‘They’re Doing It as We Sit Here’
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/opinion/robert-mueller-report-testimony.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage#commentsContainer
And who is to stop them?
Individual1, who said he will gladly accept more of the same assistance from Kremlin & sucking up to Putin at every occasion.
McConnell who blocked by-partisan bill to protect election security of 2020 and keeps sucking up to trump to steal next election.
“For years, Sen. McConnell has fought to increase the impact of dark money and corporate spending in our elections,” the Senate Democrats wrote. “But now, after reportedly fighting efforts to expose Putin’s interference during the 2016 elections, Senator McConnell is blocking bipartisan reforms that would secure our elections from foreign interference.”
Or any of the GOP reps. that were doing their cultish best to destroy Robert Mueller well deserved spotless reputation, in order to suck up to both Putin & trump.
So you tell me...who is to stop them?
Don't underestimate the power of the people. Look at Puerto Rico, they overturn corrupt government, Hong Kong protest.
It's time for us to do the same and "Occupy Government" that doesn't work for us american citizens.
33
One undermentioned obvious:
Mueller is clearly showing his age. Nowadays 78 isn't as old as we used to think it is, but he lacks fire and those who knew him when say he's slower off the mark than he used to be.
I continue to be distressed at our eagerness for a knight in shining armor to "rescue" us when our path to rescue involves working together to solve problems (which is not devilish, but sounds devilishly like moderate socialism).
Good has a hard time fighting true evil, and nowadays the short path to hell - lazy, selfish, and unconcerned for others, as the classics have often described it (Virgil, Milton, Goethe, etc.) - has many new recruits in the survival of the Republican party. Being tolerant, listening to others, empathy/compassion, and a concern for the less fortunate (see Jesus in the gospels) has lost ground in the face of finding victims to blame and encouraging hatred and violence.
We're all going down with the ship, though ... see climate change/global warming, which will eliminate earth's apex predator if we don't use the aforementioned moderate socialism but quick.
23
Donald Trump and the Republican Party are exactly what the Founders feared. George Washington warned against factions (political parties). Alexander Hamilton feared mobs roused by demagogues. The Republican Party is loyal to a dangerous manipulative demegogue driven by greed. Their supporters are an unthinking mob fed with anger and seething hatred.
That would be bad enough, but it's even worse. Everyday, normal Americans can't be bothered to take notice that America has been hijacked by the worst of the worst.
If yesterday's hearings were too boring for the people to pay attention then the American experiment deserves to end. The Republican Party is party to America's murder. Trump is mugging America. But we can't claim he is stabbing us in the back, he is looking America face on, sneering and stabbing us in the heart.
27
Nancy Polosi is right. There is no point in impeaching Trump if there is no chance of removing him for office. To get the facts out? They already are out. Save impeachment as an escape hatch should he be reelected with another Russian attack. I do not want Trump impeached I want him in prison with a shaved head. If there is a real need for an impeachment I suggest that the House impeaches Wm. Barr and begin hearings in September after he is held in contempt of Congress..
21
For two hours of the Mueller hearing, Trump-hating Democrats were shouting at several inept Democrats questioning Robert Mueller on their TV sets, “Don’t ask it that way! You’ll only get ‘I won’t speak to that’ for an answer!”
Republicans, like hyenas moving in for the kill of an old, confused gnu, got increasingly obnoxious with their questioning.
But, somehow, in one of the slowest crescendos imaginable, Mueller got better, less boring and more engaged.
Democratic representatives finally stopped rattling off questions prepared by staffers without first making sure Robert Mueller was literally on the same page.
By afternoon, under the leadership of a very smart Adam Schiff, there was new life in the old man, and Robert Mueller rose to the occasion, showing disgust at Donald Trump’s profiteering at Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Mueller testified that Trump had lied in answers to written questions and that Trump’s ongoing words and actions met the three criteria for the crime of obstruction of justice. The TV drama was there.
When Mueller said that our president had engaged in the felony of witness tampering and could be prosecuted after leaving office, viewers sat up.
When Mueller said Putin’s minions were set to repeat the attack in 2020 and that Trump sees nothing wrong with taking money and other help from foreign powers, the gallery hissed.
By the day's end, Robert Mueller’s performance had the Republican bullies skulking off.
29
The Publicans really lucked out with Mueller. His ramrod-straight sense of propriety caused him to refuse to say what he surely must know: that Trump encouraged Russian help, that he coordinated his campaign with them, that he made every effort to cover up his actions, and that he tried to shut down Mueller’s investigation. Far from being the partisan hack of Publican propaganda, he scarcely would say anything to help ordinary Americans make sense of what happened. We’re left with just a lengthy report that almost no one will read.
2
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better."
The amazing part of this story, how hopeful Democrats, the MSM and voters are. Four years of bashing Trump and every attempt fails at least as badly as the previous. Democrats never give up. The lost puppy will come home. Santa will bring the pony next year. And the neighbor will stop beating his wife.
If only we wish for it, really, really hard.
"...run a strong presidential campaign..."
If that isn't enough to make people start booking a trip to Jonesville (Guiana), I don't know what is.
2
I read 225 pages of the Mueller Report and gave up .Was the report written in legalese and exceedingly long so people WOULDN’T READ IT ? Can’t imagine the reaction of the Trump “ mob “ if Clinton or , god forbid , Obama were elected with Russian aid and assistance .
5
Trump can only be beaten by another racist, and there aren't any running against him. Sadly, whether we admit it or not, America has become a racist country, and only a racist can beat another racist.
While praising the intelligence of the American electorate, Trump secretly knows that they can be led around like bulls with nose rings - only instead of bull rings, he uses their beliefs and prejudices to lead them wherever he wants - and racism makes a strong chain.
If DJT doesn't destroy our fragile democracy, he has published the blueprint and playbook for some other demagogue to do it later. If a democracy like America's is going to exist, there will have to be a paradigm shift in human thought throughout the world.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. These minds see the survival of a particular belief as more important than the survival of us all. When we understand all this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
3
Robert De Niro was nominated for an Emmy award for his portrayal on Saturday Night Live of Robert Mueller. Yesterday's performance by Bob Mueller shows how ridiculous that is.
Bob Mueller's testimony was an embarrassment. I hate to say it, but he looked and sounded senile. No wonder he resisted testifying. No wonder he wanted his aide-attorney to be sworn in to testify with him. He was in no shape to lead this investigation, and clearly did not. Someone else did.
Compare Bob Mueller to Bill Barr. One sharp, one bumbling. One in complete grasp of reality, one in a fog. One who responds to questions, one who evades questions. One confident, one trembling. There really is no comparison.
Robert De Niro was playing a Bill Barr character, not a Bob Mueller character. Robert De Niro's acting was, in light of Bob Mueller's performance on stage yesterday, a farce.
3
“The nation is so divided on the subject of Donald Trump that it’s almost impossible to imagine anything would get him kicked out of office.”
I am constantly baffled at the truth of this statement. Why on earth would anyone support a proven liar, serial misogynist, and someone who clearly looks down on the majority of Americans? The only reasonable answer is truth that can’t be spoken out loud in most places: deep racist beliefs.
I remember an interview during the campaign when a woman was asked why she supported Trump. Her answer: “He tells it like it is.” The only way that answer can be accurate is to accept that what she meant wasn’t that he speaks only the truth as it is commonly understood. No, her truth was the one that can’t be spoken, but which is felt acutely in so many Americans to whom Trump intentionally appeals. It doesn’t matter whether truth is involved, because this is an issue where what is felt is more important than what is true. Millions of Americans feel left out because of a historical reality: the high wage, low skill jobs that sustained them during the 50’s and 60’s are permanently gone. Trump gives them someone to blame, an “other” who seems to be taking their birthright. That it isn’t true doesn’t matter to them, because it feels true.
Trump cynically knows this, hence his campaign slogan: Make America Great Again. That appeal (one of the most egregious “dog whistle” constructions ever conceived) said it all to them.
19
Donald Trump committed crimes, but he will never be held to account while he is President and the Republicans hold the Senate.
The Democratic house needs to push through bills to protect and strengthen the ACA; bolster the security of our elections; raise the federal minimum wage; fund an extensive infrastructure bill focused on known deficiencies in roads, dams, the power grid, etc; reform our legal system; and enact some basic, doable environmental actions to address climate change.
That is a lot of work for bills that will die in the Senate. But every Democratic candidate for the Senate and House of Representatives can then mine out every item in every bill that would benefit their constituents and campaign on Republicans not representing their constituent's needs.
If Donald Trump mowed Barack Obama and Pope Francis down with a machine gun in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue in broad daylight with thousands of people watching and hundreds of videos, the Republican Party would shrug its shoulders and yawn.
Our republic is diseased. What passes as a party in a democratic country must be rooted out leaf, stem and root.
18
@Maureen. Yes, it is a lot of work for bills that will die in the senate. And I agree it needs to be done anyway. But as long as Mitch still has the mind-boggling individual power to say “I get to decide what the Senate votes on”, how do we hold Republicans in the Senate to account?
13
I feel drained. And that is their plan. Daily assault of all that is decent and connected and worthy and hopeful. You Republicans who defend Trump will never, for the rest of our lives, have legitimacy when you complain about future wrongdoings by the left. My prayer is that for the next decade at least you are wiped out of control of the senate and executive branch and most state legislatures. The Dems are human beings too, and are surely vulnerable to the corruptions of power. But you Republicans have proven utterly hollow in your long-espoused principles, particularly that of protecting our constitution.
28
The REAL election interference is that of Voter ID, Interstate Crosscheck, the reduction and change of locations of polling stations, disenfranchisement, etc.
The truth is that It's OUR OWN CONGRESS who are the true election meddlers, and its time to hand the election back to The League of Women Voters and go back to paper ballots!
What has Congress done to protect the next election? NOTHING! A kid hacked a voting machine. Wake up!
11
What to do with Republican friends and family who no longer care about anything other than party politics? Criminal behavior by party leaders is ok, lying is ok, calling every single intelligence agency in the US liars is ok, saying Dictator Putin is more honest than our own CIA/FBI/NSA is ok, decimating the voting rights act is ok, dismantling EPA is ok, ripping children from their families when they claim for asylum is ok and spiraling deficits are ok.
Do they no longer share any values of honesty, decency, fairness and integrity? Or is it all just tax cuts, racism and money in the 401K?
20
Is it at all possible that the KGB has dirt on everyone in the Federal government who means anything? This is not paranoia. We know this is the way they work. We know they have a dossier on Trump, but for some reason all these other officials let all incriminations slide. Barr and Mueller come immediately to mind. Isn’t it weird that there are two types of officials protecting Trump: the clowns and the hesitant?
5
If Americans don’t even have the - frankly - low amount of self-discipline required to read a report that fundamentally affects their own futures, then they deserve everything they get. Are you a nation of pre-schoolers or a serious country? Sheesh. I expect more Danes have read it than Americans by the tone of this report.
9
Well the die hards for Trump must be taking classes in Russian so that they can stay for free at the Trump Hotel in Moscow. This would be there reward for listening and believing a con artist
Muellers words were clear accurate. We saw in our mind the numerous meetings that the Trump family had with the Russians. We saw the lies in crystal clarity that Trump repeats over and over. We heard via questioning how Trump has debased the country and will continue to do so till he is run out of office. Americans deserve more than this anti American president and his hateful family especially the daughter in law who got the crowd chanting send them home last week.
People listened and now congress must act and bring closure to this con game.
7
Oh Mon Ray
Investigation :
1) did not cost anywhere near $ 25 mill. Indeed may have made money through confiscation of Manafort property.
2) from investigation came convictions of Trump campaign chair, deputy chair, foreign policy “expert” and Trump’s personal lawyer who implicated him in the Stormy payoff crime.
3) Also did the job Administration and/or the Republican Congress should have done outlining Russian meddling in 2016, To protect the 2020 Election from meddling (maybe from eg China AGAINST Trump!
4) did not find there was no conspiracy ( collusion is a meaningless word in
Law). Really there is no way to PROVE THERE WAS NO CONSPIRACY. (What Mueller said there was there wasn’t not enough evidence to establish conspiracy).
5) Mueller specifically said Trump WAS NOT exonerated on the obstruction charges and the report laid out several instances where normal citizen Trump might well have been indicted.
6) So obstruction, the payoffs, his refusal to allow subordinates to testify in response to legal Congressional subpoenas, his breach of the emoluments clause, his people lying in the Census case etc. give enough grounds for impeachment. But the servile invertebrates that comprise the Republican Senate would never vote to convict no matter how damning the evidence.
So we go on with all the other injuries the sociopathic pathological liar who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave! With the hope that enough people will lose their blinders and “Convict” him on Election Day!
11
The evangelicals must be right that claim that God has sent the deeply flawed vessel Donald Trump. Trump has inspired hundreds of new people to enter politics to oppose what Trump represents-ostentatious materialism and greed, vindictiveness, adultery, opposition to scientific inquiry, racism, and other undesirable behavior.
Without Trump as president congresswomen Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley would be pursuing other interests. God has sent Trump to inspire people by his negative example to work to improve the country.
It is now up to the voters to finish the job and elect a president that can lead the movement that Trump has inspired.
22
Trump's family motto: never tell the truth when you can repeat a blatant lie--over and over.
22
It seems that a coup, abetted by Putin and his oligarch buddies , not unlike how Eastern Europe was taken over by the then USSR! Impeachment, followed by a highly improbable successful conviction by the Mitch McConnell controlled Senate, will not be enough to undo in a timely manner the catastrophic damage already done! Will still be stuck with Mike Pence and the cabinet likes of deVoss, Wilbur Ross, Mnenuchen, Eugene Scalia, Perdue,and so on. What is needed is for God to visit the Justices of the Supreme Court and urge them to ANNUL the 2016 presidential election! I am quite certain that Justice Clarence Thomas knows from his Catholic Catechism training that annulment would be the perfect reverse time machine to begin the process of national healing, especially the restoration of admiration, respect and trust that foreign nations formerly had! The case for invalidating the election because of Russian meddling is strong, and the Court has already established a past precedence with its intervention in the year 2000 Gore vs Bush election.
5
“The hearing was a miscalculation on the part of the Democrats, who were a little frustrated that Mueller’s report, although damning for Trump, did not have the kind of juicy language that makes for memorable headlines.”
Gonna have to disagree on that, Gail. Various bizarre, out of touch with reality, alt right conspiracy theories, have been making the rounds on right wing media, gaining steam.
They needed to be brought out into the light. And oh were they. I kept waiting for some Republican to ask Mueller if he had heard the truth on Fox News that the Steele Dossier was actually written by a Martian. Or Fidel Castro.
Much of Mueller’s confusion seemed to stem from the fact that Republican questions flowed from conspiracies a sane person like Mueller has never even heard of, much less had time to think about.
The country got to hear the alt-right alt-universe. It needed to be heard. Mueller’s probity was the perfect antidote to the poison of the lunatic fringe.
That alone made the hearing worth having.
Sadly, the GOP is sinking to the level of Trump’s mental world. Which is to say, the Twilight Zone (with copious apologies to Rod Serling)
16
"Impeach" is a misguided cry by many Democrats to do away with the serious threat to democracy that trump represents. The resources required to accomplish this draw too much away from a far greater need to demonstrate to the voting public what his agenda represents and to show what benefits the Democratic Party can offer instead in the coming presidential election.
The Republican Party supports the grotesque level of of income and wealth inequality that we are experiencing. It supports a campaign finance system that enables the rich to buy elections. It denies climate change, and pushes for more fossil fuel production, more greenhouse gas emission, more pollution.
The Democratic Party can replace trump only if it demonstrates it can offer what the nation truly needs and deserves, what every other major country in the world has: health care for all, free tuition at state colleges. It should push for control of the big banks that were instrumental in bringing about '08. It should push for a minimum wage of $15.
Cries and effort to impeach trump are uncertain of outcome, but if we follow and espouse a progressive agenda, he certainly will be ousted.
11
I listened to much of the testimony on the radio as I was on a road trip. I don't claim to have read the entire report, although I have read most of it and scanned the rest. The facts are there to see. The President is a liar and has committed any number of crimes. As a lawyer for more than 40 years, I have questioned many a witness and watched others do so. You don't get those "Perry Mason" moments in real life. If you get to the truth, you have done your job. Mueller provided the facts in the report and in his testimony. It was a necessary exercise. I wish things were different. I wish Paul Manafort had jumped from his chair and confessed all. I wish the President would quit lying. The biggest and most important test is in November 2020. I also wish the press would quit trying to appear impartial and just scream the truth. For once the legitimate press should be more like Fox News. The future of our country is at risk.
17
Trump won in 2016 by controlling the media narrative. Mueller, Boarder, China all of these issues play to him and don't change minds on either side.
Dems need to take control of the media narrative with the issues Americans care about Health Care, Children living in poverty, The Environment, Incarceration, College Tuition. The more they get the media to talk about these issues the more popular the Dems get especially with the 50% that did not vote in 2016.
Quietly impeach him and be done with it. That is how you win..
7
Do you see how Donald frames every issue? It's a TV ratings contest. Was his show better than mine?
Robert Mueller was always conservative. He was never going to be thrilling, either in his multi-volume monograph or before the Congress.
And yet, what he found was chilling. The president, and much of his team, were directly involved in Russian manipulation of the election to help Republicans win.
Consider, the Russians only wanted to dismantle American exceptionalism. The determined the way to do that was to get Republicans elected.
QED.
14
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. "
I wouldn't count on that. He's not going to go willingly, and he is already replacing senior Homeland Security officials with people whose loyalty may be to him, not the Constitution He is cultivating the lawless attitudes on display in that private Facebook page for border guards -- including the head of the agency.
If Trump calls a national emergency and "postpones" the election, who is going to stop him? Republican senators? The Supreme Court? CNN pundits?
And when, the night after the declaration, his principle political opponents all disappear into the private prisoners run by his cronies, who will set them free?
The trend line is clear: only a dictatorship will keep Trump out of jail, so a dictatorship it will be.
10
www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-turning-point-usas-teen-student-action-summit-2019/
GOTO the link if you want to read Trump's entire 30 page speech. Trump is nuts and poisoning the brains of these teens.
Trump was speaking to about 1,000 so-called Conservative Students when he makes this statement, “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president. But I don’t even talk about that, because they did a report and there was no obstruction. After looking at it—our great attorney general read it, he’s a total professional—he said, ’There’s nothing here. There’s no obstruction.’”
Trump's claim, of course, is patently false, it is absolutely a fantasy and his wishful thinking. Donald Trump is a raving lunatic. He fancies himself the new Mussolini and his administration is wrecking havoc on our nation. He must be stopped.
Please, will someone lock the fool up!
17
There are so many legitimate ways to defend Mr. Mueller, and most have been stated here by numerous people commenting. I agree with them all! Mr. Mueller is a true American patriot who, by himself, has more integrity than all of the ELECTED Republicans put together!
Too many elected Republicans are despicable and even evil. It remains a mystery as to why McConnell, Graham, Jordan, Gaetz, Representative Collins, Gohmert, McCarthy, and too many others have NO moral convictions. They are faithfully supporting Trump’s words and actions which we spend years teaching our children not to say and not to engage in. Only one elected Republican has earned respect, Justin Amash, and he was essentially forced to leave the Republican Party.
As others have stated, it is imperative that Republicans be voted out of office in local, state, and federal seats in 2020.
8
Looks to me, like we are in jeopardy of losing our democracy, and a good part of the problem is with the attitude of those in this country, who believe that winning is everything, and winning justifies lies, bullying, unethical, and even, illegal behavior. When you look at the behavior of most of the current members of the Republican Party, they do not care about good policies (fiscal restraint?? a solid front against the foreign adversary, Russia??) or the norms and laws that our governance is founded upon. And if we think the next election will save us, look at the fact that Mitch McConnell would not allow a vote on election security last night, right after Mr. Mueller has explicitly warned the country that the Russians (and others) are even at this moment, gearing up for election tampering in 2020. I have never felt so bleak about this country's future.
15
As Mueller clearly stated, the DOJ and FBI do not comment on ongoing investigations. That leads me to believe that the Department and Agency have some serious ongoing investigations involving Russia, Trump, and his minions. Mueller's refusal to answer easy questions with even with the simplest of grunts (yes, there were a few) leads me to believe the silence of Muller speaks for itself.
However, the mere mention of any investigations about Trump and Co. by Mueller would lead to an embarrassing (to me and about half of the voters) tirade of madness that is the distinguishing hallmark (or tombstone) of the Ranter-in Chief.
I guess there's one at Netflix already being produced, and, rest assured, Amazon is one step ahead of them in making the hit of the season on Trump's obstruction of justice. Just hope one is a serious documentary for the Ds and the other a comedy. Let's admit it, those Rs are spectacles as politicians.
3
Mr. Emoluments & his grifters took power illegally & will hold on for as long as possible unconstrained except by the voters. Mueller made clear the threat to American democracy is urgent. Unfortunately Mueller & the Dems in Congress, constrained by the difficulty of enforcing the law against a sitting president, can’t save us. We can not passively hope for justice & accountability.
We must commit to bringing accountability in 2020 by sweeping Mr. Emoluments & his grifters from office. An historic Blue Wave that retakes the WH & Congress is our civic & moral responsibility. We must awaken independents, & Dems across the spectrum to vote Blue.
9
If FOX does cover the negative things in the report, no matter how benign Mueller was when he said them, the entire thing is of no use.
The people who LOVE Trump (the 'base') only get their news from FOX. FOX is not a news station, it is a propaganda machine and it exists to make Trump look good, period.
The Democrats are, as usual, off on the wrong foot because Mrs. Pelosi is more concerned about "losing" than about defending the Constitution. The Squad can see through her fear and knows it is a losing position to hold as you can't win any battle by going in with the idea that you will avoid the battle so you can win after it's over.
If Mrs. Pelosi would back impeachment hearings, even though the Senate will not vote to impeach, more of this type of testimony might get to the base, as it would be difficult for FOX to avoid the topic altogether.
The so-called "Christians" who support Trump should all be ashamed that someone so dishonest and corrupt is their leader but most of them never know anything of what horrible does or are told those things are good and successful (lies) as FOX puts it out.
I know this because I have family members who are strong Trump supporters and by their own words, all the information they get comes from FOX, 24/7, 365.
How do the Democrats counter not Trump but FOX? That is how they win, but they have no clue. Hence, this hearing was absolutely pointless, dull or not. MSNBC and CNN? Nope.
4
Me too.
It’s a movement.
So, let’s move!
Move him OUT!
It’s OUR house, not his.
Flush him out, pull him out, yank him out, shame him out, bully him out, plus the sycophants of course.
Come ON Country, NOW!
4
Impeach him now or he destroys the country and our Democracy. It is that simple. We must bring down the dictator and those who enable him.
4
I beg to differ with Ms. Collins: Maybe the MEDIA did not get the drama they wanted but several things were clear for those who watch:
Confirmation that DT is a pathological liar
DT and the Republicans ho-hummed Russian interference in our elections (and then they draped themselves in the flag and don Make America Great hats)
DT acted like a mafia boss to place obstacles in the way of truth
The Republicans acted the same way they tear down anyone who is brought up to the committee with whom they do not agree: try to destroy their dignity because they can't argue intelligently.
DT WAS NOT EXONERATED.
5
Donnie will get fired in 2020, so why waste time and resourses on impeachment?
1
What were people expecting from Mueller, a remake of Jimmy Stewart in Mister Smith Goes to Washington?
2
Democrats should not insult the very voters they desperately need to win the electoral college in 2020.
Do not tell struggling whites that they have "white privilege".
Do not call them racists and mysogynists, and don't talk about "people of color.
3
Gail Collins has faltered how information should be given to the public. The Democratic Committee members came prepared from the opening statements by chairs to individual members. By getting Mueller to verify and support the most damning parts of his report, it sent a powerful message about Russia and the President's probably illegal missteps(i.e. SUBSTANCE).
Drama was downplayed except for the nonsense GOP members were spewing. They decided not to stay on topic.
The opposite was true for Committees' majority. Like a laser they honed in by verification and graphic display what this report shows.
I'm sorry if bores Ms. Collins, but the raw truth that came out gives some hope that the democracy can endure those who try to destroy it.
5
in other words.... they have nothing, and the entire thing was a scam of political proportions, and it fell flat on the democrats.
Ok.
Good enough for me.
Now.... stop wasting our time, and let the man run the country. It was part of the job we actually hired him for in the first place!
Geez! Enough already! Your contempt, and disgust is pathetic.
A criminal conned his way into the White House and was caught having covered up the con. He gets a pass because?
3
Democrats need a chant. How about:
Donald Trump
Russian Spy
Lock Him Up
or just
Chicken Donald
Afraid to show his taxes
Afraid of the truth
Afraid of the Draft
Yeah, the Mueller reality show needs to be criticized just like any other teevee.
Reality shows need to be thrilling and fascinating and you must never know where the plot is going. There should be rock 'em-sock 'em action with big, muscular fists and maybe weapons. Oooh and aahh.
