“The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place”
That, ladies and gentlemen is what we call a Freudian slip, followed by a “course correction”. If Trump did lean on a foreign government to illegally get involved in a presidential election - this sentence would indicate he was at the very least sub-consciously aware his actions were made with corrupt intent.
9
Do Trump supporters wish they had a sharpie for reality?
8
Maybe this is a set-up scripted by Trump and his cronies. No whistleblower, no complaint & no transcripts yet have surfaced. Just leaks to the Washington Post. I believe he should have been impeached without these new allegations.
If this is a fake story deliberately planted by Trump the older truthful evidence that was already gathered will lose merit. I don’t put nothing beyond these GOP crooks!
6
The man knows no shame ; he accuses those he sees as enemies of his very own actions and yet there is no outcry of enough by his supporters . Our country is stuck in an endless cycle of partisanship and denial of truths . We are headed towards dissolution of what it aspired to be , tried to be , and should be . Torn apart by political bickering , greedy scoundrels like Trump and his cohorts and partners in crime enrich themselves . Sadly we the people are the biggest losers , beguiled by lies , accusations , distractions and all that is ugly until it is too late ; those who protest are silenced and become mute in astonishment or ignored . What is the saddest is that this has spread to other countries and while we argue and out-scream each other , the world burns . We are our own worst enemy and our very own destroyers stringed along by two bit shysters . How could this be?
6
I fear that what is next on the agenda is transcripts and tapes with mysterious gaps - supposedly for "National Security" purposes. Perhaps for old times sake the GOP will even make it 18 minutes?
5
Ms. Pelosi needs to take ACTION now! Impeachment will be blocked by the sycophantic GOP Senate, but it is the duty of Congress to call out the President when he acts for his personal gain and against the country he supposedly is leader of! The House must CENSURE Trump separately on every misdemeanor to date. Otherwise Ms. Pelosi and the Democrats are joint enablers with the GOP of an incompetent, corrupt, POTUS who acts against the interests of the United States and its people!
6
For far too long has Congress not stepped up and performed its duty as a check and balance to the executive branch- a branch that itself is stepping outside its bounds in a way never before seen in our country's history. This not not the time to be meek. Nancy Pelosi and the Dems must do something for once. And not merely a strongly worded letter. You know the president does not read, anyway. IMPEACH NOW.
5
I’m hearing now the so called “whistle blower” did not have first hand information. In other words, there is no whistle blower who was a witness to anything. But what he managed to do was to focus scrutiny on the Bidens’ interaction in the Ukraine. Too bad for them! it’s not looking good! Next, how did Hunter come about a Billion Dollars from China while Joe was VP?
Hmmmmm!
Possible corruption by the Biden’s should be investigated.
1
@Bill Weber: "I'm hearing now"... without a single cite for people to confirm? You're sounding an awful lot like Donald...
7
Trump is a traitor to our country. He is no patriot and will sink to any dirty level to achieve his foul plans. Time for him to just GO!!
9
This "we may have crossed the Rubicon" language is just as silly as Cory Booker's comparing himself to Spartacus. Crossing the Rubicon is something you do deliberately. You take an irrevocable step that commits you to a specific course.
You roll the dice -- as Julius Caesar said when he crossed the Rubicon river with his army and thus defied Roman law, "anerriphtho ho kybos!" or "may the dice fly high!" (the words are Greek not Latin, because Caesar was quoting the Greek playwright Menander).
So Adam Schiff and the Democrats need to say what they are going to do. Will they cross the Rubicon (impeach the president) or not? Decide. Don't dither. Roll the dice. Saying "we may have crossed the Rubicon" is mealy-mouthed. Politicians do too much of it.
Love Donald Trump or hate him, at least he takes a stand. If he crosses the Rubicon, he knows it. He, like Julius Caesar, gets things done instead of just talking about them.
3
My fellow Americans,
We find ourselves at a crossroads. This is not about left vs. right. This is not about liberal vs. conservative. This has nothing to do with politics.
Rather, this is about right vs. wrong. This is about good vs. evil.
Do the right thing. The very future of our nation, and the American Experiment, depends upon it.
11
It is time now. I have appreciated the slow approach to date. While not personally satisfying, the Democrats must be above board if they want to impeach. I think "doing it right" is an attempt to protect the foundational system of our government (even though the Republicans wipe their assess on the Constitution and our foundational morals and ideals). But at some point, you actually have to administer the Constitutional power at your disposal.
Even though I believe the impeachment process will ultimately be fruitless and unsatisfying, a line of power must be drawn. The Senate will not under any circumstances convict (or hear it) - unless Trump goes after things McConnell likes (tax cuts, hate, evil, judges, de-regulation, etc.). That is the only sin McConnell will not tolerate. But, this kind of lawlessness and treason, yes treason, needs to be aired and documented. So regardless of the ultimate outcomes on the future political landscape, it must be done.
His supporters will bray at the moon and love him for "owning the libs" while he continues to make their lives demonstrably worse. They are beyond reach and reason.
5
Where's the crime? But go ahead and impeach, seems Trump is egging the Democrats on to do it figuring it improves his odds in 2020.
2
Question:
What if Team Trump leaked the news?
Just after the money was safely transferred to Ukraine, preceded by trip from Giuliani as a “private citizen”, personal lawyer, drew attention. Terrible CNN reversal gaff, that was like catching butterflies.
TRump call to Ukrainian President: Typical conversation, sprinkle in a couple (8) of “yea, we’ve had the same problem here, (corruption) you should check out Biden...he’s been all over your country, son Hunter too! Robbed ya blind”. Legal? Probably.
News of a leaked whistle blower bombshell- blows minds in the echo chamber. Press pounces. WH won’t release, attention to Biden & Ukraine. How much did his kid make? What’s Biden’s net worth?....And away we go.
No talk of El Paso, Iran, healthcare, et al. China, immigration.
Transcripts released, completely benign. Mission accomplished. You’re getting played y’all.
Or am I wrong?
5
Looks like this photo was at the USA turning point event where Trump stood and spoke for some minutes before an ALTERED Presidential Seal that was not noticed at the time. Was this intentional on the author’s part to drive home a point?
2
Mr. Trump is the most successful cult leader in the history of the world. He has convinced a plurality of millions of Americans to line up behind him like lemmings and follow him off the cliff.
He is more talented than Jim Jones or David Koresh.
The Trump cult is a doomsday cult. "The end is nigh!" You better get yours while the gettin's good (tax cuts, and spite toward your perceived enemies). It is a cult of selfishness, nostalgia (for a past that never truly was), and hatred.
Enter the misguided evangelical sects. They also are doomsday cults, and believe that they need to return to Jerusalem when the end days arrive. They don't support Jews or Israel; they just want that special dot on the map to be under America's thumb. Welcome to the new Dark Ages.
===
I reject this nonsense and tripe. I believe in the future. I believe that the United States can continue to be a beacon of goodness and hope, both at home and across the world. I believe in the real teachings of Jesus Christ, which were not about selfishness and the seven deadly sins that Mr. Trump embodies (the Gospel of Prosperity nonsense, a.k.a. the G.O.P.). As with most great religions, Jesus taught us to love thy neighbor, and to be good and generous people.
===
Dear Trump supporters,
Throw off the shackles of your blind allegiance to a cult. Think for yourself. Care about your neighbor and fellow man, as much as you care about yourself and your family. What would Jesus do?
8
@MidtownATL "Mr. Trump is the most successful cult leader in the history of the world."
I wouldn't go quite that far. The Don has never really been successful at anything except making money from his dad's businesses and garnering votes thru the skill of his trainers. And he's certainly not the most effective preacher in town.
@kenneth
Mr. Trump somehow convinced over 62,000,000 Americans to vote for him.
I agree he has not been successful at anything else in his life. He is a world-class loser. But he found his calling when he ran for president. And most of those people are still standing behind him, like lemmings running of the cliff.
This is what we are up against in 2020. Don't underestimate Mr. Trump's cult following, or the danger facing the United States of America.
6
@kenneth
"And he's certainly not the most effective preacher in town."
I beg to differ. Look at the blind faith comments from his sycophant cult followers on this very article. They will continue to follow every word and edict he utters, even if it results in their own self-immolation. (And it is.)
4
Whisleblower, you tried to do the right thing. Now that you know the people you trusted wouldn't do their jobs, you have an alternative. Submit your notes directly to the Congressional committee, or a transcript of it if you have one, or better yet, if you have a recording of the phone call release it for all of us to hear.
9
The current state of the extreme partisanship in the USA is unfortunate. As the leader of free world .... and that world leader status is in serious doubt and continuing to sink rapidly.
At some point a decision by Congress on the current presidents latest actions must be rendered based on principles not just political power and the GOP or DEMS analysis of keeping or obtaining it.This latest incident involving the Presidents interactions with the Ukraine, and the administrations failure to follow what appears to be black and white whistleblower laws and process is simply appalling. There is a continuing record of corruption and escalating improper behaviour that must be put formally on the record by the Congress.The House should vote on articles of impeachment and then let the Senate go on the record accordingly. Once the vote is held all who vote ( in which ever way they do) will be responsible for defending and explaining their actions.
Those of us outside the USA who are watching find it hard to believe that what the United States has traditionally stood for is no longer the case under the current president and his administration. The only thing that has become Fake News has now been equated with anything coming out of the White House and the Trump administration.As someone who definitely leans to the right, I find it hard to understand how Republicans in Congress can even look at themselves in the mirror.
7
@D
Thank you for putting country above party.
4
@D "The current state of the extreme partisanship in the USA is unfortunate. " Yes, 'tis so. Now the question is, What, if anything, are we going to do about it? We can support this Presidenter; we can oppose this Presidenter; or, like the Presidenter, we can just go play golf instead.
1
Working with a foreign government and against a political is a violation our constitution and is considered a crime by our founding fathers. It’s shameful when there are different laws for different people. Don’t morals and integrity apply to everyone?
5
House Democrats, please show your constituents, and the world, that our government which was carefully built with checks and balances in place, is ultimately about the rule of law. While now we accept this fact without really thinking about it, no one, not even a President, should be above the law. Please do your jobs.
8
Is the focus on impeachment an acknowledgment by Democrats that they think Trump has more than a reasonable chance of winning?
If so bring it up for a vote.
1
@Reasoned44
No, the talk of impeachment is an acknowledgment that Mr. Trump is in violation of the Constitution and the Rule of Law.
That said, if enough American voters in the right states decide that the Rule of Law is quaint and passe, and they prefer to have a wannabe mob boss/reality TV star/tin-pot dictator as our president, then our nation is truly lost.
What is wrong with you people?
11
@Reasoned44 Or maybe they just don't think the country can "reasonably" survive another year and a half of this.
5
Perhaps we've all been played. Maybe by leaking a false story (Trump pressuring Ukraine) Trump got a good of news on possible dodgy behavior by the Bidens.. Biden was never clever and often ham handed at the offensive , but he looks very weak on the defensive at the moment.
@Mark Shyres "Trump got a good of news ..." Huh?
2
It saddens me immensely to report that the United States is now a failed state. We have become a third rate banana republic. Over one third of Americans are happy to cede our government to a wannabe tyrant, whose only qualification for office is being a reality TV star. Our elections have been compromised. (Remember how Jimmy Carter used to travel the world to ensure free and fair democratic elections?) Our checks and balances are not working as intended. Congress and the Judiciary are not reining in the "unitary" Executive Branch, which has been thoroughly corrupted by an organized crime family.
Our Founders declared that we are a Nation of Laws, and not a Nation of Men, as they threw off the shackles of King George.
They are rolling over in their graves right about now.
The only saving grace is that a small majority of Americans are clear-eyed about exactly what is going on. Our neighbors who blindly acquiesce to Mr. Trump, sadly, are lost. They are cult members, just like the followers of Jim Jones and David Koresh. The only thing they will understand is complete and utter destruction at the polls in November 2020.
It is incumbent upon the rest of us to right this ship of state, and save our nation. The United States is worth saving.
Volunteer. Donate. And VOTE!
6
Dear Trump,
Please in the future, if you are going to BRIBE foreign countries in order illegally get re-elected, USE YOUR OWN MONEY.
Stop using tax dollars to bribe and bully.
---
Dear Nancy,
What are you waiting for?
He appears to be begging to be impeached.
Our country cannot take much more.
