# The Trump Impeachment Inquiry **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 24, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771 "2019-09-24T20:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 163
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3241 "2019-10-24T17:50:48Z")
From today’s [Washington Post live updates](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry-live-updates/2019/10/24/efdf4c72-f5db-11e9-ad8b-85e2aa00b5ce_story.html), referring to Lindsay Graham: > [@](#): > > The South Carolina Republican dismissed the fact that House Republicans conducted closed-door depositions during the 1998 impeachment of Bill Clinton, saying, “I don’t even think this is really close. … If you’ve got a good case, show it.” Maybe it’s not really close because they’re trying to impeach _your_ guy? Remember, this is the fellow that said: > [@](#): > > You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic if this body determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role. Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office. and > [@](#): > > “What’s a high crime? How about if an important person hurts somebody of low means? It’s not very scholarly. But I think it’s the truth. I think that’s what they meant by high crimes. Doesn’t even have to be a crime.” ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3242 "2019-10-24T20:11:46Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > “The private ones always produce better results."–Republican, former congressman Trey Gowdy, who conducted the Benghazi investigation into Hillary Clinton a few years ago and pushed back against criticism that most of the hearings were in private. The funniest part of the GOP pretending that the real issue is that these hearings are being done in private is that if the hearings were public, the GOP would be complaining that the Democrats were grandstanding for the cameras and that these things should be done in private. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3243 "2019-10-24T20:17:19Z")
Interesting admission by Graham that, effectively, the Clinton case was closed doors because it wasn’t a good case. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3244 "2019-10-24T23:41:10Z")
You know, when the House Republicans recieved pizza, it was that moment which broke the spell, when their protest became a brotest. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3245 "2019-10-25T00:01:57Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > You know, when the House Republicans recieved pizza, it was that moment which broke the spell, when their protest became a brotest. I think the spell was broken when they started playing beer pong. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3246 "2019-10-25T00:09:08Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Yes, he is a spoiled, over-entitled dipshit, a shameless showboat, a bully, and a smarmy, lawbreaking shit-stirrer with a mean streak who isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is. > > Frighteningly, he is also young, and millions of people now consider those qualities “presidential.” You are, as usual, spot on. It’s going to be a big problem going forward. I can’t help it, though. There’s something about Gaetz’s face that makes me want to take his lunch money. Oh, and I forgot to include the last line of the dialogue running through my head last night: Jordan: “Hey, it’s boring here. Race you to Kavanaugh’s!!” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3247 "2019-10-25T00:15:24Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > …how can we let them get away with this?! THIS is not how adults, especially Congresspeople, behave. If there are no consequences, it will just happen again next week when the inquiry resumes, and maybe more people will join since they weren’t stopped, or challenged, or punished. > [@MulderMuffin](#): > > …I’m just fuming at their unchallenged audacity. At least, _at least_, they should be facing sanctions from the House. There may be action on those lines, but it will depend on being able to disprove the GOP-Bros’ after-the-fact claims that they didn’t bring their phones into the SCIF. Rep. Jackie Speier, at least, is calling for “admonishment.” [House Republican SCIF stunt warrants admonition: Rep. Speier](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/house-republican-scif-stunt-warrants-admonition-rep-speier-71942213795) One idea is to force the Bros to sit through classes in Security, under the auspices of the House Sergeant-at-Arms. That would make for some great visuals. But in any case, denying the Bro wish for pics and footage of their Martyrdom and Victimization (i.e. being led out in handcuffs) was a smart move by the Dems. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3248 "2019-10-25T00:39:55Z")
From WaPo, an [indication](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/white-house-delayed-ukraine-trade-decision-in-august-a-signal-that-us-suspension-of-cooperation-extended-beyond-security-funds/2019/10/24/a42b8992-f67d-11e9-8cf0-4cc99f74d127_story.html) that monetary aid was not the only thing trump wanted to withhold from Ukraine until they did his bidding. > [@](#): > > The White House’s trade representative in late August withdrew a recommendation to restore some of Ukraine’s trade privileges after John Bolton, then-national security adviser, warned him that President Trump probably would oppose any action that benefited the government in Kyiv, according to people briefed on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3249 "2019-10-25T00:46:46Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > From WaPo, an [indication](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/white-house-delayed-ukraine-trade-decision-in-august-a-signal-that-us-suspension-of-cooperation-extended-beyond-security-funds/2019/10/24/a42b8992-f67d-11e9-8cf0-4cc99f74d127_story.html) that monetary aid was not the only thing trump wanted to withhold from Ukraine until they did his bidding. That sounds like straight-up Following Vlad’s Instructions. This leads me to wonder, again, if anything will ever come of the “translator was directed to turn over all notes of the Vlad-Donald conversation” situation: > [@](#): > > … The Oversight panel joined two additional Democratic-led committees in mid-February to inquire what happened to the documents. The White House, however, has refused to say, House Democrats said. > > … The Washington Post reported in January that Trump, after a meeting with Putin in Hamburg in 2017, had gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of that private conversation, taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials. > **[Democrats still working to get Trump-Putin translator notes](https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/06/24/democrats-still-working-to-get-trump-putin-translator-notes/)** > > White House officials have refused to tell House Democrats what happened to a series of interpreter notes transcribed during President Donald Trump’s private meeting with Russian President Vl… ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3250 "2019-10-25T01:04:44Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > You know, when the House Republicans recieved pizza, it was that moment which broke the spell, when their protest became a brotest. Our Government has become a Dominos commercial. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3251 "2019-10-25T01:36:31Z")
