The Trump Impeachment Inquiry

[iiandyiiii]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/prime/another-critical-revelation

The DNI and IG made a criminal referral regarding the whistleblower complaint, but Barr and the DOJ shut it down.

Showing once again that Barr is a highly corrupt and dishonest official, even compared to the rest of the Trump administration.

[ElvisL1ves]

So many people have previously sent Barr a copy of John Mitchell’s mug shot that he either gets the point or can’t.

[BobLibDem]

Do we really need to compare the gravity of lying about a blowjob and withholding military aid from an ally unless they agree to a demand to manufacture a scandal about a rival?

[FlikTheBlue]

@iiandyiiii

Another Critical Revelation - TPM – Talking Points Memo

The DNI and IG made a criminal referral regarding the whistleblower complaint, but Barr and the DOJ shut it down.

Showing once again that Barr is a highly corrupt and dishonest official, even compared to the rest of the Trump administration.

This is why I was wondering about the extent of executive privilege. Does it apply or people who want to testify but who Trump would prefer that they not?

[Lance_Turbo]

@Saint_Cad

Same with talking privately with the Attorney General about the investigation into his wife.

This never happened.

[Grim_Render]

@Saint_Cad

I disagree with that assessment. It was not because of spite, it was that Slick Willy got away with everything. Remember his ridiculous self-aggrandizing DNC speech in 1988 that was fodder for late-night comedy? Neither did anyone else in 1992. Remember Gennifer Flowers. He had an affair with her, lied about it and no one cared that he was morally bankrupt. Same with the Lewenski affair. Same with talking privately with the Attorney General about the investigation into his wife. Bill Clinton could be revealed to be a serial rapist that shoots his victims in the face as he climaxes and most of the American public would be “Meh. Whatever floats his boat.”

While you personally might find it irritating, a self-aggrandizing speech is not a crime. Nor is having an affair. I suspect the perception that the Republicans desire to impeach was based on petty issues contributed to the backlash.

[ElvisL1ves]

@BobLibDem

Do we really need to compare the gravity of lying about a blowjob and withholding military aid from an ally unless they agree to a demand to manufacture a scandal about a rival?

But Clinton was just *eeevilll *and we had to get him for something!

But it’s kinda the opposite with this guy, ain’t it?

[Fiddle_Peghead]

@FlikTheBlue

I think the bulk of those who might (have) oppose(d) impeachment, including people like myself, are people who are opposed to Trump but were fearful impeachment would backfire. Many of us in that group, including me, have changed our minds.

Certainly. Backfiring would be bad. And hopefully the majority of people who are (were) against it also change their minds, as well as those who haven’t been paying much attention to all of this now doing so, and realizing for themselves what a disaster Trump has been and would be again for four more years.

[Saint_Cad]

@Lance_Turbo

1. Is probably false. Do you have any examples that might convince me that it’s true.

2. Is bullshit. The senators who voted to convict Judge Nixon probably didn’t even bother to read the articles of impeachment before they voted overwhelmingly (89 to 9) to convict because he was in prison at the time.

1. Quick search

Last year, eight CEOs left their posts due to allegations of sexual misconduct, including two who were forced out after a consensual relationship was discovered, violating company policy. This year has already seen one CEO ousted due to a policy-violating consensual relationship.

2. Double bullshit back to you. THAT Article of Impeachment (number III) was the one he was acquitted of. The Senate held the position that criminal conviction does not lead to an automatic impeachment/conviction and that the Senate sits as an independent jury and that impeachment charges are decided on their own merits.

[AK84]

@Euphonious_Polemic

I admit to being a little confused by this.

I personally was not expecting to wake up today to a headline that said “20 GOP Senators will vote to convict”. This is day 1. Why would we expect the end game to occur NOW?

The GOP should by all rights have gotten rid of Trump about 1200 days ago. Day 1 was a long time ago.

@wguy123

This is the leading headline on foxnews:

“Ukraine call shows Trump pressed for Biden probe, asked about DNC server but no talk of military aid”

Big fat nothingberder. :rolleyes:

Yeah, but to get rid of DJT, you need these guys to abandon him.

@KidCharlemagne

You should see Breitbart. :smack:

Its this

Trump Taunts Impeachment Democrats

‘Got Them by Surprise’ with Transcript Release
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
President Donald Trump previewed the release of a transcript of his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, questioning whether Democrats would “apologize” for launching an impeachment inquiry into the situation.

