The Impeachment Process Has Officially Begun (2 Viewers)

[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

 

[RegularChuck]

I do have a legal question, if any of our counselors could reply, that’d be great.

Are lawyers allowed to outright fabricate things? Isn’t there some sort of deal where they can argue their side, but they don’t get to make up alternate realities?

I’m no lawyer but based on what I’ve seen on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, good defense lawyers are supposed to make up alternate realities.

 

[FullMonte]

I agree. But clearly something if off.

Maybe all we need to do is change the name to something like a picture of Kate Upton so people notice it.

LOL...

My take is this simple...if we aren't going to take action to stop the president who is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars regularly from foreign governments when they stay at his hotels, and millions from the federal government when he spends 1/3 of his presidency at one of his resorts....

Simply rewording the rules isn't going to fix it.

 

[DR Hook]

I’m not sure how much clearer the Emoluments clauses can be:
—One says the president cannot receive things of value from foreign governments.
—One says the president receives a salary, and he is not allowed to receive any other money from the federal government or any state government.

Trump has, quite clearly, violated both of these.

What a LOAD OF PURE CRAP. Please show your proof.

 

[bdb13]

So CNN reporting that McConnell doesn’t have the votes to block witnesses.

I had zero expectation that would occur. I’m actually shocked.

A Senate GOP source said leadership came away from the meeting more confident they would be able defeat the witness vote.

Republicans aim to lock in votes against witnesses as Senate prepares for next phase of trial

The impeachment trial is approaching a volatile and unpredictable stage after President Donald Trump's defense team wrapped up its opening argument Tuesday, with Senate Republicans looking to lock in opposition to calling witnesses ahead of the looming vote later in the week.

www.cnn.com

That's from the article with the main page headline 'McConnell Says Votes Aren't There to Block Witnesses." It reads like they don't have the votes yet but are optimistic that they will.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

What a LOAD OF PURE CRAP. Please show your proof.

Trump owns hotels. Foreign governments use those hotels for state visits. Foreign governments are helping Trump's profit margins.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

What a LOAD OF PURE CRAP. Please show your proof.

Trump owns hotels. Foreign governments use those hotels for state visits. Foreign governments are helping Trump's profit margins.

Forgot to add - Trump owns hotels. The federal government is now using those hotels and resorts for official business. The Federal government is now helping Trump's profit margins.

 

[MT15]

Trump owns hotels. Foreign governments use those hotels for state visits. Foreign governments are helping Trump's profit margins.

Aren‘t foreign governments also booking hundreds of rooms that they never use? I thought I saw that in an article. That’s essentially just lining Trump’s pockets.

 

[MT15]

That’s just his speculation, I think he’s just blowing smoke. Their threats to call the Bidens are a bluff, much like the WH saying it would exert executive privilege if Bolton comes to testify.

 

[BobE]

Aren‘t foreign governments also booking hundreds of rooms that they never use? I thought I saw that in an article. That’s essentially just lining Trump’s pockets.

Honestly I wouldn't doubt it

 

[RegularChuck]

Aren‘t foreign governments also booking hundreds of rooms that they never use? I thought I saw that in an article. That’s essentially just lining Trump’s pockets.

When we bring up certain topics like this one, all of a sudden its crickets from Trump defenders.

 

[Beach Friends]

This reminds me of the Kav hearing where there was going to be a knight in shining armor to save the day. Any chance they will let Avenatti out on work release?

 

[MT15]

What a LOAD OF PURE CRAP. Please show your proof.

despite your rude response, lol, here is a pretty good summation of Trump’s problems with the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

Trump Still Faces 3 Lawsuits Over His Business Empire

The suits allege that Trump is violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution — and demand that the president divest from his private dealings.

www.npr.org

 

[MT15]

This reminds me of the Kav hearing where there was going to be a knight in shining armor to save the day. Any chance they will let Avenatti out on work release?

This is not up to your usual level of snark, lol. You’re either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. I’m just not sure which it is.

 

[BobE]

This is not up to your usual level of snark, lol. You’re either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. I’m just not sure which it is.

See remarks like this (not that there is anything wrong with what MT15 said) is why it's crap that I can't post gifs.

*insertwhynotbothgifhere*

 

[Beach Friends]

This is not up to your usual level of snark, lol. You’re either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. I’m just not sure which it is.

I am serious, the Democrats always want to have another witness to delay a vote. We all know how this is going to end.

 

[MT15]

This is probably the best clip of the Senate trial that I've seen. It exposes the Democrats as hypocrites and shows some house managers and Democrats making the exact same arguments during the Clinton impeachment that the Republicans are now.

Okay? Have you really not seen the exact same sorts of clips from the other side? Even the WH lawyers, Dershowitz and Starr specifically, are saying the exact opposite stuff now compared to what they said during the Clinton impeachment. There’s no shortage of hypocrisy in Washington.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention that Dershowitz’s interpretation that violation of a federal statute is required in order to impeach and remove is disputed by nearly every Constitutional scholar. Turley, who the Republicans called as their constitutional expert, said today that Dershowitz is wrong in his interpretation.

 

[MT15]

I am serious, the Democrats always want to have another witness to delay a vote. We all know how this is going to end.

The Republicans are in the drivers seat now, if the vote is delayed, it will be due to Republicans.

it’s pretty comical that you still continue to blame the democrats though.