Unless Congress impeaches, Trump will easily stonewall the investigations until after the elections. If Congress impeaches, then it is quite possible that the Republican enablers will suffer more than the Democrats will do.
3
If it weren't for so much gun regulation, we'd probably have another civil war. Each side has their own presuppositions. Each side has their own worldview. Each side is listening to their own media. Each side had deep rooted reasons for what they stand for with passion just as much as the next guy. How do we solve this? I don't think we can unless we split the country...and honestly, as much as I love the United State of America, I wouldn't be too sad about it. We need peace.
1
@Meredith I wouldn't be too quick to lose heart. This level of rancor is nothing new. Since the election I have recommended that friends read "American Lion" by Jon Meacham. It's hard to retreat to ideological corners when reading about events of almost 200 years ago. Although the Jackson story is a compelling one, both great and terrible, in our current environment it is a reminder that our politics have been rough and tumble going back to the nascent beginnings of the republic. It's not perfect but it has over time been self correcting when it swerves too far one way or the other. Either way this book provides useful overarching and detailed historical perspective.
2
This fight is all about setting up the pursuers for an epic fall. AG Barr could petition the court himself to release grand jury testimony, but he chose not to and leave it in the hands of the judiciary committee to do so if they wish. He is well aware that the DC circuit has denied similar requests, and anticipates that this will again be the case. In going straight to a contempt resolution, the Democrats are overplaying their hand. Likewise, the left and their donors are frothing at the mouth in the hope that testimony of Don McGahn may provide the silver bullet in the form of evidence of witness tampering. The assertion of executive privilege has been made, and this will drive the outrage even higher. This process will easily last until the IG report is released. Once this happens, the road is clear to declassify everything Russia and everything surveillance in particular surveillance of US persons. Once those source documents flood forth, the pursuers and the involved and now disgraced bureaucrats will need to worry about becoming prey.
Hopefully this will be a crushing blow to the "Resist" movement rivaling election night. If not, Presidents come and they go, but career R's and D's will still have to soul search about the forces that propelled DJT to the Oval Office, and how their actions over the past two decades have contributed to what in essence is a cold civil war.
I don't want a "more aggressive" strategy. I want a systematic, thoughtful, legally compelling strategy. If they're reacting in surprise now, that's not a good sign. Get a grip. Get ahead of this. Be smart politically AND legally.
1
It is time to cut to the chase. Based on the findings in the Mueller Report and the President’s blanket defiance of the House’s Constitutional right and duty to obtain information about subjects germane to its legislative and oversight roles—ranging from the Trump campaign contacts with the Russians described in the Mueller Report, to efforts by the President and his representatives to obstruct the Special Counsel investigation, to the President’s politicization of grants and revocations of security clearances, to the President’s personal financial affairs and tax returns—the House should commence proceedings which are directed at determining whether to draft articles of impeachment. All relevant testimony and documentation should be duly subpoenaed in conjunction with those impeachment-related proceedings.
Combined with the misconduct already documented by Mueller and the defiance that has already occurred, the expected failure and refusal by President Trump to cooperate with impeachment-related inquiries should confirm to all fair minded citizens that the only recourse left to the American people to uphold the rule of law and the authority of Congress is to proceed to impeach the President.
The sooner this process begins the sooner it can be concluded—hopefully well before the 2020 elections.
The Democrats created a massive hoax based on their vial lie that President Trump colluded with the Russians to fix the Presidential election when Trump beat their candidate, Hillary Clinton, and for more than 2 years and running, even after an almost 2 year Special Council investigation could not find any evidence that neither Trump or any American colluded with the Russians to fix the 2016 election. The Democrats still insist that Trump did collude with the Russians and also want to charge him with Obstruction of Justice because he tried to object to a investigation of him that was a hoax and he knew was a false accusation. So, now they want him to cooperate to continue this miscarriage of justice? I think not. Would you cooperate under these circumstances? I would not.
8
@NYChap, not true. I've read the report and Mueller found lots of evidence of collusion with the Russians and Obstruction of Justice. Maybe you should read the report instead of lying about it?
6
@kay I did read the report. Mueller did not find lots of evidence that would erase "Reasonable Doubt" of Collusion and he failed to make a decision on the charge of Obstruction of Justice (OOJ) but his boss and other DOJ officials concluded there was insufficient evidence that trump committed the offense of OOJ and said so. Read what Ken Starr, you know who he is, said about Trump and OOJ.
Starr talked about why the president was not prosecuted on obstruction of justice despite evidence that he had tried to interfere several times with the special counsel’s probe into Russian election interference.
“The law cares about what is done, not what is thought or what is said,” Starr said. “The president’s instincts are very aggressive, he knows how to fire people and he fires people but guess what: He may have come to the brink but he didn’t walk across that red line.”
Democratic lawmakers have unrestricted access to the full Mueller report yet not one has bothered to read it. This should tell all Americans everything they need to know about the democratic leadership.
14
@Don, where did you get that idea? Link, please. It's fake news until you provide one, and Fox, Breitbart, and InfoWars don't count.
7
@Don, how can you possibly know that as a fact? Did you survey Congress?
7
@Don This is simply not true.
7
I am not from USA. Nonetheless, democrats are doing a disservice to democracy by continuing to push for resolution on a non-issue. Every week they come up with something new. They will lose the election once again in 2020, unless they use their new found success after the mid-term polls to focus on issues that will improve the lives of the American people. This current circus orchestrated by Democrats is becoming unbearable and laughable. President Trump cannot be cowed down and nor will he loose the election if this insanity continues. His initiative on China is something every major democracy wants to see succeed. If he is successful, that will count more than all the Obama years put together in creating a level playing field for global entrepreneurs. Obama was an awesome President and person, with little to show In terms of foreign policy achievements. Trump is an ordinary President, with a penchant for the scandalous. However, if he is successful with China, all will be forgotten and forgiven. That’s the way history goes.
3
@Neeraj Monga Every week there are ten new things. Perhaps, you know not being from the United States, you fail to understand the significance of the many, many things Trump is doing to degrade our country. Politics aside, some things are worth doing.
Pray thee tell, what is Trump's China initiative?
4
@Neeraj Monga
Nixon opened relations with China after a long period of quiet. He is remembered first and foremost for Watergate and his resigning the Presidency.
I am not sure your view of history will be proven correct.
4
The action of ignoring the facts is not lost on Americans. The fact is that spying by the Obama administration on a political opponent was indeed occurring. This , the liberals, do not accept rather they are trying to switch/spin the “Constitutional Crisis “ from their doorstep to Barr to stop his investigation into said spying and the genesis there of. Trying to compel someone to break the law, which Nadler et al, are attempting to do is the contemptible action!
10
@Chuck
Oversight is a Constitutional requirement and is not illegal. Obstruction, however, is illegal.
2
@ExPatMX
if that's true, then you shouldn't have any problem telling us exactly which article and section of the constitution say that
The Mueller report found that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Although legally one can obstruct even when no underlying crime has been committed, most of the country isn't paying attention to nuance here. Both the right and the left will hold firm to their predetermined opinion regardless of actual findings within the special counsel's report. Those in the middle who don't hang on every congressional sub-committee's move will see this as a Democratic party throwing a temper-tantrum when the report didn't go their way.
11
@Steve apparently something has Trump worried enough to defy simple requests to talk to people involved: Mueller Barr, McGahn et al. The spin presented by the president and his AG, were it based on substantial truth, would not have caused such fear on their parts that they chose to defy the laws of the nation and lie so prodigiously. The temper tantrum has been coming from the Oval office of late and not where you're pointing your finger at.
11
@Steve Then why is Trump doing everything in his power to STILL obstruct the investigation? That was part of the report too...that the President interfered, repeatedly with a lawful investigation. That's a crime.
15
But if the obstruction kept an underlying crime from being proved....?
11
This is a pathetic primal scream from Democrats over the 2016 election loss as much as anything. When a 2 year investigation determined no criminal conspiracy existed, the case for impeachment was destroyed.
9
@RIO Which is it, then? A "witch hunt" or a fruitful investigation. Trump's lemmings think they can have it both ways.
2
I follow US politics, probably too much for my own good, but can anyone please tell me what the Democrats are investigating now?
8
@CG Apparrently you don't follow it enough, don't comprehend what you do follow or you believe that Fake FOX is News, it isn't.
6
@CG
I don’t understand the question. If you are following the news, surely you know that the Democrats are investigating criminal activity in the Trump administration.
1
@CG
Hum... let's see.
Did Trump engage in obstruction?
Is Trump flat broke and using his position to get his debts forgiven and become rich in actual fact?
What does Putin have on Trump? Why does Trump ignore the gradual recapture by Russia of countries in East Europe and along the Baltic Sea?
1
Do not be duped.
Everyone knows releasing the entire report without redactions would be illegal.
The request from Mr. Nadler is pure theatre and propaganda - reflecting the temper tantrum of the Liberals caused by the Mueller report not turning out as they assumed.
20
@Dr. John
Hi
Nobody is asking the full report be made public
The committee wants an unredacted copy so they can do oversight. They get confidential briefings all the time. Questions for you:
If the report exonerates trump so much, why not comply?
Why not let McGahn testify?
Why did Barr refuse to testify in the house? What was he scared of?
Why is donald afraid to hand his taxes to the committee?
Why did trump obstruct justice so much?
Why did 700 justice department people say trump would have been charged if not for the olc memo?
Why do you blindly trust someone who lost over $1,000,000,000.00 in less than a decade and brags about it as sport?
Who are you beholden to? The USA or the GRU?
5
@Dr. John
If no one has been able to read the report, no one knows "how it turned out", do they?
Do not be duped, indeed.
5
@Dr. John
It is not illegal if the presiding judge at the Grand Jury agreed to it .
2
The truth is that the American's are in a civil war and they don't realize it yet because they're hasn't been fight in the street so far but it's a question of time now before we see some degradation of the social climate.
4
It seems to me that the only reason the democrats want the un-redacted version is so they can get a heads up on the ongoing investigations and warn the targets of the IG investigations
6
Democratic shouted "Russian collusion" from the rooftops for three years, and it was all a lie. There is no provision of the Constitution where the President must yield to childish, delusional antics from Congress. Forget Democrats. They serve no useful purpose
15
@SCPro
Speaking of delusional. How can people who are functional enough to operate a computer or smartphone believe that the Mueller report found no evidence of wrongdoing? It truly boggles the mind.
39
@SCPro: It's interesting to me that people who support Trump are so happy to have our constitution and our government trashed in order to maintain a sense that he's somehow operating with any iota of integrity.
31
@SCPro You apparently forgot about the pesky thing called co-equal branches of government in which one of those branches has oversight responsibility.
29
It seems that we will now learn if the fascist Republicans in the Senate have sufficiently corrupted the courts.
5
Fellow Democrats.
Let’s not despair at the estate of politics in the country because we are on the right side of history.
Our Democratic Leadership are wise to follow a careful and well crafted path. We must remain faithful to the principles embedded within the Constitution and our unique style of Democracy where no even the President is above the law.
Let us remain steady and resolute to overcome lawlessness by the force of our convictions and the strength of the USA constitution by our side.
2
I hope that all of this fury transforms into votes in every single election for the next few decades. Are Americans finally waking up to the fact that we are in danger of descending into a state of lawlessness, in which the wealthy and powerful will be untouchable - while the rest of us will be governed by increasingly draconian laws designed to rob us of our freedom and our money? For the first time in my life I can imagine the US becoming a country where we again have slavery, where women could lose the vote and be forced back into being baby-making machines, where the poor languish in debtors prisons or die on the street, and where the rich and powerful are allowed to break any rule, invade anyone's privacy, and persecute anyone they please. What is happening to the general population? So many are simply turning their backs on politics, because the Republicans have rigged the system through gerrymandering so that even our votes no longer even count at the polls. They have fixed it so that they can remain in power indefinitely, and they count upon the general population being either too uneducated, too apathetic, too sick, or too overworked to resist. This is turning into a fight for our lives, and we will have only ourselves to blame if we don't get ourselves to the polls and vote against every Republican running for every office throughout the country. We voters are the only force strong enough to keep authoritarians in check. Will we live up to the challenge, or not?
3
Congress is trying it's limits. It's dirty politics rather than lawful activity. All song and dance to avoid making substantial changes or reforms. That why the president is protected by the Constitution. Because Congress tends to become clients to special interests and corrupt.
Many years ago, I was a state legislator and a leader of the Democratic Party. The Republic party today, with few exceptions, is the Democratic Party of my youth. In fact, before Trump announced, I thought he was a Democrat. My old district which elected me by better that 2-1, is still Democratic but composed mainly of immigrants. I travel a lot and recently went on a “tour” thru the Mid-West to Texas, visiting friends. Most of the,people,I met, are sick and tired of politicians. But almost universally they told me they intend to vote,for Trump. They like the job he is doing. They do not want to change America into a socialistic country. They do not buy into the hyperbole. They do not think Trump is a traitor, nor a criminal. Most of them believe that Mueller and his team would certainly have tried to indict Trump if he had any basis. Many think that the socialists should form their own party, as they are not truly Democrats. My old party would be wise to select younger leaders who focus on issues, not investigations. Congress can not indict and prosecute Trump. Those who voted for him mostly resent attempts to remove their President. My party needs to move to the middle, the center if it is to even have a chance to win the next election.
With a president's great overreaching
We still don't understand what he's teaching.
It should still be a crime
in Executive Time
When will congress start truly impeaching?
2
There are seemingly rules for everything EXCEPT politics. Trump is distressingly predictable; I go back with him to 1972 - read a story in the NYT on him and within 5 minutes I knew he was a liar, by 1976 I knew he was a crook - it’s in his DNA, and NOTHING has changed over the years, except that instead of ripping off his “investors” and his lenders, he’s now ripping off the country.
I think Nancy Pelosi (who is pretty much brilliant, at least most of the time) has been toying with Trump, whose entire reelection strategy consists of using the courts to stall to escape — for awhile — the pulling off the veil that exposes at least some of his nefarious intentions. A fair amount of coverage has recently been given that when the Constitution was drafted in 1789, the Framers already knew that George Washington would be the Nation’s first President - after all, he not only led the colonies to military victory, he was for all practical purposes the most trusted person in the nascent US; what hasn’t received ANY attention, however, was Washington’s appointment of Ben Franklin to be Ambassador to France - our only ally; Franklin, I imagine,I was the SECOND most trusted man in America - and TOTALLY incorruptible - the country didn’t have to worry about Ben Franklin.
We’re now in a REAL constitutional crisis - Dems should use everything in their toolbox to fight back. I think that includes citing Mnuchin for contempt, maybe Don McGahn in coming days and a whole slew of others.
2
There are basically three types of voters.
The Partisans, who vote by color no matter who is running, but sometimes look at the other side, just in case.
The Fringe, these are the rabid extremes of the left or right who see the world one color and no amount of anything will ever change their minds.
The Middle, those few of us who think you should vote for whomever is better for the country, no matter what hue of red or blue.
The Democrats have gone completely to the Fringe. Their actions are all meant to appease and coddle the left fringe.
Team Red fans have their vote set I stone, team blue does too.
Team purple can only watch in disgust as team blue spends more and more time on attacking team red, instead of proposing something for us to get behind.
At the end team red has the numbers to win, team blue is lost at the fringe, and team purple might sit this one out as we cannot help team red, we cannot be convinced to vote blue, and without us blue had no chance.
Good job Dems, you blew it.
Trump is like a spoiled toddler, testing boundaries every day. He pushes and pushes until he can't push any more.
He's done it all his life, repeatedly engaging in deals and then stiffing creditors and contractors. When Trump failed, as he often did, his dad usually bailed him out, but there are suspicions he also engaged in money laundering with mobsters and Russians to improve his cash flow back when he was losing $100 million a year.
Ultimately, Trump convinced his siblings to sell their deceased father's assets at a loss in order to extract the last full measure to support his spendthrift ways. (The entire story of Fred Trump's financial enabling is detailed in a recent NY Times piece.)
Trump later pushed the limits on the campaign trail where he was happy to label Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers, and later exploit stolen emails he knew were the product of Russian hacking.
Once in office Trump attempted to obstruct justice on multiple occasions in order to prevent meaningful investigations of Russian interference or his own malfeasance. Now he's attempting to block all House oversight of his administration. He's even claimed executive privilege over Mueller's entire investigation - of himself!
Finally, Donnie may have found the boundaries of our democracy. The founders feared tyranny and put robust checks and balances into our constitution. But Trump and supine Republicans seem willing to throw it away in favor of autocracy.
3
Does the House of Representatives have authority to warrant arrests? A photo of Mnuchin and Barr in handcuffs would get some attention.
1
The critical part of the Mueller Report has nothing to do with Trump. It is about Russia interfering in our elections. Congress has every right to broadcast this risk to the public, and to finance protections against it. Trump, fearing threats to his legitimacy, obstructed justice to hide the Russian interference, and continues to deny these important conclusions of the Mueller report. Trump may have gotten away with amplifying the Russian misinformation campaign, but he continues to obstruct any attempts to share this info with the people, fund any effort to prevent it, or even allow that it occurred. Trump wants to hide the Russian interference.
7
As an Independent voter I have problems with both major parties. But the Republican party has done the most to bring about our current polarization.
Newt Gingrich: "Political scientists have widely credited Gingrich with playing a key role in undermining democratic norms in the United States, and hastening political polarization and partisan prejudice." (Wikipedia)
Tom Delay: "DeLay was indicted on criminal charges of conspiracy to violate election law ... He was convicted in January 2011 and sentenced to three years in prison ... " (Wikipedia)
Mitch McConnell: "During the Obama presidency, McConnell worked to withhold Republican support for major presidential initiatives; made frequent use of the filibuster; and blocked an unprecedented number of Obama's judicial nominees, including Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland ... " (Wikipedia) (the last with nearly a year left in the presidential term)
Ted Cruz: "Sen. Ted Cruz indicated that Republicans could seek to block a Democratic president from filling the vacant Supreme Court seat indefinitely." (Politico)
Party above country for decades and now getting worse.
7
Our elected leaders need to stop making decisions based on politics. Do your constitutional duty-you know- what you took an oath to uphold. When you do the right thing in the present-the future usually turns out better.
1
When you elect an individual who is supremely unfit for the office, you have to expect chaos and disrespect by that person for the position he holds. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.
6
No Nancy, this country entered into a ‘constitutional crisis’ the moment Mitch stacked the Courts with Republicans, the Republicans engaged in voter suppression, and unfairly redrew congressional districts.
The Duck of Orange is an aberration, to be solved in 2 years. How many other national problems can you say will be solved within two years? Climate change? The Republican Party’s eventual alignment with Russia? Corporate America sending all of our jobs overseas?
No. Let the impeachment process go. The Republicans and the President have already made this insurmountable. They both engage in fraud, deception, and lies. Focus on the issues. Americans need problem solvers, not whiners. Trump will go down in history as a colossal failure both as a President and a businessman. That is enough.
Now, back to the next leader of this country. Bernie is excellent, so is Elizabeth Warren. Even Hick!
But my money is on Tulsi Gabbard. War vet. Extremely intelligent, courageous, brave, strong, sensible, brunette, and female.
Basically the -exact- opposite.
2
"But unless the courts move to enforce the contempt resolution, it will have no teeth, and court action takes time."
There's this position called the House Sergeant-at-Arms. He can enforce the contempt citation and imprison the subject in the Capitol jail. No court is required, as the House is its own court. It's called "inherent contempt" and has been used before, starting in 1795.
3
I don't understand why Congress is not calling on Mueller to testify.
2
if Congress controls the purse strings, why not defund the DOJ, DHS, ICE and the White House until the WH complies?
Why not make it illegal to give money to other countries, e.g. Saudi Arabia and others?
These are some examples of things they can do, I believe, which may help to get Trump to comply.
1
I would call what Trump is doing obstruction, wouldn't you?
4
We have laws in this town and we have the Constitution. The Constitution is the Law of the Land, I fail to understand why people don't seem to understand that. We are not a banana republic but a democratic country.
Thank goodness the Democrats are not going to let our children live in a country that is a dictatorship.
How hard is it to be free? Everyone should be up in arms that the GOP want to remove our life style of freedom.
4
Build it and they will come. Democrats should worry less about their polticial futures and more about taking care of business. The right hates Democrats because that is what FOX News teaches them, and they are good students. Give up on getting those votes. Hit back hard, hit where it hurts, don't give up and don't give in. Whomever picks up of the gauntlet and leads will be well rewarded with votes. At the moment, I have yet to see a politician that understands how to deal with Trump except possibly Pelosi.
2
With an administration as lawless and shameless as this, the Democrats would be more effective if they triaged and focused their energy on getting Mueller to testify publicly.
The broader public isn't ready to co-sign impeachment yet because most don't pay attention to minutiae. When you are worried about putting food on the table, it just seems pretentious and out-of-touch-to be pontificating about a constitutional crisis. Others don't have the attention span, will or stamina to deal with the daily deluge. Reality TV has so altered the way people think, that if it isn't entertaining they aren't paying attention. Twitter man has managed to hold onto his base because he understands that if given a choice between reading a tweeted lie and a two-page article debunking the lie, his supporters will always take the path of least resistance and accept the tweet.
3
RE TRUMP: "“He’s taking actions that demonstrate he is not fit for office,” Ms. Kuster said. “The American people are watching that in plain sight.”
The American people are also watching in plain sight WEEKS of Democrats' analyses about what to do, whether to subpoena, whether to hold in contempt, whether to assess penalties FOR the contempt, whether to start impeachment. WEEKS.
The attempt to appear and be fair-minded is NOT working! It's like asking an approaching tsunami please not to hurt anyone.
Any further calls for testimony and documents (which we know the Administration will obstruct) should be prepared ALONG WITH contempt and penalty preparations ready to
go.
We are wasting time being reasonable, and the chance to show the public the truth before the 2020 election looms. We can't afford to lose any more momentum and to risk voter fatigue. Don't let the corrupt liars eat our time. FIGHT THIS CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION HARDER...NOW!
3
Dt's strategy, same as he did in the business world: stone wall and oppose until the opposition gives in. The only difference and one he doesn't seem to appreciate, or maybe cares that there are legal and constitutional concerns arrayed before him.
YeahYeahYeah. This is all a distraction. He's a master of deflection. The Dems are wasting so much energy trying to make him look bad. The public already knows. They've turned off the bickering and lies and exaggerations. What they want is stability... not hostilities. Talk program. Talk to the great middle which elected Trump. Tell everyone you're the party of honesty... respect for the law and you have a plan a real plan to make America great again!
1
The fox propaganda machine produces countless hours of pro-trump lies. Is there a counterpoint to their narrative (like the facts, for example)? Haven’t we learned yet that when we let lies go unchecked, they become truth? If the press doesn’t step up its coverage, the masses are not likely to understand how critical this time is. And without understanding how critical a constitutional crisis is, the masses are unlikely to defend the constitution.
1
You ask if there is a counterpoint to the narrative on Fox. Yes, of course there is. You are reading it right now
The comedy of this whole charade is that neither party respects the Constitution nor the principle of the founding fathers. The only thing they care about is holding power for them and the elite.
3
"a push that could include a threat to jail officials, garnish their wages and perhaps even impeach the president." As much as I'd like to see any of the three, I'll believe it when I see it. Trump will have an executive order out, if not already, preventing the Sgt. of Arms from taking that measure. I kid you not.
Why not use the inherent contempt authority in the Constitution and send the Sergeant at Arms to Barr's office and arrest him?
2
@MIke D
Try that and you might as well tell all the Democratic candidates for 2020 to pack it in and fold their tents now.
2
Regardless of how dangerous these people are, because Republicans are standing by the destruction of our democracy, we cannot impeach. It is sad we have to allow the GOP to invite Russia and possibly other enemy countries to interfere with our election again (remember the high five between Putin and the Saudi Prince behind trump's back). The GOP will have more than a year to destroy our health and welfare and make America a dirty playground for the rich, (that is, if they don't start a world war) but, we can't start the impeachment process. 45 and his mob are trying to force democrats to start the process. They know they can't win a fair election and believe impeachment proceedings against them would be a sure way of holding on to power. The question is, would the backlash of disillusioned Americans help them win the presidency. Unfortunately, I believe so.
1
And now it is just reported that the US has seized a North Korean shipping vessel for violations of US imposed sanctions. Clearly N. Korea must view this is an act of war, and we must hope that they will not respond with nuclear weapons? Trump is a very, very dangerous man, and can we be certain that because of a threat of impeachment that he won't choose to engage N. Korea in a war simply as a distraction from his problems? Hopefully Congress can contain Trump before he destroys the world via either nuclear holocaust or by his failures to act to reverse global warming?
1
Trump will just continue to double down. Today accusing former Sec of State Kerry of blocking negotiations with Iran.
He's going to get crazier, yeah that's possible.
Congress, impeach this lunatic now!
1
The House should consider having their sargents at arms take their supoenas to barr’s front door, early one morning, with back up from local law enforcement, put him in cuffs and lead him back to House chambers and hold him there to be observed on C-span. There needs to be some way to hold people accountable for defying the law!
1
This crisis brought to you by the enraged, loser Democratic party
3
@NYC Dweller
Too bad you don't realize it's the COUNTRY, the U.S. CONSTITUTION and ALL AMERICANS that stand to be losers here. It's time to look at the bigger picture.
2
The power of Christ might compel President Trump, but the Democrats aren't getting it done.
And the moral of the story is, "Vote Trump out of office because he's not following our orders."?
MAGA. Can we now get on to some infrastructure, or do you still have an owwie?
1
The Democrats made a huge mistake pursuing the meaningless Russiagate scandal and they have yet to dig out of the whole.
1
Perhaps it is time to begin impeachment hearings. This would result in hours of public testimony that would so enthrall the public that the reason behind the hearings would become a mute point. You don't have to vote on impeachment (since the Senate wouldn't follow) but the spectacle beforehand would educate the voters on exactly what we're dealing with just before they are asked to vote.
7
Trump should be careful for what he wishes. Those dreams are about to come true & I believe it is the duty of the Congress to defend & protect the Constitution and the basis upon which the USA was built. Are the Republicans so enamored with Trump that they forget why they are what they are? Without a Constitution, there is no basis for the presidency, the Congress or the courts. We are losing our way & Putin is winning. Trump is but a pawn.
14
@Blueinred
Rich--Democrats talking up the constitution. After the election they wanted it abolished. Americans get it, though, why they aren't in the streets whooping it up with masked Antifa "freedom fighters".
3
It seems to me that the rule of law is what is governing the actions of the Democratically-led House Judiciary Committee. The action of holding the Attorney General in contempt of Congress will further the options offered by the law.
This careful movement through all avenues of legal procedure in attempts to get a fuller picture of what's in the Mueller Report, that is, further evidence and testimony from Barr, Mueller, McGahn, et al, is an example of how democratically-run government works.
President Trump's summary sweep of stubbornly refusing to comply with all subpoenas is being calmly and methodically met by the Democratic House Judiciary Committee's response. The law is what is prevailing here--not political wrangling and personality.
I have faith in this Committee. And, I have faith in the options offered to the House of Representatives: one being to begin impeachment proceedings against president Trump
It seems that Mr. Trump and his political cronies could use a sober dose of how a democratically-run government really functions when it seeks to uncover evidence to reveal a full picture of events--not a redacted version that leaves one to wonder what is truth and what is not.
The American people deserve the best that the full Mueller Report has to offer and, fortunately for us, the law provides a means for us to have it.
5
Pelosi is right: trump wants the Democrats to impeach him so he can whip up the victim card: sort of like declaring bankruptcy to avoid paying the bill. Hum. Sound familiar?
The 2020 campaign should be about healthcare, wages, jobs, housing, education, etc. Not about listening to trump disparage Mueller for the next 18 months.
