The NYT is positively gleeful about the formal Impeachment inquiry being open. But has it given this enough thought? We are a year away from a presidential election. There are still more Democrats running for the nomination, they can't even fit a debate on one night. People are overwhelmed with gun violence, the rising cost of prescription drugs, the overheated environment and all the unraveling of protections, the high cost of housing, the future of this so-called "boom" economy, and the impeachment itch is going to suck all the oxygen out of the room. Joe Biden will not come out of this unscathed, no matter what his poll numbers look like now. And if the House does vote in the end for articles of Impeachment, does anyone really think this Senate will try, much less convict, Trump? I think this may satisfy a lot of anger against Trump (all justified) but is it wise? Isn't there a better way to get rid of him? Hint: the ballot box.
2
I'm praying that when the House of Cards (the Trump Tower of flim/flam) starts to fall it will take not only Trump but also Mike Pence (who knows a lot). And that means we will have President Pelosi.
He's a threat to our national security. He does not seem to have any morals. He does not understand what our country is about. And he doesn't care. And except for a vicious low cunning that finds a weakness in every opponent even though he himself is a hundred times worse, he is very stupid. And he wants to be a dictator.
Time to sweep out the trash.
10
" ... Trump met with N.R.A. ghoul Wayne LaPierre to talk about how the N.R.A. can chip in some blood money for the president’s defense ... "
I realize this is a bit off-topic, but this assertion seems sufficient evidence for the IRS to seriously review the tax-exempt status of the NRA.
13
Excellent piece by Dowd, full of wit and venom and personality. Pelosi sounds a bit like Gandalf when told he was late - “A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.”
12
Tweedledum and Tweedledee:
Donald Trump and Giuliani.
Rotten roots, empty suits,
Twin souls who pollute
With their comical tragedy.
12
Shelley in “Sonnet:England in 1819 may be foretelling Americas future if the candidate for reelection achieves a second-term:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/percy-bysshe-shelley
3
Nancy Pelosi for President.
8
“I have said from the start, we’ll go where the facts take us and we will be ready. And we are ready. And they’re shocked.” ~ Nancy Pelosi.
Masha Geffen saiid in her howw-to-deal-with-an-autocrat playbook that you cannot lecture them, you have to shock.
We're counting on you, Nancy.
6
Ms Pelosi will waste no time slamming him down hard & fast. She’s going to deftly demonstrate why she’s the House Speaker. This is her legacy, and all 21st Century women are with her. Impeachment will be voted out of the House before November. Let Trump, Fox, and the craven Republicans twist & spin in the hurricane wind.
5
All this to get Biden as President and a Republican House and Senate? The more things change the more they stay the same.
Is it to soon to predict 2024? AOC the Democratic choice loses to Dan Crenshaw. Republicans gain house and Senate. Russia and racist white people blamed.
3
Best Mo column in years. She finally can use her talents on someone worthy of her steel. Of course this is what she always wanted. She was tired of picking on Hillary and "Barry" and so was everyone else. So she helped grease his path to the White House. Of course now she also is trying to shine up her feminist credentials by (well deserved) lionizing of Nancy Pelosi after years of relentless fixation on trashing one of the most competent and intelligent women in recent history.
12
His new name is Donald, Duck! Or as we say in France “Donald Connard”. Actually “duck” is “canard” but “connard”
is “jerk” or worse, so perfect.
7
Speaker Pilosi, you are indeed awesome.
VP Pence is likely complicit. He, too, may depart.
Speaker of the House is next in the line of succession.
Think about it. Awesomer.
6
"He will self-impeach."
-Nancy Pelosi, June 13, 2017
9
"who looks smart in a pink pantsuit and sparkly pink high heels."
That detail is useless, demeaning, and erodes credibility. Who cares what she wears? Stick with the important substance please.
5
I have complete trust in Speaker Pelosi's judgement. I don't question for a minute her ability to run the impeachment inquiry and impeachment proceedings with the utmost integrity. We finally have a leader who can get us out of this morass and that holds whether this president is convicted or not. How I wish we had someone of equal caliber in the WH.
8
Trump has more than betrayed. He has made a mockery of all of justice - and what justice should mean, used to mean and needs to mean for the USA to remain a decent place. But we are way past that possibility and I fear America will never be a decent place to live ever again for many, many years. Thank you N Y T and other institutions for not stopping this fraudster from becoming President. It was always going to be a disaster and a nightmare. But seems reporters and media thought it would make for good drama. A failed experiment that never should have transpired.
7
To dismiss the crimes of 45 because we are close to an election is disgraceful. America should be embarrassed and appalled at our torpid shrug. To do nothing is to condone the behavior. Full stop. And to make the argument that Democrats are somehow making a mistake by following the law is lunacy. Are we that nation? Are we willing to look the other way just because an election is around the corner? A crime has been committed and the likely inaction of the Senate does not negate that wrong. Our biggest problem is accountability in our leadership. Now is the time do something about it.
10
This really is delicious. A smart, wealthy, articulate and principled Woman who twice rose to be Speaker of the House takes on a crude, ignorant, insecure, immoral and corrupt Reality TV pseudo-billionaire failed businessman! No matter how this ends, the plot is so inspiring that in reality, she has already prevailed.
12
There have been 23 perfect games thrown in Major League Baseball history . Not a matter of opinion but a fact.
Nancy Pelosi has proven that if she's not the wisest and most skilled politicians in the country, she's among the wisest and most skilled politicians.
Trump has proven that he's a ham-handed and marvelously loutish thug, and has done something that the Democrats in their perpetual disarray have been unable to do: spotlight the near complete hypocrisy and corruption of the Republican party.
Trump is so much of a narcissist and a self-promoter that he seems never to have understood that his lifetime of shadowy operations would trigger intense scrutiny that would discredit him and all around him. He simply thought -- mafia don-like -- that he could do whatever he wanted and nobody would look at what he was doing.
Oops.
He is now reaping what he has sown. The Republican party is also receiving attention it had thought it could avoid. With some good fortune, the GOP will shrink to a rump party, Trump and his armies of darkness will be relegated to the trash heap of politics and history and the outcome will benefit the whole country.
10
That entire interview with conservative CEO of Newsmax Chris Ruddy on NPR had me thinking......."with friends like that.....". Not only was Mrs. Pelosi mentioned as the smartest pol in D.C. today, but the presidential friend also called for a full and complete investigation of the charges; and stated his belief that the impeachment investigation was not going to be a good thing for the president, despite the president's ability to "always look for the silver lining", throughout his career containing "10,000+ lawsuits". Talk about cracks in the wall.......
5
So, today’s front page of the paper reports a horrible piece on child abuse on the internet. Though incredibly important, why release it on the week of the “impeachment” announcement. Its near full page coverage can do two things: dilute or distract the importance on impeachment or dilute and distract on child abuse. Is this the beginning of “triangulation”?
2
Go, Nancy, Go. This situation will take finesse. We all need to just stick to the facts and repeat them over and over. I have never felt that Trump's base is unmovable. That is just an insult to the democratic process that has take this country through all kinds of obstacles. Joe Scarborough often tells of his dad, a staunch Nixon supporter, turning on a dime when he heard the tapes. "This man is a scoundrel!" We have all encountered Trump types in our lives but some people are less nuanced in detecting very carefully hidden behavior. My ex husband took a job with a man that I instantly did not like. Luckily he left the business before the boss was jailed for embezzlement. I pegged that guy in an instant.
3
Too many of us thought Voting for a candidate endorsed and aided by Russia was a good idea. This is how we got here !! How unAmerican and unPatriotic is that??
4
Wisdom will work wonders. Nancy Pelosi gives me hope.
3
At the moment I write this, there are 911 comments.
Yes, removing the present occupant of the White House is an emergency.
4
1. Now I understand why Trump is harping on Biden: It’s so his crowds can yell “Lock HIM up!” He’s followng the same paybook that brought him to power.
2. Pelosi is doing well, which is more than I can say for Adam Schiff with his imbecilic introductionn to the Maguire hearing that Republicans are criticizing.
3. Whats even worse than Trump asking Zeklenksyy to get dirt n the Bidens, is the total threat to our nation’s security by withholding the arms Ukraine needs to defend itself from Putin. Trump may even be working for Putin.
3
Poor Ukraine. The hand puppet of American politics. The Dems have destroyed the fabric of the country with their idiotic effort to break into Russia's sphere of influence. They have taken a mob of anti Russian pols and put them in charge. Corruption has increased, ethnic turmoil has been encouraged and the ever present search for political dirt has driven the US political system crazy. Pelosi has created an impeachment process without any focus. They have relied on one sided deceptive reporting by their media allies. Trump the big mouth embarrassment of a president is going to walk. The election in 2020 certainly isn't being helped by the Democrats foolish efforts to ram rod a Christmas tree of unsubstantiated charges into the public's face.
3
The thought might have already been posted , but I think Trump's ultimate projection is calling all the enquiries hoaxes when he is, and has been his whole life , the real hoaxer
5
It is indeed unfortunate that those placed in power to conduct the business of our Nation, lack the spine to actually do so. This vulgar display of partisan based hypocrisy hits you in the face like a hot skillet. It’s a wonder that these shameless elected officials can show their faces in public and then attempt to defend the indefensible.
4
It turns out that Trump often tells the truth. You just have to turn the projection around. Obama was born in Kenya, not the US = Trump's family came from Germany, not the Netherlands. Fake News = Internet lies from Trump trolls. Crooked Hillary = Trump is a crook. Stable Genius = Donald is unstable and has a mediocre intellect. Witch Hunt = Investigation of blatant misdeeds. And so many others.
5
During the Watergate hearings, Nixon thought he was safe because at the beginning the Republican Senators were opposed. As more of the enemies lists were revealed, as more of the lying was uncovered, as more of the plotting by Nixon himself in the Oval Office was disclosed, even Republicans turned on Nixon. It is not inconceivable that Trump's unethical behavior will lead to a successful trial in the Senate and removal from office (or like Nixon, a quick Trump resignation).
4
As a moderate California Democrat, I worried about Pelosi becoming Speaker and promoting an agenda too far to the left for most Americans.
Instead, she has become the perfect counterpoint for the most corrupt president in our history, and has shown a wisdom, maturity and toughness that very few of us could have hoped for or imagined.
She is the right leader at the right time, and she has done the right thing.
10
To say that impeachment and conviction depends totally on the public mood is like saying the outcome of a death penalty case should depend on the sentiment of the community. Senators in an impeachment trial are akin to jurors and must base their verdict on the facts, the law (our constitution) and their own consciences. We are indeed an imperfect union, but we will bend our history and destiny to the dark side if our Senate does otherwise.
6
We are grateful there is an adult in power, Nancy Pelosi.
Time for a Presidential time out. Senator McConnell and Lindsay Graham
will stonewall and impede as expected. He may again slip the
noise but he will be very damaged and electable only by those
loyal, true believers. Biden is collateral damage as well from this
episode in Ukraine. Senator Warren has her opening to the Oval
Office now.
6
So we allow the criminality, disrespect for the law, and utter insanity continue? In the year until the election, Mr. Trump can just go on with his assault on the Constitution and we can wait until we vote him out? The president has just negotiated a deal with the NRA for their support in exchange for not supporting background checks. Trump never stops and is so morally bankrupt and dangerously reckless in his mania of self-absorption that he can do horrendous harm to the American people in the remaining year of his term. For the very sake of our republic and its future, for the security of Americans, Trump must be stopped.
6
I have so many questions regarding these allegations. For instance, why has there only been one whistleblower? Is the corruption so rampant in the WH that no one is doing the job they took an oath upon? As I have watched one Trump official after another scoff at our laws, ignore subpoenas and act with puerile disrespect toward our elected officials, I was never surprised. These are the very characters who peopled his campaign and as my Grandmother told us again and again, “you are the company you keep”. But where are the honest, decent people who know that this sort sort of behavior is reprehensible? I keep waiting for that one honest person to step forward. When they do, it will be yet again America’s finest hour.
5
Impeachment you have to. Trump is relentless in quest for foreign powers to help him win an election by crook or crook.
4
Speaker Pelosi should run for President in 2020. She’s more likely to win than of the current Dem hopefuls!
7
Why are so many Democrats so paranoid that an impeachment proceeding will automatically bring reelection to Trump in 2020? I seriously doubt that mainstream America equates Trump's offenses with the Republicans' trivial and wholly political charges against Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Trump's offenses are not trivial. Trump was pressuring a foreign entity to defame his likely 2020 opponent. That's a perversion of the democratic process. Anybody who won't see that was going to cast a vote for Trump anyway. The idea that Trump is inviting impeachment as a strategy to win in 2020 is, well, perverse.
4
Somebody please explain to me why Rep. Schiff isn't being talked about for President.
14
He’s boring, and Americans have no attention span.
2
I've heard some commentators claim that Nancy Pelosi was against going for impeachment because she is only concerned with keeping her speakership into the future. Pelosi has demonstrated throughout her career that she works for us and not her own personal interests. Yet, I recall Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mikie Sherrell being loudly anti-Pelosi for speaker, though without having a convincing argument. There were others, let's not forget them:
https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/pelosi-agrees-to-term-limit-deal-limiting-her-speakership-to-4-years
Perhaps we can agree, forget speaker, if Nancy Pelosi were male we would all be calling for her to run for president. Otherwise, please tell me, why not?
6
Speaker Pelosi knows the facts
Nixon was impeached for corruption - This was a just impeachment.
Clinton was impeached for cheating on his wife by Newt Gingrich, a man who was cheating on his wife while she was in the hospital dying from cancer - This was a purely political impeachment.
Trump is a grossly unfit and unqualified man who has committed many "high crimes and misdemeanors" - This is a just impeachment but the GOP is so corrupt now they don't care.
10
Ms. Dowd, I’m your fan and would love that you suggest to Ms. Pelosi to introduce to her speech the description of the essence of Trump: bad, mad and a danger to us all.
5
Highchair King!once again, brilliant.
4
I find it interesting that when Trump breaks all norms of how a president should behave, his enablers dismiss historical references with the same explanation. Trump is a different kind of president. But when it comes to impeachment, they suddenly look to history for guidance regarding how it will unfold. Impeachment didn’t harm Clinton. Well, perhaps impeachment will have a different effect on this different kind of president.
6
Don't open that champaign Maureen. The Democrats have had a history of bending backwards in times when they need to be strong - consistently obsessed about winning over moderate Republicans when they should be concentrating on motivating their much larger base to turn out to vote for them. And Trump is just the result of years of rampant corruption in the federal gov't - otherwise, he would be a united front by both Democrats and Republicans for his consistent violation of his oath of office.
1
Yeah, Pelosi and guys like Obama and Jim Clyburne—really weak, weak people. Not like Trump at all, with his bluster and his bankruptcies and his betrayals, and that’s just the “b’s,” in this guy’s craven alphabet.
And the way Relublicans have out it on the line to stand up and be counted! Real ask not profile in courage, the stuff of legends.
1
The Democrats don't even understand how they played into the hands of theocrats by failing to enforce "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion".
1
I have great admiration for Speaker Pelosi and I have total confidence that she’s working for the good of the country. Whether people love or hate Speaker Pelosi the impeachment inquiry is not about Speaker Pelosi nor should it be.
15
The only thing I am honestly grateful for over the last 3 years is that President Trump is not a smart man and his attorney is not either. Otherwise we wouldnt know half of what we have learned from their own lips in recent months.
12
Unfortunately neither is the electorate or these guys would have been run out on a rail long ago. Don’t hold your breathe this time either.
4
So which is it Maureen, the pink pantsuit or the peach one?
2
'Give him enough rope to hang himself' comes to mind.
8
Maureen
Have you ever thought of dong stand-up comedy? You're better than Bill Maher and approaching Colbert's level.
1
Reading Dowd’s stuff on Pelosi I always start wondering if I subscribe to the NYT or Vogue. These worshipful fluff pieces are just terrible.
5
She deserves it! That's why!
2
This whole thing is clearly a matter of opinion. Enter dowd. feeble.
Yeah, it’s a matter of opinion whether using the presidency to solicit the assistance of a foreign government to assist you personally in a domestic election is crossing a line. Gee, oh well.
5
Although I really want Congress to follow the law to its last consequences, I do believe it should be better to get rid of the trump through the ballot's box.
What if Congress goes through all the inquiry, writes the Articles of Impeachment, but instead of sending that to the Senate they send a series of laws to restrict this (and every President) from implementing an "Imperial Presidency", the one that they have been wanting (for themselves) since the times of W?
That would be more damning than any failed impeachment, because it would affect ALL Presidents, restoring power to Congress, as it should.
Dear Numas,
We have that series of laws. It is called the Constitution of the United States of America. The reason it does not seem strong enough is that this president, backed by Moscow Mitch and the Federalist Society do not respect and follow it.
If the the Impeachment of trump does not get rid of him, fine. At least all the evidence is out there for the very voters and the ballot boxed to decide.
2
Except Trump is, in the HERE AND NOW, illegally attempting to contaminate that ballot box.
4
This’ll probably seem picky, but it’s actually pretty important for understanding impeachment.
The Constitution is not laws. It’s the blueprint for government, for how laws get created and passed, for the limits on what laws may say, and so on.
In other words, it’s meta-legal: the rules and procedures that stand outside the law, and define what’s inside the law.
That’s why impeachment has to be understood as a political process that RESEMBLES the law, but is not primarily legal. Look at the people who’d be trying the case: they’re not acting as lawyers or judges, but as politicians.
If you’re going to bring legal proceedings, there has to be a law that you believe to have been violated. (Lefties who want Jamie Diamond thrown in the hoosegow, please take notice.) Impeachment, however, goes after the fuzzy “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Trump’s actions in Ukraine might maybe break campaign finance law, and ol’ Rudy could be in considerable Logan Act trouble. Sort of.
But high crimes...yep, you can get Trump on that. If Republicans will discover any interest in the Constitution and stuff.
1
"N.R.A. ghoul Wayne LaPierre"...just loved that phrase..
8
Even at my advanced age, watching Nancy Pelosi in the Trump era has been for me a lesson in civics, a lesson in politics, a lesson in self-discipline, a lesson in ethics, and a lesson in courage. We are fortunate that after the president and vice president she stands next in line for the presidency.
But Speaker Pelosi’s trials are just beginning. I’m sure she knows this. Despite the breathtaking scale of Trump’s depredations we haven’t seen the worst. There will be no limits on the words and actions that Trump and his enablers will unleash. “The republic be damned” is the actual Trump motto.
But this reckoning has been looming for a long time. Americans should have been raising the bar and expecting more of our highest elected officials instead of less and less. We should demand that the higher the office the higher the bar. Instead we have repeatedly inverted the rule. Richard Nixon should have been prosecuted and served time for his Watergate crimes. Ronald Reagan and George Bush (41) should have been prosecuted and served time for Iran-Contra and cover-up. And the same goes for Bill Clinton. It is no surprise that we now have a President Trump. We have advertised to Oval Office aspirants that crime and abuse of power pays and that presidential crime pays the best.
3
Alright, impeachment has arrived, at last. As a result the Trump "campaign" has unleashed the dogs of war in a vicious counter-attack. No one should be surprised, we see the game plan a few months early. SO... what of the Big Thing, the coming selection of the Anti-Trump.
I suggest a little thought experiment. Remember the scene from To Kill A Mockingbird where Atticus deals with the rabid dog. Snarling, foaming at the mouth,. what any Dem candidate clearly will face. But imagine your candidate armed not with a gun, but a major league baseball bat.
Who do you believe would beat the rabies' pitbull?
I can't imagine uber restrained Mayor Pete bludgeoning that mutt. With "beat him like a drum" I get the sense old Joe would. "I wrote the damn bill" sends the same signal. I suspect the prosecutor who handled the single ruling party dynamics in the People's Republic of CA likely would have a winning swing, too.
But I would say if you can't imagine the Dem choice wielding that bat successfully... well that is an "Atticus test" fail, period
A beautiful piece but the only way to win impeachment in the Senate is for Pelosi to also work public opinion at the same time as the legalities so that the Republicans believe they will be swept in the next election and better be honest in the impeachment vote.
123
To say that impeachment and conviction depends totally on the public mood is like saying the outcome of a death penalty case should depend on the sentiment of the community. Senators in an impeachment trial are akin to jurors and must base their verdict on the facts, the law (our constitution) and their own consciences. We are indeed an imperfect union, but we will bend our history and destiny to the dark side if our Senate does otherwise.
1
Remember when a freshly sworn-in Donald Trump shoved Prime Minister Dusko Markovic of Montenegro in Brussels? We clearly knew at that time that our current president lacks any trace of personal or professional civility. It comes as no surprise that he would ignore the popular vote, common decency and our Constitution.
7
President Trump has out maneuvered the democrats. Again. He is all but begging for impeachment as he knows it will help him win another election.
Most Americans, I would bet most democrats, are fed up with this nonsense. Trump won the election. Deal with it. Want him out of office? Vote him out. He is NOT going to be removed by the senate. Period.
I don't like the guy. In fact, I despise him. But he is the President of the United States. To paraphrase Lord David Brooks, from his stellar performance on the PBS News Hour---Which would you rather have? 100 million plus Americans voting, and most deciding, to remove him from office. Or 100 millionaire senators making the decision for you?
I was opposed to the republicans removing Gray Davis in California. I was opposed to the democrats trying to remove Scott Walker in Wisconsin. This is partisan politics at its absolute worst.
Democrats need to keep their eye on the ball. They need to be discussing health care, climate change, and quality jobs. This impeachment idiocy is a distraction that plays right into Trump's rather small hands. The object is to win the game. Not just score a few points now and blow the game at the last minute. Like in 2016.
The issues are the issue. Not Trump.
10
You are not distinguishing between the different purposes of removal and impeachment. You are correct that the likelihood of removal by the Senate is low, but not zero, and that voting Trump out is a more compelling form of removal. You are, however, missing one of the primary purposes of the political act of impeachment: to make a statement of values.
