The Impeachment Process Has Officially Begun (1 Viewer)

[Andrus]

By Laura Bassett

After months of internal arguing among Democrats over whether to impeach President Donald Trump, the dam is finally breaking in favor of trying to remove him from office. The Washington Post reported that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would announce a formal impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, following a bombshell report that Trump illegally asked Ukraine’s government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, one of his political opponents. (He essentially admitted to having done so over the weekend.)

“Now that we have the facts, we’re ready,” Pelosi said Tuesday morning at a forum hosted by The Atlantic. At 5 p.m. the same day, she was back with more. "The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the constitution, especially when the president says Article Two says I can do whatever I want," referring to the segment of the Constitution that defines the power of the executive branch of the government. Pelosi's message was that checks and balances of those branches are just as central to the Constitution. And one more thing: "Today, I am announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry," she said at a conference broadcast on Twitter by the Huffington Post. ...

Read the Full Story - InStyle

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Oh, they can investigate all day and all night. I think there are elements in the House that forced Pelosi's hand with that regard.
Taking the next step and sending it to the Senate is another matter entirely.

Do you think there was enough evidence (whistleblower report, et) to justify the investigation?

 

[Beach Friends]

Sheila Jackson Lee and Kaplan may have set up that one liner. Lee asked her about royalty, and Kaplan came back with the "witty" line about Barron.

The takeaway is, if Sheila Jackson Lee approaches you with something she thinks is clever you should probably just pass. Kaplan probably just lacked the social skills to understand that.

 

[Dadsdream]

Do you think there was enough evidence (whistleblower report, et) to justify the investigation?

At this point, I don't care.

I've seen congressional investigations conducted over dozens of seemingly innocuous things.

A barracks built in the 1940s was under renovation by a local firm that won the contract in the 1990s. The first thing they did was strip the perfectly functional 1940s era copper gutters and downspouts (as thick as a penny) and replace them with cheap aluminum gutters and downspouts. The money they made selling the copper was more than they made on the renovation!

A company that lost the bid for the renovation and had planned to do the exact same thing, reported the "theft" of copper to their congressman.

Whew. Yeah, it got nasty.

The bottom line is that the House can investigate whatever it wants to investigate. The only limit is how far the Speaker of the House is willing to push it.

 

[samiam5211]

I'm a pragmatist and a realist. I deal in real-world considerations.

Wide-eyed political idealism has its place, to be sure. I appreciate and admire such sentiment. Heck, I even voted for Jimmy Carter! How many folks here can (or will) say that?

But, those who honestly think this impeachment about some lofty ideals and purely moral standards, not mudslinging gutter-level politics, simply haven't been paying attention, in my opinion.

I miss the days when we expected the president to at least pretend he was a good person.

You do not care.

 

[coldseat]

It's the right of the Senate as the senior chamber to decline.
I happen to think that is the best and most correct course of action.
That doesn't mean they won't rattle their sabers and make the opposition waste time, money and effort to prepare for the alternative.
Oh, they'll do that to the maximum extent possible.
In the end, I think everybody is coming to the realization that Russia Collusion fatigue and Impeachment Hearings fatigue are real factors for 2020.
Democrats seeking re-election are already sounding distress calls.
Yeah, a Senate decline is the best course of action for the nation.

I don't even think Mitch McConnel agrees with you there. That's saying something, lol.

If the Senate declined to take up the Impeachment charges, that pretty much locks in our status as a complete banana republic (and a de facto elected dictatorship). At least half the county would abandon any notions that we're still a functioning democratic republic.

The harm done by that choice to our country would be irreparable. That Mitch McConnel recognizes that and you can't should tell you something about your favored course of actions. Talk about jumping the shark.

 

[JimEverett]

I don't even think Mitch McConnel agrees with you there. That's saying something, lol.

If the Senate declined to take up the Impeachment charges, that pretty much locks in our status as a complete banana republic (and a de facto elected dictatorship). At least half the county would abandon any notions that we're still a functioning democratic republic.

The harm done by that choice to our country would be irreparable. That Mitch McConnel recognizes that and you can't should tell you something about your favored course of actions. Talk about jumping the shark.

De facto elected dictatorship????

This is jumping the shark.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

At this point, I don't care.

I've seen congressional investigations conducted over dozens of seemingly innocuous things.

A barracks built in the 1940s was under renovation by a local firm that won the contract in the 1990s. The first thing they did was strip the perfectly functional 1940s era copper gutters and downspouts (as thick as a penny) and replace them with cheap aluminum gutters and downspouts. The money they made selling the copper was more than they made on the renovation!

A company that lost the bid for the renovation and had planned to do the exact same thing, reported the "theft" of copper to their congressman.

Whew. Yeah, it got nasty.

The bottom line is that the House can investigate whatever it wants to investigate. The only limit is how far the Speaker of the House is willing to push it.

So you don't care that Trump may have committed an impeachable offense because of copper gutters. Cool.

 

[Dadsdream]

I miss the days when we expected the president to at least pretend he was a good person.

You do not care.

I don't even think Mitch McConnel agrees with you there. That's saying something, lol.

If the Senate declined to take up the Impeachment charges, that pretty much locks in our status as a complete banana republic (and a de facto elected dictatorship). At least half the county would abandon any notions that we're still a functioning democratic republic.

The harm done by that choice to our country would be irreparable. That Mitch McConnel recognizes that and you can't should tell you something about your favored course of actions. Talk about jumping the shark.