A good reality show shouldn't resemble truth or real life, which is boring. Day to day, it's dull and predictable and you only remember bright spots that stick out above the fog of muddling through.
So, Mueller should have bleached his hair shiny blond and messed it up maybe like Boris, and should have been able to sit there and let fly with trumpian logorrhea, make up stuff, repeat, lie. Use big words like Trump. Trump knows big words, lots of them, though he doesn't use them because he doesn't want to show off, you know.
So, the Mueller show was a big dud and the democrats look like losers for producing it. We didn't learn anything we didn't already know. That our president is a lying crook, a mob boss, perhaps a mole traitor for Russia, and dumb like all crooks. Big deal. No stars.
3
It would be easy to take down Trump. But we can't. Why? Because it would require paying no attention to him. The one thing that would make him suicidally miserable.
You know, other government officials can be impeached. Mulvaney. DeVos. They're the mafia footsoldiers doing most of the crime. And the Hosue of Representatives could be holding hearings right now on the subject of impeaching them (in Mulvaney's case, from only one actual job).
I don't care what everyone says: Trump's a genius. He realized just how stupid Americans really are, and exactly how to weaponize that stupidity.
3
Oops.
You actually say, ''... a 448-page report on presidential misdeeds.''
There were no misdeeds. Why lie like this?
Do you lie to your friends like this, or only to us readers?
The misdeeds were in the development of the fake dossier and its unbelievable use to get the Obama administration to justify spying on an election campaign with it.
Was the real reason for today's disaster to keep Mr. Obama out of prison for setting this whole coup d'etat up?
1
How to take him down?
Well, how NOT to take him down is for the party as a whole, including candidates for POTUS and Congress, to support decriminalizing crossing the border illegally, amnesty, abolishing ICE, calling deporting foreigners living here illegally mean and racist, tax payer funded healthcare for illegals, govt takeover of healthcare, reparations, and taxpayer funded homes for African Americans.
That’s how NOT to do it. And that’s where the Democrat Party is now. That’s way left to where it was just 10 years ago.
1
America has had the bar for public education so low for so long that people do not even know how to think for themselves. Unless the issue is laid out in a graphically simple and dramatic manner most of us just don't get it. We don't like to have to read it ourselves and might not get it because our reading skills just aren't up to it. Trump plays to the worst instincts of the human animal and the consequences be damned. Mueller covered his returned cancer effectively but was a Republican martyr of Bill Barr's treasonous slide from the right to the far right. Barr kicked him when he was down and will be remembered as Trump's greatest enabler after Putin may a pox be upon him.
I agree with Gail. The legistlative branch just doesn't have the stomach to go after our grifter president. Voters are going to have to do it in 2020, and, otherwise, hurray for term limits.
2
The Intelligence Committee's hearing was somewhat graver than the Judiciary Committee's.
In Chairperson Schiff's opening statement, he summed up the one conclusion of the Mueller report that should concern every American: that a foreign government meddled in our 2016 election.
The winner of that election took actions to prevent a thorough investigation and has discouraged efforts to ensure that it can't happen again in 2020.
By encouraging Mr. Trump to believe and say it's all a witch hunt by political opponents, the GOP has done this country a terrible disservice.
4
So, even you have fallen into the trap of highlighting the style as opposed to the content. I guess if he had tap danced on the table, or maybe screamed and wept like Kavanaugh, it could have made for better TV?
What a shame that Americans want 'reality shows' as opposed to reality. More non-reading Americans know Trump's crimes today than did yesterday. And many knew none at all, either because they don't care or they are part of Trump's cult.
And if Mueller's clarion call about Russia "doing it right now" regarding tampering with our elections doesn't move the needle, then we are a doomed democracy.
4
Here's an idea: beat Trump and Republican Senate in the 2020 Election while keeping the House. The day after the results are certified, the House starts impeachment process and finishes just as their terms end. On January 3rd with new Senate in place, hold the trial. Get him out by votes and tar him for the ages as the first President impeached and convicted.
4
Read the last section 1st.
Vol 1 Table of Contents Heads
Russian "Active Measures Social Media Campaign
Russian Hacking and Dumping Operations
Russian Government Links To and Contacts With the Trump Campaign
Prosecution And Declination Decisions
Vol 2 Table of Contents Heads
Factual Results of the Obstruction Investigation
The Campaign's Response to Reports About Russian Support for Trump
The President's Conduct Concerning the Investigation of Michael Flynn
The President's Reaction to Public Confirmation of the FBI's Russia Investigation
Events Leading Up To And Surrounding the Termination of FBI Director Comey
The President's Efforts to Curtail The Special Counsel Investigation
The President's Efforts To Prevent Disclosure of Emails About The Jun 9, 2016 Meeting Between Russians and Senior Campaign Officials
The President's Further Efforts To Have Attorney General Take Over The Investigation
The President Orders McGahn To Deny That The President Tried To Fire The Special Counsel
The President's Conduct Toward Flynn, Manafort, Harm To Ongoing Matter
The President's Conduct Toward Michael Cohen
Legal Defenses To The Application Of Obstruction-Of_Justice Statutes To The President
Constitutional Defenses To Applying Obstruction-Of-Justice Statutes To Presidential Conduct
2. Separation-Of-Powers Principles Support The Conclusion That Congress May Validly Prohibit Corrupt Obstructive Acts Carried Out Through The President's Official Powers
1
Gail Collins is to be commended for already taking step1 on the road to recovery from Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Step 2: Read the report and Mueller testimony again saying for these purposes criminal conspiracy and collusion are the same; then drop the dreams of a future "collusion or conspiracy" indictment;
Step 3: Re-read all the discussion around the Barr-Rosenstein decision not to procede on obstruction charges, i.e. that the President has a lot of facts in his favor on the "corrupt intent" issue, despite that he is guilty of the othe elements of the crime;
Step 3: Tape a note to the mirror and read it every morning:
"(a) Trump won the election fairly without material assistance from Russians;
(b) Dems lost the election because (i) they had neglected the concerns of a very large slice of America; and (ii) handcuffed themselves by nominating a corrupt liar;
(c) We need to pay attention to the Electoral College when counting votes. "
The truth will set you free!
Yesterday was the same for Democrats, as every other day has been for Democrats, since Trump started running for President.
Yesterday Robert Mueller was just one more person in a long, undistinguished and unmemorable parade of Trump slayers. He is the face of "unamed, administration insiders", "an anonymous source", "another book author", and , lest we forget, "Tom Arnold". The MSM tried to put on a happy face, but, even they couldn't bring back the magic.
The Democrats forced an old war horse out of the barn, to run against a stupid, incompetent liar. "Old Bob"'s first step was a bobble. No matter the number of times the crop was used, his real goal was to make it to the back stretch. Every Democrat that had bet the farm, the Beemer, the family beach condo and what ever last bit of sacred honor they could find the sock drawer, watched "Old Bob" limp across the finish line and he became just another also-ran.
Yesterday, Bob Mueller was the party drink du jour. This morning Democrats woke up with another hang over. Democrats should not wait until tomorrow to start a 12 step program. Tomorrow is today.
1
See what happened in Puerto Rico? Now multiply that by 10.
How do you take down Trump?
At the ballot box... but AOC, Tlaib, Omar, Pressley, Schiff, Nadler, Booker, Harris, Sanders, Pelosi, are doing everything they can to create another spectacular victory over leftist democrats in 2020.
Perhaps there could be a multi-year, billion dollar federal investigation on why democrats keep losing... oh, wait, that already happened, and they still won't listen!
1
"Bob" Mueller turns out to be just one of the boys, after all. He's 75 or so and clearly in the early stages of memory loss. Rather than help rid the nation of a dangerous anti-democratic ignoramus, Mueller played along with the Trump criminal family and a pitiful president. Maybe in his younger days, Mueller was a patriot and exercised common sense, but what a nation saw on television yesterday was pathetic. MUELLER, A PATRIOT. DON"T MAKE ME SICK!!
2
Who will save our country?
If the "Russia" investigation was about investigating Russian interference, did anyone think to ask Obama, Comey, Brennan and Clapper what they knew about Russian interference, before the election?
The Trump campaign wasn't just floating around, all alone.
1
According to Stormy Daniels Trump is scared of sharks.
1
Imagine the gop - aka trumplicans -gnashing their teeth if trump were a democrat -but instead they throw our country down a sewer because of their greed for power no matter what.
1
They need to keep up investigating the whole family in fact rev it up. Because a)Trump like his name in news, b) Trump really wants to show his taxes, or c) Trump really wants to grope Pelosi. All will drive him madder and crazier and the baboon will come out which will intern make him the craziest, he won’t be able to keep up with himself. All he will be able to do is react and not govern, (North Korea shot missiles again), the job market in the future is hemorrhage jobs, and then there’s China, tariffs, Iran, Saudi, Russia, investigations, people leaving, etc. Trump will make promises to his base (remember the additional tax cut for the middle class right before midterm election) and hopefully he won’t drag us into another war. I say rev it up.......
1
Elsewhere, earlier, someone posted "the fact that three million more Americans preferred [Trump's] opponent...". After the last presidentail election, I checked the popular vote. I thinjkmy recollection is correct, that outside of the "Country" of California, in the 'rest of the US,' Donald Trump out-polled Ms. Clinton by at least a million votes. That's how I recall the numbers. So, USA, you'll need more than the Graet Bear Republic of California to get you--and all of us--out of this. And now, the UK and Europe has Boris Johnson, pal of Trump? and pal of Ontario's current premier, Doug [the thug] Ford. What are we doing, folks?
1
The investigations continue in other venues. Mueller made that clear in his muted way. he has bent over backwards not to be "political," which drives the Right crazy. Try as they might they can't demonize him the way Ideologue and political hack Ken Starr was easy to demonize, because he was conducting a real "witch hunt." So in creating a spectacle for either side, it was a non starter. Mueller has seen this all along as a set of Constitutional and legal issues. And he continues to get his way be following procedures to the letter.
4
Oh, Gail, I love your writing - but this time, you are just DEAD WRONG...sorry, my emotions got away from me.
We watched the hearings yesterday. It was in no way a "miscalculation" by the Democrats. They were eminently well prepared, unlike the Republicans, who simply did not know what they were talking about. Director Mueller stayed the course admirably well, including being very careful to do nothing to prejudice ongoing investigations - and few people seemed to be aware of that necessity, including you.
Like I say: I almost always agree with you. But you really needed to do some more homework this time. I'm an attorney, and believe me, Director Mueller did a great job all along - including with his testimony yesterday. We all owe him a debt, and the best way to fulfill that would be to read his report - or at least, to read the two executive summaries. Everyone should - must - do that.
8
I read all of the Report. It took me 6 weeks to finish it. And I skipped the footnotes and appendices.
Wrong. Democrats need to tell how they will make the country better for EVERYONE without marginalising or ignoring and group and in fact directly appealing those groups that should really be their biggest supporters if they just gave them in their message a little hope.
1
It is hard to understand why Mueller, an honest hard working law-abiding man would not cough up the truth about Trump when it obvious that he knows it. One wondered looking at him if he was frightened and had been threatened in some way.
8
@Grandma
I've been saying this since the beginning -- that someone must have gotten to him. I agree with you, and it is my distinct impression that he's keeping quiet for a reason.
4
Here in the Midwest I talked with some other seniors last night. They watched the Mueller Hearings and their conclusion is: they are afraid. They see Trump, more and more like Hitler. They see the rallies, they watch as lobbyists are put in charge of federal agencies. They see what's going on at the borders. And they are afraid. They think Pelosi is a potted plant, they do not like Biden. They wish the Dem party would wake up and find a Leader. But its not happening. They are afraid and don't know what to do.
459
@senior citizen
When you talk to them next ask them to support Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. There is hope. Those two have a firm hold on the law and doing right by all Americans.
It's also important to realize that they would pull together a strong ethical cabinet team, a top notch team of directors, and teams of advisors...
110
@senior citizen Agree 100%
33
@senior citizen: I understand your feelings, and I agree about Trump being more and more like a dictator. But Nancy Pelosi, and Adam Schiff, and Jerry Nadler, and Elijah Cummings know what they are doing. Please bear with them.
107
So are they going to arrest Trump once he leaves office?
7
I just hope there are enough voters in America to vote Donnie Bonespurs back to NYC for good in 2020.
7
Rather than roll the dice and enter the ring of the 2020 election against Trump, would it not be better to find some sane Republican with a backbone, deep pockets, and a constituency, a John Kasich or a Nikki Haley for example, to primary this joker before the election? They just might be able to punch the guy’s lights out before he even enters the ring. Added bonus: with nothing else to do, Trump would become nice chum for the judiciary. The sooner this guy is moved from the White House to the Big House, the better.
12
President: Elizabeth Warren, who knows how to make the money/corporate people heel.
Vice President: Global Warming pro Jay Inslee to focus solely on fighting Climate Change.
Secretary of State: Joe Biden to repair damaged friendships and reboot international agreements.
Attorney General: Kamala Harris to root out Justice Department crazies.
Veterans Administration: Mayor Pete to fight for fellow Vets.
18
@lechrist
I would love to see Elizabeth Warren take over as Senate Majority Leader
2
BRILLIANT!!!!!
I have a question and I'm not sure who to ask. Say Trump loses the election and it seems very certain criminal charges will be filed. What's to stop him from resigning on his last day in office, Pence taking over and then pardoning him and everyone else involved?
4
@Jane Deschner
The pardon still means you have to have admitted guilt. So down he goes
https://www.yourdictionary.com/presidential-pardon
2
I cannot help but wonder if Jeff Sessions would have lied for Trump the way William Barr did.
5
Does everyone expect “reality tv” moments now, even in congressional testimony? Should Mueller have performed like the odious Kavanaugh, crying and feigning rage at being “falsely accused”?
That got Kavanaugh a lifetime SCOTUS seat. But Mueller is a straight arrow Gman in his 70s from a previous era. He doesn’t seem like the kind of leader eager to get video training or theatrics to enhance his image. He was not crisp but he was real.
19
Terrifying times when nothing will move the needle, and we have an out of control immoral dangerous president with more than 40% of the American people supporting this excuse for a man. There's that, along with the fact that so many get their "news" from social media, where disinformation may be more prominent than actual information.
I hope we can rid ourselves of this monster and his enablers and supporters, but at this point I'm not so sure. Like I said, terrifying times.
7
Find out the political affiliation of everyone who you give your hard earned money to.
Any Republican owners, tell them you won't be giving them a penny.
Money is the only thing that these people listen to.
Don't be an unwitting dupe by financing them.
5
So, Dems will just have to run a "presidential campaign about how to make the country better"?
Well, thanks for the tip. Very informative! But what does 'better' mean? In concrete terms, how about a line or 2 at least on what policy positions they should take?
What are the pros/cons, who benefits? What are the answers to the nay sayers? Is this too much to ask from the news media that's supposed to inform voters on the issues affecting their lives?
Otherwise this whole column is a waste of time, telling us what we already know---and are bored by, at this point!
Can't this NYT op ed page offer us better than this, at such a crucial point in our politics?
The facts are that 75% of the white men, 54% of the white women voted for Trump in 2016 and that historically these numbers do not very significantly whoever is the republican candidate for the presidency in any given year. Today the stock market is up and the unemployment is low, we have to assume that very little change will happen regarding the white vote in 2020. After all, it was known well before the 2016 election that Trump was a narcissistic con-men incapable of any empathy and therefore a psychopath. The new scandals have had little impact on his popularity. It is also a well known fact that in general voters vote with their wallet. The white voters that did not vote for Trump probably will not vote for him no matter who is the democratic candidate. Though the white vote appear to be cast for the 2020 election, there is still a possibility for a Trump defeat.
There were 8 million less votes casted in the 2016 election when compared to the Obama election in 2012. The Clintons were not popular with the blacks and many of them decided not to vote in the 2016 elections.
Considering the fact that it took only 70,000 votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to swing the 2016 election in favor of Trump, we have to assume that a candidate that excites the black voters to the voting booths could easily overcome the 70,000 votes deficit in these three states. For all these reasons I believe that Kamala Harris is probably the best candidate to beat Trump in 2020.
2
Ms. Collins...why don't you read Shattered by Jonathan Allen. You might realize that the whole "Russian" thing was cooked up by the Clinton campaign to explain away her loss.
Not one vote was changed due to "Russian meddling". And the current crop of Democrats running better start thinking of ways to explain away their own landslide loss to Trump in 2020.
3
Yep, toss Trump out in 2020 but then prosecute him for tax evasion which would probably be easier and quicker than obstruction of justice. Al Capone murdered people but his evasion of taxes finally landed him in jail. The Donald in Rikers Island, now that's justice.
5
Why is the media concentrating on whether his testimony was a sleeper, instead of what he said?
Is it true that the president did not tellt he truth on his written answers? YES, GENERALLY
Is it true that the Trump campaign welcomed the help of a hostile foreign power? YES
Aren't these little details what is really important? Personally, I think Mueller hearing did everything it was supposed to - unless we decide as a people that the entertainment value (none) was more important than the content.
19
I truly fear that Trump may get re-elected with a popular vote as well, since most of the media and TV viewing audience seem to think that unless a reality show (you know, one where real things happen in real time) is a loser unless you have it scripted and draws blood, it is a flop (a word actually used in one of the headlines in Politico).
Me? I am totally pleased with the harvesting of information that was so critical to gather while it was fresh, and that he didn't join the circus, nor play into the wish of many of my fellow Democrats and change into a super-hero suit.
He did the job he was supposed to do.
Now if the Dems stand strong and demand the raw data, Pelosi can move forward with impeachment. Without that act by the House, future residents of the Oval Office will raise the bar on presidential power and infallibility. We may have a hard time surviving Trump. Imagine him on steroids.
4
"The president’s defense was somewhere between outrageous and pathetic. He refused to talk with Mueller, even though — as Representative Eric Swalwell noted — during the time he was rejecting those invitations, he met with Vladimir Putin six times."
He is the president, he's supposed to talk to Putin?
3
If you and the rest of the media continue to focus on style over content and truth then you will all be responsible, once again, on guaranteeing the trump’s reelection. Shame on you Gail.
3
Barring overwhelming turnout, we will be talking about President Trump -- and the last-minute substitute VP Ivanka -- well into the 2020's.
Reality TV takes its revenge who laugh at its popularity. Trump is a creature of that world, it is his depth. He knows how to get ratings. And ratings equals votes in today's very shallow, very screen-addicted USA.
As I say, barring extraordinary turnout...
At least make him lose the popular vote by >5mil, and get more Dems in the Ho9use and Senate, I guess.
Meanwhile history is passing us by, like a swift ship passes by an old tug.
2
I meant deity has a wry sense of humor. (before Trump, I was articulate and grammatical).
1
Impeachment or no impeachment, this debacle, otherwise known as the Trump Administration, will be in the hands of the only people who count, Americans who vote, on November 3, 2020. After all, we KNOW how a vote in the Senate to remove this despicable phony will turn out, regardless of the strength of the case against him. We got ourselves into this mess, and we will be the ones to get us out of it. The public showed the way in the 2018 elections, and those voters are not going to change their minds. If anything, they will be even more united in removing this stain on our country, because THAT MAN will be heading the Titanic's, err, GOP's ticket this time. Don't get mad, get even and VOTE!
7
Right Gail and what are the chances the Democrats will run a strong Presidential election on how they can actually make the country a better place for all of us Americans (voting - citizens) to live. Slim to none I bet.
2
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. "
Wow, ya think? Maybe if someone had thought of that in 2016 we wouldn't be in this mess.
3
The problem here is not about "How to take down Trump", but rather, how to move our country forward. It seems the opinion writers here, at the NYT are so worried about taking down Trump, they have, apparently, lost their way.
Do you really believe that our beloved politicians on both the left and the right, care about America as much as they care about their healthcare and pensions for LIFE?
Look at AOC. Originally she cared about her district. Not anymore. Now, it is all about 'branding" herself.
If either you, the opinion writer, or our proponents in Congress really cared about America, we would now, after all this "drama", try and move forward instead of promoting the American political and media version of "Groundhog Day"!
2
Well, Ms Collins, what a shocking idea —-
Democrats might have to start trying to win elections rather than stealing or overturning them.
3
Democrats need to step out of their echo chambers.
The Voters who elected Trump know that NO politician is perfectly clean (the Clintons!) . They also know that every major country in the world (including USA and Israel) try to influence foreign elections all the time.
A huge swath of the voters have tuned out your Cable News - University - big Coastal City liberal hysteria.
Stop the nonsense and nominate good candidates. Hillary Clinton had never one a competitive 2-party election in her life. She had lost the only competitive 1-party primary she faced. She was bad on Wall Street Money, bad on Me-too history, corrupt, with a mediocre record as Sty. of State.
2016 was the WORST binary choice of my entire lifetime. Do better this time please. Start by listening to someone besides yourselves.
4
Writers/commenters/pundits like our author expect reality as presented on tv to be as over-the-top as Reality TV (something the WH promotes daily) or as dramatic and engaging as the completely artificial soap opera/cop-lawyer-Dr. shows that consistently recycle plots and actors. Being able to clearly distinguish the actual from the made-up is a hallmark of adult intelligence and discretion. It's bad enough when most of society can't do it. Our elite media people should not be so brain-constrained.
5
I cannot believe several of my family members went to war and died for our country only to have a treasonous, lying, despicable bully like Trump getting away with so many obvious crimes during his time in office. I am so disheartened that I can no longer even salute the flag. Impeachment proceedings would at least send a loud message that Trump’s behavior in NOT acceptable. Why dither about here? The House must take a stand.
478
No the indictments won’t role in 2021.
In the real world the fascists will do what they do ever time. Tell lies and attack their neighbors. If Trump is not president in 2021 the fascists will get worse not better.
Be ready.
2
I thought the highlight was Devin Nunes. Yes, the same guy who went to the White House to announce something he got from the White House. He, who illuminated us on how Meuller mentioned the New York Times and Washington Post hundreds of times in the report, while Fox News wasn't mentioned at all. OMG, Mueller didn't give a nod to a fake news network that has demeaned and belittled him since his appointment. Oh Devin, we've missed ya.
1
I usually agree with Ms. Collins, but not on this one. The Democrats did a superb job of boiling down the nuggets of Mueller’s key conclusions into a tasty porridge that even the most ignorant Americans could digest . . . if only they would watch. Unfortunately, there’s a growing number of ill-educated, uninformed and gullible citizens, who won’t pay any attention to their government until all of their rights are taken away. Then they’ll come crying to the rest of us, but at that point, it’ll be too late.
323
Gail,
i want Trump gone, prosecuted and maybe committed to a mental institution, but I agree, the Democrats miscalculated and Mueller was careful to let the report speak for itself.
I also think that as we all fan the flames of distrust and dislike in the political parties, (though the Republicans are standout horrible in this regard compared to Democrats), making a poster child of Mueller only makes things worse.
4
to take down an insecure man all you have to do is laugh at him. It's coming.
Would he be arrested after his presidency? YES!! this is the start. He won't get passed this. N Korea missiles will take a back seat. No one is talking about his boyfriends failed attempt to sway the news.
3
Probably the most devastating am depressing thing about the Mueller testimony is that we now live in a time where the things he was saying/has said about the President are considered 'no big deal'.
And all that because he somehow wasn't quite 'entertaining' enough. 'Ugh. Not enough amusing sound bites.'
Think about that.
Mueller confirmed ongoing, rampant election interference. He confirmed that the President and his team invited it.
He confirmed that the President repeatedly interfered in the investigation in the most egregious way.
If you can't spare a tiny bit of attention for the huge implications of the man's words, you deserve 4 more years of Trump.
Unfortunately, the rest of us will have to suffer through it as well.
3
trump needs to be indicted, impeached and incarcerated. If Congress fails to bring an impeachment inquiry, and does it soon, then they are laying the groundwork for a future fascist dictator. The impeachment process needs to educate the American people just as the Watergate hearings did.
Do your duty Congress and get moving!
2
The Dems need a simple message that resonates with the core values of trumps white male base that they repeat over and over. One that would work is that trump is a cowardly liar. White guys hate cowards and liars, but they need to have it pointed out to them that trump going after the young congresswomen was an act of cowardice, not strength. And lying about his feet to get out of the draft was both cowardly and dishonest, not to mention unpatriotic. Just repeat after me, “trump is a cowardly liar” over and over until he’s defeated in 2020.
5
Intelligent Americans need to understand that there is a difference between impeachment and investigation. There is enough probable cause to put Trump in jail for the rest of his life and as a result of this he should continue to be investigated by the House .
In the meantime , Donald Trump needs to be defeated so decisively and so resoundingly In 2020 that hopefully the only time we will hear from the likes of him again will be from his jail cell .
2
Wake up America. You get the government you deserve. Next step - sign up for classes in Russian.
5
The ballot box it is, followed by an orange jump suit.
2
Are we going to just accept the standard that an entertaining liar is to be preferred to a boring truth-teller? I hope not.
7
Want to take him down ? Sell all your stocks few months before the election...and spread the word...a stock market crash will be his end...!