There comes a time, rarely with presidential behavior, when the people through their congressional representatives must take a stand against blatant abuses of power and ethics and for fair and responsible governance. That is a statement of values to those living through this moment and for future generations who will read our history and note who stood up for what this country should be about.
9
~..."blow the game at the last minute"~
Were I so divine to predict the results of impeachment of trump on the 2020 Election. My bet is that an admitted felon (among other past and future criminal revelations) will not sit well with "swing" voters... and true conservative voters. Trump needs help to win and we see he is not hesitant to "rig the system"....after all, he will pardon everyone including himself.
4
See the thing is if the umpires are playing for the opposing team (cf. Scott Walker) it's pretty hard to win the game, especially if the umpires rule that the opposing team can use ringers as well as prevent your team from using the players on its roster. What would be enough for you to think impeachment was right? Asking a foreign power to dig up or invent dirt on an opponent if they want the aid (for their own autonomy) already passed into law begins to seem like cheating.
1
The more I learn about this story, the less evidece I see. Everything alleged by the WB isn't there. Then, it is all hearsay.
And, we learned a lot from the Russia collusion hoax. For example, don't think if you cooperate, the case will be closed. It won't. Don't recuse. Why surrender your best troops?
I think it's time to start declassifying the Mueller docs. Just to show everyone what the deep state and are doing now.
26
Ferreting the conversation with the president of Ukraine out of the most Top Secret server where it was stashed with military and foreign policy secrets and offering it to the American people for all to see "We need a favor" for the 2020 election is there for those who are not blind to see.
Being a True Believer is a choice. That has nothing to do with being persuadable by evidence.
13
The Read Out released by the White House is evidence. Trump admitted what he said, and even claimed it was "perfect". It is also a fact that the Read Out evidence was initially suppressed, in a well documented cover up. There is ample record of the hold on the aid which a bipartisan Congress authorized. There is also clear evidence that Rudy G was urging the Ukrainians to investigate Biden. That was something that the FBI should have done, if there was any real reason to do an investigation. If all you can come up with as defense is a claim of "hearsay" you don't understand the rules of evidence.
14
True Trumpers shall never be swayed.
Not by fact, nor by evidence, nor by admission of the culprit.
They shall not be swayed by the law, or the rules and standards of our justice system.
They follow the 'Deep State', a mythological creation of zero substance and will swear allegiance to what ever the 'Deep State' says they should.
There it is, in a nutshell. Pun intended.
10
Unfortunately, the house Dems unilaterally may impeach Trump as they have votes based on a hearsay complaint ( likely fabricated by Dems or perhaps the Dem presidential candidates). This followed by a sweeping victory in 2020 over Biden will be a great closure to the perpetual fabrications of the Dems.
1
hearsay? That's adorable
Trumps released transcript was a confession of guilt
8
Calm yourself, Ashan. The people who told the Whistleblower about Trump’s misdeeds will testify now that there is a formal proceeding. These will be people whom either were in the room when Trump made the call or people who have seen the actual transcript.
In short, it will not be “...hearsay...” for long. Soon, it will be eyewitness testimony.
4
Hearsay complaint?
The ICIG, Inspector General Intelligence Community stated, in his letter for the acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire.
" I have determined that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the complaint relating to the urgent concern "appears credible". The ICIG's preliminary review indicated that the Complainant has official and authorized access to the information and sources referenced in the Complainants Letter and Classified Appendix, and that the Complainant has subject matter expertise related to much of the material information provided..."
so hardly a hearsay account, as validated by the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community . Read the full Inspector General Letter on the Whistleblower Complaint..here,
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/politics/read-icig-report-dni-whistleblower-complaint/index.html
Or are you just another Trump supporter, who doesn't believe in "Facts"?
4
What she was wearing? Really?
3
And next we need to go after the other barnacles attached to Trump's bottom - the Lindsey Grahams, the David Perdues, the Mitch McConnells, the Devin Nunes, and the Mike Pences.
4
Maureen must have myopia, clearly the forest through the trees can be at least imagined if not seen clearly ahead. As an aside, pink pantsuits rarely signify acumen, but instead its opposite, merely exposing the fault lines more clearly visible as one leans into the light so desperately sought.
With credibility hurled to the wind, it seems rather inane to suggest Madame Speaker follows where the facts lead. Instead, she merely clicks her sparkling high heels together condemning or passing without admittedly ever first reading.
Ms. Dowd does get a passing grade for one good moment. Madame Speaker with whip in hand does trigger the imagination.
2
Maybe next time consider providing some actual facts to back up your conjecture. Pelosi resisted the impeachment route for so long exactly because she could see "the forest," the political reality that Senate Republicans will never vote to impeach. In light of recent events she is now calculating, reasonably, that the facts line up so clearly against Trump that it will be the Senate GOP who are taking a big political risk by stating in the record that they see no evidence of impeachable behavior. That is what will strain credibility and expose the GOP as caring little about the country and everything about keeping power. By advancing toward impeachment Pelosi may indeed be thinking about accepting the loss of a battle as a means of winning the war (i.e. ridding us of the worst president in U.S. history).
4
Thank you for the humor Mark. You could use a good laugh.
2
Yes indeed "betrayal of our national security" and in particular our men and women in uniform.
Trump harmed our national security and put our troops in Europe in great danger by withholding the military aid to Ukraine. Ukraine troops are fighting for democracy and the freedom of Europe from Putin and Trump alliance.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/ukraine-preparing-more-troop-withdrawals#&gid=1&pid=6
Relatives hold portraits of Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russian artillery near the village of Ilovaysk in eastern Ukraine, during a protests in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug.28, 2019.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/ukraine-preparing-more-troop-withdrawals
1
Know when to admit I was wrong: this could the "big one." I underestimated the sheer stupidity of this man. The GOP has a delightful way of unremembering own-goals like Nixon and GW Bush. When this is over, Republicans will do everything they can to wish Trump away, even as they dredge up Carter when they're cornered on an issue. The Speaker is living memory, and even progs like the Squad and the Bernie crowd must cherish her.
2
Democratic candidates must explain how Trump is a traitor and how he has formed an alliance with Putin.
Volker's resignation shows his support of our national security and allegiance to NATO versus how Trump is allied with Putin . Yes indeed "betrayal of our national security" and in particular our men and women in uniform. Trump harmed our national security and put our troops in Europe in great danger by withholding the military aid to Ukraine. Ukraine troops are fighting for democracy and the freedom of Europe and against the Putin and Trump alliance.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/ukraine-preparing-more-troop-withdrawals#&gid=1&pid=6
Relatives hold portraits of Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russian artillery near the village of Ilovaysk in eastern Ukraine, during a protests in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug.28, 2019. https://www.voanews.com/europe/ukraine-preparing-more-troop-withdrawals
1
StupidGate has now lasted for 5 days. I give it a month and the HouseOfCards crumbles at the light pressure from index finger of Nancy Pelosi.
2
Love the fact that Nancy Pelosi will be the stuff of hs nightmares....there is justice.
4
"“The president says you’re no longer speaker of the House, that you’ve been taken over by the radical left,” I say to Pelosi, who looks smart in a pink pantsuit and sparkly pink high heels."
Seriously?
"...I say to Trump, who is looking fetching in a dark blue pinstripe and patent leather loafers."
Can we please stop treating women like this?
4
the world has trump's number. Here just the other day mr. Bruni had an article about how trump always backs down.
Ms. Pelosi has had his number forever. until president high chair existed even she was more than aware of what a dodo this man is.
Her line attaching his manhood to the fabled Wall was so on point he still has yet to recover.
good column
3
Not exactly a walk on the wild side, stiletto heels or no, Ms. Dowd. More basking in the reflected glow of Her Majesty.
Applause for Speaker Pelosi for taking what may be a politically dangerous move but championing the principal of honesty and integrity
3
It's funny reading all these comments. Liberals, you had your day and you blew it. Look at the mess so much of this great country is in, thanks to you. Just one example, look at the state of the African American family, thanks to your Great Society program.
We the people will reelect our great president in a landslide. He's not perfect, but is one of us and tells it like it is.
1
I wouldn't call more than 12,000 documented Trump lies "telling it like it is." But whatever floats your boat.
1
Trump is "one of us"? You must either be a golf pro, a professional celebrity, or a mental patient. "Tells it like it is?" He tells an average of 20 half-truths or outright lies every day. I dunno George.
3
Pelosi is smart and steady. She understands how things can play out and when a course correction is required, She must have realized that the self destructive child we have occupying the White House was capable of future outrageous atrocities to our democracy. She has delicately and deftly handled her own brood of inexperienced and entitled brats who would destroy her strategy of wisely going down the middle of the road.
She now faces the challenge of confronting a real fire breathing dragon. Hopefully she can turn his fire back on himself and incinerate this raging beast.
3
Most Americans believe that they can do whatever they wish because the constitution gives them permission....no matter if what they do is moral or immoral, decent or indecent, or right or wrong. With this kind of total freedom the future will have no need of prisons, law enforcement agencies, nor law books. Why? Because if the law allows you to do what you want, then there is no wrong you can do.
Blessed are those who do not see yet believe. To those who believe in His name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1
"...only she could click her heels three times..." more like "....if only she could throw water on him and watch him dissolve..."
6
Speaker Pelosi,
We do not have a statue @ Times Square.
But we will be very honored and proud to build one in your name.
5
Please remember, that Mr. Barr has been called 'cover up Barr' before by
William Safire.
6
Dear Everyone,
Please include a reference to Putin laughing contentedly in any commentary regarding these matters. It should be a rule.
2
Too good!
Both the column and the Speaker's take on that man in the White House.
You go get him, ladies!
2
Great article as usual, Maureen. But, seriously, did you HAVE to describe what the Speaker was wearing?? That struck me as a little sexist.
Would you do that if you were writing a column about tRump or Moscow Mitch? I think not.......
1
It is really not that "...hard to fathom why he [Tgrump] would slip the noose on Robert Mueller’s testimony on Russia and then turn around the very next day and ask Ukraine to interfere in an American election." It is as well known tendency of criminals to return to the scene of a crime...a criminal who gets away with a crime will continue to repeat it until stopped...stop him, Speaker Pelosi!
2
It's said that Melania Trump admires Michelle Obama, even to the point of plagiarizing her. I wonder if she admires Nancy Pelosi, a strong woman that causes fearful chills to race up Donald's spine. 'Be best' Melania, blink twice if you agree. Blink thrice if you agree that he needs to be impeached, as having become a naturalized citizen, you may know more about the Constitution than your husband.
2
@DTM - I'm convinced that Melania is the whistleblower.....
1
Donald Trump doesn’t know what “quid pro quo” means.
3
Great article!
1
It's so fitting that the man who hates and abuses women is being brought to heel by a smart woman.
3
Fitting that Trump has Giuliani. Is it just me or does he have an uncanny resemblance to the Sith Lord from Star Wars?
3
I wonder if the GOP recognizes the irony that Ukraine in 2019 is the USA in 1776. Thank goodness the French didn’t extort George Washington.
3
Pelosi's philosophy seems to have changed since the Clinton impeachment.
I want to read this and other Opinions, but I can't.
I'm a logged-in subscriber and using the browser I've always used, but this new "Opinion" format thwarts my efforts to read. Clicking "read more" just takes me back to the original screen (and photographs.) My only sense of what Ms. Dowd opines is coming from the comments. Is anyone else similarly flummoxed?
1
How is Wayne LaPierre's offer of money for Trump's defense in exchange for political favors not bribery in plain sight?
3
Nice piece, Ms. Dowd. But I kept waiting for some reference to the piece's title, the peach one; none appeared, to my slight dismay. I assume that is an allusion to his 'natural' skin tone, a lighter shade of orange. Correct?
Speaker Pelosi looks quite exhausted in the photo. She is not in an enviable position. Such a weight on her shoulders.
Finally, the "Gotcha Moment"! The teflon Don, just may not slip the fire this time, in fact he is burning already, I am sure he is very hot under his grimy colar
He has no shame, yes, he makes the call to Kiev the very next day, after Bob Mueller testifies , he thinks he got away with it once, he can do "what ever he wants". He has been running the White House like it was his real estate buisness all long.
Even if the Senate does not do the right thing, we have our day,
He goes down in History, the way he deserves. a mafia President.
1
Thank you, Madame Speaker!
2
Nancy Pelosi is proof positive that age does not make you addled brained. She has the long view and experience that only age can confer. A younger person would have jumped the gun in all likelihood. As the saying goes, "It takes an old cat to catch an old rat." She has two old rats to confront: Trump and McConnell, who I believe is in it up to his eyebrows.
Wait patiently and never take your eyes off the prize, Madame Speaker.
2
If Trump colluded as much - and as effectively - with (other) dictator-run countries as the NYT colludes with (other) dictator-run US papers...
> The US economy would be growing at a real 9%/year
> Every person on the planet would have a free nuclear-powered smartphone, running an OS written in English, instead of C or Java or Python
With both Apple and Microsoft charging fees for accessing their content and/or apps...
At last, something from Dowd worth reading. I've been dismayed at her descent into pointless snark over the past few years. Dismayed to the point of just skimming her column looking for something of substance. Here at last she uses her pull to give us some meat. Thank you, and please do more of this.
Maureen, how is your family doing? They all voted for him. They still thinking he's the answer to the world's problems?
Watch out Madam Speaker,
The shameless mouthpieces of Hannity and Limbaugh are now after Biden's family. They are calling for him and his son execution.
If Biden falter in the primaries, they are going to come after you just as vicious.
1
I'd been hoping since the Access Hollywood tapes and the Women's March, that a female hero would appear to slay the misogynist male symbol of the racist white patriarchy. And, "miracle des dieux" she has arrived in the form of the most powerful, most politically wise woman in Washington! Praise be!!
2
If Ms. Dowd wants to profile strong women, she should focus on 2 far more important women doing far ore important work: Greta Thunberg and Naomi Klein.
Now that would be a column!
1
Oh thanks Maureen - you were one of the columnists who helped put this maniac in the White House with your false equivalency arguments in 2016 with Candidate Clinton! Hmmm email servers aren't quite the same as destroying the US Constitution.
2
I can't even stand to read this with all its references to her clothes and what color they are. Once again, Dowd trivializes something serious with her off key, sexist sarcasm. She did this with Hillary Clinton, too. She occasionally writes a good column but too often falls back on this lazy writing that demeans women in leadership positions. The last sentence about sparkly slippers is especially nauseating. As far as Pelosi, I find it extraordinary that a woman leader is showing such courage in taking on a corrupt president who is known to strike back so hard that he has scared Republicans in Congress. We may also end up with a woman president, Elizabeth Warren, and then it will be women who lead our country back on the right path of integrity.
1
From here on out, please accompany any article regarding Trump with a fabulous photo of the formidable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
1
Impeach and toss out both Trump and Pence and give Speaker Pelosi, as POTUS!
3
Great column as usual
1
Maureen,
I still have trouble understanding how you skewered Hillary and basically gave Trump a pass in 2016, so I take everything you write with a grain of salt. You are not exactly what I call a credible journalist.
1
Cute that enough folks know and can comfortably use technical psychiatric terms like "projection" and "project." It hints at knowledge of the craziness of The Occupier of the WH.
And I love that NP has such a gently-applied stiletto of sophisticated womanly humor to use on him...
It might just drive him over the edge...
1
Maureen Dowd, Thank You for another wonderful column, once again you have made my weekend. Not only is Nancy Pelosi the Speaker she is the Rock Star Speaker.
How ironic it is that the worlds biggest misogynist is about to be taken down by a woman.
Who said there was no Karma.
2
One of Trump's main problems right now is that he did NOT know and maybe still doesn't understand that his phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky was NOT "perfect". One of his greatest blunders may turn out to be the release of the narrative of the phone call.
I believe many in the Trump cult such as Lindsay Graham do know that the President's phone call is blatant proof of an ask for foreign interference in an election. But they have made their pledge of blind loyalty and can't retreat now.
It is a sad week (year?) for America. Our President has been trying to hide for years what many suspected and now the 'truth' is coming out.
Trump is a malignant narcisisst intent upon using his position and power to advance Donald J. Trump. He uses his go to mob/Roy Cohn tactics to bully, extort and bribe others to his cause - HIM. Votes or money, either works.
He and his minions have hidden calls with Putin and MBS as well. I hope we find out what he said in those and don't even get started on the Helsinki 'private' meeting with Putin! Nobody knows anything about that one. It's looking real bad.
Having said all this, I remain pessimistic. The impeachment inquiry is the only avenue left to the Democrats or people who care. And yet, Trump has some mighty karma on his side. At 73, he has never been held accountable except for a few financial penalties. Time will tell and God Speed Nancy!
2
So Nancy has finally (“thoughtfully “, of course) decided to put into process an inquiry into a potential investigation of possible irregularities that may reveal high crimes, etc. that she can call ‘impeachment’. And, of course, Maureen Dowd is groveling enough to buy into this charade of true impeachment to land a tea date with the Speaker, all while celebrating woman power and the like. At the same exact time, President Trump’s popularity is at its peak and rising, and Democratic front runners are Maduro gazing.
Dowd can pretend all she wants, but Pelosi is barely a string on the puppet of the lefties who are ruining the Democratic Party. She’ll at least get the blame though when Trump is re-elected in a landslide.
Nancy Pelosi isn't going to send Trump home but the impeachment process might bring into sharper relief the depth of betrayal to the US Constitution and the degree to which he is making the USA into Russian regional jurisdiction.
As for the Republican Party, Speaker Pelosi declared, "You’d think that there would be some sense of decency on the part of the people who work for the president." Yes, you might think but remember that the moral voice of GOP resistance has now devolved to the likes of Mark Sanford, Joe Walsh and the Quixotic Bill Weld.
This is today's Republican high ground. With that, everything GOP is under water. There is no hope for such a party until American voters see it off, one hopes forever.
1
Only belief that the US Constitution is a divine revelation justifies the Electoral College in modern times.
4
Why Maureen don't you ask Nancy, "is the Vice President also implicated in the impeachment proceedings" ?
Look at Nancy Pelosi in action now and imagine Tim Ryan or Seth Moulton as Speaker! Many thanks to the House members who had the good sense to select her as their fearless leader again.
3
If done properly, the impeachment inquiry will reveal what’s in the vault. What other transcripts or recordings are there of Trump trying to extort other leaders. And do other foreign governments have audio or video recordings? And have they, in turn, extorted Trump?
Do it right, Democrats. Don’t hold back to “spare the country” like boneheaded Gerald Ford did.
Ford was later praised for his ineptitude, but he never should have been. There is a direct link from Ford’s pardon of a villainous Nixon through Iran-Conta through Bill Clinton’s impeachment (by a Speaker who was himself cheating on his wife) through GW’s disastrous invasion of Iraq (and a Speaker who was paying money to a former high school wrestler he sexually abused) to a corrupt president with a penchant for porn stars.
And we wonder why respect for “law and order” and those who swear to uphold the Constitution is so low.
5
Sooo much damage has been done. Mr. Trump(I haven’t called him President ever). How do you go about removing all of the filth he has left. Attorny General, Chief of staff,department heads, judges...hundreds of people. Not to mention the loss of talent and knowledge that has been removed or left. It’s a a daunting task. I did not include the Vice President in the list because he’s like removing mellow from the table. All you have to do there is reach out and remove the plate, no one will care! Impeaching the head is the easy part, the typical American would not understand nor have the stomach to follow through with the removal of the rest of the infection. I believe our best hope their is that they just leave. Hopefully we would seek justice but I doubt it.
I can't open the opinion on Safari. Thought someone should know. Thanks.
https://prospect.org/power/president-trump-truly-decompensated/
Paul Waldman asks, “What if Trump’s dementia was so clearly obvious, everyone in the world acknowledged it except his supporters? What would happen?”
Waldman goes on to write: “Democrats would say, “… the president has plainly gone mad—he just ordered the Air Force to nuke the moon!” Then Republicans would say, “No, in fact his unique genius is more evident than ever, and the moon has had this coming for a long time but other presidents didn’t have the guts.”
Every day on Fox News, programming would alternate between discussions of the moon's dangerous perfidy and attacks on Democrats for taking the moon's side over America's Mainstream news organizations would write stories headlined, “Parties disagree over moon-bombing plan,” while pundits caution Democrats not to get too shrill in criticizing the president lest they alienate white blue-collar voters in the Midwest for whom nuking the moon sounds like just the kind of action-packed initiative America needs.”
And Waldman concludes: “After all we’ve been through up until now, that doesn’t sound like a particularly outlandish series of events, does it?”
6
Here's a best case scenario. Now that Trump has thrown Pence under the bus, both of them are impeached and removed. All hail President Pelosi!
3
Nancy Pelosi is spectacular ! She should be the President of the United States. She certainly is the most intelligent person in Washington these days. She deserves Woman of the Year, Time Magazine Cover, Nobel Prize.....well anyway a National Treasure.
1
It's a beautiful day for impeachment. Let's do two!
3
He is beyond unfit. He is demented and has been for quite a while. McConnell enables him. Barr enables him. Giuliani enables him. Fox enables him. Pelosi calls him on his crimes. Let’s see how his handlers, apologists and enablers do.
2
David Lindsay Jr. Hamden, CT Pending Approval
"The man who always claims the system is rigged against him keeps trying to rig the system — proving Pelosi’s point that Trump projects."
Bravo Maureen Dowd. When your are this good, you are great.
I am terrified though about the warnings of Ross Douthat and David Brooks.
Ross warned, Trump really wants this, because, it changes the discussion from about his lousy record, to his being persecuted by a witchhunt. So, Democrats, pay attention to these warnings. You must make room in the press for the candidates to run their election.
David Lindsay Jr. is the author of “The Tay Son Rebellion” and blogs at InconvenientNews.net.
