The barrage of lies and abuse of power shown and lived daily by the USA has become so difficult to endure watching. Feeling so concerned for the Land of Hope and Glory and my friends that are having to live through it all.
As an enormous fan America, and the history of the people it has become intolerable waiting for some justice to emerge.
There have been so many reports to show what a mess these Republicans have made to the laws of power.The series of abuses are getting beyond funny. We are all in the war to save the planet and all we can see is an Ego driven man and his sycophants along with the criminality of the family businesses. Perhaps it really has become the beginning of the end of our world. Too many wealthy behind the POTUS machine.
6
Impeachment for what?? Russian collusion??
Democrats loosing
1
Pelosi and Nadler are like a pair of conjoined twins that share a vital organ where one wants to commit suicide but not the other. I’ve always wondered how that would work so at least we now get to find out and gratefully not for real.
-ABC...XYZ+
NYC | Pending Approval
in this most political of all political machinations there is an optimal cadence and pace - let it proceed properly
When Mueller found no collusion that was the end of it. Obstruction amounted to nothing, the investigation went on till Mueller ended it, period. Move on.
2
I am watching the debate and listening to the candidates insult each other. We are in a death spiral and instead of them supporting each other, the younger candidates are acting like they are more important because they are young and the torch of democracy should be passed to them.
We have an individual I the white house who needs to be impeached. Nancy knows that and it is up to us to support the process, get people registered to vote and keep the criminal activities front and center to the American people. Call it what you want Trump needs to go and the loud mouthed do nothing haters of the GOP need to carry his bags out the door.
As this debate tonight goes on I see a few mini Trumps men and women on the stage completely ignoring the people of this country. Everyone on the stage needs to support each other and realize the enemy of the country is Trump.
I think Democrats should've begun the impeachment process the minute they won the midterms. Although I admit that's not how I felt at the time. It wasn't until I realized Mueller wasn't going to bring him down that I came to that conclusion.
The strategy of letting Trump beat himself is the same strategy that got Hillary beaten. If there's one thing Trump is good at it's demonizing those he goes head to head with. Although he gets a lot of help with that from the Russians.
When Biden stumbles Trump will pounce. And Trump will paint Warren & Sanders as socialist extremists. Socialism is a dirty word in this country.
Democrats need a nominee who's at the top of their game. I'm not saying go toe to toe. But someone who has the smarts and quickness of wit to turn his words against him and make him look foolish when he attacks.
In the meantime Democrats need to use all the tools at their disposal. Including using the impeachment process to help defeat Trump in the election if they can't complete it in time or get it thru the Senate.
Ahh, to have the wisdom of Solomon.
Deep Throat gave us a tried and tested formula; “Follow the Money.” The ‘dirty money’ leading to Trump would indict even Mahatma Gandhi and yet Trump flaunts the law by having Pence and his full entourage stay at Trump's resort in Scotland, to get more Fed dollars, even as it created hazards all across Scotland tying up traffic by being so far from Govt business.
It does not take rocket science to piece together that Trump is using every possible means of his office to enrich Trump. Yet the racists in control of the GOP and racist followers stand firmly with him because he is a racist at heart, like them.
Wisdom demands that the leaders of the opposition do their job while getting this started beautifully in timing, the Blue Wave was a precursor of the Blue Tsunami and it too, will come. “Et tu, Trump, You too, shall fall.”
Nancy Pelosi, leader of the mighty moderates. The refusal to prosecute Dubya and Wall Street for war and financial crimes when the left controlled all three branches of government in 2008 were the worst things that ever happened to America. If bad guys aren't punished, they keep coming back, and traitors are just as dangerous as the obvious enemy.
The corporate Democrats are in the business of appeasement and accomodation, not leadership and legislation. Barack Obama told the assmebled fat cats from the banking industry that they had a PR problem rather than a criminal problem, then put a money-whisperer from the IMF in charge at Treasury. He also put Samantha Power in charge of the UN. Samantha gave us the utter ruination of Libya and Yemen, where schoolchildren are routinely bombed by Raytheon. She also accepted an award from Henry Kissinger, the greatest war criminal in American history before Cheney and Rumsfeld came along.
With friends like Pelosi and Power, I do not require enemies.
1
The sheer insanity of some of the writers/commentators is frightening.
This may be DJT's greatest trick. Turning previously smart people into imbeciles.
So go ahead, clamor for impeachment. Then stand back and watch the Trump landslide 14 months from now.
2
Moe Nadler is still flailing.
Moe needs to hurry up and figure out what reason they are going to throw at the wall in their little impeachment attempt.
Meanwhile McCabe is going down.
It has started.
Which one will turn on the others first.
Moe is going to look awfully silly as the corrupt Democrats start going to jail and he is still trying to figure out what fantasy impeachment narrative to go with.
Oh woe is Moe.
1
in this most political of all political machinations there is an optimal cadence and pace - let it procede properly
An election is in process, and Dems are taking cyanide capsules in Congress pursuing a losing cause of impeachment. Guaranteeing Trump’s re-election. Are they so incapable of nominating a compelling candidate that they seek to distract? What possible info do they think this effort will provide to the American people that they don’t already know? And they do this on the night of a debate? A debate already going up against an NFL game?
Sad.
Go for it. Let the chips fall where they may, right about the time of the next election. Better still, establish that any time an opposition party controls the House, the United States will hear of Impeachment 24/7. Double Dog Dare You.
2
Trump should have been impeached before this!
Trump CAN BE indicted as a sitting president. We are in this mess because of a Judiciary memo written to get rid of Agnew. Why is this old memo with no basis in the presidential impeachment process being used to protect Trump?
2
I resent the supposition that we who are fed up with the ‘Pelosi/ Nadler Show’ are “ impatient democrats”. We lost our patience long ago-with their ‘leadership’. Their ineffectual lead, has become as expected as Trump’s disposition to inflict pain, ridicule, and with the stroke of his pen offend. If we wait any longer to “cross the impeachment threshold” we may find ourselves falling into a chasm where Trump and his zombie narcissists will be waiting to devour us. The moment is not now. The moment has passed. We need someone to propel us over the pit.
A toddler has access to the nuclear codes, and Congress finally gets around to investigating? Fine, take your time.
There are 7 four-star Army generals, 9 four-star Air Force generals, 2 four-star Marine generals, and 6 four-star Navy admirals. Forget Congress, these are the most important people in America right now.
1
Congress needs to impeach President Trump. The senate can give him a free pass but history needs to record the obstruction of justice, as well as the interference in our elections. None of this would be happening if Congress had restricted presidential powers after Watergate. Maybe they will after 2020 if the Democrats can gain full control.
Above all, Donald Trump must be required to testify, under oath, in public. He'll either have to tell the truth, perjure himself, or take the Fifth. I don't imagine there is any scenario under which he will perform well.
The House Democrats are needlessly dawdling when it comes to announcing an impeachment inquiry.Consider for a minute this scenario- for either death or disability a Supreme Court Justice has to leave the Court and there is a vacancy.Trump and the Republicans would act with lightening speed to fill the vacancy even in an election year. however, if the president were under the cloud of impeachment there would be more reasonable cause to deny him a choice for the Court.This May be too Byzantine but one has to look at all possibilities.
4
Oh how silly. No Republican controller Senate will deny Trump his choice. They’d leave it at 8 justices, with every vote 5-3. Even if Dems win WH, as long as GOP Senate, no liberal justice will replace the selfish RBG. Ever. 8 justices maybe forever. And for the foreseeable future, 5-3.
They ought to add "Treason" on the list.
Any President who speaks for Russia and against our own Country's Security and Intelligence Agencies is someone who is defending a Foreign Enemy against the Country he swore to protect. This is Treason in my book
Treason, according to the Dictionary is"the crime of betraying one's country..." This is exactly what Trump has done regarding his defense of Putin.