2
IMO it was 100% obvious that Mueller is an elderly gentleman not comfortable in the spotlight - and the replublicans noticed this very quick and made more or less understandable questions to confuse this nice elder gentleman and make him look silly.
The democrats noticed too so they asked short and simple questions.
But anyway - read his report. There can be no doubt that mr. Trump is a disgrace to USA - still the greatest country on earth. Do not forget Hillary got 3 mill. more votes than Donald so there is still hope for USA.
4
It's time for the D Party, and all the "resistance," to give up on the Mueller report as a way of waking up the public. The facts Mueller's team uncovered can certainly be used to good effect in the months ahead, but someone with the flare and presence to get people's attention needs to do their stuff now.
Let's hope that one or more of the two dozen candidates can do it. I'd bet on Elizabeth or Kamala, if they choose to accept the mission.
3
“At which time, we can let the collusion and conspiracy indictments roll.” Probably not. A precedent would be set for locking up an outgoing president and the next outgoing Democrat would be imprisoned for jaywalking while in office. Even more likely, the tweeter-in-chief assisted by right wing media will inflame his base to the point of violence. No one wants that. Imagine the deal he will offer, “I will leave office quietly if I am granted immunity from all prosecution.”
2
Saving our democracy and our Nation is not up to the Democratic Party. It is up to We the People.
If we cannot be bothered to pay attention when the republican party and its so called president take a gold plated shredder to the Constitution then we don't deserve to live free.
I was struck by footage of this so called man giving a speech to a convention of young republicans. He claimed that Article II gives him the right to do anything he wants. His audience cheered. And yet, he was using language to these young people one might use with 5 year olds.
This is how he sees all of US. As stupid. Especially his very base base. He thinks they are stupid beyond belief.
I think on this point he may finally be right about something.
7
The only way to take down trump is at the ballot box. And I mean secured ballot boxes because you know he'll try to find a way to rig it all in his favor. Master of the Universe, please save America from this immoral, racist, bigoted, criminal and his cult of supporters.
2
Let's call this a wrap. Show's over folks. And let's get behind the Democrats just saying this: "Our focus is on winning the White House back for the American people in 2020...when we do, we will put Donald Trump in jail." That strategy will scare the willies out of little Donny.
8
The image of Republicans muttering about danger at the beaches in front of a pile of murdered puppies perfectly sums up the state of their party of disingenuous sycophants.
6
Right now there are at least 4 countries who are our implacable adversaries who have the capability to shut down vast sections of our energy and communications grids. That fact alone should have been enough for Congress to pass infrastructure legislation eclipsing the magnitude of the Marshall Plan, GI Bill and War on Poverty all rolled into one. And of course, there is climate change which could wipe us all out permanently.
And, if this were not enough, our president is playing footsie with 3 of these adversaries, even inviting one to go ahead and breach our communications grid.
If that isn't enough ammunition for the Democrats, I just don't know what would be. Truth be told, in order to use it, the Democrats would have to apologize for their own sleepiness at the wheel over the past few decades but it looks pretty clear that that ain't gonna happen.
I guess we're just going to have to let the bottom fall out of our democracy in order to wake people up.
3
Next week, not the Mueller hearings, presents the most important opportunity for Democrats when the 20+ candidates debate.
Will one of them find the right combination of moxie and spontaneity to call the others out for nonsense ideas (Sanders), underhanded tactics (Harris), bloated plans (Warren) or worn out ideas (Biden)?
And will whoever that is also display the intense passion and communication skills necessary to convince 70 million decent Americans there’s a better way to run the country?
I hope so.
3
Someday the Trump era will be over. But for the time being he has postponed the GOP's fall from power. When that finally occurs it's going to be a massive fall from power.
3
Robert Mueller is a 75-year-old Vietnam War hero who spent his life defending the United States.
OK, so it appears he may have lost a step. We get it.
Why don't we stop picking on him and pay attention to what's in his report.
A little decency and grace can go a long way -- especially now considering the current occupant of the White House.
8
How to get rid of Donald T:
(1) Tell him there really ARE pots of gold at the end of a rainbow, and next time there's a severe storm, point him in the direction of one that's standing inside a Category 5 Hurricane.
5
"Representative Devin Nunes of California, the ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee, opened with, 'Welcome everyone to the last gasp of the Russia collusion conspiracy.' ” I recall one solution to the endless Vietnam War was to declare victory and leave. This seems to be the strategy of the Republicans on today's Mueller hearings. No matter that his team's report has long showed the connivances and criminality of Mr. Trump and his minions, they are trying to gloat over the lack of any new accusations. All that stuff in the report is "old news", nothing to see here, move along. And forget about the attempts by Mr. Barr et al to mischaracterize the report as absolving Mr. Trump & Co. (which Mr. Mueller flatly denied).
As an aside, today "Trump declared himself a 'very innocent President' ... " (USA today,24July2019) OK, I can understand stealing MAGA from President Reagan, but stealing "I am not a crook" from Nixon seems like a bad strategy. Maybe he sees that Nixon got to 66% approval rating at one point, while Mr. Trump has not gotten past 46%. Still, Nixon ended up at 24% ... and resigned in the face of almost certain impeachment and removal from office—the only time a U.S. president has done so. So far.
2
The Walter Cronkite Republican observes that if American citizens refuse to read, understand and vote they have no grounds for objecting to whatever tyranny is foisted on them.
5
I have fallen on the floor, weeping.
5
Still waiting for his Seamus moment.
1
We need to focus on what Mueller said, not how he said it. So the guy isn’t exciting. He’s 74 years old and probably tired of having to explain himself and his report. But what he said about the Russians meddling in our elections was important. He confirmed that it happened in 2016 and continues today. The real question is what are we going to do about it? Instead of impeachment, the Dems need to focus on maintaining their majority in the house and regaining seats in the senate. That way, if tRump is re-elected, they can use all the evidence they have to impeach him and remove him from office.
5
His allegation re Russian troll farms was thrown out of court for total lack of evidence. Doesn’t inspire too much confidence.
Well if you decide to not follow up on the Mueller report and then Democrats lose the next election, where does that leave you.
You should stand for the rule of law, whatever roadblocks or potential election results may be and even if the Senate wouldn't vote for impeachment. He needs not to be off the hook on this, otherwise it's just another way of enabling his behaviour and legitimizing the precedent.
5
I read half of volume 1 of the Mueller Report, including the footnotes and intend to finish the whole thing. Read it. It is not that hard.
5
The best way to take down Trump is wait for the 2024 election. Otherwise forget it. Democrats have blown whatever credibility they had left. Get used to it - we have him for five more years.
1
@Once From Rome
I hope you have humility to look back at this post on November 4, 2020. Only one of us will be smiling.
3
As a former believer, it must have been divine intervention that prevented Hillary's ascendance to the brass ring (in addition to some intervention from a diminutive former KGB colonel), however one must assume that this alleged deity has wry sense of humor
2
I am a political junkie and read countless newspapers and articles every day, and my reaction to EVERYTHING going on in Washington DC, including these hearings, is glazed over eyes and an intense desire to run away from it all. Grandstanding Democrats practically begging Mueller to say something exciting against the President, or grandstanding Republicans yelling at Mueller about his supposed bias against the President just amounted, once again, to a whole lot of out of touch politicians who seem to most enjoy hearing their own voices. Many of us feel Trump and his minions are traitors. That's what all this boils down to. But now, we just need to unite, ignoring radical left flamethrowers AND insane, racist far right crazies, and nominate and then elect someone who actually cares about everyone in this country. Who knows how to behave with dignity, who embraces the complexities of the office rather than being a Twitter-bombing adolescent. The real question is how we are going to last through another election. No wonder our forefathers wondered if we would be able to "keep" our democracy.
1
Which Democratic candidate can win? Watching the debates filled with promises to cover healthcare for all, whether citizen or not, redistribution of wealth on a massive scale that even wealthy democrat donors will balk at, and not a single American flag on display on the stage.
Symbols matter as do words. Trump knows this better than anyone. If this the formula the Democratic party has to offer for the 2020 election, prepare for four more years of Trump.
3
I’m despondent, yes because the hearings didn’t produce the knockout punch, and yes because the stonewalling by Trump and company seems to be working, for now at least.
I’m most despondent about the us Americans, as a people. Our relative apathy is allowing Us to successfully squander our birthright of a democratic republic based upon the rule of law and the ideals of the Enlightenment.
It was good while it lasted, I suppose.
3
Even if Mueller came out with strong convictions and sharper answers, it wouldn't matter in the long run. As Tom Petty said in his song "Refugee" - "You believe what you want to believe".
The simple truth is a lot of people just don't care what Trump did and will continue to look the other way.
4
Why did the Dems not press Mueller, they represent the American People and are the ultimate repository of sovereignty. Mueller works for us, the American People our representatives should have demanded he answer basic questions. For example it is crucial for us to know if Mueller saw Trump’s tax returns. We have a right to know, Mueller has no right to keep silent and should have been compelled to answer.
1
2.9% of 3% is not .1% less, it's .087% less.
1
Today's columnists Charles Blow, Gail Collins, and Nicholas Kristof should get together for an hour to discuss impeachment, the upcoming election, Trump, Republicans and Democrats. It's all been very confusing. A little group synthesis couldn't hurt.
2
Uhhh the last paragraph says it all. Complain all you want ,cry racist ,evil and the rest but that changes nothing. Put up a worthy opponent and that changes everything! Trouble is the dems have failed to give the American people a candidate worthy of the White House.
7
In order to take down Trump, you have to take down his 63 million base of supporters. He is not one man. He is a mindset and a movement.
12
We get some good out of these outings. What I think, Gail. Take the hearing where now Senator Warren was cheapshotted by Representative McHenry in Oversight. She held strong as in now in the Senate. Haven't heard much about Patrick Mc Henry have we? It is useful to see the burn those at the stake vengeful faces like Rep Jordan, Rep Gohmert and Rep Goetz slur the integrity of a man like Mueller. He may lack bombast. They lack anything anthropoid. Lawyer jokes may now commence again.
2
We don't need a better country, we need better people.
15
The headline poses the issue "How to take down Trump." Ms. Collins then gives a pretty lame program.
I'd pose it as a question: How to take down Trump? And the answer is: Puerto Rico!
3
@Tom
Under ordinary times that would work, now it would be civil war.
1
@Tom You are correct.
Saw a great bumper sticker the other day: Make America Think Again. another one could be ... Make America Virtuous Again. As long as too many Americans look the other way and ignore criminal activity within the White House, Trump will win. That said, one day the sun will shine again in America and historians will look back at the Trump administration the same way we look back on slavery, Japanese internment during WWII, and the like.
265
@Ted
I think it was John Kennedy who said "the hardest thing in the world for people to do is to think".
...But, I would disagree with that. I say, "The hardest thing in the world for people to do is 'to be good'." Thinking well is a function of being good.
So, yes sir, I agree......"Make America Virtuous Again".
25
@Ted
The two specific atrocities you mention: Slavery (outlawed by a Republican)
Japanese internment etc. Happened under democratic and/or non-Republican administrations...
Slavery
Japanese internment etc
5
@TedHow about a bumper sticker that says "Make America America again"
26
The NWT says, correctly, that the Russians tried to interfere. Most people, including Trump, agree with that. Problem is, the 2016 election was not under Trump's administration. It was under Obama/Lynch. While I understand they were busy torturing language to avoid charging Hillary for her knowing destruction of materials under subpena amid trying explain the happen stance of Bill Clinton meeting with the AG on a runway in Phoenix without any records being kept it was actually up to them to protect the election. Trump won and the democrats won't accept the election. They even cheated every way possible to make sure Hillary won and they still lost. I only hope this doesn't become the new norm where the losing party just spends all time obstructing the business of the country while they throw a fit. The democrats are no longer a party I can even think about supporting, I was never a "party line" voter until the democrats did this.
2
I read excitedly, looking for the “take trump down” recipe promised in the headline. What I got instead was a flattening and uninformative whine about yesterday’s lack of sound bites...something readers of the Times are already too aware of.
If you’re going to title an editorial “How to Take Down Trump,” please don’t write multiple paragraphs bemoaning the dull character of the Mueller hearing and then end with “Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. “
7
How to Take Down Trump...darn, I was hoping for something like a youtube video, like how to fix your dryer....
7
Until Americans stop equating news and governance with entertainment we're going to keep ending up with jerks like Trump.
9
Robert Mueller took the media hype out and left in the facts. By the end of the day, (I watched the whole thing), both republicans and democrats sounded like normal human beings asking questions. Few theatrics. Stupid strategy from congress sounded like....well stupid strategy. And Mueller did his job.
It was refreshing to see what a normal human being dedicated to public service used to act like.
5
Ms. Collins, I know light-hearted snark is kind of your thing, but this is no joke.
5
I don't know what to call that circus down there but it sure is more interesting than our old fashion civility up here.
your your president keeps calling everything he does not like Fake News...Muller is a fraud...well maybe you have a Fake President.
1
From the article:
"If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. At which time, we can let the collusion and conspiracy indictments roll."
This is just plain nuts - your hero Mueller said their was no collusion. Was he lying? Or is the truth simply not good enough for you?
Conspiracy to do that what - thwart an investigation against something that did not happen?
How much can you love an mistake? Why can't you just walk away from it?
This should be last article like this the Times ever prints.
2
It appears Gail has rather surprisingly fallen under the spell of journalisms worst characteristic. Where there is not conflict and drama or it cannot be created then it's a non-event.
3
Time to take a lesson from Puerto Rico
4
Spot on, Ms. Collins.
Begs the question: If you wouldn’t impeach now, when WOULD you impeach???!!!
4
It's becoming a Marvel universe in this age of thrill me or I am switching to another streaming delight. Sometimes, most of the time real life with real people can seem to be boring. Sometimes all I want is that Dragnet monotone, "The facts ma'am, nothing but the facts."
3
Taking down Trump ? Sounds to much like taking down a President. The real story that most have missed is that the Dem's are totally incensed about Trump to the point they only respond in an emotional way -- not using any reason or logic. There is enough real information out there now about how this whole thing about Russian was made up to primarily take a duly elected president down - an item that was possibly tried for the first time in our - USA - history. Time will prove that or disprove that shortly
Respectfully - "how to make the country better" - sounds too much like "Make America Great Again" - or today - "Keep America Great" Unless the Dem's can actually define what that means -- President Trump will be elected President for a second term.
2
Gail, for the first time ever, I strongly disagree with you. Yesterday was a very bad day for the Poser in Chief of the United States. And, he will never be free from investigations for as long as lives. And neither will his children.
5
What if we don’t impeach and he wins?
At least if we impeach he would have the stench of that on him.
I’m so frustrated. Here’s a guy (Trump) who essentially defines all seven of the deadly sins* and many evangelicals back him without remorse. “I will give all this to you if you bow down and worship me”...
*pride, anger, envy, greed, lust, gluttony, sloth
6
How to Take Down Trump?
Remove all mirrors, televisions, visual recording devices of any kind, and media coverage of Trump until Nov. 4, 2020.
6
Something needs to be done about the Justice Department "doctrine" that a sitting President can't be indicted. There's a good chance that Trump will, in a moment of pique, go out onto Pennsylvania Avenue and shoot someone.... and some Republican will parrot "He can't be indicted.... he's a sitting President."
I suggest that the Supreme Court be appointed as a special "grand jury" re: presidential mis-deeds.... anyone in the House or Senate can bring charges, and, if the Grand Grand Jury agrees, the President can be tried (by the Supremes.... why not?).
Please.... SOMEONE..... end this agony!
2
SO tired of these people rushing to claim that Muller wasn't as entertaining as a Vegas show. A president that is only not being arrested because he is president SHOULD NOT BE IN OFFICE.
Instead of blaming Dems for ONLY having the information he was corrupt - it's time to ask WHY the GOP is ignoring it. They have declared war on the country and we kill off our own.
2
I have read the report. It is damning. Mueller acted as if he need only be "fair" to 45. What about the Nation devastated by the reality of this faux president? He did get somewhat animated over the Russian intrusion that is ongoing.Voters need to examine their collective conscience, review basic right and wrong, kindness vs cruelty, and VOTE for any "imperfect" democrat. Our separation of powers and perhaps environment may be saved.
5
Collins's outrage over the Wikileaks dump of Clinton campaign emails shows her hypocrisy. If the dump had been of Trump campaign email that would have qualified as a high act of valor, warranting the Noble Peace prize.
1
You say she is a hypocrite because of something you believe she would have done had a hypothetical occurred. In this world of your imagination, you are right. Everywhere else, you are wrong.
3
Nice to see you have given up on the coup d’etat. Given that Trump is such a criminal, in your mind, and given that almost the entire media and entertainment industry hates and constantly attacks the guy, how can you lose an election to him?
Again?
1
If the public had read and the media purporting to be news organizations had simply published the table of contents of the Special Counsel Report, the public would be more informed than it still is. The number, breadth and depth of Trump's and his campaign/mob familia's criminality is on display in every line of the table of contents. Reading the executive summaries of the two volumes would flesh out the malfeasance and high crimes and misdemeanors.
Yet, here we are still discussing theatre, media promoting and amplifying propaganda, lies and untruths, along with a serious case of ageism in the way that Mr. Mueller is being portrayed.
Democracy requires an activist informed public, and the New York TImes is a flagship organization failing to do just that i an egregious, self serving, clickbait, viewer share, profit-driven over public good way.
The republic is failing, and no one is coming to save it.
2
How to take down Trump? First, select an all around great Democrat tick with moderately progressive ideas. Second- highlight every time Trump does something very crude an irresponsible, especially when he has to back down. Why do this? Because his base will never vote Democrat, but some may decide to sit out the election completely if they truly get fed up with him for his cruelty, racism, damage to the country, or just plain stupidity. Of course this would help Democrats in downstream races too.
Tell the Story! There is a story and Mueller's Team wrote it! Let the story hit those that are BLOCKING (Football term) for him. If you REALLY REALLY tell the story, there WILL be some MISSED BLOCKS on purpose. These people are the (ROOT) of the problem. (To get rid of the tree, get rid of the roots) THERE IS ENOUGH!!! Tell the STORY! OUR KIDS ARE WATCHING the wrong GETAWAY!!! NO ONE IS above the LAW. The late Johnnie Cochran said, "if the glove doesn't fit you must acquit, I say, "the glove fits, you must NOT acquit"!!
1
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better."
Nah, they'd rather talk about
- reparations
- open borders
- getting rid of private health insurance
- free college
- refusing 25K jobs from Amazon
1
Perhaps the media could give Buttigieg a bit more attention. He is a antidote to Trump - thoughtful, easily understood answers to questions, integrity, astonishing intelligence, kindness....
At this point he has my vote.
2
"How To Take Down Trump" is an interesting title for a column that is no more than a rehash of yesterday's news. I kept waiting for the plan.
1
Pelosi is derelict in her duty.
1
Ok, why is it the media buzz is so frequently about whether something will "move the needle"? What Mueller and the questioners did during the 2 hearings was lay out facts. Mueller is not a slick performer. That makes him more trustworthy. Careful and indisputable facts about behaviors which were criminal and, were it not for the fact the president engaged in them, clearly prosecutable. The Dems did a good job of having Mueller answer questions to refute all the PR falsehoods spewed by the president and his minions. The intel committee and Adam Schiff in particular managed to get Mueller downright excited about the Russian interference issue. If future elections can be better secured in the wake of this passionate clarion call, which will require pressure on Mitch, Trump will absolutely be a 1-term president. Maybe Mitch and he can share a cell. Meanwhile, the Repubs did little more than recite long-falsified "problems" with the origins of the investigation, and the investigators. Good investigators, in any field, are not partisans. They follow the facts.
These facts are damning of Trump and the Repubs. Gail doesn't usually engage in "horse race" reporting. I suspect she is getting impatient and depressed over Trump still hanging on. I'm guessing she and others will start helping to get the facts out in upcoming reports, without criticizing the Democrats for taking so long, and the national nightmare will end before USA becomes complete Bizzaro-world.
2
It's disgusting that Wray -- the head of the FBI -- hasn't read the entire report.
8
Evil is triumphing. Where are all the good men?
4
Nailed it again Gail! With humor and incite in these crazy befuddling times.
2
Anyone familiar with how major consulting firms operate, with a senior gravitas partner overseeing (but not implementing) the engagement, would not have been the least bit surprised at the fact that Mr. Mueller did not know every syllable of his report. What astounded me, though, is that his team did not prepare him to project the competence and confidence that we have come to expect of Mueller, a supreme patriot and dedicated public servant. Even the tiniest boutique PR firm knows that media training in front of a hostile audience is essential. Preparation for Congressional testimony is even more crucial.
Yet, reports are trickling out that the Russia-investigation team knew present-day Mueller was not the indefatigable Superman of his past, who once hopped off sprightly from a 15-hour flight after a long foreign trip while an aide 20 years younger had to be carried off on a stretcher. If that and other anecdotes are true, then why in the world did his team not rehearse him, Washington “Murder-Board” style, to project the gravitas, attention to detail and command needed to preserve his credibility and legacy? Instead we have the repugnant thug in the White House - mane his acolytes - gloating about his “win” while our democracy, decency and expectations of fairness are trampled and at risk.
2
Gail,
Collusion is not a criminal law concept. Mueller did not find conspiracy, which would give rise to an indictment (impeachment). The Russians will be tampering as they always are -- and their "tampering" is just promulgating stupid fake news. I wish the Dems would stop rerunning the 2016 debacle, and try to get a decent candidate for 2020 (I haven't seen her yet).
On pages 186 & 187 vol. 1 of the Moeller it describes the “Thing of Value” element and also the “Willfulness” required by the law. The Moeller report states that it would be difficult to prove that Don JR willfully agreed to meet in the June 9, 2016 meeting at Tower with a Russian individual to get “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. Apparently, the Mueller team did not indict Don Jr. because of Don Jr’s lack of knowledge of the law. The ensuing 4 pages of the The Mueller report were redacted out. 9 or 10 paragraphs were blacked out and annotated with the phrase “harm to ongoing matter”. The attorney general and not the special counsel are responsible for the Mueller Report redactions. There are other similar instances. Until we know what are in the redactions, the Mueller report is incomplete
2
If the Democrats nominate Biden, and Biden loses... oh, the recriminations... the recriminations!
True Gail!
And, how about "Follow the money"?
And how about the prosecutors working at the SDNY, NY State, Manhattan, D.C. and Penn... plus the FBI?
And, the next big investigative report from the NYT, the Post, the L.A. Times, New Yorker and Atlantic mag?
1
Trump is a scoundrel. He's also hoodwinked enough Republicans to get elected, and the others are willing to go along with him for their own self-interest. But in some ways, the Democrat politicians are worse: they don't have the courage to put principle over electoral scheming, to be true to their oaths of office and to take the risky step to impeach Trump based on the incontrovertible evidence. They are worried that it will "hurt them at the polls". Their calculation is exactly wrong. The American public does not want to be led by weaklings.
1
Are you not entertained? Puerto Rico showed us what to do.
GOP questioners made clear that they are not interested in facts or the Country. They are lunatic hatchet men bought and paid for by their bonkers billionaire backers.
1
Here's how you DONT take down trump. Decriminalize illegal entry, give illegals free healthcare, fight border security, sanctuary cities, abolish ICE, reparations and on and on. Offer things that make the lives of ordinary working people better. You know, stuff the democrats stood for decades ago.
2
I find it incredibly frustrating that Pelosi will not support even an impeachment inquiry for this clearly criminal and despicable POTUS.
The GOP leadership is amoral.
The DEM leadership is pathetic.
A great choice we have before us. Ugh.
Mueller is a lawyer, he talks in lawyerese. Surely journalists can interpret Mueller's language properly. It's quite simple really:
MUELLER REPORT: PRESIDENT NOT EXONERATED
and
MUELLER REPORT: PRESIDENT OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE
Dunno if that's snappy enough for the tabloids, but it's worth at least 48 point type in MSM, right?
2
This is very disappointing, Gail.
"The man is just not good at drama"? Do we need to be entertained by Robert Mueller?
1
"Take down Trump!" You can't be serious!? For sane people/ non-libs it was beyond obvious long ago Trump is going nowhere during his first term as the duly elected president, and because of the left's beyond absurd hysterical obsession with taking him down even after today's profound Meuller debacle it's almost a slam dunk he gets reelected! I'm certain after his next election the liberal press will write on a weekly basis how he's about to go down any day now, this is getting more unbelievable by the day!
To take down trump, he will need to be publicly and thoroughly emasculated. He will then collapse in a black hole of his own ridiculousness. Really, the only question is which Democratic candidate can do the job.
2
How to take down Trump: $$$$
Make his business interests bleed money and he'll walk away on his own.
1
“The Secret Life of Pets 2.”
Gail Collins must have grandkids who talked her into taking them to that movie....
1
"If he got caught standing with a knife and a pile of murdered puppies, he’d claim that he had actually protected innocent children from a pack of small fuzzy sharks. And around a third of the country would shrug, while Senate Republicans muttered something about danger at the beaches."
Straight genius by Ms. Collins.