Donald Trump would annoy even the Noid. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3252 "2019-10-25T01:55:45Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Our Government has become a Dominos commercial. Would have been better if they’d ordered from Comet Ping-Pong ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3253 "2019-10-25T02:07:15Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Would have been better if they’d ordered from Comet Ping-Pong Like those Republicans could bear to order the Rodrigo. They would accuse the pizza of invading America and demand to see its papers. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3254 "2019-10-25T03:03:44Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Like those Republicans could bear to order the Rodrigo. They would accuse the pizza of invading America and demand to see its papers. :adjusts glasses: …gushdurnit, where’s that thumbs-up thing? ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3255 "2019-10-25T03:05:17Z")
FOX News Judge Andrew Napolitano schooled the FOX and Friends panel on the complete lack of truth in all of those pearl- clutching complaints that the Democrats are illegally running secret meetings. It was glorious to watch. Hopefully some of the people who needed to see it actually did, since they live on a diet of FOX and Friends. Maybe not, since it aired last night, and McConnell was moaning about illegitimate and illegal secret meetings just this afternoon. My favorite bit was when he acknowledged that Democrats are only following rules put into place by Republicans in 2015 when they had the House majority. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VbV5G3o10-I/maxresdefault.jpg "Fox Judge destroys Republicans over “secret impeachment hearings”") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbV5G3o10-I) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3256 "2019-10-25T04:15:52Z")
I think that, pretty soon, the Senate Pubbies will offer a deal: censure. “This is small stuff, pretty standard chicanery, not to be condoned, surely, but trivial, not worthy of real impeachment, not like a knob slobbered by an intern, or anything _really_ bad…” - Lindsay Dovetonsils With censure. they can deliver a firm tsk-tsk. without risking any of the goodies they sold their civic soul for. Sell it to Il Douche with "Well, this gets it all done with, no more poking around about your money, or anything, because you’ve done penance for all your sins, hallelujah! Kelly Anne will explain that “censure” pretty much means “absolute vindication”. Closer: 'If they try you, and convict you, they will hold you in midair by your ankles and shake you until all the money falls out. The Senate will demand that you pardon yourself for everything, and the Senate will ratify it, just like it says in the Constitution." It would be smart and reasonable for him to accept. Therein lies my hope. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3257 "2019-10-25T04:39:49Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > FOX News Judge Andrew Napolitano schooled the FOX and Friends panel on the complete lack of truth in all of those pearl- clutching complaints that the Democrats are illegally running secret meetings. It was glorious to watch. > > Hopefully some of the people who needed to see it actually did, since they live on a diet of FOX and Friends. Maybe not, since it aired last night, and McConnell was moaning about illegitimate and illegal secret meetings just this afternoon. > > My favorite bit was when he acknowledged that Democrats are only following rules put into place by Republicans in 2015 when they had the House majority. > > [https://youtu.be/VbV5G3o10-I](https://youtu.be/VbV5G3o10-I) I like how their body language changes from [this](https://i.imgur.com/EuAlOPB.png) to [this](https://i.imgur.com/NQhE1Jj.png). ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3258 "2019-10-25T04:49:27Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I think that, pretty soon, the Senate Pubbies will offer a deal: censure. > > “This is small stuff, pretty standard chicanery, not to be condoned, surely, but trivial, not worthy of real impeachment, not like a knob slobbered by an intern, or anything _really_ bad…” > > - Lindsay Dovetonsils > > With censure. they can deliver a firm tsk-tsk. without risking any of the goodies they sold their civic soul for. Sell it to Il Douche with "Well, this gets it all done with, no more poking around about your money, or anything, because you’ve done penance for all your sins, hallelujah! Kelly Anne will explain that “censure” pretty much means “absolute vindication”. > > Closer: > 'If they try you, and convict you, they will hold you in midair by your ankles and shake you until all the money falls out. The Senate will demand that you pardon yourself for everything, and the Senate will ratify it, just like it says in the Constitution." > > It would be smart and reasonable for him to accept. Therein lies my hope. Honest question: what does censure mean to Donald Trump? Would it change anything for him? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3259 "2019-10-25T05:02:29Z")
You mean, would it be just and proper? No, it isn’t _hara-kiri_ in the Rose Garden… Snark free answer, no. Kinda the main selling point, for him. But it has that grave and solemn air about it, so maybe someone might thinks some serious shit was done. But for the guys who are stuck with his base, it might work. They maybe can’t win with him, but without his base, they have even less chance. I’d feel sorry for them if my empathy extended to vermin. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/3260 "2019-10-25T12:23:21Z")
Do the Senate rules dictate which wrist gets slapped, or would he get to choose? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=162) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=164)