4
If you do this - and remember, it will not remove Trump from office as the Republican-controlled Senate will not convict - you will ensure his re-election. It will be on your heads.
2
The House of Representatives has enough on Trump to write, literally, hundreds of articles of impeachment.
And that is EXACTLY what they should do.
Hundreds of articles of impeachment.
The kitchen sink.
Everything that will stick when they throw it up against the wall.
Everyone knows Trump's guilty.
Hundreds of articles of impeachment will REALLY take the country aback.
Republicans know that Trump's guilty. They deny everything, of course. What did you expect them to do? The right thing? Yeah, right.
What are we waiting for?
What IS an impeachment investigation, anyway?
It's whatever the majority party in the House of Representatives says it is.
There's no guidance in our Constitution about how to investigate a president to determine whether or not he or she should be impeached.
There is only the process of voting on articles of impeachment, not how articles of impeachment are written.
Anything that passes a majority vote of the House of Representatives as an article of impeachment, is an article of impeachment.
Let's DO this!
7
Inching towards impeaching, with miles to go.
All along giving ammo to the GOP that proved the Democrats are on a witch hunt.
Who thought up this brilliant strategy?
1
@AutumnLeaf
Whaaaaat?
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
-- Edmund Burke
I realize that:
- impeachment is more a political process than a legal one
- it's dangerous politically to enter a fight that one is not certain to win
- impeachment is a losing proposition in the Republican-majority senate
- all of the above points must enter any calculus of whether or not impeachment is a prudent move.
BUT... Trump has a list of corrupt acts more than double that of his days in office (https://corrupt.af/), and it's time for all good men (and women) to invoke Burke and not be the doers of nothing.
4
If no impeachment is brought against Trump then the entire process is a complete and total sham. What more does a sitting President have to do to finally be held in check?
This is political cowardice, plain and simple. I have always voted Democrat, but the Democratic leadership more and more shows itself to be toothless and gutless in the face of blatant political corruption by hard line Republicans.
2
I look forward to impeachment and what it’s going to make clear to the American public. We know from the Mueller Report there was no conspiracy with regards to Russia and Trump. We also know the Clinton campaign ultimately funded the Russian dossier, which formed the basis of the entirety of the special counsel probe in the first place. Therefore the impeachment probe with regards to obstruction will be based on prosecution for actions which were carried out defy an attempted coup d’etat and a thwarting of democracy itself. The Western translation is as follows: “Yeah, sure, this here desperado didn’t steal that horse, but we need to hang him for trying to get away from the posse”
Fans of this injustice would shred the constitution in order to “get” Trump and Jerry Nadler is literally standing over the shredder with this action. Because it’s unwinnable via the senate, the people will ultimately make the final decision and when they vote out here in the hinterlands, they’re not going to find much worthy of impeachment given the facts.
With Nixon,you had the crime of Watergate. Clinton lied under oath. With Trump, all you have is someone who fought back and in spite of all your hate, that’s the truth of the matter.
6
Thanks for the Trump-Putin line. Sorry but we do know from the Mueller report that Russia worked to get Trump elected, that Trump and company welcomed it and some figures in Trump's campaign gave Russian operatives poltical polling information, etc. Aside ftom that Trump has been the most corrupt, self enriching chief executive we have ever seen. Grant and Harding are saints by comparison. Trump's degradation of the environment will go down as one of the greatest disgraces in the annals of American government, and...that's only a small fraction of what's going wrong in this administration..
@ak: If Russia worked to get Trump elected - without Trump's collusion- how is that a crime worthy of impeachment? And if that's all you got, good luck selling that to the American people as the reason to take their democracy from them.
1
They the dems have all the evidence they need to impeach now but to wait is ridiculous. Mueller laid it out and Trump himself has given all the evidence they need.
I remember when Nixon was almost impeached but dodged it by resigning. I lived through the Clinton debacle which at the time some were saying it was just a payback for Nixon's demise, maybe so but they did it for lying about sex and the repubs were all a glitter with moral outrage. But of course nothing by the same group for this immoral guy in the oval office. The dems do not have the same backbone to go after Trump fearing as Pelosi has said loss of the House. Well, if they do not impeach with all this nonsense about gathering evidence they deserve to hand it over to the republicans who will further degrade this country. No thanks Ms. Pelosi go for it and get off the pot.
2
“Impeach, impeach, Russia, Russia, Russia.” Dems look more demented every day. Refusing to govern and throwing a fit is the extent of their agenda. As a registered Democrat since I could vote, I am disgusted with this party.
2
No matter what the committee ends up doing, watching the Republicans bloviate is worth watching.
They quoted polls showing only public support for impeachment in the 30s while conveniently ignoring that over 80% support stiffer gun control measures that the Republicans refuse to even allow for a vote in the Senate.
And one quoted an article from the Washington Post, which, I guess, for one day stopped being Jeff Bezos' lying mouthpiece and became a legitimate source of news.
Today's formal definition by the House Judiciary Committee of the impeachment investigation accomplishes two things:
1) It keeps the political heat focused on President Caligula's transgressions for a considerable number of months into 2020.
2) It removes the immediate pressure to actually vote on articles of impeachment - which most thinking people (including most Democrats) understand would be a fruitless endeavor.
Keep the heat on, but don't impeach. This is a rational strategy.
2
While the electorate voted in 2018 to return the majority to Democrats in the House to address health care and other issues, they also expected the leadership to hold the trump administration accountable for its treason and corruption. I fear if they do not proceed with impeachment, some of those who voted for them in 2018 may not do so in 2020.
3
Time is running out! The Constitution is being dismantled piece by piece by Donald Trump to the point where he feels emboldened enough even to change the weather forecast by ordering his lieutenants to threaten to fire those who owe their loyalty to science and protecting the public and not protecting Donald Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is playing Russian roulette (pun intended)with the Constitution by refusing to embrace a formal House resolution authorizing Judiciary Chairmen, Jerrold Nadler, to open a full impeachment investigation. For her to put party before country as the Republicans have done only adds to the threat our democracy and its "rule of law" faces as it's daily replaced by the autocratic "rule of Trump."
1
A waste of time and a political error. I say that as a Very Blue Democratic voter.
6
Doubts of what, that Trump is a criminal? There are no doubts.
3
And that’s why Trump will win and the Republicans will become stronger and more extreme and move further to the right...because no one has the courage or the conviction to stand up to them. How can you expect to win without putting up a fight for your convictions. Talking and complaining incessantly without having the courage to take action is what cowards do.
1
So Dems expect us to vote for them when all they do is prepare to prepare to prepare.....???
2
What is clear is that Mr. Indecency has committed enough obstruction of justice to merit being impeached and removed from office. What is equally clear is that Moscow Mitch and his coterie would never convict Mr. Indecency. That said, I believe that Mr. Nadler is doing exactly the right thing in documenting the obstruction of justice clearly and beyond reasonable doubt. I disagree with the Hon. Ms. Pelosi that such a demonstrable set of evidence would jeopardize representatives who follow the logic and vote for impeachment. On the contrary, the senators who ignored such compelling evidence and voted for acquittal would have to answer to their constituencies. Bottom line: just do it.
3
There's dishonesty in the Congressional Democrats playing with words. No so good parents do that sort of thing with children; how dismissive and insulting for the Dems to play that game with their constituents.
The several relevant House Committees have been non productive, their only action seems to have been shuffling subpoena papers. Impeachment hearings (the real ones) are necessary as they give the Committees considerably more power to enforce their subpoenas.
There is a sentence in this piece that says this new action (whatever it was) gives "maximum leverage" in lawsuits. That sounds good. However, the last paragraph says the White House can still block Lewendowski's appearance before the Judiciary Committee scheduled for September 17, when the new rules are in effect.
So what difference has all this noise made?
1
Impeachment is the responsibility of the Democrat led house, not of the electorate, nor the Senate, nor the administration. The constitution includes impeachment not as an idealistic concept, but as part of the role and responsibility of the house. In the clear presence of the Trump’s administration’s illegality and disregard of the law, lack of ethics and common decency, the house must act.
