House Speaker Nancy Pelosi long resisted fellow Democrats’ please to hold an impeachment investigation.
Today, that changed.
Following reports that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine while pressing the country to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Pelosi Announces Impeachment Inquiry.
“Today, I’m announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry,” Mrs. Pelosi said in the Capitol, in front of several American flags. “The action taken to date by the president appears to violate the constitution.”
She added that she was directing six House committees already investigating Mr. Trump to continue their probes “under that umbrella of impeachment inquiry.”
Democrats are also planning to vote Wednesday on a resolution condemning Mr. Trump for withholding a whistleblower complaint concerning Mr. Trump, part of which involves a July phone call between the president and his counterpart in Ukraine. Mr. Trump asked his acting chief of staff to place a hold on $391 million in aid to Ukraine more than a week before a July phone call in which the president urged his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Mr. Biden’s son, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Mr. Trump said he approved the Wednesday release of an unredacted transcript of that July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But Democrats are also seeking details of the full whistleblower complaint. Mrs. Pelosi said if the administration is blocking the whistleblower report from coming to Congress, that is a violation of the law.
“The dam has broken because this is a form of betrayal of his presidential oath and national security that is taking place in real time,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.), who supports pursuing an impeachment inquiry. “Trump’s not just a candidate now, he’s president of the United States.”
Investigation May Harm Foreign Policy
Please consider Why Trump’s release of the Ukraine call transcript could hurt US foreign policy
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will “release the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript” of his July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a conversation that is at the center of a growing political scandal that has prompted appeals from Democrats for Trump to be impeached.
The scandal has to do with whether Trump improperly used his position to try to coerce the Ukrainian government into investigating his 2020 political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden — perhaps by withholding military aid to the Eastern European country until it agreed.
Trump has admitted to discussing Biden with Ukraine, but he maintains that the phone call with Zelensky was “a very friendly and totally appropriate call.”
Putting the contents of the call out, some say, will help shed additional light on the issue. The problem is that the move is woefully inadequate — and could actually harm US foreign policy in the process.
Here’s why: Heads of state need the ability to speak candidly to one another, and they will only do that if they have 100 percent assurance that what they say will remain confidential. It takes a lot of trust to speak on the phone with another world leader about sensitive diplomatic and political issues.
“This is a big mistake — terrible precedent, as no foreign leaders in [the] future will speak candidly with the president on any future calls,” Michael McFaul, who served as the US ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration, tweeted after the news broke. “Presidents need to have the right to conduct diplomacy privately.”
Jumping the Gun by a Mile
All we have are comments from a whistleblower coupled with a document that Trump does not seem to mind sharing.
Democrats ought to at least wait until they have seen the underacted statements.
Even if those whistleblower comments are somehow pertinent to an impeachment process, unless the charges are bullet-proof and of a spectacular nature, there is no way the Senate will convict.
Trump Receives OK From Ukraine
Secretary of State Pompeo recieved permission from Ukraine Government to release the transcript of the telephone call I had with their President. They don’t know either what the big deal is. A total Witch Hunt Scam by the Democrats!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2019
Presume a Miracle
OK, presume a miracle. Trump is both impeached and convicted.
The Democrats would then run against Vice President Mike Pence.
Is that going to help or hurt their chances?
Stampede of Donkeys
I fail to see how this can do the Democrats any good.
At best this will become a slight distraction. At worst Trump will run rings around the Democrats via social media campaigns.
Nonetheless, the donkey stampede has finally reached critical mass. Every Democrat including the house Speaker is now sucked in.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Perhaps the Democrats are more interested in preserving and protecting the Constitution than any of the other baser reasons others mention?
Trump Derangement Syndrome is real; Trump supporters are incapable of assessing his actions or behaviors in a rational manner. They are also not capable of playing a thought game and substituting Hillary for Donald and seeing how they would respond.
The only defense of Trump’s actions has been from Yertle the Turtle McConnell who insisted that there was no explicit quid pro quo. Essentially, McConnell is claiming that no one should ever be convicted unless they admit to the crime (“Give me your money” while holding a gun is not robbery since the gun-holder does not say “or I will shoot you.” The threat is implied so McConnell would argue there is no crime, merely a person begging while enjoying his 2nd Amendment rights.)
America is fucked so I really don’t care whether or not Trump stays or goes. But I would really enjoy seeing a Democrat come in and behave just like Donald and watch Republicans go insane with outrage. Basically, just a bunch of whiny snowflakes.
Impeach Trump. Give us Pence. While he might he an insane, homophobic wind-up GI Joe toy, he can’t be any worse than the cunt sitting in the Oval Office right now.
People seem to forget that Nixon thought that the GOP would protect him, and they did, until they stopped — the next morning Nixon resigned. Frankly, in the polls Trump is by far his worse enemy! Mike Pence is an unknown — the calucaltion will be that, and nothing else. Will Trump kil the GOP in 2020 or will he help them — that’s it!
Let’s face it, while Pelosi and the of the Dems think Republicans are nothing but a bunch of ‘smelly’ Walmart dults. it is patently clear she has been greater disdain for her ‘supposed’ supporters.