I understand the Constitutional issues, but balanced against winning the White House, the Senate, and the House, winning is more important then being right.
trump losing in a landslide - and then being indicted for crimes as a private citizen - is more important than being "right" right now.
6
I am intrigued at the idea of "inherent contempt." It sounds like a serious thing for the House to throw at a government official.
Since Trump is a "might makes right" kind of ruler, then the House will gain standing in the President's eye as it asserts its power.
By filing Articles of Impeachment, (one is all it will take to get started), the House will have all the constitutional authority available to assert its demands.
Next, the House needs to put together a jail setting in the darkest, dankest corner of the House side of the Capitol building. Then, they need to start withholding revenue flow to individual officials who refuse a subpoena.
The House should shut off all revenue to the executive branch that is being used to finance the fleet of attorneys the Trump White House is using to obstruct justice.
Finally, it remains unclear how the House will be able to use the Sergeant at Arms to apprehend the likes of Barr and Mnuchin, but they should figure this one out soon because the president won't respect the House, and start complying, until the House starts flexing its muscles.
2
The headline should really be: “Frustrated Members of Congress....”. By simplifying to “Democrats” you reinforce the idea this is just partisan fighting and erase the fact that this conflict is embedded in institutional roles and responsibilities. Please do better, succumbing to this narrative that Congressional oversight efforts are simply a personal war between Republicans and Democrats rather than efforts to preserve the integrity of our institutions degrades our civic conversation.
11
Some are saying it won't be a constitutional crisis until Trump defies the Supreme Court when they rule against him. The problem with that is, the Trump Republicans have rigged the Supreme Court. That was their intention when they refused to hold hearings on Merrick Garland while Obama still had almost a year left in his term and confirmed Brett Kavanaugh instead.
Kavanaugh is another Republican toady like Barr and I won't be surprised if the SCOTUS rules in Trump's favor regardless of the legalities. After that it could be too late to stop him. The only saving grace may be, Trump is such a sorry excuse for a dictator I can't believe he'll get away with it. But he's trying, make no mistake about that.
7
Trump supporters: Believe it or not, it is possible to find legitimate reasons to be appalled by President Trump's behavior and actions since he took the office. That canard that many keep trotting out over and over again, that Dems are just having hissy fits because Clinton lost the election, is utterly ridiculous. I've lived long enough to see many of my preferred candidates lose, but they lost to someone who had some experience of government and generally behaved in a rational and consistent manner, even if they had different views from mine.
There is nothing to celebrate to date about how Trump has handled the office of the Presidency. If he attempts to start an unnecessary war, and young people have to go, will you still be cheering him on?
9
I hope Democrats impeach. It will 100% guarantee Trump's reelection. Right now, his chances are only about 99%.
3
@SCPro
You seem to forget that the MAJORITY of Americans didn't vote for Trump in 2016, and after all this -- they probably won't now.
You might want to take a quick refresher course in the U.S. Constitution to better understand why.
4
@SCPro, only about 38% of Americans voted for Boor Trump. Sorry, but that's just not very good odds for a repeat. Keep dreaming, though.
1
@N. Smith
Democrats think the Constitution says "guilty until proven innocent."
Now they want to change the law so they can target political opponents. Spare me the self righteous blather. You have no claim to the moral high ground.
So to counter a president who is taking “a really dangerous and unprecedented set of actions”, the House Democratic leadership proposes doing the same by garnishing wages or jailing admin officials that refuse to testify??? Yeah, that won’t come back to bite them!
If the House Dems really believe that Trump has committed impeachable offenses, then they should have the courage of their convictions and vote articles of impeachment post haste. If nothing else, this will give them a stronger position in the upcoming court battles over documents. Their current strategy of trying to root around in Mueller investigation source documents and Trump bank and tax records hoping to find something, anything, that is so egregious that they avoid blowback in the 2020 elections is seen by the public for the cynical game it is and makes the House Dems look as unprincipled as the Republicans.
2
Time to play hardball:
1. Get direct public testimony from Mueller
2.Issue subpoenas for all involved Trump officials and Trump
3.Stop the pointless hen-pecking
4.Move on to real needs of this country and programs immediately, and let the subpoenas take care of themselves.
Okay, please Democrats, time to stop just threatening Trump and his miscreant administration with subpoenas and contempt charges.
The Democrats remind me of those parents in the grocery store with whiney, seriously misbehaving children, who keep threatening to do something about the child's obnoxious behavior, but take no action. Don't threaten if you have no intention of following through, and once you threaten, you need to follow through. One thing is clear, Trump is not a child you can reason with to get him to change his behavior.
The longer this cat-and-mouse constitutional crisis game Trump is playing with the Democrats goes on, the more the Republicans have time to propagandize and defend the indefensible Trump, and the more the Democrats and their crucial argument of a constitutional crisis look weak.
Maybe the Democrats sure bring in a child psychologist to advise them about how to handle the incorrigible man-child Mr. Trump.
2
"Oh please don't throw me in the impeachment patch Ms. Pelosi. Sue me, call me names, subpoena my taxes but don't throw me in the impeachment patch"!
It is clear to anyone with half a brain Trump wants to be impeached! Undoubtedly it would pump up his base and he would have a field day in the media. Lots and lots of coverage, lots and lots of lies and whining which will thrill his base.
The only way to slow up Trump is to attack his soft underbelly. Subpoena his minions, his tax records, his kids and anything else that will grief him but do NOT impeach him. To do so will play right into his hands.
2
Lock Them Up!
Every single Republican in office at every level: local, state, and federal. Every last one of them.
2
They will remain frustrated and impotent as Trump runs rings around them and they tie themselves in knots. After their relentless assault on his presidency, all based on a fiction pushed by Dems, former Obama administration officials and the media, especially the NYT, Dems are about to see what someone with the strength, resources and fortitude of Trump will do to their twisted, sickening, outrageous and despicable attempt to destroy a duly elected president. This has nothing to do with Watergate, nothing to do with a constitutional crisis, other than the one being manufactured by this power hungry group of loutish clowns full of sound and fury signifying nothing. Let these cowards move to impeachment if they dare. If there is justice enough people will see through this thin veneer of phony righteousness and Dems will be crushed in 2020 having achieved nothing other than the destruction of comity, the rule of law, common sense and decency in our political life. Shame on this ruthless band of empty, amoral wannabes. Pelosi is right that Trump is taunting them, as he should. Let them continue with their temper tantrums for the entire nation to see and to judge. We should all fear the moment Dems hold any real power again, at which time our democracy will truly be at risk.
2
Two quotes keep playing in my mind re: the Dems impotence. One is Ralph Waldo Emerson: "When you strike at a king, you must kill him." The other is Yoda: "Do, or do not do. There is no try." The geniuses we elected to Congress better get out their Superman/woman cloaks and figure this one out, pronto. Our democracy is going down for the count.
1
This article states “The report found no evidence that Mr. Trump had coordinated or conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections.” I think that is incorrect because while there was evidence of attempted coordination and conspiracy - multiple meetings and communications between Various member of the Trump election campaign and the Russian government - in the end this evidence wasn’t sufficient to bring a case. In particular the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 was a possible violation of campaign finance laws, but special counsel declined to bring charges because of questions whether a conviction could be obtained given the requirement that the defendants acted ‘willfully’ ie., with knowledge of the illegality of their conduct. See mueller report p. 186. To repeat, there was evidence, but not enough to confidently obtain a conviction.
9
Congress needs to know it has a solid case before they fall down this hole. Right now it isn’t clear, and they don’t have enough of the country convinced the case is there to take the chance it may backfire, or die from suffocation, or just run out of time. That is the game Trump is playing, and Mueller is the key. He is the one who chose lawyerly ambiguity and departmental protocol over clarity. He is the only one who can testify to what he really found that hasn’t been said. Congress needs to use all their influence to have Mueller testify for the good of the country and the Constitution. That will be true oversight and extricate the country from Constitutional crisis.
4
You mean that the Congress must prove that the assertions of the President being exonerated of obstruction, despite that even Barr’s first letter said that the Mueller report explicitly stated that he was not exonerated, are wrong before they may investigate? The Republicans have really messed up the public’s understanding on this entire matter. Bravo, if you think that this is a sporting event.
Why are the Democrats going this route when they were in such a strong position after the midterms? This is going to feel to most of the country like Benghazi, an endless investigation driven by partisan politics. The Democrats should have waited until AFTER Robert Mueller testified, until AFTER Inspector General Horowitz's report.
Then, if Mr. Mueller contradicted Attorney General Barr's description of their telephone call and other matters, the need to secure additional evidence and an unredacted report would have been clear.
Now, I'm afraid, it just looks like we want a spectacle, we want to leak to the press, we want all day and night coverage to continue.
4
Speaker Pelosi is right: in part, President Trump is trying to goad the House into impeaching him, because he believes that would be to his political advantage going into the '20 election season, and because he is confident the Republicans in the Senate would never convict him, giving him a WIN. impeachment under the current circumstances would be a political blunder. on a happier note: AG Barr, Trump's wannabe kingmaker, has commited a variety of offenses in the past six weeks, and he certainly isn't fulfilling the obligations of his position to the American people as he acts as Trump's Knight. could he be disbarred, and therefore no longer eligible to hold his position? last: Justice believes (though there is no actual law) a sitting President cannot be indicted. how does NY State feel about that?
3
Crazy idea, why don't the democrats work on passing legislation to help solve some real problems. Healthcare, climate change, rebuilding our infrastructure, a border crisis. They told voters that if they regained control of congress that they would get things done - instead they are focused on investigating Trump 24/7. They are going to guarantee that Trump wins a second term.
4
@Dan M Democrats do not have control of congress. The House democrats started this congressional session with a few high-profile bills meant to show their position that were inevitably shot down in the senate.
2
@Dan M
It's more than a little significant that Democrats gained control of the House in midterm elections, if for no other reason other than it restored the checks and balances system to our government which until then had been controlled by just one party.
Another thing.
You might want to wait for the findings of the Southern District Court before counting on Trump's second term.
1
@Dan M
Crazy idea. Why don't you look at the website that shows the legislation they've been working on. They - unlike many of the Republicans currently in office - are capable of chewing gum and walking at the same time.
1
It seems, to me, inevitable that the unredacted Mueller report will eventually be leaked. Whether it is through an act of civil disobedience by a public official or the product of foreign or domestic hacking, its release will be virtually compelled by our need for it.
How can the administration's stonewalling cannot withstand an unrelenting demand for the whole truth?
2
The House has the constitutional responsibility for oversight. Period.
If they do not respect -- and assert -- their authority, then aren't they the ones disrespecting the Constitution?
And how can they expect Trump to respect the Constitution if they don't themselves?
Start the proceedings!
4
It took only a few months from the time Congress subpoenaed the Nixon tapes to the unanimous Supreme Court decision saying he had to give them up. Let the courts address Trump's stonewalling while Congress begins impeachment for the crimes we know he has committed, including contempt of Congress and conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws in the Stormy Daniels matter that put his co-conspirator, Michael Cohen, in jail.
2
Frustrated democrats is right. Remember on the very day after the election, the so-called resistance pledged to thwart Trump by any means necessary. Now, that the Mueller investigation has largely failed to strike down the president, the democratic leadership is losing its collective mind.
3
@Paul Stenquist
Not so much that the Dem leadership is losing its collective mind as you've asserted, Paul, as is America losing its Constitutional foundation.
1
Not ironically, the back-and-forth between our President and our Congress sounds too much like the back and forth between a rebellious child, and parents who have found that "you'd-better-stop-doing-that-by-the-time-we count-to-ten" strategy doesn't work.
Counting to ten is not a plan, unless there are real teeth at the end of the count.
The threat of listening to the ten-count is meaningless.
Better yet, skip the count and act, as is your duty to the Constitution and our Nation's stability.
1
During first inaugural address, Lincoln, aware of his unpopularity at the time, told his critics to wait four years and then vote him out. He said that was a wonderful thing about Article II of the Constitution.
Turns out Lincoln was a Great Communicator, but not much of a futurist. Said Lincoln, "...provided the people retain their virtue, and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can seriously injure the government, in the short space of four years."
Trump and the GOP have seriously injured the government in the short space of just two years.
5
This doesn't have to be so difficult, given Trump's obvious unfitness for office and corruption. The saddest part of this is Republicans cannot muster the courage to help save our democracy. Are they really that enamored of their short power, and that fearful of their base? Yes to both, I suppose.
3
I think its high time the Supreme Court steps in to clarify exactly what the Executive wing of the government can and can not do. Traditionally the Supreme Court has avoided getting into this because they do not want to set a precedent and because keeping the Executive powers ambiguous provides the government with the tools to deal with a national security crisis / wars etc.
But in this case I believe it ought to put a stop to notions of the President pardoning himself and / or the Justice Dept. and due process etc as being viewed as minor inconveniences.
In short its incumbent upon the Supreme Court to lay the law of the land that we elect Presidents and do not appoint monarchs.
35
Except that the SCOTUS swing votes belong to Monarchists.
4
@sanket Actually? I'm not so sure that that is not what everybody is AFRAID of.
Don't forget - the Reactionary Right - aided by the Federalist Society and the likes of malcontents like Leonard Leo of the Knights of Malta, who are the ones who are basically choosing our judicial nominees - has been playing the long game, packing the courts with reactionary judges.
This is REALLY BAD.
This being the case, I think that at lower levels the Dems are going to get supported; but these cases are not going to STAY at the lower levels, and that's what worries me - once it gets up to the Supreme Court, you have there a bunch of right wing reactionaries who have all written in the past that they believe in the concept of the UNITARY EXECUTIVE - this is EXACTLY what Trump is trying to impose - an IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY.
I could go on.
4
I too have agreed with Speaker Pelosi’s position on going slow with impeachment proceedings. However, I’m also losing patience. Nevertheless, what does impeachment get us without conviction in the senate? But if we do nothing and Trump gets away with high crimes and misdeanors, he sets the stage for a future authoritarian president leading us to a democracy in name only.
Most Republicans understand this, but they focus on their short term interests of re-election, and keeping their donors and electorate happy. So, the only way out of this mess is campaign finance reform, and addessing the grievances of Trump’s base. The latter requires redistributing wealth. How we do this without taking away the windwall tax law for the rich remains a big question.
The United States now faces two crises where the cure may be as painful as the disease—the erosion of democracy and climate change.
28
@Steve Fielding.
No, most Republicans understand that this is a continuation of same witch hunt Dems have pursued for more than two years while pushing a gross and phony narrative in which the witch is surrounded by equally fictional goblins.
4
So Mr. Trump asserts.
@Steve Fielding.
I think you are confused. Trump's base is not asking for wealth distribution, that's what would be a Bernie voter. Trump's base wants the flood of illegal immigrants to stop, China's blatant stealing of IP to stop...and along those lines. The only way US can be more democratic if power is taken away from the politicians (esp at the Fed level) and given to the local level, where people vote directly on issues that matter in the region they live. So if your town wants immigration and is happy to have immigrants they can do so, while the town next to you might decide not to support it. That way everyone can be happy. Not by 52% of people "winning" and imposing their will on 48% or even worse (and more likely) the politicians doing as they please do make their donors happy.
1
As others have noted, the Democrats should not take the bait. This is exactly what Trump wants. All these contempt citations and fights will not bear fruit in court until after 2020. Vote on a censure resolution and move on to issues that will win in 2020. The democrats should have had Barr testify originally and sprung the staff on him without prior notice. That's what Republicans would have done. Besides, why couldn't they be prepared with the staff questions ahead of time? Unfortunately, the democrats don't know how to play hardball the way Republicans do. Let Meuller testify and then let it go. At this point, seeing the redacted parts will probably not yield anything new anyway. The dems are overplaying their hand and this will backfire. As a liberal anti-Trumper, I'm tired of this too. Yes, he obstructed justice, and legally colluded with the Russians, but enough. Focus on the issues that won the House and what we need to win in 2020. At this rate, we'll lose both the Congress and the White House.
24
@dba But DBA, a great many of us Democrats are going to vote for the Democrats who do the most to unwind Trump's crimes and malfeasance. Those Dems who follow your suggestion, and capitulate to Trump's rejection of the rule of law, will be dead to me.
4
@dba So, just to be clear: you think that the response to the President of the United States cooperating with a hostile foreign power to sway a Presidential election and then obstructing the investigation of that corruption ten times is to "let it go?"
8
The rule of law exists only as long as people respect the laws. When they do not it becomes a situation where all do what they and and all who cannot resist lose.
It will not go away in 2020 just because Trump does not deserve to be re-elected. Life is not fair, Trump can be re-elected.
2
How do you regulate the acts of a man unfit for office, who is abusing the power of that office? And how do you do so with only part of the Congress? I don't know anymore. I thought winning control over the House would slow trump down. Now he is steamrolling and stonewalling Congress. How bad will it get before the next election - is what I ask myself every day.
1
Considering the ongoing commentary re: a quicker, more forceful move toward impeachment proceedings backfiring on the Dems, as it seemed to w/ the Repubs and the Clinton impeachment (which has concerned me), a possibly "mitigating" reality needs to be remembered: Maybe the populous seemed to have punished the Repubs over the Clinton impeachment because it was initially and primarily founded on shady (and geographically limited, relatively small time) real-estate dealings. This eventually brought to light the "consensual" sexual liaison w/ a 20's something intern. The eventual impeachment was due to his lying about the affair. In the big picture, what was then uncovered and lied about is so miniscule in import, as compared to what might (likely would) be uncovered via a DT impeachment hearing...
3
One half of the report is before Trump was sworn in and there is no privilege. The rest is obstruction. Trump sent Barr a letter in response to Barr's letter of March 29,2019 that Barr stated on April 18 that Trump would make no privilege claim to the release of the report. Then the report was released.
The waiver is complete. Trump only wants no TV coverage of McGahn or Mueller. This is another Obstruction as the reason is a corrupt purpose and illegal , and an Abuse of Power and the end of the rule of law.
1
Let's pray that this is a one time "ordeal" due to Donald Trump's unique presidency, and not the new norm.
America should be forming a united front to take head on our adversaries and improve the lives of our allies, not combusting from within.
I totally get that Trump is "evil" and needs to be "removed" but let's not make this the cyclical game plan that will be evoked anytime the other party wins an election.
2
Such hopeful conjecture about nothing of substance. To compare Nixon to this scam investigation is something I thought only Nadler minions had to say; there has been nothing remotely similar to a crime discovered, in spite of all the press and Democrat bloviating, and the Supremes will laugh the case of obstruction out of the room. This is a skit, designed to create a pretense that they are accomplishing anything, while hoping they are convincing voters to throw Trump out. Ideas? Solutions to real problems? Leadership? Not while there is hot air enough to fill the universe with childish rhetoric about some new ‘constitutional crisis ‘ in this administration. But when you’ve lost a true leftist like Bob Woodward, the sales pitch is not selling.
3
This reminds me of the time when Saddam Hussein stonewalled the world over the question of whether he had WMDs. He held everyone in check, simultaneously winning the attention game and raising suspicion that the WMDs were real. He didn’t have any, but was willing to die in a hole in the ground over it. But all the while he controlled the narrative.
1
If Trump’s father couldn’t discipline him,
if he never worked FOR anyone,
if he never listened to legitimate advice,
if his wives couldn’t discipline him,
if he only relished attention and wealth, and
if he’s spent his life obliterating the truth,
Why oh why do you think he’s going to change?
I get surprised every time some news personality mentions Trump “acting presidential.” He still thinks life is a TV show.
3
The actual jailing of Barr and any other brazenly contemptuous Administration actors, although the "nuclear option" available to Congress, must be maintained and fully explained to the public , with historical precedents, as an available possibility. This entirely justified choice is a lawful response by Congress to that unlawful one already made by our Fake President, encompassing a total disregard for its place in our settled constitutional order.
Leadership in the party should listen to their voters.......Most of us are tired of feeling impotent and voiceless on this issue.....We are just weary of watching either incompetence or arrogance in our governing. We voted for change and need to be taken seriously.
I don't much care what the national polls say about moving to impeachment.
Here is the moment when Pelosi and company have to recognize THEIR oath of office. "Preserve, Protect, Defend" the Constitution of the United States of America.
Ultimately their job is to keep us free from the attempts to subvert and destroy that marvelous document that belongs to us all..They serve it and us, not pollsters or cautious politicians.
The guidepost of freedom is not subject to poll numbers. We already have one party that has abrogated it's integrity about this Democracy. Two is thoroughly unacceptable.
1
The Republicans are too afraid of trump to impeach him so their is no win there for the Democrats. Investigations should continue and they should be public. I believe the election will be rigged by trump and his Russian friends along with the Republicans so he will be re- elected.
Democrats must win back the Senate and keep the House so that he can be impeached right after his election.
Hopefully PAC money will be spent on ads that list the crimes Trump has already committed and the numerous ways he has trashed the Constitution to get the message out
Yes Trump didn't collude with the Russians. However for the two years he has been falsely under investigation for treason he wasn't very nice and very uncooperative. He just may have obstructed the investigation that he was found falsely accused of. Yes no crime was committed at first. But obstructing an investigation is a crime in itself.
Lets say someones wife disappears and the police think the husband may have murdered her. For a week the police question the husband and he isn't cooperative.The police believe he isn't telling the truth. But then the wife is found. She was on vacation having an affair. Sure the husband was innocent of murder because...well...there was no murder. However he hampered the investigation. He obstructed the investigation. Even though he was falsely accused and suffered humiliation he still has to answer to the law. I think we all agree that the husband should face some jail time. And Trump should have to face jail time too.
1
"Mr. Trump was making the case for his own impeachment. “He’s taking actions that demonstrate he is not fit for office,” Ms. Kuster said. “The American people are watching that in plain sight.”"
Well, yes, the American people are watching indeed. They have watched two-and-a-half years of an unhinged spectacle of fabricated narratives like the Russia collusion hoax, all designed to satisfy their anger and frustration over a lost election. At first the public warily let that abuse proceed in order to see if there was anything to the wild speculation. Now they are fed up with the show. This morning's RealClearPolitics poll average shows President Trump with the highest approval rating of his presidency.
So if the Democrats keep it up, they will be responsible for re-electing Trump.
2
Oh the drama
As we are soon to find, There should never have been an investigation around collusion and some Democrats and their well paid enablers in the deep state are about to be hoisted by their own petard.
2
We do not have the luxury of time to let this conflict move through the courts. While Democrats fiddle faddle and hand wring, the clock is ticking for the climate disaster that Trump denies for the sake of fossil fuel companies. Meanwhile, instead of taking care of this apocalyptic crisis, we are all mesmerized by this Trump circus.
Plus, the Russians, and now the Chinese and the Koreans, are already meddling with the 2020 elections and there is apparently no desire on the part of the administration to stop them. Corporations and foreign powers control our elections, and we are acting powerless to do anything about it.
Remember the Pentagon Papers? We need someone as brave as Ellsberg who will get that Mueller Report to the NYT, and we need the NYT to publish it. Then maybe people will be disgusted and frightened enough to rise up as we did against the Vietnam War.
Are the Republicans hoping for an impeachment? How would that help them?
With all attention focused on these ridiculous shenanigans no actual work is being done by the legislature on the real needs of the people.
Maybe that’s the point.
The entire country is being held hostage by a criminal who enjoys being the center of attention. This is totally unacceptable.
Obstruction seems to be the only thing Republicans are interested in. When you include their relentless sabotaging of Obama's agenda for his entire presidency, they've been obstructing Democracy on an ever-escalating basis for 10.5 consecutive years. With no end in sight.
2
“...aggressive campaign to compel cooperation.”
Probably not one in a hundred saw that phrase for what it states. Fearful for the upcoming revelations about what actually transpired in 2016 - and since - on the part of partisans in the previous White House/DNC/DOJ, desperation and hypocrisy abound.
1
This President's words and actions would have previously been unimaginable and utterly unacceptable. Trump has redefined unimaginable conduct for a public official, let alone a President, but the unacceptable remains just that.
Other unimaginable things such as not accepting election results, as Trump already threatened during a Presidential debate, may lay ahead no matter what the Congress does. But it could not be clearer that to fail to impeach now in the face of what Trump has already done would amount to the abandonment of our system of government.
37
@Richard Williams MD
No, what is unimaginable is that the full force of our government would be used for more than two years to investigate a duly elected president of treason based on a lie!
2
Really? You believe that to be true? It reflects what Trump has said. But do you actually believe that man’s assertions without any evidence to support those assertions?
2
@Casual Observer IG report first, then declassification of all things Russia and all things surveillance of US persons. Than stand back. The stampede to get out of the way will be impressive.
The perpetual weakness of the Democratic party is very frustrating. When Obama was President a Republican controlled congress made the Office of the President seem powerless. Now that Democrats are in control of the House a Republican President has found a way to make Congress seem powerless.
33
@rs The problem, of course, is that Dems respect the rule of law and pride themselves on their manners. It's very, very hard for a good faith team to win over bad faith players.
The GOP is a criminal enterprise, it's beyond time to start treating them like that.
4
We seem to all accept that, no matter what, Republicans will lock arms and defend. Where is Their sense of outrage? I am sickened by the sycophants. As long as they will not step up, democracy is from Democrats only.
2
@rs
That was then...
I was stunned to see Obama and Hillary become the Democratic candidates in the 2008 election. Obama had almost no background except 2 years in the Senate and Hillary brought a trainload of baggage particularly weighted by her sell-out vote for the Iraq War.After the election Obama chose to ally himself with the Clinton war/economic camp and surrendered criminal prosecution for Wall Street fraud and war crimes by the Bush administration. In addition any promised transparency evaporated almost over night. I remember watching Obama's entrance to make his first State of the Union Address. There was much eagerness, hand-shaking, and warm welcome...like when a pack of wolves welcomes a fresh sheep.
This is Now...
The Democrats are miring themselves in a swamp of legalisms over Trump, a herd of over 20 candidates for 2020, and,except for a few new faces, a blank menu of thoughtful programs. I wish Bernie and Pelosi were 10 years younger. I wish Senator Warren did not face such imbecilic mockery. But I absolutely do not want any more predictable slip-ups, foul-ups, or failures that would keep Trump and his miserable crowd of sell-out, sold-out, corrupt Republican lackeys in power.
1
It has already been said that all that Trump and Republicans care about is “The Show”
So, all Democrats have to do is give them another show they won’t like. I assure you that if you want to see Trump and many Republicans self combust, all Democrats have to do is give them the show of Muller and McGhan testifying under the TV lights.
This is the one and only reason that the obstruction now encompasses the Senate, the Judiciary, the White House and the propagandists at Fox.
All their heads will explode in synchronized unison the day Muller and McGhan testifies in public.
Democrats don’t even need to care about impeachment. All Democrats need to accomplish is getting Muller and McGhan talking to the cameras. That is why Republicans everywhere are now all in on obstruction.
They have no choice either just as Democrats have no choice but to continue to investigate, subpoena, and sue in court. And, go to the Supreme Court eventually.
31
Some quaint and naive individuals are arguing that Republicans ought to be more cooperative because, if they don't, they'll undercut their credibility in investigating future Democratic presidents.
These individuals are mistaken. When and if that time comes, Republicans will simply shamelessly do whatever they want to do, ignoring whatever they did before.
What incentives will stop them? The right-wing media apparatus? A thoughtful base of Republican voters concerned about ethics and fairness? Their donor base?
Anyone who doubts this can simply contrast the Republican treatment of Hillary Clinton (Benghazi) vs. Trump; or, as one of many policy examples, the sudden magical indifference of all Republicans to debt and deficits.
They don't *worry* about hypocrisy because they don't *care* about hypocrisy -- because they don't *have* to care.