2
As long as the Republican's keep squashing election security legislation, their minders, the 1%, will hold onto power.
https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/454635-gop-blocks-election-security-bills-after-mueller-testimony
Very un-New York Times class article.
An attempt at crude, biting humor that really conveys defensiveness -- I presume because our ex-Director of the FBI did not say "Ignore the stupid two year, $40 million report -- Trump is Putin's brother in law and will have lunch with him on the Black Sea resort next Tuesday to plot the 2020 election."
Leave the stupid, foot-in-mouth comments to our President's Tweets.
I want to laugh!!!!
Man what a comedy of errors this is with so many formulae to take down Trump!
It will terminate in 6(Six) years.
And then?
Republicans will allow Trump to do anything up to the 2020 election, they are either getting paid off, or are simply afraid
Democrats better find a strong candidate to beat him in 2020
So far, its somewhat pathetic......Trump will do anything, and I mean anything to get re-elected, so nothing is out of bounds. This will be a campaign to remember why people like Trump should never be elected, even as Dog Catcher
1
O.K. Everybody wanted something more than the 400 plus page report. Some people believe the report and some don't. What do the believers want Mueller to do about it? He was hired to investigate Trump, Russia, and collusion. He did that. Hardly anybody read it. ??????
2
How to take down a President. How sickening. Let’s hope Trump wins in 2020 and you can cry us all a river over and over again.
1
Gail writes "Looks like the Democrats will have to run a strong campaign," explaining in total why so many pinned such hopes on a hearing that Mueller all but shouted he'd not participate in willingly.
Democrats don't know who to run a strong campaign. They don't even know how to run a primary. Seeing the GOP implode and end up with the worst possible contender because they could not winnow the numbers down before the primaries, what do they do? Decide to have **more** candidates than the GOP.
I suppose the next step is that they will hope that a foreign power will sweep in with a massive disinformation and propaganda campaign to help them. With their luck, it would be Sweden or Iceland.
The Democrats had hoped for John Dean.
Instead, they got Jimmy Dean.
And he's been dead for 9 years.
Since when is the use of the word "exculpated" an example of "...clear language to the American people"?
Just to point out how very intelligent, articulate, educated, fact-based, fact-checked, diligent people can STILL, after all this time, not understand the core issues:
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. At which time, we can let the collusion and conspiracy indictments roll."
-Gail Collins
There will NEVER, ever, be an indictment for collusion.
Collusion is not a crime.
3
What I came away with after listening to the Republicans questioning Mueller was that Trump's base and the right-wing in general don't really care what Trump did or why. They so much want to discredit progressives they think and approve of any lie or act Trump and his supporters do or say is fine with them. The heck with the consequences.
3
The Democratic leadership has been completely inept in their handling of the crime, lies and corruption of Trump and his administration. It’s way past time that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer resign in their leadership positions and let some other Dems give it a try. Pelosi’s speeches are mumbling and often incoherent. She just doesn’t have what it takes.
Another example of this "liberal media" doing everything they can to tear down Trump. Or not.
Does it matter that Meuller put to rest every lie the right tells about exoneration? Nope. The problem is the optics. Had the dems only dressed Mueller in sequins and had a guest appearance by Beyonce, then maybe the hearing would have been successful.
Substance? Pshaw. Give us production values and excitement.
Sad!
1
We, Americans, are most naïve
(I am putting it mildly).
“Ignore the facts! – our new pet peeve.
We all are acting childly.
Mueller just explained to all
that Trump obstructed justice,
and yet we do ignore the call,
so, Trump does not get busted.
A felony is what the Prez
committed in plain sight.
And guess what Mitch McConnell says?
“Don’t worry. It’s all right.”
This is no longer about Trump.
It is about corruption
of men who still support a chump
and do not fear destruction.
Shame on us who do not care.
Who don't put country first.
Who don't our trusted values share.
I say we are the worst.
2
Dems might want to consider campaigning hard in Pennsylvania Michigan and Wisconsin - whatever the polls say. Just sayin'
1
1. Don’t expect to get re-elected if you didn’t vote to impeach.
2. See rule 1 above.
1
Not funny Gail, try as you might. Mueller did a fine job and the Democrats can be proud of the fact that the hearings at least exposed all of the truths in the Mueller report for anyone with any patriotism to see. Russia interfered with the 2016 election. Trump and his people welcomed that interference and coordinated with those implementing it. Trump obstructed justice time and time again. The FBI is continuing to investigate Russian interference. Every patriot should be calling for impeachment now.
2
I love reading your work. Great as always.
1
I felt the headline of this piece was designed to draw me in, but didn't address the purported subject. Yes we know that drama draws our attention and boring stuff and people (e.g., Mueller) put us to sleep. Yeah, I get the slim joke in the headline. But really, how do you take Trump down? More substance please.
And really, is it the job of a government report and its authors to produce sound bites and drama? That's more a criticism of the US population. If they're not interested in the most serious challenge to their (I say "their" because I am Canadian) democracy that's pretty sad. When/if balanced criticism is forced to employ cheezy theatre tricks á la Trump to sway the population, the battle is already lost.
2
Oops! I love you, Gail, but I've got to point out that 2.9% of 3% is only 0.087%.
We don’t need Mueller to kick this man out from office. There is more than enough but one of the simple most basic indictment would be/actually is that this man governs with daily insults and hatred solely via tweets.
2
Right?
Do you have “great” healthcare?
“Great” jobs?
No? Well the rich do; let’s just make America fair.
Let us simply get the public to vehemently detest him
Look up the meaning of ( COGNITIVE-DISSONANCE ) explains this whole charade we call POLITICS.
1
The author begins with a flawed premise that Trump needs to be 'taken down' . The majority of Americans feel quite the opposite. No worries- he will be gone in 2024...
3
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better."....Good luck with that one. Not off to a stellar start so far.
1
New evidence presented by a Director of Cambridge Analytica in a Netflix documentary shows that the crooked Hillary campaign was created like an advertising campaign by Cambridge Analytica and involved many planning meetings between Trump and the CEO of the defunct company with Russian ties.The data they used to target millions of voters came from the Russian Government via a missing Cypriot Academic.
3
Mueller's staunch adherence to the OLC policy that a sitting may not be indicted while in office led to a theater of absurd at the hearings. Suppose Trump murders someone on, say, New York's Fifth Avenue. Would Mueller and Barr declare we must wait until Trump leaves office before he can be charged? I think Barr would.
3
It strikes me as Orwellian that for Trump truth is whatever he invents, and half the country lets it stand. As in Orwell's 1984, lies are truth and the truth is a lie. "Who controls the present controls the past."
2
“A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South”...Abraham Lincoln.
No matter the issue, what is different in the year 2019 between all Americans and between the 7.7 billion humans on earth???
1
Trump repeatedly said that the Mueller investigation is a "witch hunt." He also repeatedly said that the investigation "completely exonerated" him. So, "the witch hunt completely exonerated me." Will some Trump supporter explain how these statements are consistent. Okay, now do it without the sophistry.
1
My impressions from the Bob Mueller's hearings were quite different. This is not the Bob Mueller we knew.
Bob Mueller's testimony was an embarrassment. I hate to say it, but he looked and sounded senile. No wonder he resisted testifying. No wonder he wanted his aide-attorney to be sworn in to testify with him. He was in no shape to lead an investigation, and clearly did not. Someone else did.
Compare Bob Mueller to Bill Barr. One sharp, one bumbling. One in complete grasp of reality, one in a fog. One who responds to questions, one who evades questions. One confident, one trembling. There really is no comparison.
Bob Mueller has plenty to be proud of in his life. Too bad he had to cap off his accomplishments with this shameful disgrace. Like it or not, the Mueller probe was a waste of time and money. Time to move on.
2
It wasn't a failure it was designed to get the essence of the report in a form that the average American [lazy/too busy/misinformed/don't care] could understand. TV/video 'sound' bites is about the level of our comprehension these days. Now, thanks to more media, it should be clear that the Russians interfered, the Trump campaign accepted their help and Trump tried to obstruct the investigation. Still 40% will choose to say its all a hoax and, unfortunately, that includes the GOP House and Senate. But its out there and in the history books. Yes, he is a crook.
3
Mueller’s biggest mistake was to believe that Congressmen were listening, thinking adults.
2
Inadvertently or not Mueller did Democrats (and the nation) a favor by effectively taking impeachment off the table so we can concentrate on beating him in 2020 and just maybe locking him up (unless he succeeds in pardoning himself).
Throughout this process, the NYTs has emphasized the same story: Democrats have invested too much, and whatever the latest development, it is a disappointment to the Democrats. No matter how much the Dems reduce expectations, the NYTs (and Fox et al) will always declare the Dems disappointed and give very short shrift to the big story that is constantly reinforced by new testimony: Trump did and allowed enough unethical and anti-Democratic actions in the 2016 election to make Nixon look like a Boy Scout, and Trump has everything aligned for a repeat in 2020, this time with the full support of the Republican party and the apparent support of the NYTs.
The people of Puerto Rico found a way to get rid of their "leader"; protesting in the streets, and shouting from the top of their lungs for him to go..thankfully he is --he is rotten to the core just like Trump. Yet, we can't muster that type of sustained energy level. Sad! Hopefully we can gin up the energy to vote Trump out of office. Not so confident.
I was riveted to the Mueller hearings.
His "performance" has been criticized. The set up of his mic and the screen for the Power-Point, the members not raising their hands when they started talking to direct him to their face(so he looked lost) and not ensuring he could hear well, are management issues!
For his personality and because of his lifelong patriotism, the Chuck Toddies should bite their tongues calling him a disaster!
He also let us know that the investigation into Trump being a la Compromot is still ongoing.
Dems need to Impeach to further "out" this unfit President. The Senate will suffer if they do not hold a voice vote so that Americans can see who has been misrepresenting them! THAT would be riveting TV!
2
The democrats should call every one of Mueller's 18 prosecutors to question what they themselves found. Let the American people judge for themselves the bias of Mueller's team.
Native American Soundbite:
*** We are the ones we are waiting for. ***
Nobody else can solve this.
2
I keep reading how the Mueller hearings were so boring, yet I found I couldn’t stay away from them all day yesterday. I ate my breakfast in front of the computer, watching a stream of the hearings; in the car, I had the radio on as I did my errands. When I got home, I flipped on the TV and was surprised at how soon all the testimony was over. Even without knowing the identities of the questioners, I could tell to which party they belonged: each individual began by thanking Mueller for his service. The Republicans then would each make a screeching u-turn and work assiduously to damn Mueller’s credibility. So many Republicans spoke so fast and made clear that they weren’t interested in Mueller’s answers as he carefully sought the citations he was asked to look for. The Democrats also thanked the director for his service, then taking their cue from the media, it seemed, they stuck to questioning that required yes or no answers. Constrained by DOJ guidelines and sticking to the report itself, as he promised to do, Mueller patiently answered the questions he could and perfectly played the role of the only grownup in the room. The hearings weren’t worthy of an Instagram post, but compared to the rude, boorish response of the president and his embarrassing minions, Robert Mueller offered grace, thought and dignity in a town that is absent all those qualities.
2
Democrats need to switch to Republican so they can vote for Weld. Most Republicans started distancing themselves from Trump until they saw how many crazy voters there are, and those votes count, so they support their Republican. Fergus Cullen, ex-chair of the NH Republican Party, even petitioned the NH Ballot Law Commission to remove Trump's name from the ballot. Meanwhile, Weld ran as the Libertarian for VP. Don't worry, Democrats; one of the Democratic candidates will win the Democratic nomination and will pick another democrat for VP candidate, but voting for Weld can block Trump. You won't hear the Democratic leaders telling you to do this, though.
We have become a tv reality show thanks to Trump and the folks who wanted The Apprentice in the White House and go to his rallies to mob-chant.
Mueller is as he was a determined apolitical man of character who refused to give a “performance”. I wish he had more forcefully defended the integrity of his Committee and the people who worked on it. He did however clearly state that the Russians interfered with the election, that Trump lied in his written deposition and wasn’t forthcoming. We also know that there are multiple examples of obstruction by Trump and his administration. If that is a good president as far as Republican voters are concerned I’m sorry for our country
239
And anyway, Trump just acquired a new Presidential Seal showing us who really controls him. It is hilariously frightening.
2
The way to take down Trump is defeat him in the next election, which is just around the corner. This means dropping any impeachment activity which cannot succeed (given the Senate makeup) in any case and will only reinforce the perception that impeachment is the only way the Democrats think they can defeat Trump. It also means not driving their Party off a cliff in a misguided attempt to to be ideologically pure and selecting a candidate sure to go down in defeat Nov, 2020.
3
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. "
That is the best way to get rid of any President. Republicans learned that lesson with Bill Clinton. If you don't have the majority in both houses and you proceed to impeach, it will work against you. Pelosi knows that. She knows an impeachment before the election would all but ensure Trump's re-election. As it is, they can't say they do better. Unemployment is at a 60 low and the economy is doing great.
2
Mueller did his job in the face of a bunch of ill-informed, semi-literate, shady, poorly-mannered toddlers. IMO, he did exactly what he intended to do, and I found no evidence that he was weak, dithering, or in any way unable to field the self-aggrandizing tantrums, especially those that I witnessed during the first session. Hey, he could have just fallen down on the floor and laughed hysterically at the futility of it all, but he did not do so.
I do agree that it took him the majority of the first session to settle into his pace, but I think that was because he was reading the situation, tamping down his frustration, and choosing a strategy. I was impressed with Mueller's self-control. In his place, I'd have been hard-pressed to hide my facial expressions and eye rolls.
Resist.
5
I hope this ends the drum beat for impeachment. By the time the Congress finished selecting lawyers for the House committee the elections would be in full swing. Let’s remove the president the best way, a way which wouldn’t smack of partisan politics - let’s vote him out of office. Let’s unite, run a candidate who can win some swing states, make the election about Trumps leadership and policies and let the voters decide. Every minute consumed by impeachment talk, discussions about “ the squad” is a distraction. Move on.
3
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better."
Or the Democrats who scored a takeover of the House of Representatives could do what they should have done on January 3rd 2019: open an impeachment inquiry. Mueller clearly presented them with the rationale to do this. He didn't use the word impeach or impeachment but what if he had? Would that have convinced Pelosi to do what she is either afraid to do or two arrogantly convinced that not doing what the constitution says the house must do?
Probably not. And so the constitution has been reduced to an outdated document. A tool is worthless if it isn't used. The next time a President is clearly "not exonerated" [i.e., guilty] of crimes, his protectors will say, correctly, if we didn't impeach Trump after all the evidence was in plain sight, how can we impeach President Redacted.
Thanks, Nancy. What we need now is a new constitutional convention, with some very important changes:
Make it clear that a President can be indicted and tried while in office. And while that is going on, the Vice-President shall be the head of the executive branch of government.
Impeachment? Forget about it. Old word. Criminal activity will be handled by law enforcement.
The President will be elected by popular vote. The candidate who receives the highest total votes shall become the President, even if (s)he does not get a majority of the votes cast.
5
Nat Ehrlich, those who wrote our Constitution were a lot wiser than you. Your plan would backfire. Sure, it would help you weaken a president like Donald Trump.
But it would help the other side too when your side had the presidency. Pretty soon every president would face trumped-up charges. A race to the bottom.
The last thing we need is to make our criminal justice system political.
2
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021" and you say that based on what research or historical precedent? Wishful thinking doesn't cut it.
6
Marcello Vitale, the whole point of our democracy is that the people choose who the president is. The candidate who wins is the president of everyone.
If Donald Trump wins the election, it is because enough people wanted him in office. Opponents need to live with that. (And vice versa if the Democrat wins.)
1
No, he lost by 3 million plus votes. We, the people, did not want him to win. The outdated electoral college is choking American democracy to death. Get rid of the EC, and we will truly see who the ppl want to win — hint it’s anyone but trump.
2
Who said that we wanted “a movie” instead of a book? Who expected Muller to be any different than they know he is? Did we really expect the high drama that we have become so used to in the news, reality TV, our entertainment industry, the president who belongs there and not in the White House? Did we really expect that Republicans would not spin the results of the day?
“Second term or prison term” is what Muller basically said, along with the reality of Russian interference in the last election and in the coming one. And we can’t forget how many of Trump’s campaign people were indicted for serious crimes.
As Americans, have we lost the ability to listen to civil discourse and understand what is being said in plain English without the drama? Time to change the only thing protecting Trump; the Justice Department “rule” that a sitting president can not be charged.
9
The mistake is the democrats and liberal media constantly under utilize the TRUTH! The rights screaming support of trump is beyond loyal support for our country! We need consistent and repeatable talking points to counter the obfuscation from trump! I never have to hear and see the president repeat the lie before the media proves the lie! Don’t show the lie,tell me the lie and show me the truth over and over and over......
As usual,the media portrays Mueller's testimony as an end point.Saying Democrats got what they needed is a lot less compelling then reporting that the Democrats were anguished over Mueller's failure to "energize" the public. Most political campaigns consist of cherry picking facts....sometimes out of context.The Republicans did nothing to actually change what's in the report.Mueller gave the Democrats what they need in the 2020 election campaign...sound bites.Such as"it was not a witch hunt";"Yes,he could be charged after leaving office";'Russian interference was not a hoax..."True";'Who were the Russians trying to get elected..."Trump";"they're doing it right now,as we sit here" There were many more such exchanges.He didn't give the Republicans any ammunition. The Democratic candidates can and will provide the "drama"later on.Mueller's testimony was only the beginning of an emerging Democratic narrative. Next up...McGahn. Most Americans didn't watch the hearings.As some pro-Trump commentators have already demonstrated, what went on was too complicated for them.During the 2020 campaign, Democrats will be talking about other issues,many of them more relevant to everyday life,but Mueller gave them the sound bites they needed for this issue.So relax...let's see how the hearing is spun later this year.The story is not going away for Trump(that's why the hearing had to happen).His bluster is losing its' punch.Even his supporters are getting bored with his predictable yammering.
5
Ok it wasn't a great performance but I believe Mueller handled himself well. The questions were, in most cases, complicated and stated rapidly. Mueller had to evaluate the question and see if it was one he could answer legally. Leading to some hesitation. He answered the main question could the President, according to the evidence, be tried as a criminal when he left office? His answer YES. The Republicans made speeches and tried to show the whole investigation was inconclusive.
7
@Donald Forbes
I must agree. I was listening myself, and tried deciphering the questions, but they were asked, mostly just by Democrats, in the most convoluted, contorted way, it was hard to decipher.
Democratic expectations regrading Muller’s testimony where monumentally over blown. This was widely predicted.
On obstruction Muller, dodged, and at times painfully stumbled; on Russian meddling he was somewhat more animated, on point, and modestly forthcoming.
All in all there was little cover from the hearings for the Dems to make any decisive move to a formal impeachment enquiry — something that still remains in the muddled realm of endless, countervailing political calculations. Not hard to imagine that such an undertaking would be even more muddled and convoluted so that nothing of political advantage in ending Trump’s rampage and massive dysfunction could be expected to come of it. Rather very much the obverse.
The absence of moral courage and unified political will remains at the forefront for the party that is the only present hope of avoiding the monumental catastrophe that a second Trump term as President will most certainly be.
2
There was never any chance - zero - that these hearings were going to bring any sort of breakthrough on the impeachment front. IF the Democrats want to win in 2020 (as any sane and decent person hopes they will) they must follow a clear but straight path to victory. Here's what Democrats need to do, ladies and gentlemen: they need to NOT alienate Caucasians (as the squad attempted to do in their attacks against Nancy Pelosi), they need to REAFFIRM their commitment to guaranteeing the rights of ALL races EQUALLY, they need to NOT attempt to take away private health care, to NOT open the borders to any and all, and they need to stay away from the subject of slave reparations. MOST IMPORTANTLY, they need to repeat how many times Republicans and Trump tried to take away universal health care under Obamacare and cancel coverage for pre-existing conditions and remind voters that this was saved by ONE VOTE (John McCain) and that every vote for a Republican puts at risk the right of everyone to have access to affordable and "on demand" health care. THAT is the basic strategy and for good measure, they can talk about the environment, minimum wages and so forth but they must stay focused on the main issues and stay progressive WITHOUT losing their minds and overreaching. Am I right, ladies and gentlemen?
6
@ManhattanWilliam
What your suggesting is trying to take that needle away from a junkie.
The Democrat Party is already branded as open borders. They don’t even try to hide it anymore?
How could they go so far as to support decriminalizing crossing the border illegally?
Deporting anyone nowadays is considered cruel and racist. Trump was pounding the table that there was a crisis on the border, only for Democrats to declare for months that he was making it up.
They aren’t just open borders. They’re just plain wrong.
1
@ManhattanWilliam
You are correct, Sir. It really isn't hard. Keep a centrist message and pound home the ineffectiveness of President Trump's administration, paying particular attention to how little of his 2016 stump speech issues and promises he has attempted to address.
1
Talking of being eager to make a splash, I'm the same age as Mueller and want to know how he managed to stay out of the bathroom for so long.
5
@Peter S Jack. I noticed he didn’t drink much water.
Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better.
Incrementally als Hillary style? A return to the same old Stays Quo of more economic seperation of classes? I'll pass.
@Rodrian Roadeye
Just curious - which candidate will make the country stronger?
Biden? Warren? Booker? Harris? Bernie?
Nobody ever seems to get excited and name their candidate.
@Sports Medicine The system is flawed because real leaders are not popular enough to raise campaign money like the wealthy can. And the wealthy lack the ability to feel the pain and misery of the masses. It is all about ego and power in both parties. Those who give them campaign money in the thousands reap the rewards later in favors. Ten dollar donors mean nothing.
During the Congress' hearing, Robert Mueller showed to all the lawmakers and observers that his job ended and he doesn't interest to re-open the case more.
I did not find Mueller boring, just very careful. It must have been incredibly grueling to have to answer multiple, complicated questions from multiple people, coming rapidly one after the other, for hours. It would b enough to tire anyone out.
Our society has become so used to video entertainment that we now crave it, and that is why Trump, a reality TV star, is in the White House.
5
The only working process left to fix this situation was the special counsel's investigation and Mueller failed. He failed to thoroughly investigate the actions of Trump and Jr by not even interviewing them. He deferred the decision on obstruction of justice to a Barr, a political appointee who argued that the special counsel shouldn't have even been appointed. Now it also appear that the investigations he referred to district attorneys elsewhere are stalled. At every turn, Mueller deferred. I hope in the dark of night with no distractions, he realizes that he failed his country. Try living with that for the rest of your life.
2
I share some sentiments expressed in comments here that criticizing Mueller for his presentation at these hearings without providing context that clarifies how he was restricted by DOJ as to what he could say is a real disservice to a great man. He said plenty and his report makes plain the
dire straits we are in with Trump/GOP.
Make jokes or whine if you want to.
Trump is counting on that.
7
Exactly on point about the real recourse we have: the election in 2020. When the candidates focused on bread and butter issues. Now we have even more to trumpet with the horrendous conditions at the border, the further loss of women's control of their own bodies, the foreign policy failures, the catastrophic environmental policies, and so much more. We can wait until 2021 for Trump to be indicted. We can't wait until 2005 to elect a Democrat.
4
“How to Take Down Trump
You don’t have to be thrilling if you’re willing.”
Trump said: ““The administration, our president, me, we’ve done a great job,” Trump boasted as only he could. The probe into Russian interference in the election and his own attempts at obstruction of justice, he claimed, had “totally folded.”
“Robert Mueller had no material,” Trump said ”
Mr. Mueller is a Marine war hero, a lawyer, prosecutor and former FBI Director. None of those jobs is one I would call “thrilling.” And the subject of the Mueller report and this testimony is nothing to be looked at as “thrilling.” It is a terrible situation and Trump is at the heart of it.
The Mueller report identified many instances of criminal conduct and Mr. Mueller’s testimony reinforced the truth of those instances. What have the republicans in their questioning and Trump in his comments yesterday provided in the way of verifiable evidence to refute the Mueller report? Nothing, Nada, Zero, Zip, not even one verifiable fact. Thus we have Trump’s “boasts” which are nothing more than hot air.
12
Wrong Ms Collins there is still a strong middle in the USA that is totally weary of Trump.
This group will grow larger when Trump is exposed further in a House impeachment hearing provided the courts act in a timely manner to uphold the subpoenas.
Even if the Republicans in the Senators do Not convict it provides clear moral line and will have the opposite effect as to what the pundits think...Impeachment helped Clinton... Well this is not Clinton this is Trump. (Attack on Democracy vs Consensual Sex). Please give the American people some correct.
The Democratic base as well as progressives and Independents will come to polls in even greater numbers as they did in 2018 mid term because if there was ever a time to Impeach a President its now.
6
@Harvey Alan
Impeach for what?
Fighting an investigation that found zero proof of any collusion or conspiracy?
Good luck with that.
4
Yea, let’s hope the Russians don’t shut down polling machines in Democratic districts!