1
It is a laugh when President Gas Bag says the impeachment inquiry will prevent Democrats from doing the people's business. Donald Trump has no domestic agenda, and Moscow Mitch is allowing anything to get to the floor of the Senate, so from the Republican perspective there is no people's business.
2
Pelosi's pink high heel shoes are antidote to Donald's moribund corruptions.
1
What Trump touches dies. God save the United States.
2
Looking forward to the day when Speaker Pelosi is photographed conferring with President Warren in the Oval Office.
2
Experience, integrity, morals, intelligence, patience and optimism. A good mix for leadership and decision making. I am glad Nancy Pelosi is a here for this right now. Personal style and sense of humor is a bonus.
2
Like Georgie Minafer, the spoiled rich kid in "Magnificent Ambersons", Donald Trump, at long last, may finally get his comeuppance.
2
Maureen, if it were in my power to bestow another Pulitzer Prize on you, I would do so for this insightful, witty and impactful opinion.
1
Yes, but Maureen... Tell us what you really think!
Nice candid dish of what would sound like gossip, were it not all way too true...
I agree that Nancy Pelosi dresses quite well and even elegantly, but Marueen Dowd's praise of her appearance reminds me that she never had a positive word to say about Hillary Clinton as a woman.
Nancy is not one of Trumps women.
Nancy Pelosi is m, speaker of the house of representatives!
1
Maybe the whole host of ghouls will slink away. Maybe 'ding-dong the witch is dead'. I fear we are in for a real battle that will leave us even more battered and divided. This, America, is what you get when you elect a totally unqualified, incompetent person to lead. However, we are lucky to have Speaker Pelosi to guide us through this mess.
1
Why do women journalists describe what the woman interviewee is wearing? If Dowd was interviewing a man would she write "he was wearing a blue business suit and sparkly brown leather shoes"?
I just don't get it. Can someone please explain?
Call it the OJ effect. Got away with it now I am invincible.
1
Maureen's trying to make Nancy a superhero. Would that she were. Truth is, we need all the cards to fall our way.
If Trump gets in again, there’ll be no holding him back. It'll be climate change unchained. Complete dismantling of honest, people's government. War in the streets with guns aplenty. He's already handed the rich trillions in tax relief; now there's no money for any of the programs we need. And all backed by the neo-fascist Supreme Court, and all the other judges he's appointed.
His threat about extending his term is no joke. Question is, can they steal the election, between gerrymandering, scrambling voting machines, etc.? He and his Party have no qualms about it.
This time, you smart-aleck conspiracy theorists and 3rd party naifs, try to focus on the reality: this election is life and death.
3
Please do not under-estimate the pushback the Republican propaganda machine will launch to mercilessly attack Pelosi, along with Schiff, Nadler, et al.
It's a gambit the GOP has often used when it doesn't have facts or ethics on its side (consider its assault on Obamacare). In this case, Trump is in deep trouble for his blatant misuse of Presidential power, and there isn't a Republican sycophant this side of Lindsay Graham who wants to try to defend this latest rump excess. So, it's all hands on deck to launch a frontal attack on Biden, Pelosi, Schiff (and throw in Obama and Hillary for good measure).
Even if it is unable to find anything damning in the Speaker's past, that will not prevent the message merchants from creating scandal out of whole cloth. The RNC is ramping up a personal crusade against Joe Biden, and before it's done, Joe will likely be portrayed as the evil twin of Stalin or Savonarola.
The coming months will be an advertising, social media, political rallies bloodbath directed at Nancy and other Democratic leaders.
One final prediction: Guiliani will disappear from sight.
Pelosi, who looks smart in a pink pantsuit and sparkly pink high heels.
Saw Nancy in Joe and Mika perhaps the same day sitting outside, she looked absolutely stunning, what is Nancy`s secret I wonder ..I do know she has tons of money but whatever she did was measured just as she speaks without any unnecessary chatter.
But At the tender age of 73, Donald Trump looks like an overbloated washed out man. rambles on , tweets with multiple spelling errors .
Nothing….there will be nothing left to the Country and the World when this corrupt man will be done.
2
Mrs. Pelosi’s intelligence, stamina, energy, integrity and devotion to this country are highly commendable and so much in need. Thank you Ms Pelosi for all your efforts to save this democracy from an autocratic aspiring dictator and his cadre of Republican Brown Shirts. In WWII we had the United States led by FDR to stop the Nazis. Now we only have Ms Pelosi and her Democratic Colleagues. If last defense line is breached and fails, our Democracy is history Literally kaput.
3
More deicious than usual. Ah, we have such lights: Dowd, Colbert, O’Dobbell, Hayes, Williams, and so many more. Thank you. And thank you!!!
1
Maureen,
Just curious if your conservative brother Kevin is on board.
Or are you dreading Thanksgiving?
Thank you for highlighting one of California’s (and the nation’s) best.
A Proud Californian
There comes a moment in the life of individuals where they become too honest to take refuge in old illusions of self importance ; moments, when they remain suspended agonizingly between their fairy god mother and their flat earth.
Donald , Mike , Lindsay , Mitch.............boys , this would be your moment !
1
Nancy Pelosi is a master politician. She is a great strategist and tactician. She is a natural team leader, who patiently works with her members to form a strong consensus. She know there is no "I" in "Team". She has great acumen and strong regard for what it means to be an American.
Compare Nancy Pelosi's qualities to Donald Trump's lack of them.
Donald Trump is an inept politician. He reacts without strategy or tactics. He is an autocrat, who impatiently dictates to his lackeys what he want to do, and expects them to clean up his messes. He doesn't know what a "team" is. He is profoundly ignorant on almost all topics of substance, and has no regard for what it means to be an American.
1
It adds a certain something to know that Trump is being made miserable by a woman.
3
Who would have thought Nancy Pelosi could possibly be the first woman President? Pence is an empty suit-barnacle firmly attached to 45s coattails and should bear full responsibility for this debacle of an administration.
2
Now everything is just peachy
while Trump goes screechy.
Mueller didn't touch him from afar;
we heard that directly from Bill Barr.
So Putin said let's just do it again
this time with a favor from Ukraine.
The call was then made
and Zelensky was swayed,
but before it was all covered
the dirty plot was discovered.
The whistle was blown;
the transcript was shown,
and Pelosi said impeach him
for betrayal's a terrible sin.
Now everything is peachy
while Trump goes screechy.
The psychic state or soul of our country won't be healed until Donald is out.
In 2006 when asked on 60 Minutes a relatively bright-eyed Nancy Pelosi stated that impeaching GW Bush was "off the table."
Here the journalist Michael Tracey reviews the 60 Minutes piece and compares then with now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HyKc2rP-vk
Still waiting to hear Dowd explain her support and enabling of trump during the 2016 campaign.
Nancy should be President, as soon as Trump Pence and their entire unpatriotic staff is kicked out of office. Good riddance.
1
The tedium with this style of national government has now given way to television melodrama. Good. Or more like the good episodes of Superman and Batman (on TV). Maureen, you are the painter writing about a sculpture; both artists of refined technique, though I have also enjoyed what I call your sloppy columns. But for really good television, and this is coming from a schooled dramatist, your interview on the Charley Rose Show is a wonderful example of refined entertainment. Ladies, our hats are off to you.
Trump was very likely motivated by politics if he indeed withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for Kiev launching an investigation into Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden, though the transcript of the call released by the White House between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelinsky does not make certain such a quid-pro-quo. What’s not being talked about in the mainstream is the context of this story, which shows that politics aside, Biden should indeed be investigated in both Ukraine and in the United States. We know from the leaked, early 2014 telephone conversation between Victoria Nuland, then assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, and Geoffrey Pyatt, then U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, that then-Vice President Biden played a role in assisting the U.S.-backed overthrow of an elected Ukrainian government soon after that conversation. That’s the biggest crime in this story that isn’t being told. The illegal overthrow of a sovereign government. As booty from the coup, the sitting vice president’s son, Hunter Biden, soon got a seat on the board of Ukraine’s biggest gas producer, Burisma Holdings. This can only be seen as a transparently neocolonial maneuver to take over a country and install one’s own people. But Biden’s son wasn’t the only one.
1
I lived in San Francisco for over 30 years, and for much of that time, Speaker Pelosi was my Congresswoman. Working for non-profits committed to providing vital human services, I had the opportunity to see her at work, at senior centers, community soup kitchens, and at gatherings of people concerned about public safety, jobs, and the scarcity of affordable housing in the city, carefully listening to what her constituents had to say and keenly aware of the issues they were facing every day. I admired her then, and continue to do so. Some of my friends were frustrated with her for not pursuing an impeachment inquiry sooner. I kept telling them, that's not her way. Speaker Pelosi never rushes into anything. She's deliberate, careful, she studies diligently, and listens to all sides. And then she acts decisively and courageously when she has all her facts and when she has her strategy figured out to the last detail. Those who underestimate this formidable woman do it at their peril, as the president is now, finally, finding out.
4
The validity of the claims that Trump wants to make against Biden's work in Ukraine
are the same as the validity of the claims that Trump made against Obama's citizenship.
2
I am informed that the GOP's fall-back line of attack on Speaker Pelosi will be "She's a witch".
Her penchant for those high heeled “sparkly slippers” is something that really bugs me about Pelosi. How can such an intelligent, powerful woman have a thing for stilettos? As a symbol of the objectification and intentional hobbling of modern women, the stiletto shoe is loaded. It’s a form of foot binding. No woman has a strong, assertive stride when she’s tottering on two skinny spikes. When I saw Pelosi mincing away from the dais in her five inch heels — after delivering that powerful punch to the press — and I wanted to yell at her and say, “Get some sensible footwear, for crying out loud!”.
Why put that limitation on yourself? Why tolerate the pain? Why damage your feet for fashion? Who are you dong that for?
That question extends to other women who want to be taken seriously. When CNN used to show Erin Burnett in full view, sitting at a table, she was always wearing stilettos. Why? What’s the message there?
Yes, there are bigger issues in the news right now. But we women need to be warriors. And warriors can’t fight in stilettos.
From,
A woman who hasn’t worn heels since the 1990s and doesn’t care what men, or women, think about my comfortable footwear. I can run when I need to.
1
Donald says Nancy is not Speaker.
Nancy says Donald isn't going to be President.
2
Thank goodness we have Nancy Pelosi.
The best way to understand Trump is through abnormal child psychology. He behaves a lot like a petulant infant in his terrible twos and Nancy, as a Mother, understands our 'Problem Child' of a president.
Here she translates his speech:
“I always think he’s projecting: When he says ‘She’s not the speaker of the House,’ what he really means is ‘I shouldn’t be president of the United States.’
When she said he would impeach himself, I had to laugh out loud, because he is constantly telling us about his bad behavior.
How? He accuses others of exactly what he is doing. It is uncanny.
But Nancy is right. The Traitor Tot is impeaching himself with his own big mouth and his propensity for bragging, lying, blaming others, and projection.
2
I recently watched Enter the Dragon (again), and this piece of dialogue resonated:
"...A good fight should be like a small play, but played seriously.
A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready.
When the opponent expands, I contract.
When he contracts, I expand.
And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit; it hits all by itself.
The enemy has only images and illusions behind which he hides his true motives.
Destroy the image and you will break the enemy..."
Looks like it's time for for someone to go to Trump's island and open a can of you-know-what. I think Ms. Pelosi is just the warrior to do it.
3
Your parting shot is so apt, Maureen: experts about narcissism use the term "flying monkeys" to describe the henchmen and henchwomen who assist toxic, malignant narcissists.
We all want to have this end and find ourselves safe in a metaphorical Kansas again, instead of swirling in the tornado of chaos and gaslighting set in motion by the radioactive orange one.
Let's hope that Glinda and the forces of good prevail.
1
The Year of the Women
1
Some may call this impeachment a rush to judgement. But those of us who've known of Donald Trump for many years, know Hades froze over a long time ago.
1
I’ve never been prouder for being a professional woman near Nancy’s age. We might be looking at President Pelosi if the “succession line” falls completely. Hard to believe ghoulish Pence can withstand scrutiny. Hello, President Pelosi. That photo looks so presidential.
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Definitely more shoes to drop, literally! -- I wouldn't even be surprised, Seinfeld fans, if Trump had asked the Ukrainians to dig up dirt on Mom & Pop's shoe repair shop!
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"Donald says Nancy is not speaker, but he’s finding out she is."
It is too late for another diversionary tactic, Mr. president. Even if we all collectively start wondering whether Ms. Pelosi is fully in charge of the House or not, that does not change anything. In short, Nancy has nothing to do with the mess you are in. This is all of your own making!
You are sinking quickly into the Washington swamp because you are - as you should be - very worried about losing the next election. You know who is "individual 1" and what can happen when (not "if", anymore!) you lose the next election. But your fear pushed you too far and now it is time to swallow the consequences.
You did not "drain the swamp" because, believe it or not, you are part of the swamp. The water has just started to rise and the swamp is already up to your neck. Even the FOX News "weatherman" predicts that much more precipitation is on our way. Remember what a wiseman once told us: those who live by the swamp, die by the swamp!
"I asked Nancy this" and "I say with Nancy that". OK, fine.
But won't anyone talk about the Putin connection, the "deals" he make in privately with the President? Putin wants Ukraine back; the traitor-in-chief doesn't care, and even if he did care, he's too poor of a negotiator to get what he wants; his only tactic has been writing bad checks.
Putin has made our president into a Chump.
The evil Republican machine has brains and leadership.
The Democratic opposition has foot-dragging Loser Pelosi.
She cost us more than a thousand seats in 2016, will probably cost us more in 2020, and is doing everything she can to get Drumpf re-elected.
Anyone who thinks this impeachment is a good idea is too afraid to battle Trump on the real issues.
When Bush was starting wars, murdering millions, bombing civilians in Iraq, attacking countries that did nothing to us, not to mention shredding civil liberties at home, the Democrats refused to impeach. Off the table, said Pelosi.
Trump has bombed and murdered people in Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Libya, Niger and probably a bunch of other countries (we don't know about yet), but so did Obama. Therefore, Pelosi's lasting legacy will be that starting illegal wars, torture, illegal drone strikes, illegal spying, assassination of American citizens without due process and similar offenses are forever "off the table" with regards to impeachment.,
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Thank God for Nancy Pelosi, a woman of brains, courage, patience and character who perhaps alone can bring down this devil of a leader we have in Trump.
In Meredith Wilson's Music Man, there is a song warning of the evils of pool, because it starts with P, which rhymes with T and that spells Trouble. With apologies to Wilson, Pelosi starts with P which rhymes with C and that spells Control. Control seems to be what Ms. Pelosi values most. Was she late to impeachment? Did she squander the momentum created by both the 2018 elections and Mueller Report? Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is very clear. She has failed to develop Democratic strategy, vision and leadership let alone plan for her succession. Poorly planned or no hearings with elected reps, hearts in the right place, asking pointless questions as our nation careens through a major crisis. And while I can't make the rhyme work, Dowd should somehow rhyme with sycophant.
Willson.
"Is the highchair king about to have his most epic tantrum yet?"
This is the real concern. This guy will not go down without a fight and he'll drag all of us into it. The greatest distraction is war. It's his backdoor, the escape hatch, and it's been well-prepared with Iran. Best hide the football or risk leap-frogging climate change and going straight to nuclear winter.
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Normal for populist bugs like Trump, they live on cracks they create by division (e.g.: racist chant "send her back"), holes in governance regulations (withdrawal from Paris climate agreement), law bypasses (the border wall, election interference), and loopholes in the governing system (stonewalling Congress, disclosing classified information, ....etc). The aim is clear, destruction of the democratic system, the main threat underlying the war between Liberal Democracy and Populism. While they are practicing this crook defiant tracks, they dig their ditch in a genius cunning way.
Impeach the populist bug through election times.
“ It’s hard to fathom why he would slip the noose on Robert Mueller’s testimony on Russia and then turn around the very next day and ask Ukraine to interfere in an American election.”
Not hard to fathom, really, when Donald knows a Republican Senate will literally let him get away with anything, as we will soon see.
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Despite the yammering and incessant pressure from some Democrats, Pelosi waited for exactly the right moment to strike. Beyond the "smartest person in Washington", her messaging is on point, including quoting Benjamin Franklin's "You have a Republic--if you can keep it."
Unfortunately, most of her fellow Democrats are horrible at messaging.
As the Republicans hammer away on Fox and other outlets with their crisp, relentless "Investigate Biden! He's the traitor! Witchhunt!" messages, the Democrats (with the exception of Pelosi and a few others) are not clearly, passionately countering them. Just as they did when Sarah Palin screamed "Death Panels" regarding the ACA, they failed to stop it dead in it's tracks, and it caught on. A repeat will be fatal for our democracy.
I happen to think Speaker Pelosi put off impeachment proceedings for too long. There are just so many obviously impeachable offenses issuing from the office of the child-like, corrupt clown president that is Mr. Trump.
I'm also willing to entertain the possibility that I may be wrong, and that Ms. Pelosi is deftly handling the situation. Really, now that she has set on her course of action, Donald Trump should be quaking in his boots, presuming he has even the minimal presence of mind to realize the fix he has made for himself.
I expect to witness quite a number of rats fleeing the sinking ship as this drama plays out. I'm looking forward to it.
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People with self-destructive behavior don't quit until they ruin their own lives. Hopefully Trump's deceit and lies are catching up with him. However, we have been here before and each time Trump escaped. Sadly, Trump is a leader of a cult made of millions so I am not holding my breadth.
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Trump is just terrible.
who comes next? Would America vote Elizabeth Warren president?
Rhetorical question? Why WOULDN’T a well-informed, thoughtful, forward-looking voter, or millions of them, vote for her?
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How fitting if Pence were to be caught up in this saga as well as Trump...President Pelosi.
Trump may think he is Superman but he has met his match in Nancy Pelosi aka KRYPTONITE.
Thank you madam speaker. You are the right person for this job. You go girl
I never doubted Nancy’s wisdom. Not even for a second.
Donald Trump has offered America nothing but proud, pathological Presidential criminality and corruption since this day he descended him s cheesy Trump Tower escalator in 2015.
It’s nice to see a strong woman and the House of Representatives defend the country and the United States Constitution from the criminal monarchy that is Russian-Republican-Trumpism.
"People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.”, said Richard Nixon
Thank you ,Nancy Pelosi.
(....and we could do without the juvenile wardrobe analysis, Maureen)
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Kudos to Matt Chase for his illustration of the presidential seal coming unsprung.
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The way Pelosi so effectively sends words into battle is reminiscent of Churchill. As she noted in her address announcing the opening of impeachment hearings, the times have found us. In Pelosi the times have found a leader fully up to the task of defending America against the vile designs of her soon to be deposed menace in chief.
Between the NYT, N Peloso, and M Dowd, not one of them thinks to identify a qualifying ground for impeaching the President. Talk about “betrayal of the Constitution,” which BTW is nothing but a slur and too vague to stand as the definition of a crime. The Ukraine call is not treason; Ukraine is not our enemy. Trump did not accept a bribe. And there is no felonious act nor misdemeanor. It’s laughable to hear media analysts label the call a campaign finance violation when no financial contribution was made to Trump. Shame on those so-called lawyers. It has not been shown Trump received any benefit. He’s the President drawing out a foreign head of state in order to get some sense of that country’s morality. Face it, Madam Speaker, this rush to impeachment is the real betrayal of the constitution.
@Thomas. Do some research dude! This is clear as a bell.
"Campaigns are prohibited from accepting contributions from certain types of organizations and individuals. These prohibited sources are: foreign nationals as defined by Federal Code 22 U.S.C. § 611(b) which defines a foreign principal as:
(1) a government of a foreign country and a foreign political party;
(2) a person outside of the United States, unless it is established that such person is an individual and a citizen of and domiciled within the United States, or that such person is not an individual and is organized under or created by the laws of the United States or of any State or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and has its principal place of business within the United States; and
(3) a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign country.
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Maureen Dowd just keeps getting better and better. Count me an avid fan of her canny critiques and scorching political weaponry, not to mention a great satirical wit. Her essay on Patti Smith was pure pleasure to all who cherish the artist in one's soul, those who still believe in beauty and truth.
She can write equally from both New York or LA and everywhere in between. And she has the White House hood down pat. Cudos to Maureen. You go girl!
Donald Trump: "Unfortunately, Nancy Pelosi is no longer the Speaker." No, Mr. President, unfortunately for YOU Nancy Pelosi IS the Speaker and she's doing a masterful job toying with your small mind. You've met your match, and Heavens to Betsy, it's a woman.
Bullies always think they are the toughest person in the room. Get in their face and, with your posture and tone, let them know 1) they are not going to get what they want, 2) you are fully prepared to get knocked down repeatedly and, barring a hematoma, will continue to get back up, and, 3) if they think you are incapable of putting some hurt on them, they are delusional. They back down every time. Every. Time.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not merely the smartest person in Washington, she is the toughest smartest person in Washington. Trump has never dealt with a tough and skilled woman like Pelosi. He has no idea what he is up against. She deals with spoiled children every day, and not all of them were elected!
Ever time either Pelosi or Trump comes on the TV screen, my wife gives the talking head that hilarious clap Pelosi gave Trump at the State of the Union. We both laugh.
Life is good.
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NRA MUST lose their tax exempt status! No politicking for a 501 c 3 corporation!
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Thank the heavens above that we have Nancy Pelosi in Washington. Just think what we'd have lost if her Italian relatives hadn't been allowed into the country!
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So, Trump's asking about the former VP's corruption constitutes seeking foreign intervention in a US election? Are you listening to yourselves?
He's the chief law enforcement officer of the land and has the duty to investigate corruption. He cannot ignore it for political reasons.
You cannot overstate the divide that this is causing in our country.
With the exception of the late night news (Brian Williams) before I go to bed, I have pretty much stopped watching or listening to the news.