50
@Bill Camarda so in other words you are saying that Republicans are upholding Christian values
1
@Bill Camarda Well said, and exactly right. Proclamations that "the GOP should be careful, or they'll get the same next time" fail for two reasons: (1) as you say, the GOP knows no hypocrisy, and will always push to further their self-interest without regard to the past or the future, and (2) we all know the Dems would never act with the same lawlessness and bad faith as the GOP.
Unfortunately, things like manners, compassion and the rule of law are the foundations on which the modern Democratic party is built, making it almost impossible to effectively compete with a party that operates in bad faith, could care less about the rule of law or manners, and actively seeks the assistance of unlawful players, including hostile foreign governments.
And how can this be? How can the GOP get away with such bald-faced malfeasance? Two words: Fox News. Unless and until we rescue the 40% of Americans under its spell, things are going to get worse, not better.
8
There is no "struggle". Democrats are using all the tools they have. And they are playing by the rules. The law. The Constitution.
Meanwhile the illegitimate "president" is abusing and perverting and breaking the law.
And what is being revealed is how poorly designed this republic is, where it is so very easy for a person inclined to criminality can infiltrate the presidency and use it to shield themselves from prosecution and discover along the way that they can easily wrest great power from other institutions.
IF we survive this:
1) The DoJ/AG must not report to the president, but rather be insulated from politics
2) The pardon powers must be severely curtailed
3) It must be a requirement that political party nominees place all assets in a regulated blind trust without exception prior to the general election. Failure to do results in removal from the ballot
4) Nepotism rules must be reinforced
5) Powers regarding treaties and tariffs must be curtailed
6) Executive privilege must be severely curtailed
7) the process by which federal judges, including SCOTUS are installed needs to be re-thought. Somehow insulated from politics.
And then we have to get rid of the electoral college and overturn Citizens United. At a minimum. "trump" has now given a complete roadmap on how to overthrow the republic. If we succeed in ousting him, we will still be in danger unless reformations are made. The presidency must be chopped down to size.
75
@Matthew The electoral college is the only way we keep the high population centers from steamrolling the rural states.
Reform yes! There really needs to be reform but to eliminate it would hand total political domination to the big cities and high population states...
3
@Stan
So you have no problem with low population states steamrolling high population states? Why not? It is equally absurd.
Low population states already get 2 senators, so Wyoming population of 578,000 gets 2, and California population of 39,560,000 gets 2. That's totally enough advantage. They need not also have larger sway on who gets to be president. Enough.
4
@Stan Stan, popular vote is exactly that. If the majority of the people want something- thats democracy. If the majority want something and the minority takes it away, thats not Democracy. Simple, easy. We have Senators - 2 from each state, that make it equal no matter the population. Thats why CA with 40 million has the same representation as North Dakota, Vermont, Alaska and Wyoming - each with less then 800 thousand people. The electoral college is deeply flawed and unnecessary.
3
So common these days...whether it's Trump or Google. They stonewall with their sueing and countersueing and continue doing damage. Just seems that with a massive strong legal team you are above the law. Our system is so unfortunately rigged this way and now even the Supreme Court swings this way to continue this momentum favoring the few.
1
The time for threats is long over. Congress must use the most aggressive tactics at their disposal, or there will be no effective investigation, just lots of hot air.
3
The House is only one half of a coequal branch of government.
2
Yep. And the other half of that branch disproportionately favors far less productive and less populated states, many of which could be folded into others without anyone noticing. The Senate presently is affirmative action for rural white people.
1
It is time to think anew and act anew, if we are to save our republic, to quote A. Lincoln.
Arrest Barr, then anyone else who defies a subpoena. That's one of the reasons why the House has a Sergent of Arms. The Sergent is part of the DC police. He can arrest Barr since the DC police do not report to the federal DOJ.
"Frustrated Democrats Struggle to Compel Trump to Cooperate!"
"Trump Is Pushing Democrats to the Brink. Look at Elijah Cummings!"
"The Next President Should Not Be a Man!"
"Democrats, the Economy, and the Election!"
Two things are going on right now that are fundamental for this society and its future:
1) A Constitutional crisis that will decide whether government so conceived and so dedicated shall long endure, and,
2) A Democratic primary in which there's a candidate clearly articulating each important issue, allowing a full and wholesome discussion about what to do if it does endure.
None of those screaming clicky-baity headlines is about furthering either of those two things that Americans should be focused on. Rather, they are about working overtime to reduce the debate for the first to partisan politics, and to reduce the discussion for the second to horse-race hackery and bigoted labels.
The United States faces existential challenges right now. The last thing we need is a press which uses its freedoms to dumb down the masses and reduce the world to branding, polling, and tribalism. For that we have the internet. We need the press to embrace the flowering of the hundred schools in the Democratic primary, and to stop treating the Constitutional crisis like a political sports event.
I don't know whether any of your current stable of journalists are up to that twin intellectual challenge, but they ought to at least try. With great power comes great responsibility.
2
Experts keep arguing that the Trump campaign and the Trump administration is too ignorant and chaotic to know they have and are violating precedents, traditions and laws that rule our government. Yet,to me, with all the lying and cover- up it is obvious that they do know precisely what they are doing wrong and what's more if they don't, they have the best research/intelligence teams in the world, available to answer any questions or concerns, and they didn't bother to even inform them, let alone learn. Since the president cannot be indicted according to Justice Department Policy, the House is supposed to hold hearings to fact find and inquire of witnesses if there has been offenses worthy of impeachment, to bring before the Senate, which is supposed to act as jury. How can the House of Representatives do their job of getting to the truth of the collusion, possible conspiracy, obstruction of justice, if the president continues to abuse his powers of office to coverup his criminal behavior? The Congress must act, or we will no longer have a democratic republic, but a dictatorship, which is why our country was formed in the first place 242 years ago, to avoid all power vested in King George the III. How can Republicans in leadership continue this charade of supporting an obvious corrupt, defiant, uninformed, menace to our institutions? Do they share his contempt for our laws? Would they prefer to live in Russia, where the oligarchs get wealthier as Putin calls all the shots?
2
The article says, almost in passing "threatened this week to withhold the salaries of federal employees who fail to appear before a House committee."
I am not a constitutional lawyer. I would be delighted if this was done.
But is it possible? I think many people on this comment page would like to know.
2
Every State where Trump, et all, has property should audit his property tax returns and compare tall the ilings, against his the Federal income tax. Compare them.
If he refuses the States can place a tax lien on the property.
1
The article incorrectly states “The report found no evidence that Mr. Trump had coordinated or conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections.” The Mueller Report found numerous cases where the Trump campaign was in communication with Russian operatives who were meddling in the election, generally knew what they were up to, and welcomed it. Because the Trump team lied about its contacts, and because Trump refused to meet with the Special Counsel to answer questions pertaining to the interference, Mueller had insufficient, but not no, evidence to conclude that Trump conspired with Russia.
1
It’s simple. Decide to vote him out and don’t depend on “institutions of government” to do our (the voters’) work for us. Show up and vote, even if your first choice doesn’t win the primary. We have all the power we need if we just resolve to use it.
Then pursue him as a private citizen if we want to. Strip him of the presidential powers and watch his enablers drop him and his corrupt family like a stone.
I don't think democrats get it..... while they ponder and discuss trump acts. the "I don't think we are there yet" way of dealing with trump is playing into his hands. at the very least, why hasn't mueller been called in to testify? why not McGahn? they will be wringing their hands all the way to November 2020 and beyond if they do not act. if they are not going to exercise their full powers to counter trump's criminal behavior? they should stop posing.
Trump demanding and taking ever increasing power is a direct result of the democratic leadership cowardly response to the crimes this government started to commit from day one.
They let this undermining of the constitution and destruction of the dept. of Justice happen with barely putting up any response.
In the last two years Trump was able to destroy or change what we in this country held for granted. So many laws are weakened, new extremist supreme court justices forced into place all over the country, power extended to extremist christian and catholic religions, consumer and environment protection broken up and more power given to the warmongering machine. And all of that in the name of an out of control capitalism, greed serving the smallest part Americans.
Pelosi and Schumer along with their aging associates in their leaden shoes, are standing still in time, unable to move, unable to listen to any progressive voices.
Each and every day our Constitution will be more undermined and destroyed as the neo-fascist powers realize that their will be little or none aggressive response by the people who solely believe in paper justice and slaps on the wrist.
Pretty soon Trumps russian mafia style government will not even listen to them anymore. The Republican power has thrown in the towel two years ago and behave like Putins cronies in the Russian parliament.
If Democrats don’t stand up now, there won’t be much of the rule of law left to defend.
Well, the moon is not made of green cheese no matter what Dems may think. While the federal government and especially the Dems irrationally spend money--more than $35 million now--on projects which lead absolutely nowhere, dozens of issues from immigration to drugs sit festering, and no progress is made. The Dems are painting themselves into a corner from which they can't get out. As for their 21 candidates in the clown car, there is another exercise in silliness, but it does keep lots of political aids off unemployment. Get a grip, Dems! Try doing the nation's business for a change. In any normal setting you'd all be fired.
2
It's about time. Who cares about what Trump's 'base' thinks. They serve no useful purpose as one of them said here in this forum about the opposition. They are merely people who vote strictly by which letter appears after a politicians name. They probably wouldn't care if Trump shot someone on 5th avenue. Sorry gop there will be NO moving on. Trump and his crew were in contact many times with the Russians about our election and Trump to this very day tries to obstruct any inquiry into anything he does. No matter what fable your boy Barr spins they broke and continue to break the rules. The constitutional crisis started long before Trump's election when Mitch decided the gop didn't have to consider Obama's scotus nomination because he only had 10 months left in office. Or Iran-Contra, or Nixon... Republicans don't feel they need to follow the rules.
Barr is a partisan hack whose history and more recent confirmation to his current post make clear that he will act along strictly partisan lines. He should be impeached from his post as his ONLY interest is to protect this criminal president.
If you are an innocent victim Mr. Trump then let all the information come out. Or maybe you're too afraid. Rest assured that no matter the outcome you will go down as the worst president this country has ever had.
3
And during all of this angst caused by democrat refusal to accept the Mueller report and move on, the world and particularly iran and korea continue to heat up while our President's attention is diverted.
It is time to move on and get back to governing this Great Country of Ours.
4
Meanwhile, in the real world, spring is blooming, the economy is churning and more Americans than ever before are getting on with business. "All of that" as the Democratic Representative Connolly condescendingly says, is going just fine. Sometimes I think the President should build his wall around Washington D.C. and their pathetic political fights, because they're just making themselves more irrelevant to the rest of the country every day.
2
Go for it: DNC Politburo nearly destroyed America with Comey's FBI quasi-legal shenanigans, why not finish the job?
The pain from a deep-swamp sure-thing collapsing at the finish line still burns inside. Trying to disqualify the winner by whatever deep-swamp means possible just isn't going to work, it seems. Neither will harassment--the more the better for Trump.
What's left: more feckless bureaucratic impotence and sideshow or mobs in the street. Seems the former.
3
Seems like there was an alternate oath taken by many Trumpers and Republicans. One that swore loyalty to the oligarchy in some new world order, one where Putin, the Kochs, Trump, McConnel and all of their ilk overturn our Constitutional form of government. I swore and oath as well and retired from the militry. My question concerning my oath...when do I act?
1
People need to ask themselves, why is Congress ‘struggling’. It’s because Congress is overreaching. The Special Counsel law does not give Congress the authority to have access to the report independent of the AG. So, Nadler has talked a big game and has stirred up Democrats but he has no tools with which to deliver what he has promised. That’s they way this whole Russia hoax has gone for the last two years.
3
Hey, there's a thought!
"Among the options ... is to bundle contempt citations ... into one overarching package that could be referred to the ... Court ..."
Who knows? Maybe a court would ask Congress whether it really wants Barr to ignore a law passed by Congress. I suspect Barr would be happy to do so, if a court tells him it's OK. (Frankly, I doubt he could care less either way.)
Probably better, though, just to stay the course -- let Congress define the scope of its own authority.
This is so much more troublesome than Watergate. We had a functioning Senate then. The monster in Washington is not Donald Trump—he's the clown. The monster is Mitch McConnell and we are dependent on the citizens of Kentucky to fix this. If that doesn't frighten us, I don't know what would.
The country is in ruins and now the Democrats are waking up? Sorry, but it's past time the ineffective old guard moves out of the way.
I am reacting with some despair to all earlier comments: How can we possibly continue as a democracy and a nation when half the country believes one version of our current troubles, and the other half believes another? I, of course, know which half is utterly wrong-headed...but so do each of you, right? For the record, I believe Trump is a dictator on the move, the Constitution is under siege, and alas, the Founders never dreamed of the toxic combo of a shameless president and a party so hungry for power they will abandon all their principles. Can nothing he does, can no action--however blatant and abnormal--change his followers' minds? Again, I battle despair.
Our president just “took the fifth” by asserting executive privilege.
2
A rush to impeachment will provide Trump-Pence-GOP with a story line for a WWF-style grudge match, and we all know that T-P-GOP are superior to Democrats in that arena.
We must meticulously follow the letter of the law in a transparent manner to build an air-tight case against this corrupt T-P-GOP administration. At some point, even the GOP Senate will acknowledge they must convict T-P-Barr to ensure any hope of re-election. We oldies remember this from the Nixon-Watergate affair. . .slow and steady wins the race.
1
Despite the failure of St. Robert Mueller (wasn't that SNL Christmas carol to him a feeble embarrassment?) and the mounting evidence of an illegal FBI/DOJ "hit" on Trump, the Democrats still refuse to accept the 2016 election results.
Stalin's secret police chief Lavrenti Beria--"show me the man and I will show you the crime"
3
Democrats just playing more politics and not caring about the needs of the American people.
3
The Walter Cronkite Republican notes the Constitution created the office of the President in response to the abuses of kings who ruled by divine right, that is, without checks and balances.
He won. Just check the big banner headline on yesterday's USA Today, whose headline writers are only slightly more enabling than The Times's.
1
@Lorem Ipsum
Sorry. But the fact that you can put USA Today and the New York Times in the same sentence, is reason enough to discount anything you're saying.
Yes, I hope that Democrats will indeed push for impeachment.
If they do nothing, voters will reject them, as the do nothing party.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But let me further suggest that the nation needs more democracy,
not less democracy. Trump dominates with dictator moves, daily.
"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." (Att.Jefferson, etc)
Without vigilance, the nation will keep losing democracy and
I think this will also hurt the economy, in the long run.
I say, IMPEACH to TEACH the nation!
----------------------------------------------
The American public is learning what Donald J is all about and Mitch McConnell knows how to play him like a puppy. All this distraction, that's what 63 million Americans want and ultimately good conservative archaic values.
Congress controls the appropriation of federal funding. That would seem to be an ultimate power that they apparently don't know how to use effectively. Even Trump could figure that one out.
1
There are only 18 months before the 2020 election. Will Americans want to vote for a lying fraud who refuses to release his tax returns, yet proposes laws that affect tax policy? Will Americans want to vote for someone who believes information from Vladimir Putin rather than information from the U.S. intelligence agencies? Remember how Trump promoted the silly lie that Obama was not an American born in Hawaii? Let him Stonewall. Trump needs several doses of his own medicine. The Truth will become evident to even those Republicans who have been Trump supporters in spite of all Trump's lies and fantasies. Just keep pointing out all his inconsistencies and eventually those True Believers will begin to see that Trump is not Trustworthy and may even be bad for them and the entire country.
8
@RLW If any of those facts penetrate the fantasy bubble of Fox News, that is. The GOP can operate with impunity because they are guaranteed their constituents will never learn the reality of their actions.
The US will not right itself unless and until we find some effective way to counter the disinformation of Fox News.
6
I personally think he wants to be impeached. He never expected to get the job in the first place and this way he can blame everyone else for his own self-created clusterfk. True leaders take responsibility, posers pass the buck.
3
Old enough to remember how quickly Steny Hoyer managed to condemn Ilhan Omar’s “anti-Semitic” tweet. (Because that was so so real and so important.) For this minor matter of Trump however he’s happy to drag his feet and talk a bunch of baloney. Interesting.
3
Frustrated Democrats need to stop picking on the presidential candidates for not being this or for being that, and focus laser-like on taking back the White House, because any of the hundred or so candidates are a million times better than the corrupt and dangerous con-artist presently destroying our democracy.
There's no stonewalling. There's no collusion, no obstruction, no nothing. Stomp and cry all you want. Get over it and move on. This nonsense...the constant obsession and pursuit of imaginary...or even created...falsehoods and accusations... IS going to get the man elected for four more years.
5
Stop struggling and start the impeachment hearings.
Demand he come in and tesify in the flesh.No written take home questions.Just the facts and nothing less, otherwise you the Democratic majority in the House aren't doing your job for the American people.
“They say I have the most loyal people — did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue and not just ignore the Constitution, but shred it to pieces, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” he said. “It’s like incredible.”
2
This is pure theater .... dangerous theater.
I don't understand why the NYT's is not explaining the law .. both the old "independent" and newer "special" counsel laws. And explaining the rules of Grand Juries.
This outcome was predictable --- The DEM's are grandstanding.
The reporting on all of this is atrocious.
3
Please stop reporting that Mueller found "no evidence that Mr. Trump coordinated or conspired with Russia...". We knew before the report about multiple instances of coordination and the report added more detail to the account.
1
Democrats: the time for endless discussion and hand-wringing is over. Do what you have to do, and if this includes jailing Bar, do so. If you have the guts!
It's completely absurd that this man has zero respect for our constitution and the rule of law. I want him removed but I fear impeachment is not the way to go.
Let's vote him out of office in 2020!!!
Pelosi brilliantly summed it up live just now, pointing out that Barr, McConnell, and Trump are about one thing and one thing only: the exercise of naked power. They do not believe in Democracy, but rather represent the antithesis.
All 3 are an embarrassment to this nation.
1
@dmckj
All 4, actually.
The only recourse to systematic obstruction is to impeach.
The House has a moral, legal obligation to go after this scofflaw and bring him to justice.
If the Senate blocks this, then the GOP will pay. But even some of the GOP must have a moral fiber.
If not, then after the 2020 elections, we can indict the scoundrel for multiple crimes and send him away to that vacation spots for terrorists--Gitmo.
1
The democrats need to get back to work in solving real problems instead of promoting division and false narratives.
3
DEMS: Don’t take the bait. What is the chance that the unredacted Mueller Report or McGann’s testimony contains the smoking gun? Answer=0. Formally record your objection to the President’s behavior and move on to try to get something done for America.
This is politics and you have a year and a half to prove to Americans that they were right in 2018. If you do, he will be gone. If you spend that time trying to prove he is a bad guy and unfit, which any sane person knows already, you will play into his hands. He will claim political persecution that hurt the country and you will have nothing to show you can fix the country’s problems. BE SMART: get above this and take his weapon away.
2
I can’t stand watching Pelosi and Nadler speak. Halting, stuttering, dithering. We need a real leader in congress who will begin impeachment NOW!!
Please stop writing that Mueller “found no evidence” of a conspiracy with Russia. More accurately: he didn’t find evidence to criminally charge people (beyond those he did charge.)
For regular people using what John Locke called the “light of nature” — human reason — the evidence oozes from every pore. What Mueller said was that encrypted apps and the obstructive acts of Paul Manafort and others prevented him from fully investigating, from amassing potentially critical evidence. Thus he was unable to meet the high bar of proof beyond a reasonable doubt needed for criminal convictions.
Failing to reach that high bar - especially when a lot of what you know likely comes from foreign intelligence services sharing information purely for counter intelligence purposes — doesn’t mean there was “no evidence”.
1
“My grandfather used to say that duck hunting is a lot of fun until the ducks start firing back. We’re starting to fire back.”
Using ducks as a metaphor for their strength against Trump, Democrats should be reminded of other such commanding uses for duck symbolism: Sitting duck, Lame Duck, Duck soup, Daffy Duck, Duck and cover . . .
Ducks are the perfect analogy. Quack, quack.
2
What a mess this country has become. What an unholy mess. The depths of craven hypocrisy in the Republican Congress are unfathomable. Who are these monsters who got elected to protect and defend the Constitution and care nothing at all about giving life support to a democratic system that is crumbling before their eyes? After their behavior during the Obama administration, which included taking a vow to block every single thing Obama ever tried to do and sitting on a SCOTUS nomination for a year, how can they accuse Democrats of being PARTISAN? How do these people sleep at night? How can they support and defend a man who is completely without conscience, empathy, or remorse and is running this country like a criminal syndicate? What is the matter with these people? If DJT could lose millions of dollars a year as a private citizen how much can he lose of the US Treasury as President? How does a man exercise executive power over an investigation into his own misconduct? This is crazy. Really, really crazy!
4
"But it did list at least 10 ways in which Mr. Trump may have obstructed the Mueller inquiry."
Perhaps inserting two words would make this article more accurate:
But it did list at least 10 ways in which Mr. Trump may have ATTEMPTED TO obstruct the Mueller inquiry.
ijs
2
Glad to see the democrats are coming around. I can't stomach the idea of just letting Trump get away with jacking this country's laws and values. It is a bad message to send the children. The democrats are giving Trump every chance to avoid impeachment, but Big Boy Pants ain't buyin'. In that little mind he's absolutely too gorgeous of a man (that golden hair, those lovely almond eyes and the overbite that makes him look like a trumpeting elephant, but i digress) to bow down to an insignificant piece of paper, okay, the constitution. Give him a warning and then get him. Trump is so far beneath the greatness of this country that it sickens me to see him act as though he is the greater. For him to just walk away claiming validation of that belief cannot be.
1
Pelosi just had her finest hour this morning, backing up Nadler, clearly outraged over Trump's attempt to go full Fuhrer on America. If the American masses are so enchanted by Trump's economy that they're cool with his becoming our Fuhrer, they will deserve what he gives them. His first present will be the implosion of "his" market and economy with his idiotic tariff negotiations with China. For dessert, our Dear Leader will give his backers lots and lots of body bags from his new proxy war for Israel, this time in Iran, not Iraq. Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao didn't work out so well for their people in the end. Trump will make fate's punishment of the moral collapse of about half of our voters fit their crime, too.
1
When President Trump was a mere candidate for the office of the President of the United States in January of 2016, he said he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose any voters.” This is not the statement of a decent human being. Trump was calling his voters so unpatriotically biased that they would excuse any of his crimes, he implied, even when he was guilty of a crime beyond any reasonable doubt. His voters DID make him President. He claims that there are no loyal US citizens among his voters but instead loyal subjects.
Up is down.
Down is up.
Facts are lies.
Lies are facts.
Elected power is only for Republicans.
Accountability to Congress is only for Democrats.
Patriotism is treason.
Treason is patriotism.
Applying the Constitution is corrupt.
And by the same logic, shooting people on Fifth Avenue, if done by our President is now legal.
Any person shot by the President will be quickly labeled a Democrat or Liberal regardless of their party affiliation and beliefs. The deceased will be unmourned. The President will receive condolences from his loyal subjects for being forced to exterminate a danger to his presidency.
Truth will die.
Fox News will live.
2
We certainly have enough prisons in this country lets start using them for those in contempt of their court subpoenas starting with Barr.
2
I can't stand it anymore. The Democrats have to stop talking about it and do it. You don't wait for the boat to sink to confirm that you are taking on water. Your eyes, your ears, and your wet ankles give a pretty good clue. I'd say the water is up to our chest. The Ship of State is sinking.
1
Good luck trying to compel Trump to cooperate. It is not going to happen when you have the GOP pretty much folded under his corrupted behavior and ego.
Trump would never cooperate because it is not what he learned from his mentor Roy Cohn. Trump will always double down, lie and make things up on the go, cheat to get what he wants and any perceived threat will be tweeted with name calling! It is not MAGA, it is all about himself.
BTW, I don't see any tweet from him about the latest CO school shooting, is it because he's too busy holding another self serving rally in FL and those kids are too young to vote?
1
You write:The report found no evidence that Mr. Trump had coordinated or conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections.
This is not true. It found plenty of evidence-- just not to meet the very high standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt" If the NY Times can't get this right, no wonder half the country is bamboozled. Terribly careless writing.
4
Thank goodness for the Dems of NY! At least they can bring guns to the confrontation with Mnuchin when he tries to break NY law.
5
Democrats need to keep cool heads and remember they are not dealing with a President of the United States, they are dealing with the stonewalling and antics of a real estate developer, and with a seriously disturbed personality and uncontrollable person.
Trump does not know or care that he is violating laws, ethics, and is setting a terrible precedent for legislative-executive relationships. To Trump, laws, courts, judges, justice, and institutional authority are meaningless and something to be flaunted to demonstrate his daring, ruthlessness, and personal power.
So far, Trump is getting away with it, and that is our national problem. Trump is impulsive, vindictive, highly aggressive, and dangerous. A man who neither seeks information and reason before acting, nor anticipates the consequences of his behavior, and refuses to take responsibility for the damage he does to people, institutions, countries, the planet, and small children. His only reality is Trump World.
More disturbing is that the Republican Party leaders, who supposedly are not crazy, but have turned their collective backs on the Constitution, laws, and human decency to support their president, and like a terrorist organization will punish and shun those GOP politicians who put truth and country over big money interests and party loyalty.
The Democrats are all we have if we are to remain a democratic nation. Please just do the right thing, Crazy people are energized by sucking people into their game.
4
@PB
Yes, we should remove the current Republicans from office, including this President. However, if their voters/supporters do not become changed in some way -- preferably through education -- they will just elect another bunch like the current ones. You can swat flies all day, but when are you going to fix the hole in the screen?
1
Really? I question the headline - Pelosi will use this contempt resolution - soon - ,,,,,,seems to me the dems are still too scared to act. It was good to see Nadler respond to the GOP jerk who was like, ;just wait for Mueller to testify, what do you need the report for? and Nadler was like, We would like to read it before the testimony"..We need more articulate aggressive dem repostes..Nancy" tinkle fight " pelosi can't seem to string even a strong sentence together!, .Politicians need to be a be to speak!!
1
It’s pathetic to see the Democratic Party behaving so childish
4
@Deano Trabucco sounds like they are echoing the president. If the shoe were on the other foot what would Republicans do?
The Dems are doing their Constitutional duty, holding in contempt anyone who fail to testify or turn over documents. Republicans would do the same.
4
But Trump...now there’s a adult.
Good grief.
4
Impeach don’t talk and cry do it.
5
Oh, just stop it already. House Democrats are coming off like a gang of ADD pre-schoolers. These are merely political histrionics and all they are accomplishing is to make the party look ever more irresponsible and foolish.
7
Further proof that the Dems are terrified that Barr will expose the Obama administrations criminality in spying on the Trump campaign.
7
So what if there's a Stonewall. Just call the police. If necessary they will call in a tank. These oldster Democrats are a joke.
2
It is pure suicide on the part of the Democrats to pursue the President directly. They are completely blind to the truth that the Republican Party has it set up so that when THEY target a President, they are fighting for freedom, but when DEMOCRATS do so, they are THREATENING freedom. This is because the conservative movement, begun in the early 70s in response to the 60s counterculture movement, has succeeded in framing the effort to regulate business and protect the environment as an attack on individual liberty, and the social safety net as robbery of real working people through taxes, to pay those who are too lazy and dishonest to work. Most Americans now believe these untruths. Therefore, you cannot attack a Republican President without looking like you are an enemy of freedom.
Here is what the Democrats must do: They must stop attacking the President, and fight for higher pay for working people. Higher pay. More money for you. That must be the message. Then, let the Republicans scream communism. Just keep the mantra, higher pay for you. Show what it means that Jeff Bezos makes nearly $190,000 a minute, and his workers don’t get a pee break. Show the difference between a million dollars a year and a billion dollars a year. More money for you. Show that the tax breaks for the wealthy do not result in better jobs for you, but more billions for the billionaires.