Oh how she can tickle their ears: Pelosi knows her supporters are so dumb that they can all be placated with a few ‘pretty words’ about starting an ‘impeachment process’. Pelosi has taken no action – none, zip, nada! She gabbled out some ‘pretty words” and BINGO! (Shades of Obama…) Even the brain-trust masquerading as the ‘Squad’ says – GREAT! Finally, we’re doing it – impeaching the MF!
But truth has it’s own way. The simple fact remains: the House is doing nothing to impeach Trump than they were doing 24 hours ago. Period…
Yea, she’s smart. Well, she’s at least one-degree smarter than then all the dumb asses who think something ‘more’ is actually happening…
They have to drag this into 2020. Then they can proclaim that Trump is under impeachment inquiry as an incumbent. The Dems are better at this game. This is why Obama got a free ride for 8 years. Maybe Trump helps a democratic governor when a hurricane hits in 2020 like Obama did with Christie in 2012. Optics matter
I understand the point but if one is a rabid TDS voter, they are likely going to challenge this political facade for what it is. Most still have to get thru a primary.
While most other “non-rabid” votes question why this is even an issue.
My guess is the Dems enter their convention with no clear winner and proceed to proverbially set each other on fire…
T he T a k e A w a y
The Dems are proving to the American people that they are willing to preempt the democratic process and impeach the president that the people elected, pre-empting a new election in Trump’s favor by impeaching him just 13 months before the people get to decide themselves.
All the screaming about democracy is an attempt to hide their own willingness tamper with democracy, rule of law, and non-political policing institutions: the end justifies the means is their motto. Just like the screaming about Russian “hybrid” warfare and “constitutional” lying is a projection of the intel’s community own action.
They are showing that they have already given up on Biden and are willing to throw him under the bus, focusing intense negative attention on him (the story of Biden’s Burisma fracking infrastructure criss-crossing the supply lines of Ukraine’s shelling of civilian apartment buildings has been public knowledge since 2014, for those who actually dig into the facts a little). They have given up on the elections, and are now doubling down on impeachment instead, all to the chorus of “Democracy”.
They are liars who are betraying themselves by the content of their denials.
Did you READ the link I posted above? Biden was a fool for bragging about how he helped get rid of the corrupt Ukraine prosecutor (which many others had been calling for his removal also).
However, that is a far cry from the extortion that Trump attempted! Which I remind you is an impeachable crime whether Trump has 13 days , 13 months or 4 years left.
You Trumpy Dumpties need to get out of your echo chambers.
I’m still struggling to wrap my head around this…I can’t see it leading to anything but a removal of Biden from contention and a show impeachment trial which the senate will never approve.
Actually this event seems to me to be a take down of Biden. There is no way he doesn’t lose pole position with everyone talking about this and the China Connection. Now; its either 4D chess by Trump or its another Democrat targeting Biden. Either way the best they can hope for is just another cloud over Trump during the elections. It wont be enough.
Part of me suspects its Harris. She has connections to Eric Holder who knows where the bodies are buried.
Donald Trump vs. the United States of America
Just the facts, in 40 sentences.
David Leonhardt
Sept. 22, 2019
Sometimes it’s worth stepping back to look at the full picture.
Siting NyTimes.. *Ignore* The mouth piece for the Intelligence Community and the DNC is worthless.
Sure, keep your head in that dark place and refuse to learn anything. Just keep pointing at anything you don’t agree with and yelling “TAKE NEWS!”. [lol]
P. S. The correct spelling is “Citing” NOT “Siting” [lol] [lol]
Pelosi gives the idiots in her party enough rope to hang themselves, hoping to retake control of the dems when the idiots go to far…
…but the story collapses while her face is still the one in the news cycle. WHOOPS
Well, it ain’t a pretty face, that’s for sure.
WSJ weighs in on the controversy:
link to zerohedge.com
Negotiation and using tactics are all part of the president’s job every single president in the past has done exactly what he is being accused of. All too recently Biden has done that exact thing under Obama there even video of him bragging about it and no one said a peep.
Even if true, you’ve heard the old adage that “two wrongs don’t make a right”? You understand what this means, yes?
By the way, isn’t it time for Pelosi and Schumer to clear the field? All they seem to be doing is cling to their ‘power’ and nothing else. Certainly not helping the country or presenting a reasonable election program.
Too soon to tell. We’ll have to wait an see what’s released.
Even if everything the dems claim is true, I’m not sure Trump did anything illegal or wrong. It’s common for US officials to withhold aid unless certain conditions are met and I doubt asking for an investigation into something that might be amiss is illegal. It seems this would be similar to what the dems did in 2016 with regards to the dossier.
A lot of TDS in these comments. Interesting.
Don’t read this Trumpanzee’s, It will totally bust your Biden conspiracy bubble.
Trump and Giuliani’s Quest for Fake Ukraine “Dirt” on Biden: An Explainer
by Viola Gienger
September 10, 2019
I read the whole thing and it didn’t bust anything, even though it is obsolete with recent developments. BTW I happen to like it that Trump administration is trying to get the europeans to contribute more to their own defense instead of wasting US taxpayers “contributions”.
Maybe, but how Trump is going about it is wrong. Trump seems to find it impossible to shed his real estate huckster background.
To those who think Trump is toast, just wait….he owns these clowns….
Remember the Russian dossier? How did that work out?