We need paper ballots for sure
1
I think we (meaning, here, the NYT) should be careful with phrases like "taking [the President] down." Not only does that buy into a rhetoric that the right has used to develop an embarrassingly low-minded and destructive level of public discourse. It is also, at least in some readings, quite violent. While "taking someone down a notch" may be just fine, this title reads more like the usage where a policeman "takes down" a suspect with gunfire. It's also inconsistent with Ms. Collins' message in the article text, with which I agree -- the democratic mechanism for switching leadership is voting for someone else, and the legal mechanism for prosecuting crimes is charging the alleged criminal when doing so becomes legal permissible.
6
I’m no fan of DJT but the overblown rhetoric and hyperbole from the Democrats is tiresome. They’ve been talking impeachment since the Inauguration or before. Impeach him for what? Being a noxious person? You Democrats want to get rid of DJT? Focus on picking a good, solid traditional liberal candidate and not one of these Big Rock Candy Mountain woke progressives.
1
I can’t wait for a Democrat to win (someday, in spite of gerrymandering,) and gleefully do all the things Trump is doing. It’d be wrong, but I’d enjoy it.
4
Attempts to impeach Trump will die in the Senate, strengthening Trump in the process. Besides, any investigation run by the Democrats will discover nothing that isn't in the Mueller report already.
Better is to defeat Trump and the Republicans thoroughly in the next election and then to use the justice system to prosecute Trump. Serving prison time will be much more painful than merely losing office. Being locked away where nobody can hear him tweet is real punishment for a narcissist. It will be a lesson to others who might think they can flout the laws and it will be good for him never to feel freedom again.
Winning an election is just politics, something politicians - even Democratic ones - should be able to achieve. Impeachment is much, much harder and does not grant the power to do anything different.
2
It’s confirmed, drama is the latest national addiction and journalism is the dealer. I never expected Mueller’s testimony to be the equivalent of an HBO series. I did, however, expect this newspaper to elaborate on the most salient points of that testimony in order to help us understand how damaged our democracy is and who is at fault.
Gail, your comments indicate that if it’s not dramatic, it’s not worthy of our attention.
Shameful!
3
I don't think that's her point. The Democrats, however, were certainly hoping for some drama, and they didn't come away with much. Republicans certainly made a noisy spectacle of themselves, which presumably will enthrall their base as much as it did Trump.
1
Best part of this piece was the last paragraph. I hope the Democrats are listening.
3
I'm sickened by the pathetic sight of Democrats wailing that Mueller let them down. He was never THERE to carry your #Resistance flag for you, he was there to do what he does. That is tirelessly plow through gigantic piles of documents and other evidence and present a cogent finding. He did more than that, he left us a coherent and surprisingly readable document that we can use when the time comes (soon, I hope) to begin rebuilding our republic. Trump's crimes, though denied now by those who would lose everything if they were acknowledged, will not age well. History will have its way with him. You will not take Trump down, you have been unable to convince his base to abandon him in spite of his egregious behavior and cruelty. They don't care. They can only be defeated, and we won't do that by engaging in superhero fantasies.
3
I dare say he will also be remembered as a colossal bore.
Here's all you need to know about Democratic leaders today:
In a moment that they declare is critical to the future of our country due to Trump's high crimes and misdemeanors, corruption, all-around evilness and how urgent it is to "stop" him, what do they do? Take time off. Hey, see y'all in September. Wish I could do that.
2
Trump is like the bad guy in movies who knows that the cops won't kill him because the cops have to follow the law. The Democrats thought that Mueller would be that cop who takes the criminal down once and for all and they realized that Mueller was just like all the other cops. And the criminal lives to commit more crimes. . .
Count me among to weird 2.9% who read Mueller's report.
The truly important part Mueller's was and is the Russian manipulations of the American voting process.
Anyone with half a brain knows what Trump is -- liar, cheat, etc. Sorry, old news for anyone who lived with 500 miles of NYC withing the last 30 years.
If all Americans are too numb to heed Mueller's warnings then, sadly, we deserve the mess that is sure to come.
I won't be here to witness it.
5
Mueller was from a different time, in which honor and integrity still had meaning. The Republicans, as is their wont, chewed him up and spat him out.
The Democrats are to blame for this fiasco. They wanted redemption and affirmation, and ended up where they began the day -- nowhere.
A sad, sad day for democracy. A great day for bullies.
3
Dems wanted Al Pacino (This trial is out of order! This country is out of order! Trump is a space alien!) and they got Grampa at Shady Hills Rest Home. The Trump debacle continues.
3
Someone should do a graphic novel on the report.
I had to switch off after an hour, because I could not bear watching Mueller getting humiliated by those fast-talking jerks with their deliberately convoluted sentences. Elder abuse.
4
Vote blue everyone in 2020. And yes trump has and is a poor excuse for a...., sorry I can’t say that word anymore.
2
Keep reminding people about ripping tiny babies from their mother's arms and throwing them in cages. That's how you beat Trump. We need to hammer that horrible fact home endlessly because it's a powerful emotional image and about the only thing that could sway people.
I want to see a graphic commercial a few days before the 2020 election called "Lock Her Up". Starts with the crowds screaming "Lock Her Up" at his rally and ends with a frantic child in tears behind bars. Ending caption: "If you vote Republican this is what you are". Actually I don't particularly want to see that awful image, but I think that's what it's going to take.
9
My sadness continues to be McConnell and Pelosi not following their oath of office and letting a mentally ill man remain in the office Whitehouse.
4
Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to indict for “collusion” Gail.
1
“If he got caught standing with a knife and a pile of murdered puppies, he’d claim that he had actually protected innocent children from a pack of small fuzzy sharks.”
This. This why America is losing her leadership of the world.
2
Sorry, but if you want a disenchanting role model for kids, who will wonder what's so good about growing up, give them R. Mueller. Don't speak your heart when you could move millions, only the words that fit within the job description. That's your swan song, "Bobby Three Sticks"?
Oh, to live in the bubble called Collinsville . . . I'm one of the 10% who vote the candidate and not the party. I read most of the report. I have questions about obstruction. I'd like to hear from fact witnesses. I tuned in yesterday . . . and it was pathetic. I have to believe SOMEONE on that committee knew the sad condition Mueller would present in that hearing room. He may well be an American hero, but for sure it was not for his service yesterday. That was pathetic. Mueller couldn't preside over Traffic Court like that. Shame on those who knew Mr. Mueller's condition, and dragged him in yesterday. And, if we learn Mr. Mueller has been in this condition for some time, and was really a disengaged figurehead . . . shame on him, too.
Predicate is laid not for impeachment, but for imprisonment.
3
Wait...what? DJT can be "taken down" by...voting? how novel.
Mueller is lousy for getting high ratings while Trump produces ratings that are a gold mine. But who do you feel confident is giving you reliable information? As a journalist, do you want to know the big story or are you focused on a man bites dog story?
1
I read the Mueller report and I watched the hearings. And I am fed up with the pundits saying today, including you, Gail, that Robert Mueller was “unexciting,” or lacked sharpness, or wasn’t the man he used to be years ago in 88 “performances” before Congress, and blah blah blah.
This is where we are now: performances, and “optics,” and ratings, and a ridiculous article by others at the NYT on the office hours Mueller kept. Give me a break.
The man delivered. Focus on what he told us about the dangers to our democracy. Just focus, period. He deserves our thanks and respect. Show it to him, for crying out loud.
6
Totally disagree Maureen. If Dems don’t make this election about the existential threat Trump poses to our democracy, they have no chance. Do everything they can to show how much of a fascist this morally reprehensible president is. Stop treating this race as if it were against a normal candidate. This candidate lies every time he opens his mouth and his supporters don’t care. This is a single issue election: are you for evil or not?
5
"Bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk".... Come on Gail, the real problem is hardly any bike lanes! :)
By providing the Great Narcissist the one, the single, the only thing he craves/must have — CONSTANT PUBLICITY— the rag-tag calling themselves the Democratic Party is digging their own graves.
My choice is Seth Moulton. Harvard Physics degree, 4 combat tours in Iraq, level-headed, young, well spoken, a proven leader.
Wake up Democrats. Neither Old Joe nor Loony Bernie nor angry Elizaberh can win PA, WI and MI.
But Seth can.
If you're one of those who voted for the first time, the first time, just to see the high and mighty brought low, I recommend going Blue in 2020. Picture 2021: First, right there before you on the national stage—after a short, cursory trial—you'll see the tiny teeth of the Wringer of Justice slowly begin to turn. Oh, the fumes and sputters of moral indignation as the tweets flatten down into a monosyllablic mass. Finally, at last, all of him, even the lashing tongue and long red tie, are gone. What could be more good nihilistic fun than that?
1
Can I be forgiven? I suffer political ennui. I care about things. I care deeply that America is being ruled by a fascist. Yet, it all has become so boring.
Yesterday, Robert Mueller, on being asked countless times about the details of Trump’s crimes, repeatedly replied, “I can’t speak to that.”
Things are mess in America. Nothing adds up. Doesn’t Mueller see that? He was supposed to had clarity to this issue of Trump’s crimes. He only produced more dissonance.
Why couldn’t Mueller just tell us, did the President of the United States commit a crime? Is it really that complicated?
A few days ago, Thomas Friedman in a Times’ op-ed compared a Trump rally in North Carolina where the crowd vulgarly chanted “Send her back!” to fascist gatherings Hitler and Mussolini performed at in Germany and Italy.
I would think, if we are speaking of Trump's form of American fascism, that Mueller would have found a way to say, “I can speak to that.”
4
This story said nothing about it’s Headline “How to Bring Down Trump.” Wasn’t very long thank goodness, but a waste of two minutes.
OK, Kids! Let's get out there and get a Democrat elected in 2020.
3
Bring back Sam Ervin from the dead. He knew how and when to drama.
So, we leave this criminal president and his enablers in office while Rome burns, primarily because of Fox and the useless Democratic party. Let's see how much damage they can do before January, 2020 IF the other party wins.
The Dems would never lose another election if, in the new normal, they were allowed to accept campaign donations from foreigners. This reader would give generously to see the last of Trump&Co, as would billions around the world.
Thank you. Spot on.
I am so irritated by those proclaiming Mueller's testimony was "boring." As my mother told us if we dared to say we were bored: "People who say they are bored are boring people."
What is staggering to me is how truly difficult it is for some people to believe the truth, when they would simply prefer to believe its opposite.
As Mark Twin said: “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
I read the NY Post said the Mueller hearing was "a waste of time." And how many other stupid talking points, diversions, insults to Mueller, and conspiracies did the Republicans fling against the wall at the testimony yesterday hoping that some made-up excuse would stick to keep Trump's base in the corral?
Yes, the Mueller report laid out a staggering catalogue of Trump abuses, But as Gail said, only 3% read the report.
And here is another Twain quote: “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
So Mueller's testimony became necessary, and while boring to some, the Democrats managed to get the findings out by Mueller simply confirming the truth of the findings.
Nadler's opening questioning of Mueller said it all, and the "all" was that what Trump said--no collusion, no obstruction, full exoneration--were total lies. And the rest of the testimony was "and here is why."
What happens when truth no longer matters?
676
@John Smithson "did not commit a crime"? Obstruction of justice is a crime. So is the campain finance violation that Michael Cohen is going to jail for, something he did for and at the direction of Trump.
A thousand or so prosecutors signed a letter stating that Trump would have been indicted except for the fact that he was President. And Mueller said that he could indict Trump after his term is up.
53
@John Smithson
Didn't commit a crime? I guess you are overlooking his obstruction of justice; i.e., his attempts to fire Mueller, his lies under oath... ask Martha Stewart about obstruction.
37
@PB I think we are finding that out more and more day by day.
14
I turned off the t.v. in frustration after five minutes. Mueller was positively moribund. His flat affect, apparent ability to hear and his confusion wasted an opportunity to drive home the salient points in his report. Of course the Congressmembers came at him with prepared statements read rapid fire, but still.
Lets face it people always need somebody else to blame, because the problem is never themselves, demagogues use this to gain power. It's always easier to lie and deceive then to speak the truth and appeal to reason. Only when the worse case scenario happens: an economic disaster, a lost war, etc. do people actually see the light. That is the lesson of history. All the answers about the future are in our past. There is nothing new about the human race.
When I teach Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar we take the time to compare the speeches by Mark Antony and Brutus, exploring the rhetorics of passion and logic. Who wins the hearts of the Roman mob? The fiery, theatrical, self-serving Mark Antony. Who is actually the nobler character, acting out of genuine love for his country? The quiet, consistent Brutus. It’s an old story.
7
Democrats in Congress expected, almost demanded, that Mueller do their job for them.
Mueller declined.
That leaves the Democrats in Congress to do their job themselves. Which is the job the people who elected those Democrats to Congress have been demanding the Democrats do.
Now the only question is: Will Democrats in Congress follow Robert Mueller's lead, and also decline to do the job Democrats in Congress were elected to do.
On the evidence, so far, no one should draw any confidence that Democrats in Congress, as a whole, are going to do the job they were elected to do.
In fact, the one thing too many Democrats in Congress seem willing to do, is to criticize and try to muffle four Congresspeople: Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who are, apparently, attempting to do the job people elected them to do.
3
@Robert Henry Eller:
"Democrats in Congress expected, almost demanded, that Mueller do their job for them."
The Democrats in Congress have an impossible job to do. The Senate will never vote to remove Trump, and his supporters will take that as exoneration.
1
@mlbex
One can only do the job one can do, but should do at least that job.
What the Senate does is up to them. What the Senate does not do is also up to them. If the Senate chooses not to impeach when a virtually ironclad case for impeachment is handed to them by the House is up to them. It is up to the Senate to either honor their oaths of office, or to be commit treason.
Do you commit treason simply because you expect that someone else will commit treason? Or do you do the best, most patriotic job, you can? Do you honor your oath of office, or not? Do you simply shrug your shoulders?
Who is going to re-elect Democrats, if they refuse to stand up? The people who elected them will not rally to them? The people who are cheering for the traitor, who are themselves traitors, will despise the Democrats.
Democrats have no choice but to do their duty. Or not. What the Senate might or might not do is irrelevant. The Democrats will have to run on their records. The Republicans will have to run on their records.
Trump's plan for the next years is clear and known.
He goes by his plan and he succeeds.
Where is the plan of the democrats? Impeach Trump?
That is nothing to win anybody over.
Show some substance and then fight for it.
See what the majority of all US people really needs:
Peace and a living wage!
1
I wonder if Ms Collins watched the same testimony as I did.
My favorite incident was when Mueller said he did not know who or what Fusion GPS was. If he is that out of touch, he needs to be in an assisted living facility, not nominally leading an investigation into the president of the USA or testifying before Congress.
@danny70000
The facts uncovered by the investigation are not changed by your observation.
I hope you are not okay with them.
3
The hearings were simply a way to expose more Americans to the information in the Mueller report through a medium that was more understandable and accessible. Nothing bad came from it for Democrats, only possible good. So it wasn't riveting- did anyone expect it to be? I felt that some of Trump's actions were actually even more shocking and revolting when spoken about in this format, even though I'd heard about them before.
4
Gail, Television is mainly responsible for having mangled, confused, or re-defined the concept of "boring." (And Facebook, Twitter, etc. have also played a part.) I'm not saying Mueller's testimony was gripping stuff, but shouldn't we sometimes admit that "boring" is in the eyes of the beholder? Why is it, for instance, that tv commercials can run a zillion times an evening--the SAME commercial, endlessly? Why is that situation tolerated, and why should the pronouncement of "boring" weigh in as the last word on Mueller's testimony? By any definition, you, Gail, aren't the least bit boring; but you need reflect more on the whole subject. (Just a bit of boring advice for you!) Best regards,
3
There is a difference between exciting and important. What Mueller said was dull, but important. He told us:
1. Trump obstructed justice multiple times and was not exonerated by the Investigation.
2. Trump’s campaign shared key polling data and targeting with the Russians, which allowed them to focus on key states.
3. Trump was engaged in negotiations with the Kremlin until 4 months before the election to get a permit to build a massive tower in Moscow in exchange for a waiver of US sanctions against Russian. And he lied when he asked about it.
4. The Trump campaign had more than 100 contacts with the Russians before the campaign.
5. Trump’s National Security Advisor was on the payroll of Turkey which he illegally did not report to the Justice Department.
6. Trump’s campaign manager was seeking money from the Russians.
Plus much more.
Mueller may not have had the drama of a Fast and Furious Movie, but in his faltering, dignified way he delivered the goods against Trump and his Administration.
Now, let’s hope that the Democrats can win the Presidency and the next President takes the facts and documentation that Mueller provided and indict Donald Trump for crimes against the United States.
7
The sad part of the hearing was the spectacle of two parties utterly divided on everything, even the meaning of words displayed in black and white in a report.
It was the equivalent of two individuals reading War and Peace, with the first concluding that the novel was only about war, and the other that it was only about peace; with the man in the White House claiming that this novel didn’t exist.
Throw Trump out? We need to throw the whole bunch of them out and start from scratch. Our two party system has outlived its usefulness.
2
It look increasingly likely that a prediction made early on by Douthat might be the downfall. Either that or he'll be nailed to a golden cross by his own attorney general's new directive.
I predict a calamitous ending.
Sometimes patriots have to take a risk, a higher level of patriotism if you will. Mueller knows Trump lied & committed acts of obstruction, & he certainly does not live in a bubble unable to see Trump’s flouting the rule of law, the Constitution, & his oath of office. It would not have been illegal, just against DOJ policy, for Mueller in his report or testimony to state that Trump had committed crimes, but would not now be charged due to that DOJ policy. This would be a factual statement, supported by his own investigative findings, not one put in motion by politics. Since Mueller did not do so, one is reluctantly led to ask, ”Does Mueller’s patriotism allow for a POTUS who has broken the law & endangers our nation?”
Mueller has provided a roadmap for Congress to act on or perhaps he thinks the 2020 elections will clean the slate, either of which puts the matter into the political arena where removing Trump from office is no certainty in either case. Mueller’s failure to state one simple conclusion helps keep our nation at risk when he could have truthfully & objectively cast the facts in a more accurate & complete light. The investigation was a major challenge & by all sane accounts Mueller acquitted himself admirably, but at a crucial point for America, he just said, “It’s not my job.” I’d rather he had taken that patriotic leap than find out in a distant future that he should have done so. Can the nation survive another 4 years of Trump?
2
Mr. Mueller has presented himself as a non-partisan throughout this investigation. Yesterday he appeared to me to be protecting the President.
Trump's written responses were "less than truthful" and his Twitter posts are "problematic" and still there was no subpoena. Why? Apparently because it was too hard. The President and those closest to the heart of this matter were never made to testify. That just doesn't wash.
Any Democrat in this position would have been publicly flayed alive. Trump gets a pass. Mr. Mueller's integrity took a big hit yesterday.
1
Can we be 100% clear? Mueller failed his country.
He managed to investigate a thoroughly corrupt man who hired thoroughly corrupt accomplices - he saw all of the illegal and immoral machinations of this cretinous crowd and could come to no conclusion?
Let us quickly contrast this investigation with the Republican smearing of Bill Clinton. Was Ken Starr deterred when he found nothing to prosecute in the Whitewater investigation? No, he did the bidding of his party and kept digging until he found Monica and her stained dress.
Mueller has been deified because he was a marine and worked in the justice dept for many years. That does not mean that he has what it takes to dislodge that American bacteria that is the modern GOP, the Party of Trump and McConnell. Clearly Robert Mueller was not the right man for this job.
4
The only real news on the Mueller hearing was that Russia is still meddling in our affairs. Would like to see a column on exactly what that means to the voter. And, would like to see an article(s) that pokes at why the Trump administration, the Republicans and the Democratic House have done to stymie the Russian efforts.
If you want to beat on Trump or the lack of effort by the Republicans on the Russian meddling, well, go ahead. For instance, win at all costs and ignore any seaminess as to how it looks. (Remember a lot of conspiracies are simply a wink and a nod.)
As for the Democratic House, the impeachment hearings don’t mean as much to this independent voter as getting Russia outta our stuff. And, you may - just may - find more fodder to get rid of Trump or defeat him miserably. Plus congressional Republicans would look awful at televised hearings when they have to defend the US constitution against Russia.
So, Gail, your next column should be headlined ‘Investigate THIS’.
3
You could have left out 98 percent of this and just said the Democrats need to run a good candidate who could make the country better. And the answer is closer to 0.01 percent read most of the report excepting the 2,000,000 footnotes.
While I agree with Gail about Mr. Mueller's "muted" responses at the hearings yesterday, I'm worried that Mr. Mueller is not well. I just hope the incredible stress of being grilled--nastily by most of his Republicans challengers--hasn't cost him in terms of his health.
And Trump again disgraced himself and embarrassed our country with his foul-mouthed rantings against Mr. Mueller, and with his claims of "winning".
4
Scotland has a legal verdict of "not-proven" which basically means "we ken you did it, but we can'na prove it here". I think this would have been a more helpful summary than the contortions of: "DoJ policy precludes ... but we cannot exonerate ... ".
3
Again and continuously the media portrays the Dems and Reps as separate teams with their only objective to win the game. it has become the unconscious lens through which our politics is now viewed and is obscuring the facts with emotion.
Dems didn't lose anything. The hearings confirmed that Mueller did not exonerate the president and that our elections and our very perceptions of reality are being manipulated for the benefit of a foreign power. Whether Trump is a willing participant or just an ignorant buffoon does not matter.
Pelosi has been passing bill after bill in the House that will not clear the president's desk and often not even make it through the Senate but nothing about the elections. Let the legislation begin, hearing after hearing, bill after bill based on Mueller's report. Trump's lack of response to the interference will highlight his disdain for his country and us.
4
Is it what, every day maybe that there's a new column with a new different idea of how to take down/defeat Trump?
2
Collins piece is total letdown like the Mueller hearing themselves. We don't get an answer to 'how to take down Trump' until the very end, and the answer seems to be 'the Dems have to run a strong campaign'. Really? What a bombshell.
Beyond that, it's an account of how boring the hearings were...just like this article. My suggestion to Collins - the next time you write an opinion piece with a provocative title, give us a payoff.
3
Nancy Pelosi is an embarrassment to democracy. I'm disgusted with Democratic Party establishment and hope they get out of the way very, very soon. Their day has passed. Rest in peace.
1
The 2020 election is for the Dems to lose and it looks like they will excel at it between the narcissists running for POTUS, the ideological zealots on the "far" left, the political neophytes and bomb throwers. Then there is the sensationalistic news media that is supposedly on our side that unfortunately makes fools of us all.
1
“You don’t have to be thrilling if you’re willing.” This hip hop tag line subheading Ms. Collins’ piece on the dullness of the Russia gate affair is dead wrong. To take down Donald Trump, you do have to be thrilling. You have to be a superstar bigger than he is (there is no such person on earth presently) and you have to present something that captures the imagination of Americans across the spectrum in a dazzling act of political karate on par with Watergate, or Joseph Welch, at least Ali/ Frazier.
None of the Democrats has even the slightest potential of such a performance.
A solid plan for our economy is not nearly enough. The country is hypnotized by the greatest showman who has ever appeared before it. How it will end is unknown, but I feel quite confident that it will not be over by 2020, or for some time after. We are working through something big, dark and terrible, and we are nowhere near resolution.
2
The only apt historian for this era would be Lewis Carroll. However, even he would cavil at the notion that the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen could be one and the same person.
2
Forget impeachment because Pelosi will have to surrender the spotlight to Nadler.
I’d love to see a one week total media blackout on Trump unless he does—not says—something outrageously newsworthy. He feeds on media attention like some kind of celebrity vampire. For one week I’d like to not know who he’s insulting. I’d like to not be embarrassed by by his ignorance. I’d like to have one week of my intelligence not being insulted by blatant, easily disproved lies.
4
It will be his abuse of women that will eventually bring him down.
Politically he is able to do anything his despotic little mind tells him.
But after two terms his crimes against women will still be felt as a profound injustice by the newly empowered women of the planet. Even though the abuse and cruelty might be beyond punishment it never moves beyond knowledge and that knowledge will wipe out any respect history may have had on offer for him and his ilk.
Unfortunately; our country will, once more, be stained by the acts of the few.
2
I disagree. Prepare to win 2020, but star impeachment proceedings versus Trump. As the Dems said repeatedly at the Mueller hearings, no one is above the law. Letting Trump go without any punitive damage or repercussions for his actions will be an egregious error and it will set a lousy precedent against the rule of law and the unspoken rules of ethics and morality. Trump is a brazen bully. Call him on it and take him on. Let him defend himself. Mitch McConnell stands ready to save him. He won't become a martyr. If the Dems lose in 2020 anyway, then surely they'll rue their hesitation and confusion about D.Trump that prevented them from acting in a timely and decisive manner about impeachment proceedings. Then everyone will say to the pitiful Dems, "Hindsight is 20/20! Move on!" and Trump will be bellowing through his second term, destroying our alliances, international norms, our country and our environment, blithely, like an unstoppable force. If you think he's obnoxious and dangerous now, wait till he gets a second term. Then his narcissism and his lying will know no bounds.