More money for you. People want one thing: money. Well-paying jobs for everyone. Period.
1
Democrats can walk and chew gum at the same time, so they can raise the minimum wage and impeach Trump. The Senate will vote for neither so what have they to lose. Democrats are both the working class and the rule of law.
This freak show that the Liberals are driving is going to have repercussions that they will cry about in 2020.
In 22 months Mueller et al produced a report that Barr used to submit his findings, which Mueller did not disagree with. His letter stated that he was upset with the way the media represented the findings which is out of Barrs control.
Barr has offered to allow the Congressional Committee to view the unredacted report yet they are too lazy to cross the street to view it. Instead they want to compel Barr to break the law. That Ladies and Gentlemen is the contemptible act!
7
There was a time when taking such issues to court for a resolution was expected regardless of the time. But now there are fewer unbiased (biased by Trump/Barr/McConnell) to count on and that is a game changer. Resolution by an unbiased court may be what is needed but good luck with that.
Trump has done it again. He screws up the works, sits back and enjoys the fiasco. He will keep this up until and even after he is out of office.
2
This is like watching a bad Twentieth Century Rom-Com but in the Twilight Zone--We. Know. How. This. Ends.
Trump is trying to get impeached for political purposes.
Trump is the grievance President. He appeals to white people who want to scape goat brown people and immigrants. The Trump base consists of poor white victims. Life is so unfair to them. Trump knows how to hit that note.
He wants to be impeached. He is going to make the Dems impeach him, so he can play the victim.
Then, watch how the Trump supporters explain away the Clown Car of Incompetence that is the Trump administration--they're already doing it. Poor Trump has been attacked. Who knows what he could have done had the Dems not attacked him? Forget that Clinton rode a fantastic economy while he was being impeached for lying about an affair. Don't let a good Fox News story be foiled by facts.
3
@Ann
Before we impeach, we run a weeks-long or months-long "hearings fest" just like they did with Watergate.
Show the sordid facts to the American people.
Then impeach.
The voters will get all over the Republicans to convict, and if they do not vote to convict, the voters will vote them out.
Keep your eye on the ball.
I'm tired of all the Democrat hand-wringing.
It's time to put-up or shut-up.
Impeach now or resign.
3
If the Executive branch won't cooperate with Congress, then it is time for the House to zero out the Executive branch budget in the next budget cycle.
30
It's fair to guess that Putin receives a daily summary of this pathetic circus. He must be enthralled how a few digital intrusions into the our voting system has generated a exorbitant crisis of American democracy that has mired us down in Trump's putrid swamp.
It would be interesting to do a socio-economic cost analysis on how many trillions this charade is and will be sacrificing as impacts on the environment and the impoverished come to bear.
Russia has gotten it's cake and is chumming down as we speak. I wonder if any Republicans realize that they are ongoing colleagues, collaborators and cronies in this mortifying international syndicate?
Nevertheless, the over-riding energy of pure gracious life that moves every molecule of this planet will put us all in our place eventually. Profound humility is the requisite mandate for living here. "The meek shall inherit". Hmmm, so where will this leave Trump and Co?
76
Of course Putin does. And he is no doubt ecstatic to see his handiwork, this stooge “president” running this country into the ground every day, to the delight of America’s bitter, mostly white and rural underachievers and failures.
3
@Que Viva!,
A response to Putin would be acceptable, even if delivered unilaterally. Say, blow up his illegal bridge to Crimea, which he stole from Ukraine. Don't warn him. Just blow it up. Then, tell him we got more of the same if he wants it.
2
@Que Viva!
What you say about Russia is absolutely true, but it was actual American voters – 62 million of them – affirmatively voting for this criminal that put him over the top, and, despite Russia’s disinformation campaign, we pretty much knew who Donald Trump was before election day.
4
The House's reluctance to impeach Trump is every bit as absurd as the police being ambivalent about arresting a bank robber because that's his job title. Trump is no more a U.S. president than was Jefferson Davis and needs to be removed from office with as much alacrity as that poisonous criminal.
100
@Thomas Hughes
Unfortunately, impeachment will not accomplish the removal of Trump from office as the Senate will not convict. He will then be able to claim victory. VOTE IN 2020.
1
Americans hopefully understand now that the POTUS is above the law. This isn't really news. Cheney, GWB, Rumsfeld, Powell and Rice didn't even get a wrist slap for inventing a War were countless innocent people died.
Just like daily mass shootings Americans are now normalized to this heinous behavior. Their Netflix and Amazon delivery date is more important to them now.
57
@Hal
It could get worse.
Trump is cynical, and stupid, enough to provoke a war in order to get re-elected.
2
“House Democrats are feeling intense pressure from the left to move more aggressively.”
I would like to think impeachment is not a left-right issue. Trump is a criminal—that’s what I care about. We wouldn’t be impeaching him because he cut taxes on the rich.
111
It's a continuation of McConnell's refusal to bring Merrick Garland's nomination up for vote 38 months ago.
87
"Democrats Struggle for Options to Compel Cooperation"?
Why the "struggle"?
If Barr, McGahn, or any other Trump minions (and also Trump himself) defy subpoenas, issue contempt citations and initiate prosecutions.
That's the point of the laws, isn't it? If apparent perps engage in additional illegal actions in trying to cover up their actions, that's a crime too, isn't it?
And if the shoe was on the other foot, would the Republicans "struggle" for a moment before investigations, subpoenas, and contempt citations?
Trump -- a law-breaker and a despot wannabe -- has taken the measure of the Dems in Congress and decided that he and his gang can defy them with impunity.
Nixon tried this--and then was called to account by Congress. Why should blatant illegality and corruption be allowed now?
64
@NY You should read the Special Counsel law and then you will understand why there is a struggle. Nadler has no basis in law to be making the demands he is making. It’s all political theater and he knows it. That’s why he keeps saying he is ‘negotiating’ with the AG. That’s all he can do!
2
@NYerNixon was never actually impeached, he resigned in the face of three articles of impeachment which were never imposed.
The key to his backing down was the complete loss of the support of his base and the GOP.
1
@William
The Judiciary Committee is "charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement entities" and "is also also the committee responsible for impeachments of federal officials."
Sounds like Nadler's request is well within the committee's purview. Especially in the face of Barr's refusal to release the FULL Mueller report, even to Congress, and all the prevaricating (and apparent lying under oath) by the likes of Barr and others.
Or are you saying that Trump, and anyone who works for him, is totally above the law?
THAT alone seems like an issue for Congress, and probably the courts, to address, in light of the unprecedented stonewalling by this "administration".
1
I allot a half hour a day to call all the congressional reps in my district, as well as Pelosi and Schumer, to tell them to jail and impeach the entire Trump crime family that occupies the executive branch and Congress, immediately. I urge everyone to do the same.
However, we also need to have enough courage and patriotism to do what hippies did to stop the Vietnam War and force Nixon to resign: go out in the streets, blockade the White House, use general strikes to hobble the grifter and his businesses until he gets the message.
This would include street protests and blockades of Trump properties.
We can't count on Congress, SCOTUS or the mainstream media to remove this would-be king and his gang of criminals.
We have to do it ourselves.
51
@Steve Davies These are all excellent ideas, back in the day one didn't need to work so hard to survive. Many of us are endentured to meet our mortgages car payments, taxes and other bills. This is the catch 22, we can't just walk away from our responsibilities and I think they know it.
10
And who’s going to run the country while you’re acting out?
2
@Lionel Broderick
Call your congressional offices.
Every day.
You'll get a recording likely, but the calls are counted.
Or go on-line and send an email. Every voice counts.
2
In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee passed three articles of impeachment against President Nixon:
1. Obstruction of justice.
2. Abuse of power.
3. Contempt of Congress.
The situation and facts in 2019 are very similar.
88
@FredInOhio The entire nation has contempt of Congress.
2
@FredInOhio
Sure, and way past Nixon. he knew his ultimate limits. Deep down he had enough love for the republic to back off. "trump" doesn't give a care. He perceives NO limits.
Nixon resigned and flew off to California, to live in the United States of America. "trump" will never do that. And if he is wrenched out of the white house, he will fly off to Russia.
4
@FredInOhio
Certainly the current House can file the same three Articles, but of course the fact scenario is more convoluted than occurred under Richard Nixon, and even more serious implication.
But as we are all learning, and know, the political culture of Washington has changed as a result of the GOP Contract with America (Newt Gingrich's project), which hardened the position of the right wing.
Trump's presidency is the culmination of partisan politics, and now the Democrats are struggling to stay in the game.
Will the altered judiciary after over 25 years of GOP stacking the judicial deck be the clincher for GOP hegemony in government?
1
"The report found no evidence that Mr. Trump had coordinated or conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections."
But the report did find that Mr. Trump and his campaign expected to benefit from, and welcomed, Russian interference in the 2016 elections that included the publication of emails stolen from the DNC. The report also detailed numerous contacts between Russian government representatives and Trump campaign officials.
A goal of obstruction of justice is to impede an investigation. The report makes plain that Mr. Trump may have succeeded in doing so. Thus Mueller's finding that he could not file charges related to criminal conspiracy is far from exculpatory. In fact, in context it's implicitly damning.
47
@Marc They may not have conspired but they colluded. This may not be indictable but it merits censure, if not impeachment.
Excuse me, but wouldn't a "legitimate legislative purpose" include impeachment proceedings? Let them begin....
25
Maybe Congress ceding so much power to the Executive branch was a bad idea?
Remember Reid's "Nuclear Option?" Eliminating the Filibuster? Ah yeah, good times, good times...
Dems thought that would never come back to haunt them.
6
@Russian Bot Yes. However the process you illustrate goes back quite a way further. Checks and balances are not easy. Especially when Congresscritters place party and financial interests above those of their constituents.
1
@Michael Miller
Agreed, it has become so broken that I wonder if it can even be repaired?
Trump has literally taken dictatorship control of the country. I don't suppose anyone has noticed it but Trump doesn't believe in representative democracy and really has no respect for things "American". The Republicans had better hope and pray that as he tightens the reins of hjs control of the government he cancels the upcoming 2020 election because if he doesn't, and allows the election to take place, not only will he be voted out of office but so will most of them.
20
@Alex Vine
Good grief! Don’t give him ideas!
I'am very worried the Dems have had two years to figure what is the best approach in defeating Trump in 2020, all I see is a dysfunctional Democratic Party unable to come up with a comprehensive plan. The young and over ambitious new members of Congress would be better served listening to Ms Pelosi she is a veteran and shrewd tactician who know how to get under Trump's skin. The new members have great ideas but seem more interested is a war of tweets with Trump and making headlines than a Party platform that can all agree on in defeating Trump.
15
I just ran across this thought from Montaigne (1533-1592). It seems appropriate as the Democrats struggle to uncover the details in Mueller's report while the Republicans sit mutely by. Plus ça change...
"One may cover up secret actions: but to be silent about what all the world knows, and about things that have led to public results of such consequence, is an inexcusable defect."
-- Montaigne, Essays, II, 10. (Donald Frame translation)
28
Has Trump abused his power? Has he obstructed justice? Is he a threat to the Constitution? I would submit to you that the answers to all those questions is clearly yes and that he therefore should be impeached. If the Democratic members of the House hold back from impeaching him, it is only because they fear incurring the displeasure of Trump’s intellectually and morally decadent base—in which case the Democrats are little different from their Republican colleagues, who betray their country and violate their oath for the sake of power. The moral choice for Democrats is stark: It is a choice between patriotism and power. If my fellow Americans choose to sell out their country, if they choose to trade their birthright for a bowl of porridge, that’s beyond my control; but what I myself choose to do is within my control, and I should choose to be true to my country, even if that choice puts me on the losing side.
32
Trump is calculating, hedging his bets that impeachment will draw an overwhelming outcry from his tribal base. It probably will. But they are not the majority. And besides, that’s not the point. The point his that he should and needs to be impeached if this country is to stand for what is justice, what is ethical and what is right for democracy. We all predicted as soon as he was elected, even before, that when push came to shove with this unbalanced man he would start acting out. He hasn’t finished with that. Until he is physically removed from the White House he will create chaos. May our courts save us.
38
@Hortencia Go ahead impeach. It's the surest way to give him another 4 years.
2
No, your Trump is a very sick man who no longer possesses the ability to calculate much of anything. He's being propped up by a crowd that is half sycophant and half poltroon.
And look: If you've seen the documentary "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me," you know it doesn't take much cognitive ability to read words off a prompting device.
Until now, I have struggled with the question of why so many Republicans have not only not stood up to Trump, but have supported him and are even imitating him and taking pages from his playbook in obstructing and obfuscating. What has now become clear is that the GOP wants the Democrats to be stopped at all costs, even if that means aiding and abetting a president who is utterly unfit, which they all full well know, and is abusing the powers of his office and violating the Constitution. Republicans have been using every trick in the book to get elected and stay in power, including voter suppression and gerrymandering. McConnell did everything possible to stop Obama, and even robbed him a of a Supreme Court appointment, an unconscionable and unjustifiable act. But, he and all Republicans are now allowing Trump to continue to run amok because it achieves their goal - to stop the Democrats, period. This crisis is much bigger than Trump. It is the complete corruption of an entire political party that is disregarding the Constitution and creating a state of tyranny, violating every democratic norm and the principles on which this country was founded and aspires to. This is not hyperbole. I fear for the future of our democracy for the first time in my life.
60
@KML
The GOP is moving in the direction of Handmaiden's Tale. We're now a literal heartbeat away from the criminalization of abortions.
1
@KML
Wow, could not have stated better myself. Well said, especially: "I fear for the future of our democracy for the first time in my life."
Amen.
1
Given the alternative, I would much rather see Donald Trump gets indicted, charged, and tried for all civil and criminal acts committed by him, his family, and his businesses after he no longer have the power to pardon everyone, including himself.
Besides winning another term so that he can avoid indictment for 4 more years, impeachment may well be the next best option for Donald Trump, even if the Republican Party implodes. Trump could then negotiate an exit strategy that includes closing all potential criminal and civil investigations as well as law suits against himself, his family and his businesses. What NY State attorneys and attorneys in other States need to do is to initiate investigations and where appropriate issue indictments to ensure that indictments and prosecutions at the State level would not be bargained away.
Congress need to be patient, and let the Trump Administration to continue its current strategy of provoking and possibly self-incriminate by continuing to find ways to obstruct any investigation or revelation. Sooner or later, even the most diehard Trump followers will realize that the Emperor has no morals, and the Republican Party officials are willing to overlook all his sins in order to stay in power.
5
@Elizabeth No, we actually don't have time for that anymore. We are on the very brink of a dictatorship. This has consequences far beyond the comfort of the American people. Lives are at risk. We need to get rid of Trump now.
1
@Elizabeth
“Sooner or later, even the most diehard Trump followers will realize that the Emperor has no morals.”
I don’t know, Elizabeth. We’ve been saying similar things for years now, and Trump’s support has not changed. These folks are more like a cult than an organized party. The solution is for our people to get out in 2020 and vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is – even if that person is not your favorite.
1
During Watergate, the House of Representatives waited for litigation over subpoenas to be resolved before drafting articles of impeachment.
In U.S. v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court court ordered President Nixon to deliver tape recordings and other subpoenaed materials to a federal district court. Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox that had indicted Nixon aides and wanted tapes of their conversations with the president to use as evidence art their trial. The court held that “a claim of Presidential privilege as to materials subpoenaed for use in a criminal trial cannot override the needs of the judicial process if that claim is based, not on the ground that military or diplomatic secrets are implicated, but merely on the ground of a generalized interest in confidentiality.”
The 1974 ruling applies only to criminal trials. Congressional democrats are not conducting a criminal trail. Only the judiciary can conduct criminal trials. So, the federal courts would probably rule that the White House could invoke executive privilege except in the case of Roger Stone, the only American still under indictment in connection with the Mueller investigation.
4
@William Case, your legal assessments are always so matter of fact and unfortunately to the point. Can't you learn to slant them even just a little bit to fit into the Trump-bashing party that's going on here? Live a little, maybe even loosen your tie and have a drink too?
1
@John Doe
I didn't vote for Trump in 2016 and won't vote for him is he runs for reelection on 2020. But I try not to let my distaste for Trump affect my thinking on issues.
1
Does Congress actually do anything for the American people other than play politics (regardless of whom is in charge of Congress)?
10
@Gary: the House has passed bill after bill addressing real issue since opening the session in January, none of which have seen the light of day in the Senate, courtesy of the ever-reprehensible McConnell.
Actually, yes. You just need to look it up.
https://www.congress.gov
Don't the republicans and Mitch realize that they are backing a " President " that is not playing by the rules of our constitution . He took and oath to up hold the Constitution. He is trying to DESTROY IT. The GOP is responsible for supporting this person.
8
Whatever happens in the current situation, Congress must make certain it never happens again. Laws must be passed that compel a president to cooperate with Congressional oversight and that require all candidates for president to produce their tax and financial records on request. Candidates should also be required to show they have an understanding of the constitution and the way our government functions. Ignorance and braggadocio will no longer pass muster. If we survive Trump, we must make certain we never have another one like him.
14
"Democrats" are not "a coequal branch of government." Congress as a whole is a coequal branch of government. This conceptual error by Ms. Stolberg, shared widely among Democrats, explains everything about the Democratic Party's inapt ire, and why Trump can feel confident in resisting. As the Article II executive, he is, in effect, himself the ultimate, sole governor of a coequal branch of government. Speaker Pelosi is not the ultimate, sole governor of a coequal branch of government.
The Democrats are in the process of making a grave mistake. Steny Hoyer should know better, and should encourage restraint from Speaker Pelosi. This episode, if played out to its endgame, will ruin any Democratic Party chances in 2020 seriously to compete for the presidency, and could well result in a flip back of the House.
6
@Dave Oedel
Exactly.
1
@Dave Oedel
In any sports contest, if you can get your opponent angry, you've got the advantage. This has been been Trump's methodology for years. "Bomb throwing" is another negotiating tactic as it takes you out of your all of your plans and strategies. His third strategy is to "treat a pig like a queen and a queen like a pig" (as in North Korea negotiations).
It's OK to be mad, but it takes a lot of effort to not let it affect your "game". The way to defeat Trump is for Congress to work on solving the Nations problems, not being consumed by Trumpism.
1
Sad days for all of us, on both sides. I guess when we look for understanding the best lesson would be to never leave another citizen behind.
1
You have been warned repeatedly, voters, about this racist, totally unqualified to be President, man. The damage to the Republic he has caused so far - and he’ll do much more if he gets a second term - will ripple through our Republic for decades. All who truly care about America’s future should therefore work to ensue that he is limited to one term.
46
@Gene Eisman Agreed. He “jokingly” referred to shooting people at the border at his Panama rally last night. Most chilling is the audiences enthusiastic response. He is following the playbook of every previous tyrannical leader to soften their population to the willingness to kill groups of people. I can’t believe we are living the history of other countries that I have read so much about over the decades.
20
Impeaching Trump for obstruction of justice is inevitable.
34
@S
Please tell , with facts, what the acts of obstruction were. Facts, not emotions.
5
Here’s one: Lying about the intent of the meeting at Trump Tower with the Russian operative, with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, and other Trump campaign officials in attendance. According to DJT Jr’s emails, it was to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from a Russian with ties to the Russian government. Trump conferred with his son to tell the news media that it was about Russian adoptions. Isn’t that obstruction?
3
@Chuck: You want facts? You got 'em!
*Misleading statements about Russian ties...
*Firing Comey after his refusal to end an investigation into Michael Flynn...
*Failed attempts to stop Jeff Sessions from recusal from the Russian investigation; leading to his attempt to oust Sessions...
*Trump's reaction to the disclosure his campaign was subject to investigation...
*Intent to fire Mueller...
*Misleading statements over meetings with Russians...
*Witness tampering...
*Threatening to fire Don McGahn for not carrying out orders not answer to a subpoena...
Next time, be very careful what you wish for...
2
In the Declaration of Independence we find: “Our repeated Petitions [to Britain's King George III] have been answered only by repeated injury.” The following sentence — "A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people." — is today fully applicable to Donald Trump with mere substitution of the word “president” for ”Prince.”
A substantial number of Americans (but nowhere near a majority) can't tell the difference between red caps and slogans (MAGA) and a real tyrant. This does not mean that the rest of us have no responsibility to act in defense of the Constitution of the United States.
I can't help but notice that the GOP standard bearers on Capitol Hill cite "the Constitution" much less often these days. They know what is happening. State houses across the nation need to be looking at what their federal representatives are allowing to pass — Trump's assault on the Constitution, aided and abetted by the Republicans on Capitol Hill.
The New York legislative body is going to expose Tyrant Trumps state-level tax returns. Other state need to put their Republican representatives on serious notice of recall votes and investigations of complicity in Trump's obstruction of justice.
Just as the American colonies each stood up to George III, the American states need to stand up today against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators in Congress.
53
some of the several States today recognize Trump as a wannabe tyrant and Barr and his accomplished enabler, but others do not, so there is a divide between the States. at root , this is the same divide that led to the Civil War, and it has been brewing for generations. escaping this trap on election day is a tossup as long as we hold on to the obsolete Electoral College, which was established to give outsized power to rural areas and make sure more progressive urbanized areas would not be able to end the slavery the rural planters depended on for their wealth. plus ca change.
Pelosi is 100% right. The poll out this morning in Arizona, not Pa, or Mi, show Biden +5; all the other Democrats down by 6-10. Settle this at the ballot box and remove this grifter. Do not let him play the victim with his base. Independents decide races, meaning moderates, and the country is tired of this act. Getting him out of office is the overriding goal and that is only 18 months away.
12
@Northcountry
Biden will always have a STRONG showing in the RED states Our president would like nothing better than to run against this incompetent excuse for an ex-vp.
1
Anybody remember the Certs commercial? Two identical twins asserting different reasons to love the product and a voiceover finally intoning: "Stop. You're both right." The centrists are right: Trump is setting a trap to be avoided, deliberately provoking impeachment because he sees no downside -- he can't be convicted in the Senate, he figures it will help him politically (and it might), he couldn't care less about the damage he does to the country and its democratic system, and he has no shame. The leftists are also right: Trump's taking a wrecking ball to constitutional separation of powers -- gleefully seeking to neuter Congressional oversight powers and reduce Congress itself to an impotent non-entity -- cannot go unchallenged. I'm a centrist and I come out on this with the leftists. This is a serious, extremely dangerous attack on constitutional government. It cannot go unchallenged. And if the challenge must ultimately escalate to impeachment -- so be it.
44
@Barry Schreibman
You're referencing a commercial no one under 65 remembers.
1
As the GOP often does go for the Nuclear Option. Don’t even consider any budget proposals for Executive Branch Departments until they play by the rules. This includes raising the national debt ceiling. Let’s starve it into compliance. Individual citizens should no longer buy Treasuries including Savings Bonds. Perhaps a Tax Strike is another option.
7
President Trump would be first to lead a tax strike, given his extensive experience in that realm.
Compel cooperation on what?
The Democrats are seeking thousands of investigations into tens of thousands of something buried in millions of whatever to find something they can use as a cudgel against Trump.
This is the worst part of politics. When the politicians can't see the forest for the trees and continually embarrass themselves in front of the American people.
Look...Democrats put all their faith in Mueller and pleaded wit the American public to let Mueller and the DOJ decide.
Well..they decided..and it's time for them to solve the crisis at the border...not the crisis in their polling #'s.
16
@Erica Smythe
How do you propose to solve the crisis at the border, Erica? What is Mitch McConnell doing to solve any problem beyond that of deprived billionaires?
38
@Erica Smythe yes and Mueller concluded that DOJ rules wouldn’t let him indict a sitting president. Guess what Congress can do?
Furthermore, the Republicans had full control of the government for 2 years (!) and did nothing to mitigate this border “crisis”. That’s in addition to 2 separate Senate bills over the last decade that aimed to reform our immigration policies (both tanked by Republican House). Facts matter. But go on about “Spygate” or whatever. In the end the people in Trump Country are those ones that are losing.
16
@Erica Smith
Mueller DID decide: he was clear that this is the responsibility of Congress to pursue.
16
The Congress needs to impeach him or surrender to a corrupt dictatorship. Fight him with the equal power you have. If you are not up to the fight, get out of the way and let others step up. We cannot allow a criminal president to destroy our democracy. And shame on those who say "but the economy is doing well" which is akin to saying you'd take a bag of money from a crook and look the other way while he is setting fire to your house. If Trump wins, America loses everything. So, get your boxing gloves on, Congress. This is far from over.
45
Frustrated? You mean House Dems trying to fulfill their Constitutional duty are being stymied by a lawless president and Republican led Senate which is either compromised or complicit.
29
There is one thing you can take to the bank about trump*: he’s like the Terminator. He never, ever gives up. Remember “hit back 10 times harder”? Remember “never forget a grudge”? If you are going after him, it had better be with all possible force and determination. “All cannon firing” until he is crushed and the red eye flickers out as it sinks into the foundry crucible. Anything less and you lose...might as well not even start.
18
Alex Jones would be so, so proud of ebmem’s regurgitation of nonsensical reactionary propaganda.
@ebmem
Too funny for words.
At some point no matter how much everyone on this section hates Trump you have to give his artistry & brilliance credit! He is playing the Dems like a Stradivarius to the tune of being re-elected in 2020! Why are they falling for this? Unbelievable!
12
There is enough evidence of financial crimes being sifted through in the NY courts to bury trump. Trump is ill, mentally unstable, and running for his life. You don’t lie as much as he has unless you have a great deal to hide. Trump is toast.
Is it possible our Founding Fathers could not, in fact, foresee every peril and danger of coming centuries?
Like AR-15s.
Or Individual 1?
15
@Naples The founders possibly foresaw the possibility of a John Barron being elected and then attempting to become our emperor when they created the equal branches of government.
However, I do not believe they foresaw a Congress that groveled at the feet of a person who wishes to be an emperor thus abdicating their duties.
8
The Mueller report did not say "no evidence" to charge with conspiracy. On page 9 it says that the "evidence was not sufficient" to charge a member of the Trump campaign with conspiracy. The report also said that "several" of the members of the campaign "lied" about Russian contacts and "materially impaired" the investigation as well as pleaded the 5th, destroyed evidence and used encryption. That doesn't sound like no evidence of conspiracy or coordination as stated in the article. It sounds like lack of sufficient evidence.
We need to hear from Mueller for more clarity on this issue.
20
@Deborah -- Where would you get more evidence that Mueller could not get?
2
Why do The NY Times headlines continually portray this as a partisan issue of frustrated Democrats versus an autocratic president and his corrupt administration when in fact it is a struggle to preserve and protect our democracy and Constitution?
25
@Alan J. Shaw
Because it's not "a struggle to preserve and protect our democracy and Constitution"
1
I think Trump is goading Congress to impeach him and Congress is falling for it. This will only serve to strengthen Trump’s appeal to his base. Also, the Democrats are doing this in large part because the Mueller report was not a clear-cut victory for them. In the end, it’s all political calculation.
9
"..will be a “holistic” strategy to paint a picture for the public of “perhaps the greatest cover-up of any president in American history.”
Thats EXACTLY what it is..painting a picture, all designed to help the Dems in 2020.
Nothing to do with anything else.
In the end, none of this will help them and our President will not be impeached (and no "strategy" by the Left will change this)
And...the Dems know it.
5
@DB
If you were able to get past the "us-versus-them" mentality that this president has successfully instilled in all his supporters and realize it's the U.S. Constitution and this country that's at stake, perhaps you'd get a little further along in your thinking.