Democracy cannot take much more.
Impeach this crook and thug!
Signed;
A Concerned Citizen
6
@Rax Nancy is a very strong woman, but I don't think she can just march in there alone and say "Mr. Trump, you are hereby impeached."
1
The fear of introducing impeachment proceedings against Trump was based on the impeachment of Bill Clinton setting off a revolt by voters, who then elected a Republican congress. That thought was stated by someone a year or so ago, picked up by the press and then for months re-stated as though it was an axiom of political behavior. There is some fallacy in that argument. It is a different time with different, much more malevolent players.
The landscape has changed. Every week there is another example of the malfeasance and lawless action by the administration. The delay has America looking for leadership to begin this process. If impeachment were started, it might be the amazing catalyst that would awaken anti-Trump public opinion to the point it could influence the behavior of the Senate.
Even if it did not, a positive step toward impeachment would end the weak-handed, (e.g. Lewandowski testimony) endless Democratic investigations that are doing nothing to sway public opinion and only give the impression there is no direction or purpose by the Democrats and the House committees. There is a tipping point and we may have reached it. We’ll never know unless there is an impeachment hearing.
Let’s not sit idly by while this president spirals us into being a third world dictatorship. Start the impeachment.
6
Either we are a Nation of Laws (and not of Men), or we are a banana republic.
Which one is it, Congress?
10
Based on the timing of his resignation, I would not be surprised if the whistleblower is Dan Coats himself (the former Director of National Intelligence).
10
We criticize Mitch McConnell for refusing to bring a bill to the floor of the Senate unless he knows the president will sign it.
As Speaker Pelosi continues to resist bringing impeachment proceedings to the House unless she can be sure that the Senate will convict ... we need to acknowledge that the two are not all that different.
It's time to act. If Senate republicans are going to defend this criminal, let them do it on record. (Assuming, of course, that McConnell even brings it up for a vote.)
8
Yes, it's time for the House to take decisive action. Trump has finally been hoisted with his own petard. One caveat, though....Spread the net far and wide. Pence has undoubtedly been working behind the scenes. Giuliani, while not subject to impeachment, has already admitted involvement, and therefore is subject to criminal charges. Don, Jr. is likely involved, too.
When the mob issues threats, it's called racketeering. It's time to end this.
11
I'm flabbergasted that next to no commentator along the political spectrum here so far has raised the obvious questions. If Congress successfully impeaches Trump, he will be succeeded by one of the scariest VPs on record, right up there with Cheney. And how can Biden's candidacy in 2020 hope to survive if Congress proceeds to impeach Trump? Any thorough investigation will very likely reveal that Biden knew and or was involved much more about his son's business wheelings and dealings in Ukraine and elsewhere than he's let on. Already in chaos organizationally, where will Dem party look then for a front runner that's got the fewest skeletons in their closets? Does anyone reading the NYT honestly believe that Trump is first POTUS to pressure other foreign leaders to help in gathering dirt on political opponents? Or that the Biden son is first to trade on his old man's influence? Again, you don't need to look far: Jenna Bush's gig on TV, following in Chelsea Clinton's $650,000 news stint at NBC, both without shred of previous experience. Or how about $60 mil the Obama's got for their books or $50 mil deal with Netflix? Folks hungry to impeach Trump better prepared to wash a lot of dirty linen by the time they finish taking him down. Maybe that's just what America needs.
@Blue Heron
So you are saying that everyone is a crook. And that Mr. Trump is no different.
That's exactly what Trump (and Putin) want you to believe. To be cynical, and just give up on decency, the Constitution, and the Rule of Law.
Sorry, but I won't be joining you in that rabbit hole. I still believe in the United States.
11
@MidtownATL ok, so to believe in America we have to tow your patriotic don't ask don't tell line? There's very little that's more American than letting nothing get in the way of learning the truth. Both parties are morally and ethically bankrupt. We need a housecleaning from the top down and it sounds to me like all you want is Trump's scalp.
1
@Blue Heron
"Both parties are morally and ethically bankrupt." - Blue Heron
"There are good people on both sides." - DJT, in response to the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, by a white supremacist.
I'm sorry to say, my friend, that you are truly lost. In the morass or moral relativism.
===
If the Bidens truly did something illegal, or morally or ethically wrong, I will be the first to condemn them. That is the difference between normal thinking Americans and today's Trump Republicans -- who see everything as us-vs-them and "the end justifies the means."
4
One thing the Democrats never learned is that if you don’t like a person, never liked him and criticize everything he says and does then your opinion regarding him doesn’t matter anymore. I would put the NYT in the same category. So my advice would be change it up a little, add a little variety and texture and then you might be a little more convincing.
1
@Edward so you're saying that, instead of opposing, they should support every now and then just for varietys sake?
2
As far as I can tell just about everything in the Ukraine is corrupt.
Can the New York Times please explain what Biden's son
was up to in the Ukraine.
Do we have any proof that Trump said you won't get the money
until you dig up something on Biden's Son.
Trump is, in the end, a "Wheeler/Dealer" I doubt he actually believes 10 % of what he says in any personal way, he is just constantly looking for the next great deal.
Question: If Trump never honestly intended to break any of the laws that he is said to have broken - did he even know there were laws against what he was doing -
Then where is the guilt ?
Naive stupidity - quite possibly, but guilt and intent ?
Meanwhile what are the Democrats going to do if they
nominate a Progressive and the Republican, having
dumped Trump as a political liability, nominate a square talking andswuare dealing Moderate ?
2
@John Brown
So Trump’s ignorance should get him off the hook?
6
@John Brown
"If Trump never honestly intended to break any of the laws that he is said to have broken"
Ignorance of the law is no defense.
Furthermore, there should not even need to be laws about this. Common decency and ethics should dictate that this behavior is wrong.
6
@MidtownATL :"If Trump never honestly" did anything in his life, I would not be a bit surprised.
1
Even a failed impeachment in the Senate has one valuable outcome: It will identify those who voted to acquit the President, thereby making themselves a target for their removal from office.
10
1. Why hasn't news media understanding of this conversation between President Trump and the head of state of the Ukraine, specified exactly what he said? If it's a "whistleblower complaint" worth paying any attention to, at a minimum the complaint itself must have stated in detail what was said. It's pretty suspicious we're not hearing what the whistleblower specifically said that was. And I'm not talking about a transcript or tape of the conversation.
Do the media actually know of any substance to this complaint, or is the whole thing propaganda?
2. Why is it wrong for President Trump and his family to do business in Russia, and right for Democrats to tell anybody who can't shut them up to investigate and impeach President Trump over it, but, it's perfectly OK for Biden and his family to do business in the Ukraine, and, our President can't investigate him or ask the Ukraine to investigate it!
I could not more favor impeaching Trump if he were found guilty of doing more than being a corrupt businessman and winning the last election, but this is more of the very destructive Democratic Party baloney that's likely to cost them the Presidential election once again.
Denial is not a river in....well...you know.
5
1. can't have specifics without the full transcript and you'd probably cry the loudest if the media reported mere innuendo
2. emoluments clause and a sitting president has numerous channels in which to pursue such an inquiry that are A) legal B) prudent C) proper D) obvious when fully informed
1
@Dora Smith "Why is it wrong for President Trump to do business in Russia...?" Well for one thing, because he IS PRESIDENT of the United States. He's supposed to be working for us !!
2
I understand and share some concerns about the Bidens' involvement in this whole affair. Frankly, I don't think close relatives of national politicians should be legally allowed to lobby in this nation or any other. But even if it was a worst-case scenario for Joe Biden, Trump has now effectively done precisely what he is accusing Biden of: improperly interfering in another country's internal politics for personal and/or political gain.
I don't see this issue moving the needle for any Trump supporters, but Congress clearly has a duty to look into it.
5
Just a little more patience is required here. If a transcript is released and it says what many think it may, then I believe we will have reached the point that Nancy Pelosi has been trying to reach all along: where there is extreme political damage to Republican Senators who vote against conviction on impeachment charges. Up until now I have believed impeachment created an advantage for Trump. We may have finally reached the point where a “No” vote on impeachment hurts both Trump and the Republican Senators who vote against conviction. I am finally getting the feeling that the majority of Americans are saying “Enough!”.
7
I fully agree. The real end game is timing around the upcoming election. A successful impeachment would lead to a full pardon by president pence. That's not an acceptable outcome. Pelosi is a very smart, politically savvy speaker. If the opportunity to remove Trump and hold Republicans accountable presents itself, she'll pounce. Otherwise, it's up to ordinary citizens to vote him out. Then he can be investigated, convicted, and jailed without immunity.
1
@hhhman "...the feeling that the majority of Americans are saying “Enough!”. Is that really what Mississippi and Louisiana sound like in New Jersey?
1
It is as if Trump adapted Hitler's Propaganda minister Goebbels' rule: "The more one lies the more remains in public as truth". When he states with a seeming confidence that the Bidens' participation in the Ukraine's affairs amounts to corruption deserving "electric chair", he is lying. I've heard detailed commentaries of the Ukrainians themselves on the subject. As much as they want to be in good graces with those currently holding power in the US, they agree "there's nothing in there" as far as the Bidens (either the son or the father is concerned). But they also agree that their President is an impossible position. He must remain "friends' with Trump and also keep in mind that in a year it could be the other side in power.
3
I hope Biden steps down. I don't think he is the one for now.
5
President is a traitor! Time for weak kneed Democrats and Republicans to Step Up and “Stand Out of Line!”. (Alex Borstein) Impeach Donald Trump the traitor! Show us some courage Congress! Do your duty to your Nation!
5
I continue to fail to see how not impeaching for political reasons is any better than the Republicans refusing to refute Trump for political reasons.
Both are dereliction of the duty of elected officials: which to uphold the law of the land.
5
President Trump has only been more forthcoming with details about his conversation with the Ukraine President because he has realized it may goad the Democrats into impeaching him -- something he feels will work in his favor in the 2020 Election. Don't fall for it. Censure him if you must, but unless and until the evidence is so strong that the Senate will follow through and remove him, any crimes or offenses Trump may have committed will be far more easily addressed satisfactorily if his term ends on January 20, 2021.
2
Trump is getting away with his crimes because no one will hold him accountable.
He is simply refusing to obey the law.
We have gone way past the “slippery slope”.
No one was held accountable for lying us into a war with Iraq.
No one was held accountable for crashing the world economy.
If laws aren’t enforced, we end up with people like Donald Trump, Bill Barr, Mitch McConnell, and most of the Republican Party.
9
If a sitting president can't be indicted (as per DOJ guidelines) and the US congress can't or won't impeach a corrupt president, then who are we and what do we stand for? .
If there's a proof that VP Biden committed a crime, he should pay. Equally, if President Trump's call transcripts show his request of Biden investigation to a foreign leader, he should be impeached. What's the point of having laws if they're not applicable?
4
Why hasn't the Times Editorial Board openly called for President Trump to resign. Of course he won't, but not to even layout what a lawful future for this country might look like is a failure of journalistic duty. The assumption that Republicans will be more likely to consider the Times opinions if they're spared this unpleasant truth is a gross mistake. I think a lot of people who voted for Trump to get their taxes cut are ready to hear that he must go now, if only because they didn't actually get their taxes cut. I think the myth of the devotion of his base is a folie a deux the press is having with itself. Americans understand that asking a foreign leader to use his government to swing an election for 250 million dollars is illegal. It's not a gray area we're in anymore. Why hesitate to demand a resignation?
4
As a gesture of good will and sincerity Biden should withdraw from the Democratic race first.
2
I hear people make the assumption that the Senate will never 'convict' or approve of the Impeachment., to the point where that is generally accepted as truth. But we do not know what the Senate would do if presented with hard evidence for Impeachment.
Anyway, in general I don't think its a good idea not to go forward with something because it might fail. If that was how we approached things we would never try anything...
7
Democrats are Republican moles. Biden voted for the Iraq war. They conned us into voting for Hillary, a Barry Goldwater supporter. Pelosi has no intention of impeaching Trump. No one represents us in Washington.
1
@Eric Are you referring to the us "us"? Or just the Eric "us."
1
If POTUS stepped off the golf course to relieve himself in the bushes, a whistleblower would sound the alarm, the Times would report it as an impeachable offense and House Democrats would go crazy with press releases reporting it as the last straw.
2
I see your point, 5150.
