The Impeachment Process Has Officially Begun (21 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

 

[Dadsdream]

You never seem to address the substance of what is going on. You just dismiss and deflect.

If you can defend Trump on the facts without attacking the dems or the process then do it.

What do you believe was going on with Trump, Rudy and the gang and Ukraine?

Are you ok with it?

What do I believe was going on with DJT, Rudy and the gang and Ukraine?
My personal opinion is that it was wrangling. Arm-twisting.
Are you ok with it?
Yes. We've been doing stuff like this for decades. What DJT seems to have done pales in comparison with phone calls between the White House and the Kremlin back in the day.

 

[JimEverett]

I don't know, are they?

Of course not - Edelman is just really unique

 

[JRad]

Of course not - Edelman is just really unique

I mean if they are, that’s just more reason to keep the identity under wraps, isn’t it?

If the individuals who are being called to testify are drawing the ire of a certain crowd, what’s that say for the safety of the individual who started the whole thing?

 

[samiam5211]

What do I believe was going on with DJT, Rudy and the gang and Ukraine?
My personal opinion is that it was wrangling. Arm-twisting.
Are you ok with it?
Yes. We've been doing stuff like this for decades. What DJT seems to have done pales in comparison with phone calls between the White House and the Kremlin back in the day.

What do you think Trump was trying to accomplish through this “wrangling” by Rudy?

 

[B4YOU]

That is debatable - but the more important point is that Trump is not being tried in a court of law. he will be tried before a political body by a political body.

Then let's debate that instead of talk whistleblower, Snowden, stock market, Obama, or any of the other deflections.

Here is the statue.

18 U.S.C. § 201(b): Whoever— (a) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers or promises anything of value to any public official or person who has been selected to be a public official, or offers or promises any public official or any person who has been selected to be a public official to give anything of value to any other person or entity, with intent— (A) to influence any official act; or (B) to influence such public official or person who has been selected to be a public official to commit or aid in committing, or collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or (C) to induce such public official or such person who has been selected to be a public official to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty of such official or person; (2) being a public official or person selected to be a public official, directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in return for: (A) being influenced in the performance of any official act; (B) being influenced to commit or aid in committing, or to collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or (C) being induced to do or omit to do any act in violation of the official duty of such official or person; . . shall be fined under this title . . . or imprisoned for not more than fifteen years, or both.

Why is this not Trump being a public official directly or indirectly, corruptly seeking (Trump phone call/memo and Guiliani's insistence of specific language) something of value personally (political benefit of announcing investigation in 2016 and Burisma/Biden) to influence the performance of an official act (release of $400M in aid)?

 

[Saintamaniac]

What do I believe was going on with DJT, Rudy and the gang and Ukraine?
My personal opinion is that it was wrangling. Arm-twisting.
Are you ok with it?
Yes. We've been doing stuff like this for decades. What DJT seems to have done pales in comparison with phone calls between the White House and the Kremlin back in the day.

The moment the majority of citizens believe that it is okay for a sitting president to force an ally to launch an investigation into a political rival for the sole purpose of digging up dirt on that political rival to benefit the president and the president alone is the moment that we no longer have a country and might as well just burn the constitution.

IMO, It is a pre-school mentality that "we do it too" is an acceptable reasoning for looking the other way when the sitting president commits such an atrocity. If anyone who believes that it is acceptable to commit such an act with that reasoning has any sense of shame, they should feel it.

 

[Saintamaniac]

Listening to Nunez act like petulant child with his "magic minutes" comment brings me back to an earlier discussion within this thread. Schiff was said to have handled his interaction like "newly promoted manager" I believe the description was. In the 30 years that I have been paying attention to politics and hearings, I don't think I've ever witnessed a supposed grown man that has been elected to congress to behave like such a twit as Nunez has today. The fact that Schiff has continued to respond to him and not engage in his childish behavior is a testimony to the actual adults in the room. If anything, Nunez has demonstrated a clear example of the comment that was tossed at Schiff. I would say that Nunez should be ashamed and embarrassed but he has shown that he has no shame.

 

[Beach Friends]

How would the whistleblower be in any more danger than any of the other people who have testified?

I think he would actually be safer. IMO, Schiff doesn't care about this guy's safety, he care about: 1. What the guy can disclose about his dealings with Schiff and possibly current and former members of the intel community, and 2. That the guy's political leanings and history will make it appear that this was someone was someone ready to do anything to get Trump.

The first concern may put him in danger until he testifies. See, Epstein did not kill himself.

 

[coldseat]

Yovanovitch doesn't seem to think it was illegal.

They're asking here there if she had personal information. Which she didn't, so she answered No. They didn't ask her if she thought the president may have committed a crime or an impeachable offense.

She was thrown out of her ambassadorship by that point through the smear campaign that Trump and Giuliani undertook. How would she have that information?

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Listening to Nunez act like petulant child with his "magic minutes" comment brings me back to an earlier discussion within this thread. Schiff was said to have handled his interaction like "newly promoted manager" I believe the description was. In the 30 years that I have been paying attention to politics and hearings, I don't think I've ever witnessed a supposed grown man that has been elected to congress to behave like such a twit as Nunez has today. The fact that Schiff has continued to respond to him and not engage in his childish behavior is a testimony to the actual adults in the room. If anything, Nunez has demonstrated a clear example of the comment that was tossed at Schiff. I would say that Nunez should be ashamed and embarrassed but he has shown that he has no shame.

I missed this. Any video of it floating around yet?

 

[FullMonte]

Yovanovitch doesn't seem to think it was illegal.