2
My fellow Dems would be wise to take Gail's advice and back off of the daily focus on Ind. One. It's what he wants: it enhances his victim status among his base and gives him a platform from which to launch his daily Twitter missives of hate and misinformation. Everybody in the world knows what he is at this point. Instead, as Gail says, develop ideas to address problems and sell these. As a comment noted recently, I.O. intends to focus his hate campaign on immigration, making the Four Freshpersons his dartboard. D's must in turn create--now--a serious immigration proposal that recognizes that the US cannot support every person in the world who wants to live here, while addressing the needs of persons fleeing life-threatening conditions. Maybe check our neighbor to the north. And stop doing stupid stuff! Carville was right: Trump can't win, but the Dems can sure find a way to lose. And playing Trump's game is a sure loser.
2
We've entered a sad era in journalism when more emphasis is placed on the performance skill of a 70 year-old combat veteran, than on his actual words and testimony. Agism at it's finest!
When are these journalists going to start wearing a loud buzzer so they can instantly invalidate and distract from the salient points and switch the readers' attention back to what's most important to Gail Collins, you know, performance art?
1
Don't look to Nov 2020 as when the madness ends, because this is probably when the REAL madness begins. Imagine if Trump loses. The right goes nuts. Now imagine if Trump wins. The left goes nuts.
My advice to Americans: get out and vote D up and down on Nov 3, 2020. Then retreat to your basements and stay there for awhile.
4
"Not, of course, anything like the scene Donald Trump described later, in which it sounded as if Mueller fell weeping to the floor, admitting his whole investigation was a pile of lies."
Projection, of course, is Trump's strong suit. I hope to live to see the day when Trump falls to his knees and admits his whole life has been a mass of lies.
1
Coming soon (again) to a theater near us all: 'The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming."
2
Some public servant he is .... can’t even properly respond to clear and proper questions. Maybe Mueller should be impeached.
“The result was the political equivalent of a movie that makes you want to avoid reading the book.”
Like The English Patient? Actually that movie was so awful it has kept me from ever reading anything by the author, Michael Ondaatje.
The Mueller hearings were a miscalculation only because Democratic leaders hoped, maybe even expected, that Mueller would suddenly lose his mind, jump on the table and start screaming “Impeach him already!”
Oh, if Mueller says so...
Instead, Mueller told us exactly what we already know, which is that the president obstructed justice and accepted help from an adversarial nation to get elected.
But we don’t need Mueller to have grounds to impeach Trump, though one would think that would be enough. Trump’s constant lies, his violations of the emoluments clause, his nepotism, his utter ignorance, the corruption of him and his administration, his staff pushing Trump products in the media, violations of the Hatch act... this is just off the top of my head, mind you.
But, I guess if Nancy couldn’t bring herself to impeach W, whose lies about Iraq cost America it’s moral standing, hundreds of thousands of lives, and trillions of dollars, then why impeach Trump, who is merely amoral, loathsome, corrupt, and a jerk?
Honestly, I don’t expect Democrats to do much.
Sssshhh, don’t wake them. They are sleepwalking toward irrelevance.
Welcome to the kardashian age, where only the sensational gets notice. To take back the White House the Democrats will need a candidate who stands up to the taunting they’re about to experience from our dear leader with the teenage mentality, and show us there is a better way to go forward in this world. The problem is, the American public in general may not be up to the task.
4
Media, do your job and watch the election carefully and this time investigate Russian interference. Don't get distracted or played by the GOP the way you were last time with the obsession over Hillary's boring emails. Isn't Trump's giving Russia Israel's intelligence far worse?
1
What did the Roman poet Juvenal say? Give the people “bread and circuses [games, distractions].” Evidently, many Times readers expected Mueller to put on a show, rather than try to explain the many high crimes Trump and his coterie have committed.
A crime is a crime and traitor is a traitor no matter how muted the facts may be presented.The real crime will be if America stays muted as Trump continues to be greater than the laws of the land.
2
Gail,
Please allow me to memorialize your beautiful writing by citing this brilliant takeaway from the hearing, No one should miss this.
"The president’s defense was somewhere between outrageous and pathetic. He refused to talk with Mueller, even though — as Representative Eric Swalwell noted — during the time he was rejecting those invitations, he met with Vladimir Putin six times."
I tried to read the report made to NYTimes subscribers but could not persuade myself no matter how important the findings were I just could not maintain interest. Then I discovered on C-Span radio an audio version with some reader with a very clear voice that allowed me to get the gist of the report while I was doing other household tasks and while driving.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?462249-39/mueller-report-volume-1-part-1-russian-interference-audio
Though not discussed at the hearings my thesis is the Russian government saw Mr. Trump as a "mark" to get the sanctions lifted that had been imposed after the annexation of Crimea. The sanctions must have been tough on some very rich Russians including Mr. Putin. If I remember correctly, the Ukraine/Crimea Sanctions Plank in the G.O.P. 2016 platform was taken out by campaign operatives of the Trump Campaign.
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-support
1
Don't hold your breath.
1
Gail, this is about the future of DEMOCRACY, period.
Mueller can only do his part. Democrats need DRAMA.
Trump is taking use to a US of Trump, dictatorship.
This is a post-democracy insane, nightmare from the Right.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please consider democracy ideas, such the "Democracy"song.
Leonard Cohen sang, "Democracy is coming to the USA" (1992).
Please, NY Times, focus in the drama of democracy and this song.
Trump will keep dominating the media and win, if we don't focus.
"Democracy is coming to the USA"
-------------------------------------------
Mueller signed his name to the report, but he did not write it. Nor did he read it. Weissman wrote it.
You’re not getting Trump removed from office. And he’s going to win bigly in ‘20. For good measure, to shut up the leftists, he’ll win the popular vote.
The GOP will win back the House, and retain the senate.
Leftists need to be defeated. Socialism and Marxism need to be eradicated.
2
The article contained about as much information as the Muller hearings today
1
The Continuity of Government has a dispute with the Rule of Law. Ask DONALD J. TRUMP, because FATHER KNOWS BEST is the name of a great television situational comedy. What DONALD J. TRUMP does to the most socialist-communist feminist, he does to Jesus. Are End Times here yet?
Dems should promise to "make the country better."? Stock market up, unemployment down. How do you fix that?
1
again, why did Trump call off his press conference/big announcement re Hillary (and how that relate to the GRU interference and the GRU contacts with + embassy drops to the Wiki/Assange cutout we now know occurred).
1
I fess up to being part of the 97% who didn’t read the whole dang thing. However, having watched events closely, there is no question in my mind that Speaker Pelosi blew it when she refused to initiate articles of impeachment. “ We’re too busy working on other important matters”........give me a break.
1
The real show was the terrible Republican posturing, punctuated by that rabid Texas guy. He sure did drama.
In contrast, Mueller was resoundingly competent.
Worked for me.
4
If we don’t impeach then all future occupants of the
White House will operate with impunity.
How can we let that happen?
Ms Collins' account of what Mueller did today is an infallible index to her superficiality.
1
Misleading title Ms. Collins.
And then... “Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better.”
Spot on article.. could’ve used a different title.
1
The title "How to take down trump".... Does she know how this sounds to most sensible Americans??? This is exactly why Trump will be re-elected. If you want to do something try writing positive article about the president of our contry and then he will have no reason to tweet!
1
"You don’t have to be thrilling if you’re willing."
The last time I heard that was as a motto for a small, but very popular, clique of rather boorish and plain HS girls.
Anyway, lets make a mind map of this mess, shall we, to see if we can find a way out?
Image a series of concentric circles (sample: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-11fa12160d1c98db3338a98d2cab0592).
Each ring of the circle is a belief or an action which protects the most valuable belief or action at the core of our beliefs / actions.
What is at the core (the little blue circle in our sample)?
What are each of those encircling beliefs or actions?
Here is what I see:
The core of the mess?
Job protection for the House Democrats, especially Speaker Pelosi.
Each of those concentric rings are the things protecting being reelected in 2020 and maintaining Dem control of the House.
*Not voting up or down on impeachment.
*Slow-walking an alleged impeachment inquiry.
*Putting the blame for not doing their job (the Senate won't have a trial even if the House impeaches, so why impeach?).
*Political show trials / theater.
*Studying public opinion polls, focus groups, and listening to donor money to see what the "right" thing to do is.
I could go on.
Make your own map.
See what you think is at the heart of the problem.
I have to get on FB and look up a couple of classmates.
1
How about every dem candidate say aloud all the time in front of the press....YES COLLUSION, YES OBSTRUCTION, NO EXONERATION.
2
Also, game sold not told
Maybe if there are 100,000 of us standing in front of the White House EVERY DAY demanding "Trump Must Go!" (And take his cabinet of cronies with him).
Maybe printed signs of Pitchforks & Torches? Let's not provoke Homeland security.
What happened to the anti war protesters who used to live in Lafayette Park?
Gail... in this cockeyed world we now live in, where politicians just play to the cameras, you are one of the few people who help me cope with it all. It must be challenging for you to write with tongue-in-cheek these days, but you still make me smile.
2
Mueller reaffirmed the Russian interference in the 2016 election and warned us of the same in future elections. He rebuked Barr's claim of exoneration of Trump. He connected the Russians with the Trump campaign and referred to continuing investigations currently being conducted.
In short, while he was not a grandstanding witness, those who listened to the answers he did provide, can be thankful for his investigation and now must do something about it.
Sadly, the second most unreported thing that followed his testimony was McConnell refusing to allow a vote on the floor of the Senate to implement rules to safeguard our election process.
2
The whole point is, NO MATTER WHAT Mueller or any other respected investigative body shows, the Trumpsters have shown repeatedly that they stand by him. Isn't he the one who said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and it wouldn't matter? Well, for his supporters, it wouldn't -- and won't, even if the victim is our own democracy.
Collins' bottom line to the article is the truth. Whoever the Democratic nominee is, simply has to explain how she/he will adopt policy and advance legislation that will help all Americans. It's simple, really. Their competition has nothing other than bluster. Everyone knows that's all he has. And everyone knows he lies. The Democrat just has to explain why that matters.
Everyone knows what they voted for or against. This was all sound and fury signifying nothing. Can congress move on now and start governing?
Do you see the elephant? Russia interfered with the election and gave Trump an advantage. Does Russia want what is best for our country? No? They succeeded in dividing us in the hopes our country will fall.
4
Sounds as if Ms. Collins didn’t watch the afternoon hearing. True, Mr. Mueller was monotone, but he did managed to point out that the Russians interfered and helped elect Trump. He did mention that Trump and his campaign were reckless in communications with the Russians during the campaign in continuing to negotiate the Moscow Trump Tower and more. By maintaining an aura of boring, he did manage to convey that his investigation was nonpartisan. The report’s findings, however, conclude some damming findings against Trump.
Too bad the Democratic Party and others haven’t been running Media ads about the report’s conclusions. The money class really wants Trump’s re-election.
3
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. At which time, we can let the collusion and conspiracy indictments roll."
This is the last paragraph in the column.
It should have been the first.
Here we have an example of a columnist stating the obvious.
2
The top Democrats and their army of cohorts on cable news led us believe the Mueller Report would prove collusion and take down Trump. It didn't. Then the truth was hidden by Barr in the redacted parts. Nope. Then we were to wait for Mueller's testimony. So what's next?
If Pelosi can find time away from trashing the Squad, maybe she'll try leading her caucus against the daily assault on the poor, the middle class, labor rights, climate justice and immigrants that is the real business of this administration.
1
If the report was favorable to Trump, he would tell the truth about the report's conclusions.
1
The headline "How to Take Down Trump" is misleading. While I usually admire Gail Collins, I found her opinion shallow, negative, and suggestive that she didn't actually listen to the substance of Mueller's replies and the important conclusions that Trump was guilty of obstruction of justice but not charged because he is a sitting president. He was adamant in rejecting Barr's hasty analysis claiming Trump was exonerated. This article could actually be cited in support of Trump.
4
Democrats did not give themselves or Mueller the best chance for a valuable hearing when they went with the traditional format. After five minutes a question/ answer segment was abruptly ended.....even the few times that Mueller was attempting a clarification or further explanation. Mueller, whose favorite thing is NOT public speaking, was harassed by the format! We may have had a different hearing if our supposedly adult representatives had greatly limited the number of questioners. Was the purpose of the hearing for representatives to speak or for Mueller to answer?
2
There seems to be one of the things that seemed to have been lost in the reporting is that not one of the Republicans attacked the obstruction charges. Their only defense seemed to be it was an act of someone supposedly feeling falsely accused.
3
If you watched, you must conclude that Russia meddled in 2016, almost to the extent to render the election of Trump illegitimate, that Trump welcomed that assistance in ways that fell just short of conspiracy, and that he obstructed to the level of criminality. We are so jaded and exhausted by Trump's behavior, and the implausibility of continued support, that we say: Now what? Mueller should have interviewed Trump, yes, he was less than exciting, but there is no denial of what was found. If Congress does nothing, if we do not demand action from Congress, we are lost. Yes, come out and vote in 2020, stay that course. But Trump is now revealed as a clear and present danger. Our election process is in danger. The rule of law is in danger. We have a president who has obstructed justice and in so doing has broken our most basic laws of check and balances. He shows no remorse or intention of changing his lawless behavior. Congress has to act with all the tools at its disposal. We must demand action from Congress. To not act is to deny adherence to our basic democratic values. Trump has to be held accountable. I know this is inconvenient and difficult and you just want to pull up the covers. But we can't. Congress can't. Not any more.
13
Perhaps the hearings would have had more flash and a broader appeal had John Williams composed a musical score for a soundtrack. Just a suggestion for the next hearing.
6
If the House were to pass an Impeachment bill Senator Mitch McConnell would not let it come up for a vote until after the next election in 2020 anyway. He would mumble something like; "Let the people decide" and that would be the end of it. Thankfully, Speaker Pelosi and anyone else more thoughtful than emotional realizes the same fact. So follow the money in Trump world, but Congress needs to work on the people's problems not dead end issues. In my humble opinion.
4
@Mr. Jones
You are right. McConnell would do just that, but, if Speaker Pelosi keeps up the investigations and hearings and get subpoenas out the courts, at least people will be made aware of the transgressions which have rocked our democracy.
That knowledge may lead enough of us to vote trump AND mcconnell OUT.
3
as Chris Matthews pointed out, on to 'Second Term or Prison Term.'
Stay Tuned, America, the new season of American President, Apprentice begins soon. Can't wait to see the cast of Characters...though I'm hoping for some DiCaprio and Olivia Colman to sweeten the ads!
Above all else, the Democrats need to nominate a charismatic progressive who can pleasantly claim that this country will still give opportunity to entrepreneurs and capitalists while working to solve our social woes. There are some actual fixes to improve the economy, healthcare, foreign relations, housing, global warming, gun control, drug abuse, immigration, etc.
Jeez, things are going poorly with Trump in charge.
This genial nominee would be best advised to cheerfully say things like Make America Greater and Only Democrats Can Fix It. Embellish the numbers, too. 65% of American dislike Trump and 75% believe he is dishonest. (Note: those are actual numbers from the Trump calculater, and we cannot be sure of the accuracy. The numbers are close enough!)
I disagree that if the Democrats run a presidential campaign about how to make the country better, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. Our culture war is not about making the country better, and the fight for the control of our government is a culture war.
3
"And even if Mueller had been way, way more forthcoming, it’s unlikely it would have given the impeachment crowd much help." Yes-because of articles like this.
But don't worry, Trump will make another outrageous lie today-then you something fun to amplify and ensure the citizens are not bothered with factual information that they need to be aware of.
4
Substance, apparently, no longer matters--only theater.
The country would have been better served by a very short hearing in which democrats asked only the key questions that could only get postive answers that Neal Katyal suggested in his recent column. The rest of the hour could have been left for Republicans to flail.
Instead, democrats diluted the substance over the extended time and the irresistible pull of vanity when the lights go on. The substance was still there, but the theater was lost.
4
Somehow, I think a Democrat with good policies that would help the majority (or all) of Americans will go nowhere with voters, certainly not with Trump's base (35%+) or independents. They will not have anything to do with anything that helps someone besides themselves. If it helps everyone then it is socialism. They would rather vote for Trump policies that hurt everyone including themselves. As long as it really hurts (or kills) people they hate they will like it.
6
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. At which time, we can let the collusion and conspiracy indictments roll."
Oh really, Ms. Collins. What makes you believe that the 2020 election will be fair?
4
A different type of citizen testified yesterday, a civic-minded and honorable man, reticent and unafraid. Not bombastic like many in the morning session, the House intel with Jordan, Gohmert, Collilns et al not showing their best sides with their rude and insinuating insults. Mueller stood by certain facts that remain: The Russians landed and are here and continue to be interested in USA elections. The matter of compromise/compromat which is an essential word in Soviet language is a tailor-made suit for Trump with Russian intereference. Will the recent election, Mueller was asked, become the norm in future elections. Mueller replied that he believed this was the case and ongoing at this time. To the question of why Trump wasn't subpeaoned, the answer of time running out seemed not quite kosher. Much is still ongoing re: Trump's tax reports, taxes, other investigtions.
6
Adam Schiff acquitted himself well. His opening address for the afternoon session was on the money. Robert Mueller listened intently to it, as did I. When Schiff returned for a summarizing set of questions, they were precisely phrased, easy to understand, clearly answered by Mueller.
If all anybody watches of the whole day's testimony is Adam Schiff, you have seen all you need.
The Republicans were ineffectual. Dare I say it, they were without grace in their treatment of Mr. Mueller and his team of public servants. Public service, about which Republicans know little.
20
I’m an expert in cognition. Having watched the hearings I truly wonder if Mueller has some early dementia (or is ill in some other way). I hate to make any diagnosis at a distance, but those who know him from the past seem to be hinting that something has changed. If he doesn’t have it, it would be nice to get some help understanding why he had so much trouble finding words the few times he was allowed to speak or what all the fumbling with paper was about. I hope I am wrong for his sake, as we don’t often see people under such intense, rapid fire questioning, in five minute intervals. But, some smart reporter should at least try to provide us with some hint that Mueller is OK because if he is not, that hearing was an ethical disgrace.
If we ignore the possibility of cognitive impairment, we all may be looking at another giant hole in a process that needs to eventually lead us all to understand the gravity of what Trump did. This would come on top of all the other obstruction that the public has put up with thus far. Importantly, it would also mean that Barr could easily have taken advantage of Mueller and that we still do not know the truth about what really happened in their critical exchanges or why the investigation ended. It might be more reassuring, as a next step, if Congress could get more of the details by hearing from some of his aides. In my opinion, that should be the next step given what we just may have witnessed.
4
I appreciate that you are an expert but how would you do testifying in front of a group of politicians grandstanding at your expense? That’s all this was. The House Members had their gotcha questions prepared in advance by picking out sections of a 433 page report. Mueller was expected to know immediately what each or those sections said. Could that possibly explain his fumbling answers at time? He didn’t ask to do any of this, from agreeing to possibly sully his reputation by leading this investigation to sitting in front of these two committees. But yet all anyone wants to focus on was his presentation, rather than the substance of the material.
7
Mueller confirmed that Trump could be put on trial. Yet because he didn't do it in the flamboyant way that the media wants somehow this isn't news? Or reason for congress to act? No wonder everyone is disgusted by them both.
8
The facts and the Manifesto is there to ho after Trump. The problem is the cowardice of the Democrats and the blandness of the special prosecutor. He felt no obligation to sell his story and it showed. I think that there were points that needed emphasis but Mueller was so low key he avoided any hints of significance. Mueller put this report together. Do you think he did not have a strong position on certain items? He should have been more forceful toward underlining their importance to him. That what he was hired to do.
2
@NOTATE REDMOND
N.R. I watched both hearings. It is clear the Office of Special Prosecutor was "hired" to produce a confidential report of the facts uncovered in their investigation for the Attorney General. Flamboyance would have given the Republican/Fox false claims of political bias some level of credibility. The facts came out. AG Barr spun them in favor of Trump, and that spin resonated with the Trump base, Republican sycophants and the Average Joe and JoAnne.
It appears to me that Speaker Pelosi has set forth the predicate for a deeper investigation into the provable corruption of the Trump campaign and administration.
I hope and believe that there is a majority of voting Americans who are paying attention to the facts, the national security issues, and the ongoing investigations in other jurisdictions into lifelong
Trump malfeasance.
We must be sure they have every reason and opportunity to vote.
I think Mueller did a great job. What I also saw was lame politician grandstanding and agendas.
The evidence is there: Trump broke the law. Period.
And how about the fact he met with Putin six times, but could not find the time to meet with Mueller.
The evidence is clearly there.
How sad to see Republicans still fawning and protecting Trump as Rome burns all around us.
17
I have to just wonder what sort of world we live in when people pay no attention unless is sensational and wonderful and exciting and whiz bang?
Doesn't speak too well of us that we are this shallow.
4
Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about a sexual liaison with a consenting adult. It was embarrassing, but not fatal to his presidency or even to his marriage (on the surface, at least). Trump, on the other hand, accepted the help of a hostile foreign power to get elected, refuses to release his tax returns (or the interpreters' notes of private meetings with Putin), uses his powerful position to enhance his personal businesses, and has alienated foreign allies, kidnapped refugees' children, and tilted the Supreme Court to the extreme (religious) right. If any president ever deserved impeachment, it's this one--but his very awfulness seems to have solidified his base as well as the Republican side of Congress. Something has to give...but what, and when?
11
After Barr denigrated Mueller's report Mueller did nothing to refute Barr's, or Trump's, misinformation campaign. I find it hard to believe that Mueller was once a Marine. He served our country poorly by his reticence, hesitancy and obsequiescence.
4
In response to the headline, the only proven way to take down a sociopath with narcissistic personality disorder is to starve them of attention. Being relatively conscience-free gives a sociopath license to say whatever they want to achieve their goals. The resulting emotional blowback is the foundation of a false sense of self that evaporates when cut off, forcing the afflicted to search for other victims.
You want to take him down? Then treat him with sympathy and compassion, the way you would any other mentally ill individual, and the never-ending co-dependant relationship dies. More conflict just fans the fire.
6
@Mike. How does one “starve him of attention”, AND “treat him with sympathy and compassion “? That seems counterintuitive.
1
Democrats need to focus on one statement: “I could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a single voter, okay?”
Take that as the basis for all strategic start and end points. Mark Rylance could have understudied for Robert Mueller, and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Democrats should stop pinning hopes on any drama that will discredit what is an obvious coup d’etat and constitutional upheaval being orchestrated by the oligarchy with their servant Republicans.
3
Thinking about our campaign to make the country better, I've been noodling slogans and have a list growing. Y'all probably can come up with better, but here are a few to start with: "Nowhere To Go But Up," "You Get A Do-Over," "What Do You Think?" Or something short, and a little wistful: "Maybe."
Ah yes, but will the Dems run “... a strong political campaign”? With The Squad being seen as the face of the Democratic Party, I fear not.
1
"His oratory . . . was overwhelming .... It held them spellbound. ... I grasped for the first time that it was ... his astonishing ability to move a[n] . . . audience by speech, that more than anything else swept him from oblivion to power . . . and seemed likely to keep him there.
"The words he uttered, the thoughts he expressed, often seemed to me ridiculous, but . . . I began to comprehend that it did not matter so much what he said but how he said it. [His] communication with his audience was uncanny. He established a rapport almost immediately and deepened and intensified it as he went on speaking. In such a state, it seemed to me, they believed anything he said, even the most foolish nonsense."
The above was not written about Donald Trump. This is an except from William Shirer's memoir on the nightmare years - 1930 -1940. One can guess who he is writing about. And every time I see Donald Trump giving a speech at a rally, or even as he talked to reporters after the Mueller testimony, I feel compelled to comprehend the effect his responses to questions have upon far too many people in his television audience. I am at a lost has to how to combat this power and its effect upon about 40% (I don't want to think it is more than this). of our population.
7
Win or lose in 2020, DJT is not leaving the White House in 2021, or indeed ever (while still breathing). He and the GOP will do whatever it takes - Constitution R.I.P.
Thank God I live in a country where you are presumed innocent and have to be proven guilty by the prosecution. Imagine a world where you must exonerate yourself or be presumed guilty. Welcome to the new Democratic norm? Yes Trump is a bad actor, but let's not throw the baby (presumption of innocence) out with the bath water.
@F451
The presumption of innocence is for the jury at trial.
Reputable prosecutors rely on the facts and circumstances to decide whether they have a case.
There is evidence of obstruction of justice on multiple occasions. More evidence is needed to convince the Republicans in the Senate to hold Trump accountable.
A Senate dedicated to upholding the Oath of Office would be a nice change.
1
To the Trumpers who were critical of Mueller's performance yesterday, and who claim his occasionally halting testimony was a sign of mental decline, I refer you to the president's standard manner of speaking, including, most recently:
“The administration, our president, me, we’ve done a great job,”
4
leave it to the Democrats
to devour one another
once again. Mr.Mueller
did a reasonably good
job in laying out the
devastating case against
Donald Trump. did anyone
think he was going to be
a ball of fire? really!
the minute he was done ,
Democrats and their
so called journalist friends
began to take him apart.
we are heading headlong
towards a Trump re-election because we continue to be so self
critical of one another
while the Republicans
stand together and laugh
as we self immolate.to
paraphrase the great
Pete Seeger song: when
will we ever learn?