The same thing might even happen if POTUS stepped off the golf course so he could rendezvous in the bushes with a sketchy guy named Boris and swap a fat wad of cash for some counterfeit documents about a political rival.
Man. Are there no limits to what the press thinks it can report?
2
Previously, hesuccessfully obfuscated and delayed impeachment before precisely because, as a private citizen, his behaviors and discussions (Trump tower, Manafort meetings, Lewendowsky conversations etc.) were NOT recorded or transcribed. He also benefited from complicit co-conspirators to remain silent in exchange for (hoped-for presidential pardons) while House Leadership weighed the political risks of impeachment without conviction in the Senate.
Unfortunately for him, virtually all of a sitting President’s official phone calls are recorded and transcribed - and his failure to remember that will go down in history as his undoing. He bragged that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose support from his loyalists. A more cynical phrase may never have been uttered, but in the end, his voice on the record pressuring a foreign leader to assist him in digging up opposition research against a domestic political rival will convince even some of his most forgiving loyalists that impeachment is deserved.
In America, no one is ever truly above the law. We just need to be reminded of that sometimes.
2
Imagine what the President does...when no one can overhear him.
More frightening? All the people around him, even other world leaders...who do not reveal the truths and realities of his behavior.
The Emperor is wearing no clothes...he never was.
1
If anything other than self interest is required the Democrats won't do it. We need a ballot with 'none of the above' as a choice.
Good God...worse, worster, and worstest A sitting president treating with a foreign power to rig a domestic election. Digging for dirt on a political opponent...and ADMITTING it? What part of TREASON do they not understand? He's asking for it. "What are you going to do about it?" Very little, obviously. My poor congress (lower case). My poor Country. Democracy is doomed here. May God help us all.
5
Vote , vote, vote in 2020. Vote out the Republicans Trump/Putin/Mitchell and their supporters who are attempting to destroy our democracy. Vote against those Republicans who stay mum or cower against Trump's abuse of power. Vote for the sake of our children, and their children. Vote for the sake of our democracy. Stand up -be strong, be committed, be determined to VOTE Blue in 2020.
2
What is Rudy Giuliani's security clearance?
4
This past Sunday, Mr. Vasil Vakarov, a Ukrainian political consultant, repeated on television, the story that has been known for years. In 2014 when, Burisma, a private gas company in Ukraine ran into legal problems, Hunter Biden and an unnamed ex-Assistant Attorney General of the US were brought on board to help fight off the legal challenges to the company.
The investigation continued after Hunter joined the company. In 2016 Vice President Joe Biden flew to Ukraine, with the expressed purpose of having the investigating prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, fired. In that he succeeded by threatening to hold back one billion dollars in aid to Ukraine.
Anyone interested in the facts of the case can watch Joe Biden recounting of the saga on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA--dj2-CY
I don't know what was in President Trump's telephone conversation, but I do know that Joe Biden committed a real crime.
3
Trump on release of Ukraine transcript: "Perhaps you'll see it, perhaps you won't".
Perhaps we'll see see the official version, perhaps we'll see the sharpie version.
77
@Shaun
Right - perhaps you will see the official version, perhaps the sharpie version.
But you can see then-VP Biden bragging about having the Ukraine investigator into his son Hunter's employer fired in 2015, stating President Obama approved the threat to withhold loan guarantees of $1 billion dollars if Ukraine didn't fire the investigator.
Film below - ready when you are.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/436816-joe-bidens-2020-ukrainian-nightmare-a-closed-probe-is-revived
1
There is a legal framework which defines the presidency and constrains it, and it outlines actions for removing a president when he or she commits clearly defined limits on his or her power.
6
Spoken as a true trump supporter: politics as a spectator sport, a game.
3
It's unimaginable that House Democrats would vote to condone this outrageous behavior, or, come to think of it, any of the other outrageous behavior that preceded it. It is similarly unimaginable that any of the complacent (and complicit) Senate Republicans wouldn't do so. So put them on record condoning treason -- a few more nooses can always fit on the scaffold. It's always possible that saving their own necks might convince enough of them to Do The Right Thing.
It is exceedingly unlikely that The Man Who Would Be King of Greenland will allow himself to be defeated in a free and fair election. He'll either drum up some pretense to call it off, or he'll get the aid of his dictator cronies to make sure he "wins", like he did in 2016. Those who look to the ballot box to save us are living in a fantasy.
The Congress has evaded its responsibilities for far too long already. Enough thumb-twiddling -- let's have some action! This needn't be messy or prolonged, if the deplorables know how to count up to 40%. Next on the docket: Impeach Pence.
8
By the time impeachment gets sorted out , the election will probably be over. This is not the same government that followed rules and customs of the past. Let the election take place first. If Trump is elected again further steps can still be taken. If he loses and if there were criminal activities they may be addressed. It's a win win situation if Pelosi waits.
The only concern would be if the Dems don't take the House again. But with the government being run as it is, things won't change much. Be patient grasshoppers.
6
@Zoned...The grasshoppers are obviously not patient. They are terrified because they watch the Democratic "debates" and are horrified with the thought that one of the Dozens is going to be a presidential candidate on the Democratic Ticket - possibly several of them running on their own independent tickets. Grasshoppers die in the fall. Impeachment is another delusion to stave off the inevitable.
@Albert Edmud
Actually, after watching the debates I have faith in these "intelligent" "critical thinking" "patriotic" nominees. I have my favorites, but I would feel comfortable with most of them.
1
Most Americans can agree that the substantial incriminating evidence provided by the independent counsel inquiry provides more than enough grounds for impeachment and let suppose that moderate freshmen Dems (elected from swing suburbs and even red Trump districts in 2018) change their minds and join the progressive wing of the party to impeach Trump in the House. The GOP (with 84 percent Trump approval by the base and numbers of Republican critics less than the number if fingers on my hand) controlled Senate then would certainly acquit Trump, who can inturn tap dance to another controversy claiming the usual partisan "witch hunt" or claim he would have won a second term had there not been all these fake Dems distractions six months from election. Even if the majority of Americans does support the tired hyper partisanship and circus like atmosphere such a Constitutional proceeding will create and a potential backlash that said distraction diverting attention from the business of the people__namely bread and butter issues like healthcare and jobs, Trump's latest infringement of governing norms does warrant some kinds of punitive response no matter GOP officials indifference/dereliction of duties. Pragmatically, the effects of impeachment might be counter productive in turning off some independents but at least historically it's the right thing to do. Who knows, it might even rile up the Dems base which might "motivate" them to turn out in droves for a change.
3
I have gone along with Nancy Pelosi's cautious approach but this seems a road too far.
Where are any Republicans with backbones? Where are any Trump supporters with brains?
8
There would be no "new chapters of lawlessness" Mrs. Pelosi if you and the Democratic House had held Criminal 45 accountable during the first chapter. There were more than enough crimes in the Mueller Report to impeach Trump 6 times over and yet "Oh no we can't because we'll lose the election because of his base." Trump used to feel at least some compulsion to try and hide his crimes, now he knows there's no sense in bothering because the government refuses to hold him to the law. Trump is essentially a child: you let them slide on something once where will it end?
7
Nancy Pelosi, the time of being patient with Trump and his acolytes is past. Why give the administration until Thursday to hand over the info?? I dont understand the wait, to what end. Demand it by 5 pm today!!
7
Trump was correct, he could shoot somebody in time square and his supporters would still vote for him...
... and Nancy Pelosi still wouldn’t impeach him.
5
Speaker Pelosi, actually stop talking and DO something this time!
9
I watched the video of President Trump's comments on talking to Ukrainian official about someone...
He didn't mention anything about investigating Biden. In fact, he said there was no quid pro quo, just a warm, friendly, conversation.
I think the Times are stretching the truth, like usual.
4
@Raz
Just watch any of the network news video and listen to don the con, aka Vladimir Don, admit to pressuring the Ukranian President to investigate Biden. He also says Biden should “get the electric chair.” He is unhinged, a sociopath, and a liar. He does not care about you, me, or our country. How can you still support this blight on our democracy?
4
Trump said? Huh?
1
For the past 33 months, Trump has clearly illustrated to this country and to the world that he eschews ethics and democratic principles. Trump has shown he seeks to aggrandize his power without concern about violating the US Constitution. He has resorted to the propaganda of Gobbles. He has sought to impose a cult of personality. He idolizes mafia Dons who eliminate enemies.
This latest episode is not an aberration, but a signature of his character flaws and unfitness to be president.
Trump must be impeached by the House and removed by the Senate.
5
https://nyti.ms/2LEY5Qq Still not entirely clear what is going on in the Trump vs. Biden pre-election "election" by character destruction. But one question: Why is this whistle-blower a hero while others go to jail?
2
So um... can we get some analysis on exaclty what Biden's son was doing in Ukraine?
We understand Trump was wrong, but I am also curious about Biden's son.
Just because Trump's are illegal doesn't mean Biden's son is a victim. He could've been illegally profiteering off his dad's position, but that isn't as 'explosive' for the Times to follow since Biden is a solid D.
3
@Scott
Read any paper. Watch any in depth news outlet. The Biden story is out there. Goggle it, if you must. This is trump, the con man sociopath, diverting your attention from his crimes and collusion. Our democracy is at risk.
3
Trump should heed Nancy Pelosi’s warning.He is accustomed to acquiescent women. Ms.Pelosi’s own daughter Alexandra said, “ She will cut off your head and you won’t even know that you are bleeding!” She can be fierce particularly when she has warned-the whistle blower account must be turned over by Thursday-we are all waiting for this moment of truth.
4
Why are some people still surprised at stuff this electoral knucklehead does?
3
Yes collusion, yess collusion.....but you can't do any thing to me! Isn't that what Trump is saying?
5
The President is a criminal. No more, no less. But then, we knew that—the majority anyway. So now the question is: Will it matter?
5
The spineless, cowardly Democrats will no doubt waver and falter on getting to the bottom of this, and botch communicating the severity of this to the public, and holding Trump accountable for these crimes.
3
Donald J. Trump has always been corrupt.
Whoops! He did it again.
Democrats are outraged, but do nothing.
Republicans are skeptical or stay silent and do nothing.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
We are reliving in 1930s Germany. And we are letting it happen just as they did because nobody in our government wants to take action because it will be very ugly.
5
@L "nobody in our government wants to take action because it will be very ugly." And might take them out of their comfort zone. They might actually have to stand up and be counted ... with (are you ready for this) people watching.
1
How could anyone call a kid Hunter?
8
@Blunt, NRA influence, obviously.
@Blunt...Well, that might be better than Prey. Or, not.
@Blunt
Ok. Made me laugh. The country is going to hell in a hand basket, but I am grateful for your comment.
Maybe we should impeach Nancy and few Democrats. How did an intelligence community inspector general whistle-blower complaint become public knowledge anyway? If it is released to Congress the person making the complaint will be immediately publicly identified. Where's the chilling effect in that? Democrats are the lawless party in this situation.
1
it became public after the IG wrote to the Intelligence committee to let them know that the acting DNI was not complying with the law to forward the information about the whistle blower complaint that the IG deemed urgent, DNI had 7 days to forward and did not and will not. In disregard of law. BTW it is my understanding that the IG is a Trump appointee, but concerned about his country, and making sure Congressional oversight happens as it should. So, not some democratic plot, and if it were, just give info to intelligence committee to review as they are supposed to. Committee has both Democrats and Republicans. Oversight is supposed to curb any abuses.
You can take the corrupt, racist, dishonest, low life boy out of real estate development, but you can't take the...
Seriously, does this guy know any boundaries? What happens when things really get bad, what is he capable of doing?
2
No, he has no boundaries, except what helps him, his family and wealthy followers. His actions show he does not care for the country, or people who disagree with him, even if they are also Republicans or middle class and poor people who voted for him
Trump is ignorant of his own ignorance. Look at his life experience. Emperor of a real estate business who did what he pleased and answered to no one. Trump's mindset has been that the presidency is no different, thus, he commits corrupt acts and treason in plain sight, with the full backing of the Republican party and his base. All this is aided by a feckless Democratic party that can't muster the courage and unity to impeach him. If Pelosi continues to drag her feet, she is obstructing justice no less than Trump has been obstructing justice.