Without a formal accounting of Trump and his administration’s malfeasance, along with a clear documentation of wrongdoing, posterity will have a legacy of a broken republic, where all the guardrails included in our constitution have failed.
Impeachment is not a luxury, not a nice to have depending on political winds. No. It’s an absolute necessity in our current situation.
3
The problem with allowing a tyrant like Trump to go unchecked by impeachment, is that it will embolden him even more and if reelected he will wreak unfettered havoc for 4 more years. Impeachment will at least force him and his constituents to confront some of his abhorrent behavior that clearly reaches the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. Obstruction of Justice and abuse of power are at the least misdemeanors and that is all that is required by the constitution to impeach a president. Will Moscow Mitch allow there to be a fair trial in the Senate? No, but that does not obviate the responsibility of the congressional democrats to do their constitutional duty-- no matter the expected outcome in the Senate. Impeachment a soon as possible is in the best interest of the United States of America.
1
Time to put the show on the "impeachment road", and let the world know that impeachment of Donald Trump has begun.
let the House Representatives earn their pay..
3
I have one question for Republicans arguing about process and precedent: Why isn't Merrick Garland currently serving on the Supreme Court?
5
@Janine Gross
Because the Senate wouldn't consent. Duh.
We know without a doubt that republicans would have impeached this president if he was a democrat. Why are democrats so weak? There are hundreds if not thousands of reasons to both legal and morally to hold this administration and associated corruption accountable.
1
GOP - "My colleagues know very well they don't have the votes to authorise impeachment proceedings on the House floor, but they want to impeach the president anyway."
So that tells me that as Trump continues to obstruct and carry on with his criminal and corrupt behavior, the GOP will never vote against him.
Hey Republicans, this is just adding more corruption to the government. Do you enjoy having your representatives backing corruption and not caring about doing what is right?
Disgusting
1
I am massively bored with posturing leftists who helped elect Trump by refusing to vote because “they’re all the same,” or voted for Jill Stein and St. Bernie anyway, and who did pretty much the samein 2010 and 2014, and who now posture like Daffy Duck with his bill blown around to the back of his head, thrust one feathered finger to the skies, and quack about gutless Pelosi and worthless Nadler.
2
Here's how I feel.
We've been kidnapped and are being held. With every second that passes our hands are being tied. Once tied, we are lost. If ever we are going to fight, now is the time. It won't get better later, only worse.
I just cannot fathom why Speaker Pelosi and Democrats from more conservative districts (including my own) are hesitating. Of course there will be some sort of Republican "gotcha". There always is. No matter what Democrats do or don't do. And I understand that Moscow Mitch and the Senate will ignore of absolve. But bringing the truth to light in the House, a formal condemnation of sins, and a spotlight on the Senate's complicity ought to strengthen, not weaken Democrats' prospects in 2020.
98
@Katherine
Yes. Trump's constant attacks on the spirit and letter of the Constitution are High Crimes.
List and explain Trump's High Crimes-even off you would rather great him at the ballot box.
Trump is nakedly tripping to make himself Emperor, but corporate media odds to busy heading at his huge hypocrisies call attacked on the Constitution High Crimes.
Everyone that refuses to call attacks on the Constitution High Crimes are putting our Republic in danger.
9
Simple: they probably ain’t got the House votes, they DEFINITELY ain’t got the Senate votes, and they also don’t have the polls on their side.
Know why?
Because YOU didn’t vote.
6
@Katherine I don't understand Pelosi's thinking either. There seems to be enough evidence already of obstruction and illegal campaign payoffs. Investigating them in the public's view and exposing tRump can't hurt Democrats. And having the Republicans defend tRump , for House and Senate candidates, is almost as good for them as tRump being booted out of Office.
10
No matter how it happens or what you call it, the point is to gather up whatever information Donald J. Trump is hiding from the law. We may never have seen a man so corrupt across so many of his activities, personal, business, and political. He may or may not get the purest form of justice in these investigations, but my god, does he think he’s earned it?
5
To impeach or not to impeach should no longer be the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of the outrageous fortune that Trump brings to this country. Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end his term. To die; to sleep; no more, and by sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks and 12 thousand lies he beheld. Tis time, If not Trump, then who? If not now, then when??
4
One more grain of sand has fallen in the hour glass.
1
inaction by both parties in both houses of congress, specifically their unwillingness to do their jobs as outlined in the constitution, only exacerbates the existential threat that 45 is to america. ironically such inaction prompted voters to elect 45 who promised to blow up the system. how is this endless cycle of incompetence working for everyone?
2
Timid. Too little, too late.
2
That there is so much dithering by House Democratic leadership about whether to impeach Trump shows that the time has certainly come for an overhaul of that leadership.
6
The folks who are arguing for impeachment simply must also address the practical aspects of doing so, along with the likely outcomes. What would the effect on the 2020 presidential election be? Will Senate Republicans come around?
Ok. Some folks say we must impeach, no matter the consequences, because it is the right thing to do, or the Constitutional thing to do. Please, however, spell out the possible or probable consequences of doing so, so that we all know you realize what they are.
The silent acquiescence of Congressional Republicans is one of the principal sources for the normalization of this man who is the worst not-my-president we have ever had. We don't want to participate in that. I get it.
We are, however, in unprecedented territory. For that reason I myself believe it is almost impossible to anticipate the effect of impeachment on the 2020 presidential election.
On the other hand, the moderate Democratic Representatives in the House will be vulnerable. I believe impeachment could (likelihood greater than 1 in 2) jeopardize their prospects, and jeopardize the House Democratic majority. Impeachment could also (likelihood greater than 1 in 2) virtually rule out a Democratic Senate majority.
One could say it is obvious that this Republican Senate would never impeach Trump. When the Nixon hearings began, Congressional Republicans were behind Nixon approximately as much as they are behind Trump. Moreover, the present batch of Republicans are a spineless lot.
5
Senate WHAT? Republicans? Name two! Don’t make me laugh!
@Robert Senate does not "impeach", House does. Senate votes to remove.
1
@Steve Snow
"Senate WHAT? Republicans? Name two! Don’t make me laugh!"
As I said:
"When the Nixon hearings began, Congressional Republicans were behind Nixon approximately as much as they are now behind Trump."
1
Gawd, these old institutional Democrats, like Pelosi Schumer and Nadler, who have been in Congress for decades are defiantly obtuse. What is wrong with these people? Impeachment should have happened AT LATEST once they read the Mueller report. Did they actually read it?
6
Impeachment proceedings should already be going on. All this man does is obstruct, hide his misdeeds in plain sight (tax returns), lies, dodges, threatens, falsifies, and lives within his own little delusion filled world. He is destroying the environment, has destroyed our reputation around the world, and is basically bankrupting our country, which the one thing he is good at, and has plenty of experience in. This man is the anti-president, the incompetent one, what are the democrats waiting for?
7
HofR, please stop tiptoeing. The president is destroying the country you claim to treasure.
9
Republicans can dish it out, but from their hang dog performance today, they obviously can't take it. And no more five minute rule during the hearings means fewer speeches from Republicans rising to heights of false outrage in defending the indefensible. Phew.
3
It would appear that the House Democrats have finally begun to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities to begin the road to possibly impeach 45.
I believe the process has begun too late. I also fear the Republicans will fully exploit the internecine party divisions (e.g. the “Squad vs. Pelosi) to make the Democrats look disorganized,
partisan and impotent to launch a united effort.
Why has it taken so long to seek to compel McGhan [sp?]through legal process to testify? Is any action being undertaken against
Pecker, Barr, et al to have them testify under oath. What about Flynn, Gates and the other convicted felons who entered into a plea arrangement and agreed to talk? When are public hearings to be held so those of us who are ignorant of the findings of the Mueller report will learn about 45’s criminal behavior?
The Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, folks like Jordan et al are loaded for bear on the question of Mr. Nadler’s plan.
They are ruthless partisan and unscrupulous in the attacks and utterly faithful to their president.
This and no mention of what the McConnell controlled Senate
will do, should a referral ever be made to it.
1
It's my right as a US citizen to any knowledge of financial or other connections between President Trump and any foreign power. President Trump's deference to Vladimir Putin, his large cash purchases of money losing golf courses, plus his refusal to disclose ANY of his finances, raises suspicion to a level where one must ask where his loyalties lie. We are owed an answer to this question, no matter what it takes to get it.
5
I hope it's fixing to be an impeachment too! Every day it's exhausting to read and see news where Trump has done something detrimental to either this country or the rest of the world! I get Pelosi, but the politicians and voters are about as divided as can be anyhow, so just go for the impeachment! We all thought the Mueller report would do it, but obviously, not. Every day he causes more havoc and despair. If these people had any other job than overpaid politicians, they would have been fired long ago. Basically,this democracy is no longer of,by and for the people, but of,by and for the lobbyists and the rich.
76
If the economy was in a recession there would be an impeachment, but unless that happens in 2-3 short months it’s doubtful anything will come from this. The voters will decide in some 400 days. I’m willing to wait this out while Trump befuddles around for any victory he can conjure up in his head. The general public has grown tired of this charade and will make their voices clear.
1
Speaker Pelosi, your choice of expediency over integrity is a loser. As a lifelong Democrat, I'm ashamed and disgusted by your "leadership" regarding impeachment.
"STOP PLAYING POLITICS AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!
Please, for the sake of our country's future.
3
Pelosi’s reluctance to impeach underscores just how politics and power are running this country. There is no doubt impeachment should be in process. Seems to me if the Democrats lose it’s not on their heads it’s on republicans heads. If Rome is burning so be it, we need to know. Don’t put off what needs to be done, there is nothing to be gained and a lot of to lose. We the people are losing faith in the country by the day.
88
@Bitter Mouse Speaker Pelosi is on the same page with the House. She knows what she's doing. Stop the criticism as it's not helping. It's not a divided House. You are all stuck on her language which is just carefully chosen. They will all move forward together when they have the actual evidence needed which is why they voted to begin the investigation. Just let them get there and stop splitting.
3
@Bitter Mouse
People don't really have a clue about the best way to proceed and though obviously many of us may disagree, most Democrats including those who prefer to call themselves Independents and Progressives have faith that the Speaker will do what's best for this country. We know we can't remove him from office without the Senate. We also know there are millions of people who will vote for Trump because they believe he is fulfilling his promise to maga.
1
Donald J Trump is going to be re-elected and everyone will have to deal with it just like the first time.
4
Yes, tiptoes! Tiptoeing, mind you--since the first of the year no tax returns, no financial statements, no witnesses compelled to testify. Just stonewalling and the Democrats seem happy with that. Even with the Mueller report, we got a false summation, and this came directly from the Justice Department, as the Attorney General sees his role as protecting a crime boss of a President.
Kamala Harris just published a lengthy paper on criminal justice reform. I suggest readers here read it and donate to her campaign, just to give her a greater voice on this. One of the things it addresses is that bail and excessive fines is intended to keep poor people poor; that is, Republicans with the former help of Democrats see legislation as a way to attack the poor, especially people of color. That is also Barr's legacy from past appointments.
4
Tip-toeing around the tulips about running an impeachment process is ridiculous. If they don't get this going, they will cause many Democrats to stay home in 2020.
They must go through the process and get public hearings so all can hear first hand from the players (except for Trump, of course who will be too busy with 'executive time').
4
If petulant Dems stay home then the reelection of Trump is on their heads. So will the nomination of another Trump justice to the SCOTUS which they'll wail about. There's plenty to condemn GOP voters for, but at least they understand that to achieve a goal you show up and vote. Staying home or protest voting because you don't get the candidate you want is simply narrow-minded and irresponsible. When so much is on the line "voting your conscience" should mean using reason to understand what's at stake and acting accordingly.
1
@Topher S The top three popular vote totals of all time belong to the last three Democratic nominees for POTUS.
1
It does no good to beat a dead horse. Time to move on.
4
The issue of the President committing treason and obstruction of justice cannot be described as a "dead horse". It goes to the heart of the whether America is a nation guided by the rule of law, or just another petty dictatorsip.
I get the Catch-22. Launch a protracted impeachment that might wind up in the same molasses TrumpCo's legal army has been hired to do, exhaust the public & risk losing the House (or worse) - or set the precedent that wholesale lawlessness by the executive branch is untouchable - rendering congress nearly irrelevant. But nibbling around the edges is the worst of both worlds. I wouldn't want to be the one weighing these calculations. All I know is - all this run up had better produce a bigger bang than the Mueller report.
4
Where do we send the in-campaign contributions forms? The Democrats are doing everything they can do to help Trump get reelected. Thanks!
4
By pushing this inquiry down the road, after the recess, Pelosi and Nadler have only made it more likely to be labelled a conspiracy by the GOP to unfairly remove their favorite clown. By the time any of this can happen the ship will have long sailed. I'm so angry at Pelosi and the Democratic party for being so pathetically timid. I had more confidence in her before all this. Not so much anymore. These inquiries should have been in motion DURING Mueller's investigation and merely fine-tuned after its (redacted) publication. Of course he won't actually be removed from office. But impeachment is hard proof of his wrongdoing and it prevents him from retaining and abusing the vast privileges of office after he is dragged out of the White House.
55
@Erich Richter-A few points:
* The ethically-challenged GOP will make outrageous claims and stonewall no matter what
* Inquiries AND investigations were in motion during the Mueller investigation--but it was important to keep lines clear to muddy the waters legally
* Impeachment isn't the only arrow in the quiver, especially as Trump continues to break laws
* State-level prosecutions and those by private citizens also have a good chance of succeeding. Stay tuned
16
@Erich Richter I agree with you that the point of this investigation is not necessarily and ultimately impeachment but laying out "his wrongdoing" so that the voter can "impeach him" by voting him out of office. There seems to be this belief that you cannot have the investigation without going through with filing for impeachment when this is not the case.
7
@Erich Richter
The GOP are the party of old white men who have sucked the life out of this country. The second they took reproductive rights away from their women and put children in cages.
They may have the judges but they dont have the American mind anymore with one more shooting they will be the party of the dammed. The NRA will be supporting them not regular people who have lost loved ones over and over again.
The problem with impeachment is that the country will be left with the remaining "tender of the swamp" plus a collection of sycophants and acolytes.
We need a clean sweep change through an election. Keep the pressure on all aspects of draining the entire swamp.
1
He has committed so many crimes at this point that the idea impeachment is confused and obfuscated for many people. Not as simple as lying about sex with an adult intern.
I say go ahead with it.
4
Here we go again!! Mr Nadler you are taking this country down another rabbit hole but with no exit. Your committee is grabbing straws in the wind with no end game. If you feel you have enough evidence to Impeach then impeach. Stop this farce on the American people and instead pass legislation that we sorely needed. Represent your city and not the left!!
9
@Victor You cant pass legislation without the Senate. And the Senate is controlled by Republicans
1
I'd like to hear some Democrats say, "It is my patriotic duty to protect the integrity of the government our original patriots fought and died for and every generation of soldiers have since. It is not an easy duty and not one I came to Congress to do, but do it I must. If our sacred Constitution is to mean anything to future generations and if all of our laws are to be respected, one man cannot be permitted to violate them with impunity because the people's representatives in Congress are afraid of political defeat. If that is my fate, so be it. Our country is worth my sacrifice."
14
@abigail49
Eloquently expressed, Abigail! Thank you.
I hope the Democratic leadership is paying attention and does their duty!
1
Bravo Nancy Pelosi!
After reading this article, she clearly called this one right.