Remember the Mueller Obstruction? How did that work out?
Remember Stormy Daniels? How did that work out?
Remember Cohen & Campaign Violations? How did that work out?
Fact is there has been a soft coup d’état to dump Trump that started even before he was elected. Now it’s just out in the open.
And, if you want to see real fascism, just wait until Trump is gone. Then the Swamp will do everything in its power (for the GOOD OF THE PEOPLE!) to make sure that a candidate of the masses never ever can get elected.
Whether you like Trump or not, there’s no disagreement that he is not the “Swamp’s” guy. That’s why he can’t drain it fast enough for me….
Trump draining the swamp? Are you delusional? Lobbyists are having a field day under Trump.
As for the potential Impeachment, there is always the emoluments, whatever is in Trump’s tax returns and of course, Trump DID admit that he actually blocked military aid to get a foreign government to target his political rival. That’s extortion, another impeachable offense.
Jojo – now that the actual transcript from the White House is out, can we all please read the one you cited?
Otherwise, have some respectability and delete your comment…
You seem to be the only person that heard Trump admit he blocked aid to get an investigation of a political rival. BTW are you aware that Trump has blocked retired politicians from moving right into being lobbyists?
Let’s assume the Impeachment inquiry produces sufficient evidence to forward articles of impeachment to the Senate. Then let’s further assume, as many are predicting, that the Senate will stick to their usual partisan divisions and Trump doesn’t get impeached.
If I were a Dem, at election time, I’d take the record of any Pubs who voted against clear evidence as being in cahoots with powers that want to destroy the USA from within, of abdicating their sworn responsibility to the citizens of the USA.
Under this scenario, I would expect Trump to lose by a landslide AND CONGRESS to turn heavily Democratic.
Pelosi is playing 4-D chess with you puny hu-mans!
Pelosi? Playing 4-D chess…. hummmm, interesting observation.
Does she know that? Just asking…..
You’re making really big assumptions. So far there is no evidence of any wrongdoing.
Jojo- Let’s assume a whole bunch of things that are already discredited are true….
I believe the term for that is daydreaming or fantasizing.
Educate yourselves!
What Were The Bidens Doing In Ukraine? 5 Questions Answered
September 24, 20195:01 AM ET
link to npr.org
That is not 5 questions answered; that is 5 questions spun. Typical lefty BS from NPR. Hard to believe anyone can not see the obvious corruption of Biden & son.
NPR is propaganda.
Sad but funny that first the dems accuse Trump of hiding the phone call details, and then when he releases it another dem says it is illegal to do that. Now that they have another Nothingburger, they will “Investigate!” (some more) and try to find something else. Meanwhile the Crimes of Biden are ignored. Accusing the opposition of the crimes done by your side is an old communist tactic. You can read the other commie tactics the left is using now in “Rules for Radicals” by Saul Alinsky, Obama’s hero.
Sorry guys. I told you for months he would be impeached before the summer of 2020. I voted for him but he no longer can break the laws of the presidency and hold office. This has nothing to with party anymore.
What law(s) did he break?
Dkd the president subvert the funds appropriated by Congress to Ukriane to go after Biden. If so he is done. Chris Cuomo laid out the events and the timeline fairly well this evening. He has always thought the Democrats had nothing on Trump. Until maybe now. expect the former foreign minister to the Ukraine, Bolton and others who have been fired to be called to testify. Right now it looks like anyone that got in the way got fired. Putin also probably wanted the aid withheld if his plan to invade Ukraine is the goal.
Your premise of subverted funds is wrong. It didn’t happen. Read the transcript of the suspect phone call (which a president does not have to release) in the morning. Have you been watching CNN or something? Then let me know if you have any other “high crimes and misdemeanors”, and while you’re at it tell me why Biden is getting away with what they are accusing Trump of doing. Biden even admitted he did it!
Biden doesn’t hold office does he ? Let them prosecute him if there is a case. I dont really trust transcripts unless it comes from taped audio. A written transcript can be faked. Like any document released. I stand by my prediction since 2017 impeachment is coming. I agree with Comey that impeaching him takes the American people off the hook. It won’t be good for the country. Lets see the real evidence.
My friend, you have fallen into the same democratic media machine that is starting to spew fantasies again.
Nope. I actually see it from an indepedent view. Never registered with either party. Voted for both parties and independents. Despite voting for him, I realized he was just as corrupt as the politicians he replaced but that he is trying to do something unprecedented. Truthfully he could have been a much. better president and cornered the Dems but I always felt he would self destruct and fall as quickly as he rose. It was a prediction based on gut instinct.
