# The imPEACHment Pit Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 20, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685 "2019-11-20T02:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/101 "2019-11-21T02:48:53Z")
I’m just glad that there are still a few places that exist where we are allowed to poke fun at Trump. Twitter has gotten ridiculous. The other day, a famous movie celeb on twitter (who is famous for making fun of Trump with humor) was discussing his sudden (and ridiculous ) partial check-up visit to Walter Reed. I replied to the conversation, @FamousDoucheNozzle So, heart attack, stroke, or did he attempt suicide? "Hamberders aren’t very good for you, Donald. " Twitter notified me that I violated their targeted harassment TOS. I appealed, saying that I was joking and that this was political humor. "Nope. It’s been reviewed. You’re guilty. Delete it immediately and we will leave a Permanent Placeholder to show that YOU have violated TOS. Heil Dorsey! (Ok, I added that last part). In truth, I hope that this was Twitter being a Dick. I’d hate to think that it was @FamousDoucheNozzle… ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/102 "2019-11-21T02:58:45Z")
You know you can have your own personal web site, video hosting, twitter like application, or anything else you want online in order to poke fun at Trump, right? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/103 "2019-11-21T06:51:59Z")
Timeline: July — Trump calls President Z, almost explicitly asking for a quid pro quo August — Whistleblower informs us that Trump asked for quid pro quo in the phone call September — Trump says “I want nothing No quid pro quo” into telephone (November — Trump addresses cameras and rants from a script “I want nothing I want nothing I want nothing I want nothing”) Jordan and the other stooges seem to think the September denial is a big gotcha that refutes the whole accusation. Did anyone ask the Idiots whether September comes before August on their calendars? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/104 "2019-11-21T09:18:42Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > You know you can have your own personal web site, video hosting, twitter like application, or anything else you want online in order to poke fun at Trump, right? Yes, but like sex, it’s much more fun with other people. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/105 "2019-11-21T14:22:12Z")
Discussing this with a friend yesterday and he said quid pro quo is a normal part of international diplomatic negotiations and there is nothing wrong with it. I pointed out that the difference here is that the President was using it for personal gain and not for furthering national interests, and that amounts to bribery, which is breaking the law. The nut of this whole affair seems to be hinged on the President’s quid pro quo with Ukraine can be PROVEN to be for his personal gain. Sondland testified quid pro quo was out in the open but was not sure of the details. It’s those details we need to see to know how strong the case is. We will need to wait and see if this results in anything at all or if the Democrats overplayed their hand (again). ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/106 "2019-11-21T14:44:40Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Discussing this with a friend yesterday and he said quid pro quo is a normal part of international diplomatic negotiations and there is nothing wrong with it. I pointed out that the difference here is that the President was using it for personal gain and not for furthering national interests, and that amounts to bribery, which is breaking the law. [Wikipedia on quid pro quo.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quid_pro_quo) In the US legal system, quid pro quo is generally understood to refer to illegal agreements of the sort you describe, i.e. parties outside the US government providing money or services that benefit US government officials personally, in exchange for official government actions that benefit those outside parties. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/107 "2019-11-21T14:59:32Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > [Wikipedia on quid pro quo.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quid_pro_quo) In the US legal system, quid pro quo is generally understood to refer to illegal agreements of the sort you describe, i.e. parties outside the US government providing money or services that benefit US government officials personally, in exchange for official government actions that benefit those outside parties. Funny how the GOP narrative has swung from “no quid pro quo” to “quid pro quos are normal and great!” And once it’s been definitively established that this particular quid pro quo was neither normal nor great, because the beneficiary was only Trump and not the nation as a whole, they’ll move the goalposts to “investigating political rivals is normal and great!” ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/108 "2019-11-21T15:19:12Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > I’m just glad that there are still a few places that exist where we are allowed to poke fun at Trump. Twitter has gotten ridiculous. > The other day, a famous movie celeb on twitter (who is famous for making fun of Trump with humor) was discussing his sudden (and ridiculous ) partial check-up visit to Walter Reed. > I replied to the conversation, @FamousDoucheNozzle So, heart attack, stroke, or did he attempt suicide? "Hamberders aren’t very good for you, Donald. " > Twitter notified me that I violated their targeted harassment TOS. I appealed, saying that I was joking and that this was political humor. "Nope. It’s been reviewed. You’re guilty. Delete it immediately and we will leave a Permanent Placeholder to show that YOU have violated TOS. Heil Dorsey! (Ok, I added that last part). > In truth, I hope that this was Twitter being a Dick. I’d hate to think that it was @FamousDoucheNozzle… Twitter pulled similar shit on me, until I finally got banned. But if you are a fascist, a Nazi, a Trumpy, a far far right, etc etc … **If you tell the right lies and peddle the right fucking bullshit, you don’t hear a peep.** Fuck Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/109 "2019-11-21T15:20:13Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Funny how the GOP narrative has swung from “no quid pro quo” to “quid pro quos are normal and great!” > > And once it’s been definitively established that this particular quid pro quo was neither normal nor great, because the beneficiary was only Trump and not the nation as a whole, they’ll move the goalposts to “investigating political rivals is normal and great!” It’s already happening with a lot of “I can do what the fuck I want” in there too. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/110 "2019-11-21T15:38:06Z")
“It’s not a crime if the president does it” -R. Nixon ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/111 "2019-11-21T16:14:07Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > It’s already happening with a lot of “I can do what the fuck I want” in there too. Funny how a lot of the same people who now seem to believe the president can do whatever the fuck he wants were, just a few years ago, accusing Obama of tyranny. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/112 "2019-11-21T16:29:50Z")
we have always been at war with eastasia ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/113 "2019-11-21T16:32:09Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Funny how a lot of the same people who now seem to believe the president can do whatever the fuck he wants were, just a few years ago, accusing Obama of tyranny. That’s because Obama went door-to-door and confiscated everybody’s guns. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/114 "2019-11-21T16:47:26Z")
This is old but continues to be relevant so for those who haven’t seen it: [it’s an Art Buchwald column from 1973](https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/syndicated-columnists/article187662578.html)setting out standard responses from Nixon supporters arguing why Nixon shouldn’t be investigated/impeached. Several of them sounds disturbingly familiar - for example, just substitute “Benghazi” for “Chappaquiddick”. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/115 "2019-11-21T17:21:40Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > For what it’s worth, Sondland came off (to me, at least) as very likable and comfortable in the situation. He did not seem overly prepared (perhaps too a fault?) but that only helped his credibility. I don’t think he was lying during the earlier deposition either, although we only have the transcript of that one he does seem like the person who flies by the seat of his pants and is comfortable walking into a meeting unprepared, taking no notes, and getting through on personality. I’m also not a note taker, but I rely heavily on my email history to reconstruct previous conversations, and he really does seem hamstrung by not having access to that. I don’t know it appeared a bit smarmy to me. My impression of him is that he went into the deposition with the understanding that everyone would say that there was no quid pro quo protect the president, but then we he read that everyone else had told the truth, he realized that as the only person who said otherwise, he could find himself sharing a cell with Stone, Gates, and Cohen and all of the others who were convicted of lying to Congress. So he quickly revised his testimony to say, I don’t remember a thing, but agree with whatever anyone else said. figuring that this way he would be sure not to contradict anyone and so be safe from perjury. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/116 "2019-11-21T17:29:49Z")
Yes, Sondland’s first priority was very likely “don’t get convicted of perjury”. I think the Stone conviction rattled him, combined with the other witnesses contradicting his original version of events; pretty much all the Trump campaign convictions have included counts of lying under oath so Sondland could see which way the wind was blowing. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/117 "2019-11-21T17:30:14Z")
> [@margin](#): > > If a white dude does not proclaim, "I hereby confirm and proclaim that it was my intent and ambition to commit: murder, arson, rape, etc., etc…, Sounds like the list you’re searching for is “Rape, murder, arson, and rape.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/118 "2019-11-21T17:39:17Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > Sounds like the list you’re searching for is “Rape, murder, arson, and rape.” You said rape twice. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/119 "2019-11-21T17:57:07Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > You said rape twice. Personally, I prefer stampeding cattle through the Vatican. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685/120 "2019-11-21T17:59:38Z")
Hush, CaptMurdock! That’s a sure way to get him killed! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-impeachment-pit-thread/843685.md?page=7)