Do you, "SaintForLife" have any information regarding my co-worker attempting to break into his ex-girlfriend's car?

No? So you don't think it was a crime for him to attempt to break into her car?

Schiff doesn't care about this guy's safety, he care about: 1. What the guy can disclose about his dealings with Schiff and possibly current and former members of the intel community, and 2. That the guy's political leanings and history will make it appear that this was someone was someone ready to do anything to get Trump.

Why would Schiff be worried about that? So what if his political history shows that he has never once voted for a republican, and he couldn't wait to report on something....anything...he could find on Trump? How does that, in any way, affect the evidence being presented?

 

[st dude]

Let's see what else is going on in the world besides impeachment.

The Best Stock Market Ever Heads Into Stocks’ Best Time of the Year

With the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite at record levels, equities are entering the six months that historically have been their strongest.

www.barrons.com

Ah. I see now.

Yes DD, in a thread where there is overwhelming evidence our president held up military aid to an ally for political purposes, why not throw in a stock market post to, without saying it outright, imply that because the stock market went up during Trump’s term, we should ignore his blatantly impeachable offense.

I would certainly if I were a Trump supporter want to distract from the disgraceful defense put on by Jordan and Nunes where they impugn the reputations of a parade of witnesses, witnesses who are from a variety of backgrounds and party affiliations. All the witnesses are saying is the obvious, Trump held up aid to an ally for political purposes and they reported it out of a sense of duty.

DD, you are a smart guy. You know what happened. You know it’s shameful what they are doing to these witnesses. I am kind of surprised with your post here. It doesn’t help the debate.

https://fortune.com/2019/06/03/stock-market-trump-obama-sp-500/

 

[FullMonte]

What do I believe was going on with DJT, Rudy and the gang and Ukraine?
My personal opinion is that it was wrangling. Arm-twisting.
Are you ok with it?
Yes. We've been doing stuff like this for decades. What DJT seems to have done pales in comparison with phone calls between the White House and the Kremlin back in the day.

Do you have any examples of these former residents of the White House making phone calls to the Kremlin where they tried to advance their personal goals?

 

[BobE]

Is this still going on?

 

[The moose]

Earlier, somebody mentioned "shiny objects" and such.
If I were a Democrat, I wouldn't want people noticing things like the stock market, historically low unemployment, low inflation.
Impeachment hearings are nothing but a "shiny object" . . . a slight-of-hand misdirection?
Could be.
It's certainly not going to pass in the Senate. Even Ken Starr is saying we haven't reached impeachment territory.

Ken Starr: Witnesses Haven't Accused Trump of Breaking the Law

Former independent counsel Ken Starr said impeaching President Donald Trump given present facts would be an "extravagant" move.

freebeacon.com

Stock market?

Ask yourself why it is high?

Oh it is from the tax cut they got. The Corporate world bought back mad amounts of stock with the tax windfall. So the stock market went up and we the working people get a trillion dollars more on the debt. I don't call that a win.

Can you please not bring up Star? What has he ever done besides burn thru tax dollars for nothing. At least Mueller got back enough dirty money from the crooks trump employed to pay for it all.

It took damn near a decade to find out he got blow jobs from a chubby girl.

 

[wardorican]

Is this still going on?

I had no idea there was a part 2 today.

 

[BobE]

I had no idea there was a part 2 today.

I knew there was a part 2 I just didn't realize it would be 22 hours.

 

[Dadsdream]

Yes DD, in a thread where there is overwhelming evidence our president held up military aid to an ally for political purposes, why not throw in a stock market post to, without saying it outright, imply that because the stock market went up during Trump’s term, we should ignore his blatantly impeachable offense.

I would certainly if I were a Trump supporter want to distract from the disgraceful defense put on by Jordan and Nunes where they impugn the reputations of a parade of witnesses, witnesses who are from a variety of backgrounds and party affiliations. All the witnesses are saying is the obvious, Trump held up aid to an ally for political purposes and they reported it out of a sense of duty.

Yes, I would want to talk about the stick market to. DD, you are a smart guy. You know what happened. You know it’s shameful what they are doing to these witnesses. I am kind of surprised with your post here. It doesn’t help the debate.

https://fortune.com/2019/06/03/stock-market-trump-obama-sp-500/

Hi, oh Dotless One.

I view the Mueller Investigation and the Impeachment proceedings as political ploys.

As such, in the political landscape, the performance of the economy becomes a factor to consider in the decisions being made by the Loyal Opposition to unseat the Chief Executive.

Any illusions or delusions I suffered regarding what the occupants of the Oval Office will do were dashed by revelations of what really took place there in the Kennedy administration, the transcripts of Lyndon Johnson describing in graphic terms how he would destroy his political opponents, Nixon getting nailed for essentially doing the exact same things Johnson talked about doing, and of course let's not forget Ollie North.

I'm tired, St Dude. Tired of collusion investigations, tired of an impeachment proceeding that will be dead on arrival in the Senate, weary of everybody seemingly finding fault with everything . . . nothing is right . . . everything is wrong . . . so negative.

If you think that in the larger picture, a booming economy shouldn't be mentioned in this thread as a reason why the Democrat-controlled House wants to impeach a Republican president in order to divert attention, then by all means, delete my post and I'll move on.

I've always trusted your judgement in such matters, and you've always considered me to be a smart guy. None of that changes.

Regarding the way these witnesses are being treated, it's mild compared to what was done to Kavanaugh.
It's nothing compared to what the Senate will do to these witnesses. I am confident you know that as well as I do.