When will Trump be impeached? -2019 Better late than never- Congratulations!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the republican party really is one of the most disgusting parties in the world.  Who the hell storms a closed legal deposition to disrupt it saying it's not legitimate?  Do they not realise that there are republicans on these committees?  *still eating popcorn*

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the republican party really is one of the most disgusting parties in the world.  Who the hell storms a closed legal deposition to disrupt it saying it's not legitimate?  Do they not realise that there are republicans on these committees?  *still eating popcorn*

*cough* Benghazziiii *cough*

Their verbatim statement about closed-door hearings, from the Benghazi report:

The Committee’s preference for private interviews over public hearings has been questioned. Interviews are a more efficient and effective means of discovery. Interviews allow witnesses to be questioned in depth by a highly prepared member or staff person. In a hearing, every member of a committee is recognized—usually for five minutes—a procedure which precludes in-depth focused questioning. Interviews also allow the Committee to safeguard the privacy of witnesses who may fear retaliation for cooperating or whose work requires anonymity, such as intelligence community operatives.

Make no mistake, the party of law and order just busted into a classified hearing, live tweeting and filming in a restricted area. It's clear that this serves no functional purpose (they are not committee members and there is no legal obligation to hold public hearings). It's a publicity stunt for their own political benefit.

Their verbatim statement about closed-door hearings, from the Benghazi report:

The Committee’s preference for private interviews over public hearings has been questioned. Interviews are a more efficient and effective means of discovery. Interviews allow witnesses to be questioned in depth by a highly prepared member or staff person. In a hearing, every member of a committee is recognized—usually for five minutes—a procedure which precludes in-depth focused questioning. Interviews also allow the Committee to safeguard the privacy of witnesses who may fear retaliation for cooperating or whose work requires anonymity, such as intelligence community operatives.

Make no mistake, the party of law and order just busted into a classified hearing, live tweeting and filming in a restricted area. It's clear that this serves no functional purpose (they are not committee members and there is no legal obligation to hold public hearings). It's a publicity stunt for their own political benefit.

The Republicans know that The Donald (and a handful of his officials) have been caught red-handed committing crimes, and aside from the occasional bleat about the "Deep State" they can't change the story or the facts.

So all they have left is to complain on procedural grounds.  They know this is also completely wrong but it's all they've got left.  Beyond burying their heads in the sand. ... like some of this very forum's most ardent pro-Trump posters.

Bill Taylor's full statement:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vUI__sxL_fgzy5JYqaxB9cysOHwwQSE4/view

Very much worth your time, as is Volker's.

I don't know if any of our resident Trumpists will try to spin this into a problem of Adam Schiff, the media, the Deep State, AOC, social justice warriors or Marxist gender studies professors. Good luck to them, though.

Beyond burying their heads in the sand. ... like some of this very forum's most ardent pro-Trump posters.

I sense a forthcoming link to a batsh*t article from conservativepatriotyeeehawamericaneagledailynews.com about how the whistleblower's lawyer once did some work for a Democrat.

Wait, sorry... 

That's the mainstream Republican pushback.

Looking forward to what emerges on the fringe.

Given the responsibilities of the President as chief law enforcement officer and head of state, and given the precedent set with the Trump-Russia case, I find the whole Ukraine issue rather unconvincing.

Seems if you switch the names around and it was Obama pressuring Ukraine to release information on possible Trump misconduct, no one on the left would have a problem considering that the believe Trump is a grave threat. They would say Obama was protecting the country and acting to prevent interference. Likewise, conservatives would be up in arms.

Given the responsibilities of the President as chief law enforcement officer and head of state, and given the precedent set with the Trump-Russia case, I find the whole Ukraine issue rather unconvincing.

Of course you do.  If you had to admit the blindingly obvious flagrant illegal goings-on by trump now, it'd mean you've wasted the last few years and terabytes of internet space posting complete crap defending him.  Storming the hearing today, was pure disruption and was pure desperation, and trump knew all about it. If you still don't get it, then there's no hope for you.  Sorry. 

Seems if you switch the names around and it was Obama pressuring Ukraine to release information on possible Trump misconduct, no one on the left would have a problem considering that the believe Trump is a grave threat. They would say Obama was protecting the country and acting to prevent interference. Likewise, conservatives would be up in arms.

There is no equivalent whataboutery here, as much as you'd like that.  'Well, Obama....' 

Have you read the witness statements?

If Trump was acting in a law enforcement capacity, his approach wouldn't have been "Go on CNN and say that you're investigating my political opponent. Then I'll give you the money that Congress had approved for disbursement."

That's what Trump, Sondland and Guiliani were trying to engineer. Look at the evidence. The statements are supported by texts, e-mails, names, dates and times. 

Storming the hearing today, was pure disruption and was pure desperation

Exactly. If your best defense is, "I should have more yes-men flunkies on the job", you know you don't have a case. That is essentially what Trump is arguing: "A criminal investigation is unfair if you can't buy at least a few crooked cops. Witch hunt!"