Independents would be wise not to jump into the Democratic political bath water. Hearings by nature are simply designed to provide cover for a known crime or to pursue an agenda. This phony, manipulated judicial hearing qualifies in both areas. First it is cover for what is known to the Democrats. That laws were broken. The impending IG reports and the AG investigations will have damaging political and perhaps criminal effects on the Democratic party. This is a Democratically known fact. Second is two-fold. Their agenda. The first is to keep their majority even at the cost of eating their own (creepy Joe) The second is to create a smoke screen and muck the clarity of the known by phony impeachment hearings. I have led investigations and testified before Senate hearings. This is phony, manipulated, full of lies but mostly it is sad for the country. Not just the hearings, but the entire Democratic leadership from the Speaker right down to the Chairs. You yourself have described whom we elected and why. The Democratic powers at be, don’t care. They don’t care about your vote or mine. They don’t care about your thoughts or mine. They only care about their influence and power that leads to money. Now it is down to fighting within their party, a need for another smokescreen, but I suspect the real smoke will be at their Democratic party convention where implosion will be the capstone. In reference to your “gut” feeling. My gut feeling is you are sincere and I respect your opinion. However I have been there, done that, and this Democratic phony smokescreen leads to nowhere. No impeachment. No legislation. No concerns for you or me. Where it does lead is to the destruction of the Democratic leadership replaced by radical movement from within and it leads to the re-election of President Trump.
How can Trump get impeached from here? He appears to be gladly making available all of the info on the call, which I assume means that he has no incriminating evidence to hide. If he has nothing to hide, how will the Dems get a 2/3rds majority to impeach in the Senate?
Seems like a long shot to me.
Clinton got impeached. Being impeached doesn’t mean you are removed from office. The Senate never removed Clinton from office. Impeachment is purely a House of Representatives action.
I don’t believe @Casual_Observer ever voted for Trump in the first place. He is often one of the first commenters to buy into the latest impeachment conspiracy (how many “imminent impeachments” have we listened to so far?)
Despite absurd bias, Comey and his conspirators couldn’t find the video of Trump getting pee’d on in Moscow. That was supposedly the beginning of the end according to MSNBC.
Then Comey Brennan and McCabe completely fabricated a bogus case about Russia… and that was the beginning of the end according to MSNBC. Taxpayers were robbed of $40 million in Mueller investigation fees, only to have proof that Comey, Brennan and McCabe made the whole thing up — and the FBI won’t prosecute them.
Comey and McCabe destroyed evidence against Hilary (email servers, $140 million bribe, etc).
Last year we had to listen to Christine Ford make up a bunch of nonsense about Kavanaugh. Turns out her best friend has no recollection of the party, much less the alleged event. Neither does Ford’s family.
This week we have to hear about a non-whistle blower who didn’t actually hear anything himself. He heard (or thinks he heard?) someone else say that Trump might have said something to Ukraine. The law protects actual whistle blowers, but an opposition supporter who repeats rumors is not a whistle blower.
Impeaching a President is supposed to be a really serious thing. Its supposed to be based on evidence, not hearsay. WaPo spent many many months investigating Watergate before anyone talked about impeachment (and Nixon resigned before any official impeachment proceeding started). Impeachment was a serious matter, not a joke.
Impeachment is not meant to be used as an annual politcal tactic to re-litigate past elections over and over again. The constant abuse of the statute is only proving that many in Washington DC are unfit to govern.
Your wrong country Bob. I’m an immigrant and I voted for Trump. I continue to blow everyone’s mind here and elsewhere. Sorry I don’t fit into a box. I never have and never will.
Oh and didn’t @Casual_Observer also join in the false claim that Trump was abusing his position by having air force pilots stay at his hotel in scotland… **but the Scottish hotel deal was inked by Obama***
Did any of these conspiracy nuts ever issue a mea culpa for their hysterics? Their false accusations?
Any explanation for their failure to display equal disgust toward Obama when the evidence showed the Obama admin did it?
OJ Simpson, Hillary and now Obama can all announce rewards to whomever fabricates evidence that someone else did it.
That wasn’t me. The hotel stuff is child’s play. Let’s see if this Ukraine thing leads back to Putin wanting no US spending on a defense system in the Ukraine. I have always felt Putin is the puppet master when it comes to all things Trump. It may not be illegal but it can’t make anyone feel good when the US may one day be another Russian state.
This is simply a joke. There are three losers out of this process. (a) The Democratic Party. (b) Joe Biden and family. (c) And the American citizen.
The Democrats on political life support, pulled the plug on themselves. The golfer Lee Trevino was once asked about Jack Nicklaus playing poorly. Lee responded by telling the reporter, Shhhh don’t wake the sleeping bear! The Democrats are waking the sleeping Barr.
In the course of this investigation, Biden’s lil extortion of the Ukrainians might well cook his goose. We might well see Trump v Hillary 2
Indeed, Pocahontas is Hillary II.
“The evidence is overwhelming that George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney have engaged in deceit and deception over going to war in Iraq. This is an impeachable offense.”
― John W. Dean
Nancy is bowing to pressure from the crazy left— and when it comes out that this is also a blank shell, the voters will re-elect Trump and they might well lose the House again.
” Every Democrat including the house Speaker is now sucked in.” Well that is not exactly true, only about 2/3 of the House dems have TDS and that is not enough to win a vote, which is another reason Nancy did not actually call for a vote. She might seem crazy, but she’s not stupid.
Britt Hume had the best explanation of the democrat debacle on TV tonight: He said Nancy had to give the wacky lefties in her party something, while avoiding a vote on impeachment which would hurt democrats in close races next time. Notice she only said “investigate” the matter, not a vote which would be necessary to start real proceedings. So the investigation circus will continue, as before.
The so-called whistleblower doesn’t know anything, he just reported a rumor he heard (and liked). This is all so stupid I’m beginning to fell sorry for the democrat party. I don’t like idiots being the “Leaders” of my country.