None of which is relevant, because this isn't about me.
Besides, you misunderstood.
I said at this point I don't care . . . Meaning I don't care to discuss further at this time in this venue.
Ask me again next week. After LSU beats Georgia and after the Saints beat the 49ers!

 

[J-DONK]

It's the right of the Senate as the senior chamber to decline.
I happen to think that is the best and most correct course of action.
That doesn't mean they won't rattle their sabers and make the opposition waste time, money and effort to prepare for the alternative.
Oh, they'll do that to the maximum extent possible.
In the end, I think everybody is coming to the realization that Russia Collusion fatigue and Impeachment Hearings fatigue are real factors for 2020.
Democrats seeking re-election are already sounding distress calls.
Yeah, a Senate decline is the best course of action for the nation.

This is how I know you don't get your news from mainstream fact driven sources.

In the real world, 20 Republicans, or to put it another way, over 10% of the current Republican house are retiring. That's not normal.

The people most worried about the impeachment trial: Susan Collins, and Cory Gardner.

I don't even know where this is fatigue thing is coming from. You need to explain what insight you have that the rest of the masses don't. There has been no major change in polling on impeachment.

A senate decline would be the best course of action if you are desperately trying to keep the senate.

Let me remind everyone, Dems sweep in 2020, you don't need 60 votes to push in whatever SC justice you want, or to ADD MORE.

This has nothing to do with "fatigue". Republicans will only decline if they are truly scared of losing the senate, and presidency.

 

[samiam5211]

None of which is relevant, because this isn't about me.
Besides, you misunderstood.
I said at this point I don't care . . . Meaning I don't care to discuss further at this time in this venue.
Ask me again next week. After LSU beats Georgia and after the Saints beat the 49ers!

We want to know what you think.

I realize that to some people it feels like we’re watching a game from the stands, and we’re just rooting for our team, but it’s not a game, and we’re not just watching.

The outcome is our responsibility.

Thanks for the play by play, but you should give yourself more credit; you’re not irrelevant. You’re responsible, just like the rest of us.

 

[dtc]

Sheila Jackson Lee and Kaplan may have set up that one liner. Lee asked her about royalty, and Kaplan came back with the "witty" line about Barron.

The takeaway is, if Sheila Jackson Lee approaches you with something she thinks is clever you should probably just pass. Kaplan probably just lacked the social skills to understand that.

Is this because Lee is black and Kaplan a smart woman?

 

[dtc]

De facto elected dictatorship????

This is jumping the shark.

How so?

When the POTUS stonewalls every request and ignores subpoenas, makes arbitrary and abrupt policy statements without consultation from his or others and then reverses or denies haphazardly, yet was elected, what do we have?

 

[JimEverett]

How so?

When the POTUS stonewalls every request and ignores subpoenas, makes arbitrary and abrupt policy statements without consultation from his or others and then reverses or denies haphazardly, yet was elected, what do we have?

Simply put, if you think we are in a dictatorship or will be if the Senate refuses to act on impeachment then you have little to no concept of what the word means and how dictatorships actually work.

I feel stupid even arguing the point, it is beyond deranged.

 

[dtc]

Simply put, if you think we are in a dictatorship or will be if the Senate refuses to act on impeachment then you have little to no concept of what the word means and how dictatorships actually work.

I feel stupid even arguing the point, it is beyond deranged.

Come on. I'm using the term for effect and you know it, but a dictatorship is a country ruled by an authority without bounds. Perhaps I should have used the term "like a dictatorship" to avoid the semantic argument, but my bad.

So, without arguing, tell us what we have when our executive comports himself in an illegal and immoral - even irrational manner and is unwilling to be held to account?

Is Democracy alive when the POTUS thumbs his nose at EVERY.SINGLE.REQUEST for oversight?

 

[JimEverett]

Come on. I'm using the term for effect and you know it, but a dictatorship is a country ruled by an authority without bounds. Perhaps I should have used the term "like a dictatorship" to avoid the semantic argument, but my bad.

So, without arguing, tell us what we have when our executive comports himself in an illegal and immoral - even irrational manner and is unwilling to be held to account?

Is Democracy alive when the POTUS thumbs his nose at EVERY.SINGLE.REQUEST for oversight?

He's on the verge of being impeached - is that not oversight?

beyond that the idea that he has thumbed his nose at every request is factually wrong, consider the amount of information given to the Mueller investigation.
ignoring subpoenas and claiming privilege are a staple of American democracy - far from being even "like" a dictatorship.

 

[Beach Friends]

Is this because Lee is black and Kaplan a smart woman?

That sounds like something Joe Biden would say.

 

[samiam5211]

Simply put, if you think we are in a dictatorship or will be if the Senate refuses to act on impeachment then you have little to no concept of what the word means and how dictatorships actually work.

I feel stupid even arguing the point, it is beyond deranged.

We aren’t anywhere near a dictatorship.

But our society is trending towards being more accepting of the idea.

I’m not saying this poll is perfect, but it’s probably closer to perfect than Trump’s call with Zelensky.

I hate it when people make the slippery slope argument, but I haven’t been slipping and slidin like this since the summer of 1985 on a 200x4ft piece of plastic in front of my parent’s trailer.

 

[Nebaghead]

That sounds like something Joe Biden would say.

No he would include something about riding the train from Delaware.