He knows by now, this was same reason for Meuller investigation (with Russia) but he doesnt think it should be wrong. He said so when George Stephanopoulos interviewed him on TV. He asked Trump if he would now not solicit foreign aid on political opponents and he said he still would accept info, did not see a problem, could not see this was foreign interference in our election process and govt by accepting something of value
Donald Trump begged Russia to investigate Hillary Clinton during the Presidential campaign. Now with a new Presidential campaign on the horizon, he is asking the Ukrainian President to do his dirty work.
This is how Trump operates. Bully, blackmail, deflect, belittle and cover his own backside at all cost.
I understand Republicans wanting to stay with a Republican candidate for the election - but why support Trump? Three other Republicans are running. Why not support one of those candidates? Trump has got to go.
As far as impeachment, I'm not that concerned about it. Once Trump leaves office, he will no longer be protected by the oval office. Trump will be indicted on so many charges of fraud, corruption, tax evasion that his Karma will find it's way to his door step quick enough.
4
@Valerie...Isn't it ironic that Putin and his Russkies could steal an American Presidential election but even they couldn't find Hillary's bleached 30,000 e-mails.
1
Has anyone anywhere listened to what Biden said? I did and it sounds like he was blackmailing the Ukraine. Why is there no reporting on this? has the United States become a kangaroo court?
7
And why, exactly, did Trump ask about Biden with the Ukraine Leader?
Something the Times refuses to publish: "Chiefly, during the Obama administration, $3 million was laundered to former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, via a "Ukraine-Latvia-Cyprus-US" route.
And, that Biden, a sitting VP (at the time) pressured Ukraine to fire the prosecutor who was looking into corruption with the company on whose board, Biden's son sat. And, elder Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in US loan guarantees from Ukraine if they didn't fire the investigator probing the company, Burisma. So they fired him, to get their money. Then, the US Embassy at the time, told told the Cyprus bank not to disclose the amount passed on to Biden's son.
Then there's the "China" problem: Joe and Hunter Biden flew in 2013 on Air Force Two. Two weeks later, Hunter's firm inked a private equity deal for $1 billion with a subsidiary of the Chinese government's Bank of China, which expanded to
$1.5 billion, according to an article by Schweizer's in the New York Post. And, while Hunter Biden had "no experience in China, and little in private equity," the Chinese government for some reason thought it would be a great idea to give his firm business opportunities instead of established global banks such as Morgan Stanley or Goldman Sachs." It was an unprecedented arrangement: America’s fiercest competitors going into business with the son of the sitting VP.
Something reeks about this.
6
OOh we (the Democrats) have crossed the Rubicon. We''ve sent letters! We put the pressure on! We'll show those Republicans! We'll huff and we'll puff and we'll..... blow our own house down.
Yeah, I'm cynical.
5
Any Democrat who is waffling about whether to impeach the Liar in Chief because of the difficulty of their re-=election campaign should immediately resign. I am sick to death of Winning being the only principal that politicians have.
4
Saw this on reddit today. You can check it yourself. There is a 'Transparency' area on the right side of the FB page. Click on it and see who runs it. Good habit to get into going into 2020.
https://popular.info/p/massive-i-love-america-facebook-page
“for the 57th time, I’m warning you... you’re gonna be in trouble... I mean it this time Donny...”
Congress: For the love of god and country- Do your job and impeach.
2
@HT...The job of Congress is Legislation. Read the Constitution. How about some legitimate legislation for a change? Duffous resolutions masquerading as real legislative bills is not "doing your job"...Here's a thought. Instead of Impeach, how about Infrastruct. Or, is that a bridge too far?
@Albert Edmud
Please read the Constitution more carefully. You will see that Congress has more jobs than just legislate. Impeachment is a Constitutional right of the Congress.
I do agree that Congress ought to get off their backsides and try governing this nation. If you are waiting for a bridge from Congress, better sit a spell.
2
I despise Trump, but I am fed up with this entire charade.
Impeach or don't impeach. It does not matter because President Trump is not going anywhere unless he is voted out.
Just make up your mind one way or the other. Or shut up.
Resist that.
Impeach this.
2
Does Trump have dirt on Pelosi? Looks like it!
5
Agree. Something is amiss with Pelosi
Just doing a little oppo-research... Oops, I mean investigating incident to impeachment, yeah, that's the ticket!!
Biden..... a wolf in sheep’s clothing! Using vice presidential influence Biden threatened to withhold a $1.5 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine unless the prosecutor investigating corruption in the company that pays Biden’s son $50k per mos was fired! And yes, he was fired. And Biden’s son? Why were they paying him this crazy amount of money? For what? But Uncle Joe says he “never talks with his son about business”. Really? So how did Joe know about the public prosecutor’ investigation? Reading Ukraine newspapers? And the crazy thing is that people, Democrat people, believe old Uncle Joe. And Trump is castigated for trying to find out the true facts of this murky odoriferous affair? Only in 2019 America.
5
Whoa! Pelosi was against impeachment for the longest time. Now, because of this idiocy from Trump, she now is on board for impeachment??? Methinks Pelosi has seen she is on the wrong side of history here and is trying to use this as an excuse to save face.
@Red Rat...Nannie sees that she is on the wrong side of her Caucus, and she is trying to save her gavel.
1
Mmmm, another tasty Nothing Burger being served up by the MSM and eaten up by the liberal elite ... making a Trump reelection less than 14 months from now even easier.
5
There is a recording
1
This is a double win for Trump. He's got his goon squad the DOJ and Attorney General illegally stopping us from hearing the whistle-blower's statements and since he has been caught he is now using it as an ad campaign to smear Biden. He's even got Pompano (sp?) lying for him. This is exactly what Trump did to Hillary regarding Benghazi where she was cleared of all charges. Trump is an evil evil man.
3
Assuming the whistle-blower complaint is at the most damning, and thinking presidency not president:
The intent makes a difference. Meeting with the worst dictator for world peace, for example, is perhaps a good thing. It smells wrong what the president did for his corrupt intent. In result however, it would probably hurt dems more than American people, hence the outrage. I wondered about the damage to the country and Constitution; I got image of a pretentious and low self-esteem Washington.
Sad and shameful day for American presidency, but to its incumbent, not yet time to hear the gavel. Not yet.
foreign leaders staying at trump properties-U.S. military spending american tax dollars staying at out of the way trump resorts---lobbyists, repub politicians, attorneys general and pork barrel policy grifters THROWING money at the commander -in-thief!!--the increased cost to the american tax payer in secret service protection alone for this family to go on vacation ( at a trump property ), and conduct private family business probably has already eclipsed the total expenditures of the last TEN presidents put together !!!-wake up, trump supporters!!- they are stealing the money out of your pockets, too!
3
The 3 Republican challengers were very strong on "Morning Joe". Not merely about the treasonous phone call to the Ukranian president, but about the clear disenfranchisement of Arizona, SC, Nevada, Kansas now Alaska republican primary voters. It is preventing people from voting as is done in dictatorships. Penalty for treason is death. Bill Weld I hope you have a protection detail, most normal people do not want the Russian mafia after us.
1
This article is insane. How is this even a question anymore? I've given up on GOP lawmakers following any kind of moral compass, but how is it possible that every single Democrat isn't screaming from the rooftops that he needs to be removed? Our democracy is dying and they have done nothing to stop it.
As for the NYT: your lack of framing in this is shameful. You're so focused on the politics of impeachment when you should be driving home the risks of this kind of behavior in every single article. Compare Trump with other authoritarians. Keep a timeline of his behavior on the front page. Journalists are the watchdogs of our democracy - it's your responsibility to remind your readers constantly that this is not normal and this is far from ok. Do your job.
2
Biden’s son worked for a Ukrainian Holdings company? What? Why? Then quit the day his father announced his White House run? You’re kidding me? And now there is some proof Biden’s son laundered 3 million for one of these Ukrainians? Biden’s people are already making excuses why they fired an American prosecutor looking into this. There is more evidence of corruption against Biden son today than after 3 years of investigating the interference from Russia.
4
What does "serious escalation from Congress" mean to Speaker Pelosi. Forming another committee to investigate? Issuing some more subpoenas that will be ignored? It's time to fight Nancy. Start the impeachment process and when the GOP stonewalls it then paint them with a corruption brush a mile wide in every state, every commercial and ad. No half-measures Nancy, either go big or go home. The stakes are too high for timidity and worrying about your next election. Fight the life of our nation or get out of the way and let people who will fight get on with it.
1
President Trump should not have personally gotten involved in this investigation. If there is a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Attorney General William Barr should have handled it through official channels.
Frustration aside, I suspect Trump and Republicans are setting up Democrats for a fall. I believe there are solid grounds for impeachment and in any other time when Republicans and their loyal voters had a modicum of patriotism and integrity, proceeding with impeachment would be a no-brainer. Just get the whistleblower complaint and at some point make it public.Trump's offer of a transcript of ONE phone call is a trap. He would not offer it if would incriminate him. We cannot trust him and his gangsters that it would not be edited. We need to see everything the whistleblower saw or heard and have him confirm that it is exactly what he wrote in his complaint. So far, speculation and anonymous insider leaks of a few tidbits are all we have to go on and Congress should take no action until they have the complaint in hand.
I’ve turned the corner. I no longer agree with Pelosi. The House must impeach, even if it means the Senate disapproves. Time to force all of them to take a hard vote - and before the election. This is what happens when you stop teaching civics in school. The chickens have come home to roost if the general public doesn’t see and understand the seriousness of this.
6
"Ukraine has been fighting Russian-backed separatists, and the Trump administration had temporarily been withholding a $250 million package of military funding."
What about the other 140 million dollars he sent them? We all know what a cheapskate he is, but he sure is generous when he is spending our tax dollars. It will be interesting reading IF he lets us see the transcript, but like his tax returns and college transcripts, I doubt we will see them. Why you ask? Because they don't jibe with what he is saying. And anther thing, who in the world describes a conversation as "beautiful"? Anyone who defends him after this is surely not an American.
1
As i see it the bigger problem here is not that Trump asked the Ukrainians to investigate Biden but that 1) he says it is ok because he says Biden did the same thing, and 2) that he doesn't see anything wrong with it!
I remember that as a kid, when i would say I that something i had done was OK because one of my friends had done the same thing, my mother would respond " do 2 wrongs make a right, and if your buddy jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge would you do it also?".
Apparently our current President would have answered YES to both.
I don't know where he was, or what he was doing on the days that ethics and morality were taught during his school days, but I do know that he was either absent or paid no attention.
Well, it is time for the entire country to start paying attention and teach him a lesson.
1
@Steve...Just to make sure, Steve. Who are we going to teach a lesson? Is it the Bidens or Trump? Better check with your Mom on this one. Maybe Manafort could offer some perspective on Ukrainian skulduggery.
"Pressure to impeach builds"
We've been seeing that in headlines for a year or so.
2
Does anybody seriously think that Trump's base will NOT be fired up for the 2020 election anyways? What is it with this, "we can't impeach because it will fire up his base" stuff?
4
This is simply abuse of power. Failure to impeach will have long term and far reaching ramifications. It will show the world that the US has absolutely no moral compass; every day we wake up to a new impeachable offense, each more grave than the previous. Congress must act, irrespective of the Senate, or forever give up the power of impeachment and the checks and balances that have maintained this country for so long. Have we lost our national mind? The people will follow the leaders who speak boldly, clearly, and loudly, in one voice. Congress must wake up and read the constitution again, and again, and again. And then act.
4
What's all the hullabaloo? Biden is on his "Enemies List" and the ends justify the means. Wait for the Post Trump David Frost interview to hear the rest of the story.
Is this mock surprise that influencing peddling of foreign leaders is new? Pay to play by withholding a countries vital defense needs till they do the President's bidding on Biden? The Trump Enterprise does not benefit financially, there's no Trump Tower in Kiev on the horizon.
That old trope, "What did the President know, and when did he know it" is so 70's.
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act is a federal law designed to combat organized crime in the United States. Does the Presidents actions warrant prosecution and civil penalties for racketeering activity performed as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.
The Presidents actions are outside The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), payment of bribes to foreign officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business.
Clean as a whistle.
Trump was being truthful when he said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters." Not only would he not lose voters, neither it seems would he lose any supporters in the Senate. Given that the republicans in the Senate would not vote remove him from office in an impeachment trial - EVEN IF HE COMMITTED MURDER - it seems ludicrous for Nancy Pelosi condition her willingness to begin impeachment proceedings on the Senate majority's willingness to convict.