The dog and I like to keep our TV on at night for company while we sleep, so we keep it on one of the old movie channels, playing with captions but no sound.
We recently discovered that it is possible to play old test patterns on YouTube, so we’ve begun experimenting with that.
Trump, I studiously avoid watching or listening to at all. I am mentally and physically repulsed by the man.
The Times I primarily read now for the books and movie news.
The new music and Facebook and Twitter and technology I don’t understand at all and this has become a great comfort to me.
My attic is full of old copies of Commentary magazine, Partisan Review and the New Republic which I root around in for reading material.
The lady who lives next door to me is a librarian who is great about bringing me books, DVDs and magazines she thinks I will like. Another lady in the neighborhood buys carry-out for me.
These are awful times, but thanks to The Whistleblower -- whoever it was --
my faith in humanity has been restored, so, for now, I remain optimistic about the country’s future and am planning to get front row seats for me and my dog in the spectacular celebrations that are about to occur.
Shana Tova and a Happy 5780 to all.
https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/5780-The-year-of-Jewish-unity-603088
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Speaker Pelosi is a brilliant political tactician! No clicking of "those sparkly slippers" needed.
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Trump always talks about how he punches back, and twice as hard as the received punch. But he never mentions that he only punches DOWN. Always to one he feels is weaker; always to one he feels can bully. But he's afraid of Nancy - she's a lot smarter than he is, and he doesn't know how to punch UP. It's easy to beat up those weaker than you. Trump doesn't have the intellectual strength or intelligence to go against one who is intellectually and morally far superior to him.
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The US is addicted to extreme over-reaction. It behaved exactly as the architects of 9/11 foresaw.
Speaker Pelosi knows the facts.
Nixon was impeached for corruption - This was a just impeachment.
Clinton was impeached for cheating on his wife by Newt Gingrich, a man who was cheating on his wife while she was in the hospital dying from cancer - This was a purely political impeachment.
Trump is a grossly unfit and unqualified man who has committed many "high crimes and misdemeanors" - This is a just impeachment but the GOP is so corrupt now they don't care.
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If the Nancy Pelosi in this interview weren’t human, she’d be a spider that ever so patiently spun an enormous web. Much to his oblivious surprise, Fly Face finally stepped into it. Now he’s stuck and squirming.
Duplicity is in his heart;
He plots evil all the time;
He incites quarrels.
Therefore calamity will come upon him without warning;
Suddenly he will be broken beyond repair. -- Proverbs 6:14-15
In the book of Proverbs, Wisdom is a woman who sits beside God while the Universe is created. How utterly fitting that she will now serve justice in the US House of Representatives.
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Speaker Pelosi is a brilliant political tactician! No clicking of "those sparkly slippers" needed.
Amen and Godspeed, Madam Speaker. This unspeakable grifter has caused enough damage, committed enough crimes, and illegally enriched himself enough. May he face the music in the Southern District of New York from whence he came.
Trump suggested to the press that it question VP Pence about his own contacts with Ukrainian leaders. Great idea. A memo or two about those discussions is also probably buried in the White House. Dig it up -- and start an impeachment inquiry about Pence. If they both get nailed, you know what that means: Nance Pelosi becomes president. Sweet justice.
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Pence is the real McGuffin in this travesty engineered to transform the US into a theocracy.
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Donald Trump is not a rouge agent that popped out of the Republican party just now to bring agony to the world, but the result of the Republican party that was born of Barry Goldwater and gave us Ronald Reagan. Trump is the end result of some 40 years of all that greed and fear. How perfect it is that Nancy Pelosi a mother of five and the embodiment of what Newt Gingrech sneeringly called San Francisco family values should be the one to quell this deep fever that is ailing us. I do not want to sound flippant , but it is Mama to the rescue and it will take some other Mamas to clean us this mess and lead us to recover our county and standing in the world. Can I get an Amen?
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The Speaker laid low in the pocket...game, set, match!
Unfortunately, Joe Biden's money-grubbing coke-head son has created such an unseemly impression by making more money from a few hours of "work" than many Americans make in a lifetime, by shamelessly trading on his father'sname and position in the White House, scamming correupt Ukrainian oligarchs by implying he had influence in Washington, that most Americans will have trouble distinguishing the nuances between Trump's actual abuse of the letter of the rule of law and Biden's seeming indulgence of his son's skirting on the edges of the spirit of the rule of law. Thanks Hunter, you immunized Trump against conviction in the Senate and may have guaranteed Trump's re-election. So how many grams of cocaine does $850,000 buy these days?
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Once again, “You did it first!” is offered by a spoiled child and the whole infantile Republican Party in defense of their own void of integrity.
If you're still defending Trump, move this scandal to your hometown:
Don's neighbor Volodymr is afraid he'll lose his house after losing his job when his workplace closed. Don gave Volodymr money before, so Volodymr asks Don for more money until he finds a new job.
Don owns a restaurant and is annoyed with a competing restaurant owner (lJoe) who’s been drawing away customers. Don hears through the grapevine that Joe’s son Hunter used to work at Volodymr’s old company, and there was gossip that Hunter was involved when the finance department at Volodymr’s old company misappropriated employee pension funds.
Don tells Volodymr: “If I give you that $10,000 loan, could you do me a favor?” Volodymr says, “What sort of favor?” Don says, “I want you to ask around and provide evidence that Hunter was involved with your old company's pension fund scandal. When that evidence is printed in all the papers and makes Hunter notorious, then I’ll give you that $10,000 loan.”
Volodymr is desperate for the money, but he knows that Hunter was not part of the pension fund scandal. He tells Don, “Look. Hunter was already investigated and cleared. I can't give you evidence of corruption when there was no corruption!” Don says, “Hey, those are my terms. If you want the 10K, you know what I want.”
This is the president that we have. A slimy, reprehensible heel. If Don thought Hunter really broke the law, he would have contacted local law enforcement--not bribed his desperate neighbor!
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Speaker Pelosi is a brilliant political tactician! No clicking of "those sparkly slippers" needed.
No one should EVER underestimate Speaker Pelosi!
Pelosi accurately predicted that Trump would impeach himself. Now, all that is needed is for him to sentence himself too, for the traitor he is.
Maybe in the middle of 5th Avenue?
Maureen, Just an FYI. SNL figured out his projecting behavior during the campaign. One of the shows where they parodied a debate. Trump (Alec Baldwin) tells Hilary (Amy Pollar) that she has orange hair etc etc.
Brilliant.
The funniest GOP talking point is how this contrived impeachment brouhaha is blocking the President's agenda for the nation. What agenda? Enriching himself and his cronies? Gutting environmental regulations? Caging babies? Blocking these atrocities used to be called "interventions', like the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
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I can’t help thinking that there may be more to Trump’s repeated statement that the phone call was “perfect.” He says it so often - calling a phone call perfect - that I think it means something specific and important to him. He’s not just saying that the call was good communication.
Let’s not forget Cohen’s testimony that Trump never makes explicit statements about what will happen if his wishes are not carried out. He has spent his entire life learning to speak in implication and inference, and avoiding direct evidence of explicit threats and intimidation.
A perfect phone call may be one delivered in the “mafia don” style that he has perfected over the years. He knows how it’s done, and he knows how to make veiled threats.
It sort of sounds like something he learned from someone like Roy Cohn. “Good job, Don, that was a perfect phone call.”
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Talk about having the right person in the right place at the right time. Come what may, we at least know it's being done correctly.
High heels for stomping out high crimes and misdemeanors!
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Nancy may prove to be America's best last hope.
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Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party stands as a "wall" between the U.S. and Putin. In my worst nightmares I fear the U.S. becoming a new "satellite country"
of the old U.S.S.R. Thank you Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic team.
Nice!
Enough said.
Trump always talks about how he always hits back, and twice as hard as the original puncher. But he doesn't mention the fact that he is only secure enough to do that when he can punch DOWN - he never is able to hit back effectively with someone who is stronger and smarter than he is. Trump is afraid of Nancy Pelosi - she is so much smarter than he is. So punching UP is something he never figures out how to do - he always ends up being rope-a-doped.
Pelosi brilliantly and simply allowed to rope to flow to Trump and Trump did the rest.
One day "no collusion" on the Mueller Report; the next day 100% collusion with Ukraine, with $400 million in US taxpayer dollars for extortion too, for good measure.
"Corruption in Ukraine! Corruption in Ukraine!"
Boy, you can sure say that again, Mr. Trump, as in YOU!
And this projection -- "Pelosi shouldn't be Speaker!" really means "I shouldn't be President!"
As Pelosi said earlier this year -- Trump is impeaching himself.
Now, attacking the staff who told the whistleblower about the call(s), Trump calls them "spies," and not so subtly says "you know how we used to treat traitors?" -- implying the death penalty. And there are clips where he has been talking this way about "traitors" and "treason" for a long time at his MAGA rallies. "Bing!" he would say, as he pretended to be pointing a gun, "You're dead!"
But Trump may be projecting again.
He is the ultimate Traitor.
His is the ultimate Treason.
He has the most power in the world, and so his abuse of this power is the greatest abuse in the world.
As Pelosi predicted -- Trump would impeach himself.
And now, by projection, he is sentencing himself too:
"Bing!"
Maybe we're not in Trumplandia any more, Toto...
Now that Pence is drawn into by Trump throwing him under the bus, maybe one great thing coming out of this constitutional mess is: President Nancy Pelosi!
"The speaker is in a fine mood, now that she’s turned her focus from reining in the progressives..."
One reason I, along with three quarters of the American public and one half of Democrats, think Nancy Pelosi should never have been elected to Speaker. People can't stand her. With an approval rating of only 27% she is even more unpopular than Trump, who comes in with a 40%. And this is the face of the Democratic resistance? This is who is going to lead the Democrats into battle? Once again, the Democrats will be slaughtered, but hey, she'll look marvelous in her pink pant suit and Christian Louboutin shoes.
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". . . what he really means is ‘I shouldn’t be president of the United States.’: Our Oval Office is vacant.
Recall Thomas Paine’s observation: “Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.”
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I do not see perspective, opinion or anything from your piece that makes me remember the wonderful, insightful piece you wrote before. I could count on you to see through issues and personalities and deliver journalistic knowledge. I miss that and do not see the need for a fashionIstic, snarky piece.
For Chris Wallace at Fox News to admit--“For all of the efforts of a lot of people defending the president to pretend this is nothing, it’s not nothing,” he added. “It’s something.” This is something also. Trump tries the patience of the most steadfast. This isn't Nancy caving-it's Trump the Gambler Miscalculating--
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
In the Count Jail
This is not a fair fight. Pelosi has intelligence, grit, and is a true leader.
Trump has.... Lindsay Graham???
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Mr. Trump seems to be betting/hoping that hackers from foreign governments helping him in 2020 is a more sure bet than the American public electing him. Let's see the other phone calls to Putin and the Saudi guy in the secret vault.
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I have not read the article yet. But please NYT, give props to the photographer for the photo on this article. You can just feel the weight of this situation. The B&W just distills it down to the essence of a person facing some difficult going ahead.
You should not be so easily impressed by a photo. Let's see action.
I find it mind boggling as to how we as a country got here and what we are doing. Has 40% of the country and 100% of the GOP really taken leave of their senses or is it simply a matter of the ends justifying the means? However, having a sociopath in the family, provides an enhanced perspective on how to deal with one. You can't. There is no negotiating, deals or agreements to be made - they do not honor nor do they value them - agreements are simply a step along the way to keep the game going. As brutal as it sounds, they must be removed from one's life, and in the case of the President, our lives. I have supreme confidence in Speaker Pelosi and we as a country must put aside our petty differences and give her all of our support. The troubling part is the number of people who should know better, but have put their own agenda over the good of the country.
Congress needs to get hold of that server, that is key to finding out what really has gone on in this administration. The Watergate investigation was floundering until Nixon's secret tapes were revealed by Alexander Butterfield.
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I'm hoping that Nancy Pelosi, who has shown how far a smart, fair, patient, and level-headed woman can go, will endorse Elizabeth Warren for President. I'm certain it will satisfy many women as well as many men to see woman-hater, woman-baiter Trump twice defeated by a women. And let both their careers be lessons to anyone who disbelieves or demeans a woman because of gender. I really do believe the world needs more female leaders precisely because our culture has vested the practical, conciliatory, long-range planning values we currently need for the freedoms and survival of our species in women more than in men.
"It’s hard to fathom why he would slip the noose on Robert Mueller’s testimony on Russia and then turn around the very next day and ask Ukraine to interfere in an American election."
Apparently he took the Mueller report as permission to conspire with a foreign country.
The Nancy Pelosi expressed her opinion with you and I agree with her (as I generally agree with you). So why am I so concerned (worried)? Her position as Speaker of the House of Representatives is burdened with tremendous Constitutional responsibility - every word that comes out of her mouth on social media and during interviews such as was this episode with you Ms. Dowd will only serve confuse opinionating with facts related to impeachable offenses by the President. I realize that this is your job as a journalist, but try to see my side of the argument. The Speaker should confine her discussions to reading a prepared script (or via a teleprompter).
Yeah, Madame Speaker, a wild week but also not really a surprise. Most credible people, when dodging the Mueller investigation hot potato on Russian collusion would pull back at least for a while. But no, William Barr did him no favors, loving the irony here, by announcing nothing to see, folks. So Mr. Trump took the all clear message and escalated his behavior from offensive to illegal.
Bad advice due, no doubt, to your visceral need to hear what agreed with your warped self image. When you fire everyone who tells you the truth, well, duh, here we are. Had you taken your Mueller lumps as they came, no one really got it anyway, you would not be staring down the barrel of the NRA to pay upcoming legal bills from competent lawyers who demand it up front. Dead children don't matter to them, only profit and power. This time the opposition is ready. You may not lose your base but you just might lose everyone else.
Donald Trump has clearly never given a moment's thought to our Constitution, or the law. Unfortunately for him, he has Mr. Barr and Mr. Giuliani to explain the path for him. How's that going?
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Maureen gives Pelosi a pass by not asking her to comment on the ethically challenged Biden and son facts.
The Democrats and especially Elizabeth Warren cannot have it both ways, does honesty and integrity in government only apply to Republicans or does it also apply to the Clinton's and Joe Biden.
I will continue to vote Green Party until the Democrats sort this out.
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I am unexpectedly delighted with Speaker Pelosi
As Frank Rich pointed out in his piece this week, if Pence is brought down along with Trump, Nancy Pelosi will become President!
@Steve Barnett: No Wonder Moscow Mitch (MM) is as silent as a church mouse!
I guess it's pretty assured that MM WON'T bring the matter before the Senate "court."
She has the “bully pulpit” now and it is just great!
Maybe she will run for President...that would be kinda neat!
Timing is everything and Nancy's was perfect. Her patience will be rewarded I sincerely hope; and also her schooling of numerous freshman female congresswomen, among them The Squad and The Badasses. Somehow it is only fitting that women play a major role in seeing that the rotten peach is removed from the people's house. He really doesn't deserve to go home. He deseves prison. But getting him out of those hallowed halls is the first and biggest step. I suspect justice will be nipping at his heels the rest of his life, barefooted as he is likely to be.
It never ceases to amaze me how frightened Trump is of intelligent women -- not necessarily powerful women like the Speaker but just plain vanilla intelligent women.
The Speaker has not acted precipitously on the most serious matter of impeachment. My guess is, if Trump weren't such a dolt she would not have moved on impeachment. But he is and she did.
Well done, Madam Speaker.
For those that give trump's behavior a pass, with the argument that that’s “just trump being himself" is to encourage trump to further castrate our government. It is not okay to solicit a foreign government’s assistance to interfere in our election.
To give trump a pass is to be responsible for and further encourage trump to rule the U.S. while stealing his second election. Meanwhile, trump continues to disparage our Intelligence Community while making deals with dictators and extorting small vulnerable nations for personal gain.
Road sign as a prelude to enabling trump to date: “Bridge Out Ahead.”
If all the possible candidates are in some way indicted, fired or quit, who will govern our nation? It will be an immediate crisis constructed by trump.
There are hundreds of vacancies up and down the line of career officials and employees. Read this March 2019, NBC news article and imagine: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/help-wanted-trump-administration-riddled-vacancies-n983036
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Nancy Pelosi may well be the best politician in a generation. I am astounded by her skill set. Many forget that she is a D’Alesandro. Given her navigation of the ACA bill, I cannot wait to see what she does with the impeachment inquiry. It will be smart, deft and overpowering.
Trump never should have made it out of the Primaries. Only Adults Vote. All reasonably intelligent Adults knew..it ...Wasn't all Locker Room Talk ! He criticized and berated everyone from women to Gold Star Families to former POW's...and now he's reached the threshold of his bullying with his comments about Greta Thunberg..a child !! Yet too many American ...Adults ...decided Voting for someone like this is a good idea. They enjoy the drama and the world of Alternative facts and deception. Cohen and Mueller's testimonies were essentially disregarded. It's as if the truants have taken over the class and the rules have been thrown out! Often the Trump camp will say the American People Voted for this President. It was a minority of American people with the help of the Electoral College that put him in office. Many young and old Americans didn't Vote and don't like our current situation. I'll never forget the photo of Trump in the White House laughing with the Russians telling them he had fired Comey. Maybe the GOP,Barr,and Fox Nation think all this is ok...but the majority of us don't. He would never have been elected or would have been impeached long ago were it not for his enabling GOP and Fox Nation. Perhaps he will be Impeached and Indicted as well. Perhaps our political landscape will be weeded and cleaned up. Perhaps we can appreciate better our Constitution and Democracy and restore our standing in the world. Perhaps? It's a question that will ultimately answered shortly!
Her penchant for those high heeled “sparkly slippers” is something that really bugs me about Pelosi. How can such an intelligent, powerful woman have a thing for stilettos? As a symbol of the objectification and intentional hobbling of modern women, the stiletto shoe is loaded. It’s a form of foot binding. No woman has a strong, assertive stride when she’s tottering on two skinny spikes. I saw Pelosi mincing away from the dais in her five inch heels — after delivering that powerful punch to the press — and I wanted to yell at her and say, “Get some sensible footwear, for crying out loud!”.
Why put that limitation on yourself? Why tolerate the pain? Why damage your feet for fashion? Who are you doing that for?
That question extends to other women who want to be taken seriously. When CNN used to show Erin Burnett in full view, sitting at a table, she was always wearing stilettos. Why? What’s the message there?
Yes, there are bigger issues in the news right now. But we women need to be warriors. And warriors can’t fight in stilettos.
From,
A woman who hasn’t worn heels since the 1990s and doesn’t care what men, or women, think about my comfortable footwear. I can run when I need to.
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What I read here, in way, is a Maureen Dowd apology -- done in her own way. Many of us who read these pages felt at first perplexed, then stabbed in the heart with her 2016 columns giddy about Trump.
Now here, in this column I read a clear-eyed assessment of our current political nightmare and Speaker Pelosi's role as a moral, measured counterpoint. It's as close as we'll ever get to an admission from Ms. Dowd that she played to the Trump cheap seats for far, far too long, and that Trump has plunged the country into deep trouble. If I can read even a bit of atonement here, and I think I can, it's at least something from someone with so much power with a pen.
And the tell? Not a mention of Barry or the Clintons. Yeah, she's finally focused on our country's serious horror show she helped create.
Don't mess with Grandma Pelosi. She knows a thing or two about disciplining misbehaving toddlers including presidential babies.
Maureen. Pelosi is the strong one like Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Trump is just a snake-oil salesman hum-bug, like Professor Marvel who masqueraded as "The Wizard" in Oz. Though, if you were more familiar with "The Wizard of Oz" (MGM, 1939) script, you'd have written the correct word of "tapping," versus the oft repeated erroneous "clicking" for how Dorothy gets back home to Kansas--which still goes for Trump, the humbug of all humbugs.
We need to stop dancing around. It is not betrayal. It is treason. Asking foreign countries to interfere in our elections is treason. Period.
Truly a great speaker. Tip of the hat to the fine and fearless (“wry fearlessness” David Remnick in current New Yorker magazine) Nancy Pelosi.
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Democrats feel good because they are finally starting to go through the mess, puncture the crust of spin and dissembling that conceals it, and sweep it into large, stinking piles. It will be up to the Senate Republicans to either throw the piles out or leave them stinking on the floor. In either case, the piles will be there in plain sight and smell for all who do not deliberately avert their eyes and become mouth breathers to avoid the stench. Republicans will find out (and show us) how strong their stomachs are and how much garbage they can live with and eat.
In terms of her constitutional role, Pelosi can do no more. But she has decided that now is the opportunity to do no less.
What a great word, "betrayal." Another great word is "ghoul."
I always think of the word "ghoul" when I see Rudy Guiliani.
Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in. Play ball with him or he will punish you. Withhold Ukraine's military aid. Dirty California's air. Send refugees to even more dangerous countries than they came from. Refuse to let ANY refugees in, no matter how much they are suffering. Trump gets impeached and his response is to bring in the NRA. Essentially saying "If you impeach me, I'll contribute to and not stop mass murder". Before that they would not give him the wall "Oh, yeah, don't give me my wall and I'll rip children from their parents' arms." This is a guy who doesn't just have temper tantrums. He punishes innocent people until you do what he wants. And he has lots of people in America who are just fine with that. Not just fine. They can't get enough of it. Bet if Melania confronts him, he holds up deportation papers for her parents. And yells "Now shut up and get back to being First Lady". The kind of guy Mitch and Lindsay just can't get enough of.
It should take a strong and principled woman to take down this misogynistic toddler. The ironies abound, from the secret servers to the secret ransoms, and it takes speaker Pelosi who has been smeared and ridiculed by angry and cowardly extremists to bring us back to the rule of law.
I am loving how Trump is being outfoxed by a woman, given the raving misogynist he is. And what a mismatch: Pelosi, cool, calculating versus Trump, irascible, impulsive. This is high drama Washington at its most intriguing.