Ok. Let me think.
The democrats want to impeach Trump because a “whistleblower” said he may have said something inappropriate in a private conversation with another foriegn leader.
Despite the facts:
The whistleblower actually didn’t even hear the conversation.
The whistleblower has a bias against Trump.
Biden is on tape actually bragging about extortion or quid pro quo to the same country. And not one democrat cared.
Biden’s son was involved in outright corruption in the same country using his father’s connections.
Trump will release the unredacted transcript of the conversation.
Conclusion:
RBG is on her deathbed. The democrats want to tie up the Senate with an impeachment trial to stall the SCOTUS nomination.
Pelosi announced that an investigation “was starting” — not to be confused with Russia-gate or the other sub-investigations have all ended in humiliation for the democrats.
Nancy did not say she was leading this investigation… she left out the part where the crazies in her party will be leading it. THEIR faces, not Pelosi’s will be on the TV calling out crazy and already discredited conspiracy theories.
When the faces on the TV land face down in the poo… Nancy is left standing as the only democrat leader left.
Investigations don’t go to the Senate — there would have to be a formal impeachment vote in the House which isn’t going to happen and Nancy knows it.
An investigation might prop up TV ratings for a little while, but even Trump’s media detractors know it goes nowhere and they are saying so already. The inevitable failure of this investigation will leave Nancy’s rivals (AOC et al) in ruins.
2020 is going to be Trump versus Warren.
2020 is going to be a year when people turn off their TVs and play video games with their kids. Trump has already won
It is still anyone’s nomination.
To include Hillary and Michelle.
The Democrats are not stupid enough to make that mistake again.
You mean Pocahontas?
I am not convinced that insult will work against her. We’ll see.
When did a fact become an insult? She claimed special status as a Cherokee and took advantage of that fakery. Could it be that CNN didn’t report that?
I am aware of that. Calling her Pocahontas is meant as an insult, though. Try to think clearly. No need to get overly defensive.
I think you’re right. Trump vs Warren.
Warren is much more palatable to many people than Clinton and her chances are much better too. This will get interesting.
Translation.
Democrats have seen the poll numbers. They are going to get creamed in 2020. They have to do something now to stop it.
Even if it means the destruction of the pillars of American government.
Pelosi has seen the poll numbers and knows Trump wins 2020 easily.
So she is using the opportunity to regain control of her party instead.
And no, none of the people in House of Cards give a crap about the pillars of government you read about in school.
Politicians think they are the pillars of government
I thought the democratic front runners were ahead of Trump in the polls. Not that I have faith in them.
I am surprised no one else has mentioned the most likely explanation for Pelosi’s change of heart on what she knows is a pointless investigation….
Pelosi is corrupt and manipulative, but she is also machevellian at politics. She makes the characters on “House of Cards” look like saints. So lets look at this circus from her perspective.
The three idiots (AOC, the muslim chick, and that other one) have been challenging Pelosi at every turn, trying to radicalize the democratic party to be even more extremist than it already was. Losers like Judiciary Chair Nadler and Banking Chair Waters have been trying to push their wacky agenda, even when Pelosi told them to cut the crap. And then the socialists Bernie and Pochahantis who exhibit not only insubordination and stupidity — but outright insanity.
Pelosi knows good and well the nonsense against Trump is just that. But she has decension in her ranks, and a President / adversary who chews people up on Tweets for his own amusement.
And Pelosi knows none of the 25+ clowns running for President have a snowflakes chance in hell of winning. They are just there to keep the seat warm until 2024. This isn’t about actually defeating Trump.
This impeachment investigation is about Pelosi regaining control of the democratic party. Its Pelosi letting the crazies get too far out on their skis, leaving her back in control. Trump is the executioner, not the target.
It’s as if Trump led the dummycrats into a trap. Nancy was showing some intelligence until now.
It does look like a trap. If there is evidence against Joe Biden, wont an investigation find that the evidence for that comes pouring out?
“The Democrats would then run against Vice President Mike Pence.”
Bingo. I’d edit to add that they would be running against the de-facto incumbent President Pence, which would be harder to beat. I’ve long believed that if Clinton would have resigned, that we would have had President Gore instead of Bush.
Bill Clinton is corrupt but shrewd (unlike his wife who is just corrupt).
Gore is insane. he wasn’t going to win anything, and everyone except him knew it.
Really? He won the popular vote, and was a few hundred hanging Chad’s from becoming President. You stand by your statement?
I agree.
Weird move, I don’t get it. Biden is sure to be dragged thru the mud on this deal unless it is a move to energize Biden’s run cause the loyalists on both sides don’t care.
(1) Trump asked the Ukrainian President if he had any objections to releasing the transcript of the call in full. Ukraine said, fine go ahead. So Trump is releasing both the transcript and the whistle blower’s full complaint. The “investigation” is already over
(2) The whistle blower wasn’t in on the call, nor was he in the room. The whistle blower says he heard something about the call second hand. In legal terms, its hearsay. In layman’s terms, its bullsh!t. You can’t blow the whistle on something you weren’t actually present for.