2
Impeachment has become a joke, it’s not going to happen. Below is from the non-partisan Cook Political Report.
For months, the Democrats advocating impeachment have looked like a dog with a bone—they just would not let go. The more Democrats push this, the more they play into President Trump’s hand and the more they make the case for being out of touch with the American public—and, thus, unworthy of governing.
16
@Bill Republicans are united; Cheat; Gerrymand; load the courts; anti abortion legislation;stuff the ballot; voter suppression; accept help from Russia; stir immigration hate;huge donations of dark money. Any tool to "win". Democrats play fair; do not cheat; do not lie. What chance does an honest man have against the Republican Crime Machine.
19
@Bill I cannot think of anyone more unworthy of governing so much as a household pet as Donald J Trump.
5
@Bill
Non-partisan doesn't mean you have no agenda.
Corporate media is not partisan. It's not liberal. Its corporate. It says whatever it thinks will get them more corporate tax cuts. If this was not true, non-partisan media would explain that tax cuts for the rich has never raised revenue or made more the a fragile bubble in the economy.
The Constitution protects the Press so the Press can protect the Constitution. If the Press falls to protect the Constitution, the Press and many others will be brutally murdered. This only sounds outlandish if you have not spent the last five decades watching right-wing dictators around the world filling up mass graves with journalists and human rights activists.
Save your Constitutional Republic from the lying, hateful, greedy, violent Right-wing terrorist sympathisers.
2
Impeach Donald J. Trump, the Russian-elected president, the top leader of the corrupt Republican party NOW.
3
Can you tiptoe while you’re wearing spiked shoes (like golf shoes)?
I hope so.
Tiptoe now
Stomp later
2
Yawn. The rudderless impeachment ship ran aground months ago and will stay put in stagnant swamp waters. Until it sinks. Good luck to the USA.
11
Impeachment in an election year?
Get ready for a civil war.
9
I think Mr. Gohmert summed it up correctly. In Texas when you are fixing to do something there can be quite a pause before something get's done.
Anyone who has read the Mueller Report, and I have, know that there are more than enough grounds on which to begin impeachment proceedings. The "impeachment enquiry or investigation" is part of those proceedings. This is just pitiful parsing on the part of the House Judiciary Committee.
In Texas they have another saying when someone asks if you have completed your task.
The answer to, "Have you done it yet? is "I'll get around to it. Thing is, I just don't have enough round to its right now."
A domani.
3
Unfortunately, 20 years ago the republicans so trivialized the solemnity of impeachment with their reckless use of it against Bill Clinton, that the Democrats are afraid to use that tool against the most corrupt man and administration in our nation's history.
Clinton's railroading was about his lying under oath about an affair. Oh my, the horror.
Right now, the Democrats aren't trying to figure out what to impeach him over, but how to prioritize the list of impeachable offences.
If Clinton's impeachment farce hadn't happened, 45 would have been gone 6 months ago.
One more thing republicans have ruined...
11
@KEM
Please explain how having sex with an intern
in a Government office is not a fireable offense ?
The rest of us would have been let go as soon as it was found out.
Then for the President to go on National TV an lie directly
to the American People, encourage/force Democrats in Congress to go out and deceive the American people and then ask his personal secretary to hide a box full of evidence and not tell him where it was subsequently located is not sufficient to remove Clinton from office, what more do you want ?
4
It's time to impeach. Make the Republicans in the Senate go down in history enabling Trump.
I understand that Trump wants to be impeached so he can play the victim, but so what?
We know who and what Trump is. Make his enablers the issue. Force them to soil themselves for all of history. Force them to ask themselves, what if the Trump Crazy Train wrecks the world after I voted to keep him in office? Or, what if my future progeny change their names in shame at the disgrace I have brought upon this family?
Don't give Trump all of the spotlight. Shine a light on the Republicans in the Senate, and force them to vote for Trump--or not.
President Pence is not what I want to hear, but he has some track record of functioning rather than unending chaos, and he wouldn't gaslight everyone who knows where Alabama is during a hurricane. Most people don't have it in them to be as dangerously unhinged and chronically dishonest as Trump. We have to try to get rid of Trump.
12
@Ann
Pence has clearly demonstrated to all his inability to operate as anything other than a spineless toady.
He would pardon Trump, plot an “End Times” strategy — without the time or capacity to carry it out, and do little else, if he were put in the position of President.
We could deal with that.
Does Rep. Nadler believe he is above the procedures and above Speaker Nancy Pelosi?
5
About time. Period. Just do it.
15
Congress has a duty to follow the law. Since the extraordinary amount of evidence indicates the he repeatedly and flagrantly performed crimes, The House of Representatives must start impeachment proceedings and gather evidence. As mentioned by others McConnell & Republican Senators will work lock step to crush a Trial in the Senate if The Dems can get the votes for impeachment.
The key influencer in all is persuading the American people ( particularly independents) that the plethora of crimes are so heinous that backing down now would be unconscionable. Mr. Trump has so besmirched the office of the President the choice to avoid prosecution will forever taint the Presidency and the Constitution to a point that will enable a more evil holder of that office to conduct even more damaging actions against citizen of our country and the world...if that can even be imagined.
19
Just like Watergate, the people that witnessed the president commit his misdeeds and outright crimes need to be paraded on TV for everyone to see. Everyone likes a good episode of Law & Order. Everyone is exhausted by Trump TV. Time for the Democrats to change the channel.
6
This article uses the word impeachment at least 18 times, but never uses the words "High Crime," or even "Misdemeanor."
If I wrote an article about omelettes that used the word omelette 28 times, but never mentioned eggs, it wouldn't tell you much about omelettes.
Section 4 of Article II of the Constitution says that the President can only be removed from office for High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Before anyone ever uses the word impeachment, the president needs to be accused of High Crimes! An impeachment is like an indictment of the president. You can't indict someone without accusing them of a crime, and you cant't impeach a president without accusing them of High Crimes.
When you have a corporate media that keeps talking about impeachment without ever mentioning High Crimes, something is dreadfully wrong.
Mueller accused the president of Obstruction which is a felony. Democrats and the media should have pointed out that Nixon resigned over obstruction and Clinton was impeached for it, so that is probably a High Crime.
Say High Crime!
13
@McGloin
Mueller DID NOT accuse the President of obstruction.
8
@McGloin
Hmm, more accurately, Mueller investigated incidents of alleged obstruction, then decided not to charge. Many of them went to the intent of the president when analyzing other constitutionally protected acts (firing Comey). No lying under oath (clinton) or audiotapes (Nixon) found in Mueller's investigation.
Understand that criminal standards are different than criminal, but clearly Democrats want this to further smear the president, not to impeach, which they know will never clear the Senate.
6
“As we say in Texas, this is fixing to be an impeachment,”
As we say in the rest of the country, let's hope it is so!
11
This is a slow boat to nowhere
9
Impeachment should have started months ago. There is no leadership in the Democratic Party. Pelosi is a joke. Pelosi has had years to pull the party together, but it remains an unfocused mess. It doesn't matter if impeachment won't pass the Senate. This President has to be held accountable or the entire government is without meaning. The Democrats have to do their job. What example does it set for our citizens if you don't do what is right because you might not win? Pelosi is as bad as McConnell. I hope she gets voted out of office so the party can make some progress in the future.
11
Democrats and Republicans would have impeached President Obama for any one of the many sins of Donald Trump. When are Democrats or Republicans going to have that conversation? It is the pink elephant in the room.
5
Impeachment may help Trump, because it can not go through. Democrats should focus on the election and not sending mixed messages to voters. How come I am getting more worried for the possibility of second Trump term.
6
They're only doing this to mollify their base and avoid being primaried.
They're playing word games because they don't have the votes in the House to even get started on Impeachment.
They keep mentioning the Senate to hide the fact that they don't even have the House.
8
@True Observer Well, this president annoys me on a daily basis as he pushes his thumb further up the nose of Lady Democracy. If this action accomplishes one thing, and that is to "get on his last nerve", I'm good.