2
It takes more than one man, Trump, to accomplish a coup. The complicity of people like Barr, McConnell, Graham. Mulvaney, and many others is necessary to overturn a governmental system. Trump has filled posts with mainly sycophants who are at his beck and call. It is obvious that their agenda is to neutralize the power of the House in Congress while enhancing the power of the president--regardless of the constitutional separation of powers--and the equality it places on each branch.
He has the Senate in the palm of his hand as well as a sympathetic Supreme Court, and if he can make the House a superfluous body, he can-- in effect-- be a dictator.
Trump has created a constitutional crisis--not in the near future--but NOW.
20
Trump believes in the separation of powers: those he decides to exercise in the morning versus those he decides to exercise after lunch. he is used to being an autocratic mogul, answerable to no board and no shareholders, and insuring anyone who might oppose him is so weak they can be stiffed. meanwhile, his apparent and growing hysteria has two sides: he wants to keep all his secrets secret because he knows there's plenty of incriminating stuff, and he knows his stalwart fight is red meat for his base.
1
Of course they are. I guess it isn't going to stop (the constant sniveling of the left about Trump). If the Mueller report doesn't get him, taxes. Then go after his family. Already went after his lawyer. Went after every one around him. Maybe you should check to see if Mar-A-Lago has the correct permits for its septic systems. That all his vehicles pass smog testing. That any pets that the family owns, are registered and have their shots. Yes, it is getting that........petty is a socially accepted word, I think the left is going to get him re-elected.
10
Boris, Boris?, encouraging Russian hacking of our election and obstructing justice are not minor crimes. They go to the heart of what makes the US a civilized country. We are a country of laws not a country of strong men and thugs like Trump.
22
@BorisRoberts Some people are difficult to remove, especially when they're adept at bobbing and weaving. Stick with the tax fraud investigations. That's how Capone fell.
5
@BorisRoberts I remember the constant sniveling about Obama from the racist right and the "birther" movement.
And hopefully the "left", this time around, gives him his walking papers.
President Trump knows exactly, in his warped mind, what he is doing. He wants to turn the presidency into an authoritarian and dictatorial regime. He is a gambler and is rolling the dice that the Republican party and the courts will support him completely in this endeavor. This is an incredibly dangerous process he has decided upon and is setting himself up for his own impeachment. I fear that if he brings destruction upon himself he will not leave the presidency voluntarily.
13
Is it possible our Founding Fathers were not able to foresee things hundreds of years away?
Who could ever imagine something like AR-15s.
Or Individual 1?
3
The Republicans don't see any problem with Trump and simply blame the Democrats, while the Democrats claim a constitutional crisis. So which is it? Is the truth purely partisan? Let's just remember that the disaster of climate change marches on while we dither about distractions. (Republicans don't care about climate change, either.)
5
@R. Turner
No. Let's just remember the U.S. Constitution!
6
If the Republican Senate weren't so corrupt and morally bankrupt, THEY would be the ones frustrated by Trump's indefensible behavior.
32
We got rid of King George III back in 1776. Nobody elected Donald Trump to be the King.
Trump is behaving in a totally predictable way. When he announced in 2015, I predicted that if elected, he would have a problem dealing with Congress. Here is why.
Donnie has always run his companies as sole proprietorships, in which he alone makes decisions, with no stockholders or a board of directors to whom he has to answer. That is how he sees the world: He gets to call the shots, and if you disagree, you are an irritant and you disappear from his business.
I will analogize the US Government to a business, one that Donnie appears to believe he owns. Now, Donnie finds himself with stockholders (We the People) who get to vote for the board of directors (Congress) who set the rules, define the budget, and can remove Donnie, but he cannot remove them. He can't dismiss the stockholders, as much as he would like to. Until January of this year, when the Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress, Donnie had a supine board of directors. Now, all of a sudden, the board is exercising its own power, and that offends Donnie.
So he reacts the only way he knows, by saying "I am the boss, you get nothing, and go pound sand."
He forgets that there are no NDA agreements.
These activities occur in public, so everybody gets to see what a total jerk (or worse) Donnie is. He realizes that the optics are going to be very bad.
We the people get to vote on November 3, 2020.
27
Well said. I’ve said the same regarding his running the country like he ran his business. He’s also ruining the country like he ruined his business. He still doesn’t get that he can’t use the country’s deficit as his personal write-off, like he did with all his failed businesses. He just gives orders, doesn’t discuss with congress any impulsive decisions he makes.
8
241 years to make this great Nation, just 2 years to dismantle it. RIP USA (Lincoln-Trump)
14
Democrats have more than enough evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors. They are right there in the open for all to see. They just need to stop dithering and impeach. What is Pelosi waiting for?!?!
14
Impeachment will not work with corrupt GOP senators. They rescue their dictator who is as compromised by Russian money as they are. NY courts will make mincemeat out of their Russia-financed crimes. The evidence so diligently and brilliantly gathered by the Mueller team and sent to NY for processing and prosecution will send trumpet to the gallows. He will wish he never ran for office.
1
@Kurt
First the Democrats need to do some tv hearings.
I lived through Watergate. The televised hearings changed minds, and people started to put pressure on their reps and senators.
Some Republicans hung in with Nixon to the very end, even though the hearings were devastating.
Trump knows that televised hearings will sink him.
That is why he is trying to goad her into acting before the "jury" sees the evidence.
If there is anything that the Trump years will reveal about the country's politics, it is that the GOP are straight up traitors, the most of the them, the Democrats are spineless clowns for the most part (the part that shows the spine is being actively thwarted by the spineless coterie in Congress, the media and the electorate), incapable of a response, the media are largely facilitators of either, and the rich are the enablers of all of this.
Nice civilization we have going here.
8
The republicans are the spineless ones. They are afraid to stand up to trump and his evil ways. The democrats, unfortunately, have their hands pretty much tied. Everything they attempt to do to unseat this guy, whether through impeachment or through criminality, gets shut down by the republican stocked SCOTUS. Not one republican will stand by the democrats. Some republicans have made it clear they don’t approve of trumps actions, but when it comes down to acting, they are like scared mice.
They're all good ideas. Stop threatening and do it already. Garnish their wages. Jail them. Fine them. Impeach Trump. Get aggressive. Stop worrying about decorum and the process because Republicans have no decorum and the process was derailed long ago.
26
Do you not understand the crooked GOP are in the majority in the Senate ? An impeachment vote is not likely to be passed by crooks. Dems are the majority only in the House of Representatives. It takes a majority of both the House & Senate to successfully impeach. The GOP would love the publicity of an impeachment effort to milk negative publicity against the Dems and take the spotlight away from trump’s crimes. Focus.
In American democracy, no president can be thrown out if his party controls the Senate.
5
@Roland Berger
Well, Nixon was (eventually) asked - by Republicans - to resign.
I do wonder how Trump would handle that one were he asked to. He'd probably order 100 Big Macs and lock himself in his bedroom for a month ranting on Twitter day-in and day-out.
When House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler said, "We're in a Constitutional crisis," that meant that the Constitution must not only be defended against, as Nadler also said, "tyrannical" rule, but followed. Democrats have just two choices: ask for an expedited review by the Supreme Court and/or begin impeachment. That's it! They must, unlike Donald Trump and the Republican Party, honor their oath to defend the Constitution or accept the authoritarian "rule of Trump" and his Congressional Senate Republicans. They need to do both--go to court and begin impeachment hearings that automatically guarantee access to the documents and witnesses that the trump administration is obstructing. Nadler again said quoting Benjamin Franklin that "We have a Republic if we can keep it." We have reached that moment again for the second time in our history. Will Nancy Pelosi rise to the occasion as Abraham Lincoln did so "that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not vanish from the earth"?
9
Democrats are panicked because President Trump and AG Barr are about to declassify details of their secret efforts to destroy his presidency.
6
The House is the people's House and in 2018 voters gave their house to Democrats. The People's House holds Barr in contempt. The people should be allowed to see the Mueller report.
The Senate is the elites chamber where each state gets two, and Wyoming as well as California. The Senate is unrepresentative of the people.
Stand strong House! You represent us! And we think it is not ok that Russia interfered in our election; and it's not ok that Trump promoted and encouraged it; and it's not okay that the whole White House and the Senate is covering it up!
9
When does Barr's Department of Justice Budget come up for a vote?
Wake up Democrats!
Stop timidly trying "not to hurt your chances" for re-election.
Do whatever it takes to stand up to Trump and the Republican-Right-Wing-Network.
If you don't, re-elections won't matter.
8
This is why the Democrats are going to lose (again) in 2020. They sit and wring their hands like they have no options at all. Impeach him now! If this were a Democratic President, the Republicans would have impeached a year ago. I cannot for the life of me understand why they do nothing. It's a no brainer at this point. If you lose the conviction in the Senate, well that's on the Republicans, but at least you stood up to these monsters and had some principles.
11
The Democrats are far from scary. Case closed, no collusion, no obstruction.
4
@MiguelM
Did you even read the Mueller report or consider all the Trump associates who now sit in jail as convicted felons?
There's your "case closed".
8
By ignoring subpoenas and legal process in general, the President and Attorney General of the United States are engaging in a form of lawlessness. Americans like to boast that we are a nation of laws. You think?
6
Democrats know they cannot win against Trump in 2020 so we get to experience this waste of taxpayer time and money. We need to re-engineer government so that it is NOT a career track for those that are unemployable in the private sector.
3
@RCS
Sorry. But the last time I looked the U.S. was still a Democracy -- THAT is what this is all about.
And you might want to re-think that part about the "need to re-engineer government so that it is NOT a career track for those that are unemployable in the private sector" -- How else do you think we ended up with Donald Trump?
4
You may not like Trump but everything he has done and is doing is within the scope of his power as president. Obama stretched his authority to the max in very political ways - but people and especially the press liked him. The Democrats want thei revenge for losing in 2016 and they want to take Trump down ( and have been trying non stop since before the election) because they find him personally repugnant. Not exactly high crimes and misdemeanors. If Democrats really want to get back in power they are going to have to come up with a decent candidate (instead of the current clown car) that most people can get behind. And it isn’t Bernie or Warren or Harris and it certainly isn’t the mayor of South Bend, Indiana no matter how many boxes he check she. And it isn’t Biden - Trump will eat him for breakfast with his long history of his gross behavior toward women and girls, Anita Hill and mass incarceration - to name a few items. Where is the person who can bring us together? Hoping they appear soon so we can solve this dilemma with Trump by doing the right thing - voting. And please don’t tell me that Trump won’t accept the results if he loses - so far all I see are Democrats like Clinton and Abrams talking about how their elections were stolen.
3
@Me
You can, with a straight face, claim Biden has a problem with women because he put a hand on their shoulders and leaned close (I don't approve) when Trump acknowledged that he can get away with and did act as a serial predator with women? Trump was gross. Biden was just inappropriate.
1
@Me
Fine. You're in denial. Otherwise you wouldn't deign to bring up the Stacy Abrams election without recognizing Brian Kemp was Georgia's Secretary of State while running for election and his office was responsible for registering new voters -- which apparently, it failed to do.
Another thing.
This whole "revenge" narrative is just another divisive construct used by this president to keep people from remembering we are ALL Americans, even if we disagree with each other.
Wake-up.
Impeachment seems both inevitable and pointless. Inevitable because we are far past the point where Trump's defiance of the law and the Constitution can simply be accepted as another instance of him lowering the bar of presidential behavior. Regardless of the outcome there comes a point when standing on principle outweighs everything else. If the Democrats insist that impeachment can only proceed with an assurance of Republican support and success, then they are guilty of practicing the same political expediency as the Republicans.
On the other hand, impeaching Trump is inarguably pointless, from exactly that point of political expedience. Impeachment gives Trump another weapon in his Poor Me, I'm The Victim campaign, and solidifies his base even further. Already his poll numbers have crept up in the wake of the Mueller Report, with the AG and Fox testifying that he's being persecuted. Impeachment changes the entire calculus of the 2020 election and effectively removes all policy considerations from the debate --- it will be all about Trump's impeachment.
On the other hand... these are not normal times, and normal political logic no longer applies. Trump is well down the road of dismantling the rule of law, and he's gaining speed every day. He is but a short distance from invoking executive privilege every time he doesnt get what he wants. "Executive privilege" is nothing more than shorthand for "3rd World Dictator". It is time to stand up to him, even if only symbolically.
1
There's no doubt that by refusing to cooperate with the House Judicial Committee, Donald Trump is resorting to the usual 'divide-and-conquer' tactics that has gotten him this far, in solidifying his "base" against a common enemy, namely the Democrats.
And since Mr. Trump has no idea or interest in how government really works, much less what the U.S. Constitution is there for -- he's going to continue his obstinate way of seeing this as some kind of personal vendetta, and divide public opinion even further by leaving the House little alternative other than considering his impeachment.
This of course he would take as both "winning", and as a call to arms to every supporter and Republican still standing.
This is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind for the Office of President of the United States.
And the American people deserve better than this.
7
One step at a time. Mueller did his job and carefully laid the groundwork for Congress to act if it does its job of oversight. Congress is the only one of the three branches of our government that is directly elected by we the people. The House is entitled to all the information it wants about the Mueller investigation and the President's finances. They need to get all of that first, and hold public hearings, and do it right. Then and only then should there be talk about impeachment. Democrats, please don't walk into the trap being set for you, by rushing the process. Work through the courts, our third branch, and get the facts.
7
Decades ago our leaders shifted their allegiances to the their corporate donors while forsaking the business of the people. Because of that, they do not understand their constitutional obligations or their jobs other than the process of getting re-elected. Trump is the result of this very weakened Democracy and is exploiting it at every turn. It is no surprise that our entire government has been dysfunctional for so long and cannot react in a timely manner to the pending demise of our rule of law.
6
Once again we Americans would like to know why Trump has refused to release his tax returns for the past decade? If he has nothing to hide why is he hiding his tax returns? And how can we know that this president has no conflicts of interest when he proposes changes in tax legislation that may affect his own person wealth. The Democratic Congress may be (and probably is) politically motivated in trying to investigate this president. But Donald J. Trump has already shown himself to be a liar and a fraud in the public arena. We, the American public, need to find out the Truth about the CEO sitting in the Oval Office.
18
@RLW
Why should he? Why do you want to invade his privacy so much?
3
@Amy
RLW laid it out quite nicely.
The president holds the highest office in the country. This president, despite his promise to do so, has not divested himself of his global business interests. His financial ties are extremely relevant to the security of our nation.
10
Proof that the Democrats have poor leadership and have lost their way. It’s all about being a victim and the persecution complex with the Democrats. This leaves Independents without any choices when you look at both parties.
8
1. Trump cannot be shamed into compliance or anything else since he has demonstrated over and over that he has no shame.
2. He has shown he is not "fit for office" from the very start when he said "Russia, if you are listening..." And that was just the beginning.
3. The good news in the economy is due to Obama's policies during his two terms and the give-away to the corporations and rich in the Republican tax bill. Meanwhile our country is crumbling.
4. The reason Clinton's impeachment came back on the Republicans was because it was a senseless partisan battle. How much the Republicans care about sexual misconduct is clearly evident now. Regardless of what Trump says, this situation is not senseless, and beyond partisan. The American people need a strong Congress now who will take this despot off his throne of chaos and hate.
5. The longer they wait to impeach, the more damage he does. There is no bottom for him, and he is taking the entire country with him. Putin is thrilled, I am sure.
Enough is enough, and we hit that point some time ago.
29
Please report on and print the letter from Dems to Graham listing 60 questions they want to ask Mueller. The gist is that they want to know if the obstruction worked so that the investigation was unable to prove or disprove cooperation with the Russians.
4
House Democrats were elected to improve the lives of all Americans with beneficial policies and legislation.
That is their responsibility and they have failed miserably.
Their only concern is their own reelection, power, and money.
Most Americans have "Contempt for the House".
4
@jck The Congressional seats of almost three dozen Republicans who voted to repeal Obamacare were lost to Democrats in 2018.
Republican legislators who voted to repeal or partially repeal Obamacare did not get re-elected to Congress.
Democrats have been in charge of the house for four months.
Trump, and the republicans have been saying they have a better healthcare plan.
You want to talk about failure?
They've had almost 11 years to produce a plan.
Where is it?
3
@jck The Dems have been in control for 6 months and Repubs have been in power for 6 years, we're still waiting for the repubs to do "their" job and the contempt you speak of, is for the WH.
4
@MGJ
The approval rating for Congressmen and women is far below Trump's and is strongly deserved.
2
It's time that the Democrats stop taking half steps and impeach Trump. All this additional info that they are requesting can be uncovered during the impeachment process. The chance that Trump can get reelected is too important to risk. I disagree with Speaker Pelosi's approach with staying in the middle hoping to defeat Trump in 2020. Trump and his administration is a clear and present danger to our democratic republic and must be removed from office. There's enough evidence now of obstruction. The House must show that separation of powers does exists, so let's get the impeachment process going now!
14
We have been in a constitutional crisis since day one when a corporate investor in 16 foreign nations was allowed in as president. He answers to no one but his multinational business partners and the cult of fundamentalist evangelicals who bless him as their end-time idol. We are so much like Germany under a Reich, and have not come to terms with the fact that we are dealing with an autocrat/demagogue. He represents the lawless corporate power to do as it pleases while enjoying the largest tax breaks in history. Crass materialism and the cry "economy!" supplant all morals, wisdom, ethics and reason - and any cocnern for climate, planet and life. Rapture insanity religion does not care for life here. It fits perfectly with unbridled corporate power and greed. Until we awaken to this, we will imagine that actions within our system of government still have efficacy. They were trashed on day one when this entity came into power. It is for those of us who do not support this movement - and who are now the enemy - a realization that we are indeed in a situation described by Tod Bolsinger in his book "Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership In Uncharted Territory." Lewis and Clark discover no rivers to the Pacific, but the Rocky Mountains. The way forward is not where we have ever been. Mechanisms of the past no longer propel us forward. This is a time for true leadership to emerge from Congress -and from the people.
8
Barr has made available to House Dems 99.9% of the Mueller report, only redacting a total of 9 partial sentences, according to federal law governing ongoing grand jury investigations. And NONE of them have looked at it. Why? Because they know those 9 sentences won’t change Mueller’s published conclusions. Then House Dems can’t continue with the collusion/obstruction narrative. Get on with the People’s business.
7
@DanielMarcMD I think you need to get your facts straight. Who said none of them have looked at it? The House Judiciary Committee members have quoted numerous passages from the report. The only one who hasn't read it is Barr himself, which he admitted only when pressed by Kamala Harris. And if there is nothing to see in what you refer to as 9 partial sentences (never heard that either) why won't they release it to Congress? Looks like there is indeed, something to hide. The whole thing smacks of further obstruction of justice!
4
@DanielMarcMD
I don’t care whether he never met a Russian or he did. The man is so totally unfit to be president it doesn’t matter.
Just please have him go away somehow and let this country get back to being the America I grew up in.
What a disgrace, what a shame on this once great nation.
3
@DanielMarcMD
The first version of the Mueller Report, which was made available to all members of Congress, had about 7% of the overall report blacked out. But the redactions were not spread evenly throughout. By section, the two hardest hit were the section on Russian active measures (nearly 50% redacted) and the section on prosecution decisions (about 30% redacted).
The version Dr. Dan refers to is a second, less-redacted version that has been made available for review, first at the Justice Department and later at a secure room in the Capitol. Reportedly, this version has only two full and seven partial sentences redacted.
The second report is available only to six selected Democrats and one designated staffer selected by each of the six. Furthermore, Dems viewing the report may not carry any notes they take out of the room with them and, after they have read the report, they cannot share any information about the report with any other lawmakers.
Dems have, I think, rightly boycotted viewing the report under those conditions. Other than idle curiosity, what's the point of learning more if you can not share it with others. It would seem to me that the less-redacted version is little more than a clumsy trap to silence Congressional Democratic leadership on the subject.
While it's true that we've experienced a frustrating (and illegal!) series of actions by donald, "frustrated" implies a lack of success moving forward.
It's important to note that right now Democrats and others who recognize donald for the conman he is are making major progress. The NY Southern district is getting close to being able to get his taxes released. The Senate Intel. Committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr. over his dishonest testimony to Congress. The major NYT report published yesterday showed that between 1985 and 1994, Donald lost more money than “nearly any other individual American taxpayer.”
More and more people are waking up, finally.
#ImpeachTrump
17
The Democratic Party is the most unbelievable group of people I've ever heard or read about. The made up issue of Trump and Russia results in a sure thing for this group of political hacks, but Mueller says not so fast. Now they want to put my country into a constitutional crisis because Trump wants to end their party. They are claiming things in a form they can't have and never mind the intent and scope of laws they themselves created. This is a situation I predict will result in a change they will not like come 2020 when real people will take back the house steering wheel. Never mind the hapless group of oddities running for President because they will spend billions on the road to nowhere. Frustrated into writing this screed but what else is there to do. Vote them out because collectively they are very dangerous.
6
Struggling to get Trump to cooperate? You've got to be kidding!
Donald Trump is drumming up his base. He has absolutely no desire to cooperate with Democrats. How could he degrade them if he cooperated with them?
1
It is time to have Mueller testify and to vote for impeachment!
Dems will continue to look weak if you don’t take a stand and go on record against this insanity once and for all. How much more proof do we need that this president has consistently obstructed justice- he’s still doing it now! What, indeed, is he hiding? If the tables were turned Republicans wouldn’t wait one second before voting for impeachment.
12
A read of the applicable federal rules and regulations for Independent Counsels and Grand Juries shows the following-
Barr must give the complete unredacted Mueller Report to the chair and minority heads of the House Judiciary committee.
Barr must give Grand Jury findings to any stakeholder in the government (e.g. Congress) if clandestine intelligence gathering activities have taken place by a foreign government or its agents. The Russian hacking of State voter databases was precisely that.
7
Calling this tempest in a teapot a constitutional crisis is just one more bit of evidence that Congressional Dems have lost their minds. Very soon, Mr Mueller is going to testify to these Dems and can reveal all that he and his very partisan get Trump at any cost staff discovered with their thousands of subpoenas and interviews. Mueller knows better than anyone how deranged Nadler and company have become and he is not going to sacrifice his integrity to help feed their obsession. So the “crisis” will then fizzle out. Just in time for the IG report and for the Justice Department to start revealing just how the fake Russian collusion story got started.
6
@Steve
But if the obstruction kept an underlying crime from being proved...?
1
In your dreams! And what is your evidence that the Mueller team is “partisan”?
1
@Tristan T. Hmm. Just read the list, look at what they have done, who they donate to, who they are married to or having an adulterous relationship with, and then read Stroek’s emails. I guess MSNBC and CNN don’t cover such things. Too much fact for them.
1
Why don't the Democrats admit defeat and move on? They should admitted defeat when HRC handily lost to Donald J. Trump on November 6, 2016. America spoke then, perhaps they did not hear, it no longer wanted Democrat leadership, it wanted Trump! The Democrats need to stop wasting time and money investigating Trump and focused on how to beat him at the ballot box in 2020. But that will be futile as well since Donald Trump will win a second term and continue in his quest to make America great again, which up to now, he has garnered great success. Never has there been a better time to be an American. Thank you.
4
@Southern Boy
As your declared location “CSA” just might stand for “Confederate States of America,” a political entity that was disbanded in the spring of 1865, your question concerning the Democrats “admitting defeat and moving on” is more than a bit ironic.
American voters who are still fighting the Civil War have long played an extraordinarily destructive role in our political process.
I am the great-great-grandson of a veteran who served in the Grand Army of the Republic. That fact however plays absolutely no part in the formation of my current political opinions.
8
@Tom W,
Two of my great-great-great-grandfather's brothers from North Carolina fought and died for the CSA at the Battle of Sharpsburg, known to the Yankees as the Battle of Antietam. I am as proud of them as you are of your great-great-grandfather. Thank you.
@Southern Boy
Au contraire, Southern Boy. American voters did speak as "HRC" won the popular vote (HRC: 65,845,063 vs. Trump: 62,980,160). The voice of American voters was then overruled/rejected/ripped away by the Electoral College.
*NOTE: This was the 5th time in the history of this Nation that the Electoral College overruled the "Popular Vote." Hopefully, history will not repeat itself during the next election.
4
The Democrats in Congress do not need to struggle to get Trump to cooperate and allow documents to be turned over to their investigating committees. They just need to counter Trump's intransigence with logic.
#1) If Trump has nothing to hide why doesn't he release whatever documents Congress requests in order to prove there is no basis for accusing him of "Obstruction of Justice"? If Trump is innocent of wrongdoing why not let the light shine on the Evidence of his innocence. Only a guilty man would choose to hide the Truth. Congress needs to re-ask every day until it sinks in with even the densest of Trump supporters that if Trump is not guilty of obstruction of justice, why can't he just release the corroborating evidence that proves his innocence? "No collusion" is meaningless.
#2) If it is against the law to reveal "Grand Jury Testimony" let the Judge(s) in charge of the Grand Jury investigations decide what testimony needs to be redacted. That should not be a decision for the Trump administration. Surely the need to know the Truth by a popularly elected House oversight committee is more important. If AG Barr, a non-elected appointee, is allowed to see the entire Mueller report then why not the popularly elected members of the Judiciary Committee ? The report was written for the American people who wanted to know about Russian interference in the 2016 election, not for the private consumption of the Trump Administration, and paid for with Americans' tax dollars.
6
@RLW The delay is to string it along long enough for the IG report to drop, and then bury his adversaries with an immediate declassification of all things Russia and all things surveillance - particularly of US persons. The pursuers will become prey. In their anger, they are blind to their risk.
2
The Democrats seem to be a 'paper tiger.' The financial wizard is giving them the finger, even with all the ammunition he's given them, they are flummoxed. Fight this guy on his terms, fight dirty.
7
If ever a President deserves to be impeached it’s Trump. But unless the Senate Republicans find the courage to do their oversight role impeaching now makes no sense. Trump and McConnell have intimidated the Republicans in the Senate so much that they will vote to support no matter what Trump has done.
It is not the time to Impeach Trump now because the disgraceful GOP Senators members will let Trump off scot free.
4
Where is the ‘Grit and Rock-Hard Will’ we had to win both world wars?
Seeing the Democrats running around with their hair on fire while Trump takes on dictatorial powers is one of the greatest
disasters in human history.
6
I follow how various front pages headline their stories. For example, the 5.9 Washington Post reports: "Trump, Democrats are locked in a constitutional showdown." The Post is ignoring the fact that it is Trump and HOUSE showdown.
The NY Times is doing the same thing. On 5.9: "Facing a Trump Stonewall, Democrats Struggle for Options to Compel Cooperation." This is the HOUSE facing a Trump stonewall.
Logic: this decision by one of the tripartite balances of power in our democracy leads to a showdown between Trump and the House -- note between Trump and the Democrats. If our major news purveyors forget this fine line between party and one of the three legs on the milking stool, then tripartite may well be doomed.
6
@SD Widness
Not even Trump and the House - Trump and the Democrats in the House. As someone put so well in these comments-the Democrats are not a co-equal branch of government.
1
Just as Trump wanted to lose the election, he may want to be impeached. He may be looking for a way out for several reasons including fear of losing in 2020.
3
Yes Trump wants to be impeached and go back to the life he really loved -- losing money and living large.
This goes to show how weak and incompetent the Democratic leadership is. They are just as bad as the GOP; can't govern, but want the power. Trump knows he has them over a barrel, and they can't do anything about it. This is what happens when the legislature ceded power to the Executive and Judicial branches; they become a figurehead. This did not happen overnight; it took decades fro Congress to become nothing more than a place of wealthy people fighting like kids on a play ground.
Just how bad is it? Trump v Clinton in the 2016 election. The ACA and Tax Cut bills totally partisan. And, party leaders putting their party (both parties here) above the needs of the country.