(3) No President makes a private international phone call anymore. Hasn’t happened in ages. LOTS of people are officially listening in on the call, from both political leaders’ staffs. And all the spy agencies all over the world
(4) Joe Biden and his son are the most likely to be indicted by this investigation, if anyone. There are dozens of videos, copies all over the internet, of Joe bragging that he blackmailed Ukraine to drop their investigation into Biden’s son or else Obama (at Biden’s orders) would withhold billions in US aid
Biden might go to prison. Seems unlikely given all the other corruption that the FBI dropped the ball on. But Biden cooked his own goose.
None of them will ever go to prison.
I said MIGHT
I have no faith in the FBI anymore. Even with a full confession, video, and a thousand witnesses to a crime — they would still find a way to exonerate career politicians and bureaucrats. Absolutely useless organization
It will be interesting to see if the idiots can actually convict McCabe, Brennan and Comey. If they were average citizens, those three would already be in prison. The FBI is just protecting their own like a corrupt organization that it is.
I doubt Joe Biden goes to prison. But his son took flagrant bribes from both Ukraine and from China.
This message sponsored by the Russian IRA.
Technically, Biden wanted the prosecutor fired because he was corrupt. Not because he was investigating his son. At least that’s what he said. Of course it raises the question of why would a US VP give a rats ass about some low level investigator in a foreign country?
Biden’s kid still can’t spell natural gas, or pipeline, or Ukraine, or Azerbaijan… which begs the question why anyone would pay him $50,000 per MONTH to advise a natural gas pipeline company in a country he never visited?
How many kids go to Harvard and fetch coffee for years on Wall Street, “paying their dues” to become investment bankers? How many get on daddy’s Air Force 2, fly to China and close a $3 billion dollar with zero experience in investment banking?
Biden’s kid’s great accomplishment in life was to get kicked out of the military for drug use.
Yeah yeah, I know the Russians gave the Clinton Foundation $140 million “donation” because they like Bill’s saxophone playing. It wasn’t because they were bribing Sec State Hilary. Whatever
The most likely scenario is the Dems manage to shoot themselves in the dick again, don’t even make it to a full impeachment, and Trump skates to reelection on the same heady combination of white nationalism and naked election rigging that got him elected in the first place. But ye gods, at least now we have some indication that the opposition is actually, ya know, opposed to this abuse, beyond sarcastic clapping and “have you no decency” op-eds. Note the measure of the next 4 or 5 voter polls, if the numbers for DT drop to 34 to 29% or so or even close then the Senate is in play and the panic will begin. Reminder: Order popcorn
I see people here and elsewhere talking about the death of a major political party due to stupidity (in this case, the blue team) but in reality this cannot happen.
Much like our zombie banks and zombie corporations, our two parties cannot die. They will be propped up at any cost because they need each other to maintain the illusion of choice. We can’t have just one party, or one major party and some new smaller parties. We need the country split roughly in half with power shifting back and forth between the two teams every 5-10 years.
Even without outright manipulation, the parties are aided by the fact that we’re on an economic/cultural downswing. Whatever party is in power will inevitably be blamed for our continuing decline, ensuring the other party rises again. It’s a well oiled machine that Americans inexplicably keep believing in.
That said, this witch hunt is a dumb move. Trump serves as a pressure valve for many in the heartland. He’s more valuable golfing and tweeting than he would be as a martyr. Fortunately for the blue team, no matter how dumb they are, they’ll live to fight another day.
I was initially enraged at the thought of a third person, he said/she said whistleblower, casually throwing head-of-state confidentiality into the nearest trash can in the latest attempt to get at Trump, but I’ve calmed down.
I never shared anything with anyone that I couldn’t walk around the block with and have complete confidence that the secretarial staff wouldn’t be talking about it by the time we got back., say,
Truth is, if you’re a national leader and can’t sense If you’re dealing with a liar like, say, Juncker, you can’t be helped. I’m going to assume that Trump at least asked permission of Ukraine to release the transcript.
So the Democrats are actually going to investigate Trump for withholding funds to influence Ukraine?
Biden was bragging about withholding 1 Billion from Ukraine unless they fired the prosecutor investigating the company that paid his cocaine using son $50,000 a month. It worked and his kid kept getting the $50,000!!
I’m not sure the democrats want to open the Ukraine discussion. I think Andy McCarthy has a pretty good summary of who influenced Ukraine to try to advantage the 2016 campaign.
This might be a lot of fun for Trump.
Biden just threatened. Trump DID withhold the money. Big difference in a legal context.
That makes no sense, Are you saying if Trump gives the money to Ukraine, that will make his actions much less criminal?
Actually it’s not different in a legal context. The threat itself is extortion. The alleged conduct is basically identical.
Never have I seen a group so insistent in assuring Trump’s reelection in 2020 than the current crop of Dems.
Ironically, over-confidence flowing from the Democrat impeachment threat success in running Nixon out of town in 1974, when they held both houses and had the votes to do it, may now be what destroys the party for generations.
On the surface it looks like either a colossal miscalculation and blunder, or a desperate attempt to divert attention from poor, dumb Joe’s openly bragging about injecting himself into the middle of a Ukrainian political corruption investigation and shutting it down. “Vice president threatens withholding of badly needed funds pending firing of prosecutor leading investigation.”
Film, (endlessly through election), at eleven.
Don’t believe the hype. This is merely the far right dems insuring Trumpty’s reelection.
