The Impeachment Process Has Officially Begun (9 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

 

[Lazybones]

I prefer not to view it in terms of "left versus right" - there are people on "the right" that have had enough of Trump's version of how the executive branch should run. But for Trump and his defenders, I think you're right that they're not moved by any of this and probably angered enough to make them more resolute than ever.

But I also don't think anyone ever had any illusion that it would be any different.

I disagree with you a tad. Pelosi never would have gone this route if she didn’t think it would benefit them in 2020. OR, she is just playing the long game (to long for me to understand) and hope this helps the dems well after 2024.

 

[superchuck500]

I disagree with you a tad. Pelosi never would have gone this route if she didn’t think it would benefit them in 2020. OR, she is just playing the long game (to long for me to understand) and hope this helps the dems well after 2024.

Sure I agree - I just don’t think the Trump base was ever the goal. That’s pure futility but there are other segments of the 2016 Trump vote that are in play.

 

[Lazybones]

Sure I agree - I just don’t think the Trump base was ever the goal. That’s pure futility but there are other segments of the 2016 Trump vote that are in play.

Base may not have been the correct term. Many of us who held our nose as we pulled the lever in 2016 are now loudly pulling the lever in 2020. Many of us who didn’t influence the people around us in 2016, are actively recruiting for 2020. For me, the impeachment is just the cherry. It all started with mueller honestly.

 

[samiam5211]

Base may not have been the correct term. Many of us who held our nose as we pulled the lever in 2016 are now loudly pulling the lever in 2020. Many of us who didn’t influence the people around us in 2016, are actively recruiting for 2020. For me, the impeachment is just the cherry. It all started with mueller honestly.

If you are basing your vote on sticking it to the libs, then you don't deserve the right to vote.

 

[B4YOU]

Base may not have been the correct term. Many of us who held our nose as we pulled the lever in 2016 are now loudly pulling the lever in 2020. Many of us who didn’t influence the people around us in 2016, are actively recruiting for 2020. For me, the impeachment is just the cherry. It all started with mueller honestly.

I wish the media would interview the people that have moved in this direction. I’m curious about media consumption for similar people. I don’t quite understand how a person had some trepidation about Trump prior to election and then fully supports him post election short of it being a dislike for the opposition. Maybe you should start a thread on your change of heart.

 

[efil4]

Base may not have been the correct term. Many of us who held our nose as we pulled the lever in 2016 are now loudly pulling the lever in 2020. Many of us who didn’t influence the people around us in 2016, are actively recruiting for 2020. For me, the impeachment is just the cherry. It all started with mueller honestly.

why loudly? What is about the Trump Presidency that you find appealing?

 

[BobE]

They going to be yapping more today?

 

[Beach Friends]

If you are basing your vote on sticking it to the libs, then you don't deserve the right to vote.

Why not? The man is a solid citizen with no disqualifications.

If your understanding of what he said is that he is motivated by a desire to "stick it to the libs" then I know a lot of people who would fall into that category as well.

There are a lot of issues that the Democratic candidates are running on that drive people away. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with "libs" and voting against their platform.

 

[insidejob]

They going to be yapping more today?

Nah. More tomorrow though.

 

[BobE]

If a mod post under me I take it that remark is directed at me?

 

[insidejob]

If a mod post under me I take it that remark is directed at me?

I think so. Your post seems accurate to me. There was so much yapping yesterday that I needed a nap.

 

[BobE]

I think so. Your post seems accurate to me. There was so much yapping yesterday that I needed a nap.

Yea it got so thrilling I went grocery shopping...………...on purpose. Also it seems odd (to me any ways) that they started it yesterday but took today off.

 

[Slackermod]

So, in these first few days we are going to be looking really closely at all posts. This board will be much stricter than previously moderated. We are all trying to find our way here, so bear with us.

Yapping seemed to be dismissive of the proceedings and possibly meant as an insult to the participants. It was only commented on, no warning. Carry on.

 

[BobE]

So, in these first few days we are going to be looking really closely at all posts. This board will be much stricter than previously moderated. We are all trying to find our way here, so bear with us.

Yapping seemed to be dismissive of the proceedings and possibly meant as an insult to the participants. It was only commented on, no warning. Carry on.

I would agree if I was specifically targeting a person. As example "is Mr Taylor just going yap all day again" Where I meant it as all of Congress which I think most of us can agree that's what they do. But I understand.

 

[Lazybones]

I have expressed my thoughts on Trump a few times on this board

I wish the media would interview the people that have moved in this direction. I’m curious about media consumption for similar people. I don’t quite understand how a person had some trepidation about Trump prior to election and then fully supports him post election short of it being a dislike for the opposition. Maybe you should start a thread on your change of heart.

To only get blasted by those who are not really interested in finding out why. Instead would reply just like the guy in this thread that says I have no right to vote without reading anything i posted. Lol

 

[efil4]

I have expressed my thoughts on Trump a few times on this board



To only get blasted by those who are not really interested in finding out why. Instead would reply just like the guy in this thread that says I have no right to vote without reading anything i posted. Lol

some of us just got here. So can you please point me into the direction in which you communicated your reasoning for support?

 

[superchuck500]

So a key piece of testimony yesterday was Bill Taylor's testimony that he heard Sondland speaking to Trump in a July 26 (the day after the call with Zelensky) cell phone call (not secure line) from Kiev (where Sondland was) to Washington - and Trump asked about the status of the investigations. According to the AP, a "second embassy official" supports Taylor's testimony as true.

The testimony is important for three reasons:
- Principally - it goes to the case that Trump definitely viewed Zelensky's announcement of investigations as a condition on further action (the aid/arms package and the state visit);
- Secondarily - it raises issues of Trump's use of informal and non-secure communication lines to discuss things such as US/Ukraine relations;
- Tangentially - it casts doubt on Sondland's previous sworn testimony about the full scope of communications he had with the president about "the deliverable" (what Trump wanted from Zelensky).

 

[N.O.Bronco]

I feel like few of the major takeaways have really been discussed, instead it has mostly been bickering over the process.

Taylor today directly testified that his staffer overheard Trump reiterate to Sondland that his overarching concern with regards to Ukraine was the Biden's. Who got off the phone and reiterated that singular focus, and that Ukraine was ready to make good on the extortion(an extortion that seemingly was iced only because of the WB). He is going to have to testify to that and likely that staffer could testify as well. Leaving Sondland either having to lie under oath to defend the president, something he has not wanted to do so far, admit to the conversation, or claim executive privilege and leave the potential future staffer testimony to be the only on-record evidence of that exchange. One that takes away any notion that Trump was concerned about broader corruption in Ukraine.

All of which was contrasted with testimony that lays out clearly that corruption is not a singular organism in Ukraine and yet the only thing Rudy and Trump seemed concerned with was getting dirt on the Bidens and exonerating Russia/Manafort by ginning up conspiracies about his political rival's party in coordination with a discredited prosecutor that was caught on tape helping defendants fight corruption charges.

So to drag this back to the substance of the testimony again, it looks like the staffer will be testifying behind closed doors Friday and Sondland is tentatively scheduled for next week. Which to reiterate, places someone that directly heard Trump express his motiving drive toward this extortion racket with Ukraine.

And if I had to put my prognosticator hat on, get ready to search for the goalposts, because they will be on the move again. As hearsay complaints fly out the window when the staffer testified he directly heard Trump’s voice on the phone reiterating his real concern with Ukrainian corruption was the Biden’s. To which Sondland confirmed directly to him/her after getting off the phone.