I've long enjoyed reading Maureen Dowd, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why she has to include descriptions of women's clothing,
Trump has more than met his match in Nancy Pelosi. His Teflon days are over now.
This past summer often at the end of the day, I would sit on my deck overlooking Lake Michigan and imagined the waves rolling in to be the lies, tweets, deeds and quotes from our president that showed up daily, stupid and dumb stuff, often criminal in scope. Then I thought, “Yeah, but a big wave is coming.” and in Trump’s case it did. Pelosi was right to wait on impeachment and the big one. Jeopardizing our national security, vis-a-vis Russia, withholding aid to Ukraine after it was passed by Congress, for personal reasons to help him with his election is the coffin nail. True, there may not be 20 Republican senators found to support impeachment, but this party (and perhaps even their party) will be over when they are forced to vote on it.
When my friends ask me who I think should run and would be a good president I tell them Nancy Pelosi. She has the brains and experience and her heart in the right place. I know this is unlikely, but they ask and that's my answer. I can dream, can't I?
To me it is remarkable that Trump hasn’t been impeached ten times over. He will remain the worst president ever elected in our history: the most corrupt, the most self-serving, the least effective, and the most narcissistic man to ever hold the office. As a friend of mine told me the other day, it will take fifty years to undo the damage that has been done by this man and is entourage.
Maureen writes: "Hasn’t Trump learned his lesson about scummy quid pro quos? It’s hard to fathom why he would slip the noose on Robert Mueller’s testimony on Russia and then turn around the very next day and ask Ukraine to interfere in an American election."
I hesitate to focus on just one of Trump's gazillion flip-flops, but this one, captured nicely by Ms. Dowd, seems to capture his personality to a T. Trump calls Mueller's investigation "a witch hunt" designed to ruin him and then tells us that Mueller "exonerated" him. Huh? is it that Mueller is so inept that he can't even conduct a proper witch hunt? Or is that the Mueller investigation didn't really "exonerate" Trump? Only Trump can have it both ways -- and in one sentence!
Nancy Pelosi grew up in learning to count votes and trade horses at her father's knee, the redoubtable Mayor Thomas D'Alassandro, Jr. in my home town of Baltimore. Her brother, Tommy, as mayor, gave me my high school diploma on the stage of the old Baltimore Civic Center. She's a product of The Institute of Notre Dame High School, where the nuns were absolutely no nonsense, and the education was excellent. Nancy Pelosi was nobody's fool from day one, and she is smarter and a better politician than either her father or her brother.
"I’m focused on the president,” she says, adding disgustedly about Rudy Giuliani: “I mean, that’s almost like a joke.”
This is Rudy's legacy, this is how he will be recorded in history. Too bad, Rudy. You could have gone to posterity with dignity, honor, integrity as "America's Mayor" for your heroic presence and oversight of the real heroes on 9/11... but you threw it all away. And for Trump. Think about that, Rudy. For Trump. Sad.
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The right person is in the right place at the right time as America is facing a turning point in its history. Speaker Pelosi, the floor is yours.
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Regardless of Speaker Pelosi's realization that the price of an Impeachment inquiry is very, very risky for all involved, she had no choice after the news of the whistler blower report.
It's a house of card now for the Trump Presidency and their has been plenty of smoke but no fire...yet. This next chapter may begin to reveal the highly dysfunctional, unethical, embarrassing and now possibly criminal inner working of the Trump White House.
Will the President lose his job because of this? The short answer is yes but not by impeachment, but by the American electorate who collectively will come to the painful realization that we made a a very, very awful, irresponsible, and asinine mistake in making this man Commander in Chief.
It will take at least the next two Administrations to undo the damage that he, his team, and his policies have down to America and the world.
I don't know what worse, Trump or the nearly 50% of Americans who enable him 24/7.
Regardless both are in clear in denial of the true reality of how low we have sunk as country along with the completely infectiousness of both parties in Congress to get anything done.
"The man who always claims the system is rigged against him keeps trying to rig the system — proving Pelosi’s point that Trump projects."
Bravo Maureen Dowd. When your are this good, you are great.
I am terrified though about the warnings of Ross Douthat and David Brooks.
Ross warned, Trump really wants this, because, it changes the discussion from about his lousy record, to his
Clearly clairvoyant on the part of MD and NP. I feel better already!
Noting that Nancy Pelosi spoke at Cokie Roberts' funeral, was the ultimate compliment Ms. Dowd could have paid the speaker. And a reflection of the level of integrity with which Ms. Pelosi will lead the impeachment process.
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Riddle me this, Trumpanzees -- If Hilary Clinton, while Sec of State, had called the German chancellor and asked her to investigate Trump and his children's business ties to Deutsche Bank, would you not all be caterwauling about prison and treason?
One thing that's always irksome is to see serious articles about Trump's crimes, then worthless propaganda stories about Trump insulting honest people. Maybe serious will someday prevail.
And your brother Kevin? Is he still on board with a president who railed against the charges of asking for foreign interference and lived under that charge for two years and then turned around in a day and did it again? Does he have any thoughts about what else is in the high security server? Is a vote for trump still better than a vote for Hillary?
I agree about Trump projecting. I think he is transferring also. When he opened his mouth and asked the Russians to find emails, he showed himself a big clown riding in a small car. The little hat with the twirling tassel that rests on his head is his crown of cuteness, placed there by those who do his bidding. He won't last, but those who follow him will and they are the ones who should be forbidden to vote, or at least restricted.....let's gerrymander them all.
Oh, what a Tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
There's some poetic justice in that if Donald absolutely, positively had to be grabbed, it was done by a woman with long fingers.
The Statue of Liberty looks more and more like Speaker Pelosi, all the time.
Pelosi is a genuine political leader and highly reliable member of Congress. She’s one of the people who makes America great, despite it’s many imperfections.
Trump is the biggest fake and conman who ever ascended to the Presidency. He makes no effect to fulfill the responsibilities of the office and uses the discretions allowed the President to facilitate the separation of powers as a license to use the government for personal gain. He mocks this country and every decent person who is a citizen of it.
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God bless America. And God bless the lady in the pink pants suit and sparkly pink high heels!
I was hoping that Trump would be removed from the White House in 2021 like a January Christmas tree; I may have been a year off.
"Is the highchair king about to have his most epic tantrum yet?"
It's a great question, with pinpoint sarcasm.
Nothing but a Big Baby and too much of a coward to be honest about himself.
He knows he's a failure, and he can't stand the reality of his situation --- so he kicks back all the time, like a child who never receives sincere recognition and love.
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Speaker Pelosi is so much smarter, so much more capable, and so much more ethical than Donald Trump that I feel it's a shame that she should ever have to be in his presence.
The house might vote articles of impeachment, but 'Moscow Mitch' and his friends in the senate will never convict, if they even let it come to a vote. And remember, that would give us President Mike Pence. Ewe!
The best outcome of this is that the corruption of all of the various players is laid bare in stark simple terms that even those blinded by red MAGA hats see the truth before the next election.
Mr. Trump's home may very well end up a jail cell. At least the outfit will match his hair. There's always a silver lining.
Seeing as Pence is neck deep in the Ukrainian soup, it may be that he and Trump will go down together (along with many others I am sure, if this thing actually takes wing). What a happy dance we'll all dance at Pelosi's swearing in, if so.
Years from now, I think Trump will be most remembered for that 4th of July show he put on. Don't ya think?
Selected quotes from President Trump about Nancy Pelosi, who I think will be considered an American hero in the future:
1. "She's a nasty, vindictive, horrible person.”
2. “I think she's a disgrace. I don't think she's a talented person,”
3. "She's incapable of doing deals."
4. "I think she's very bad for our country,"
5. "She doesn't mind human trafficking"
6. "She's a mess. Look, let's face it... she's disintegrating."
I don't think our President should speak of the Speaker of the House like this. Our elected officials should speak with respect to each other setting examples for our children. When folks wonder why their children talk back and are rude, look no further than the Oval Office. The Speaker of the House is next in line after the VP for Presidential succession, Nancy Pelosi is an immensely powerful woman who speaks with power and should be respected as such. For Ms. Pelosi to begin this impeachment inquiry, she must know the evidence of malfeasance exists and President Trump may actually be frightened - if he has that emotion.
He released it. He just *released* it. A transcript that essentially speaks of quid pro quo: how good America's been to the United States, doing him a favor, looking into a political opponent and even sending a personal lawyer to pick up the information. I feel like this should be the Democrats accomplishment, where, after months of effort, they could be all "Here, look at this proof of treason that we found!" And he just... released it.
How does the Democratic investigation even work? Does Adam Schiff call the White House to say, "Hey Donald, I'm swinging by this weekend, please have the incriminating documents all wrapped up and ready for me"?!
Trump is inherently, innately corrupt. It’s not a choice. It is who he is. Prosecutors have the burden of proving the act and the state of mind. The acts here are in plain view but what was his intent? Did he have criminal intent? It’s an interesting defense but maybe Trump’s best shot is “I didn’t form criminal intent. That’s just who I am.” American voters knew this when they elected him.
Anyone who thinks Moscow Mitch will ever allow articles of impeachment on the Senate floor is living in a delusional world.
Trump would love running the election on this issue as he has zero accomplishments to run on.
Thank you, Nancy Pelosi. I am grateful for her measured, intelligent presence in Washington where the president and his sycophants may finally be exposed for the charlatans they are.
The sooner the House can vote for impeachment the sooner the Senate can dismiss it. Go, Nancy, I'm behind you 100%.
I find it fascinating that Nancy Pelosi has brilliantly treated Trump the way a parent raises a wayward child. Trump is the child who spent many decades being spoiled by sycophants, greedy banks, media desperate for ratings, and a Republican Party that had become so corrupt and so utterly devoid of ideas that they desperately hitched their wagon to the god of Trump who could do no wrong.
Along comes Pelosi and just says "no". She listens to Trump's temper tantrums and just says "no". He yells and screams and she just says "no".
Meanwhile the Republicans have embarrassed themselves falling all over to be the first to gain favor with their master Trump.
It's beginning to look like the 2020 election will be nothing more than a sideshow, which makes sense. Trump is nothing more than a carnival barker. It remains to be seen if there are any Republicans who've grown tired of being his willing stooges.
Nancy Pelosi is a towering figure in American history, Her achievements, intellect, judgment, ability to work with others and get things done, all with with consummate grace and humility make her an historic figure. Oh, and she's all-woman, adding immeasurably to her impact. As a politician and human being, she's way over Trump's pay grade. See this accounting of her many accomplishments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Pelosi
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Don't we all wish we could click those ruby slippers and wake up safe and sound in our own beds with the everything Trump just a bad dream.
She’s more beautiful than ever.
Breathe it in. I'm beginning to smell the Schadenfreude but it's just simmering, like last night's homemade marina sauce. But I made enough sauce to use it in other recipes; it will flavor so many meals.
The irony in this continuing saga is worthy of Shakespeare: the misogynist being brought to heel by a powerful woman. A woman, who like the Italian mother and grandmother she is, patiently waited for the boys to actually become the men they pretend to be, until the one thing happened that threatened what she has vehemently protected for her entire career: The Constitution of the United States.
Perhaps the universe knew that the only person who could effectively put a stop to the Mafia Don operating out of the White House would be an Italian grandmother.
Breathe it in.
I wonder how many death threats Ms. Pelosi gets, probably uncountable. That is one of the clearest distinctions between right wingers and...well, normal people. I wish her and all supporters of common sense the best. This nightmare will end.
Re Mbakerz' opening line is the key to what is driving Trump nuts. Agreed, well done Madam Speaker. And Ms Dowd's presentation just rubbed it in to Trump (sorry, I cannot use a honorific for him.
And to think we recently depicted Nancy Pilosi as out of touch! She rules the House with deliberate caution and intelligent vigor. I can finally sleep at night knowing there’s an adult in the house to keep a watch against the craven GOP toadies who have displayed their hypocrisy overturning any sensible Republican views they once professed. At last!
I'm a middle-aged white guy nearing social security, and I can say without hesitation that will we need the women of this nation to save our nation. Full stop.
Nancy Pelosi is a brave and wise woman.
“'I’ve said before, I do not have the medical background to analyze the president’s behavior,' Pelosi says."
Pelosi throws shade like no one else.
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My sense is that the CIA actually worked with the Whistleblower.
This is said not as a negative but as an understanding of how the process has worked. The "complaint" is so well written, footnotes, bibliography, etc.
I am not sure I like the process, but am thankful that we have a someone, or some government employees that are watching over "us".
Never come to a vote in the House. A vote on impeachment will cost the Democrats control of the House. Nancy knows this and is smart enough to control the process. Just politics as it was with Bill Clinton. What actions by a president can result in conviction after impeachment-no President has ever been convicted!
I hope all future communications from Trump come through Pelosi's spot-on Trump Projection Translator. It would clarify his mind for the rest of America not living in his fantasy.
"Pelosi is not the House Speaker" = "I am not the President".
"It was a perfect conversation with the Ukraine President"= Deep Something
"I didn't do anything. I don't know if I'm the most innocent person in the world"= Uh, No.
When Trump compared himself to Abraham Lincoln- "Yeah, I have better hair than him" = Prepare the Rubber Room after this impeachment inquiry is over.
I really, really want the whistle blower to turn out to be a woman. Now, THAT would be a “perfect” scenario. I at least hope whoever’s writing the fictional rip-off of this saga - I’m talking to you, James Patterson - will give me the satisfaction of that magnificent plot twist. Please?
The WB complaint says Pence also repeated Trump’s corruption message when he met with the new Ukrainian President in Warsaw. If Pence is part of this conspiracy then he must be investigated and potentially impeached, too.
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Pelosi came around to using the word "betrayal." Why isn't she, and why aren't others in a position to make a difference in this investigation, telling it like it really is and using the word "treason"?
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Speaker Pelosi is wise in biding her time, thinking strategically not acting emotionally.
The Republican Party has evolved into the Cult of Trump, and it behaves much like other cults. A cult is led by a charismatic leader who is portrayed as divine and above the laws of humans (Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Mao, Castro, Trump); he creates an ideology (America was great before the civil rights era), articulates a cause (Make America Great Again); tests his assistants' dedication (Comey); identifies its enemies (Democrats, Liberals, immigrants); personifies the enemies (Hilary Clinton, George Soros, Speaker Pelosi); whips up enthusiasm of the cult members for the cause and against the enemies (Lock Her Up); appoints enforcers (Giuliani, McConnell); finds a source of funding (Plutocrats, the NRA); implements a plan to crush the enemies (investigations, prosecutions); demonstrates ruthlessness in destroying perceived traitors ("spies...treason" Comey, Sessions).
Cults grow by recruiting innocents and subverting them to accept the alternative reality of the cult. Once subverted debunking is fruitless and logic is irrelevant because they believe they are following the will of god.
The weak link of a cult is the divinity of the leader as perceived by the followers.
Quick impeachment is ill advised. Removal takes Republican support in the Senate. Let the evidence accrue that the Cult of Trump is led by a charlatan. Let the little boy point out that the emperor has no pants.
Ms. Dowd now has her second prince(ss)ly interview within a week or so: first Patti Smith and now Nancy Pelosi. All she had to do was ask the right questions and record the highly intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful answers.
Trump projects! I am happy to see the possibly smartest person in D.C. say it out loud. It's the clue to all his behavior.
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Why on earth do you focus on what Speaker Pelosi is wearing! She is standing tall without needing to describe her high heels. Would your columnist have added what Trump is wearing ? I don’t think so. Even though the click those sparkly pick slippers is a clever line, come on, threre is still a double standard.
My unalloyed fantasy has both Trump and Pence impeached and Pelosi becoming president. She’d have this country whipped into shape in no time.
Are we sure there are no phone recordings a la Nixon?
Just think, if Pelosi can impeach Trump and then Pence, she will be President. I'd call that a Win! Win! Win!
Nancy Pelosi may beat Elizabeth Warren to be the first female president.
Trump will clearly be gone sooner rather than later; however, Pence, who has changed his blind faith from following Jesus to following Trump, is also clearly caught up in this.
"Madam President": these words sound so beautiful in my ears
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Nancy Pelosi and Maureen Dowd between them craft an almost perfect description of our looking-glass world, where lies are truth and expertise is not welcome.
The wonderful symmetry of Trumpistanians' collusion to rig the election being the one thing that persuades us all that an election won't fix this is just the point.
Enough corruption. I want real patriots. Life is more important than killing. Working together is the way forward; victim-blaming is retrograde.
Enough!
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We really shouldn't be here, in this position with such an unfit, unprepared and uneducated person in this nation's highest office, because he should NEVER have been elected, but he was and we are. The fact that Trump gifted us factual evidence of actively and personally participating in behavior he denied vociferously as he sweated out Mueller's long investigation, is just plain Christmas come early. There can be good arguments that this should've happened weeks, months or even years ago, but this situation now seems the most appropriate because it cuts through a lot of his empty rhetoric on claiming it was Democrats stealing elections at the ballot box. Hopefully Democrats will remind the electorate of that blatant hypocrisy.
I agree that we need to pray for our country, which was placed in the hands of an unfit miscreant of mammoth proportions in 2017. We must claw back our country and begin repairs. This has been the longest and most surrealistic period in our history. The whole country keeps being gaslit by Trump and his GOP enablers. We must gird for battle with these evil forces.
“‘Betrayal’ was a word that my members wanted me to use,” she says. “I didn’t have that in my original statement. Betrayal of the Constitution. Betrayal of our national security. Betrayal of the integrity of our elections.”
Trump tells us that the whistle-blower report indicates people are “spying” on him. He then patently suggests that those responsible within the intelligence community should be put to death.
If that is not enough to send the coldest and darkest chill down your spine, then what is?
If we as a people lack the resolve to convince our elected officials to impeach and convict this president, then the America we have always known no longer exists.
That will be our new – and desolate – reality.
Great insight once again! Pelosi seems wiser that she waited to impeach. She now has most serious violations of the Constitution that, surely, Republicans cannot ignore. Bravo to Ms. Dowd for pronouncing the whip is so rightly and apropos in a woman’s hand!
AND there will be comments which say:
''Impeachment proceedings will very likely be so good for President Trump and so bad for Democrats that they might have to report them as an in-kind donation to his campaign''.
- or something like that.
So - Please don't believe a single word of such a argument - as NOBODY on this planet will hate the impeachement more than Trump himself.
It will completely, totally and absolutely wreck his handicap - and as the only thing Trump really is interested in - is Golfing - he never ever will be able to enter a respectable Golf Club again.
Like: Club Doorman to trump:
We don't let ''the impeached play here''
Capisce?
When the chid just won't learn from his/her mistakes, they must be sent to the corner.
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Brilliant exchange ( though brief) between two of the brightest people protecting our government and our sanity
One does not need to be a psychoanalyst to fathom why Trump would solicit Ukrainian president Zelensky immediately after the Muller hearings. One need only to consult the ancient Greek tragedy Agamemnon by Aeschylus. Agamemnon's downfall, as hopefully Trump's, was driven by his hubris, a Greek word meaning "foolish arrogance and excessive self confidence that eventually leads an ambitious person to their downfall". Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia, to preserve himself. His fragile self revealed that he cared more about satisfying his own needs for power and glory and pride in his reputation, than for his own child. Sound familiar? Poor Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric, Tiffany, and Baron. They must know the shallowness of their father's love, the boundlessness of his hate, and the virulence of his hubris, the affliction of all humans who would be gods.
Time for freshman/woman Democrats to understand they are as nothing next to Speaker Pelosi. Do they have the maturity to follow their leader?
Nancy Pelosi has the calm, honest, focused, drive that will lead others on both sides of the aisle with calm , honest, focused , drive to keep our country from derailing altogether ... that is leadership... way to go , Senator!!
Short of Nancy waving her magic wand and turning Trump into a big orange pumpkin, maybe the House could threaten to release his tax returns. That seems to scare him more than anything & might get him to resign. But Nixon was smart enough to resign; Trump is not and makes Nixon look sane by comparison.
Trump is a cautionary tale, and it may be well worth considering having presidents evaluated for mental stability. But first, make the limits & responsibilities of the executive power of the president clear.
There is a big to-do list post Trump & his GOP reign of terror.
The day after Hillary had the presidency stolen from her by a complete charlatan it was perhaps the worst I've felt ever about being an American. I actually felt afraid. So afraid in fact that I took my Hillary sticker off the back of my car. The reason was because as a woman my country had just told me that I could be physically assaulted, called a dog, locked up for no crime and generally humiliated just on the basis of my sex. I was afraid that those folks at the trump rally would yell terrible things at me or damage my car. Perhaps I was overreacting but that is how I felt. As if I'd been "officially" downgraded as a person and a citizen.
It is exceptionally apt that Nancy be the leader who calls this man to task. It is exceptionally apt that the now Democratic Congress are full of women elected in 2018 to do exactly what they're doing right now. I am in full and complete agreement with Representative Pressley on how this president should be handled.
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Reality Sandwich (AG & Dean: this deserves a big gulp):
"They're doing their quote-unquote inquiry. I think the Ukraine issue raises a lot of questions and I think it is for an investigative committee, it is fodder they can spend months, one witness after another, one witness after another, on all sort of different tracks,” Cuomo said. “Where does it go ultimately? Nowhere, because even if they vote for impeachment, it goes to the Senate and it wouldn't happen in the Senate.”
"So my guess is that this continues and blends into the presidential campaign. The problem with that is that nothing else is going to get done between now and then," he said.
The only Trump adversary who was underestimated more was Hillary and the 2016 Republican field, and Mueller.
What's most remarkable to me, throughout the entire fiasco of the Trump presidency, is how few people in power positions have been willing to run to the switch, pull the alarm and scream 'The house is on fire and theres the arsonist!!' In fact, I count exactly one: the as-yet unknown whistleblower.