We know that he’s withholding the whistle blower complaint from Congress. That’s illegal. We know that he declared an “emergency” to take money allocated by Congress and use it for a purpose they explicitly denied, that’s unconstitutional. We know that on multiple occasions he told the world that he believes American’s #1 enemy instead of his own intelligence and law enforcement agencies, that’s treason. This is a short list of Trump’s relentless law breaking.
Those Intel agencies ARE the real enemies of the American ppl.
Ok Konrade.
OF COURSE the US Intelligence under Obama was the enemy of the people. Brenner is a Muslim. Comey admitted to vote for a Communist before. Clapper lied when he said they don’t spy on Americans. They are the worse of the worse. ITS AMAZING MANY PEOPLE ARE BLINDED BY HATE.
Who are we? Speak for yourself.
“We” is everyone not in a bizarre parallel universe of alternative facts.
Permanently dead in the water economy is what’s gonna bring down the Trump govt,soaring costs,soaring deficits,soaring dept no growth (outside of govt)in a decade,and all that pretending won’t pay the bills….
This is purely political – it is to keep Trump talking about the investigation and acting irrationally throughout the 2020 election. I was with Pelosi – this would have been much better kicked off about February or March next year, to ensure that the hearings, the drama, the seediness played at the peak of the election, with the inevitable Senate acquittal as a political move as part of the election (as, of course the house hearings will be).
However, if they start this slowly, gather information and build a series of “under oath” statements, push Trump operatives to duck questions, etc. etc. for 5-6 months, then the Democrats can start the real show next Spring.
If they shoot their load over the holidays, they are being as useless politically as we have come to expect from the Democrats.
I’m sure Nancy’s orders to Adam are – take it slowly, keep needling Trump so he loses it on a fairly regular basis, but make sure the fireworks come in August.
That’s an enormous risk, given what happened with the Mueller report, and Trump’s capacity to spin this to his advantage. Furthermore, conviction in the Senate is nearly impossible, but the Democrat house members that “prosecute” this will undoubtedly look as foolish as their Republican counterparts did with Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Underestimating Trump has been the Democrats’ undoing since well before the 2016 election. The Democrats really believe they need a circus to beat this clown in 2020? God help us all.
This will have to be wrapped up by early next Winter. Any attempt to stall this out before moving to the Senate for trial will just make the Democrats’ position even worse. There is good chance this is wrapped up by Monday, though, given Trump’s orders on the phone call and the complaint.
Should the DOJ investigate the obvious ethical conflicts by VP Biden and his son in Ukraine? Biden made threats to withhold loans from the U.S. to Ukraine if a Ukrainian prosecutor was not removed. Biden seems to be hip deep in running the Ukrainian portfolio for the Obama Adm. Why would a corrupt corporation pay Hunter Biden the equivalent of $600K a year to do anything other than to give some kind of access to VP Joe Biden. Joe Biden says he never talked to his son, Hunter, about his work for this U. Corporation. That sounds like a weaselly Clinton like response. Joe Biden has many aides who would gladly discussed with Hunter what he needed in the way of assistance. Additionally, the China deal looks worse than the Ukrainian deal for Hunter and Joe Biden. Finally, the correct term for this ballyhoo release is “Leak” not “Whistleblower.”
Impeachment isn’t going to work, the senate (Moscow Mitch) will not allow it. So, it seems kind of pointless to try. I do disagree about “Investigation May Harm Foreign Policy” though. It is the job of the house among many to keep the executive branch honest, particularly when the executive has a history of shady dealings and lack of restraint, or even rudimentary understanding of law and customs. Personally I wish they COULD impeach and send the orange one to prison, I would still vote GOP before I would vote for any current democrat running, I just wish I did not have to feel so dirty voting for a republican. I voted for McCain, I would vote for Weld, but barring any real chance to impeach all I am left with is the hope of an Adderall induced coronary.
How in the hell could you have voted for McCain. He makes Trump look like an angel, just a bit more polished than Trump but inherently evil and corrupt to the core.
I trusted him, I am a disabled vet and I trust military men more than I do orange ass clowns that have no clue what they are doing. You better be able to back up your claims of corruption about McCain, such a salacious slander requires a pretty high level of proof.
Do you remember the S&L problems he wiggled out of. He was a tool of MIC, started ISIS with Obamnation and was an inveterate war monger whose only diplomatic tool was murder and mayhem. I am no fan of Trump but he is the antithesis of McCain.
I recall that EVERYBODY wiggled out of the S&L disaster. The very few that were punished at all got wrist slaps. I think ISIS would disagree with your claim that he was one of their founding fathers. So, you think Trumpsky the orange spy is not starting any wars eh? Like the trade war with China that is going to destroy the nation because they are so easy to win? Or his stumbling around, gutting of the State Department and surrounding himself with hawks like Pompeo and Mr. Mustache rides, is not going to end up in war? Did you miss the attack on Aramco facilities last week? Are you missing the saber rattling with Iran? The fact that we are now deploying US ground troops to Saudi? The major dislocation in the war on terror represented by hosting Modi this week? That will basically end any leverage we had in Paki. It has been nothing but a clusterF%^& since day one with him.
Oh sorry I missed all that, is there a war going on somewhere that I don’t know about?