So, it seems appropriate as the "Great Experiment" rots from within, to see how inept Congress has become. Divide and conquer, wedge issues, gerrymandering, power struggles all so the 1% has complete control no matter which party controls Congress or the White House.
The United States has become a failed republic; just like ancient Rome became a failed republic. It has rotted from within.
Meanwhile, there is a 2020 election to gain or cede power for the 1%. And, for 99% of us; another time we are duped with promises that things will get better.
2
Trump's claim of "executive privilege" is absurd based on any legal precedent, justifiable intention, or qualification. The documents and testimony requested by Congress are needed to follow up on the Mueller Report just as Mueller intended. This is most certainly true with respect to the suspicion of Trump's obstruction of justice. Trump wants to demonstrate for his devoted fans that he is indeed above the law.
Democrats must take this matter all the way to the Supreme Court if needed. Trump cannot by any means prove as often required that he is withholding information as a matter of national security. In fact, just the opposite, Trump's own behavior is the subject of investigation because it may well pose a risk to US national security.
The right wing Roberts Court may assist Trump and the Republicans in destroying our democracy. If that is the case then a massive voter backlash in 2020 handing the White House and the Congress to the Democrats will be the last hope for the future this nation.
6
Our democracy will live or die with the outcome of these battles with Trump. While Democrats fear they will suffer at the polls in 2020, Republicans have to bet that Americans will vote in favor of Russian control of the Presidency. That is the truth of the matter and that is how the conflict needs to be defined. If the Banana Republicans want to argue that the Russians had no effect on Trump's election or behavior in office they can instantly cooperate with the release of Mueller's Un-Redacted Special Prosecutor's Report. Either way, there is no real choice for Democrats. All American's committed to the defense of the Constitution and the rule of law must demand that the laws be enforced, irregardless of any imagined political risk. In any event, this fight is not likely to be won by the "Summer Soldiers & Sunshine Patriots" that we have cultivated in such conspicuous abundance. It seems the battle will not be won or lost on the NY Times website, or even in Congress or the Courts. Do we still have the patriots willing to shed blood in defense of democracy, as our fathers and grandfathers did in their hundreds of thousands over the last 100 years? Make no mistake, sooner or later, those are the stakes in the fight we face between democracy & tyranny. It will not be an all-volunteer campaign.
3
It's obvious that Trump is goading the Democrats to impeach him, because he thinks if he is positioned as a victim he will be in a better position for re-election.
Personally, i think that if the Dems normalize Trump by, say, working with him on an infrastructure bill, it just makes the Dems seem toothless and it gives the impression that Trump is actually succeeding.
Instead, I think the Dems need to take a page out of McConnell's playbook (and have sound, ethical reasons to do so): their goal should be to fight Trump at every turn, and to generate as much embarrassing news about the Trumps as possible so that - if it doesn't actually bring Trump down - it will maintain a fresh spotlight on his corruption during the election.
7
I do not understand how regular, working class Americans can continue to support Trump. How is stonewalling Congress 'winning'? I don't get it.
12
Mueller needs to resign as an employee of the Justice Dept and then freely testify on the meaning of his findings and conclusions. He needs to testify how Barr distorted his work and how the near daily verbal assaults by Trump were designed to undermine his efforts and had a negative effect on morale. He needs to show his independence and agree with 600 former federal prosecutors who signed a letter that Mueller's evidence shows Trump would have been indicted but for a Justice Dept policy. Mueller cannot remain silent if he values his reputation.
7
House and Senate Republicans have adopted the three monkeys strategy: Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil.
The Democrats, especially in the House, have two tasks of equal importance. First, develop policies and laws that address the concerns of a majority of Americans: Healthcare, economic growth, fair taxation, infrastructure, and education (access, affordability, teacher pay), to name a few. Failure to do so will undermine the charge given them by the results of the 2018 midterms.
Second, hold the president and the administration to account for what has clearly become blatant disregard for their duties and obligations to enforce the laws of the nation. This specifically relates to overcome of justice, but could equally address the rampant stripping of environmental regulations, antagonizing our allies, and supporting regressive regimes. Failure to do so will undermine the Constitution and establish a precedent for an authoritarian president who's smarter and less impulsive than Trump.
This CANNOT be an either/or decision. The general population now has a great appetite for improving the health and welfare of their families. They may now have less appetite for impeachment, but must be shown that the trampling of their Constitutional rights and protections is equally s damaging to their health and welfare.
The major risk for the House by pursuing impeachment is taking their eyes off of their legislative responsibility. That said, go get 'em!
2
You quoted a whole lot of Democrats, none of whom sound "frustrated" about what to do here. Yes, the Democrats could and should move faster. Democracy depends on it. Now let's talk about how Republicans continue totally betraying America for the sake of that 30 percent of diehards who still, God help us all, support Trump.
5
Nixon didn't 'cooperate' with the Watergate investigation and Clinton went to court several times to prevent the sexual harassment case against him from surfacing, at least while he was president.
So lack of cooperation is nothing new. But the Mueller report already has at least four incidents of obstruction of justice that are stronger than the evidence against Clinton. And there are a number of other probable crimes involving Trump that we know about.
Nixon and Clinton, and now Trump characterize the investigations as a 'witch hunt' and politically driven by their enemies. In some ways Clinton was right. But while under unrelenting scrutiny he did commit perjury and did tamper with a potential witness.
What Watergate had that so far the Democrats have not achieved are several leading figures that can guide the nation through this process.
This won't be easy, especially in this time of instant news and constant tweets. But the public needs to be educated on why these matters are important.
They also need to be reminded that impeachment is simply an allegation that the president has failed to follow the law. Ultimately the Senate sits as the jury and determines whether the allegations have been proven, and if so, whether the crimes are serious enough to remove the president from office.
Nixon probably would have been removed and Clinton survived a close vote. Trump should have his day in court and we shall see what we shall see. But the process must go forward.
2
Here's a thought: why don't we see that these people defying Congress face the same ramifications that you or I would face if we thumbed our noses at lawful subpoenas.
Many of the issues that we face as a country boil down to individuals feeling that rules or laws are great for 'other people' but somehow that they themselves are immune, entitled to act as they wish. Unless we all are held equally accountable for our actions the concept of democracy is but an illusion.
5
Keep it from going to the Supreme Court which is no longer supreme. It has been gerrymandered.
6
The concept of a constitutional crisis has been thrown about over the past 2 years with some regularity although the basis for the assertion was not always clear.
The events of the past few weeks have substantially changed that dynamic. When the executive branch repeatedly thumbs its nose at Congress and undermines their oversight mandate, how is that not a constitutional crisis? When the AG acts as the president’s personal counsel and is in contempt of Congress, how is that not a crisis?
Impeachment hearings are clearly inevitable and delaying the process serves no purpose. True, impeachment may negatively impact the Democrats in 2020, but so too will dereliction of their oversight responsibility. It is time for both parties to do what is right for the country and not only for their own selfish political goals.
144
@D. Ben Moshe I agree, except that I don't buy the myth that impeachment may impact the Democrats in 2020. If anything, impeachment would lead to more investigations and open more eyes. The hardcore trump supporters are a minority. Democrats and others who recognize that we have a dangerous conman in office must stay strong and keep fighting and VOTE. Those sticking with donald will not be looked upon favorably by history. #Impeach
32
@D. Ben Moshe What we are witnessing now is the process and it is moving towards impeachment. The inescapable fact is that both parties are not going to do what is right for the country. Behind the stonewall that the Republicans have thrown up around their administration, they are busy building a dictatorial oligarchy. There is no "both-parties-do-it" argument any more.
7
@D. Ben Moshe More people should point out that the fact that impeachment could hurt the Democrats proves that they are not doing it for political gain. This could work to the Dems' advantage down the line. They were just trying to "do the right thing".
8
The law has little meaning if those who are its guardians do nothing. Yes, impeachment is called for and will fail in the Senate, but it is also the responsible action. Doing nothing is inexcusable and a further lessening of our democracy and the rule of law. We can wait and vote this president from office but that does not obscure the reality that many in power did little or nothing to counter the criminal actions of this president and his
abettors.
7
Each time he doubles down on obstruction of Congressional investigations, Trump makes the case for impeachment more compelling. He stubbornly refuses to accept that he is not a dictator. He insists upon trying to run the country as though it were his personal business, where he always had the final word & could not be challenged. Hence, the need to mount the strongest possible response is painfully apparent.
Failure to impeach would amount to the Democrats colluding with Trump's dictatorial designs. Failure to impeach would invite him to challenge the election results & refuse to leave office should he fail to win re-election in 2020. Do the Democrats have the courage to stand up for what is right, by initiating impeachment proceedings, even if so doing involves some political risk? The future of our democracy is at stake.
8
“...said Mr. Raskin, a Judiciary Committee member. ‘My grandfather used to say that duck hunting is a lot of fun until the ducks start firing back. We’re starting to fire back.’”
For a life-long liberal Democrat, the two years of the one-party governance of Trump, McConnell and Ryan we recently bore was a nightmare. Conversely, current developments in the direction of political balance are most heartening.
Let’s hope the Democratic majority in the house continues to pursue rationality and responsibility on the federal level.
4
I've come reluctantly to join the "impeach" team, not because I think the Senate will vote to convict and remove but because impeachment hearing would put the evidence of Trump's sins in the public arena, on TV and video.
I hope that the Trump cult members will do what people did during the Nixon hearings - watch the hearings without the filter of the opinion show hosts. Of course, we only had a few channels then, so viewing choices were limited, but I am optimistic that even the most devoted cult member may start to question her/his loyalty when confronted with evidence of mis-deeds.
5
Why is the headline framed as Democrats failing to do something and not Trump failing to comply with clear legal mandates? Have you all learned nothing? This is not objectivity, it is framing to underscore the power of the incumbent president. Shameful.
62
@Max Farthington
Totally agree. Times headlines consistently fail to capture the severity or the true nature of what is happening. The headline here should have been:
"Democrats initiate steps to assert Congressional oversight authority as Trump administration ignores legal requests."
What has Trump done that he's blocking every move to see the Muller report and his taxes? The New York Times struck a serious blow yesterday at this clay president who struts and frets and twitters his time away. Now we all know he is artless in deal making, certainly artful in losing vast sums of money. Childishly he erases everything that Obama has done so he renew it & scrawl his signature on it and call it his! Now that is serious achievement!
13
@NM
Do your tax returns provide your level of wealth?
The way most fair-minded people see it is that the DNC and their media allies have been non-stop frothing at the mouth to destroy the Trump presidency. They just cannot accept that they lost the election and have lost some power. It really is all about control. That is the way totalitarians are. Of course, the leftie zombies will immediately interpret this as an endorsement of Trump. Again, the "you are either with us or against us" mentality is another tell tale sign you are dealing with a totalitarian,... or a Sith Lord.
6
@DecliningSociety
I beg to differ, and I won't bother to address your obviously partisan assertions with regard to your perspective. From whatever political pedestal you claim to be standing on.
Truth matters. Why does Trump lie?
Most fair minded folks I know want to know why.
And they want to see his taxes.
After that report in the New York Times, every American citizen worth their salt should.
3
@DecliningSociety so WHAT exactly is your point - you are OK with Trump's actions?
3
@DecliningSociety: You watched too much star wars. Trump is trampling the constitution here.
2
Just keep taking him to court. Expedited hearings. Contempt hearings. Show them for the lawless dictators they are and admire.
16
Democrats and any Republicans who care about our democracy should stop worrying about Trump's base. They are a fanatical minority and they are considerably outnumbered by those of us who actually care about American Values.
Fight hard and remember that the TRUTH is pretty obvious, even to those who are trying to protect Trump's lies. As for those who would like us to forget about his crimes; you have no integrity.
The part of the Muller Report that we have access to paints an ugly picture.
70
Trump is having his cake and eating it too - with two scoops.
The people may want accountability but Trump does not and he has the power, support and GOP glory washing over him. He is protected and does not HAVE to do anything. That is really the end of the story.
The Democrats as representing Congress do not have any power or voice or support to compel anything apparently. The rule of law allows for all this or else why would we be in this mess?
So it boils down to political calculations for Democrats. In the face of Trump's strategy which way should they go? It's all about the 2020 election and yet there is no way anyone can say that Trump will be defeated in 2020 by Democratic votes. Not enough Americans are aware of or care about Congressional duties and oversight. The GOP clearly does not care about coequal branches of government or the small 'd' democratic rule of law.
And the courts can no longer give confidence of non partisan rulings.
5
I don’t understand why the president wants to withhold a report that totally exonerates him.
62
@lyndtv
On today's edition of …
"Questions Trumpers Never Ask Themselves (But We Sure Wish They Would)"
8
I agree with Pelosi, by obstructing, ignoring and defying Congress Trump is "self impeaching". His behavior is a testament to his lack of worthiness for the office he holds and the U.S. Constitution. This stuff isn't lost on his base..they see it. At some point they will begin asking themselves: "this guy must go, he is a domestic threat to everyone's well being".
8
The Democrats have not played their cards as well as they might have. They know that they are dealing with an administration and a Senate leadership that not only has contempt for Congress but also contempt for the rule of law and for the American people. Under those circumstances, the best thing to do is to speak softly (I.e. don’t engage in verbal showdowns and ultimatums) and carry a big stick (bring the AG to hearings on terms he has said he is comfortable with and then question him with the precision and knowledge of facts exemplified recently by Kamela Harris and, a while back in a different committee, by AOC). Don’t try to get on TV by eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. Get on TV by asking the best question. As things stand, the Democrats have allowed themselves to be drawn into the equivalent of a shouting match where, since they are the ones who need something, they look weak and out-smarted.
4
The 25th Amendment failed us.
His armed posses are already patrolling our Southern border.
He is unlikely to be impeached or convicted.
He hasn’t released his taxes and never will.
Mueller was unable to get him to testify.
His Republican minions are in lockstep behind him.
His devoted Fundamentalist followers still revere him as though he were the Second Coming of the Messiah.
He is refusing to release Mueller’s full report to Congress.
He is not permitting Mueller or McGahn to testify.
He already possesses a virtual majority on the Supreme Court.
The media remains fixated on his every word.
And job numbers remain good.
So …
If and when he loses the 2020 election, what makes anyone believe he will leave the Presidency voluntarily?
5
What has Oprah Winfrey said in the past ? "When someone shows you who they are - believe them." (I believe Oprah may have disseminated this quote from Maya Angelou, but I will stand corrected if wrong.)
3
A criminal never cooperates in their own trial.
Democrats are not "frustrated" by the Executive Branch breaking the law. They are performing their Constitutional duty in meticulously building the case for impeachment and eventual indictment of this whole sorry lot of crooks
14
A person does not obstruct justice so fiercely and continuously unless there is some serious violations to hide. The continual secret discussions between Putin and Trump and Trumps aggression against traditional allies could be a national security treat.
Decades of reliance by Trump on unknown outside financial sources to prop up his businesses could be a reason for his obsequiousness to Putin. There could also be serious financial crimes he is hiding.
Congress should precede with all haste so the Country is not held hostage to Trump’s aberrant behavior.
10
The Trump stonewall is further evidence of obstruction of justice in plain sight. Keep on with the lawful processes of subpoenas etc. and let them keep on with their obstruction of justice. This unfit president has not learned the difference between obstructing and not obstructing. Follow the law. If the penalty is heavy civil fines or jail time, do it. Take off the gloves. The Republicans don't know any other way to play the game.
By the way, impeachment is now imperative. Don't worry about elections two years from now.
13
Despite all of the hand wringing, I am unaware of the President every failing to comply with any action ordered by the courts. Yes, he is an obnoxious piece of work, but that doesn’t me he will fail to comply with a fully adjudicated order or refuse to leave office if defeated in an election. It almost appears that some in Democratic leadership have become obsessed with Mr. Trump to an unhealthy degree and would better serve their constituents by actually doing some legislating.
5
@Thomas Smith: The Democrats are doing a lot of legislating. McConnell refuses to bring it up for a vote in the Senate though. The media prefer to report on the Trump and Mueller report drama, because that’s so much more sexy than dreary legislation...
3
@Thomas Smith We shall soon see your optimism put to the test. I hope but do not think you are right.
Does anyone get the impression that Trump is inviting impeachment?
3
There is dangerous reasoning in the pronouncement "Mueller did not indict, enough, let's move on". Mueller delivered to Trump a verdict worse than indictment. He painted the portrait of an arrogant, incompetent, chaotic and near-treasonous administration and left the decisions up to Congress and the American people.
"Moving-on" would amount to nothing less than abandonment of every principle in our Constitution and empowerment of the confidence artists and grifters at the expense of morality.
4
Am I the only one out here that realizes that Trump is the greatest fundraiser for the Democrats in history. I, myself have already written two checks to the Democratic Party since he’s been in office and I’m usually the one screaming “get the money out of politics”. Dear god!, please let me wake-up tomorrow and hear that the KFC and Burger King diet have finally done the trick.
5
Meanwhile the House Judiciary Committee has been unable to work on its legislation to help the young immigrants known as Dreamers. Democratic Judiciary Committee member Jamie Raskin “blamed the delay in part on the panel’s focus on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.”
Here is a list of bills of substance (so ignoring post office namings) that the House voted on after the Barr summary that have become law.
Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 — signed on 3/25 (the day after the summary)
Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act — signed on 4/8
A bill to amend title 38, US Code, to clarify the grade and pay of podiatrists of the Dept of Veterans Affairs — passed 4/8.
It has not exactly been a ripe time for passing legislation. So much for walking and chewing gum at the same time.
3
@Bill The Senate will not pass nor the President sign any of those. But of course they will continue to pursue to put it on record. Such is the state of the GOP.
If Speaker Pelosi lacks the courage to impeach Trump , she should resign and allow AOC to lead House Democrats
1
History tells us this man will double down, triple down and do so loudly. He doesn't care about precedent, appearances, institutions or even the truth. He cares about himself. Nothing else. At any cost. Anyone who thinks this is healthy for our country is delusional. His character is despicable. And so is that of any GOP rep who sides idly by, knowing full well what is happening, and doing nothing. Aiding and abetting the ongoing obstruction of a deeply flawed and corrupt man.
3
The basis of this investigation is did the President conspire with the Russians? Muller said NO. Not MAYBE. Not Sort of. Muller said no. Barr concurred. Game over. You can only beatTrump at the polls. This stuff is not going to work.As for OBSTRUCTION......give me a break. If you do not like someone that was elected fair and square then beat him when he runs again.
5
This is beyond red and blue, democrat republican this is at the very core of our nations democracy. The republic is in jeopardy. This needs to be stopped and never be repeated. No one is above the law. I don’t understand what has happened to the Republican Party. It’s as if they have turned on the very values they once stood for. Shame to them. How can they cheer as this failed president ,daily tears down our republic? How?
24
@J Clark
You ask what happened to the GOP? They became greedy with power.
3
The House Democrats are requesting the redacted Mueller Report.
This request should be denied, as the chances are overwhelming that the report will be leaked, imperiling important US intelligence assets
Moreover, the Democrats are ignoring precedent. When then A.G. Eric Holder was held in contempt of Congress, President Obama stalled handing over the report in question for 4 years.
6
@Loretta: Granted. But, how you can compare Holder to Trump, Barr, and the rest, and be taken seriously?
1
@Loretta
Obama wasn't enthralled by our number one foreign enemy. Donald Trump is a national security threat.
2
A constitutional crises is when it’s dictates are broken, and the offender gets away with it.
That time is upon us, and we await the outcome. History is holding its breath.
7
This presidential and constitutional disaster will have be settled by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Roberts, the time has come for you to unambiguously stand for the constitution and rule of law.
Justice Roberts is really the final governmental official who can do what needs to be done for our democracy. Trump will eventually be gone, either sooner or later, but if the current damage isn't addressed, our democracy may never recover.
3
Nancy has everyone too terrified to impeach. She thinks it's bad politically. She thinks re-election for her and her party is more important than checking the executive branch's abuses of power.
There are no more statesmen.
3
@PJ WRONG!
1) He will never get convicted. Blame the GOP Senate not Pelosi.
2) She knows the only way Trump leaves is through the election and remembers how popular Clinton was after impeachment.
What would you prefer a failed impeachment and a Trump second term or to vote him out?
2
Instead of continually poll watching, Nancy Pelosi should have some moral conviction and stand up for the Constitution.
3
The American people are sorry that this president is so completely unfit for the role he now has and look forward to him being gone from office and out of the headlines; he is an embarrassment and danger to world wide rule of law and democracy. I would like the pressure to be kept on him and his minions from now until they are voted out and then finally prosecuted for their many transgressions. The House Leader will need to maintain discipline though to keep trump and co. from getting the impeachment trial they may see as a way out of all their problems. I would urge Rep. Nadler to work closely with House Leader Pelosi on this and help her keep the focus on winning back the WH and the Senate in 2020 ...decisively!
3
I would like to call this political posturing.
Trump is the equivalent of the local crime boss, the republicans in congress are his henchmen, and he has wide support from the rank and file in America, including nearly all geographic regions except the big cities. Even in big city - he is near about even.
Democrats are the over-educated toffs who quote Milton and sit around in insulated salons, scurrying around streets lest one of the thugs notice and pick on them.
Trump was right. He could terminate someone on TV and win the next day. The more democrats talk of acting, instead of going at him no holds barred, he only gets more popular. He also highlights the weakness, cowardice of the democrats - paper tigers, all.
2
The 25th Amendment failed us.
His armed posses are already patrolling our Southern border.
He is unlikely to be impeached or convicted.
He hasn’t released his taxes and never will.
Mueller was unable to get him to testify.
His Republican minions are in lockstep behind him.
His devoted Fundamentalist followers still revere him as though he were the Second Coming of the Messiah.
He is refusing to release Mueller’s full report to Congress.
He is not permitting Mueller or McGahn to testify.
He already possesses a virtual majority on the Supreme Court.
The media remains fixated on his every word.
So …
If and when he loses the 2020 election, what makes anyone believe he will leave the Presidency voluntarily?
5
The media remains fixated on his every word.
And job numbers remain good.
So …
3
@A. Stanton he may not lose because he and his cronies will do everything under the sun to keep him in power. Putin is still undermining; Republicans will try to stop people from voting; and a lot of people will not vote at all.
1
The only person whose sworn testimony at this point would be worth anything is Mueller. He is not going to perjure himself on the stand to save Trump or his monkeys. But even that is an ultimately futile exercise.
I have no doubt that the House would vote the Articles of Impeachment tomorrow if there was a vote but there is no amount of evidence that will move the Senate. The Supreme Court is solidly packed for Rs who would never turn out Dear Leader.
The only thing to do is dig in for a slog that lasts to Election Day 2020 and not pass a single law in the House that enables even one of Trump’s objectives.
Nothing. Nobody. There can be zero cooperation with this administration on any issue.
And Joe Biden IS a ham sandwich in political terms. A stale one at that.
After two years of Mueller, Mueller, Mueller: the American people have moved on. There is nothing here but political theater. There is no Constitutional crisis, partisan contempt resolutions don't register anymore, they are pretty common. Executive privilege claims are very common. The unredacted report was made available to Congressional leaders. Come up with a funding program for two trillion in infrastructure spending and people will pay attention.
12
@Mkm I, for one American, have definitely not moved on This has nothing to do with partisan politics, but everything to do with the future of my country.
7
congressman Connolly said "we ought to be putting people in jail". isn't jailing a political opponent the exact thing Dems accuse the president of.. doesn't the citizen have a right to not comply if the demand from Congress is unwarranted? doesn't the accused have a right to force the accuser to produce evidence of why the should be compelled to comply. take for example the demand of congressman Neal to see Trump's tax returns. his claim is so he can see the effectiveness of IRS audits on President's and vice presidents. since the audits are of citizen Trump and not President Trump why would that be applicable. does anyone really believe that's the reason? all this does is play into the narrative that the media perpetuates and that Trump likes to rebroadcast
3
@concerned citizen 1
There is a very significant difference between jailing someone for committing crimes - like obstruction of justice, ignoring federal laws, and failure to comply with subpoenas, and jailing a political opponent without crime or charge
Democrats are talking about putting these people in jail for crimes committed in plain sight.
"Lock her up" is about Stalinist jailing of opponents without charge or crime
Simple enough even for a Republican to understand
For what it's worth: My reading of the current "Special Council" duties/procedures - which have changed since the days of "Independent Council" - is that the Special Council, Mueller, works for the Attorney General to develop a report of facts and recommendations which is then submitted to the Attorney General who decides what happens from there. The Attorney General can then pass the report on to congress or drop the whole matter, if he deems that best/appropriate, his call. I'm afraid Dems are turning the whole thing into a political circus which only weakens their position. I thought Farhad Manjoo's March 25 piece: Collusion Was a Seductive Delusion - It's our Own Fault We Elected Trump, was an excellent reading of the whole mess. And the band plays on.
3
Both parties in Congress have for decades forfeited their powers to the executive branch. The Democrats in the house now wield impeachment power. Will they once again fail to exercise their constitutional responsibility for considerations of party politics?
3
The showdown in Washington is being played out at the state level on a different subject: abortion. Extremists in Georgia and Alabama have essentially outlawed abortion despite Roe v Wade, and they are itching to have their medieval beliefs supported by the potentially compliant Supreme Court.
The Trump regime's tactics are virtually a carbon copy; it is defying Congress on a range of Constitutional issues, figuring that eventually, every issue will end up at the Supreme Court.
What ties these disparate actions is motive. The Republican extremists don't especially want to repeal Roe. Instead, they want to use it as a campaign cudgel over and over and over, inciting evangelicals. Trump doesn't really care if his clearly un-Constitutional actions are affirmed; instead, he wants to use the challenges as the centerpiece of his re-election campaign. The theme is the poor President being treated unfairly by a hate-filled Democratic Party led by (wait for it) Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Voters should hopefully see through these charades. But they may not.
3
Yes, I would go for impeachment hearings and produce a comprehensive set of Articles of Impeachment. And I wouldn't worry about political calculations. Send the Articles of Impeachment to the full House of Representatives for a vote. Then force the Senate to consider and vote to convict or not convict. This is the only path that Trump will not be able to block via court and other legal maneuvers. A little political history here: In 1998-1999 when the Republicans in the House impeached Bill Clinton on flimsy grounds and the Senate did not convict, the Republicans still won the White House in the 2000 despite their shameful behavior. In other words, the forthcoming 2020 presidential votes will be influenced by a lot of factors and the Democrats will not lose, if they do, based on voters being upset with a Trump impeachment. PPS: Remember also, to actually convict Trump, that only one Article of Impeachment needs to be approved by the required minimum of 67 senators. Maybe (of course highly unlikely) that could happen. Then Trump would truly be in the history books.
2
Agreed; the pathway to President Trump and his administration is full of roadblocks. House Democrats should now concentrate on compelling their fellow Republicans to validate the need for, and facilitate, the investigations. After all, oversight is one of their congressional duties.
Why should the Republicans still be refusing to cooperate? Is it strictly a matter of Party allegiance, or do some have skeletons in their closets as well?
3
If the Democrats were serious about their oversight responsibilities, they would have already begun Impeachment Hearings. They are infuriated by the President's stonewalling, rightfully so, but why are they not using the power they have responsibly, to protect our Constitution? Impeach now!
3
I think the Congress should treat Trump’s ongoing obstruction of justice and government like law enforcement would treat a criminal who removes or destroys evidence in an ongoing ‘open’ case. (Perhaps Congress could ask local DC law enforcement to look into whether the same principles would apply in this case for an investigative backup plan.)
I view Trump’s behavior in this as a blatant violation of his oath to executive office to ‘enforce the law’ by his both, not following the law, and obstructing government institution procedures that support the law. Many of his policies can also support his illegal-character of not following the law in Court and in Congress. Throw everything he has mismanaged for the government and test what sticks with the rest of this; he’s got it coming.