Administration officials, ex-administration officials, members of the Republican Party, even investigators, I'm thinking Robert Mueller here, have been silent, helping turn the obvious into the improbable.
All of these mostly high profile individuals have been 'good Germans' who, when it all falls apart, will be looking at the rubble saying 'How could we have known?'
Anyone who would be interesting in reading a play, a parody of a disgraceful period in history, should read 'The Firebug' (Biedermann und die Brandstifter) by Max Frisch. It speaks of willful ignorance, collusion, arson and, finally, a house on fire.
Thank you, Nancy. Things were getting a little scary for awhile.
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when speaking about impeachment on " morning Joe" Nancy Pelosi made a comment that she also thought Russia might be involved.
She might want to look at any conversations Trump had with Putin. Trump is reckless enough to have promised Putin to help him out in Ukraine.
I hope this puts to rest all the talk about Pelosi not being up to challenge.
Pelosi and the rest of the democratic leadership patiently gave Trump enough rope. This violation of the constitution is of his own making. It's getting interesting. Thank you House Speaker Pelosi.
Ms. Dowd: Reading your commentary always gives me hope. Your columns are evidence that it's possible to explain this train wreck with a little wry humor.
A little laughter could help get us through all this, until we arrive a place and time when we can all rebuild America together.
Donald always implodes because nothing & no amount of vicious pain he insults others with can fill his deep voids. Whether or not you recall his business batting average of 16:1 failures to successes, you see before you the angriest at heart little boy. He has no mature skills of dealing with women or men. He only believes he must score by destruction of any opponent. His real problem? Donald cannot play or interact by civil terms because he has no concept of civility. In the end he will have burnt out because his fuel cannot match a nation of laws. WE maintain our republic and yes, we can keep it Mr. Franklin. If in fact it's us vs. Trump & his henchmen, so be it. We are in for a bumpy ride but, Nancy & a Democratic house drives the bus. Where will Donald get off?
May the Force be with our favorite Madam Speaker. She has kindled a small flutter of hope in our despondent hearts. May her "virile" and "manly" patriotism put all of Trump's trembling minions to shame! The disgraceful GOP congressmen and senators who blindly repeat Trump's talking points should have the American flags ripped from their lapels... Their collusion with Trump's lawlessness mocks the memory of the Americans who died on the beaches of Normandy and at the battle of Yorktown..
1
Mme. Speaker is just the best we have. Godspeed, Nancy Pelosi.
Trump does 'project' hurling accusations that embody his own guilty anxieties. But he also tries the #1 con man posturing- big hype in the face of scathing critiques. His call to Zelensky was "perfect'- meaning what ?
What is a perfect conversation when 300 bipartisan national security experts smell a rat ?
Trump's pandering to Putin , buried in a Biden smear and 'exonerating' Russian meddlers ("we do it too...") by trying to pivot blame on poor disheveled Ukraine, is now blatant evidence he is under Putin's thumb. Unequivocally obvious. Whether this is due to financial coercion that tax returns will expose or other leverage Putin has on Trump is yet to be uncovered. Maybe this inquiry can answer this basic question: what is trump's motive for such flagrant betrayal of the national interest in service of his own ?
1
Sorry, insider trading and I do not get along.
Caption: Nancy Pelosi says she always thinks President Trump is projecting: “When he says ‘She’s not the speaker of the House,’ what he really means is ‘I shouldn’t be president of the United States.’”
I try to remind myself of that very fact, over and over: Trump accuses others of what he knows because he does it. Pelosi is so smart!
2
Thanks for the breath of fresh air. We all knew it was just a matter of time that given enough rope Mr. Trump would gleefully tie the rope around his own neck and jump from the Trump Tower whilst ranting that he was pushed. The irony that Trump is now being put to task by a woman is fantastic!
"How delicious that a woman has the whip hand."
"How delicious that a woman has the whip hand." Too true!
"How delicious that a woman has the whip hand." Almost too true!
Thank you for the black and white photograph with this column. The
Speaker's age is beautiful; her face inspiring. Not only a woman, but a woman with a grandmother's hands. I am grateful that she is in charge, and comfortable with power, since part of our impatience as Democrats and women rises up from accumulated rage centuries old that is almost wild in its energy. She can strategize while some of us are still simply howling.
3
This quote is important: "The man who always claims the system is rigged against him keeps trying to rig the system — proving Pelosi’s point that Trump projects." I think many of Mr. Trump's statements are secret "slips" and projections (actually, Trevor Noah pointed this out at the beginning of this presidency, too). What bothers me is that the American people can tolerate him as long as he is producing results: a better economy, more jobs, better healthcare, affordable healtcare. But has he really contributed to any of these? Has locking up people trying to come to our country across our borders "saved" jobs or made our country "safer"? Has re-titling the NAFTA agreement with a silly acronym substantially changed it and made it better for Americans (and worse for our neighbors)? Why can't people see that he is a sham? And a shame, and simply unfit for the complicated position that the Presidency demands. I wish we didn't have to wait until something unravels to remove him. I wish it would be clear that he's not fit to make the wide-reaching decisions that affect the majority of our population, not to mention most of the world.
3
Having never doubted nancy, I only wish she would run for President. She is clearly the best. Now, if she could only get Moscow Mitch to resign, lose in Kentucky or do the right thing for once.
2
All the sensible American people want is for this President, and his friends and family, and his supporters to go away. Help the country just pretend this little episode in history was just a fake nightmare that lasted several years.
Next time a candidate is so out of whack, so detrimental to the values we have associated with our young country that has so much good in it, we must remind ourselves of what happened during this dark time. It will serve as a very good warning. Thank you only for that Mr. Trump.
2
Buried in this, Ms. Dowd calls our insane gun policy in the United States, "periodic human sacrifice". That's entirely accurate, preached as a religious doctrine by the NRA and believed in with religious fervor by 2nd Amendment Rights advocates. Periodic human sacrifice accepted as religious dogma, except that's it's not periodic, it's every day.
2
I owe Nancy an apology and I'm offering it here: In my anger with Trump, I wanted some action; I wanted Nancy to start an impeachment inquiry - right away. However, she knew she didn't have the votes of the Democrats in the House. Besides that, Pelosi said that Trump would impeach himself. And so his has.
Nancy did know best and I have full confidence in her ability to make the best case for impeachment!
2
If Pelosi can get rid of both Trump and Pence she becomes President #46.
Of course that’s not even occurred to her.
1
While she is not my Representative, I have watched her career for a couple of decades, I am not certain that she would want the presidency. Being Speaker is a huge job, and I know that she enjoys coming back to California to see grandkids and other family. The relationship between the political players in Washington varies a great deal. And while she is a master at the legislative role, it would be a huge change to step into the executive role.
Nancy Pelosi is still struggling with whether, like a hurricane traveling over warm ocean waters, an impeachment process simply causes the storm named Donald to gain strength before making landfall in November of 2020.
The irony of all of this is that certain pundits' the warning to Democrats is not to "overreach" and appear overtly political to the key 15-20% or so of voters who are undecided. I'm not sure, when compared to the chaos-loving, ego-maniacal, insecure, unethical Trump, what "overreaching" looks like.
Let's put recent events in context: He threatened to withhold aid to an ally, Ukraine, if that ally did not launch an investigation into Trump's political opponent. And he chose to do this after two years of an investigation into whether he colluded with Russia against his opponent in the prior election. So at a minimum, one could conclude that he learned nothing from the Mueller investigation and was, in fact, emboldened that nothing stuck to him.
Who knows what he'll do next? That's why he has to go and now.
2
Nancy Pelosi is 180 degrees opposite of Donald Trump. She’s a calm, steady, smart leader who’s toughness comes from decades of hard work and experience in Washington. He is a man who clearly has an anti-social, impulsive temperament and feels entitled to respect and success that he has not earned through his own hard work. She is truly successful, a confident woman, 2 steps from the presidency — twice—in a generation where glass ceilings were oppressively hard to break. He is an insecure imposter who is so sensitive to any criticism because on some level, he knows that without his father’s wealth and success, he would have, at best, had a mediocre and unremarkable career. He presides over other’s work, takes the credit for any successes and disavows any failures. She stands firm behind what she believes is best, but stays in communication with those who disagree with her. She doesn’t cave to pressure when she feels she from her base, but will compromise where needed to achieve a goal. He can only see compromise as failure. She has accomplished major legislative successes like the Affordable Care Act, now supported by 70% of Americans, but a huge political risk at the time that cost her and Obama the House at midterms in 2012.. He bullies and blusters, but caves under pressure. He has no ability to communicate or show true leadership, so he manages optics through executive orders.
Nancy Pelosi is the answer to the question, Can a woman be President?”
Yes, she can.
3
Looking forward to disingenuous ‘warnings’ about how dangerous it is for Democrats to impeach Trump. To take that ‘threat’ seriously all you have to do is *forget* how and why they won their landslide midterm election in the 1st place.
1
Thank you Madame Speaker. I am one who was inpatient with you for not moving on impeachment sooner. However, I think that waiting has proved to be a good strategy. Even now there are supporters of the stable genius who will continue to believe his lies. Waiting for such a flagrant breach of his oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” will hopefully make more Americans understand just what a danger the stable genius and those who enable him are to the security of our democracy.
Ms. Dowd: I understand what you were going for by referring to the Speaker’s wardrobe and how it connects to the last line of your column. But really couldn’t you have found another clever way of getting your point across without mentioning the attire of one of the most powerful women on Earth? How can we expect men to not bring into the conversation the appearance of women when you and others do it in a venue like the NY Times? Especially when you are talking about someone like the stable genius who judges women on their looks.
1
no place like home...still the greatest American movie of all time, keep up good work, Maureen, bring us as much new reporting as possible Prague, Czech Republic, Xavier A Cronin
As a woman, I can guarantee you that Trump absolutely disgusts Nancy Pelosi. I really admire her ability to stay contained in her remarks about the Grabber-in-Chief. It is a wonderful irony that it may be a woman who brings down this hideous excuse for a man. Thank you for your courage and dignity, Speaker Pelosi. He’ll get more and more vicious and bullying towards you as time goes on. I know you’ll keep your eye on the prize - at long last, Impeachment!
4
To bring it down to his level: Trump got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and is placing the blame on the jar. And if the jar didn't do it then it was Pelosi, the whistleblower, those "spies" who talked and, lest we forget, the press who dare report such stories. At least the conversation was "perfect" !
1
Trump does not have the courage or intellect to tangle with a woman of The Speaker’s character, fortitude and grace. I do believe that he is freighted by her.
That one picture of her 'Clap Back' at him during his State of The Union speech spoke a lot more than a thousand words. Words such as class, style, dignity, wisdom, maturity, experience, diligence and patriotism to name just a few. She trumped him and they both know it. He never was in her league and never will be. She'd rather not have to waste her time or the country's dealing with this
inconvenient, nasty and criminal episode in our history and would instead prefer to create the meaningful strategies, policies and proposals required to move America forward toward more productive generations of progress and success.
She'll suffer fools for only so long.
3
I think that Trump and his cronies may have finally managed to shoot themselves but good. Before, when he was candidate, the GOP could hope he would learn how to be presidential. He hasn't shown any signs of that and it's been nearly 3 years. But what Trump is learning is that all his blustering and lying isn't a deterrent to people who have a sense of patriotism and feel that it is their duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. This phone call and the report on it by someone who was not blinded by his name or his position may be his undoing. At the very least it could cost him more than a few days anxiety.
The saddest thing about this is that there was no need to pressure the Ukraine. They know quite well what we've given them. It's why their president was attempting to ingratiate himself with Trump. And what does he get for his trouble: a demand that he or his government try to find dirt on Biden by finding dirt on his son. That's all that Trump understands about life. To him winning can't be done honestly. He has to be able to stomp on his enemies.
This latest information is far more disturbing than the earlier pieces. Trump has betrayed his oath, his country, and his duties as president. He has proven, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he and his cronies are not fit to serve America in any capacity.
9/28/2019 9:41pm first submit
2
I, initially, couldn’t understand why Pelosi was so late to the impeachment “party” but I get it now. Trump finally committed a serious and verifiable impeachable offense. Up until now, it was a political game of cat and mouse, a catch me if you can strategy by Trump and his allies. But the Ukraine scandal is glaring in its lawlessness. Now that Pelosi has called for an impeachment inquiry, she will capably manage the inquest with her political prowess in full command. And Republicans will cower in her shadow.
1
At least let's get this to the Republicans - make them stand up and say YES, we approve of Donald Trump. Then we can begin to root out, one-by-one, the true cause of this calamity: the cowards who place their own interests above those of the people that they represent.
Our system provides for a president unfit for duty. It does not provide for those with oversight responsibility to be unfit.
1
Nancy Pelosi has done an outstanding job thus far, navigating through the sewer that is the Trump presidency, letting the evidence speak for itself and providing the wherewithal for the worst president of the modern era to self flagellate himself. Of course Trump has had numerous enablers (republican members of Congress), and fellow travelers like the Vinnie the Chin Galante wanna be Rudy Giuliani and sycophants like Mike Pence, Mike Pompaeo, and Bill Barr to help him along the proverbial "road to perdition".
As the Vito Corleone character in the Godfather said to the heads of the five families "How did it ever get this far", the majority of Americans are likely asking the same question regarding the presidency of Donald Trump.
1
Democrats and Republicans have one thing in common. They both love money!
The difference is Republican like it when America is making money and the Democrats like it when they are making money.
Pelosi's legacy was already established. With a successful impeachment and subsequent election of a Democrat to the White House in 2020, her legacy becomes truly iconic.
1
To paraphrase Nancy Pelosi’s observation about Trump projecting, we see others not as they are but as we are.
1
Speaker Pelosi, using her instinct to lead by following and then allowing her constitutional oath to kick in, deserves her share of credit for finally acknowledging the clear and present danger posed by this criminal president. But let's not overlook the courage of the first-term members of her caucus who took the highest risk and did the crucial prodding.
They are the seven freshman Democrats, all veterans of the military and national security communities and none with "safe" House seats, who authored the op-ed article that The Washington Post published Monday titled "These allegations are a threat to all we have sworn to protect":
-- Rep. Gil Cisneros of California.
-- Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado.
-- Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
-- Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia.
-- Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey.
-- Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
-- Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
These brave new members, with the most to lose in 2020, forced the speaker to belatedly see the light on impeachment and realize that there's something far more important than insular political calculations. It's called the Constitution, with its fundamental principle that no one is above the law.
To preserve our democracy, it is essential, they wrote, to "restore the trust of the American people in our government." A citizen can only hope that the days of the raging demagogue are numbered.
"t’s hard to fathom why he would slip the noose on Robert Mueller’s testimony on Russia and then turn around the very next day and ask Ukraine to interfere in an American election."
Because he has, um, an impeachment wish. It is part of the projection that Speaker Pelosi and about one half of the United States have noted. It is the ultimate projection. Trump is enjoying the trappings of the presidency, but hates, hates the responsibility and hard work that comes with it. Have you noted the self pity that comes gushing forth whenever the going gets rough? So, the ultimate projection is "You think being president is easy? Here, impeach me, and see how you like the drudgery and the constant criticism that is part of the presidency!"
Nancy Pelosi is turning out to be the Capt. Sully Sullenberger of American politics. Do you want anyone else in the cockpit of government right now after Trump has knocked the engines out of the Presidency?
1
It seems to me that Speaker Pelosi has set and sprung her trap not only on Trump, but also on the republican senators. She gave him enough rope; and sure enough, he has hanged himself by authorizing the release of the transcript of his call with Zelensky. It is the proverbial smoking gun. Now, the only way he survives conviction in the senate if there are 24 republican senators who are willing to stand on the floor of the senate and say the law does not apply to the president. I know McConnell, Graham, and Cruz will do so. But are there 21 more who will stand up and say, "I am willing to break my sworn oath to back up Donald Trump"?
It will take 3 psychiatrists to explain to Trump what the defense mechanism "projecting'' means. It has nothing to do with cameras and lime lights.
It’s difficult to convey the sheer intelligence of a capable House Speaker.
Tip O’Neil, in a closed meeting, pausing between his terrifying Reagan stories, to compare appropriations over the years, citing specific budget line items dating back decades – not to show off his memory, but to explain how many votes each line item collected in the building of an appropriations bill.
Barney Frank is the only true polymath I’ve ever encountered. He knew more, in specific detail, about more subjects than I’d imagined a human being capable of. Tip told Barney that he’d be the first Jewish Speaker. That is until Barney told him he was gay.
It takes a certain level of intelligence to appreciate an intellect far beyond your own. Alas, that’s a bitter revelation for many. At first, you feel embarrassed even though you’ve done nothing to warrant that emotion. Then you feel small in a way you’ve never felt in your life. In the end, I felt relieved. If I truly represented the pinnacle of human intellect, our species would face a bleak future indeed.
We should appreciate Nancy Pelosi while she’s still with us. It’s not sentimentality to believe that fewer and fewer gifted people are drawn to public service. And in this political world we share, we, living now, may never see the like of her again.
When I went to elementary school in NYC more than 60 years ago, we didn’t have lockdowns in fear of other Americans with machine guns. We had drills in which we routinely hid under our desks; at higher defcon levels, we would be ushered into windowless hallways with special signage. Who and what were we afraid of? At the time, it was the Russians and their matching nuclear arsenal; some adults even feared an alliance between historically unfriendly countries, Russia and China. They were the original Red States
But now that I’m heading into the Club House turn of life, I’m utterly flabbergasted that 40% of my fellow voters support a leader, a political party and an American lobby (the NRA) that indulge and value Vladimir Putin more than our own democratic institutions and agencies. Whoever thought the “Tear Down this Wall” party would prefer that Russia and the Ukraine manipulate our elections rather than trust the American people to choose wisely on their own.
1
In President Trump's UN speech was the phrase "the future belongs to patriots"
He could not have been more right about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Thank you Madam Speaker.
1
Wouldn't it be wonderful if both #45 and his V-P were impeached and driven out of office for their constitutional violations, and Nancy Pelosi became the first WOMAN President of the United States?
1
When I heard "you are in my wheelhouse now," what I thought was "Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly!"
1
There is no other person other than Speaker Pelosi that I would rather see leading the trump impeachment inquiry. There is no question in my mind it will be done right and complete. Republicans in the House and especially in the Senate may some day feel a sense of freedom that Speaker Pelosi has given them to rid themselves of trump and his simpering family.
3
Excellent insight into the two most powerful figures in government. I read that there is a word for word transcript locked down somewhere. That could make for fascinating reading, as well.
1
Guardedly optimist I am this week, as recognition that, when and if this storm passes, the daunting projects of clearing the devastation of "Hurricane Donald" and then to build a sustainable equitable future loom. I fear humanities constant nemesis, Ourselves!
1
Well done Maureen Dowd - this is one of your best. There is now no doubt Speaker Pelosi will follow this to the end - it will result in tremendous turmoil in the country, but Pelosi is the calm, strategic leader who will bring us through.
As for Trump's mental condition, it most definitely requires analysis. One day after getting away with cheating in the 2016 election on a technicality, he immediately began cheating in 2020. It is important that the forthcoming impeachment process be described in that way - Trump was caught cheating red-handed.
2
Our finest writer chats with an amazing politician and leader.
No Shakespeare reference but still good reading and informative.
Nancy is acting assertively not aggressively. Behaving aggressively often involves shaming another person and to "win" at any cost. An assertive human being has the right to be independent of the goodwill of others before coping with them and Nancy is modeling this self assertive behavior. May we all be so inspired. . .
7
The amazing work of two smart, outstanding women should not shadow the fact that the Trump impeachment cannot replace the lack of adequate economic and social policies, which prompted his access to the Presidency and his still massive popular support in the swing states.
So while the impeachment action looks urgent and institutionally necessary, the Democrats have to steer the efforts to build up a serious and palatable political program to the voters in 2020.
Trump’s isn’t here because of a lack of progressive social policies. Alabama did not vote from Trump to protest economic injustice. You know darned well ‘why’ they voted for him. Does not even need to be spelled out. Go ahead and lie and pretend you don’t know.
"The speaker would have preferred to send Trump packing at the ballot box. But since he keeps contaminating the ballot box, asking foreign countries to meddle in our elections to help him win, what choice did she have?"
The above are my sentiments exactly. Originally I thought that we should wait until November 2020. But we can't afford to allow Trump to not only betray our elections, but to betray our national security and our very sacred Constitution! And his enablers who also hold public office should be sent packing as well.
3
Been saying this since day 1. If you will not stop Trump from stealing another election - then that is exactly what he will do. You cannot hide under the desk and wait for the election to rescue you.
The singular best reason for beginning an impeachment inquiry is that there is no reason in the world to believe that the 2020 election will be free of foreign influence given the present state of the American government.
Therefore it is of the utmost importance to create the best possible record of the interactions of Trump-Giuliani-Pence with a cast of Ukrainian and perhaps even Russian counterparts whose names I have not yet mastered.
The record will be there for historians in other countries who specialize in tracing the fall of democracies to incorporate in their sequels to Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.
While we wait for that, perhaps Ali Smith can begin writing a series on Americas exit from democracy to match her 4 novel series on Brexit, a series originally intended to just be about The Four Seasons.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
8
It is rich that Nancy and the Democrats talk Presidential betrayal when they have betrayed the Constitution by not accepting Trumps election and have been trying to undermine ever sine.
How will it look for Nancy when her impeachment efforts fails which it will. What will happen to their Presidential candidates in the process? Who will even listen to any of them now. And the Bidens? How can they possibly survive?
The only one Nancy will help in this process will be Donald Trump who is now practically guaranteed to win in 2020.