Notwithstanding the fact that THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN, it is the responsibility of the House of Representatives to bring articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. If the Democrats pay a price at the polls in 2020, so be it. They have an obligation to defend the constitution and by looking the other way they show themselves to be no better than him.
1
@TH...It's a little late in the game for Democrats to start defending the Constitution. For three years it's been the Constitution is an anachronistic 18th Century old, white supremacist, paternalistic abomination. The Electoral College is undemocratic; the Census discriminates; Delaware, Hawaii and Rhode Island have as many Senators as California, New York and Massachusetts. The First is flawed, the Second must go, the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth need some work....What are you going to defend? The 25th?
1
With Pelosi's foot dragging on impeachment despite mounds of evidence against Trump, I am starting to wonder if Trump struck a deal with her. Stranger things have happened.
Trump has no conscience and less respect for our form of government, so what else is new? The vast number of Republican voters love it, and share his contempt for our system of government. They will until they have destroyed it with their refusal to share governance with everyone else who does not agree with them. They are bringing out the same kind of attitudes in their leftist fellow citizens, who are sick of their recalcitrance. Our liberal democracy is becoming illiberal, and when it has, it will become an oligarchy.
2
The reality is that the facts are and have been in for quite awhile. Trump should be impeached and removed from office. He is simply unfit.
However, like everything else in American politics, we are left with politicians trying to play 12 dimensional chess, which is a flowery way to describe trying to imagine what your average 90 IQ uninformed and not terribly intelligent American voter might be able to understand and believe.
The lowest common denominator always rules.
"“If the president asked or pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate his political rival, either directly or through his personal attorney, it would be troubling in the extreme.”"
Umm, wouldn't it be more than "troubling"? Wouldn't it be illegal? Just asking.
1
When my teenage son lies or misbehaves his father and I join forces and punish him, together. We don’t let him go out, we take away privileges, money allowance, etc.
The way the Republican Party continues to deflect the negative attention and protects this administration reminds me of those misbehaving children whose parents don’t care to correct their bad behavior at the right time, and they become a huge problem later.
Can someone please take away the President’s phone, or perhaps change the WiFi password? Somebody please do something. Quick!
1
Our president appears to be a robot, not a full human being. Trump lacks the ability to generate empathy, compassion, and morality. He is not, for whatever reason, fit to be POTUS. In kindness for him, ourselves, the world, he should be impeached.
1
Here we have a President emulating the worst of Viktor Orban. America deserves much better. America deserves to not have its democratic institutions and traditions undermined by a self-seeker.
2
Until a majority of Republicans want Trump impeached, he will not be convicted by the Senate if impeached, and he will not be removed from office by impeachment.
That's the reality.
Trump is a dishonest and manipulative person but Republicans are bound to him emotionally and will not accept him to be that. Until they do, he will not be removed except by a majority of the voters, including the swing state voters.
1
Speaker Pelosi, if ADNI Joseph Maguire does not turn over the whistleblower information on Thursday, then hold him in contempt and jail him until such time as the report is produced.
If this is an urgent matter of national security, then act like it!
Stop negotiating with the president so upholds the law. He is not going to comply with the law. He is going to say no, claim Executive Privilege or sue.
Just plow on. Follow the law. If the law says a report is due in 7 days and it is not delivered, then put somebody in jail. Keep doing it until you get the report or figure out some other House controlled deterrent.
4
We often forget that the "foreign aid" Trump was playing with is OUR money.
I don't remember a "Bribery Slush Fund" line in the Federal budget, do you?
2
The trouble for the Democrats with this new whistleblower thing is that they destroyed their credibility with the whole Russia matter. Because the Russia thing turned up empty after a two year investigation, this whistleblower thing has the feel of just another Democrat-created outrage. That greatly reduces the chance that Trump loyalists will turn against him.
actually it didnt turn up nothing, if you read the report you will see
A "high crime or misdemeanor" or only unethical abuse?
If the Democrats won't vote to impeach this president, how can they expect anyone to trust them? The 2018 midterms were supposed to be about restoring accountability, right?
2
Q: What would the Republicans do if Trumps actions were that of a Democrat?
A: Move to Impeach regardless of where Democrats stand.
Q: What actions will Republicans take today and at any point during the Trump Presidency?
A: None.
Today’s Republicans will do anything to hold onto power. Cheat, lie and deceive.
They have the most easily manipulated President in history! Mitch ‘the puppet master’, never dreamed of such a fool to control, and is not about to do what is legal and right for the country so that he can lose control of the strings!
2
I communicate with Trump supporters on a daily basis. I asked, "Is this the straw that breaks the camel's back." Their answer: Absolutely not, this is all fake news. Wow! Trump may be an ignoramus but I can't deny his talent for selling his act to millions of people. If there were a cabinet position Secretary of Shystering, Trump would be the most eligible candidate on earth.
2
If this is what he says and how he says it, he's both a traitor and an imbecile: “The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine,” Mr. Trump told reporters before leaving for a trip to Texas and Ohio.
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned of a ‘new chapter of lawlessness’ and a turning point in the House investigation of President Trump.”
I’ve lost count. Can someone please tell me what “chapter of lawlessness” we're in now?
2
Oh NO!! Another, ("This is the LAST time, I'll say it," the mother says for the one hundredth time to the toddler pulling his sister's hair. ) warning from Nancy Pelosi! The Republicans are probably shaking in their polished, greasy loafers. "HOW SCARY! ANOTHER WARNING!! " they are whispering to themselves. I'm sure of it.
Yes, how courageous! Nancy Pelosi is warning the Republicans about not reacting to her previous warning for not reacting to her other warning for not reacting to all the previous warnings about their disregard of the rule of law. Wow, I feel so safe in this country. Just knowing those Democrats are there for us. KEEP WARNING THEM, DEMOCRATS!
Sorry, but sarcasm is now the only response to what is going on in our country. We are an SNL skit.
3
Whatever they have on Speaker Pelosi must be egregious beyond imagination. Won’t someone investigate her activities.? Bill Clinton was exonerated but his party lost the presidency and Congress subsequent to his impeachment. The very idea that we are not invoking articles of impeachment because Trump might be exonerated is cowardly, at best. The proceedings, at least, might stall his rollbacks on emission standards, might forestall his wholly Wall expenditures, might expedite aid to the Ukraine despite Putin‘s craven insistence. Do we want our military deployed in defense of Saudi Arabia? Is that what we want? What has to happen? When are we going to stop Trump? Stop Trump.
4
“The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine”. Huh? Did anyone understand this? This is a new low in inarticulateness and seems an indication of nerves. If he was calling Zelensky to congratulate him, why would Biden’s name come up at all? I hope we get to hear a tape of that call.
7
Democrats should impeach the president on a single article that reads 'We the congress impeach Donald j. Trump for profound incompetence, irresponsibility, and contempt for the rule of law' and then three or four specific examples attached. When Senator Mitch McConnell tables the article denying a senate hearing it will show that the United States has become a corrupt dictatorship run bu McConnell and Trump. In November 2020 America will either say 'Enough' or vote for tyranny.
7
One would think that after fighting accusations of collusion/conspiring with a foreign nation for the last 2+ years, in order to help his (first) election, he would have learned something. WRONG. He now has done it again, been caught, admitted to it and claims it is OK??? Really, that is going to be his defense???
2
I'm a U.S. citizen traveling in Europe. The Europeans I have encountered, consider Donald to be a joke! He's got to go!
3
Early summer. Trump decides to freeze Ukraine's 250 Million aide package, Putin elated.
25 July. Trump calls to congratulate the newly elected young Ukrainian President, who asked Trump what happened with the military aid. Trump makes his "promise" in demanding a Biden investigation.
12 August. An Intel official with access to the 25 July call decides to submit a formal whistleblower complaint to the intel IG.
26 August. After a preliminary investigation, IG decides the complaint meets all requirements to go forward and notifies DOJ and DNI, requesting permission to inform Congress about the details of the complaint. They deny the Intel IG request. The IG insists for days.
9 Sep. The IG notifies Congress by letter of the complaint.
12 Sep. White House decides to approve the military aid to Ukraine under bipartisan pressure from Congress.
17 Sep. A second letter from the IG notifies Congress that DOJ and DNI refuse to release any info on complaint.
19 Sep. Intel IG meets Chairman Schiff of the Judiciary Committee.
22 Sep. Both Schiff, Speaker Pelosi and several bipartisan Congressional leaders demand the release of the complaint info, as stated by law.
Couldn't stop thinking about Watergate's "All the President's Men" final scene.
4
Accomplishes two goals: 1) get everyone talking about Biden's son and whatever deal may or may not have happened. 2) Offer to release a tape / transcript to sound reasonable.
After the altered video of Acosta "attacking" an intern that was released by the White House what are the chances that the tape or transcript would be accurate?
3
Democrats are more concerned with saving their seats then doing what is right. We currently live in a country where young kids are breathalyzed at their high school proms and few know it violates their civil rights.
2
Trump is not the problem. The problem is the people who continue to support him unconditionally.
1
This is what I would like to hear: Democrats in the House and Senate speaking to all Americans, not just their constituents. Calmly and rationally explain the facts, the serious threat to our democracy, and the steps we need to take together. A tone of deep concern, not outrage. Refuse to engage in partisan bickering and stand firm. Acknowledge challenges and hard work. Help people understand their responsibility and feel valued as citizens. Take the high road, as Michelle Obama inspires! We need true leaders.
Words. Words. Words. Everyone is saying lots of words about all the things Trump has done to break our norms and laws. Why can't something be done about stopping him? Where are our leaders, in both political parties? Are they waiting until we have no democracy left?
1
Honestly why are we wasting time trying to impeach Trump. The House has had ample time to impeach the President, but now that election is coming up the House wants to proceed with this decision. Knowing this will have to go through a drawn out process and just because the House impeaches him does not mean he has to resign. I feel as if the argument was a waste of time when we could be handling this situation in a different manner. I don't agree with the President getting another country to obtain information on the Vice Presidents Son, but more so I don't agree with bribing them for something in return they were already promised, however I don't think impeachment is the way to go.
Next thing we know even this shall pass, and it will become "whatever!". Aren't we aware that we are losing our democracy right in front of our eyes? Impeachment should not be part of any political calculation; it should be simply a matter whether the threshold of what is acceptable and not acceptable in an almost two and half century of democracy has been breached or not. If the Democrats do not begin impeachment proceedings, regardless whether Trump releases or not the transcript of his phone conversation, we will be witnessing the greatest single instance of corruption of our political system.
I could be proven wrong later on (and I hope to be), but I don't think the House will ever formally open the impeachment inquiry. Frankly, Speaker Pelosi doesn't have the courage to pull the trigger on it, and the House Dems in leadership positions won't openly defy her over it, even if they're seething in private.
I can see Pelosi has a valid argument-- that the Senate under McConnell will never convict, so what's the point? But this is one of those times in American history where the Constitution is in danger of being shredded by a mad king...
2
We must investigate Donald Trump. Did Trump withhold military aide to the Ukraine in order to force them to investigate the Biden's? We need a thorough investigation to learn the Truth. Thank You. Ray Sipe
3
Corruption blatantly in our face by the man in the Oval Office ... it’s more than time to IMPEACH Trump. He has trampled on America’s laws, all the while enriching himself while doing it. There was good reason for the emolument laws but Trump has made a total mockery of them ... he is a thug and believes he is above the law. His mentor, Roy Cohn, taught him to lie, bully and blame others. Trump is a stain on our democracy and decency !
3
Still balling at impeachment. Go ahead New York Times, tell us once again what a savvy operator Pelosi is.
Thank God the Congress was willing to go through impeachment with Nixon and they didn’t just decide to punt to the elections and let the voters decide whether or not Nixon broke the law. Impeachment proceeding themselves led to more and more evidence being released. Had that not have happened, people would have thought Nixon was innocent and Nixon would have realized he was completely above the law. Had democrats decided to abdicate their responsibilities, our democracy would have ended in 1972. At least I got another 40 years in the US as a democracy.
3
No comment, rather a question. If impeachment proceedings commence does that process clear the hurdles to gaining access to many of the documents requested by House Committees?
4
@OldNCMan Not for you and me. But maybe to a select (selected) few members of Congress sworn to secrecy. There is, after all, a lot of "eyes only" stuff in those dossiers.