9
Donald Trump is not refusing to cooperate; he’s waging war.
The Democrats look like feckless babysitters while the kid throws a tantrum in the middle of the grocery store.
Make choices, Democrats. Be bold. It may not always work, but try it. If it doesn’t work, adjust course. The worst thing that can happen right now is lethargy, inaction, and division within the party.
We were given the keys to one of the cars in November 2018. Please put your foot on the gas.
5
This how the House Democrats with get Trump reelected. Making everything between now and November 2020 about Trump instead of issues, while Trump runs on the economic growth and low unemployment, claims this is all a witchhunt. It will steal all the oxygen from the other candidates talking about ideas. Other then rallying an already rallied Democratic base want is the point?
4
Trump is baiting Congress to pursue impeachment. He thinks being impeached will improve his odds in 2020. I think he’s wrong. At the very least Congress should take this to the courts.
8
independents who are intelligent and aware will penalize the democrats for this. - you will be able to follow this by trump's increasing approval ratings. mueller not volunteering to testify says it all, and it is not because trump is blocking it.
4
This isn't a constitutional crisis. This isn't a coup. This isn't about the future of democracy and our country. Trump doesn't want to stay in office so he can advance conservative policies. This is about one mentally-unstable man's legal peril, his paranoia, and his desperate attempts to protect the house of cards on which his myth-of-a-reputation is built. That's all you are standing up for if you're standing with Trump.
17
@866bway: I agree about Trump. Unfortunately, though, his actions - purposeful or not - and Vichy Republicans' inaction/enabling are causing a constitutional crisis, shredding our democracy and dividing our country. These results greatly please Republicans.
5
Given the profound attacks by Trump and Republicans on our democracy, civil right and rule of law, "a threat to jail officials, garnish their wages and perhaps even impeach the president" are actions whose time has arrived.
Do. It.
6
Pls stop repeating statements like this, that "The report found no evidence that Mr. Trump had coordinated or conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections" until we have the full un-redacted report. The financial entanglements between DJT and Russia alone indicate a compromised candidate, and we are being gaslit to ignore statements made in public asking for and then receiving Russian interference on things like HRC's emails.
1
@sue denim
The REDACTED report did not even make those ludicrous claims. Barr did, and the hearing last week showed he was lying. The report said there was evidence, but because of the persistent obstruction, destruction of documents, and lying by witnesses the legal case could not be made. Just like how mobsters are known to have committed murder, but because they intimidate witnesses and hide evidence they cannot get charged in court
1
@John
It's like shouting into the wind sometimes isn't it? At least we're in agreement in our quiet corner over here...
I find the headline troubling in its choice of words. I do not see the Democrats as “struggling.” At every turn, the Ds have been faced with Republican perjury before Congress, the rewriting official documents such as the Mueller Report, the destruction of documentary evidence, ignoring subpoenas, or failing to appear at a hearing as agreed. Confronted with an unprecedented onslaught of Republican lawlessness and flagrant disregard of their constitutional responsibilities, justice by committee falls short of the necessary process required to prosecute the rampant disorder and chaos. Therefore the Democrats are proceeding with caution in their exercise of prudent judgment on restoring public confidence while reigning in the rogue presidency and its footmen. I did not see “struggling” in yesterday’s Judiciary Committee Hearing. What I did see was a systematic chronicling of the Republican assaults on our fundamental governing principles. The Democrats are laying the foundation, course by course, so that the American public can become more informed on the nature and extent of the malignant and existential threat the current administration poses to ordered liberty and justice in America. See you in Court!
4
As long as the focus is on removing Trump from office, the more the those folks are essentially talking to themselves and whipping their constituents into a greater frenzy. One definition of insanity is keep trying to accomplish the same thing and repeatedly fail. While Trump is an issue for many of us, the focus needs to be on the issues that in our electoral college system will receive the votes to win, in t his case the presidency. Clear your heads and focus on what the people of this country as a whole need.
2
To date, Mr. Trump's refusals have stayed within the limits of the law. What is egregious is the Democrats refusal to accept those limits. An example is Mr. Barr's refusal to release the underacted version of the Mueller report. He is constrained by law to protect certain sources. The Dems don't want to believe that so they have voted him in contempt. Trump is correct in refusing to allow Mr. Mueller to testify since anything he can say, by law, is already in the report.
The Dems are on a fishing expedition. Better they should start putting together a viable platform for the 2020 election. Right now, they are tilting at windmills. The more they keep at it, the easier it will be for Trump to win that election. Mr. Biden needs something to go with to win.
4
@Bill: The Democrats are NOT requesting Barr to do anything illegal. Mind the facts please!
2
@Bill Oh well, maybe AOC will give Biden something with which to work for a platform.
“We should be putting people in jail,” Mr. Connolly said.
Putting Bill Barr behind bars has a good ring to it - might get the house the attention it deserves from the Executive.
9
The full unredacted version is available to a dozen democrat members of congress. They can read it but not take it with them. That sounds totally fair. There are legit reasons for redactions. I don’t see any reason for the full report to go to all of congress. Holding Barr in contempt just doesn’t make sense.
9
@Jim, they aren't allowed to take notes nor to discuss it with the rest of congress. If there is evidence of more criminality in the redactions, how can Congress act if they have been sworn to secrecy. So no, this is not fair at all. It appears to be a coverup of mega proportion.
1
Democrats want to violate the law and release grand jury data meanwhile the Democrats that do have complete access to Mueller's report have never gone to read it. Political theatrics at its worse plus they are now obstructing justice in determining who initiated this fraudulent investigation into a non-existent crime using the federal government's power to influence an election. The criminals are going to be caught and arrested because staging a coup agains the people and the constitution is a felony.
8
@James
It's not against the law to release grand jury testimony. It has been released by all other special counselors in past investigations. And the coup by the criminals started in November 2016 when Russia installed "their guy" in our White House. Wake up already.
The great Diverter of Attention, is ramping up his military threats to Iran. Democrats have to keep doing what they're doing despite the increased danger that Trump will do something that will compromise us all.
6
The Democrats need to become vertebrates. Hold recalcitrant Federal employees in contempt. Jail them and dock their pay if need be. Impeach Trump based on his obvious obstruction of justice and refusal to respond to Congressional requests for testimony.
There may be political costs but I doubt it. Trump's "base" does not respond to truth or logic, they are a lost cause. The rest of the country is disgusted by Trump's criminality, corruption and failure to uphold his oath to protect and defend the Constitution.
9
How can our democracy continue when so many voters and most of the elected GOP in Congress, do not care about the Constitution? Trump has unintentionally shown us that the GOP cares about just two things: (1) letting the rich loot the country, and (2) racism.
24
Impeachment is an inherently political process.
Neither Andrew Johnson's firing of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton nor Bill Clinton's lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky and sexually assaulting and harassing Paula Jones should have led to either man's impeachment.
Richard Nixon should have resigned after the House Judiciary committee voted out three Articles of Impeachment for obstructing justice in the Watergate " burglary". Had Nixon not resigned he should have been impeached and tried in the Senate.
Donald Trump's collusion. collaboration. conspiracy, cooperation and coordination with the Russians in order to get elected President warrants his impeachment.
Donald Trump's obstruction of justice warrants his impeachment and trial in the Senate.
Trump imagines that tweeting and speaking nicknames and slurs while watching Fox News and playing golf is " fighting".
Thankfully Trump is no Putin. Putin sends his foes to hospitals, mental institutions, prisons, urns and coffins.
14
A more accurate headline for this article is: "Fearful Repubiclans Continue to Defy Congress and Ignore the Law"
27
Why feel frustrated? This is exactly what we could expect from Trump. Democrats should push further, and corner Trump even more. Either Trump relents, and the truth of Trump's taxes and Trump's corruption come to light. Or everybody can see how Trump obstructs justice and truth, how blatantly he lies, how he behaves as a criminal that tries to hide the facts. Let Trump tangle himself into his lies and become completely ridcule, so that even the most gullible of his supporters cannot deny anymore how bad he is.
Also, let all the world see how far the GOP is ready to go to suppot Trump.
23
He’s acting the way he is (confident) because it’s about to come out that the entire investigation was predicated on the fake dossier paid for by Hillary and the DNC. Their best evidence- Papadopoulos and Trump tower meeting were both set ups, sting operations to ensnare political rubes. Even the wording of the email. Obama and Comey weaponized the FBI and CIA to bypass will of the voters and to attempt to remove an elected president. If you don’t believe right wing news just read Matt Tabbai - he’s left wing but he’s an investigative journalist who untangled the web of bank fraud during the 2008 crash. He’s got cred and he’s got the goods. Dems and some Republicans are buying time to try to get to 2020 so they can brush this under the rug without going to prison. Biden is a fake candidate- picked bc he can win theoretically bc he’s from Pennsylvania. They don’t care who’s leading - they are just trying to save face and save Obama’s legacy.
4
It truly amazes me how stupid many Americans are. I’m not talking about politicians who have a dog in this. The average American Republican who backs trump.
They cannot perceive the con. They can’t admit to themselves a mistake was made in voting for him.
The evidence just keeps piling up.
New York State is going to release his tax records and people are going to be amazed with his fraud, how he cheated our government. And that is going to sit well with these people. That because of the trump’s in our nation, there isn’t enough money for schools and highways, because it does amount to an extraordinary amount of money.
Mueller no longer works for Barr, so he will testify. Are these people going to be in denial then?
How ignorant, or is it worse. A third of Americans live down to trump’s standards?
18
What's the definition of insanity?
Continuing to do a behavior/action that clearly doesn't work, and expecting a different outcome. Over and over, repeating a behavior and expecting a different outcome.
Obsessive minds can't let go of some idea, some thought, some emotion.
Some insane minds can not see reality but live in a fantasy world. Sometimes those fantasies involve delusions or conspiracy or paranoia.
Two years of exhaustive investigation. Nothing.
The entire Mueller report is available to Senators at the DOJ for those with security clearance. None have bothered to see it.
This is about politics. Not "oversight". Obsessively, they want to "get him", at any cost. A witch hunt? Looks and smells like one. Insane? Looks like it.
Waste of time, and energy. Meanwhile, the legislative function is on hold whilst insanity reigns.
For the good of the country, let's move on. In two years he's gone anyway, so let's drop our obsessions. Lets stop the insanity. Recognize reality. What's the definition of insanity?
13
@Joe Yoh: If there is “nothing” after two years of exhaustive investigation, then why isn’t the unredacted Mueller report made available to the public, so they can judge for themselves? If the House needs to vote on impeachment, they need to know all the evidence Mueller found, the way Mueller intended, not on redacted evidence by his personal lawyer Barr, who lied to Congress under oath.
5
@Joe Yoh You're not even the least bit concerned at the countless contacts between the Russian government and the Trump campaign? Even if you believe 100% in the "no collusion conclusion", you don't think we should at least be investigating to better understand Russia's methodology in attempting to meddle in our elections so we can be better prepared in the future?
I know you think the investigation was a "witch hunt", but you're still not concerned that the President fired the FBI director for not dropping the investigation, told his AG to un-recuse himself before eventually firing him, wrote Trump Jr's initial statement regarding the Trump tower meeting, got on Twitter and both threatened and dangled pardons witnesses, tried to get Mueller fired, other the other half dozen instances of potential obstruction of justice?
Even with all that evidence from the Mueller Report, you still can't bring yourself to think "I like Trump and believe he is innocent of conspiring with Russia, but his response to the investigation did include a number of (at the very least) questionable actions"?
Definition of insanity indeed...
6
@Joe Yoh
That the report didn't find evidence of a criminal conspiracy dosen't mean that it didn't find anything.
The report DID find something. Namely that the president took a number of actions to interfere with the investigation, which taken together could constitute an obstruction of justice. That Bob Barr, or Rod Rosenstein, both Trump appointees, ruled that there was no criminal obstruction, does not mean that the Congress can't investigate whether Trump's interference and possible obstruction rise to the level of impeachable offenses.
8
Trump is goading the Democratic leadership into an impeachment confrontation as a political calculation for the 2020 election. If they grant his wish, and the wishes of their infuriated base, Trump will get his show that will drag on until the election, sucking the oxygen out of every other candidate for the duration of the election cycle. This will enable him to be the center of attention with even more 24/7 free coverage in every media format endlessly. He has made the political calculation that all the negative coverage is still all about him and that equals votes. The more infuriated Democrats get the more his base loves it.
No matter how odious the thought of Trump being President is for people that believe in Constitutional democracy and the rule of law, an impeachment trial, based in the flimsy hope that the GOP leadership will somehow be shamed into turning on their sugar daddy in the oval office, will end up handing him another term. The Senate will not convict. Impeachment will eventually be viewed as a tantrum.
Let the courts decide. Let Trump "run the clock out". Let the cable news watchers fulminate. Beat him and his minor league authoritarian aspirations at the ballot box. That way the Democratic candidates will not have to fight each other for tiny slivers of media attention. That way their leader may win and have the mandate of the people.
12
Russia, if your listening, release the full, un-redacted version of the report. Someone has it and it will be available soon.
20
@Patrick Democrats with unrestricted access like Nadler, have never gone to read it. PURE THEATRICS to stop the real criminal investigation into the fake accusations and 2 years of wasted time.
5
It's like watching a bunch of 2 year old not get their way throwing a tantrum. It's embarrassing.
8
Fire him. He’s familiar with that scenario.
8
I'd say it's time for Mueller to get on TV -
Bypass the Trump stonewall.
18
You just got to love it! I mean the headline (and article) here are so backward and biased. President Trump "stonewalling"! When after two years of intense investivation the democrats just don't like the result, so they'll just start all over again! And even Mueller's investigation is rich. He knew for a fact, and so did we, that there was nothing just one year into it. I think the Academy Awards should now include another catagory -- best political circus act.
13
@Len You're right, we don't like the results: evidence of obstruction, bank fraud, tax fraud, campaign finance violations, quid pro quo with foreign adversaries and massive Russian interference in our elections that is on-going. We should just walk away and be happy that Mueller (R), has uncovered all this evidence of massive corruption and law-breaking. Let's be happy: America is "great again!"
10
@Len No, no. It's Trump, Barr, and Trump supporters who don't like the result, which is why Barr lied about the report and why Trump doesn't want a report which he says "fully exonerates" him released to the public and Congress. Democrats are doing the right thing here. You want the coverup to continue. K?
7
@Len The Congress has a right to oversight. This is a no-brainer--that is, to anyone who isn't already a mindless tool of the Dear Leader.
But we're all the un-Americans. I see.
8
Trump cooperated with Democrats and their phony witch hunt for two years. They didn’t get the results they wanted from the Mueller report and are now abusing their power (and the Constitution) to attempt to “get” him politically. Sorry, but he doesn’t have to participate in their pseudo-impeachment. If they want to impeach the President, then go right ahead. We’ll see what comes of that. No more games - while Democrats spin their wheels wrongfully holding the attorney general in contempt, etc, 163,000 illegal aliens were just simply released by border patrol into the country without any formal vetting because we have no where to house them. As we already know, Democrats refuse to do anything to stop this crisis.
11
Now the US House of Congress knows how New York City renters have felt for decades.
13
Sure, Congress should have checks and balances.
But Democrats had effectively checked this POTUS for 2 years over 2016 election by first denying it and then, thru Mueller had it dragged.
Heck, they had introduced an impeachment motion a month into his presidency. (A congressman from my district).
So, when they constantly talk of impeachment - it has lost its potency, fear or for that matter relevance.
This continued dish washing of Mueller is no oversight but an investigation of an investigation that yielded a conclusion not to their liking.
It's like that famous New Yorker article : where an obese, chain smoking patient is told by a doctor "you need to lose weight and quit smoking." The patient replies"doc, thanks. But I need a second opinion."
Finally, even if the House goes about passing an impeachment resolution - they know it is not going anywhere in the Senate as the Majority Leader has declared it "case closed".
So, have at it on impeachment but this dog don't hunt no more.
6
I’m guessing that Trump cares neither about the unredacted Mueller report nor disclosure of his tax returns. He knows that Democrats care deeply about process and for him, transparency. So naturally he is stonewalling. In other words, while the Democrats think this is about the president’s duty to follow the law, faithfully execute the law and conform with the conventions of the office, Trump thinks it’s just politics. So far he has been correct about the limits of voter tolerance and the Democrats’ vulnerability to his calculated diversions. By all means keep the pressure on, but impeachment is still a greater risk to the Democrats than to Trump.
5
@MWR
Trump is simply posturing when stating that the Dems are being political. All the Republicans speak as if they
short of intelligence. We all know that this is about not finding out the truths that will eventually set the record straight. With new access to Trump's taxes there should be some hope.
When impeachment hearing against Nixon were started only some 16% wanted an impeachment. As
the information started to appear the public changed its mind very quickly in favour of impeachment. Most of Trump's blue collar base should react to the fact that the president in all likelihood never paid a $ in taxes. That is talk that everyone understands. That he is a lier and a cheat will become evident also to his fans.
1
Trump is never going to cooperate because he believes that the president is omnipotent and doesn't have to answer to anybody.
The founding fathers thought they had it right by putting the legislative branch before the executive branch in the constitution, making it a government for the people by the people.
However Trump doesn't believe in that type of government and this administration is going to fight tooth and nail until this is over one way or another.
Normally I would end with come on 2020, but it looks like he's going to fight that as well.
12
The Mueller Report did not find "no evidence" of conspiracy or coordination with Russia by Trump. It did not find evidence beyond a reasonable doubt sufficient to support an indictment. This is an enormous difference.
23
Michael: It didn’t rule it out either. It’s difficult to zero on conspiracy when witnesses and other targets don’t cooperate and destroyed evidence which is what happened here.
5
@Michael Ile
Mueller clearly left the task of digging deeper to Congress. His wordings are elusive for good reason.
Mr. Mueller himself, as we know, is of the school that
he could not indict the president himself. He has
stated to Mr. Barr that the AG misrepresented the
report. If the president was not as delusional as we
can observe today the process would be ticking along
right now.
5
The first sentence of this article notes that House Democrats are "infuriated" by Mr. Trump's stonewalling.
Feelings are not a useful guide when professional politicians are attempting to develop tactics and strategy to depose a sitting president. I listened yesterday to the contempt hearings chaired by Mr. Nadler and heard excellent argumentation both for and against action against Mr. Barr.
House Democrats should tease out what is potentially useful -- both in terms of offense and defense -- from the commentary delivered by their Republican counterparts and think, hard, about it for a little while before taking precipitous action that could backfire and prolong what is likely to be a struggle that runs right up to election day 2020.
2
Steny Hoyer, Democratic majority leader of the House, said yesterday, "if the facts lead us to that objective [impeachment of the president], so be it". We are witnessing the anger of a stonewalling President against the Legislative branch of our government. Who can gainsay the fact that our reality is now a constitutional crisis?
The irresistible force of the Democratic Congress is meeting an obdurate President, intent on wielding his executive privilege. We watched and heard President Nixon's anger in 1974. He refused to turn over tapes of his office conversations to the Congress. The Dem congress of 1974 initiated impeachment proceedings against Nixon. We remember Richard M. Nixon resigning from our 37th presidency on 9 August 1974. Time was of the essence and the Watergate Hearings took 6 months.. Time is of the essence today.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a closed-door meeting that Mr. Trump was "self-impeaching". Jackie Speier, California Rep and Ms. Pelosi's ally, said yesterday that Democrats must take concrete actions against Mr. Trump. The Judiciary Committee found Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt of Congress. We await the full vote of Congress this week. Time is of the essence today. The Watergate crisis happened while Nixon was running for a 2nd term. Trump has been running for a 2nd term since 2016.
11
It really has gone far beyond D.C. being a partisan atmosphere. Our democracy depends on requires our politicians to defend the Constitution, and we better start doing it by not allowing Trump and the GOP obstructing justice. If we allow him to continue is illegal actions without starting, now, impeachment proceedings then Americans better start changing their history books as well as our schools should be teaching we are no longer a democracy, we are a plutocracy. Start telling it as it is.
11
"...Ms. Pelosi said Mr. Trump was “self-impeaching."
He's been doing that pretty much since Day 1 of his presidency. Even his inaugural is being investigated for accepting foreign money.
But there's a huge difference between corruption and abuse of power, even if both reveal unfitness for office. I'm less worried about him being held accountable in matters of corruption (including emolument clause violations) than I am about abuse of power.
Essentially, he's breaking norms no president has done before because the separation of powers laid out in the constitution relies on some good faith of people in government. The founders may have envisioned a tyrant but they probably never imagined one supported by a political party corrupted by lust for power.
I believe the Democrats have to do everything they can given the stakes, nicely (if chillingly) outlined by Jerry Nadler yesterday: "we're in a constitutional crisis that will decide whether or not this republic remains in its present form or devolves into a more tyrannical form of government."
44
Someone needs to ‘flesh out’ all the redacted parts and release a juicy Fan Fiction version of the ‘complete and unredacted’ Mueller report. It would be a great creative writing project, perhaps whole websites could be built to encourage the most creative and entertaining versions of this incomplete work!
2
Learn from Lincoln, slowly but surely re doing the right thing.
Only impeach if you have a strong case (which probably can be proven) and if you have the support of the congress and American people.
If not start with things like censure, contempt charges etc. and built up a case and at least it will help defeat the demagogue Trump in 2020 instead of re electing him if you go overboard with piling on him without the support of the congress of people.
5
What not to understand? Barr and Trump are hiding information. I am infuriated that as an American citizen who paid for the report, is unable to find solace that the information has not been made public.
16
The witch hunt continues, now being carried out by Congressional Democrats. This is all about building a narrative for the sheep on the left that there is a cover up in order to distract from the bottom line conclusions of the Mueller report. It's also being done to get ahead of the upcoming IG report and other investigstions about the origins of the investigation of the Trump campaign, which will not be a good look for Obama's DOJ, Brenner, Clapper, et al.
5
@Ryan Perhaps you could explain for us why Barr and Trump are so desperate to keep the Mueller report from Congress and the American People that they are willing to break the law to do so...considering they say it "fully exonerates" Trump. That has me confused. If a report fully exonerated me, I'd put it up on a billboard for all to see. ( and don't try the "grand jury testimony" canard on me here). same with his tax returns. If they show a brilliant businessman doing what all real estate moguls did, why is Mnuchin also willing to break the law to protect Trump by not releasing his Returns? One last question, please. Why are the same people so obsessed with getting Obama's school records, birth certificate, Hillary's emails, Fast & Furious documents, etc., suddenly so not even tolerant of but adamant about defending the release of a taxpayer-paid-for report of an investigation of a foreign country attacking our democracy and documentation, Tax Returns, which have always been released by presidents? Curious to hear what you have to say, Ryan.
5
@Virginia... Barr has made the full Mueller report available for Congressional leaders to read at the offices of the AG. The only redactions in this version are redactions of secret grand jury testimony that can not be disclosed to anybody, including Congress, by law. Barr would literally be breaking the law if he allowed even Congressional leaders to review that material. That's not a canard; that's a legal reality and based on a statute that Congress wrote. No Congressional democrat has reviewed this version of the report even though all but the grand jury redactions are removed. Why do you think these democrats have chosen not to review this version of the report? I think it's because if they do then they can't keep pointing the finger at Barr and accusing him of a cover up and they also strongly suspect there is nothing in those redactions that would be any more damaging to Trump than what we have already seen. This is all about keeping the Mueller report in the news and firing up the base.
1
@Ryan. Bunk. And that does not explain why Trump, et al, are so desperate to keep Mueller from testifying, McGahn from testifying, the report under wraps...I asked you to not give me that bogus "grand jury" nonsense...and considering he LIED to Congress, and Trump, committted obstruction of justice at least ten times. among other crimes, their sudden concern about the law is laughable. No, the issue here is that Barr misled Congress and the American people on Mueller's findings. He lied. And he acted as Trump's attorney, not at the US AG. If you believe they are not releasing his tax returns and the mueller report because of grand jury testimony and audits, etc., I have a bridge I'm willing to sell to you for a song.
The imperial "president" will never accept Congress, and Democratic members, is a co-equal brand of government.
And his supporters cheer in delight their imperial leader thumbs his nose at Congress.
But then, this is the price that is paid for the lack of oversight over the first two years of the imperial reign of Trump.
9
Sadly, the Republicans refuse to see the institutional consequences of their inaction. Each day that Trump and his criminal organization is permitted to marginalize the other two branches of government signals a slow, maybe not so slow, slide into banana republic territory. What should be obvious now, is if there was no collusion and no obstruction, why all the stonewalling---from the way Trump as characterized the "no collusion" Mueller report, it would be in his best interest to let it all hang out in public---but, as polls are now showing us, most of the public believes Trump obstructed justice and engaged in shady dealing with a enemy foreign power.
12
@Amanda Jones I think they see it very clearly: they're all done as a majority party now. The only way they can compete nationally is to do what they've been doing since long before Trump added overt racism, overt neofascism: limit the franchise, gerrymander, cheat, essentially. The generations coming hate the party, essentially. The country's getting browner and that's irreversible. They're toast...unless, of course, they can pull off an Augustus and change the system while keeping the forms. They are not a parliamentary party anymore, and haven't been for years: they are, as Norman Ornstein, AEI, said years ago in Daedalus, a radical insurgency. He's a real conservative; he's right.
@Amanda Jones I think they see it very clearly: they're all done as a majority party now. The only way they can compete nationally is to do what they've been doing since long before Trump added overt racism, overt neofascism: limit the franchise, gerrymander, cheat, essentially. The generations coming hate the party, essentially. The country's getting browner and that's irreversible. They're toast...unless, of course, they can pull off an Augustus and change the system while keeping the forms. They are not a parliamentary party anymore, and haven't been for years: they are, as Norman Ornstein, AEI, said years ago in Daedalus, a radical insurgency. He's a real conservative; he's right.
1
I will admit I was completely wrong about one Trump fact: I didn't believe there would be any number greater than a billion dollars on Trump's tax returns. Sorry I doubted you, Donald.
10
I like Virginia Representative Gerald Connelly’s narrative that House Democrats got elected to impose checks and balances on a president who is unchecked and ‘unbalanced’.
27
This is one big clown show. Why would you not stonewall an investigation with false pretenses? This investigatory cloud has been cast over his presidency thanks to false accusations that originated from his sore loser opponents. Sad times for democracy. Should Trump use intelligence agencies to spy on his opponents in 2020? Lol (sarcasm)
8
It truly is unbelievable how weak kneed the Democrats are, they allow this president to beat them at every single corner, I give up
2
And what do you suggest they do that they haven’t?
5
I do not think the Democratic leadership is weak. I think they are thoughtfully bringing more and more of the American public along to the realization our President, and many of his minions at the Cabinet and leadership level, are criminals. This can’t be rushed or there could be bloodshed in our streets initiated by those who refuse to see where President Trump clearly broke his oath of office.
Personally, I’m grateful someone is looking at the larger picture.
1
@Dan
Dan, I would suggest that they legislate. Pick a couple of issues (Health care, Infrastructure immigration) do some bipartisan law making even if it gives Trump a win. The Dems are trying to play Trumps game, they can't, he is so much better at it than they are.
1
I think is more important to focus on other things like gun control as kids are dying at schools and is seems no one cares?!!!!!
7
@Jacob You are certainly right. But don't think for a moment that it is not the Republicans who are resisting gun controls. As for impeaching Trump, we can do that at the same time as we try to talk sense to Republicans on other issues.