4
Projection much? The Tea Party Republicans, McConnell first and foremost, did not accept the election of a black man who was elected overwhelmingly by the popular and electoral college vote. Trump did not accept Obama’s election either, given his “birther” lie. Pot and kettle, indeed! Come to think of it, since Bill Clinton the Republicans never accepted the election of a Democratic president and they engaged in vile smear campaigns to prevent the elections of other Democratic nominees, because they had nothing else to offer the American people.
1
Author Sarah Vowell said that "the quintessential experience of living in the United States: constantly worrying whether or not the country is about to fall apart.” Those who say the partisan divide is worse than ever haven't been paying attention the last 250 years. Our country has ALWAYS been divided about one thing or the other, a mere two or three three steps away from manning the barricades. The fact that outright civil war only occurred once in our history may be the only proof of God blessing America. Disunity is in our nature in this country. Disunity is the stepchild of each INDIVIDUAL having the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Sure we come together at times, but most of the time we just tolerate each other long enough to allow the trains to run on time. Arguing that we should allow an unfit charlatan like Trump to go on his corrupt, merry way for fear of widening the partisan divide is weak tea. The law demands that Trump be held to account. If the nation falls apart over defense of the rule of law and the Constitution, at least it fell apart for a worthy reason.
12
The Presidency is not one man or woman it's an office. The president's job is to help direct and sometimes steer the ship. It's not a job where "only I can do it." It's like making a movie or designing and building a new car or truck. It's a collaborative art. It takes a spectrum or talents, departments and specialties.
It's not a one-man-show.
That's why the White House is supposed to hold press briefings -- so a spokesperson can explain a synthesis of our government's workings as overseen by a white house President and team and agencies.
This is a key benchmark. That's why President Trump has to go among other things.
15
Why hasn't anyone gone to Barr's and Giulani's state bars and filed charges under their Rules of Professional Conduct seeking disbarment? Barr would be the easier case, but both should be disbarred. Lawyers take oaths on the day we're admitted and that oath never expires. We are always every day under oath when we deal with any public official engaged in law enforcement, including Congress. We don't have to be subpoenaed or sworn in again. We're under oath from day one for the rest of our lives.
19
Speaker Pelosi is one of the 8 members of Congress who receive the most extensive intelligence briefings. It would not be very surprising if Speaker Pelosi knew something that the public did not. Perhaps Speaker Pelosi knew or had indications that Trump was pursing his personal interest over that of the nation in some or many of his dealings with foreign leaders. After all, Trump got trademarks for Ivanka from China before beginning trade negotiations and Jarod made a number of trips to the Middle East purportedly engaging in diplomacy before the family real estate empire got desperately needed financing. If that is the case it makes a great deal of sense that Speaker Pelosi delayed proceeding on an impeachment inquiry until the facts caught up, i.e., became publicly known, before pulling the trigger
In fact, it may almost have been a sure bet for Speaker Pelosi to make because Trump is so obsessed with "winning" that the palpable fear consuming Trump of losing in 2020 was virtually certain to compel Trump to try to rig the election. To paraphrase Speaker Pelosi's words, Trump is compulsively self impeaching before our very eyes
15
Trump gives the impression of a politician who is more concerned with and spends more time on getting reelected than on governing . Absolutely none of his time has been spent on doing something about infrastructure, or the havoc of the changing weather ( he persists in denying science--a hoax), or on gun violence .
What he does pay attention to is the pet peeves of his base---too many immigrants "flooding the country"--- other countries not doing "their fair share" so we can forget about working with them--- and getting China to stop stealing manufacturing secrets. The little time he actually governs, he raises tariffs or pushes new spending or cuts old spending.
For the most part he is in campaign mode and is most vigorous when at his campaign rallies. To win in 2020 seems his major concern and he is not averse to telling his lies, break laws, and seek the help of other nations to win. "Betrayal of our country", as Pelosi suggests, is an appropriate criticism of our president.
9
Thank goodness for Nancy Pelosi. Her calm, thoughtful, measured approach to impeachment is just what we need. The country owes her an enormous debt of gratitude. With any luck, Trump and Pence will both get the boot and she will take her rightful place as the first woman president. Wouldn't that be something!
18
Nice piece Maureen. I stand very corrected about the Speaker’s strategic and tactical brilliance. She repeatedly said Trump wasn’t worth it and that he would impeach himself...she was right on both points. I was more concerned that by not doing anything Trump was getting stronger, but his own narcissism and hubris did him in. Thank you Speaker Pelosi for having the courage of your convictions. No matter what happens, our country is grateful that you’re in charge.
18
We all saw what Mitch McConnell did to the garland supreme court nomination. It is almost inevitable that he would do the same if and when the Senate got to the point of an impeachment trial. He would either refuse to allow the trial to occur, or, make sure the Republicans voted against impeachment. The way around this is obvious. Don’t let the impeachment inquiry get to the Senate. I believe the Democratic House of representatives should keep having very public inquiries into impeachment issues. And just keep it going until the 2020 election. That way, the public has a constant feeding of the truth about Trump and the Republicans. And, without the Republican Senate having the chance to exonerate Trump! I hope this is part of the strategy now that impeachment hearings are beginning.
13
Trump voters wanted to drain the swap with a businessperson not a politician. Next election maybe they'll choose a politician. Maybe things will get done. Maybe...
6
Speaker Pelosi is a leader who doesn't have to shout to be heard. Her wisdom throughout this mess, her cautious strength, her steady ability to meet the challenge of an unhinged president gives me hope.
For the first time in over two years I feel that fresh air of truth.
It feels so reassuring.
14
Best strategy for the Democrats is to impeach Trump, expose his serial corruption, and then NOT send it to the Senate (whose Republicans would exonerate him). Therefore, the country can get the full measure of Trump and he wouldn't be able to claim vindication.
18
Mike -- don't you think that if the Mueller evidence were exculpatory, the White House would have been eager to release it long ago?
6
"Will the public support an impeachment investigation?"
No.
The longer it goes on the angrier the public will get.
Take your complaints to the ballot box. End of story.
Why couldn't the Democrats have waited until November 2020?
Why are they so impatient? It seems so self-serving.
3
Wait?
wait till 45 gets more emboldened. It is clear, if you think he’s abusing his office, leaving him to his own devices, might be too late by November 2020.
Clear heads, won’t worry too much about the Senate not having the votes today, now, to convict.
The Ukraine matter, could very well be the tip of the iceberg.
14
Waiting until the election would only insure that we do not have a free and fair election. It is clear that Trump is using the power of his position to coerce another state into creating dirt on his opponent. And doing nothing to prevent foreign interference.
I am struck by how exceedingly calm and wry Pelosi is right now. She may be an excellent poker player or I may be projecting my hopes and wishes, ala Mueller. But I am inclined to think there is an executable plan in place and a few more smoking guns in her briefcase. Trump should be very afraid.
16
The Republicans do not operate on any principle other than trying to make America a one party white Christian country. Unless and until they think Trump will jeopardize that goal they will stick with him to avoid unsettling the rock hard base so firmly smitten with the vision of white supremacy and the myth that they don’t benefit from our safety nets that under any honest view would be termed “socialism” as defined by Limbaugh and Hannity.
9
Poor Donald. All he wanted was the approval and validation that he was doing a great job from the one person he truly respects: Nancy Pelosi. And now she has turned against him. Can you imagine how hard it must be to never hear words of praise for the great things you do, except from all the screamers at MAGA rallies? Things like handing out trophies, showing up at the UN for 15 minutes, and serving hamburgers? It would be Nancy Pelosi's greatest achievement if she could pull this impeachment off.
11
All this makes one appreciate even more the recently deceased patriot, Joe Wilson. And what of the younger generation, who never heard of Joe Wilson and his courageous, patriotic sacrifices? I doubt that any school textbook even mentions him in passing.
Fortunately, Wilson's partner in courage, patriotism, and victimization, his former wife Valerie Plame, is currently running for Congress in New Mexico. She is the unusually extremely qualified person who can go to Washington and not be cowed, manipulated, or bought off. She has taken the worst the political establishment could throw at her and tossed it back in their face. That is precisely what Washington, especially Congress, needs more of: people who will stand up for principles, when the going gets tough. It is extremely important to have someone in Congress who has demonstrated she can and will walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
A fitting tribute to Joe Wilson and true American patriotism would be to support Plame, not because she was his wife, but because like Joe, she is the rare individual who has demonstrated she can take the worst Washington politics will throw at you and come back swinging.
For those of you too young to remember Wilson, I would strongly suggest you read yesterday's Times article on Joe.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/us/joseph-wilson-dead.html#commentsContainer
10
Like the Speaker, I too initially had my doubts about impeachment. While his criminality was there for anyone paying attention to see--as outlined multiple times in the Mueller Report--many Americans are too busy living a life (or trying to) to be aware of his incredible flouting of laws. But when a US president, openly and for all to see, brings up investigation of his prime political opponent to a foreign leader while discussing military aid, whatever remained of the 'line in the sand' has been crossed. It's now up to the American people to put down their phones & pay attention long enough to realize that their democracy is on the line: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" said Edmund Burke. Unless the majority of Americans speak clearly--and loudly--that treason is still unacceptable, 'evil' (aka as Trumpism) may yet triumph.
Over to you, Mr & Mrs America...
8
Maybe I'm just not savvy enough for politics but it seems to me that Republicans could dump Trump and Pence, making Pelosi President for a year, while Graham, Romney, Cruz et alii jump to the hustings with the Dow Jones wind at their backs. The pardons are in Pelosi's desk drawer, top right.
2
Allow me to expand on Jamelle Bouie's column on Trump's glass jaw. Yes, he can't take a punch. Like any bully, he can dish it out, but he runs away when confronted.
When confronted with his actions on Trump U, he quickly settled. When the Banks finally cracked down, he allowed himself to be put on an allowance. He has always settled when confronted.
So let's keep unpacking this. Conventional wisdom over the last few years is that Impeachment is a non starter politically. Really? Sure, Clinton's numbers went up when he was impeached, but that was only because everybody 'outside the Beltway' knew that it was about lying about an affair.
With Trump, It's different. It is NOT about the coverup. It is about the treason and crime compounded by the coverup. The more Trump is confronted thru the Impeachment Inquiry, the more the 'swamp is drained'.
And with each revelation, from tax returns to emolument violations, Trump will become even more unhinged. More battered. More cornered.
The end game is not conviction in the Senate, the end game is simple. Trump will do what he has always done when confronted. He will settle. He will quit. He will resign.
To paraphrase the fighter Roberto Duran. Trump will simply say 'no mas'.
11
Trump is no match for Speaker Pelosi. he may survive impeachment, due to compliant Senate Republicans, but he will forever be remembered as one who brought same and disgrace to the greatest office in the land...
5
True Trumpers shall never be swayed. Not by fact, nor by evidence, nor by admission of the culprit. They shall not be swayed by the law, or the rules and standards of our justice system. They follow the 'Deep State', a mythological creation of zero substance and will swear allegiance to what ever the 'Deep State' says they should. There it is, in a nutshell. Pun intended.
5
Ms. Dowd is correct to point out that Trump never had to face any consequences for a lifetime of bad behavior, some of it undoubtedly illegal. His father repeatedly bailed him out, and his winning the presidency against all odds just further reinforced his feelings of invincibility.
Since he doesn't know the difference between a hyphen and an apostrophe, I suspect Trump is unfamiliar with the myth of Icarus. In his narcissism and thirst for revenge against Obama for publicly ridiculing him, Trump has flown too close to the sun. And now Pelosi appears set to carefully choreograph his fall to earth.
After months of vacillation she has found her footing, and there will be no need for a magical clicking of heels. A thorough and logical airing of the facts will get the job done, if the American people care enough about their country to pay attention.
That's a big "if" at this point, but Pelosi sounds ready to take on the challenge.
6
We wouldn't be in this mess as a country if the Press had stopped hounding about those emails. Oh, those emails.
3
I regret I've taken Nancy Pelosi for granted for much of her career, but her calm, cool intelligence in dealing with new, overeager members of Congress, and now a dishonest chief executive, reveal what a skillful leader she really is. I hope she can guide us all to safer waters. The two greatest dangers she faces are enraging Trump supporters so much they embrace lawlessness - Democrats need to do a better job reaching out to Trump supporters and understand their concerns rather than insulting them -- and, unfortunately, President Pence, a very dark and very disciplined ideologue. I wish her luck and applaud her service and commitment to the country.
4
God Bless Nancy Pelosi. She is one of a handful of American patriots in a position of sufficient power to stop the demise of our great Democratic Experiment.
6
The lady has guts and she is so unafraid of trump. After all of her experience in government especially Congress she can read trump like a book. I expect her to carefully orchestrate the impeachment investigation and not cut trump any slack. Donald your going down, many of us never considered you as our president anyway.
10
This revelation of Mr. Trump's ever astonishing behavior, this time in his explicit demand to the Ukrainian president to come up with "dirt" on the Biden family in return for release of funds to Ukraine is the spark that will finally and, likely quickly, lead to Mr. Trump's removal from office. Details on more of the same extortion by Mr. Trump will no doubt start to be made whatever they can on Trumpian malfeasance.
6
"His casino games have caught up with him and this time Daddy’s not here to bail him out. How delicious that a woman has the whip hand." :-) Very nice that.
"The man who always claims the system is rigged against him keeps trying to rig the system — proving Pelosi’s point that Trump projects."
It isn't just Trump who projects, the entire GOP does this. They learned it from reagan who they also looked down their noses at until he won. Then they all got on the bandwagon and started promoting propaganda and lies as the new way to govern as if they had been born to it. Just as I predicted they would do if Trump won too. They have.
3
The Chief Executive has the absolute right and duty to inquire about possible corruption by a former U.S. official. This statute cannot impinge on that Constitutional power.
A quick look at 52 USC 30121 raises many questions:
1. Was there intent to solicit a thing of value or was the President just carrying out his duties?
2. Can this statute tie the hands of the whole U.S. Government in pursuing allegations of corruption, so that the President could not ask the Attorney General to inquire into alleged wrongdoing ?
3. If the President believes it is more effective for the request to be made one-on-one with the Head of State, isn't that his prerogative;
4. Is a request to "look into" allegations, a solicitation for something "of value" when such a request obviously contemplates a possible exoneration just as much as an indictment? Would an "exoneration result" have been something of value in an election?
5. What does "in connection with" an election mean? If the call occurred one week before Biden announced his candidacy would the request have been "in connection" with an election?
6. What does "election" mean? Does the statute only come into play when the target of this investigation is an official nominee of his party? And only after the President becomes the nominee of his party? Are all 15 Dems covered, even though not nominated, so the President and Attorney General's hands are tied and every candidate with foreign dealings is protected?
1
I usually read you in the print edition on Sundays. But my brother texted me from Falls Church to tell me to read your piece. As usual, well crafted and so smart. I wish I would have thought of the “high chair king”. Trump is dead afraid of Pelosi and finally a woman to take him down after all of the egregious things he has said and done. The case for impeachment is solid contrary to what the thugs will roll out. The fact that he wanted to corrupt two elections should be enough evidence.
4
It is a very heartbreaking day when our politicians ,enablers just dont care about the country. It is all about misguided winning ,corporate earnings . We have just become this country so exposed, so soul less that corruption just doesnt matter.
Nancy Pelosi will be the one to save this democracy. All the talking heads were wrong the country needs her . There is no one rejoicing that this corruption is so widespread internal/external and the GOP just dont care
about democracy or the country
We cant volunteer to go to the democracy funeral we have to fight to stay live.
2
Having raised 5 children, Pelosi also knows that a child who sticks to the "not me" excuse eventually proves to be their downfall. If Trump is impeached, his unwillingness to resign will result in his conviction.
2
It doesn't look like the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, thinks this is even worth a vote in the Senate: “laughable to think this is anywhere close to an impeachable offense.”
I think a vote would be so much fun.
Maybe he'll change his mind.
2
Rightly or wrongly, I've thought there was a silent majority out there for a long time. They aren't Trump lovers but they don't like what they see on the left.
Yesterday, a woman, who I would have bet was a Trump-hater. I would have bet a pile of money on it. I think she assumed I was too. We both have jobs where we have to "pretend we hate Trump" in order to keep our jobs. This is a reality in America. You can't support Trump, it is against your better interests.
Well, yesterday she let some dribs, drabs, and hints out. She is furious and absolutely disgusted with the Democrats as is her husband. How many others like her are out there? A lot more than you think and sadly, they live in fear.
2
Funny, I’m in the opposite situation. As a Democrat who cares about decency in my politicians (but who lives in a rabidly red Republican state), I am careful to keep my political beliefs to myself lest it cost me my job.
4
With her intelligence, pragmatism and wit, Nancy Pelosi just showed in one interview that she is so much more beautiful than Ivanka, Melanka and any other -ankas Trump has ever dealt with and slept with. I am still braced for his re-election, but I am very glad Pelosi and the House are standing up for the Constitution and for our country. And so thrilled to see two of the nastiest, ugliest, most dishonest and dishonorable men in our nation's history have to face at least a little heat. Sure, Don and Rudy will complain nonstop about the swamp press and the partisan House, and their base will agree. But I thank God for the press, for Pelosi and the impeachment. I can't wait to see how Trump's hair will look when Nancy throws that bucket of water on him -- and to see if those craven Republican Senators then have the nerve to turn and thank her.
2
"Betrayal."
What else is there? When a president turns his back on his country it's called "betrayal." It doesn't matter what the country is. Donald Trump put another country before his own.
It's called a "betrayal." And Republicans just can't see that. Now, if it were Barack Obama...
5
I am glad she is on board with impeachment and maybe she can pull it off.
But trump is a symptom, not a cause, so I wonder what plans she has for reforming the system that brought us this rogue.
1
The Framers of the Constitution couldn't envision a corrupt real estate developer turned reality television scam artist being elected.
They didn't picture one of the two parties compromised personally by a vindictive tweeting president.
Or that he would bring in corrupted attorney generals to act as his personal fix it lawyers.
And a fully self-centered cabinet, enriching themselves----therefore unwilling to consider the 25th Amendment.
5
I have never understood why anyone would doubt Speaker Pelosi.She said "I don't want to impeach him,I want to put him in jail" or "trump will self impeach".Why is that so hard to understand or believe?This is a woman that makes men look like rubes.I am hoping that she has signed up Barry Berke to interrogate any and all that come before a Democratic committee on impeachment.If you are unfamiliar with him, google his take down of Corey Lewandowski "everything in the Mueller report is correct"..yeah,that guy.
3
Trump thought he was in the clear after the Mueller report. And he well may have been as there appeared little enthusiasm for impeachment. But, then, in the grand Trumpian manner, he decided to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with his now infamous call to the Ukrainian president. The "do me a favor" request was an open invitation to the Democrats to commence a formal impeachment inquiry. Nancy Pelosi gratefully accepted the invitation and asked the formidable Adam Schiff to lead the investigation. The absolute right move for the Democrats. The ultimate winner, however, will be the U.S. Constitution and the American people.
2
DJT is a genuinely simple child.
Thanks for exposing us to what makes the Speaker smile and laugh. And reminding journalists of the adage, "You are only as good a your source".
2
I have often quoted the wise counsel of Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, who once said:
“…it's very difficult to build and very easy to destroy.”
Since the Bully in Chief came to power, he has chosen the easy path to destroy rather than work the tough road to build.
Trump is a fundamentally lazy performer who is long on threats but short on delivery.
But none of the comments of revulsion and horror expressed by concerned citizens, responsible media or in the NYT register with the Twitter in Chief. He takes advice from no one, believes that he is above reproach and is always right on anything and everything.
What do you do with someone who is digging a hole to drag everyone down to doom? You take away the shovel.
3
Not sure Pelosi is the smartest person in Washington, Mo. I think Elizabeth Warren would giver her a run for her money. Our next president, I hope. The two of them would be an fearsome duo.
I was in high school in Tennessee when Nixon was impeached and resigned. Senator Howard Baker was the epitome of political professionalism. My own Congressman (Jimmy Quillen) was a GOP lackey just like today’s lackeys. He voted against impeachment and defended Nixon to the bitter end.
It’s too bad that today there are more Jimmy Quillens than there are Howard Bakers in the GOP Congress. I hope they all meet their demise at the ballot box in 2020.
3
I found this delightful!
1
she seems very wise. AOC is the future though. she's real smart and has a bright bright future but Pelosi has much wisdom andI think and hope she will do well
2
And to think many of the new crop of congressional Democrats wanted to dump Pelosi.
Given how things turned out with Trump, we'd be in a deep funk right now.
6
I say again: Mr. Trump, to truly "Make America Great Again," should resign from office without further delay.
6
Now that Trump has announced that Pence's phone calls should be investigated, we may see a double impeachment. If both are removed from office, President Pelosi will be in charge. Oh, were it to be true!
6
I interviewed Nancy Pelosi in 1994 for a local Long Island newspaper when she was there to speak privately to large Dem donors. She had been re-elected to the House at least 4 times then and was a rising light in the House leadership. She stated at that time that the conservative wing of the Republican Party had hijacked the GOP (she meant lead by Newt Gingrich who was Speaker at that time). Look where the GOP is now — and she may become the savior of our Republic!
3
"The Highchair King" - perfect! Makes the wait for the new season of The Man in the High Castle easier.
2
What’s the point if public sentiment falls short? And, the Dems are plain awful in the art of persuasion. This is not about morals or ethics. To do so will only paint a picture of whiny elitists. It’s about psychological warfare. FDR understood and not a dem since.
2
I always did like her. Go team Nancy. Go team America!
3
We elected Donald Trump and it was an incredibly bad decision. But we should remember Winston Churchill once said that Americans will always do the right thing only after they have tried everything else. The impeachment inquiry will put us on the right path.
9
Nice. A little dose of courage never hurt anyone. And Adam Schiff is more than ready.
2
To call out another of Donald Trump's projections, can we add the recent one where he called the whistleblower's sources spys. And explain that what he really meant by saying that was that he, Donald Trump, was the spy for a foreign adversary.