2
If the Democrats go at this from the "get Trump" angle, it will energize his base. Or, more specifically, if Fox News can play up a "get Trump" angle, they will happily energize his base. It's important to remember that Fox News is more concerned with advertising profit than the fate of the United States and will do whatever it takes to increase viewership, regardless of any consequences (oh, how I wish that were hyperbole).
But this isn't about Trump per se. It's about the Rule of Law and that no one, not even the President, is above the law. That's the message they need to stick with.
Then again, if there's one thing the Democrats are experts at, it's self-sabotage. If the message can be bungled, they'll find a way to do it.
3
@AB So therefore they should . . . ?
@AB
His base doesn’t matter. They’re always energized and nothing, not even the infamous hypothetical shooting on 5th Ave would change their minds. But a lot of people besides Democrats don’t like Trump. Seeing the details of his corruption that an investigation would make widely available will not help him.
1
The House needs to begin impeachment hearings for two reasons, even if it's a foregone conclusion that the Senate will not follow suit. First, the investigation itself will probably uncover more evidence of Trump's corrupt and illegal dealings, evidence that the American people have a right to see. Second, impeachment must become part of the historical record of the deepest challenge to our democracy. Every congressperson and senator should be determined to go down in history as a defender of the Constitution. Voting for impeachment will show who is true to the oath of office and who is not.
15
Oh yes I think they should go ahead with the impeachment and and investigate everything there is maybe some more of that really stuff on the Democrats would come out watch started all this about Russia oh yes I want to see it all in
@mk
Well said.
@Bob Hudson
Is this some weird stream of consciousness or have you been listening to Trump talk too much?
1
It appears to me that trump has done what no other modern American president has ever done. Namely, held the feet of every politician and citizen of this country to the fire: Do we (the People) want to live in a country that stands for the rule of law being equal, the separation of powers, oversight protections, etc. Or live in a country more like the countries that people come here to escape. A simple question, right?
7
@Into the Cool Not so simple a question. Or two questions, actually. What's your point?
If the Democrats believe that Mr. Trump has committed high crimes and misdemeanors and do not draft and vote for Articles of Impeachment, they are just as guilty of neglecting their Constitutional duties as they believe he is. Duties are not relieved because one does not believe that the outcome will be successful.
7
Let me point out about those calling for a "transcript" before taking action: they all know one doesn't exist, these conversations are not recorded and only hand written notes would be available, with various parties free to deny they are accurate.
@slangpdx
How do you know they’re not recorded?
@Kally Their own rules forbid the recording of those conversations. You can always write to ask your own rep if you want confirmation.
Wrong Kenneth. It was recorded and witnessed. Your wishful thinking won’t change that
Dear Speaker Pelosi,
Democrats won 2018 House races in purple swing districts because the voters wanted a change, wanted respectable and honorable representation, and had no more use for the Republican incumbents.
Upholding the Constitution and the Rule of Law is not a partisan issue.This is not a matter of left vs. right. It is a matter of right vs. wrong.
Do something! Now.
12
As a never Trumper I cheered when the Democrats took the house in November. Finally I thought, someone was going to hold Trump and his enablers accountable for the unbridled corruption and disrespect of American values.
I should have known better, that the leadership would be true to form, too timid and too naive to function in an environment where ruthlessness rules.
I fail to see why the Democrats can't create the narrative that the Republicans are too busy with the impossible task of covering up and defending the most corrupt presidential administration in the history of the nation. They can't get anything done that's in the interest of the people because that coverup is a 24/7 task. They have a long list of bills passed in the house and not even give time in the senate. They have a long list of corrupt acts to begin impeachment proceedings. If the voters are not supporting impeachment, it's up to the Democrats to show them why it's necessary.
I would think it would be an easy task to outline all of those bills and all of those corrupt acts and create the argument that "this is how the current leadership is hurting you."
I'm beginning to see why Trump got elected in the first place.
1
@Caroline
"I'm beginning to see why Trump got elected in the first place."
You should have asked before you moved to FL. Most of us still here in NY could have told you.
If the Dems impeach, they need to find a very very clear way to explain to the public the potential wrongs done (especially because stories of wrongdoing by Biden will come up).
And use only the very smartest, most articulate, most prosecutorially experienced speakers during the hearings.
The message the public hears will make a big difference in the election, and, as we know, it can all go south very fast.
3
Reading the conversation (is this still alleged?) in which our current President urged Ukranian President Zelensky to investigate any conflict of interest between official duty and personal gain on the part of Mr. Biden and Biden's son, I was astonished. I would not have guessed that our current President could have articulated so clearly the serious ethical conflict between personal commercial interests and national interests. In other words, the President acknowledges that what he and his family have done, promoting their own enterprises while he is in office, is wrong and punishable! He is not repentant in any way, but he has moral clarity on what he is doing. Whether or not there was any appearance of impropriety or actual impropriety on the part of Mr. Biden in a foreign situation where his son stood to gain, but I am sorry that an elected official should be anywhere near a matter involving their family's financial interests. It has been distressing to see the family business advanced through the current administration, and it should not be allowed in any administration.
4
The President, his crew and Justice Department will probably play their familiar roles of intervention, obfuscation, delaying and summarizing the complaint to the President's advantage. The House must have in their possession the complete and unvarnished urgent whistle-blower complaint. That is the law, something this president lost sight of a long time ago.
1
@richard wiesner "will probably play their familiar roles of intervention"
Actually, what the president will probably play is golf.
Trump's actions are without question impeachable but impeachment is a trap that provides no upside for Democrats! Senate will not convict and Trump will market that as proof of innocence. Just vote him out. Is that so difficult?
1
@Paul you’re mistaken.
@Imperato - Explain. Maybe I'll agree with you
"Mr. Trump showed no sign of contrition on Sunday, telling aides that Democrats were overplaying their hand on a matter voters would dismiss."
When he says "voters," I think Mr. Trump is confusing most Americans with the rabid "base" that he busses-in for his "rallies." Of course, these people will dismiss the whistleblower as "partisan." Thinking Americans, not so much.
2
This is just a symptom of an infection weakening our politics, redefining right and wrong.
The 'party of opposition' Democrats are cautious. But the GOP and Trump aren't cautious. They do what they want, keep going further out. They have their state media monopoly FOX News to sell it to their voters no matter what.
Are we stuck? Some say even a 'centrist' Dem is superior to any Repub. Maybe even a mild Repub is better?
This is Trump's worst damage---warping our standards. So just prevent complete disaster, but don't go so far as to unblock our democracy and give representation to average citizens.
Our standards decline, and the obvious remedies that should be centrist are then labeled too extreme?
This is how they get us.
So then in 2024 will a mediocre Dem have set a mediocre standard? Then ---just 1 example---we STILL won't have the right to medical care for all that dozens of nations have for generations? Ok, we'll wait some more? Don't be too extreme?
In other capitalist democracies the people thru their elected govt actually regulate the costs of health care, college tuition and also their elections. They don't turn these over to profit makers. Ours are the world's most expensive and profitable. It all works together as financial elites take more of our national resources.
Our pres and his party behave like a ruling 'aristocracy' calling the shots for their power and profit. Then they equate all this with 'American Freedom'.
A total mockery of democracy.
3
Yes, as so many of said, Pelosi will not be gaining any new voters, but her shenanigans might make fence sitters who still care about law and order and the immutability of ethics to stay home in 2020.
If Pelosi doesn't do anything but give lip service, she is a republican mole within the dem party.
One cannot say there isn't someone who can do a better job than her.
Sure, she said, "Let's take our time."
What does she believe is enough time? December, 2020?
Time to hold people's feet to the fire and begin impeachment proceedings.
The republican party cannot hold back without being complicit in Trump's denigration of the U.S. Constitution.
If voters see the real Trump, they will not vote him back into office, and, I believe many Senate Republicans will lose their seats, as well.
Time is on Trump's side.
2
"Partizan" means a wrongfully prejudiced, biased, partial--not impartial, interested--not disinterested ally of one party to a dispute.
Truth, fact, wisdom, rational belief lovers are allied against
falsehoods, lies, fraud, "alternate facts" and deceptive spin. But they are not "partizan."
In general wrongful discrimination of all sorts is injustice--to the evidence or the facts or any decision; it counts irrelevant facts or not all those relevant. Rightful discrimination--lets all and only relevant facts count in decision making; it rightfully discriminates against wrongful.
But it is not partizan either; rather it's the very definition of
non-partizan, impartial, unbiased, disinterested.
Trump--as "Free from law/logic Marketer in chief" does not recognize the difference.
Bush was his precedent: "The Constitution is just a piece of paper;" "You are with us/me or against us/me"--that's all that matters.
People now speculate about Obama's failings. One is that he gave Bush a pass--perhaps a gesture of reconciliation--but it mushroomed into Trump.
1
My fellow Democrats are naive. There is a larger game afoot. Republicans are taking over the country while they still can. That is why they cannot be reasoned with. They are at war, we are not. Everything they do is in preparation for the time when they make their big moves. There will be purges. There will be violence. Republicans control the courts, the police and the military. Right wing militias will be deputized. There will be mass arrests. It IS happening here.
4
@Steve Only a matter of time.
Trump has EVERY right to ask Ukrainian officials to investigate the Biden family's financial ties to Ukraine, given that Biden is running for President and the Democrats have demanded the SAME THING from Trump regarding Russia.
3
Louis, if it's appropriate (as it clearly is) for Americans to demand the truth from Trump about his corrupt receipt of support from the Russian government, your analogy should say that it's appropriate for Americans to ask Biden (or Trump, for that matter) about any support he might receive in the upcoming election from Ukraine.
Your analogy is mixed up. It places Trump, who apparently wields presidential power to benefit his campaign, in the place of the American people. That's insulting.
Trump used the threat of withholding military aid money as part of this pressure on Ukraine to smear his likely opponent in the 2020 election. That means he used yours and my tax dollars to pressure a foreign leader. That is it for me. Put this guy in jail.
3
It should be clear by now to most voters that Trump is going to continue acting anyway he wants without regard to America's reputation or the American voter.
He's a minority president who thinks the U.S.A. is his fiefdom. It's time to impeach.
4
Nancy Pelosi perhaps should consider pausing her efforts to look like an 18-year old and get her party to get serious about going after Trump.
2
Why should Ukraine investigate Biden, if there is nothing to investigate?
I would think Biden would think this is a wonderful idea. If an investigation into Joe and Hunter's dealings in Ukraine and China turn up nothing, I would think Joe Biden's numbers would go through the roof.
Please investigate this could only help the Biden campaign.
2
@P&L
The investigative reporting done so far by Politico, The Hill, The New Yoker, etc. on the matter don't smell too good for Biden.
1
I will vote for Biden or anyone against Trump but what was on his son's mind getting a job with a foreign company, he was acting like Trump's kids and that Biden can't defend.
Children who try and cash in on their parents political powers are just as bad as trump's family.
THINK!
3
Not since Obama (“I’ll have more flexibility after the election”) has a president sunk so low.
1
This sorry excuse for a human being has never faced a consequence in his entire corrupt life.
He will burn this country to the ground before he leaves office and has to answer for his crimes. Trump should have never been given the keys to the car.... because now we are heading off a cliff.
3
I used to have great respect for Speaker Pelosi, but she has turned into the Susan Collins of Impeachment. She does not seem able to grasp that a Speaker of the House has higher obligations than calculating what will bring her party advantage or disadvantage in elections more than a year away.
Trump grows bolder and more dangerous with every failure to stand up to him. "Holding the President accountable" is a phrase that grows more hollow and meaningless with each passing day.
3
Honestly, I see both sides on this issue. I feel as though President Trump should not be blackmailing other countries into doing his “dirty work” for him, but also, the democrats should not be seriously considering impeaching him. This is not an issue I would consider requires impeachment. There are better ways to solve this problem other than making the rash decision to impeach the president.
76
What are laws for then? No one should be above the law. It should not be for the people to decide in an election if the President should be immune to laws.
379
@Jordan
I don't elect thugs to office. This is blatant abuse of powers and since he has proven to be nothing but incompetent as a leader in ALL arenas of government it's time to remove the Stain on the flag.
309
@Jordan. What is alleged to have happened with President Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political opponent is a serious issue. Wasn’t President Clinton impeached for a much more trivial matter? Lying about an extramarital affair with an intern?