2
This is the peril of being a outnumbered in Mitch McConnell's Senate. While I feel that it's a threat to our checks and balances-- Republicans in Congress ignoring everything from a culture of lies and dysfunction in the White House to obstruction-- not everyone feels this way. When a group of us were discussing this issue at work, a conservative colleague said, "This is the President we voted for and this is the Congress we voted for as a nation to support our President. Too bad" So there you go. If Democrats want to disempower or remove this buffoon and the culture of plutocracy that thrives off of him, produce a better case for the American people, especially the ones that vote against their own interests.
16
If there is nothing to hide in the report, then release it
Simple as that
45
And there is the idea that certain things can and should remain private or at least not publicized. Consider that, please.
1
What is Trump trying to hide?
Trump is terrified.
Just what IS Trump trying to hide?
60
We need to turn attention away from Donald Trump, for once and for all, and start focusing on the second line who are really responsible for empowering his lawlessness and recklessness: the GOP and his supporters, who are shaming this country daily by defending this corrupt, lying, undemocratic, despotic administration. All those years Republicans were calling Democrats "America haters", "traitors", accused them of "destroying America", I always knew that, when it actually did happen, it would be the Republican Party taking this country down. I knew it because the signs of the GOP becoming a cult have been there for decades, culminating in the election of a bona fide cult-like leader in Donald Trump. Who other than a cult leader would ever say of his own followers that, he knows they are so depraved he could murder someone and not lose their support? This is the leader of the Republican Party now.
80
Take the kid gloves off. Yesterday. The fundaments of our nation are in peril.
51
Arrest Barr. Subpoena Mnuchin then arrest him too. If anyone reading this failed to answer a subpoena we'd be arrested. We either have laws or we don't.
125
@Mark Duhe
Because we want to imitate countries like Venezuela , Russia and China who use those techniques on political foes? People have just gone mad.
1
Isn't this obstruction of justice? I just want to juxtapose this investigation on Trump with the Republican's numerous attempts to investigate Democrats: Obama with Acorn, Hillary with Benghazi and Whitewater, and Bill Clinton with his private affairs that got him impeached. Which party truly is tribal and partisan?
302
@Paul the true answer is that both parties are tribal and partisan.
2
@Raphael and @Paul - what you miss is that there are degree's. There is good tribal and partisan and bad tribal and partisan.
To me Mitch McConnell and Trump are the face of one side and you can see their actions and on the other side you have Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schummer.
If you truly are unbiased and not partisan yourself - Which sides actions are more egregious?
2
@Raphael This is true, but the difference in degree is enormous. For starters, only one party believes in the primacy of facts.
5
Let me help you with your headline. It should read:
"Trump's Lawlessness and Disregard for The Constitution Continues to Escalate"
156
Trump is setting an example...so am waiting for those he is blocking from testifying to follow that example, ignore him and testify anyway.
5
What Richard Nixon said in 1973 is never more true than it is today :"because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook." Well, despite his denials, Nixon was found to be a crook thanks to investigative reporting and congressional oversight. Trump is doing the same thing and attacking the institutions that brought down Nixon. But we'll find out the truth.
18
@M.
Well, Nixon also tried to claim that he couldn't be a crook because "if the President does it, then it's not illegal."
I know things must be said and steps must be taken by Mr. Nadler and the committee.. But, I'm hoping the Dems' being infuriated is theatre because OF COURSE Trump is not cooperating. Requests are something like a frequency so low Trump can't even hear them. Referring to the Constitution and his legal obligations is, perhaps, like a vague buzzing around his head but he has no idea what it is or what it means. Threatening legal action has some sonic value but it sounds like "yada, yada, yada" to Trump. To get Trump to do something, the committee needs to, as quickly as possible construct the equivalent of a tunnel with very thick brick walls, steel ceiling, no windows, no doors, twelve inch thick concrete floor that gives him nowhere to go but where the committee wants him to go. Put a bucket of chicken at the end. Seriously. Anything else is madness and a waste of time. The-man-does-not-do-niceties. The committees should stop trying to be nice and take the gloves off.
41
The Dem liberals in the House are wasting their time and the voters' time. Their biggest gun is impeachment. I'm not sure Trump really cares as the Senate will never convict him so the Dems are just blowing hot air. The only way the Dems can win is by prevailing in 2020 which requires a degree of wisdom and tactical thinking I'm not sure they're capable of. Idealism, diversity and political correctness won't do it.
8
@Mike, they can do both and should.
The only way to bring this clown to heel is (1) impeachment , (2) zero out any budget items to implement things Adelson or Netanyahu want to see done. (3) put people in jail. Trump's handlers, enablers, donors and supporters have to feel immense pain.
There is no other alternative. If this goes unchecked the next President will simply ignore Congress altogether. And there is no guarantee that the courts will side with Congress or that Trump would abide by court rulings he didn't like.
Trump is WAY out of line but this is the culmination of Congress giving away so much of its authority and power to the executive and judicial branches over the past few decades. Corporate Democrats don't like to fight. But the choice is to fight or surrender completely. There is no middle ground here.
18
Did ANYONE in CONGRESS watch Rachel Maddow last night? Is it POSSIBLE that Mueller's investigation was STOPPED before he finished? Is it even POSSIBLE that the report we have seen has no material on COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE?
Schiff has already reported that Congress received no counter-intelligence reports for FIFTEEN MONTHS! And now, the Republican SENATE wants to interview Don Jr? -- when others have gone to prison?
Schiff, Nadler, Pelosi, and ALL elected representatives of the people -- and FBI and JD staffers: Do you want to tell us something? TRUTH would be good. ENOUGH!
5
@FritzTOF: yes, I watched it. And my suspicion has always been that Barr shut down Mueller before he was finished. There were numerous avenues he was still pursuing, but then all the leaks about, "the report is finishing up, yada yada yada," and then the abrupt "thud" of Barr hijacking and presenting the results.
Barr was a legal hit man here. I'd love to hear what Mueller really says to intimates about his old pal Barr who somehow turned into a sycophantic hack right before his eyes.
13
Continue with contempt proceeding because you have to...but don't allow this to consume your time as legislators.
In the meantime, New York's AG office, please get those tax returns to the public!
18
You know, the more I think about this the angrier and more disgusted I get. Wasn't anyone else utterly disgusted on April 15th when all us working stiffs who are taxed to death had to make our payments to keep this country running, while people like DT get off Scot free every. single. time? This man was 1 billion dollars in debt in the 90s, and still living a life of luxury while OUR credit is ruined with a $50,000 dollar student loan and $20,000 in credit card debt. Then they try to tell us that we are lazy good-for-nothings when we ask for affordable health insurance! Seriously it is so unfair. The rotten core of this nation that has been holding us back for decades is on full display in the form of the republican party today. People, we have to stand up. The good and decent people far outnumber them, and we are tired. of paying their way.
277
@Sarah I no longer believe that “good and decent people” are the majority. Trump is just a mirror of a large segment of our population.
11
I’m a conservative but I do agree with this comment. It makes a lot of sense and it is infuriating. People who start with a leg up, even a little on, can risk more and that’s the difference btw success and stasis.
21
@Jrod I understand your concern, but Trump did not win a majority of voters. I believe the problem is that not enough "good and decent people" vote. As the saying goes, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
8
It is known that Trump is a master at losing money. Congress & America should be very concerned about who or what countries are propping him up. Once again, thank you NYT for doing the oversight for Americans that Congress should be doing!
21
I’m a life-long Democrat. The Democratic House of today resembles the Republican House of the 1990’s: A group childish, resentful losers who will mount Investigation after Investigation with the goal of Impeaching the President. The end-goal is to Impeach the President, so it doesn’t matter to them which Investigation gets them there, as long as the President gets Impeached. It will backfire. Trump will get re-elected in 2020.
8
@David The goal is not to impeach the president. The goal is to have the congress treated as a co-equal branch of the government. The executive branch has not provided one thing requested by our newly elected congress. Mitch McConnell has not brought to a vote any of the bills passed by our elected congress. Moreover the president shut down the government for weeks. That is the issue. not impeachment.
6
I find it odd that the Republican Senate and House members do not want to see what has been redacted on Russia’s part in the report. Do they not want to do anything about Russia’s ongoing meddling any more than Trump? I think GOP leadership is failing the country and their constituents.
461
@HonorB14U: of course they are! That's been pretty evident for years. They are perfectly content to give a pass on treason if it means they remain in power. Ronald Reagan must be rolling in his grave. And treason is not a word I throw around lightly, as does the "president": there were documented efforts, too sporadic and sometimes lacking full cookie crumbs because of hidden tracks and deleted emails, by the Russians to work with Team Trump to influence the election. And yet now, neither Trump nor his party want to know. That makes them all traitors, in my book.
71
@HonorB14U
Seems like Russian interference is working for them (Republicans), so why would they stifle it? Also if they want to do their own sabotage, easy enough, in the fog of war, to blame it on the Russians.
31
@HonorB14U I’m convinced that the Report shows that the GOP leadership was also accepting Russian assistance and money.
45
If House Democrats refuse to impeach Trump, I refuse to believe they're serious about their jobs. The three branches are meant to be equal and to be checks and balances on each other. If one decides it no longer has to play by the rules and ignore the other's attempts at balancing them, then that one is in the wrong. Not going for impeachment means putting our future in peril. Congress should be more worried about doing their jobs than the possible impact an impeachment would have on the turnout of the opposition party.
237
impeachment will die in the Senate. they can't do everything in the check in balance. they are only one part of Congress. maybe also blame obstruction from Republicans in Congress!
1
@M V
I felt the same way and I think if ever a President deserves to be impeached it's Trump.
However if McConnell and the Republican Senators vote to support Trump he will be given a "victory" that will embolden him further.
I think that the smart course of action that requires a lot of self control is for the Democrats to make the case for curtailing this criminal President and Administration. If and when the Republicans and the United States people realize that impeachment is required then it's time to impeach.
If Trump is impeached now Trump, Barr, McConnell, Jared, Ivanka, Graham will all declare victory and they will pull out all the stops.
4
Use the power of the purse, which the House controls. Cut off all funding to the DOJ until Barr complies. Cut off funding for the White House, let them sweat with no air conditioning or cable television.
24
As we watch this lawless President from our NY Times bubble, I just wonder how many of “the American people” mentioned repeatedly by Democrats really care about all this. I do, and I believe the only way to stop Trump will be to vote overwhelmingly against him in 2020. That’s why we have to stop nitpicking at Biden and others, and even vote for a ham sandwich if it is running against Trump.
That said, I’m not so sure a lot of my fellow Americans outside the bubble really care about these squabbles with Congress. Americans today are less educated and more ignorant about history and politics than they were back in the Watergate days. With economic inequality, a dysfunctional healthcare system, school shootings, racism and other things that make America such a stressful place to live, I think — sadly — that concern about the Trump-Congress squabbling is way down on the list . . . and he knows it.
32
@LIChef
"Americans today are less educated and more ignorant about history and politics than they were back in the Watergate days."
And back in the Watergate days, people opined that Americans were "less educated and more ignorant about politics than they were back in the Hoover days." Plus c'est change....
3
They were right both times.
3
I would like to have clear information about any shift in legal powers that impeachment hearings would give the House.
1
Impeaching Trump will give him the 2020 election win that he seeks and the Republicans will regain control of the House.
7
@Hank, okay, I'll bite.
Why do you think that?
Why do you think that further exposing this President and Administration as the most corrupt in the history of America will guarantee the GOP the White House and the House in 2020?
14
@Hank Democrats took the house because they wanted to impeach Trump. Republicans will regain control if the Democrats break their promise to their voters.
3
How to compel Trump?
Haul Don Junior, Ivanka, and The other one before the committee, have the New York State attorney hammer them with every conceivable charge, and show no quarter with the emoluments and harassment charges against Trump Sr.
50
@Norman
You assume that Mr. Trump actually cares. I'd suspect that his narcissism is so advanced that he would not be bothered in the slightest.
5
@Frank J Haydn, maybe. But family is usually a pretty good pressure-point for people who run organized crime, even when the bosses throw the (non-family) soldiers under the bus.
But my basic point is: hammer the kids hard with the law; knock them back to the Stone Age.
7
It is hard to respect the law when your partners in governing could care less, which by their behavior for the past...ten years...we have tangible proof. The only laws and norms - again Merrick Garland - they obey are those they make up as they go along. I think the GOP leadership - at least from the George Bush administration - described it as "creating new realities on the ground." It may be that there is no winning hand here but if they don't follow through, they should just go home. Once they give in, he will taunt them for the rest of his term or perhaps the rest of his life until he dies a natural death as the emperor of choas.
10
The Democrats, in the person of Gerry Nadler, preemptively discredited themselves in being able to claim that their demands of Trump are at all related to their power of congressional oversight of the executive branch. And this is because before Mueller even released his report Nadler issued subpoenas for records of Trump's business dealings for the past 7 years.
This demand was not based on congressional oversight, but was rather a open declaration that he will use his power as head of the house judiciary committee to attempt to harass Trump and find any dirt on him he can. Every objective American found this demand to be an outrageous and unprecedented attempt to rip apart the life of private citizen Trump for blatant political purposes and was making a mockery of congress' oversight power.
So when Democrats now claim they are interested only in doing "their duty' of congressional oversight, that this is about the integrity of the separation of powers and checks and balances anyone who is not a member of their tribe sees it for what it is, politics at its lowest and worst. And the longer they go on with this lying and posturing the more they discredit themselves among fair minded Americans.
9
@Michael Stavsen Nonsense. Politics at its "lowest and worst" was the naked partisanship shown when Republicans hounded Hillary Clinton for eons. You just haven't seen actual Congressional oversight for awhile-in fact, since McConnell was elected.
7
@Michael Stavsen I think your last sentence sums up Trump and Mitch and his gang perfectly.
3
He has never cooperated when he's under threat and will never cooperate.
14
Impeachment needs to happen now if it is ever to take place.
This isn't Watergate. In 1972, the crime was discovered literally on the eve of the conventions and at the Democratic Party headquarters. It wasn't until the ensuing years in 1973 and 1974 that the American people learned of the extent and reach of White House involvement.
In this case, we know much of what there is to know about Donald Trump. If he were to be reelected next year, impeachment comes off the table for good. Pursuing impeachment really would be an act of overturning an election.
The case for impeachment now grows stronger by the hour.
98
It is really strange to me that the LAW is that Barr cannot do what Nadler is demanding.
3
@John Wayland This bizzaro claim, must be from FOX, is gaining currency among the Trumpian illiterati. So let me state, over and over, so maybe it will penetrate.
First of all, Nadler seeks to see an unredacted copy of the Mueller report, just as every Congress got any time there was a special counsel or prosecutor (Nixon, Clinton). To do that, all Barr (or Congress, because they could too as long as they had the unredacted report) has to do is petition the local court to give permission for Congress to view Grand Jury Testimony.
This is not illegal. Congress has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution (so has every one else in DOJ and executive branch, although you'd hardly know it). As duly elected representatives, the judiciary committee can view grand jury testimony provided it's requested from the specific court judge.
Barr has refuse to do this because he's also refused to release the full report--the first time in history that a Congress cannot receive the full copy of a investigatory report.
So, no, Nadler isn't asking Barr to break the law. He's requesting a document that he should get, by law.
33
@ChristineMcM -- The release of grand jury transcripts is governed by law, passed by Congress, when it approved the Penal Rules. The courts just recently imposed these rules more tightly, to refuse requests for data on even very old transcripts meant for use as historical data.
The release of materials for an ongoing criminal case is governed by law, a law which requires judges to allow a last minute dump of material on the defendant just as trial starts. Congress also passed that law. Criminal defendants and judges have been complaining for years that it compromises a fair trial.
It is in the power of Congress to change the laws it wrote. I'd encourage that. However, it is in fact the laws that Congress wrote.
2
Let’s stop dithering and get the impeachment process started already. Trump’s approval ratings have been in the low 40’s his entire time in office. Our minds have been made up on this administration for a long time.
Keeping Trump and co. on their heels takes oxygen away from their ability to a) start a war with Iran b) start a war with Venezuela c) start a war with North Korea, etc. Let’s not give him the time or bandwidth to pull a Dubya-style Iraq switcheroo.
135
I would turn around Mr. Raskin's quip about duck hunting. Mr. Mueller went duck hunting, but failed to unambiguously bag a duck. Mr. Nadler wants to pick up where Mr. Mueller left off.
Now the duck is firing back.
12
From the Mueller report: "A statement that the investigation did not establish particular facts does not mean there was no evidence of those facts."
113
@Jane
Yes, as Mr. Mueller notes in his report, the "evidence of those facts" did not rise to the level of criminality.
4
@Frank J Haydn the "evidence of those facts" refers to the facts Mueller was able to gather. Do not forget one very important thing regarding Volume I of the report, the Russian meddling issue: emails were purposely deleted by administration advisers, principally Steve Bannon, and many on Team Trump used encrypted communications apps to hide conversations with assorted Russians. Mueller couldn't gather enough evidence to prove conspiracy because said evidence had been destroyed or hidden.
28
This administration has used the constitution as toilet paper. Unfortunately, the democrats cannot hold him accountable because it was light a fire in his base and the republican party at large.
As hard as it seems, the democrats needs to focus on policy. This is their best attempt at winning the presidency and senate - though that looks tough based on who's on the ballot - in 2020. If democrats can show the moderates and independents they're trying to pass policy that enriches American lives, then it will position them well in 2020. It is so difficult to do this in the current climate, but anything short may cost us the election. God help us if that happens.
It’s not just Democrats that are frustrated. A lot of citizens like myself are. Since Trump still has such a following among our citizens who feel that ‘enough is enough’ and we need to move on, I honestly wonder what this country is all about now and whether it will be safe for my kids 5, 10, 20 years from now. Obviously I am in a minority since the economy is still doing well, but I am seriously wondering how safe investments in this unstable country are. Should I renovate or will my house be worthless soon? Should I cash out of market? There seem to be no laws governing the WH so how quickly will other institutions be lawless - like banks etc.? I don’t trust the courts to withhold the law without political consideration either.
I think there really has been a coup. The Republican Party and its rich benefactors have taken over our country. Everyone else - get out.
192
@JMM - My worries too. If there is no law enforcement at the very highest levels of our government, then there's no law.
You no longer have the right to expect fair and honest dealing from anyone - banks, auto industry, food/drug providers/manufacturers, your insurance provider, service industries, the list goes on. Who will you be able to trust? No one. With no confidence in institutions that serve as a backstop to bedlam, that's what we'll have. It's bad enough now.
27
Keep up the pressure, Democrats. It's obvious from the outside that Trump is far worse than Nixon ever was. Trump's autocratic tactics aim to tear apart the very fabric of democracy. And Republicans - we are watching who of you are abetting this attack on the American people by your preventing their right to transparency and the rule of law.
97
"Democrats and their leaders are feeling a new urgency to assert their power as a coequal branch of government."
That's quite true, but more newsworthy would be the extent to which members of the president's own party might see his stonewalling as a political opportunity to steal the limelight.
No Democrat's career is going to advance by challenging a popular president. However, a sharp and ambitious Republican would risk much to attain even mucher. I looking for a Times report about the Republican who is going to do to the Republicans what the Colonists did to King George. Colonists were English and fought England. Republicans need to fight that fight, now. Democrats can help, but this is not a partisan matter, it's an integrity one.
20
I used to think Trump would be easy to beat if he caught re-election. Not so much anymore. A relatively small group of left wing Democrats, instead of addressing healthcare, immigration, North Korea, and the opioid crisis, are pushing for impeachment. They may win the battle by impeaching him but lose the war since the Senate, with a larger Republican majority as a result of the 2018 elections, will never convict him. The full Mueller Report, which will be tied up in the courts, will be no help. Mueller was no help. Trump's approval ratings are going up, 23 Democrats are fighting over the nomination and the critical issues of the nation cited above are being ignored. Enough of Russia already.
30
Mueller report "was no help?" What was the objective - finding out what happened or finding an excuse to undo the 2026 election?
The collusion delusion was debunked.
Now the Democrats are ginning up a new "coverup dustup" but that too is a well orchestrated hoax, presented as "news" but little more than wishful thinking, bills of attainder and partisian media spectacle.
2
Your logic applies to the policy proposals you list - the Dems can’t do any of those things because they will not pass the Senate. So there’s nothing lost in pushing for more accountability in the executive branch at this point, even if it’s just to make that an important issue to voters. Such fundamental issues are going to have to be dealt with if our democracy is going to survive long term.
8
Please use care when equating the terms collusion, conspiracy, and coordination as used in the Mueller Report. Based on my reading of the report (still in early pages of Volume I), there were multiple instances of coordination that did not meet the legal criteria of conspiracy because there was no evidence of an agreement.
72
@Kevin
And the main reason reason the special prosecutor did not find proof beyond a reasonable doubt (which is not the same thing as “no evidence”) is because of all the obstruction.
12
@Kevin
I should have reread the text before composing my comment. In several places the text equates coordination with an agreement and says no coordination.
1
@Kevin Do mobsters usually write their conspiracy plans down and execute them as legal documents?
Among hundreds of meetings between the campaign and Russian agents, there was a meeting in NYC between Russian representatives and the highest operatives of the campaign.
The publicly stated purpose of the meeting was information damaging to Secretary Clinton, in exchange for sanctions relief.
Flynn was convicted of lying to the FBI about his discussions with the Russian ambassador about sanctions relief.
The damaging information was released to the public via WikiLeaks at the time directed by the campaign. And countless other incidents of election interference were perpetrated by the Russians.
The sanctions on Russian mobsters were not enforced by the administration and later rescinded. To the tune of hundreds of billions. And the Repubiclans changed their party platform to be ambivalent about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
And, somehow, Dotard Jr and Dotard Jr-in-law were not called to testify before the grand jury.
Yet there was no conspiracy because they did not have a signed contract? I'd have to be a Repubiclan thimble-brain to believe that one.
16
Is there a better way for the House to compel cooperation? Court battles that slowly move through the courts will fall off the radar.
20
@Mary M
Mass protests in US similar to France’s Yellow Vests protest? What is needed is not just political pressure, but also public & social pressure: on the WH, Congress (both Senate & House) as well as the Judiciary to speed up processes to ensure accountability
18
@Sarel Van Der Walt
I suspect that most Americans cannot be bothered to protest what is viewed generally as an inside-the-beltway problem.
7
I completely agree that public protests in the manner of the Vietnam era need to happen, and perhaps would be the only way to demonstrate to our representatives that they need to remove this guy. But this is a different time than 1969. The factions now are much more radicalized, and many have better weapons than the military.
2
The Democrats have to ignore any attempts at impeacjing Trump. They won't have the Senate vote and the Republicans will use not having full support of the Congress against them during the run-up toi the 2020 election. Pelosi knows this.
Just let it go and instead concentrate on winning the presidency and Senate in 2020. Don't play into the Republican Party's ploy of encouraging impeaching Trump. It will bite them where they sit, imperil their winning Senate and presidency with the numbers they got the House back with in 2018.
28
@merc I'm a Democrat, and I want the Democrats to do what is right, not what is politically expedient. All the policy proposals in the world won't mean a thing if we don't have a functioning democracy with coequal branches of government. It's like trying to build a castle on sand--without the foundation this country was built on, the rest is meaningless.
214
All of these hearings will not produce any benefits to Americans day to day living. What a waste of $ and resources.
1
@AH
Timely political-expediency is the issue, and anyone not playing those cards, ideologues like yourselves, are acting in a shortsighted, foolish manner.
Voting for impeachment will be hung around the Democrats' necks, used against them, ultimately causing them to hamper their chances in the 2020 elections for winning back the presidency and the Senate.
Open your neural pathways and forget your face and save that nose of yours.
1
"The report found no evidence that Mr. Trump had coordinated or conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections." I believe this statement, repeated frequently in the media, is incorrect. The Mueller report says, as other Times articles have pointed out: "the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." Two crucially different claims.
227
@Jane
Huh? I see how you are splitting hairs here. But by definition, Mr. Trump is a "member of the Trump campaign."
7
@ Jane... Can you clarify what hair you're splitting here?
5
@Jane This is the key point. Trump conspired with Russians but not "the Russian government." In other words, he may have made arrangements with Putin's best friends, but he didn't actually make the arrangements with Putin, so we can't say "the Russian government" was involved in an agreement (even though we know that Putin's buddies were telling Putin everything.)
The short version: Trump isn't fit for office. He's a liar and a con artist. But he didn't officially agree to anything with the government of Russia. He just curried favor with them so he could get a nice hotel in Moscow if he lost.
11
Finally. The fundamental questions are why should he be treated differently than any other citizen and what does he have to hide if he feels so exonerated. The coequal branch of government needs to do its job and seek the truth for the other branch is hiding it from we the people. This President cannot set a new precedent for future administrations. We are a nation of laws. It is clear from awesome reporting, he has been skirting the law all his life and continues to profit from this office. I need integrity restored.
294
@Sheeba "The coequal branch of government needs to do its job and seek the truth for the other branch is hiding it from we the people."
The House is attempting to do its job as a coequal branch whose committees have subpoena power, however, the Executive branch as well as the Republican-led Senate has stonewalled at every turn.
15
@Sheeba
We are no longer a nation of Laws. We are now a nation of Lawyers.
The Trump administration is testing the limits of the Constitution. Unless there are new amendments to it (which I know are almost impossible to achieve), this administration has just demonstrated that the President is above the law, guaranteed by the Constitution, because the founding fathers never imagined a world in which voters would elect a conman for President. There is nothing Congress can do against his so called executive privileges, because the Constitution protects him and leaves the House and the Senate with no way to force the WH to do anything. The GOP is creating the context for authoritarian governments and autocratic proceedings from now on. So much for criticizing socialism, when conservatism is fulfilling the prophecy.
446
@DAT The Founding Fathers brought the Electoral College into being specifically because they did not trust the populace to elect the best people to the highest office in the land, and so the EC was to act as a safeguard against just such an event as Trump's election. Supposedly, the EC was to be made up of citizens of the highest caliber whose job would be to correct the "mistakes" of the common people. As we have seen, it has evolved into something completely different over time.
137
@raerni The EC had a chance and they blew it.
34
@DAT "The founding fathers never imagined a world in which voters would elect a conman for President."
I believe the evidence is that conmen were on the top of the founding father's lists of concerns- every wannabe dictator is a type of conman, even ones that didn't rise up in business specifically by selling phony goods, as did our current president.
Now it is up to Congress to impeach if that is the only way to get to the facts and a clear explanation of exactly what transpired that led to Trump's gaining the presidency. We need to know who every person involved is that engaged in criminal acts as well as any continuing Russian influence over this administration (or rather the sources of that influence).
Some voters may see this as a partisan exercise, but partisan efforts would be those contrived purely for political advantage. History will conclude that there is much more at stake here than the next election cycle.
It is a moment that demands leadership based on more than short term political interests and I hope at least the Democratic leadership will rise to the challenge. The GOP is currently mostly a lost cause, although the Jr. Trump subpoena may be a sign of hope.
12
This is why it was so important for Trump and McConnell to install their own loyalists on the Supreme Court. That former bulwark of democracy is now positioned to be the final step in granting autocratic power to Trump.
387
@Charlie B
Many years a ago I remember reading that Karl Rove had a plan for a permanent Republican majority and Republican rule. I wonder if what we are seeing now is his plan come to fruition.
33
@Charlie B - Sadly and with great trepidation on my part, I think we're going to see exactly what John Roberts is made of. Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are a given - they're republican first and Federalists. Roberts will be the vote that determines whether or not we still have a democracy.
As someone else wrote, we will find out whether or not he's a man of ethics, honor, courage and the rule of law, or just another bought and paid for crony willing to torch the Constitution in service to his owners.
37
@Charlie B
It could well be argued that the Dred Scott decision by the majority of "Southern" Supreme Court Justices, and written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, led to the Civil War.
1