The Trump Impeachment Inquiry

[Czarcasm]

@JohnT

John Bolton bequeathed us the term “The Drug Deal”, which we should not cast aside lightly for yet another “-gate” construction…

What about “Shitstorm Of The Century”?

[BobLibDem]

@Fiddle_Peghead

Bob, agreed, while maybe changing the bolded part to say “some Republican voters” instead of senators. Thelma, theoretically, sure. But even with all the things that Bob mentions above, I’ve long thought that it would be very unlikely indeed if Trump wins re-election. He barely squeaked by the first time with only the EC “bailing him out”, his approval is about as low as it’s ever been, down from his hightest point, and the possible impeachment as noted is not helping him in the polls. Nah, I’m pretty well convinced even at this point that Trump cannot and will not be president in 2021.

Well, hopefully in the worst case for 19 1/2 days in 2021.

It’s sad to see the contortions that the GOP apologists twist themselves into. Check out this from the Detroit News editor.

Congressional Democrats have embarked on a helter-skelter impeachment process that seems to be following no clear path to no discernible destination other than removing President Donald Trump from office.

Huh? This investigation is slow, deliberate, and I believe quite overdue.

The problem is that California Rep. Adam Schiff chairs Intelligence. Schiff is a proven liar with no credibility in pressing the case against Trump. He has obsessively searched for a smoking gun with which to slay the president since Day One of the administration.

I expect this from say Sean Hannity, not from the editor of a major newspaper.

As for the whistleblower, if Democrats aren’t willing to publicly identify him, this train should stop immediately in its tracks.

It’s absurd that a president elected by the people can be toppled by an anonymous source passing on second-hand information.

Americans deserve to know who the whistleblower is, how he obtained the information and what his motivations are in making the complaint.

This is totally off the rails. If the whistleblower is exposed, this will discourage others from reporting on unethical and/or unlawful government behavior in the future and open this person up to retaliation or even be subject to violence.

This “second hand information” was verified by the document that the White House released. First hand information will be forthcoming in testimony.

Now if you really want proof that Jesus died in vain, check out the Detroit News [=68.ARDoZF4DB4aUCygXjw7j9MObdjkh4ijNnKbeHyPNuOiOawLFbifVRyWJnFFNpfAB6YyTpwEjpMaL4DU9PPYSR0o9CZgsqdUnyAiO9Lk4X1umMXJcBe5k32rkdQUrtv81ZuAFMNtKkIbO_Vkp5gkesL-NPI46mowATcd2n4vLNgkCcfp8xEhJgVHqp_8dpQEYRnl4GHIQf1SIFG_PCr11nMJ1CmzW5FAu7-ixPN0mcRVg-WkHbgjmJ2Olk8ujbtX864srRoccMROacHWGvqv_MoJJOawk6W2RIGC_8uP76skeAC9YbGZKjgn-nNzw26sn6zbKWUziKQkraITg7Q&tn=-R"]Facebook post and comments](Detroit News[0) for this article

[HurricaneDitka]

@DesertDog

Well, gosh. The first introduction to a US service, the Marine Corps, was July 2015 and the Air Force more than a year later, and the Navy not until February this year. The plane has had teething problems. And the final ban was due to a veto by your boy, Trump who, of course, blamed Obama.

Just as a point of information, those are IOC dates (basically, the point at which the services have a full squadron of combat-ready aircraft capable of performing the basic mission duties, with trained pilots and maintainers). The first F-35s were delivered to the military years earlier.

[Grim_Render]

Trump seems to have gone years in his job without really understanding how executive power works in democratic nations. He keeps trying to approach it like authoritarian regimes (see buying Greenland, asking Swedens PM to just release an American prisoner etc).

Its how he tries to act himself, and then he get frustrated when that doesn’t work. And alternates with reverting back to shady illegal CEO in a low-oversight environment behavior.

I think “Stupidgate” is perfectly fine.

[RTFirefly]

@Mr.Duality

Calling this “Stupid Watergate” doesn’t do justice. MeltdownGate is my choice, since a Constitutional crisis seems likely.

I’m a fan of “Crackpot Dome.”

But “Stupid Watergate” reminds me of this classic Doonesbury cartoon. When it comes to stupid, our scandal has theirs beat to a pulp.

[kayaker]

The other night at home we were discussing who the “heroes” will be, should this impeachment go well.

So far, we had the whistle-blower, Marie Yovanovitch, and Adam Schiff. Last night we were cracking up about adding John Bolton to the list. I would have guessed his brother Michael way before picking John.

[Modesty_Blaise]

@Aspenglow

How low have we sunk, when John Bolton is the voice of integrity and reason within an “administration”?