344
I think he should be impeached. If the approach is to wait until the perfect opportunity to respond, then this might be as good as we get. In dealing with an individual who fights repeatedly - which is how Trump sees this - the aggressor keeps testing the waters and each time he "gets away" with his actions, it is a win. On the other hand, a full-on response to each attack can often stop the next attack of an aggressor like Trump. So let us impeach him now. How it will impact the election might not be predictable...for now he need to draw a halt to the actions of our president. He needs to be impeached and removed. The election will still arrive and we can fight that battle. Yes, I know about Pence. There is no perfect path forward, but the time to stop the Trump presidency has come.
1
I don't see much room for moral or legal ambiguity here, but unfortunately there's way too much room for political cravenness. Representatives swear they will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. They should do so and if necessary explain it to the public loudly and clearly.
If Senate Republicans acquit, it should be so much the worse for them. We should never, ever let them live it down.
6
This is hilarious. Yes, go ahead and impeach. It's exactly what Trump wants and needs in 2020.
5
@DanS You may want to double check before you try being clever again. Impeachment may very well mean conviction. And I'm pretty sure that a president impeached and convicted can never again run for office.
Some things to think about that are no doubt on Pelosi's mind although she has never said so to the press.
1. The House can impeach him easily just based on the facts we now know.
2. Will this happen this year or next? If it happens next year it will be in the middle of a national election. Nothing is certain in a national election, that's how we got the Clown.
3. It takes 2/3 of the Senate to convict. From what we've seen so far there is no reason to believe they will. Stalemate Election Year
4. Say they did convict next summer or early fall, now we got Pence, who just like Ford has the ability to pardon, and probably would do so. Did I say we got Pence, think about that.
5. If all of the above occurs you can say goodby to seeing him enter prison, not a very happy thought.
I would prefer to vote him out, so that we as a nation can go after him to the full extent of the law. Can we live with him for another 16 months? That's a tough question.
In my universe the House would have a glorious trial, and expose the almost unlimited corruption and lack of care for the well bring of the nation, we have been watching for 3 years, spread all over national TV, for weeks if not months, and then not bother sending it to the Senate; just have it part of the public record for posterity and the nation to consider during the coming election. I believe we can trust the nation to act in the national interest, our forefathers who put their lives on the line, did so before us.
3
“I believe we can trust the nation to act in the national interest...”
I think you need to go back and read your number 2 again.
1
1. Asking somebody to do something unethical for you is considered illegal in many instances by our over-reaching laws, but (I like to believe that) those laws have rarely been used with success in punishing intent/suggestion/inquiry. Even if that intent appears to be corrupt, that corrupt intent is too weak for impeachment. Something more grave, like extortion, bribery, witness tampering, evidence destruction or falsification is needed to give teeth to an impeachment. Trump asking FBI director Comey not to investigate dubious Flynn or Trump suggesting to another hapless president to look into some Biden's dealings are enough for a tabloid scandal and for pundits/comedians/congressmen to take shots at the president, but not enough for an impeachment. 2. Trump sez: “The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine”. If a toddler talked like that (eh!), it would funny. If a teenager talked like that (same eh!), it would be worrisome, and the help of teachers and psychiatrists should be sought. When a 70-year old president talks like that, it shows either inebriation temporarily affecting his brain or senility destroying it permanently. The former case does not apply to Trump because he does not drink alcohol. In the latter, immediate replacement is necessary.
1
I’m confused. I thought the President had inquired about Biden’s son not VP Biden. Just because the VP’s son may have done something illegal has nothing to do with the VP. He isn’t responsible for what his son might have done. Guilt by association is a pretty weak argument.
It’s like he’s just daring the Democrats. If an attempt at impeachment fails because the Republicans refuse to hear the case, then maybe Chuck and Nancy might encourage hackers from more progressive countries to try their skills at outdoing their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts. After all, who would prosecute?
Why don't Republicans speak out? In all seriousness, the Republican Party doesn't have to stick with Trump, so why are they? They aren't even getting anything out of the deal. Nothing Trump has done will last once he's out of office; that is the consequence of relying almost exclusively on executive actions instead of legislation. Everything Republicans can point to as 'accomplishments' will come to nothing in a decade. So, why stick with Trump? What's the thinking here?
Republicans need new leadership. Their current leaders are (there is no other word for it) inept. They're going to walk off a cliff and won't even know it until they hit rock bottom.
5
@Mr. Adams They are getting judges and shaping the moral fiber of this country for generations to come. That is a Faustian bargain they are willing to make.
This morning on Morning Joe former Mass. Governor Bill Weld who is running against Trump in the GOP primaries said that Trump clearly committed treason by asking Ukraine president to interfere in our election. I was surprised he used the word treason but I totally concur. He has committed treason numerous times. By the way, there is only one form of punishment for committing treason and that is death.
3
All hands are dirty - the finger pointing is politics at it's best - did we not spend millions on a Russian collusion accusation - without any conclusions?
A vice president's son is an executive in a corrupt company in a corrupt foreign country that was receiving aid from the U.S. - and we should look the other way because his dad is running for president???
Humm - Just who is the goose and who is the gander this time around??
2
@Samuel Tyuluman. Trump would need to clean his own house first. First he must show us that the Trump and Kushner family businesses haven’t benefitted by as much as a cent from his presidency. Then, if the Republicans wants to keep rehashing the already investigated Hunter Biden story, like they did with Benghazi the appropriate American investigation could be repeated. No bribes to the Ukraine and no involvement by an American President.
1
Nancy, we had enough, we are losing our attention span, act now or never. If Trump gets away with all this, the voters will hold Democrats accountable for being just cowards and afraid of Trump. The constitution provides the impeachment clause, what is right for the nation, not politics.
6
We need to hear from the whistleblower to learn what he actually heard. Let him speak so the American people can learn the truth. We all deserve to know.
2
"In recent days, [ progressivers ] have begun to openly second-guess Ms. Pelosi’s go-slow approach."
Wrong. The moment we progressives had the majority of the House we fomented for impeachment proceedings to begin -- immediately. Pelosi's calculation to slow-walk the impeachment is based on her belief -- probably correct IMO -- that there isn't enough Democratic spine and unity in the House for hearings to provide the needed thrust to make then a non-liability for Democrats.
But why is this, that in spite of the rank and file democrats wanting impeachment proceedings, our Reps are split on the matter? It's because the only thing most of them know how to fight for is corporate dollars and dollars from the 1% for reelection. They may pay lip service to our democracy, but when a real threat like Trump shows up and bears his fangs, they go slinking off with their tails tucked between their legs. They refuse to fight for our democracy, sadly, because they don't know how.
They are like Rep. John Lewis, a truly great American Civil Rights Hero, who has become complacent in his office, as seen by his water bearing for HRC in his slander against Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Primary -- they have come to value their position and privilege in government service more than the Democracy they have actually sworn to serve.
Trump will keep breaking the law until someone stops him. Unless stopped, he is on a trajectory to announce himself president for life.
2
Once more, into the briars patch!
Impeachment is a purely political-not criminal tool for politicians to punish or rebuke members of their cohort-including the President. It was not used on a president until after the Civil War-and failed . It has failed as a tool in every single time we have used it. This includes, when Democrats had overwhelming power in the house and senate-and Nixon-perhaps thus fearing being unable to avoid a Democratic majority conviction, resigned. Nixon lived long enough that even the NYTimes and WaPo were all but joyously ready to
rehabilitate him-and then, sadly, as he me might have become a an elder statesman-he died.
The Clinton circus was a flop and accomplished only getting CLinton re-elected by an ever greater margin.
This is like a rusty old family sword hanging on the wall, which was last used at Steenkirk or a naval battle in the Med, Ca 1760. It is rusty, dull and might fall apart at the guard where it meets the blade. It is best viewed safely on the wall-never used to cut anything.
Let us allow events to mount and pile on Trump. If he is the Bozo we believe-the rope piling around 1600Pena Ave. will hang him soon enough.
Leave the old sword safely up where children cannot reach it.
Clinton was re-elected two years before he was impeached.
1
I am fed up reading about this affair for days on end. Clearly, there are more important things going on in the world, such as the U.N. climate summit, which should be #1 news story.
1
The Times are stretching the truth here.
I watched the video of President Trump's comments on his conversation with the Ukrainian official and he said nothing about asking them to investigate Biden, or anyone else.
What he said was that it was a warm, friendly conversation with no mention of quid pro quo.
1
@Raz Really? You believe what someone who has publicly lied over 1200 times, or is it 1500 by now. It's hard to keep track, as Trump lies almost every time he opens his mouth.
He was blatantly lying throughout the 2016 campaign and has never stopped. I have to wonder if he even knows the difference between fact & fiction.
2
Trump did indeed acknowledge the fact that he talked about Biden:
“The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine."
2
Con artists like Trump wouldn’t exist if there weren’t so many rubes who, for some reason, actually believe them.
2
There is nothing new about Trump bring a bully.
Today’s news Biden’s son involved in Ukrainian( legendary den of corruption plus) oil Co.
Official answer from Biden:” I never spoke to my son about his business.” Real answer: he spoke many many times.
Elizabeth warren now seems the only choice for the future president.
1
Indict the un elected monster.
Don't constrain ourselves by this false rule, that a "sitting" president can't be indicted.
A criminal 'can' be indicted. It is especially urgent that a pathological criminal be removed from society.
No one is above the Law, or do you want to forget about that too ?
5
He will be impeached. You can be assured that trump’s behavior will only become more outrageous as time goes on. This man knows no limits to his bullying, avarice and greed.
3
Madam Speaker. It’s time to impeach Trump.
If you can’t see your way to impeachment, perhaps you should step down and let someone else, with the courage, do the right and just thing.
You took an oath. Do your duty to the Constitution and to the people and the county.
5
It is time for impeachment followed by a multitude of criminal charges. Do not let him escape to Russia.
5
Trump, his crime associates and the Republicans have turned the Constitution into worthless paper. Laws don't matter to them.
4
Dear Republicans,
Remember the Mueller Report? Remember how you insisted to us it was all lies and innuendo, a political hack job carried out by corrupted FBI officials determined to "take down" the president in a "coup"?
Well, he just did it again.
Yours truly,
America
5
Anyone remember Watergate? This guy is far worse, and that's saying something.
3
Finally, a previously discredited story that DLT wanted to use in an effort to discredit an opponent (thinking of the "birther" trope), has blown up to be a serious threat to our dear leader. May you get what you deserve, Mr. Trump.
1
Trump would have to shoot someone on 5th Avenue in order for Pelosi and Company to impeach this amoral Circus Clown with the smoke and mirrors and endless lies.
Pelosi, however, would rather throw her finger in the air to test the political winds and determine what is best for the Democratic Party.
Most Americans don't care about either Party.
It is not about the Democratic Party, Nancy. It is about the rule of law, the United States Constitution and a basic sense of decency.
Release the whistle blower complaint as the law requires. Our Republican legislators have abandoned their role of defending the public and the Constitution and the need to be replaced.
16
@G Wise
I agree. The IG can either give it to the appropriate handful of members of congress cleared for security oversight or he can continue to hold it back and have the whole thing leak into public view.
1
The bottom line is that Trump abused his power by trying to strong arm a foreign country into acting on his own personal behalf by threatening to withhold Congressionally appropriated funds in exchange for help with his campaign, and now, he's trying to cover it up with a smear job on Joe Biden, which NO ONE is buying except cult 45. In other words, nothing has changed for Biden, but Trump is in trouble. This SHOULD COMPEL impeachment.
11
Is there any doubt now that Trump was NOT involved in the Russian interference of the 2016 election?
11
Our elected officials must be influenced by the rule of law rather than by fear. Inaction for fear of failure is simply wrong.
5
Democrats did not vote for this crook, Republicans did, the call for impeachment must come from them. Everyone focuses on Pelosi, but the pressure must be put on Kevin McCarthy and Moscow Mitch. If a Democratic President had acted this way he would have been out of office long ago, this is the narrative, stop expecting Pelosi to over rule the will of the people, Trump is the will of the people.
8
Trump’s flagrant and brazen disregard of the law and abuse of power have crossed the red line.