2
Regardless of what Nadler, Pelosi and Hoyer call it, the correct description of what the Democrats in the House have been doing is "fiddling while Rome burns."
The Democrats have had the majority since January and Trump's grotesque abuses have only gotten worse as he sees they are too afraid to stop him: Grifting for his properties; blabbering state secrets; instructing Treasury to defy a lawful request for his tax returns; instructing former aides to defy lawful subpoenas in order to cover up his obstruction of justice; orchestrating lies about the weather, for God's sake. It's endless and it's a clear, present, and immediate danger to this Republic and its citizens.
Pelosi et al have failed this country. They violate their oaths when they allow calculations about the next election to get in the way of their duty to remove a lawless and patently unfit president. The collapse of this country is mostly on the Republicans who prop Trump up, but it is plenty on the House Democrats who fail to stop him too.
97
@al
Exactly. Say he words High Crimes whether you want to impeach or win the elections. Why won't Democrats say the truth?
5
@al
Really then get yourself into gear, get people registered to vote, get people to the polls. That is our job so stop complaining about Nancy and grow up. We are in a death spiral and we all know what needs to be done. Stop waiting for others and step up to the plate Your a NY so get busy, if Rome burns it is our fault
@Tony I did that in 2016 and 2018 -every weekend and I helped narrowly flip a swing district. I did my job in 2018 to get Pelosi her majority so she could put a check on the national emergency that is Trump. She’s not doing hers, and every day things get worse on her watch. She deserves all the criticism she gets until she does what people like me put her there to do. And she ought to stop taking her base for granted - because, after all, why spend every weekend knocking on doors to elect fiddlers?
As General Patton said: "Lead, follow, or get out the way!"
Nancy Pelosi needs to take one of those options. Our democracy, our nation's security is at stake because of Trump's actions and words. The longer he remains in office - an office he secured with help of a foreign nation which he invited - the more danger he represents. Mrs. Pelosi's dissembling and political calculus is a failure of her sworn duty and of leadership. If she doesn't have the moral conviction to proceed with impeachment, she should 'get out of the way'.
7
I am more and more convinced that House Democrats are dragging their feet on this whole impeachment debacle because they know that every one of their caucus is just as corrupt as their partners in crime on the Republican side. And they know that the Republicans know this, and will drag it all out during public hearings. The "American Experiment" is over - it was a good run.
5
Impeachment would be incredibly divisive and end up going nowhere in the Senate. In the through the looking glass world we currently inhabit, impeachment would likely help Trump by energizing his base and right-leaning independents. That could be enough to tip the scales in crucial swing states.
I support Speaker Pelosi on this one, and we all know what we have in the White House. Though he probably deserves to be impeached, let's remove Trump at the ballot box.
17
@Mark McIntyre Oh please wake up from the corporate propaganda. Nancy does not serve us, she serves the donors and it is important to impeach the horrid president because for one thing it is the job of the House and he has already broken laws easily provable. Second it should go on record which republicans vote against impeaching this monster, it will brand them for all time as being a traitor to this country. I like that.
11
@Mark McIntyre While I understand the politics, and yet it still seems ridiculous...if any President deserved to be impeached it's this one. And what are we saying to future Presidents who might abuse power...it's OK, you go ahead, we won't stand in your way. Congress should use the process as a political tool: hold hearings, build the case in public and then culminate that in a vote to impeach at just the right time before the election.
10
@cheerful dramatist
Al Green has tried and Democrats don't have enough Democrats to vote for impeachment.
4
This is pointless. It's irrelevant whatever this investigation uncovers, no matter how hideous and/or illegal. The fan base will still be there. Even if the House votes impeachment, McConnell will kill it. Concentrate money and efforts on the 2020 election. Vote Trump out because this impeachment biz is a waste of time.
11
@Cody McCall
How do we address his corrupt use of his businesses as money-makers from taxpayer funds if we don’t impeach him? If the House impeaches and the Senate refuses to convict, it would send a very loud message that the Senate endorses his blatant violation of the emoluments clause, among other violations. The onus would be on the Senate.
4
The democrats must act very cautiously. They get one chance at this. If they misstep, it will only make the president more powerful. Any other administration would have been reprimanded and/or ousted long ago. DJT is the kind of person who brings a gun to a sword duel. He fights dirty and loves wrestling in the gutter to get his way. He's also very intuitive and smart in his own way. Years of producing a hit reality tv show with weekly manufactured drama will do that. He will leverage one small mistake into an opportunity to rip apart the country to his benefit. All of the previously unspoken rules and norms have been thrown out the window. There is no such thing as respect for law or the office held. There is no such thing as honor. There is no such thing as caring for the well being of the country as a whole. For DJT there is only a selfish thirst for power and a desire to fill his bottomless pit of a dark soul with adulation from his followers. I wish the democrats luck...
13
Donald Trump deserves to be impeached. In addition to his trying to interfere with the Russia investigation, he has many financial transgressions, that do not even include his refusal to release his tax information. All of this is obvious to voters who are able to think about it, and have not been swayed by his tyrannical methods, and "dad has got this, don't you worry dear" demeanor. The problem that gets in the way of the impeachment is the blind adoration of some of his followers who could mobilize to protect their "king". The fact that we are not that many months from 2020 makes an impeachment strategy risky politically. Because of this, and the fact that the right is as cunning as a fox, I think the strategic action, would be to see if a Democrat wins office; if not, then I vote for full impeachment.
4
@K.M
The problem with this plan is that Trump, while campaigning, can claim that the Democratic House did not feel it had the ability to impeach him because he did nothing wrong. A win for him. If Pence is his running mate again and he is elected and then impeached, we are stuck with Pence who wants to instigate a theocracy. I felt as you do until I realized that not impeaching also gives Trump a win. If we are in a lose/lose situation, I vote to impeach.
1
Unfortunately for the Democrats and fortunately for Mr Trump the base of the Democratic Party is too small to elect anyone. Combine impeachment with the socialism of Warren or Sanders and you will turn off the vast majority of Americans. How about running on some ideas? Please remember how the Obama wasn’t born here worked for the Republican Party.
1
It's well past time to end the semantic charade that has no legal standing and have the House authorize an impeachment investigation. A majority of House Democrats now favor it, and it would put a swift end to the obstruction by the Trump White House. There is a lengthening list of criminality on an almost weekly basis such as the blatant "emoluments" clause violations by Vice President Pence using an inconveniently located Trump property on his recent tax-payer paid trip to Ireland, and to the military also using another depressed Trump resort in Scotland. And, of course, Trump's order for the illegal seizure of land to build his border wall. The more the House dithers, the more Trump erodes our "rule of law" and undermines our democracy.
5
I had a notion a while back to sponsor a slow-walking competition here in Tucson. Contestants would be assigned lanes and provided numbered jerseys and then walk around the local race track as slowly as possible while being judged by referees to actually be moving. The win would go to the slow walker traveling the shortest distance in two hours.
Among House Democrats, this whimsy has become reality. Pelosi, the obvious favorite looks to be too far ahead to lose.
1
I think it should be obvious at this point that the Jerrold Nadler is putting on a stage show. Today it gives MSNBC and CNN a full day of reporting and interviews but it will never go to the floor of the House because once it does and fails, Nadler and company can't talk about anymore.
The last thing I'd want to do is agree with Louie Gohmert but seriously "...committee is engaged in an investigation that will allow us to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment," when there is only 418 days left before the election. And there is much less time before the excuse "We can't have an impeachment inquiry during an election campaign" comes into play.
It only has slightly more impact than when John Conyers gathered a few in a basement in Congress to have an impeachment discussion about Bush and Cheney. Then when the media lost interest Conyers tried for a few headlines with "if three more Congress members get behind impeachment I will start the impeachment proceedings." Three more didn't so it all went away.