6
The interesting thing here is that if Pence gets dragged into this mess and goes down with Trump, Pelosi would then be the next in line for the Presidency. I think she is right where she should be, as Speaker of the House, but it would make a very interesting turn of events.
8
Nancy can also say sincerely and with meaning that she came to the decision "prayerfully". It is important that Evangelicals know (and Pete Buttegieg is making the same case) that God is not necessarily on one side or the other.
2
I have to disagree. IDK what you know about the god of Abraham but the number one fact that stands out about him above all else is that he very definitely takes sides. If one is a good person one learns to incorporate this disturbing fact about him in the Old Testament into your mind as him taking the side of good and right.
The president and his republican party are neither of those two things.
1
The Trump Administration still is pretending like nothing is wrong. A spokesperson for the Administration, when asked what the mood was at the White House this weekend, said: "The Democrats appear to be keen on impeachment. But everything at the White House is im-peachy keen."
2
I hope all those freshman congress women and men are paying attention. They are studying under a master politician who actually possesses a moral compass and believes wholeheartedly that the function of government should be to care for and better the lives of Americans. Nancy Pelosi will go down in history as one of the most effective and intelligent Speakers ever to lead the House. She has taken a lot of punches in her day – especially from her own constituents at times. I know because she was my congress woman for over 25 years, and I remember when she first ran for a seat in the House. And when she says she prays for the president: for Trump, I can guarantee you she's not kidding about that.
7
If you believe Nancy Pelosi actually prays for President Trump to do anything other than implode I have a bridge in a Brooklyn to sell you.
Ah, it’s so good Speaker Pelosi is in charge. She’s smart and classy, a tough political boxer. Trump can’t intimidate her; he has finally met his match. Hopefully, Pelosi’s left hook will knockout him out in the third.
4
Ms. Pelosi and Democrats have decided to hold Trump accountable even though if they impeach him the chances that he'd be convicted in the Senate and removed from office are, as of now, slim to none. What this should tell us all is that, unlike Congressional Republicans, the Democrats have decided to put the country and its constitution ahead of political calculations, which could be perilous and might even lead to Trump being (gasp!) reelected.
This means that anyone who cares for America, its Constitution, its democracy and the rule of law needs to be prepared to go to the polls in November and vote to send Trump packing, should he survive impeachment as he is likely to, aided by his minions in Congress.
What we are witnessing now are just a little 3 years of Trump. Can you imagine 8 years of Trump, especially with 4 of those years unconstrained by reelection calculus (unless he decides that he's going to continue subverting the system and gets Bill Barr's OLC to write an opinion that would argue that because a sitting president cannot be indicted, it logically means that he can run for office indefinitely)?
If Trump survives this and is reelected, then we as a country deserve him. It is as simple as that.
4
Speaker Pelosi has done an incredible job being direct, fair and just. I pray her dedication and focus will influence both political leaders and citizens who make the choice with their vote to have the same integrity.
While I smile at the title "high chair king" I question any use of language that could have the effect of alienating someone who might be undecided about impeachment proceedings. If the media and congress can follow Speaker Pelosi' s example of thoughtful speech backed up with facts, the logic will reach a wider audience & raise the level of discourse.
1
The Democratic Party still needs to unite behind some clear cut policies - on immigration, health care, gun control, climate control... The Party is all over the place. That scares people more than Trump squeezing the Ukraine to investigate Biden.
Yes, certainly the Republican Party has clear cut policies on these issues.
Immigration -- Zero.
Health Care -- If you can't afford it, die.
Gun Control -- Things were great in the wild west.
Climate Control -- What for?
In terms of issues #2 - #4, Republicans refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem. So obviously they have no solutions. But they are focused on Immigration. Unfortunately, Trump's solution -- a wall -- ignores a couple major technological innovations: the ladder and the shovel.
Vote blue does not matter who.
“You’d think that there would be some sense of decency on the part of the people who work for the president.” Ms. Pelosi has a future in stand up!
6
Nancy's done it all, almost. Both were born into privilege and made the most of it, although did it honestly and in the public domain, not that she's underprivileged. She lives in an elite area in one of the most elite cities in the world. Her husband is a successful real estate mogul in San Francisco and her daughter is on the Democratic National Committee. Trump took the low road in the Republican business world he was born into in one of the most elite cities in the country. He is as dishes as his father was. To me this is a very sad story about America. The way to get to the top is to be born there. Finally we will have a showdown between two of America's most privileged leaders, one from each party. The law seems to be on Nancy's side, but Republican's seem to be on the side of the criminal which says a lot about the makeup of the Republican Party.
4
The Republicans in the senate have only one purpose in life, and that is to remain a U.S. Senator. While I may not respect their impotence and cowardice, I do understand them. No matter what evidence is uncovered about Trump's treachery and malfeasance, they will not vote to impeach him. Even millionaires have mortagages, healthcare needs, and kids in graduate school. I get it. So, maybe they won't need to vote.
Once the secret transcripts of Trump's phone conversations with Putin and MBS are revealed, and his tax returns are made public, the Republicans in the senate should quietly go to Pence or Pompeo and tell them to initiate proceedings to remove Trump from office via the 25th Amendment, or they will incur the wrath of the entire republican establishment. Mitch McConnell has to make one or two republicans that don't have to run for re-election throw themselves on the grenade for the entire party.
The rest of the republicans in the senate can go home and run as Trump supporters having dodged the responsibility of having to either vote to support an obviously traitorous president, or vote to remove him. The republicans know that Trump cannot be allowed to beat an impeachment trial and serve a second term. This might give them a new start with Nikki Haley, or Marco Rubio in 2020.
This is the only way they can preserve what is left of the Republican party, and undo some of the shame and embarrassment their kids must obviously feel toward them.
3
Maureen, I have always enjoyed your opinions. But this one is in the elitist bubble. I have lived in NYC for a long time. as entertaining as this article is. I do not feel the middle American would relate to your piece. The people in Washington need! to pay attention to middle Americans and forget Trump. No offense.
Speaker Pelosi is the right person in these unusual and difficult times.
Apparently, being an American is not a given, and the 45th POTUS confirms it every day.
4
I wish we could draft Nancy Pelosi as the next Democratic candidate for President. I am greatly in awe of her. A brilliant leader.
10
The Constitution says the Senate has the sole power to try impeachments. I'm not getting where it says the turtle has the power to 'not try' impeachments.
Maybe somebody can explain how McConnell, as Kristof claims, can have a vote polling members if they want to have a trial or not.
A trial means the charges are read and the prosecution puts on its case. Surely, the Chief Justice, who must preside, would demand as much.
5
It’s a big decision. Do the right thing? Or, calculate the political odds of losing the whole stake on someone drawing the flush card out of a losing hand.
Mr.Trump isn’t the problem. There are always those who behave well outside accepted norms of behavior. But our system of government depends on checks and balance to rein in or correct the offender.
The problem is the lack or will and responsible corrective on the part of an enabling staff and obtuse partisan political party intent on their own survival and ideological purity to take necessary action to stop the obsessive denial of the obvious — enough already, a change must be made.
The failure of the Republicans to inspire a semblance of mature moral engagement to correct and corral the obnoxious spectacle of infuriating non-suitability for the position of president, has soured the country.
Go ahead, deal the next hand.
3
Quite frankly, Speaker Pelosi is probably the best qualified Democrat to be President. She’s got the knowledge, temperament and experience for the highest office in the land, for starters. VP Biden has been deeply wounded, fairly or not, and he can’t be the main topic of debate during the 2020.
7
It is not only Trump, it's the Republican party that is in need of serious reform.
7
I was a Republican since Reagan. I worked on Capitol Hill as a Republican staff member in the U.S. Senate for over 20 years. I then served as an Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary of Energy in the George W. Bush Administration. I was as Republican as you could be... until Trump. I believe in the rule of law, free trade, fiscal responsibility, and science... all things that Trump and today’s Republicans have turned their back on. The country needs multiple political parties to test, debate, and implement competing policies and ideas. I fervently hope the country rids itself of Trump, either through election or impeachment. But how will the Republican Party rid itself of Trump’s imprint? How will it rehabilitate itself?
31
The Republican Party will not be fit to rule for several generations. If ever.
4
Speaker Pelosi has shown herself to be a leader in the best sense. Independent, willing to make tough decisions, interested in building consensus, faithful to the ideals of the country she serves, admired by people on both sides of the aisle. Shrewd, patient, politically astute. Someone to be admired, for sure. Let's rally behind her.
11
With Congressional Representatives well on their way home to meet with their constituents during this recess period, media commentators (print and broadcast) began to speculate almost immediately with some measure of concern about whether the Ds could message the basis for the impeachment inquiry in a way that would resonate with clarity to the public. However, it is evident that Speaker Pelosi has done all the heavy lifting with the simple declarative unvarnished and unconverted statement of truth: "The president of the United States used taxpayer dollars to shake down the leader of another country for his own political gain.”
Any further questions, Mr. and Ms. Public?
8
You know, when the impeachment moves to the Senate, I wonder if the Republicans will look at each other and suddenly realize that they’ve been given a gift and can get rid of their nightmare in on fell swoop. They must be so tired of him. I know no one thinks this is possible, but they might just find it too irresistible and vote him guilty on his impeachment. Then suddenly he’ll be out.
Will his base be mad? Yes, maybe. But so what? They’ll be rid of Trump. He won’t be able to run.
Will he still raise big money from donors and hold campaign rallies and try to put up primary challengers against the Senators who voted him out?
Maybe, but he might also fade. Will big money really continue to support Trump? Or will they go for someone else? Maybe a Mitt Romney?
This might be a chance that’s too good for Republicans to pass up. Trump doesn’t exactly care about them and doesn’t exactly treat anyone well. Do they even like him?
7
Moscow Mitch won't hold the trial. He'll say something like "a president can't be impeached in an election year." That way no republican senator goes on record either supporting Trump or against Trump. Then, if Trump does win re-election, McConnell will own him. Trump will be president in name only. He will be forced to do McConnell's bidding because McConnell can bring up the impeachment trial at any time.
6
No impeachment in election year - perfect.
I don't know that Mitch will own Trump in term two. McConnell will have already done the big favor and the GOP would still need Trump for more goodies. I think Trump would be less afraid of impeachment in term two. I could be wrong though.
Nancy Pelosi is not a competent politician. She literally said that a bill had to be passed "so we could find out what was in it."
2
Despite the fact that that didn't seem to be s a smart thing to say, she got the bill passed, didn't she? And how many more millions now are insured because of her?
6
Actually she said "we" then "you". She was referring to the dis-info surrounding the bill preventing the voers (not Congress) from knowing what it really entailed.
“We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”
Thank you! At long lasts some is telling it like it is! I am so impressed with speaker Pelosi and I believe that she has played this well. No one can credibly accuse her of jumping on the impeachment bandwagon. Let us conduct a thorough investigation and see where it takes us.
11
The only way Republicans in the House and Senate can save a semblance of credibility is to serve up Mr. Trump to impeachment. It's him or the country. And the earliest ones to turn on him get the most approval.
13
All I can say is she would have been a great general. The Speaker is very strategic and her timing is impeccable. She has shown patience even when the rest of us did not. She has mastered the fine art of politics. I really wanted to see the first women president in my life time but I may be witnessing something better, a woman saving the Constitution. She is our Joan D’Arc in high heels! Thank you Speaker Pelosi.
16
The crisp messaging following her announcement is key, "It is not part of 'the President's' job to use taxpayer money to shake down other countries for the benefit of his campaign. "
Thus, there's not option but for the House to move forward with impeachment.
Easy to explain and communicate, Internalize this principle, and spread it throughout the land!
With enough public support, the Senate will have not option but to convict as well to Remove him from office!
11
I find Kristof's article the most interesting. He breaches not only the possibility that Trump is working directly for Putin but also that McConnell could directly support said treason by absolving Trump without so much as a hearing--only a vote. That is serious stuff.
12
We should all take a moment and silently thank whatever deity or force one chooses for the fact that one whistleblower, informed by several insiders with direct knowledge of the call´s contents, stepped forward to wave the red flag for us. It would have been so easy for this person to do what so many others have done before when faced with trump´s malfeasance; turn their back and pretend not to see it. This person is a hero.
18
Pelosi gets more impressive every minute. Good luck to her, the system is definitely rigged, as Donald so aptly projected.
That being said, I find an "inquiry" to be a pretty tepid response to all this. If there were evidence I’d committed treason, and evidence I'd covered it up, police would instantly take me away in handcuffs, the FBI would instantly impound everything I’d ever touched, and the “inquiry,” (taking about five minutes,) would be scheduled for a date that pleased the court, after which I'd be sent to Guantanamo to await trial.
10
Wonderful! I can finally read something about Ms. Pelosi having the utter determination to fight the battle that has been going on for so long already.
7
Sounds like the LaPierre conversation is another count for impeachment: Advancing Trump's personal interests in exchange for abandoning legislation that most Americans want.
24
I said it a year ago when many were howling that Pelosi was too old and should pass the torch to a younger Democrat—we needed, and still need, a wise and seasoned leader to take on Trump, not a younger elected office just beginning their time in Washington. Boy did that turn out well! She played her cards well and stick to her decision not to impeach on the Mueller report because she knew it wasn’t strong enough and would only paint Dems as extremists. One thing I hope this inquiry includes is Pence’s role. I believe the guy is “in the know” and has supported Trump’s decisions all along, including this one.
48
I suspect that the Evangelicals backed Trump to get Pence into the presidency when Trump self-immolates. What "freedom" means in the context of religion is at stake.
1
This article, this wonderful portrait of grace and courage, changed my mind and moved me greatly.
I have been very severe in my recent condemnations of Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Schumer for failing to be champions of causes that matter or should matter to the American people and to the peoples of the world. But this column portrays Ms. Pelosi in different, much better light. She is a masterful legislator and principled holder of a great public trust. She has not let us down. She has kept her eye on the ball, and she knows how to play ball.
The Democrats must find others who have ringing messages that will inspire us, and in Ms. Pelosi they already have a gifted leader of wise public governance.
20
We should all be very grateful that the House Democrats choose Nancy Pelosi to be the Speaker rather than those who thought their party needed a new face. I am sure that the ones who ran against her are grateful they lost. At a time like this you realize that experience does count. It counts a lot. This is why it is so important to vote - just imagine if the Republicans still held the House.
28
Mea Culpa. For a recent period I wondered what was going on in Pelosi's mind re: Trump. Now I confess publicly and apologize for my doubts.
The timing is perfect and now we are seeing prominent members of the GOP beginning to flake off. McConnell says if the House impeaches he will bring it up in the Senate. He may mean something else entirely but that has to worry Trump. Will Schiff issue binding subpoenas and enforce them if ignored? We shall see.
We are in for months of MAGA's anger and reactions. But, it is what it is folks.
31
Harold apology accepted. You just did something that Mr. Trump never does. He never apologizes for his actions (except for the bus incident) and he had to. He probably didn't want to anyway.
5
Angela - he DID say later that he thought the voice wasn't his, if anyone could believe that!
I wish that Speaker Pelosi was our President now...a true leader with courage, foresight and management skills. My wish may come true!
45
VP Spiro Agnew was replaced by Speaker of the House Gerald Ford ahead of Nixon's Watergate resignation. Pence needs to be replaced before Trump is ushered out too.
3
Agreed! Let's skip over Pence and go straight to Pelosi; how delicious would THAT be?
"The president of the United States used taxpayer dollars to shake down the leader of another country for his own political gain,” said Speaker Pelosi.
Spot on. And Trump has already proved and admitted these actions, then asks So what? What is wrong with that?
The right questions for 53 Republican Senators to ponder and answer in the impeachment proceeding actually are:
Who condones Trump's actions? Who thinks Trump's actions are NOT a crime?
42
Pelosi looks good at this and I think she has an even greater motivation. She’ll be daring 22 GOP senators running for re-election to vote against removal. That’s the real game now. Trump is a foregone conclusion and we’re all watching to see how much collateral damage he creates.
13
"She’ll be daring 22 GOP senators running for re-election to vote against removal."
McConnell will do everything he can to avoid a trial, in large part to protect himself and his fellow Senate Republicans.
9
Ooo, Adrian. That’s a wonderful scenario.
We should be so lucky.
2
He'll do what he can, but I think in the end he knows he will win.
2
Pelosi waited until she got what was needed, which was a very strong case against Trump.
This case is easy to understand, he's clearly wrong, there's been an obvious flubbed cover-up, and perhaps best of all, covers ground similar to that in the Mueller report - tough for Trump to say "No Collusion!" any more.
15
Speaker Pelosi said a few months ago that he would 'self-impeach' and that is exactly what he is doing. But thank goodness somebody finally spoke up to tell us about his abuses of power.
8
Pelosi has always taken her role very seriously. In this day and age, it's nice to know that someone at her level does.
We all grow up wishing that our public representatives will have the integrity of Jimmy Stewart, the courage of Robert Redford, and the quick wit of Mark Twain. How lucky am I to live in a city where the full package exists, wrapped in the confidence and style of Bette Davis.
I've met Pelosi a few times, been honored to sit beside her in a church pew and even seen her at a few events wearing a baggy t-shirt supporting a cause on a hot summer afternoon.
Now that she's stepped in to this historic battle. I only hope I can help her if she needs it. He as to go.
20
I was at University of Washington in my junior year when the Watergate break-in story broke. I remember reading about arrests in the Democrat's campaign offices. That was a scant two years after my return from war in Vietnam, and came on the heels of the Press and Constitutional law firestorm surrounding Ellsburg's depressing "Pentagon Papers."
At the time that story broke I had no idea I would spend two years of my life following blow-by-blow press coverage of the fall of the Nixon empire.
Quite frankly, in my 7 decades of political life in America I've been witness to no member of Congress superior to, or better suited to addressing, the demanding task of dealing with the Trump syndicate than Nancy Pelosi.
45
I think that Nancy Pelosi would be happy to see you saluting her.
Speaking of heroic women, let's acknowledge the several Freshmen of the House who put their own lives, futures, careers at stake - 5 of the 7 are women. And they spoke out despite their often slender margins of victory in 2018; despite the fact that several are from purple or even Trump districts that could easily flip on them in 2020.
These heroes, men and women alike, are leading the way past selfish, narrow personal and political gain, back to a time when The United States of America really meant something and we could all stand united before our flag and our national honor.
I hope some Republicans join them in this great American experiment. We have a couple already. Let more come.
32
The order of succession is very interesting to me, especially if Pence is found to be involved in the scheme and the cover-up. It would amazing to have her as the first woman president if only until January 2020.
35
And kudos to Damon Winter for his masterful portrait of the Speaker. Really nice work Mr. Winter.
9
The Republican Party, as an institution, is a danger to the rule of law and the integrity of our democracy.
The problem is not just Donald Trump; it’s Republicans that choose to collaborate with him
The best hope of defending the country from Trump’s Republican collaborators is to vote against Republicans at every opportunity.
16
To all the millennials who did not support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker, I hope you have learned that wisdom takes time and experience. There are forces beyond any one person’s control that will probably lead to a defeated effort to impeach Trump, but Pelosi is the only person in the world who has the leadership and wisdom to present a substantive and irrefutable case. It is no longer palatable to once again turn the other cheek in the face of blatant corruption and disdain for fair elections.
25
Can't say enough how happy I am to hear Ms. Pelosi shed the dry, polished language of traditional politicians, which resonate with almost zero modern American voters, and speak the real blunt language of the people. The standard ten dollar word speeches filled with "the nature of our civic discourse blah blah blah...", sound like the grownups from Peanuts cartoons to most of us. Don't practice what will sound the most presidential; say what you mean, and speak to us, in the words we're already thinking. That's how you connect. Bravo Nancy, keep it up.
10
Given that Trump is implicated in the whistleblower's complaint, and Trump has since thrown Pence under the bus, there seems to be a possibility that, when considering the line of Presidential succession, as Speaker of the House, Pelosi could become President. I've been a critic of Pelosi over the years, but to have the Trump era end on that ironic note would be most fitting.
16
At some point, the question is not about the political fallout of a course of action but rather what is the right thing to do.
Sadly, for much of the country it seems that what we value in our political representatives is not faithfulness to the Constitution, in good faith and with our best judgment, but rather faithfulness to the party.
I want to see where this inquiry leads. Disagreeing, even vehemently, with Mr. Trump's policies is not grounds for impeachment. Abuse of the Constitution and one's oath of office is.
5
Something that has been percolating throughout the American dialogue the last few days is that Ms. Pelosi is now clearly the most powerful person in the country. At first that sounds hyperbolic, but the more one thinks about it, the more accurate it is. The Speaker is running the show now. Trump might have been the master of putting on television and Twitter drama at its most operatic, but Nancy de’Alessandro Pelosi is the master of Washington soap opera drama. The president met his match.
16
I am in awe of Nancy Pelosy. Overwhelming decent and wise. She is a woman that is meant for our time. We are very fortunate to have her.
28
As the risk of losing the 2020 election grows Trumps best option will be resignation Nixon style, trade the Presidency for a (family) Pardon. Likely Trump will only do that after raising a lot of money he can place in soon to be "Zombie" campaign funds. Why does Trump even want to be President a second term, he won once, he proved his point, he promoted his brand. Being President isn't so great for an old rich guy who has so many other options with the limited time he has left. Resigning is risk management, a stay out of jail card, it's his best, most selfish move. I'll guess next summer he quits.
7
“The speaker would have preferred to send Trump packing at the ballot box. But since he keeps contaminating the ballot box, asking foreign countries to meddle in our elections to help him win, what choice did she have?”
Given the dominance of the Senate by Moscow Mitch and the GOP, which act as enforcers for Trump, it seems more than likely that PELOSI will have BOTH tasks in front her: impeaching Trump AND defeating him at the ballot box.
It will be a hard year to come for our beloved Democracy.
5