And if your supporters start throwing out Obama hypotheticals, they don't have a case either. 

Seems if you switch the names around and it was Obama pressuring Ukraine to release information on possible Trump misconduct, no one on the left would have a problem considering that the believe Trump is a grave threat. They would say Obama was protecting the country and acting to prevent interference. Likewise, conservatives would be up in arms.

Even if that were true, who cares? If Obama violated the law and / or committed an impeachable offense by doing so, Republicans would be well within their rights to hold him accountable. It doesn't matter what the left would say. You seem more interested in how things play out on Twitter and Youtube than in the material facts of what actually happened, what it means, and what the consequences are.

Just out of curiosity...are there any examples of Obama pressuring foreign countries for assistance that will:

a) personally benefit Obama
b) find dirt on his political opponents

Also, are there any examples of Obama using his authority to withhold funding passed by congress in order to get this assistance?

Frontline did a really eye-opening report on Trump, the 3 stooges and the immigration debate:

Oct 22nd 2019
Frontline.S38E03.Zero.Tolerance.720p.WEB.h264-LiGATE.mkv

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW4kQ4akZ1A

Given the responsibilities of the President as chief law enforcement officer and head of state, and given the precedent set with the Trump-Russia case, I find the whole Ukraine issue rather unconvincing.

Seems if you switch the names around and it was Obama pressuring Ukraine to release information on possible Trump misconduct, no one on the left would have a problem considering that the believe Trump is a grave threat. They would say Obama was protecting the country and acting to prevent interference. Likewise, conservatives would be up in arms.

If a bullfrog had wings, it wouldn't bump its ass every time it hops.

And there has been criticism from the left of Biden's son using his father's connections to get a job he probably wasn't qualified for.

You have to admire the way repugnicans can change their tune at a moment's notice.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Trey Gowdy:

"The notion that you can withhold information and documents from Congress no matter whether you are the party in power or not in power is wrong," Gowdy said. "Respect for the rule of law must mean something, irrespective of the vicissitudes of political cycles."

Are repugs fat because they invariably eat their words?

There is no equivalent whataboutery here, as much as you'd like that.  'Well, Obama....' 

That's not whattaboutery, that's applying consistency and principle, you know, the things you say Trump lacks.

Anyways, you're really treading a thin line here between how Trump was investigated, and the international sources used there, and what Trump is doing here.

That's before we get to such questions as to whether Trump was in his power to do so, whether Biden's conduct did warrant investigation, whether if it did warrant investigation that in turn that warrants leveraging other countries, etc.

And THAT is before we get to the issue of to what extent ALL decisions are made with political calculus and ALL political conversations contain implied quid pro quos and leverage.

If at any point it comes out that the FBI or State Dept. or CIA leveraged another country to investigate Trump, then I think this has to be dropped.

What I would really like to have happen is some sort of oversight so that nothing like this happens again, either to Trump or Biden UNLESS it is done transparently and above board.

trump booed during the game    'Lock him up!'   

https://twitter.com/i/status/1188623566369165314

Which is something else I've noticed, he really doesn't do outside walkarounds that other presidents have done.  Just his disgraceful rallies.  He is so thoroughly disliked that he's too much of a chicken to face those that don't like him.  Poor little lamb!! 

 

trump booed during the game    'Lock him up!'   

https://twitter.com/i/status/1188623566369165314

Which is something else I've noticed, he really doesn't do outside walkarounds that other presidents have done.  Just his disgraceful rallies.  He is so thoroughly disliked that he's too much of a chicken to face those that don't like him.  Poor little lamb!! 

 

That's harsh. We know that Trump was personally with the Special Op guys who killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi cause he kept using "we" a lot as if he was there on the ground.

The tip came from the Kurds who dishonest don threw under the bus.

And "our boys" are now protecting oil fields from the "defeated" ISIS instead of coming home.

"Stop congratulating Obama for killing Bin Laden. The Navy Seals killed Bin Laden."

"Why don't we ask the Navy SEALs who killed Bin Laden? They don't seem to be happy with Obama claiming credit. All he did is say O.K."

Donald J. Trump, Oct. 23, 2012

What a powerful photo.  Look at him.  All powerful.  He did it on his own.

Wait...

This is not the situation room in real-time like the other times we have seen situation rooms at tense moments.
The raid took place at 3:30pm Eastern Time, but the photo information said it was taken at 5:05pm, which is 95 minutes after the raid took place. 
The photo position was taken in such a way it'd block the view of the people at the table from what they were supposedly observing.
Apparently, trump was golfing at 3:33pm.
trump's motorcade was coming back to the white house at 4:15pm.

All in all, these small things are not massively important, but it says a lot about trump. 

All I can say is thank god he wasn't near the situation room at the time of the raid.  He'd probably have tweeted about it.  focking up the whole thing. 

All I can say is thank god he wasn't near the situation room at the time of the raid.  He'd probably have tweeted about it.  focking up the whole thing. 

Perhaps that was by design so he wouldn't have a chance to screw it up... hmmm...