In the end it turned out that all of Conyer's talk, just like the introduction of H.R.676 every two years, was to gin up donations from the left. Conyers even toured the nation with John Dean to put on a stage show just before the 2004 election.
Nancy Pelosi stood firm against Conyers but more people understood it was only a stage show back then. Now she once again stands firm as presidential power grows even stronger with even less checks on the power.
2
I love that Dems are paving the road to a red wave in 2020. Free health care for Illegals, open borders, reparations, wealth taxes, green new deal taxes, banning guns and now impeaching our president. Keep in mind that even the non-partisan inspector general rebuked Dir. Comey in a scathing report. Which is to say the President was well within his right to fire Comey. There goes one the major "obstruction" articles the Dems had. It was the firing of Comey that was the basis of assigning a special counsel in the first place.
10
That’s funny...I myself adore the way that Trumpists respond to everything by rounding up the usual suspects and calling the resulting jumble of nonsense an argument.
2
@Mauricio I have changed my mind, I hope Trump wins because the pain he will inflict on his own base will be priceless!!!
@Mauricio Trump supporters only get excited by simple words, and extreme ones.
Consider, I could write an essay on immigration issues, but Trump fans would not vote for me. 'Open Borders' yeah, yeah, yeah, get all excited and emotional and throw this at the 'libs'. Trump then tosses the football back, and his fans get a bit more excited!
Ban guns, oh no! How awful. Thats terrible. Don't vote for me! We would love to ban guns, but again, the issue is complex, and lengthy and boring, and Trump fans find lengthy difficult.
Vote for Trump! I love insults! I love moronic Tweets! I love rallies! He's the BOSS! He's so STRONG! He FIGHTS back!
I wonder how his die-hard fans will survive without their daily narcissist feedback? Will they live the rest of their lives in various stages of grief?
The Republicans, favoring party over country, have done everything possible to avoid an inquiry because they fear what it might uncover. At the same time, the Democrats continue to be incredibly cautious in advancing one because they fear that they may not uncover enough, and hand Republicans a political advantage. Both sides, in their own way are doing a disservice to the country. The Mueller report demonstrated quite conclusively that an inquiry, at a minimum, is warranted. What ever happened to elected officials being willing to do the job they were elected to?
5
It seems a slow start, so much damage has been done by Trump, laws broken, broken international agreements, the reckless behavior and lack of coherent policy, children stolen from their parents and put into cages, the unrelenting cashing out of our country and its resources.
Trump got away with it all because for two years, Republicans who had the power to stop him, didn’t.
Republicans don’t care if our country is dismantled, if refugees are treated like criminals, if Americans go broke or die because they can’t afford healthcare, if our national treasures are sold out to the companies that spend the most at Trump properties, or even if our water is safe to drink.
Democrats have held the house for less than a year. They know the Senate will watch our country go up in flames before even raising their collective voice against this man Trump.
Impeachment isn’t the safe thing to do, Trump will not be removed by the Senate.
Impeachment is the right thing to do. And it’s necessary in order to get proof of this Administration’s criminal behavior past the Fox propaganda firewall.
Godspeed.
5
They should be running full speed toward an impeachment trial.
8
As a Democrat, I am frustrated and angry that the impeachment process has not been definitively and robustly undertaken in the House.
3
Excellent article. I'm betting that within the next 4 days the Trump administration will block Mr. Lewandowski's appearance before the committee.
4
Considering the rigor by which the GOP pulled through their latest scam in North Carolina yesterday the DEMs should finally act decisively. This is what the GOP does when they see see the slightest advantage on their side. Voters seem to accept this ruthlessness.
What voters will not tolerate this self inflicted agony resulting from 2 steps forward and 1 step backwards. This is like throw me in the water but don't make me wet.
DEMs act NOW or you will hear every day in next election campaign that the President has a clean coat as otherwise you would have pursued impeachment like the GOP would have done in reverse situation, no doubt.
47
Oh when a republican wins when everyone in the media was predicting he would lose its a scam. Sort of like Hillary was going to win in a landslide till she didn’t. Most Americans outside of the left and East Coast Dem strongholds could care less about the stuff. You need to motivate people in MI not California. Keep it up and re-elect Mr Trump!!
@Bill Thank goodness 70% of the country, and 99% of the world, care about decency, morality, integrity, and honesty. From here in the UK, we have our own mini Trump, and our own nonsense to deal with.
Any functioning ADULT 2020, please.
Trump won't be indicted because it is "policy" not to have the law apply to the President. He won't be impeached because Republicans in the Senate think their party is more important than their country. And Trump won't be indicted after he leaves office because everyone will think it would be "unseemly" in the greatest country on earth to do so. So, ultimately Trump will "win". Of course America will never be respected ever again in the community of nations.
18
Sad day when the House of Representatives, all of whom swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, cannot just get on with it and vote to initiate an impeachment inquiry.
If not Trump, that means that no president in the future will ever be held accountable because if Trump can get away with breaking the law in plain sight, why can't they all?
What the few principled Democrats are hoping, of course, is that they can dance around the semantics of this thing, and still get the courts to recognize their right to expedite these inquiries and require the White House to cooperate with them.
But this is the Trump White House. They will continue to defy every request for documents and every request for testimony. And why shouldn't they? The House has already signaled they are afraid to stand up to him. No leadership in sight. I hope the lot of them get voted out in 2020.
31
@avrds
"If not Trump, that means that no president in the future will ever be held accountable because if Trump can get away with breaking the law in plain sight, why can't they all?" The Republicans, in the future, will have no scruples against impeaching a Democrat for the least of the things Trump has done. It is the Democrats who are dithering.
4
This makes me so angry. Democrats like Nancy Pelosi were not hired to make decisions that are best for their political careers in the future. Instead, we hired them to make decisions that are best for the country right now. And that means acting on the loads of evidence that they have against a corrupt President.
91
@Father of One
First of all, Nancy Pelosi was not hired. She was elected.
Second, she agreed to one term, so she's not worried about re-election.
It's called strategy.
10
What is the point at this late date?
Democrats have gone round and round in thinking-about-the-possibility-of-the-likelihood-of the-concept of Impeachment. They might get to a near consensus- about the feasibility by October 31, 2020: Being resolute is no longer part of the Democrat's profile.
7
@Candlewick
The point is to prevent Trump from claiming that even the Democrats in the House found that he did nothing wrong so did not impeach him. That would sell well with his supporters.
4
The back-and-forth about whether this is an impeachment inquiry or not, or whether this is a prelude to an impeachment inquiry, drives me bonkers. How many times do we have to count the angels on the head of a pin?
It's time for the Democratic Party members of the House to do their job, which, in this case, will not be a pleasant or easy one, but it is a critically necessary one. And, folks, if you need to throw a few people in the slammer to get cooperation from them, do so.
Our nation's future depends on our ability to force compliance from the WH team and ensure adherence to law and order by anyone connected to this disastrous administration.
210
@Michael Keane YES! Thank you for this excellent, important comment!!!!
14
@Michael Keane I stoutly applaud your very wise comment, hear, hear!
9
@Michael Keane
Please don't limit your comment to just this administration.
3
Let’s take this meaningless joke seriously for a sec. If Rep. Nadler somehow generates respect, bullies the impeachment thru the House and our US Senate votes to remove President Trump from office, you titillated sorts do realize this makes VP President, right?
OK, go for it.
8
There are no good outcomes, but if there is no impeachment what does it say about where we are at as a country? It basically means the constitution has become a dusty museum piece and we are in Huxley’s brave new world.
49
@JBC (A) They are NOT going to impeach until Republicans grow a spine, and - since they are invertebrates, by nature - there won't be an impeachment; (B) Does it matter that Pence would take over when - after the election of Trump - the de facto POTUS is, in reality, Vladimir Putin?
2
@JBC Republicans are not afraid of Pence and he doesn't whip up a crowd like Trump. So he couldn't do as much damage to democracy and the country as Trump can. He might actually sign some bipartisan legislation on immiigration and some reasonable gun control. Imagine that!
