And now for a brief jocularity break. I haven’t stopped laughing for five minutes: Slide-Whistleblower Complaint Reveals Trump’s Pants Around Ankles.
Just taking it seriously is huge. If just a third or so of Republicans in Congress take this seriously, Trump is totally screwed.
He is a congressman, not a senator, if we can get some gOP senators- that would be absolutely enormous news.
Still big, IMO. The first sign that some Republicans might actually feel a twinge of duty calling. Or possibly, which would be an even more positive sign politically speaking, a feeling that Trump is politically doomed and they better get out in front on the right side.
The NYT is reporting that Trump met with Wayne LaPierre today. Subject: financial assistance from the NRA for the upcoming impeachment defense.
Also, State Department Special Envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, has resigned. He is called out in the whistleblowers complaint - and was subpoenaed today.
I think you are being awfully optimistic.
Asking if impeachment is underway is kind of like asking if a criminal indictment is underway. Impeachment and indictments are the end result of a particular process. The House is holding hearings and gathering facts, and at some point it seems likely that articles of impeachment will be drafted. These are the specific “charges” of wrongdoing against the President. Then the House votes on them - if they pass by a majority vote, then the matter goes onto the Senate for a trial.
In US v Nixon, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a President can not hide behind executive privilege when it comes to criminal matters. So it seems likely that if the House demands information that seems relevant to their inquiry, the courts will back them up.
But also remember that this is a political process, not a legal one. If subpoenas are conspicuously ignored, members of the House or Senate are free to conclude that they will vote for impeachment and removal on the basis of the coverup, rather than voting against on the basis of not having the right amount of evidence.
Pelosi resisted moving to impeachment on the Russia related stuff because of these concerns. But nobody can tell the future.
We’ll see, but my gut feeling is that if they craft a precise subpoena (like, “we want the transcripts of all the phone calls” rather than “give us everything on the servers!”) I think the subpoena would be pretty powerful. But even then, it probably goes to the courts.
See above on US v Nixon and this being a political process.
The executive order under which information is classified specifically prohibits classification of matters to cover up crimes or embarrassing information. Now, courts typically give the President a lot of leeway on national security matters, but I have a hard time seeing that courts would have a definition of “national security” that is explicitly contradicted by executive order.
Giuliani cancels paid appearance next week at Kremlin-backed conference (from WAPO so may be paywalled)
A few excerpts show the depth and stupidity of the Don & Rudy show:
Emphasis added for naked lying.
I fear that evidence of so much criminality is emerging so quickly that people will soon lose track of the depth and enormity of it all. Frankly, I am thinking of his base.
I have no expectations, only hopes. Things will probably go shitty. But I’m hopeful they’ll go right.
Trump’s State Department envoy to the Ukraine and named in the whistleblower report, Volker, resigns.
Sorry, was already posted above…
But, on edit, I’ll add that apparently Trump’s calls toPutin and Prince Mohammed have been similarly squirreled away for some unknown reason that I can’t fathom.
Yeah, maybe. And there may be some hope on the horizon . . .
. . . I just read an interesting article making a good case that FOX may soon change its tune and dump Trump. That would go a LONG way to softening Senate (and House) Republicans’ stance against impeachment or at least lessening their support of Trump.
Paul Ryan (who despises Trump now) has been recently appointed to the FOX board and Murdoch’s son is now at the helm. Presumably, as the article points out, he’s aware that the median age of FOX viewers is 65 and so, as a business, FOX better find a way to remain viable and enduring.
Ryan has always hated Trump. He just had to work with him to advance his immediate political agenda. Now that he is no longer an active player, Ryan is free to let his hatred out.
And apparently among those remarks were Trump informing the Russians that their election interference was just fine.
This is according to 3-4 former officials. The damn is breaking because people see this ship is sinking and they want to pretend that they were on the right side of it.
The sniping between Fox News personalities has already begun. This is quite bad for the Trump loyalists, because their whole position is deeply undercut when even the Fox News viewership does not get a consistent pro-Trump message: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/business/media/fox-news-sean-hannity.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
Giuliani in prison is not going to go well.
All the people he put in jail are so old now that they won’t be able to manage erections. And the sight of his flabby bare ass is not gonna be a big turn-on.
Oh, my gawd. There’s just no bottom, is there?
Trump: “Please, please give me money to defend against my attackers!!”
LaPierre: “We might be able to work something out. We need a favor, though…”
I was thinking Aldo Raine style carving “MAGA” on their foreheads.
Maybe more like Charles Manson.
He was a cult leader, too.
Prison rape being called off due to the limitations of aging isn’t as hilarious as you think. Next time, just make that your personal masturbation fantasy rather than share it with us?