4
Mr. Mueller did say one thing which cuts to the core of the argument. He said Mr. Trump could be indicted after leaving office.
Robert Mueller is not a soothsayer. His comment was not in reference to any future acts of Donald Trump and therefore he could only be referring to past acts.
If Mr. Trump did things in the past for which he could be indicted, then he committed crime(s).
If Congress is to have any meaning in the future, it must open impeachment hearings or they are saying they are fine with a criminal in charge of the executive branch.
And then it would be:
Checks and balances? Poof!
Rule of law? Poof!
Democracy? Poof!
3
The press has decided it was a dud. All of you. Well, I found him compelling especially when Mueller said Trump could be convicted of a crime once out of office, when he confirmed the report did NOT exonerate Trump( contrary to Barr’s assessment) and the the Russians AND others are meddling right now!
7
This column - like too many others by this columnist - is just too much of making things silly that really aren't very. Mueller did exactly what Mueller would be expected to do. Some Democrats elicited some very terse distillations of the facts. Had that been reported without also reporting disappointment that he didn't step out of character and his scope of employment and advocate for impeachment, it would have been a good day's work on the long journey to take down our meretricious president, whom the press is still in the thrall of (breathlessly reporting his every distraction, lie and absurdity) - because he sells eyeballs - to the president's manifest benefit.
1
Gail, can we poll Director Mueller on how he ranks today versus his 90+ other Congressional Committee hearings ?
I am APPALLED by those who TRASH Robert Mueller low-key, honest, devastating analysis of Trump's ties to the Russians and to obstruction of his investigation. (I DON'T USE THE WORD PERFORMANCE- HE GAVE AN ANALYSIS)The man looked weighed down with responsibility, yet bore that weight without drama or histrionics in a time where everyone wants Superman perfection in our hero's. No wonder we have a comic book villain in the White House.
6
I don't care what anyone says about the hearings, the obnoxious disrespectful republican congressional members who attended them, or Mr. Mueller's personality traits. Any American who listened yesterday heard good reason for great despair. What the Mueller report delivers is a very credible threat to our future from foreign powers and a good deal of evidence that the Trump family and associates "took advantage" of this threat in a myriad of ways. It is treasonous not to take this seriously. And as I heard someone say yesterday, if the only reason you aren't being indicted is because you are the president, perhaps you are not fit to be the president.
3
Shame on you Gail to reducing these critical hearings to bread and circuses. You'd like us to bring on the gladiators because they're more entertaining, while the Mueller hearing doesn't matter because it was . . . well . . . about as entertaining as watching paint dry? Trump provides a daily carnival-on-steroids of outrage and theatricality. He lets people puff up and get emotional and express their somehow God-ordained outrage . . . over . . . democracy apparently. Mueller's testimony asked us to be grownups. To sit at the big table and chew on the facts, soberly. The Republicans ranted and raved and tried to use outraged puffery because the facts do not reflect well on their guy -- but that's all they've got here. Yes the hearing was slow and thoughtful and deliberate. Mueller often looked tired. But the report, bullet pointed in its significant details to the American people, asks that we reject our role as couch potatoes who just want to be entertained, stop and soberly examine the Constitution-befouling spectable of Trumpworld, and consider the current fate of our democracy. Let the impeachment hearings begin.
1
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better."
And the Dems are not doing such...they need to focus on the issues...such as the debt/deficit, health care, reasonable immigration policies, working with our allies instead of bullying them...etc.
This is unlikely to happen as the Dems are just reacting to Trump's childish rants.
And what if the Russians help Trump to a second term?
What do we do then?
Two points, Gail
1. Its boring so its bad? Stop pandering to the image/reality show culture. You sound like trump with his rating obsession
2. Actually, lots of people have read the report. But better you should ask how many people read the Pentagon Papers, the 9/11 Report, etc. and then decide the impact of % of readers on the fate of America
1
We need to support Trump and not take him down. He is one of the Greatest sitting American Presidents ever.
The Dems need a strong candidate. Out of the 20-something running, I don’t see a winner yet. A leader, able to marshal the party’s rivals into support and grab the country’s imagination, then fight Drump soundly to his defeat, oh please, please emerge from the pack!
Democratic plaiybook for 2020:
1. Win the Senate.
2. Keep the House.
3. Nominate a candidate for the presidency who appeals to working class white and black Americans. I.e., present policies that these groups will see as promoting their interests. And be honest about how these policies will be turned into plans and paid for.
Never say "reading" and Americans in the same sentence. Just lie to them as you ask them to vote against their best interests. If it comes with a beer, you can convince enough of them to do so.
1
As lackluster the hearings proved to be, expect Al Green (D-TX) [SE-Houston area] to file another (ready made fill-in-the-blank) Articles of Impeachments and deservedly so.
The question is messaging and timing.
Bill Clinton got impeached for lying under oath about an affair with an intern. High crimes and misdemeanors according to congress at the time.
Donald Trump probably will not be impeached for obstruction of justice in a probe about foreign interference in federal elections. No high crimes or misdemeanors here, according to congress today.
Something's wrong with this picture...
1
The right to vote is an American treasure.
Over time in our country, it has been granted and passed into law that that right extends to everyone.
What many don't get is, although even if our votes don't garnish the results we envisioned, at least we did put our two cents in and that's what counts.
POLS have gotten away with bloody murder because they don't fear the American people will take them down.
In the interim, they pass laws that benefit people with money or have a business interest that doesn't benefit us, the American people.
Right now, today, this morning we saw what happened in Puerto Rico.
They raised such a ruckus in order to get rid of a powerful but flawed individual that he had to leave.
We can do that with our votes.
When we go to the polls to vote, we have to be like the people of PR.
In our country polls have indicated that only about 50% of our citizens exercise this right.
That's sad.
We want this President out.
Then for once, We The People have to get off our duff and show that we mean business.
VOTE!!
November 3, 2020.
That's our only salvation.
Just Do IT!!!
Once these people that represent us know that we can and will exercise our rights, then trust me, they will begin to do their jobs.
And like a supervisor hovering over a lazy employee, either that employee straightens up or he or she is out.
As usual, when Trump is threatened, he gets more manic and insane. What kind of person talks like this: "The administration, our president, me?” Or, saying “Robert Mueller had no material,” because to Trump the world is like a TV show.
GOP, thanks for playing a starring role in letting an insane, incompetent buffoon destroy the last threads of American democracy.
The key quote in the article is Trump saying "“Robert Mueller had no material,”. The 448 page report IS the material. But that material has to be READ, which is something he doesn't do.
1
Sometimes you just have to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Pelosi is a disappointment. Clinton was impeached on less.
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. "
By endorsing decriminalization of illegal immigration, free health care for illegals, Medicare for All, reparations, free college and addressing American audiences in Spanish they are doing exactly the opposite... and maybe, maybe the hopelessness of the whole thing will entice Mike Bloomberg to get back in. One can dream.
@Mike. Excellent point about candidates should not speak in Spanish in their speeches. Research has shown that that alone has no impact on Spanish speakers or those sympathetic to Spanish speakers in whether they will vote for you or not.
However, it HAS been shown to be a known trigger point and emotional hot button to white voters in swing states, who are angered by politicians who speak in Spanish.
1
Go back to sleep America and rest up for another challenging day up on all your favorite social media, while you pretend to work. Gurgling and drooling at the latest posts is where it's at for most Americans, because they lack the intellectual fitness necessary to perform the heavy-lifting feats of understanding these issues of treason, bad governance and fiscal irresponsibility. It's beyond most people. They deserve the disservice of misrule that will probably continue past my own lifetime...
1
as Trump ties himself up in Twitter knots crowing about how great he is, how "weak" Mueller looked, how the democrats are disintegrating, could someone PLEASE point out that The Fearless One, Mr. Bone Spurs, evaded being questioned by the special counsel, and avoided like typhoid ever having to raise his hand and swear, which would of course lead to multiple perjury charges. A blustering buffoon who rarely listens to his lawyers managed to stay out of Muellers office for 2 years. Given all the crimes we apparently CANNOT prosecute El Commandante for, what other holes were there left for him to dig himself into?
1
Good column as usual. Great advice.
Meanwhile, Russia is still out there an d prepping for OUR elections more than we are. Trump is smiling (well, sneering anyway) and Tweeting lies.
1
Love that second to last paragraph! Thank you.
I think it's time Americans follow our fellow Americans that live on a small island (with lots and lots of water around it) and hit the streets and stay in the streets until he's gone.
Mueller can't save us (because he's not good on tv or something). Will we save ourselves?
Nah, we're all too lazy and really don't care. If it's not boffo tv, then it's a lie, right?
1
Ask your Senator today what they’re doing to keep Russia out of our state and national elections. Time to play the Patriot card, in all 50 states.
While you’re at it ask where the better health care and jobs are.
2
The last paragraph nailed it.
“The administration, our president, me, we’ve done a great job,” says Trump, apparently unable to come out with a coherent sentence. Exactly what job did his group do today? Spin-doctoring?
1
Ms Collin's insights besides worth reading they're, well, entertaining and optimistic that Trump will be removed through the election process. What used to be the Republican Party that's now Trump's Party has finally got the American mind exactly where it wants. A bunch of non thinkers who simply prefer to be entertained with lies and name calling and relieved from the burden to think critically about what they're told by Trump.
Trump could commit the most heinous act imaginable such as raping a child because the Second Amendment gives him the authority to do whatever he wants and his audience of True Believers would scream in approval. Especially as long as it wasn't their kid.
The Dems ought to run on voting Trump out of office so that he can go to trial for his alleged crimes against the United States. Run against the GOP for aiding in obstruction of justice. The Republicans showed themselves to be desperate and pathetic in their attempts to protect Trump.
Emoluments. Simple.
Talk about burying the lede. An overcrowded Democratic field of candidates is one of just many problems. So too is the race to the left - free everything! In the seemingly never ending race to be more "woke" and/or progressive than one's opponent, they have made an elderly walking gaffe machine whose issues on busing are "evolving" seem like a reasonable choice. They have also turned off countless millions of voters not in spitting distance of an ocean. This party desperately needs young, articulate people with connections to the Midwest. Put some combination of Klobuchar and Buttigieg in there or we are looking at four more totally unhinged years of this smug lunatic.
The problem is that Trump's biggest accomplice is the Speaker of the House, Honorary Republican Nancy Pelosi. She will refuse to impeach him, just like she stood in the way of impeaching Bush an Cheney for war crimes. In this sense she is the House's version of Mitch McConnell.
Pop pop Mueller wasted millions and months investigating
a potential incident that was actually done by those in and of support of the investigation. Classic tired deflection technique -- a slight of hand -- that all can now clearly see.. The next
pathetic phase will be colored with racism and cries for impeachment.. an in-look to the financial histories of the President... Americans have grown well weary of the charade from a Party that has little to nothing to offer the country.. Resolution and truth is critical -- otherwise it may be time to consider a future of real two Americas...
It is a remarkable thing to view current American politics from the outside. I live in British Columbia, but every morning the first thing I do is read the NYT, the WaPo and, shudder, Trump's Twitter feed. To be fair, America is not unique in it's political bizarreness - Britain just found itself led by Boris Johnson and Ontario's current premier is former Toronto mayor Rob Ford's brother Doug, a former drug dealer and basic Neanderthal in a suit.
Though not unique, Trump stands out, both in odiousness and level of support. There is an ever-present gauze of surrealness surrounding president Trump. I am struck daily by the resigned acceptance of the world's most powerful nation to being led by a man so transparently unfit for the job. Even more stunning is the rock solid support he receives from Republican voters. Evangelical Christians support Donald Trump as president.
Looking in from Canada, and, I suspect, from the rest of the world as well, the situation is at once laughable and terrifying. The essence of the thing is this; your president is a pathetic joke, but he has the power to reduce the earth to a smoldering cinder. His juvenile, punkish antics are cheered by over 50 million Republican voters. Democratic checks and balances have mostly failed. Republican politicians are cowardly sycophants. Democrats can only wring their hands, consumed with indecision.
That Trump has a reasonable shot at reelection is a vicious indictment of 21st century America.
It's rare that I take issue with Gail Collins, but "excitement" was not, and should not have been the point of yesterday's Mueller hearing.
Mueller made very clear that Russia interfered with the 2016 election, that it is still interfering, that such interference is tolerated and possibly invited by the Trump administration, that Republicans in Congress are fine with making common political cause with a world power whose first priority is to harm America, that such behavior is probably criminal, that the tolerance of foreign interference is becoming normalized, and that our elections going forward continue to be at-risk as they were in 2016.
That prospect excites me, no questions asked, and not in a good way. I hope that the assault on American sovereignty excites Nancy Pelosi enough to start up the engine of impeachment. What more does she need?
1
Miscalculation??
I'm so disappointed in you, Gail; in fact, the headlines on hearing coverage in this newspaper are quite disappointing.
First of all, the hearing wasn't a fictional made for TV crime drama. It was about many all too real disgusting activities on the part of a candidate and now president of the United States and his minions.
Sorry if the lead witness didn't pull off his role in as entertaining a way as you wanted.
Mueller is not a showman. He is a serious professional who did his job masterfully, it appears, in spite of all the roadblocks thrown in his path.
This will all be digested in the same silos that are crushing our country and many others making hard right turns.
There are crimes and misdemeanors aplenty shown in the report.
I can't imagine Robert Mueller can share a meal with erstwhile buddy Bill Barr who should be ashamed of himself for building the only protective wall but stolidly to protect Trump from all of his transgressions.
Not only is Trump as guilty as can be on so many levels, as the Mueller report stated but so many people around Trump have either been indicted or had to leave office in a huge polluted cloud.
I have no faith anymore that justice will prevail.
The inmates have taken over the asylum and I can't even imagine what comes next.
834
@HBD One question I would have asked Mueller is: Did Barr have any influence on your finishing the report when you did?
36
@HBD. I love Gail, but I'm with you on this. The report itself is a bombshell. The testimony made headlines. The real story ws that the Republicans on both committees attacked a patriot in defense of Putin. That is indefensible
and it should have been the headline.
107
@Jack Strausser
His answer would've been: "I'm not going to talk about that."
13
The Republican representatives were clever by half. They have the enviable job of poking holes which, as everyone knows, is the easier job. Witness Mike Turner's cute moment in the spotlight. A lot of sound and fury signifying, as always, nothing.
Trump's popularity among his base endures not despite the Mueller report, but because of it. He knows, more than anyone, that the people who support him do so because they see him as transgressive. Point being, there is nothing Mueller could have said yesterday that would have dislodged them from their avidity.
How to beat Trump? Possibly with good policies that appeal to the plain interests of the voters. Definitely by public humiliation. He needs to be seen, not as corrupt or selfish, but as weak. It's a sad comment on the times we live in, but it's the truth.
406
@g. harlan Could NOT AGREE MORE!
Trump's supporters love this stuff. You beat him with POLICY's that voters beleive you can get passed... That is the ONLY way to beat him.
15
@g. harlan And one way you show him as being weak is on the debate stage, with someone quick on their feet and with more than just better slogans, and with any luck, better moderators to pin him down on answers.
16
@g. harlan:
exactly. dems should focus on real issues that
will make positive differences in people's lives.
djt failed to keep almost all his campaign promises.
don't bother trying to make him look weak.
strive to make yourself [look and] go strong.
dems must prove now: they can FOCUS & DELIVER.
[once djt is out of the WH they can worry about
whatever legal action they might want to take.]
14
I understand and appreciate that Mr. Mueller does not like feuding and public controversy. Patrick Henry he ain't.
But aren't his job requirements to be more like Patrick Henry than Morty Meekle? We needed a firebrand for justice heading this investigation, not a cold-wired computer.
Mr. Mueller is a war hero and a very hard-working public servant. But we needed a political hero here. His heroic days are apparently behind him. He was the wrong person for the job.
If you already believe that this President has obstructed justice by firing Comey, ordering McGhan to fire Mueller, And repeatedly claiming that the investigation is a hoax-why do you need to read Mueller's report?
Any President who betrays the trust of the American people needs to be impeached. He's earned it by his public actions.
439
@John C Reading the report reveals so much more than what was revealed yesterday. It blew my mind. And it was an interesting read.
26
@John C
The President was perfectly in his right to fire Comey. Democrats were calling for his firing months before, so that would have been tough to prove obstruction.
As for ordering McCabe to fire him - That sounds a bit off. McCabe doesn’t have that authority, so why would Trump order him to do it? And even if he did, Trump never fired Mueller at all. So ordering anyone to fire Mueller, but then it never happens, means no crime is committee.
If I order my wife to rob a bank, but she doesn’t do it, have I committed a crime?
2
John C, the Constitution doesn't provide impeachment for any officer who betrays the trust of the American people. It requires treason, bribery or other high crimes or misdemeanors.
That is wise. The last thing this country needs is another race to the bottom. This idea that presidents of the other party should be impeached for political reasons would mean that every president would be impeached. It cheapens the process, just like packing the Supreme Court with new justices would.
Donald Trump made some poor decisions. All presidents do. They are only human. Read biographies of presidents and you'll find plenty of things in every president's term in office that is wrong.
Save impeachment for real crimes. Use it sparingly. The people vote for president every four years. The people should determine who is president, not politicians.
1
Everyone knows the President is guilty but can't be charged as a sitting President. End of story. This is all about the calculations of politics and the 2020 election. It's not about that rule of law. If it was, the President would be charged...just like you would be.
187
@Scott Manni
And maybe there will be no charges because there might be enough reasonable doubt to result in acquittal when and if Trump is indicted. Prosecutors tend to be reluctant to charge unless it's a slam dunk conviction.
1
@Scott Manni, please make that "won't be charged." There is no REAL reason he can't be charged.
9
@Scott Manni
Every day "Trump Forces" keep him out of a Federal Lock-up is a "big triumph"
3
It seemed to me that some of the things Mueller didn't want to expand on may be things still under investigation. To those questions, which seemed to require a yes, no, or I don't know response set, his answer was "I can't speak to that". Hmmm. He didn't have much trouble otherwise answering "yes", "no", "I don't know", or "I won't characterize that [whatever]" and their equivalents.
I mean, there are still a lot of investigations open that came out of Mueller's that he farmed out. There may be others underway that came about independently that he knows of, and thus can't discuss.
Hmmm.
1
Gail has joined the hive-mind of the punditocracy, and they have decreed: they were not entertained.
They are doing the nation a grave dis-service, elevating theater over substance. We all need to do better - to focus on more than a fuzzy performance in the last act of a true patriot.
"A republic - if you can keep it" has never been in such peril since the Civil War.
2
The rallies in Puerto Rico and Hong Kong are setting a positive example for us all. We need to have a “national day of rage” against the dysfunction of Washington. Trump is merely the poster child for a government that has become totally unresponsive to the governed.
The list is endless. Here’s a sampler : Corruption has been formalized in the form of “campaign contributions”, upside-down tax policy, legislation defined by corporations, air & water pollution re-enabled, silly wars and silly weapons, healthcare for a only the select, abandonment of public education, twisted foreign policy, wealth distribution, oligarchs, etc.
It clear that the ballot box has been ineffective. Louder voices are needed. Term limits are essential.
3
Anyone who has followed the news and read excerpts or reports on what is in the Mueller Report knows that Trump is guilty of obstruction and that he at the very least encouraged the Russians and was willing to accept help in any way possible to win the election. However the GOP has clearly decided that they will bend the knee to their Monarch - King Donald and will defend him in any way possible. In my opinion the only option that those of us who oppose Donald have in arsenal is the hope that the democrats chose a candidate who is viable and can win in 2020. It is important for democrats to stay united, as in my opinion Donald is a clear and present danger to American Values and the rule of law. Impeachment in my mind is a fools errand. Though Trump deserves to be impeached and likely convicted of multiple crimes, it is not going to happen. Spend the energy on defeating at the polls hopefully by a large majority, work to win the senate and maintain the house and then we can get back to working towards the betterment of all Americans.
279
@steve Agree. This is now a fight for our democracy, the soul of America, and impeachment can't win that fight under these circumstances. Not with the GOP holding 2/3 of the government - almost 2/4 if you want to count the Supreme Court - and completely dependent on Trump's base to stay in office. (Not the GOP base. Trump's base.)
How much would change with Republicans still in control of the Senate and McConnell still "reaping grimly"? What would it mean if Dem internecine warfare, a fumbled impeachment, and failure to recast the "socialism" narrative let Trump squeak in again; or worse yet, blow 2020 out? Democrats won 2018 based on all the "kitchen table", "bread and butter" issues they promised to address. What do they say in 2020 when nothing has happened because everything dies in the Senate, without even a hearing, and Trump says it's because Dems want to enact socialism?
There is just so much energy available in any system. If Dems waste too much of it pining over impeachment, and fighting amongst themselves over who is progressive enough, they'll drain the momentum built up in 2018 . Everyone who didn't completely drink to the dregs from Trump's kool-aid knows he 's a blight on democracy. The best way to address it is to blow him out with the popular vote AND take him out in the EC in 2020, and turn the Senate blue. Prove that lies, greed, corruption, white nationalist rhetoric, and authoritarianism don't pay. Or lose, and prove they do.
38
If only Mitch would allow voter protection!
8
@Barry Williams
Might it be easier to win the Senate races in 2020 than the presidential one?
6
Was there one soundbite from Mueller that democrats can use during the campaign against Trump? No. That's the problem.
27
@scott k.
I think lying while under oath with his answers to the written questions submited to him would be a start.
28
@scott k.
"They are doing it as we speak"
37
@scott k.
When a Republican pressed Mueller on whether there was sufficient evidence to indict trump as a private citizen and the SC said unequivicaly......twice YES. That look on the us pols face and the whole encounter was the "come to Jesus
moment" that was the gist of a political ad. IMHO
52
We are so accustomed to a reality-circus-performance-artist as president, we no longer recognize real drama in the Greek and Shakespeare tradition and manner. Mr Muller is a heroic figure. He does not perform for the mob or for that individual 1 who has the Republican party in trembling anxiety. No, Mr Muller stands on all his years of self-less service to the country he loves, Mr Muller is the warrior. Integrity is his breast-plate, courage is his shield, and truth is his sword. Mr Muller did not come before the committee with his 'ratings' in mind. He under went this whole immense effort to defend his work and his team's work, but also the work of the USA in the world and in history. We are sliding into a dictatorship. That quivering mass of presidential pretense currently residing in the White House, and his sycophants, enablers, and collaborators will know in the future who are the honorable, courageous, and genuine patriots. That would be Robert Muller, and men and women who conduct their lives along the same lines as him. Pax, jb
391
@Jamie Ballenger- Agreed wholeheartedly. He is a tired, worn hero. We cannot let him down by granting Trump another term.
11
@Jamie Ballenger Don't think I have ever felt this level of despair until now ...the American Public has reached the place of no return now. Trump has said he could gun down people in Times Square and nothing could touch him ..This is not going to end well for anyone ...When we have no media willing to fight back on any level ..loos like game over
2
@Jamie Ballenger
"...quivering mass of presidential pretense" there's a great line for someone to use!
11
This is all so circular though. Russia interfered in our election to help get Trump elected. Trump and his enablers welcome said interference, do nothing to prevent it from occurring again. Now we're supposed to beat him at the ballot box? Knowing full well that Russia can hack into multiple voting machines, and is in fact encouraged to do so by one political party? This is not going to end in 2020. Vote, by all means, but don't be surprised when the election is a farce. And if by some miracle Democrats do win, Trump will say it was rigged.
1
I do not fault Mueller. He got his marching orders and if I understood correctly, there are many other irons in the fires concerning Trump and his children and associates. One extraordinary fact kept rearing it's head for me. Gone are the days when country comes first. Mr. Mueller exhibited his quiet disdain for Trump. That spoke volumes. The Republicans were shouting so much, I really wondered if they were trying to scream so Trump could hear them all the way to the White House. Yup. Party, crooks, thieves.....all the president's men. Not any different than Watergate other than the Russians they sold out to. But hey, maybe that is why the GOP was cheering. Ask Mitch McConell, he blocks election security.
372
@Edgar
Since the Kavanaugh hearings, I've been marveling at this kind of loudly self-pitying, self-dramatizing, blubbering spectacle from white males who attended the Lindsey Graham School of Theatrics. Woe is me! I'm so put upon! I can't imagine the reaction if women or people of color acted that way while inhabiting the dignity of a political office.
48
@Edgar I've always wondered what Putin & Co. have on McConnell. From friends in McConnell's state, what Putin "has" has long been an open secret in KY.
16
@Edgar "...there are many other irons in the fires concerning Trump and his children and associates."
Indeed, yesterday during the afternoon hearing, Mueller said that there were things he would not discuss because they related to current, ongoing investigations that originated from his office.
If there was/is illegality in their actions, Trump, his family, and associates should think twice before assuming Mueller's report and testimony are the end of the matter.