2
This is the most impeachable president in the history. The only real disagreement concerns where to start. And...you’re actually quoting Gohmert? Really?
68
In this moment, I am even more incredibly proud to be an American. Let the impeachment hearings begin. We must save our beautiful country from a man that is advancing climate peril, accosting our humanity, and placing our national security at grave risk. We have had enough.
50
Per Nadler's strategy, it is an impeachment inquiry if the court treats it so. Once the court does, so should the administration. At that point maybe democrats will start helping their own side and stop sabotaging Nadler's efforts.
Impeach or don't impeach but stop lying.
13
I am extremely disappointed in Nancy P and the Dem leadership.
They have ignored their Oath and have manipulated this process so as a political choice with disingenuous cover that focuses on "facts first". They have the facts. They are strong arming the people of this country for political gain. This is just as much of a power grab as any that the R's have done. And we wonder why independents and some Dems voted for Trump?
VOTE THEM OUT
13
sure. vote them out. and who do you propose to vote in? Jill Stein? get serious here. I totally agree that the Democrats should move this forward and do so now. but you know as well as I do that the Republican Senate will vote it down or not even bring it to the floor for debate. but at least the Democrats will have taken the stand that they should.
3
Boiling a frog
They sent out subpoenas, requested documents, and gathered some testimony in the spring
Now that it is officially an impeachment inquiry, as letters to the courts have indicated, this carried massive new weight.
All those buffoons who defied subpoenas will now be compelled or face jail.
Nixon had 46 people were indicted and or convicted. 18 went to prison
This is way bigger.
If YOU are one of them - time to chose. Rule of law or trump? Prison or trump? America, or trump?
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@John
You can't indict someone without accusing them of crimes.
You can't impeach someone without accusing them of High Crimes.
This article uses the word impeachment at least 18 times but never uses the phrase High Crimes.
Impeachment is only one step in the middle of a long process.
As long as Democrats and corporate media keep talking about impeachment without specifically accusing the president of attacks on the Constitution and calling them High Crimes, they are only helping Trump.
Everyone needs to stop putting the cart before the horse. The impeachment cart is going nowhere into the High Crime horses are fed and watered and brushed, and hitched up to the wagon.
NY Times, I demand that you stop using the word impeach unto you start explaining why Trump's attacks on the Constitution are High Crimes. If he didn't commit any, there is no reason for you to ask Democrats about impeachment. If Trump did commit High Crimes, that you need to explain why they are High Crimes and ask Republicans what they are going to do about their president committing High Crimes.
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The farce that Democrats have been engaging in is going to backfire badly. It’s a shame they put Pelosi in power yet again because once again she will almost singlehandedly allow Republicans to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. After a lifetime of Democratic Party membership we turned our backs on the party because since Clinton they have behaved as Republicans did but with far less mendacity.
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Donald Trump should be impeached, and the House should move on this. The framers of the Constitution did not design impeachment to be the brainchild of political pollsters; they designed it as a last-ditch effort to begin the removal process for a president who has clearly violated his/her oath of office and the Constitution.
The list of Donald Trump's transgressions is so long now that it begs this question: If this was a Democratic president who had curried favor with foreign adversaries, invited an enemy of the United States to hamper our elections, called into question our national security services and denigrated them to foreign adversaries, and had continued to benefit financially from his office, how long do you think he would have lasted?
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@DLM And to my list above, I would add calling for the imprisonment of his perceived political enemies, without benefit of trial or even adequate proof of possible criminal activity.
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@DLM
And the deportation of elected officials to the 'lesser' countries from which they are descended.
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"...how long do you think he would have lasted?"
Not even a literal second, after either being chucked or simply "bipartisan compromise"d into powerless irrelevance. I'd even say President Obama already suffered the latter fate by the time Obamacare was largely written, and he wasn't even guilty of most (if any) of those transgressions.
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Four more years of Trump would end our democracy and replace it with an oligarchy. Why won't Nadler say the magic phrase, "This is an impeachment inquiry to get the ball rolling" ? The time for hedging is over and it's not acceptable to keep fiddling while "Rome" is burning.
Many democrats will not vote in the next election if there wasn't even an attempt by the democrats to impeach this unfit president and get him out of office.
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@Underdog
I agree wholeheartedly with you that "the time for hedging is over" and I would also like to see full-fledged impeachment proceedings asap.
But suggesting that "many democrats" will stay home out of spite -- directly (or indirectly) leading to oligarchy -- has an alarmist tone and sounds more like the Trumpian hubris we're all so sick of.
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Finally. In what sane world does it take this long to get to this point? Whether you call it an investigation or an inquiry, the citizens of this country deserve to have a government that does not turn a blind eye to obvious corruption and criminal activity for the sake of political expediency. Pelosi's avoidance has done nothing but allow this shambling mess of a Trump administration to fester in it's own foul incompetence. At least Nadler may understand that if you want to fix something, standing by and doing nothing is not an option.
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What a waste of time instead of doing something useful. This is exactly why Trump will be re-elected 2020.
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@lieberma. And what is something “useful?”
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@lieberma, the House has passed dozens of bills from election security, removing money from politics, gun safety, environmental legislation, health care legislation and others on array of topics but all of them are not being put to a vote by McConnell in the Senate. The House has done it's work.
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@lieberma
Why is it a waste of time to hold an elected official accountable for their criminal behavior?
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Nancy has not gotten permission from her donors to impeach. If anything the voters in vulnerable districts would respect a party with back bone and who follows rule of law and a house that does the job they were elected to do. And if the so called moderate Dems ( Republican light) would actually offer policies that the people really want they would easily get elected. the polls say Trump is at 38 percent. A moose could beat him now.
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One big problem,regardless of what this is being called,is that the trump administration refuses to furnish any documents being asked for. Unlike other candidates for the office of president he never handed over his tax returns. Just the fact that he is dismantling legislation that has been created by Republicans and Democrats and in place for years and his actions harm the people of this country while helping businesses should be grounds for removal from office. Why Republicans allow this to happen is a travesty.
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Perhaps this will spur our courts t odecide whether Congress can obtain records from the Administration. But don't expect a final decision before 2028.
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are there really people in congress who still haven't read the mueller report?
i ask because the evidence against djt, laid out clearly in the report, is OVERWHELMING.
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@bob lesch
Be fair. The Mueller Report makes an unavoidable case for impeachment, but so do a dozen other investigations and criminal ventures of the trump syndicate
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@bob lesch
Yes, but you are not using the key phrase, High Crimes; nor is the media or most Democrats.
This article uses the word impeachment at least 18 times but never used the phrase High Crimes. You can't indict someone without accusing them of a crime, and you can't impeach without accusing the president of High Crimes.
You have to list Trump's attacks on the Constitution and call them High Crimes. That is necessary both to impeach, or failing that, to vote him out.
Here are some of Trump's attacks.on the Constitution:
High Crimes
Multiple acts of Obstruction of an investigation into attacks on our elections by a hostile intelligence service, that Trump has repeatedly asked to help him in our elections, plus, accusing our entire intelligence community of treason for years with no credible evidence. (Someone explain how this is not treason.)
Calling for violence against U.S. Citizens without due process.
Claiming he can take away citizenship.
DEMANDING personal loyalty from public servants (fealty).
Calling the Press the enemy of the People.
Saying the entire judiciary is broken and only he can fix it.
Ignoring Congressional Oversight.
Talking about multiple terms in office, which he calls "president for life," which he equates to "king," without ever mentioning the need to amend term limits.
Saying Americans should "sit in attention" for him with "fervor."
The list is near endless, but you have to accuse Trump of High Crimes BEFORE impeachment!
3
With this development, President Trump will win Re-election and serve as President until Jan 2025.
14
Some say tomato, some say tomahto, let's just not call the whole thing off.
3