Because of the colossal Trump clusterfuck the W administration is now seen as sane and competent and somehow normal. It wasn’t. But this is so much worse we somehow look fondly upon that horrifying administration. It pisses me off.:mad:

[Euphonious_Polemic]

Looks like Rudy Couludiani was paid $500,000 in "fees"by the guy who was just arrested as he tried to flee the country.

Federal prosecutors are “examining Giuliani’s interactions” with Parnas and another Giuliani associate, Igor Fruman, who was also indicted on campaign finance charges, a law enforcement source told Reuters on Sunday.

Is Rudy going under the bus like everyone else, or is he still hoping for a pardon?

[BobLibDem]

Please please please, Rudy, save some money and be your own attorney in your trial.

[KarlGauss]

@HurricaneDitka

Just as a point of information, those are IOC dates (basically, the point at which the services have a full squadron of combat-ready aircraft capable of performing the basic mission duties, with trained pilots and maintainers). The first F-35s were delivered to the military years earlier.

Indeed, from Wikipedia:

The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment.

So, yes, the “first F-35s were delivered to the military years earlier”. And eight years after that there were (finally) sufficient numbers (of sufficiently safe) F-35s available to form a US squadron for “basic mission duties”

All of which leads me to ask: what was your point when you announced

@HurricaneDitka

For comparison, Turkey joined the F-35 program in 2002. It took them 16 years to get their first jet

For a minute I thought you might have been saying that it was an admirable example of how Turkey’s behaviour had prompted a well-planned US response, just as is happening today.

[Steve_MB]

@Aspenglow

How low have we sunk, when John Bolton is the voice of integrity and reason within an “administration”?

Bolton turning on Trump doesn’t prove any more about his moral character than Grima Wormtongue turning on Saruman.

[CarnalK]

@Steve_MB

Bolton turning on Trump doesn’t prove any more about his moral character than Grima Wormtongue turning on Saruman.

Bolton is a homicidal bastard within normal parameters.

[Ravenman]

@HurricaneDitka

Just as a point of information, those are IOC dates (basically, the point at which the services have a full squadron of combat-ready aircraft capable of performing the basic mission duties, with trained pilots and maintainers). The first F-35s were delivered to the military years earlier.

You are insinuating that the U.S. withheld the F-35 from Turkey for a decade and a half. There was no withholding. Of the nine original F-35 partners, six have so far received their jets. Eight of the nine partners laid out a substantial investment at the beginning of R&D for the F-35, knowing damn well that they would receive the jets they ordered at a particular time and at a particular level of technological maturity.

You are factually wrong to imply that anyone slow-walked or delayed delivery of jets to Turkey for a particular reason during the past two decades (except for the S-400 issue which changed everything).

You should drop this erroneous point you’re trying to make, plus apologize for trying to imply things that are outright incorrect and very misleading.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@Euphonious_Polemic

Looks like Rudy Couludiani was paid $500,000 in "fees"by the guy who was just arrested as he tried to flee the country.

Is Rudy going under the bus like everyone else, or is he still hoping for a pardon?

Ah, nothing to worry about here. Rudy assures everyone that this money did NOT come from foreign sources. He can’t say why he knows, but wants everyone to know that there is NO possibility that this was foreign money.

And we know that he is totally innocent because the money did not come with a note wrapped around it that said “This is foreign money, given to Rudy in exchange for political access to the president of the United States.”

Because there was no such note, we know that everything was completely above board.

[JohnT]

Other names for this:

Quid Pro Joe
Insane in the Ukraine
Kievfefe
The Folly of Giuliani
Ukranian One (“Ukranium One” is also acceptable)

Chris Hayes

[Ravenman]

All I want to know is, what qualifies Rudy to receive up to $50,000 a month from someone who is now in jail?

[Steve_McQwark]

@Steve_MB

Bolton turning on Trump doesn’t prove any more about his moral character than Grima Wormtongue turning on Saruman.

@CarnalK

Bolton is a homicidal bastard within normal parameters.

I needed a good laugh today. Thank you. And how about “The Fellowship of the Grift” as a name for this administration.

[TroutMan]

@Ravenman

All I want to know is, what qualifies Rudy to receive up to $50,000 a month from someone who is now in jail?

I bet Ukraine knows! Maybe we should encourage them to investigate.

[CarnalK]

@Ravenman

All I want to know is, what qualifies Rudy to receive up to $50,000 a month from someone who is now in jail?

Hmm. A tad unfortunate that number is the same as Hunter was recieving from his Ukrainians.

[k9bfriender]

@kayaker

Last night we were cracking up about adding John Bolton to the list. I would have guessed his brother Michael way before picking John.

The guy from Office Space?