    Can’t disenfranchise voters if they are still allowed to vote for the same candidates as everyone else.

    Can’t vote for a candidate that isn’t eligible.

    More performative bullshit from the #fascist #GOP.

  • @Dkarma
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    849 months ago

    Running for president is a privilege.

    Not a right.

    • @[email protected]
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      159 months ago

      I’d argue participating in democracy actually is a right, it’s just a right with guard rails. You can’t say “fire” in a crowded theater and you can’t have an insurrection against the country and then be president again.

      • Alien Nathan Edward
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        109 months ago

        If you argue that it’s a right, I’ll just point to all the other rights that are forfeit if you break the law, including the fabled “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

  • @[email protected]
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    609 months ago

    Republican does something bad.

    No Republicans allow for any punishment of Republican.

    Democrat allows punishment according to the law.

    Republicans: “Damn these witch hunting Democrats!”

    Republicans attempt to punish Democrat who allowed punishment according to the law.

  • @CharlesDarwin
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    539 months ago

    LOL, what exactly would the impeachment even be for? Impeached, for defending the Constitution?

    • @MotoAsh
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      419 months ago

      Yes. Republicans hate that thing. I seriously hate how Republicans can openly flaunt and ignore their oaths of office and still remain in power. The entire party has aligned themselves against the constitution. That should remove every single one of the traitors in a country that actually understood how to stand for its values.

      No, removing power from those who abuse it is NOT unfair nor partisan.

  • @Passerby6497
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    9 months ago

    They argued that her decision disenfranchised the more than 300,000 voters in Maine who chose Trump in the last election.

    “Not being able to vote for the traitor this time is somehow disenfranchising people who legally voted and had their ballots counted last time and are still going to be able to vote for someone else this time” is one of the dumber arguments I’ve heard on this topic, and that says something…

    • @stoly
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      89 months ago

      They also forget that you can always write in names on a ballot. Those 300,000 people can just write “Donald Trump” and go home.

      • @kameecoding
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        9 months ago

        just write

        Well I mean, can they though?

        • @stoly
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          29 months ago

          Every position has a write-in line on every ballot. You can do this and they will count it towards that person.

          • @kameecoding
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            39 months ago

            Yesh but do they have the ability to write though?

            • @stoly
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              19 months ago

              LOL nice one.

        • @Oderus
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          19 months ago

          Drooling is a valid substitute

      • @Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In
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        39 months ago

        It would be hilarious to make someone president who didn’t want it. Larry David springs to mind.

        • @stoly
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          29 months ago

          Wasn’t something like that the theme of the show that Zelensky starred in?

            • @stoly
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              29 months ago

              And the world came full circle…for a while.