12
Under what authority does Robert Mueller, a private citizen, not answer questions asked of him by the United States Congress when subpoenaed and under oath? Sure there are some questions that are under investigation or would expose classified information but clearly half of his non-answers fell in the “I just can’t be bothered to take that question” category. Would he take such a cavalier attitude toward a witness he had subpoenaed and put under oath?
3
Perhaps not the spectacle our politics has become, however there were numerous occasions when under questioning Mueller confirmed that Trump had intentionally obstructed justice. One clear instance was when Hakeem Jefferies brilliantly asked Mueller to confirm the three elements that must be present for one to be guilty of obstruction of justice. After Mueller had confirmed all three, the Congressman cited three occasions where Trump had done these three exactly and asked Mueller to confirm that these qualified. Mueller agreed that they did qualify and that these actions connoted obstruction of justice.
Game, set, match in my view.
3
Maybe it's me, but I found the hearing riveting. I believed Mueller because he wasn't acting, opining, interpreting, remonstrating, or lying. The questions from by the legislators and based on evidence from the report provided the context. The Republicans were so convoluted and partisan that I too needed them to repeat or clarify what the heck they were even asking. That part was boring! Was the president lying? "Generally." came the laconic reply. Sometimes less in more.
493
@Dr. Conde I agree. Contrary to popular opinion, the Mueller hearings did make a difference as an indictment of Trump.
47
I did read the Report, underlined sections, took notes, got angry, was astounded, and admitted to a great deal of boredom. Unlike many, while I admire Mueller for his long-standing work and his integrity -- I also think: "lost opportunity."
A good friend, an artist, said several days ago, "Maybe Mueller will surprise us. He'll decide to step out of his lawyer persona, his strong silent type role, and say it all! Spill his guts about the whole thing. And he'll go down in history as an American hero!"
We both knew it wouldn't happen. But somehow -- it should have. Someone needs to go out on a limb, even if they also saw it off at the same time.
We're lacking heroes -- which is why The Squad seems to draw attention, positive and negative. And why the right adores Trump. The heroes I think of now? All those marching in Puerto Rico who finally deposed the governor. Those who marched in Hong Kong protesting the extradition bill, despite the police violence. People who have had enough.
I wonder what it will take here in America, after the mounting obscenities Trump has launched, to bring the heroic out of Americans. Voting -- yes. But what else to change the depth of our malaise?
5
Nothing matters anymore. Trump, with the help of the squad and the booming economy, already has ensured his reelection. The demos candidates are absolite and their attempts to pull the USA to far-left to be continued in their next debate will just increase trump's victory. The best the Demos can do is Shut up the Squad and wait for another five years to try to win the next next election, which I doubt t they will
1
First of all, Trump would be yelling he won from his jail cell. There is no reality for Trump and the gang. Bob Mueller may be a bit tired and perhaps forgetful these days with advancing age. At any rate, I believe that perhaps the House came away with a stronger positive attitude toward impeachment. That may be just enough to get things started. We can analyze and evaluate the hearing until everyone has had their say, but in the end, there is now and has been for a long time more than enough data to start impeachment over obstruction and violations of the emolument clause. Let's get started.
2
I had no illusions that Mueller's testimony would change public opinion re: Trump and impeachment, but felt that it was necessary to enable the Dems to move forward. Whether Trump was removed by impeachment or not would not change Republican behavior and they would still ignore the Constitution and engage in disgusting rhetoric. The Dems now MUST craft a coherent message of Trump's failings and their vision to move America forward. Trump's base will vote for him no matter what, and to succeed in 2020 the Dems' base must mirror this behavior. Failure to do so will keep Trump in office for another 4 yrs. The Dem should talk of their progressive aspirations but must understand that the majority of American voters do not buy into this agenda 100%. Consequently, the message must be one of incremental progress toward the ultimate goal, recognizing that durable societal change is best produced with a series of small changes building on earlier changes that have now been accepted by society. Look to the experience with Social Security and to a large degree on Obamacare. Explain that proposed changes do not represent "socialism" but the expansion of a fairer and more humane society. Dems must understand that most American do want comprehensive immigration reform including humane restrictions on immigration along with a pathway to citizenship for the "Dreamers", environmental protection and measures to curb climate change, but not medicare-for-all. To remove Trump, we must VOTE!
3
Bob, Well written and accurate. In the election, unfortunately, the dems need to play Trump's game better than he does.
We are blessed here in the US to live in a democracy, which by nature, moves slowly. Of course it's going to be boring sometimes. That's why 45 is so fascinating. He's not a president. He is an entertainer. Like the car crash on the roadside.... we can't take our eyes off him.
3
Sad but so true.
The democrats have no choice but to open an impeachment inquiry. This is necessary so that subpoenas can be enforced and people who surrounded and aided trump in his misdeeds testify to the facts and we get to see his tax returns so we will know the extent of the Russians and Saudis purchase of him and their hold over him to do their bidding.
3
Wait a minute, if elections in this country were actually fair and free of foreign influence trump wouldn't be president to begin with. No, an election is not the answer to criminal conduct impeachment is and if Mr Mueller had done his job properly we would be well on that road. The problem is, as it has been from the start, that James comey and Robert Mueller are republicans and are happy to do their part to stifle the processes our system of government relies on in order to promote their party and you can thank for news, Russia, or the warped culture of flyover America for that. The bottom line is that this nation is broken and the ideals it was build on have been rejected and are now meaningless because they were too righteous for most human beings to live up to. That's the real story here.
5
I do not agree with the pundits.
These hearings were useful and important, if not theater and grandstanding, which have become the only game in town.
The occupant of the White Houses's most egregious transgressions were spelled out clearly, by either Mueller or a disciplined group of Democrats that stuck with the most important questions.
Hearing the (dispassionate) facts clearly spelled on live television is better than having them just buried in the Mueller report. They will be available for posterity, and hopefully for more immediate usage.
10
It's clear to me that the two party system is failing us. By their playing opposite sides of the net, with us regular people being the net, is no longer representing us in a meaningful way.
5
Puerto Rico and Hong Kong have already shown us how to get rid of Trump. We have to decide if we're ready to take action or keep complaining. It's our democracy and we have to defend it or face the consequences.
9
Right, nothing revelatory in the hearing and yes, Trump will have to lose the election. Fact is that Barr and the republicans have done what Trump has been doing for over two years, and that is to distract, distort and redirect attention to any topic that riles the Trump base.
It was saddening to see Mueller seemingly confused or at least not altogether certain about central findings of his two year investigation. Perhaps it was in part due to ongoing aspects of the investigation that he did not want to address for fear of negating their effectiveness.
To me the most important part of the day was Nancy Pelosi's press conference afterwards where she stressed that Congress would continue to investigate and if it could build a strong enough case it would impeach. Except for the undue delay that the congressional majority has permitted with its quest for testimony from Trump associates, allowing Trump to simply run out the clock, Pelosi has been very effective and may yet visit enough facts on the public to persuade enough independent voters to vote against Trump.
4
The press decided it was a dud. All of you. I found it very compelling especially when Mueller said the report did NOT exonerate Trump, and Trump could be tried when out of office. Finally, his concern about the Russian’s and others messing with the 2020 election. The fact that he found Trump’s wikileaks remarks “problematic” seemed a strong condemnation to me. I think the house should do their jobs and impeach.
12
I don't want to "take down President Trump". He's a great president and has my vote in 2020. Thank you.
Robert Mueller is governmental institutions personified. The attacks on him/them by most Republicans have been disgraceful (Will Hurd seemed to take his job seriously. He should leave the GOP). There is no other person in the country for whom it is more important to appear non-partisan than Mr. Mueller, so I think boring was the right approach.
Given that half of the government seems to be run on Fox News talking points, I don't see any path that would have worked better.
11
Of course, the only redeeming attribute of the hearing was a small moral victory for those of us that care.
Normally, in any other times, that would be a big deal in of itself. In our divided times, there is nothing Mueller could have said (even if he was the most dynamic and prolific speaker on earth) that would change any outcome. The sorting of those that care about fact over their preferred worldview is complete.
Fundamentally, big "C" conservatives are wired differently than everyone else. Their worldview matters most to them, and that worldview does not include respect for facts, if those facts contradict their beliefs.
This IS the divide our nation (and the world by extension), is dealing with. ~35% of humans have this pathological trait, closely aligned with authoritarianism, and we are witnessing it being played out in real time.
Interesting times.
6
It took you up until the last paragraph Gail - but in the end you said the correct thing. This is a Democracy and if you want to unseat a sitting President - do it at the polls the way our republic was designed to function - It might also help if the Democratic Party did a little soul searching on the issues that really matter to all Americans, not just the favored groups of the day.
2
@Jay Phelan. They are soul searching, not looking at just favored groups. Do you think their discussions of "Medicare for All" v. "Medicare for those who want it" are just about favored groups? Pay attention. It's the democrats who are discussing ideas to make all our lives better, not Republicans, and you'd admitted if you just look and quit paying attention to the Republican line.
9
End result: how many Trump voters have changed their minds? None. How many anti Trump opponents have changed their minds? None. How many heretofore "undecided" voters have changed their minds? To be determined.
@logic
Hopefully some of those with open minds who have finally heard the truth will vote. Watching the hearings after reading the most salient portions of the report (Which most people haven't), put into stark relief the difference between the proven crimes committed by trump and his cohorts, and the unfounded conspiracy theories and lies foisted upon the ignorant.
1
Everyone complains that the American people have not read the report. It is not the job of the American people to read that report, it is Congress'. We voted for these representatives to do the job in Washington. They are supposed to read, analyze, and take action. TV and news media can read and report to the people what they find. But I do not have to read the report. This is why we have a representative democratic government.
4
Obviously you don't have to read the report but you should. While dry reading the volume 2 discussion of obstruction is very clear and devastating for the President. Of course EVERYONE in Congress should read the report-it's their job!
1
“Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better.” You mean we should have an election where both parties/candidates lay out their plan for America’s future and we should vote for a candidate who we think has the better plan? Gosh, what a novel idea.
7
@Dennis M. Hanley. It would be novel especially for Republicans - they have learned that it's fear that drives the voter, not hope. They have long "worked" by making sure voters are afraid of "the other" - the other color, the other party.
4
I fear that the Democrats are doing everything in their power to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Mueller hearings were intended to be theater for the Democrats, who hoped the TV spectacle would excite Americans in a way that the written report couldn’t. But of the hundreds of Democrats in the House, and of the likely thousands of staffers working for them, couldn’t anybody have figured out that Mr. Mueller was past his prime as a telegenic figure?
2
I sadly agree with Gail. Having a close family tie to a jurist much like Mueller, I know well that careful, halting rhetorical style that comes from the wisdom of knowing that truth and true wisdom do not come in "sound bites" but in careful reasoning and deep seated integrity. That doesn't mean that these voices should not be fully heeded! Quite the contrary: today we have too often replaced wisdom and truth with rhetorical word play and outright lies. We must restore our faith in the rule of law and the value of reasoned judgement!
6
Why do you Ms. Collins and other readers think Trump will be removed by losing an election? Why should that "norm" be any more sacred to him or Republicans? Why should they allow a "socialist", and the Democratic candidate will be labeled that no matter what, to be President? Nope, Trump is not going anywhere no matter what.
4
What percentage of Americans do you think watched the full hearing? Three percent seems awfully high. We're talking about a Wednesday in late July. The only reason I was able to catch any testimony at all is because the 24th happens to be a state holiday in Utah. Pioneer Day (Pie & Beer Day). Yes, that's really a thing. Most people are either at work, on vacation, or watching the parade.
I honestly only caught pieces intermittently as I sealed the basement tile. "Much-anticipated" is an overstatement. I doubt even paid professionals really watched the whole thing. Looking at you Gail. Everyone else caught whatever the news analysts were spinning at the moment they happened to be near a TV or radio. Naturally, Fox News had a broadcast ready to go before the testimony even started. The rest of the news media dejectedly fell in line.
The testimony wasn't really a defeat for Democrats. Not in the way this column and many others suggest. The testimony was only a defeat in the sense that Mueller highlighted how Democrats had already mishandled the report and AG Barr's malfeasance was largely victorious.
The impeachment inquiry should already be open. The inquiry should have been open the moment anyone finished reading the report. Democrats look like fools for asking for clarification. Of course, most paid professionals didn't even read the report so how would they know? Politicians are among the "pocket constitutionalists." They have the book but they haven't read it.
5
For those of us who don't like to read more than 280 characters at a time, Mr. Mueller thoughtfully included two "Executive Summaries" in his report, which run under ten pages each. The essential element of the report are there, and show beyond any shadow of a doubt that Trump and his campaign were completely corrupt and that Trump himself obstructed justice.
The collective failure of our society to read even the summaries indicates to me that we are no longer intelligent enough, or politically involved enough, to keep our democratic republic system of government. We're well on the way to becoming an authoritarian third-world country. Our noble experiment is, I think, soon to be over. Sad.
12
The hype surrounding Mueller's anticipated testimony in Congress in some minds might have reached the level of expectation for some akin to Jeffery Hunter's Jesus Christ giving the Sermon on the Mount. Or. maybe Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck...pick a heroic speechifying movie role.
As I'm his age with similar lapses and infirmities, knowing there would be no breaking news beyond what was already in the report, I expected less and a carefully measured presentation. Besides, all the drama has been squeezed out of this horror film shown over an over by now.
Despite others disappointment, I was more than satisfied with how it was conducted and how Mueller performed, We got about 80-90 per cent of what we wanted him to say.
Something less talked about is how poorly the Republicans responded, especially in the second session. They had nothing.
I'd say the needle has been moved closer by what transpired to opening hearings on impeachment.
7
"'We decided we would not make a determination as to whether the president committed a crime,' he said..."
Gail is right: even the committee members were so drugged into lethargy by that point that no one had the alertness to reply, "And why was that?" It wasn't, no matter how much Barr would like everyone to believe it, that the evidence of obstruction was insufficient to idict, for Mueller could easily have said that, as he did on conspiracy. There is only one possibility: the evidence was sufficient to indict; but Mueller couldn't make that "determination," because then he would be accusing without indicting, which violates Justice Department policy.
6
What's truly disturbing is to see Devin Nunes in action. The government is run like a day room discussion among the patients in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
20
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021."
Given the Electoral College map, this is hardly the slam dunk you seem to think it is.
14
Point by point, we were reminded of the specific acts that would have put anyone else in prison.
'Not juicy enough'
You can't expect much from a country raised on Judge Judy and 'reality' shows.
Reality just doesn't cut it any more.
Gail's most salient point is this:
"Even if Mueller had been way, way more forthcoming, it’s unlikely it would have given the impeachment crowd much help. The nation is so divided on the subject of Donald Trump that it’s almost impossible to imagine anything would get him kicked out of office.
If he got caught standing with a knife and a pile of murdered puppies, he’d claim that he had actually protected innocent children from a pack of small fuzzy sharks. And around a third of the country would shrug, while Senate Republicans muttered something about danger at the beaches.
Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better."
Since we and the media get more excited by 'takedown' moments such as Harris v. Biden, even that may not be enough.
4
Every now and then I try to step back and look objectively at what's going on.
When I do manage to extricate myself, I am quite literally dazed at the absurdity of our parsing his testimony, considering whether he was compelling and treating all of this with such gravity.
In their opening and closing remarks, Nadler and Schiff both provided ample evidence for any reasonable person to conclude that the president was unpatriotic, dishonest, accepted Russian help to get elected and obstructive the investigation.
That we are even having this debate may signal that we no longer have a functioning democratic republic.
22
@Barking Doggerel
Every day I question my own sanity, watching this happening and feeling like...am I the only one who sees this.
Fortunately I come here and see comments from others who see the same thing. Whether we are experiencing reality or are just inmates in separate asylums is yet to be determined.
1
Did any one notice that the Ds actually asked questions and sought information, and clarification, while the Rs speechified and obfuscated? No buffoonish displays of hackery for the Ds this time.
This was especially disgraceful for Rs on the House Intelligence Committee who might have used the time to understand how to better protect our elections, an issue that ought to be bipartisan.
19
I thought it was interesting because of its clear demonstration of orderly legal thinking. But I’m married to a successful lawyer and in our household we couldn’t even discuss our teens misbehavior without the facts first followed by prudent words afterwards. Boring. But right.
7
The House dems must get together and begin impeachment proceedings. It is there constitutional duty. Claiming that the Senate would not convict as a reason not to do so is ignorant of the constitutional duty to proceed.
4
If I was Congress, I'd impeach Trump for shutting down the country in January as a terrorist tactic to extort billions out of Congress. A straightforward charge where there is no doubt as to what happened and it wouldn't take 400+ pages of analysis.
3
If taking down Trump is the goal then I say where there is a will there is a way. Try 2020 and if Trump is reelected just in a fair and square election just accept gracefully the outcome of the election. Anything that does not kill you makes you stronger. The Mueller election just made Trump stronger believe it or not.
1
@Girish Kotwal
First, we'd need an election in which every voter's vote counted equally. Without that, there is no fair and square. Believe it or not.
3
@Rea Tarr from NY. The electoral college which has been around for centuries is a fair election system as it is fair to every state in the United States of America, big and small. The founders of our nation were genius and just because many who don't like the outcome of the 2016 presidential elections and are running scared that the outcome of 2020 will be similar and Trump will be reelected with not just an electoral college victory but the popular vote.
1
@Girish Kotwal
When all votes from residents of every state are put into one barrel, every little vote should be as powerful as every other. Nothing to do with where the voters reside. Whoever wins the electoral college vote, with the current meshuggah system, gets in. As happened with 5 previous presidents. Absurdly.
Wouldn't it be just so much easier for the American people to just get up off the couch, go down to their polling place and cast their ballot in November 2020? And then go back home and watch the nightmare come to an end. And then go dancing in the streets. Far easier, far cheaper, and far less drama.
14
"How to take down Trump" Democrats run a good race and win in 2020. This is how we take down Trump? You're forgetting something, the Russians, the Russians put Trump in the White House in 2016, despite losing the vote. Gail, 2020 is going to be far more serious.
16
In our breaking-news land of howler monkey broadcasters Mueller’s cool, unruffled testimony was riveting. His dignity becalmed my urge to egg vehicles bearing poisonous “Trump 2020” bumper stickers. With greater integrity I now accept the disaster that has befallen our great nation and shall vote, with pure heart, for a bright future for my grandchildren.
7
"Collusion" is not an indictable crime. Mueller said there was insufficient evidence of "conspiracy" to indict. The only indictable crime in The Report is "obstruction of justice." And in a mystery I still cannot fathom, Mueller refused to say Trump committed the elements of that crime.
2
"The nation is so divided on the subject of Donald Trump that it’s almost impossible to imagine anything would get him kicked out of office.". Gail I believe there is a certain Mr. Epstein who is currently incarcerated whom, I believe, is in possession of some home made videos of Mr. Trump that might change that equation. Believe me.
5
Mueller’s charge was to investigate Russian meddling in our elections which Trump has denied. Mueller found that the Russians did interfere (and are continuing to interfere) with our elections and Trump and his crowd cooperated, but did not legally conspire. Trump, while the investigation was taking place, did everything he could to stop and damage Mueller’s work and therefore obstructed the investigation. However, since Mueller could not indict a president, he did not pursue indictments of any kind with Trump, who can be indicted upon leaving office. It was wrong for the Democrats to try to get more drama from Mueller than was already in his report and wrong for the Republicans to say that Trump is completely innocent. I can no longer be a Republican given the parties complete lack of concern for our democratic republic and the Constitution on which it was founded.
6
I watched very little of yesterday's hearings. However, it was obvious to me this a.m. that things had not gone well. GMA, at 7 a.m., did not lead with a report re: them. In fact, the first half hour contained very little discussion of them. Thanks for the transparency, ABC.
2
The hearings weren't intended to further impeachment, which is a nonstarter. They were meant to remind people, as Adam Schiff did, about the Russian interference in 2016, and Trump's glee about it, and to explain why it's relevant now (i.e., the President's fine with more interference).
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"He soldiered on through two much-anticipated House committee hearings, full of politicians eager to make a splash."
I heard some of the proceedings on TV in the background of a room I was visiting. Some senator made a speech for a minute, then finally asked Mr. Mueller a question. Supposedly the speech was leading up to the question, but it looked to me that the speech was for the cameras and the question was the pretext for the cameras. I don't know which side the senator was on.
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@Charlesbalpha
Nope, no senators. Just House members. Pay attention.
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@Stephen in Texas
As I said, it was on in the background and I was forced to listen. Why should I have paid attention? I don't get to vote on anything for months.
The entire Mueller testimony said more about the sorry state of our elected officials and country than about Mueller. How could there have been a different outcome?
4
Yes, the Democrats are going to have to run a campaign about how to make the country better, just as they did in the 2018 midterms. Sadly, they have already blown their first chance to make an early impression. They could have used the first debates to reinforce the need to keep and improve Obamacare and maintain their position on pre-existing conditions, and to enhance opportunity through education. Instead, thanks to Harris they are talking about federally mandated busing, and in general free health care for undocumented immigrants in a nation where families are paying thousands a year for health insurance and care. Instead of inspiring people, they simply left them unsettled. They also insult the electorate when they promise freebies without being honest about how they will be paid for. We are not dunces. So once more, it would appear they are more interested in applause from a narrow constituency than winning.
4
Compared to the Democrats, the Republicans are ruthless and power hungry. Pelosi seems to think that impeachment proceedings against Trump would damage somebody's tender feelings. If the situation were reversed, the Republicans would file for impeachment of a Democratic president in a New York minute.
5
Hillary won the 2016 election. A painful cocktail of events led trump to win the EC by a few votes. This shocked the GOP unless one believes it was a planned coup. The GOP would have had articles of impeachment drawn up for Hillary by March 1,2017. With their majority in both house and senate, the impeachment would have been a done deal. On what basis, and what next would not have concerned them. They are destroyers. So their current willful acceptance of evil in the white house, and their next steps to cement one party rule are no surprise. Sad yes, not surprising.
1
If you don't want bicyclists to ride on the sidewalk, then keep Ubers out of the bike lanes.
2
The legislative process isn't Hollywood or Broadway. The limited attention span of viewers isn't a reliable measure of effective testimony. For example, the feigned anger by rabid Republicans playing for the peanut gallery was low rent acting at best.
So what if Mueller was methodical and careful? There was a trove of red meat wrongdoing laid out during the hearings to prompt even the dumber members of the House to fear for their country.
If the hearings seemed too long, not allowing time for popcorn and a soda, remember, dear moviegoers, the different movie productions of "War and Peace." The Hollywood version was over-edited. The Russian counterpart lasted nearly six hours. One was clearly true to Tolstoy's story.
4
I am deeply disappointed in our government. If someone like trump can remain in office, then there are no longer standards for who is acceptable. The House has to impeach, if only to force the gop in the senate to be on the record refusing to remove him. History will be very unkind to them and, depending on whether the US can recover from this nightmare, will look back at this tipping point. I am so glad I am not coming of age at this time and feel sorry for those growing up now.
12
Well, perhaps the rest of America needs to take a look at how it was done Puerto Rico.
I’ve read some of the report and there were no surprises yesterday. The thing is, though, Mr. Mueller testifying or nor testifying made little difference because of the way the nation is divided. I doubt many minds were changed. Republicans will still support DJT, and continue to do so. They like and want an authoritarian king for a leader; that way they don’t have to do difficult things like thinking, governing or finding a conscience. Dems will be against him for many reasons, most of them justified, but can’t get over needing a foil for their angst. They need to grow up.
It’s fun to fast forward to 2021 and the idea of a former president trump being on trial as a criminal. I’d like nothing better than seeing him in an orange jumpsuit. But that ain’t gonna happen, even if he loses in 2020. He’ll find a way to skate around the charges, pay his lawyers a few million, and become a $50 million a year talking head on Fox News.
I’m interested in hearing what my friends in other countries thing of this latest circus act in DC. If they even bothered to check in on it.
1
"Looks like the Democrats are just going to have to run a strong presidential campaign about how to make the country better. If they do that, Donald Trump will not be in the White House in 2021. At which time, we can let the collusion and conspiracy indictments roll."
Gail, has occurred to you that this man will never give up the presidency to a Democrat? Do not expect him to go quietly if ever he loses in 2020. Trumpism has become a cult and his followers will believe anything and everything he says. This may not end well.
3
I predict that when trump is no longer president he will be indicted and a trial will ensue. In the meantime, he will conveniently find himself in a "business meeting" in Moscow where he will suddenly decide it is not possible to return to the US to face a jury.
5
@Marathoner, it is not just Trump, but his family too could be indicted. They are not immune to non indictment laws and if they are guilty they should face the jury. Trump can only protect them as long as he is President..
2
Despite evidence of obstruction detailed in Mueller’s report, impeachment is a fraught strategy for the Democrats to have Trump removed, given public opinion and the GOP-majoirty in Senate.
Mueller’s testimony has not given Democrats’ the catalyst to develop a comprehensive case against Trump.
The best way to end his disastrous presidency is to unseat him in November 2020. This requires the nomination of a candidate who can win the 270 electoral votes. It’s time for Democrats to unite and put aside their personal interests.
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