Third U.S. Soldier Dies in Afghanistan in Just Over a Week
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Aug. 30, 2019
NYT!
Not too many people who would hold voting for Weld as “Republican”. I switched from Johnson to Trump because of Weld’s lobbying during the election to get into the HC White House. You voted for Trump vs HC because it was the possibility he wouldn’t be as bad as HC. It’s why I voted for him. Am I disappointed? No, he’s acting within the parameters of my expectations of what I was voting for. Democrats = Crazy Ex-girlfriend.
Amazing that they are not concerned with Biden’s crooked dealings.
In the world of Washington DC crooked politics Biden’s doings do not even rise to the level of worth noting. Of course right along with his not being a major crook is the fact that he has done little but ride coattails all his life. So there is that. I think of him as a washed up old man that never really accomplished a lot in his life, I do not plan to vote for him even though he is probably the closest thing to a centrist on the dem side right now, and centrists appeal to me. All the rest are extremists that would do even more damage than Trump who I consider to be the worst person to ever hold that office, and that is saying something.
Biden’s dealings compared to Trump’s crooked dealings wouldn’t be in the same league. Trump’s crookedness is orders of magnitude greater. Wake up and smell the coffee.
You are brainwashed.
I think they are and this is part of the reason the dems are doing what they’re doing. If the truth comes out about Ukraine, the democrats will scream that none of it is true and the president of Ukraine was blackmailed.
In the District of Corruption only one party can ever be involved in “crooked dealings.” When Democrats engage in such activity it is never discussed and quickly swept aside..
Which crooked dealings? Are you just making shit up because you don’t like Your Criminal being attacked? And how would Biden’s transgressions exonerate Trump?
Basically, you are whining that your guy got caught. While I understand your point of view, it’s ridiculous and you sound like an idiot espousing it.
You are just another brainwashed moron.
As of this afternoon, it is life or death for either the Democrats or Trump. The Rubicon was crossed with Pelosi’s press statement. At this point, if the Democrats don’t impeach and convict, then Trump is going to win a landslide reelection. Right now, it looks like this Ukraine thing is just going to be the Mueller Report reenacted, and if that is the case, the Democrats are toast for the 2020 election.
I am not sure this new accusation will not have legs, but I am sure that even if it is damning Moscow Mitch will never permit conviction/removal. Pelosi could show vids of Trump and Putin exchanging top secret intel for cash on live TV while boffing teenage girls gagged and bound, and still McConnell would not permit removal.
Anyway, the left is forgetting a very important fact, the vast majority, more than 2 out of 3 (69%) of democrats have a dimmer view of socialism than they do of republicans. I have changed my registration from lifelong democrat to GOP this summer for that reason, and I am not alone. If only 5% of us did the same thing that right there would neutralize the numeric advantage that HRC had in the popular vote in 2016.
The so called “progressives” have just gone far too far.
Individual Republican Senators can vote their minds and principles in an Impeachment trial. Moscow Mitch cannot stop them.
Unfortunately Jojo your understanding of the constitution is weak in this area, in fact a trial by the senate can be blocked. McConnell was also “required” to hold hearings on the nomination of Merrick Garland to the SCOTUS. McConnell did not care, he just changed the rules, and furthermore he said he would give no nominee to the court put forth by Obama any hearing. When the democrats following senate rules filibustered once again McConnell just changed the rules and ended it.
Here is an article at Lawfare on this very topic of constitutional requirement to hold a trial should the house impeach Trump: Can the Senate Decline to Try an Impeachment Case?
“The Constitution does not by its express terms direct the Senate to try an impeachment. In fact, it confers on the Senate “the sole power to try,” which is a conferral of exclusive constitutional authority and not a procedural command. The Constitution couches the power to impeach in the same terms: it is the House’s “sole power.” The House may choose to impeach or not, and one can imagine an argument that the Senate is just as free, in the exercise of its own “sole power,” to decline to try any impeachment that the House elects to vote.”
“The Senate has options for scuttling the impeachment process beyond a simple refusal to heed the House vote. The Constitution does not specify what constitutes a “trial,” and in a 1993 case involving a judicial impeachment, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Senate’s “sole power” to “try” means that it is not subject to any limitations on how it could conduct a proceeding. Senate leadership could engineer an early motion to dismiss and effectively moot the current rule’s call for the president or counsel to appear before the Senate. The rules in place provide at any rate only that “the Senate shall have power to compel the attendance of witnesses”: they do not require that any other than the president be called. Moreover, the Senate could adjourn at any time, terminating the proceedings and declining to take up the House articles. This is what happened in the trial of Andrew Johnson, in which the Senate voted on three articles and then adjourned without holding votes on the remaining eight.”
It is clear that a moral obligation to conduct a trial is not the same thing as legal obligation in the constitution, they cannot be forced to try him, and if they did they cannot be forced to make it a real trial. It is politically naive to think McConnell will allow it. Or at least allow it to be successful.
trump has the highest unfavorable ratings in the history of presidential polls. Even if the EC gives his a second term there is zero chance of a “landslide”
That really depends on who the dems nominate. If it is Sanders Trump will have a landslide. And remember, Trump might not even be the nominee for the GOP, this Ukraine thing is not some dog and pony show, people are taking this one seriously.