If there was an alien observing this, s/he might think Earth is a mishmash of parallel universes,

[El_Kabong]

@AK84

It is indeed damning. Damning thing Number 117 of the Trump era. Its going to be different from the previous 116…how?

I must have missed the bit in the transcript where 67 Senators, or 20 in other words GOP types decide to vote to convict.

I’m sure you know what the above has to do with my post that you quoted, but I sure as Hell don’t.

[Dale_Sams]

@BobLibDem

Do we really need to compare the gravity of lying about a blowjob and withholding military aid from an ally unless they agree to a demand to manufacture a scandal about a rival?

FFS “Fighting ignorance” is right there in the fucking header. Its been 25 (?) years! It was PERRRRJURRRRRYYY. Perjury is a serious crime. Now you want to go meta then the correct answer is “Political witchhunt vs…whatever Trump did”

But ‘lying about a blowjob’ is pure disgenuinity. Yup thats a word. I have decreed it.

[Fiddle_Peghead]

@Aspenglow

By “soft independents,” I mean those that tacked to Obama in 2008/2012 and then to Trump in 2016.

Thanks for the clarification.

I disagree that the American oligarchs would prefer Trump to Biden. What they want more than anything is stability in the American markets so they can continue to reliably make money.

Yep. I retract what I said regarding the oligarchs. And I call myself an American, to forget such a thing!

[Saint_Cad]

@Grim_Render

While you personally might find it irritating, a self-aggrandizing speech is not a crime. Nor is having an affair. I suspect the perception that the Republicans desire to impeach was based on petty issues contributed to the backlash.

Yet again. Getting a blowjob is not a crime but committing perjury about it is. At least stick to the actual charges he was impeached for.

And I never said those were crimes did I, so you are mischaracterizing what I said. My point was that no matter what Clinton did the public loved him and there was no way the Senate would convict a popular figure like him no matter what he did.

[El_Kabong]

@BobLibDem

Do we really need to compare the gravity of lying about a blowjob and withholding military aid from an ally unless they agree to a demand to manufacture a scandal about a rival?

Yes, could you go through it again, please? I’m just not getting it.

[SmellMyWort]

@Saint_Cad

1. Quick search
2. Double bullshit back to you. THAT Article of Impeachment (number III) was the one he was acquitted of. The Senate held the position that criminal conviction does not lead to an automatic impeachment/conviction and that the Senate sits as an independent jury and that impeachment charges are decided on their own merits.

For fuck’s sake, you’re comparing post-“me-to” corporate America to what it was in 1998!

[Saint_Cad]

@ElvisL1ves

But Clinton was just *eeevilll *and we had to get him for something!

But it’s kinda the opposite with this guy, ain’t it?

I guaranty that if Trump were caught committing perjury about a private affair the Dems on this board would completely ignore that it was his private life and come out with their pitchforks and torches and demand impeachment because perjury is a high crime or misdemenor no matter what the subject is.

[nelliebly]

@Annoyed

So that’s it?

Seems the motivator here circling the wagons around their best 2020 chance - Biden - and doing a massive deflection.

I know from your posts you tend to have a knee-jerk reaction toward “the left” and Democrats. Here’s why you should hold off doing so in this instance: any bar you lower now, any political or ethical standard you jettison in your rush to exempt Trump, will come back to bite us all if a Democrat is president and in even roughly the same position. If you love your country, you put principle ahead of politics. It’s painful. Ask anyone who supported Nixon until the evidence came out against him. But it’s necessary.

[Fiddle_Peghead]

@Dale_Sams

FFS “Fighting ignorance” is right there in the fucking header. Its been 25 (?) years! It was PERRRRJURRRRRYYY. Perjury is a serious crime. Now you want to go meta then the correct answer is “Political witchhunt vs…whatever Trump did”

But ‘lying about a blowjob’ is pure disgenuinity. Yup thats a word. I have decreed it.

If I may jump in, yes, perjury is indeed a serious a crime. However, if that perjury is a result of not wanting a country of 330 million people to know what a selfish cad you have been, and given that it’s very easy for people to understand why one would lie in that case, that this made the whole impeachment process overblown in a lot of people’s minds.

[Aspenglow]

@FlikTheBlue

One of them would probably pull into a close second to Warren if Biden were to drop out.

I don’t see any evidence of that. If you have some, I’d love to see it.

Harris pulled briefly ahead after her attack on Biden in the first debate, but it was very short-lived. If she had the chops, don’t you think she should have been able to hold onto that lead?