Speaker Pelosi should step up and do her constitutional and congressional duty of oversight - checks and balances . It doesn’t matter if the Senate will eventually not impeach him. The House of Representatives have to do their duty and start the process. Think NOT OF POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY! Think of your duty to the country lest I start believing that the Speaker’s action is also self-motivated in her effort to hold on to power by what has been touted as her protection of the moderate caucuses coming from purple districts.
1
When are Republicans going to stop Trump from breaking the law and spitting on the Constitution? Democrats cannot do it alone.
12
Donald Trump reminds me of that old story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". If and when Donald Trump does tell the truth, no one will ever believe him.
7
China if you’re listening please release any nefarious and incriminating information you have on the Trumps.
3
Democrats need to impeach if for no other reason than to ferret out the facts of Trump’s lawlessness. If the Republican Senate fails to convict and remove from office so be it. But at least the lies would be exposed and one body of government would have discharged their Constitutional duty.
5
"The fast-moving developments prompted Speaker Nancy Pelosi to level a warning of her own to the White House: Turn over the secret whistle-blower complaint by Thursday, or face a serious escalation from Congress."
Why Thursday? Why threaten with "serious escalations"? Move faster and move more decisively!!!
4
1. Asking somebody to do something unethical for you is considered illegal in many instances by our over-reaching laws, but (I like to believe that) those laws have rarely been used with success in punishing intent/suggestion/inquiry. Even if that intent appears to be corrupt, that corrupt intent is too weak for impeachment. Something more grave, like extortion, bribery, witness tampering, evidence destruction or falsification is needed to give teeth to an impeachment. Trump asking FBI director Comey not to investigate dubious Flynn or Trump suggesting to another hapless president to look into some Biden's dealings are enough for a tabloid scandal and for pundits/comedians/congressmen to take shots at the president, but not enough for an impeachment.
2. Trump sez: “The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine”. If a toddler talked like that (eh!), it would funny. If a teenager talked like that (same eh!), it would be worrisome, and the help of teachers and
psychiatrists should be sought. When a 70-year old president talks like that, it shows either inebriation temporarily affecting his brain or senility destroying it permanently. In the former case, coffee is recommended. In the latter, immediate replacement is necessary.
1
This is like a cancer on not just the Presidency, but the entire balance of powers in our government. But Dr. Nancy would wait until the nation is beyond help of chemotherapy before she acts. Her "first, do no harm" time passed a year and a half ago.
2
Somebody who can actually ask Donald questions in a face-to-face situation (I am talking to you, reporters) should ask the following questions, and record and show us the answers:
1. If China is paying billions of dollars in tariffs, how do we bill them, and how do they make the payments to the US Treasury? When can Secretary Mnuchin show us the records of those billions of dollars in financial transactions, which should be recorded somewhere?
2. You admit to asking the President of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden for the purpose of damaging Joe Biden's electoral chances in 2020. Do you think there is anything improper with asking a foreign government to help you win an election? Do you know that asking for or accepting "anything of value" from a foreign source in conjunction with any election is a crime?
3. You are a public servant, as is every elected official. How do you serve the public? Why do you think it is acceptable to use your office, which is a position of public trust, for your personal benefit?
4. How do you think history going to evaluate your presidency compared to those of Richard Nixon and Warren Harding?
Time to effectively tell this guy that he is the "Emperor Who Has No Clothes." I am not sure he will have the capacity to "get it."
My guess is that he will just say the questions are "unfair" because he cannot "spin" the answers.
But he needs to hear them.
Then we need to impeach, try, convict and remove him from office.
Tom Malinowski is a star!
STAGES OF DENIAL
1) We didn't do that.
2) We did do that, but it's not illegal.
3) What we did was illegal, but it's not a serious crime.
4) What we did was a serious crime, but Obama & Clinton did much worse.
5
So Hunter Biden gets paid $50,000 per month to work for a Ukrainian company with no experience in the field or the country, months after his father as Vice President becomes point person in relations with the country. The company Hunter Biden worked for has been investigated for corruption multiple times. But nothing to see here folks, move along.
In contrast with the above paragraph, there is no proof of wrongdoing by the President, yet he was condemned immediately.
This is beginning to remind me of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" or maybe " Chicken Little". You know "our democracy is falling!!!" .
1
@Nana
Sure beats a president with no experience in the field.
You do realize the gravity of someone in the intelligence services being a whistleblower about this problem, don’t you? If there’s no proof of any wrongdoing, why won’t Trump let him or her speak to the relevant members of Congress, as the law clearly provides. Yet they won’t. Why do you think that is?
That’s funny. It’s beginning to remind me that it’s pretty embarassing not to bother checking the guy’s Wikipedia page or a good Factcheck before blathering.
@T Herlinghetti
Why bother investigating or hearing the actual report? Elizabeth Warren knows what he did and says he should be impeached. No investigation needed by that Harvard law professor. Most of the people commenting also " know" already what happened and think any transcript or tape would be altered even if released.
After the Mueller report said there was no proof of collusion by the Trump team there are still people saying he's guilty.
No need for Ms Warren to hear the whistle blower.
"Trump’s latest attempt to solicit foreign interference to aid him in US elections. Do your constitutional duty and impeach the president."
Elizabeth Warren
So I'm all for getting the facts but with today's Democrats what's the point?
So, in effect, we have a dictator.
Bill Barr is definitely Trump’s lawyer, and is willing to defend him from the United States.
Who will defend the United States??
Certainly not Lindsey Graham, Moscow Mitch, or any of the Republicans in Congress.
I guess it CAN happen here.
8
Would certainly like to get the audio of the conversation between a newly elected president of Ukraine and the "most powerful man on the earth, who has the lever to give Ukraine the funds, already allocated by the co-equal branch of government, to put up resistance to Trumps pal Putty.
If Trump mentioned Biden and/or his sons once or more times and in the same conversation alluded to those funds any reasonable thinking would think "what are you trying to say??"
It would be as Trump the real estate operator called up the elevator operator in Trump Tower and said to Joe (don't know if the guy's name is Joe) " If you do me a solid there might be a good Christmas in it for you, what do you say Joe? Now, Joe, please don't think that I'm trying to coerce you or anything like that, but by the way how's your family?"
Really a great conversation, I wish all my conversations went so well!!
1
Hopefully news agencies & the general public are smart enough to realize this admission is only a single instance of what the whistle blower reported. There's EVEN MORE that he hasn't admitted!!
3
"largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption"
Who talks like this? Word salad falls from this man's mouth, and this is our best and brightest? A person who has yet to articulate a policy beyond three words followed by, "amazing"? He makes Bush Jr sound like an intellectual. I'm embarrassed for America and the supporters who are okay with their president speaking at a third grade level
4
There's a reason he's been given the nickname "Demented Donald."
The GOP needs to call for impeachment, if they refuse they should be held responsible at the pols. The Dems need to point this out continually, we believe x is illegal and against the USA, the GOP does not. They want the USA to be a Russia, a Turkey, a China- sling it or go home. If our elected leaders don’t think these acts are crimes and neither do their constitutes then this is our country!
2
Warning or not, everybody knows he won't cave. Does not like to say "I'm sorry."
1
Yes this is becoming less of a case of judging whether he has committed impeachable offenses than about which kid has the most friends on the playground. Unfortunately Trump may be an unbeatable bully.
1
Whatever trump is scheming is undoubtedly dishonest, mean spirited, disingenuous and unethical, but that doesn’t make Hunter Biden a squeaky clean great guy.
I feel great sadness for Joe, but think that our elderly kindly president should not have a weak, substance abuse-prone, and self-centered man like Hunter Biden close to him . . .
We do have choices. We can respect Joe for his character, his endurance, his life of sorrow, but not want to elect him as president.
1
@organic farmer. You do have choices. Hunter Biden or the Trump Spawn and Kushner.
The smear campaign against Biden must be stopped. Biden's deputy campaign manager sent an email to the media stating “Any article, segment analysis and commentary that does not demonstrably state at the outset that there is no factual basis for Trump’s claim, and in fact that they are wholly discredited, is misleading readers and viewers." Those media outlets who don't comply should lose ALL credibility.
8
The president is an elected government employee . He is not a king as part of a monarchy above reproach. Isn’t that what the 1776 War of American Independence was all about?
10
Why does Trump call his phone conversation with the Ukrainian President "beautiful"? He uses words like a crime boss, an inventor of context, implying a vacuously aesthetic, threat. Yes, of course, a real beautiful conversation was had by the boss and the Prime Minister of the Ukraine. Why to go, boss, beautiful!
8
Americans have become numb to the outrageous actions of this president. One incident after another, like a poorly behaved child with parents who simply look the other way or wag a finger at him, saying "That's a no-no! Let's not do that, sweetie!"
A lack of consequences has only emboldened him. How many times can this "child" be given a pass for defying our constitution, lying, cheating and firing his way toward what appears to be his ultimate goal: a dictatorship accountable to no one?
5
The absolute definition of hypocrisy.
1
Yes, that describes trumputin well.
Does this mean that Mike Pence will be President? That is scary too.
2
This stuff is all moot: Mitch will kill impeachment. So, what's the point?
1
@Cody McCall . The point is that the majority of the country seems to agree with trump as a colluder, a liar, a destroyer of democracy, beholden to oil (Saudis) and Putin. Who loses in the end for not supporting the majority of the country? Republicans. Go ahead, republicans, continue to support this white supremacist. History will report how you voted, what you said, how many times you protected the lies. I think they'll look like fools when they vote against impeachment.
Or impeachment may kill McConnell?
1
I don’t know why any news organization tries to make sense of Trump’s thinking about anything. He doesn’t think as most of us understand thinking, the nonsense that pours out of his head should be treated like the jokes it’s so easy to make of it.
He doesn’t read, he doesn’t listen to anyone with any expertise, his ability to use the language is pathetic. Stop trying to cover him like any other elected official. He’s an incompetent who somehow managed to get elected and he has no idea what he’s doing.
8
@T Herlinghetti Bingo. It's not just that he's a narcissist -- from which all of his bigotry springs, if you can call someone who has no love for anyone but himself a bigot. It's that he's an incompetent narcissist. We all know people who think the world of themselves -- or we can cite examples from the entertainment and sports worlds -- but they still give value for value. Indeed, their narcissism forces them to do their best, and others benefit.
But Trump lacks the talent commensurate with his lofty sense of self. Where are the infrastructure and health care packages he said he would deliver, to name but two of his platforms? His response to the death of Cokie Roberts, in which he repeatedly said he didn't know her but she didn't treat him well, was not merely narcissistic. It was incoherent.
He's making up policy as he goes along, because his pride and lack of experience prevent him from discerning who could really help him. What has always been more frightening and maddening is not who or what he is but that his base somehow thinks he's the second coming of Harry Truman. -- thegamesmenplay.com
"Giuliani titled his first tweet, "NEW FACT," and said Hunter Biden received a one-time payment of $3 million from the Ukraine that went through Latvia and then to Cyprus, …."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/giuliani-accuses-ukraine-of-laundering-dollar3m-to-hunter-biden-asks-how-obama-could-let-that-happen/ar-AAHIycw?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=spartandhp
Trump himself has laundered $billions in Russian funds through his golf courses over the past decade. Wilbur Ross, Trump's Commerce Secretary, laundered $billions in Russian funds through the Bank of Cyprus, when he was a Director of that Bank. Bank of Cyprus is Putin's preferred bank for washing money he steals from the Russian people.
2
On the one hand, Nancy Pelosi is an enormously skilled politician and leader who has consistently outmaneuvered arrogant men and bumtious upstarts so I'm inclined to believe she knows exactly what she's up to.
On the other hand, WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO IMPEACH???
Do we for one moment believe Trump's Ukraine call was anything other than a naked attempt to bully a foreign leader into fabricating dirt on Joe Biden??
4
For all those Who feel Trump has not done anything that warrants investigation or impeachment, just keep in mind the rules have now been changed. Some future President will look back at the Stone walling, the harsh words twords critics and the Press, the atttitude that if the President does it it's Not a Crime and take from this catalog. Whatever happens in this Administration the Rules have been changed. Sorry this Congress has not Shown any hutzpah, a Paper Tiger!
We’ve already had such a President. His name was Barack Obama, the one who tried to frame Trump for Russian collusion. Did you read about it?
@Edward First of all Obama went to Mitch McConnel and the Republican Senate they told Obama Not to bring it up before the election. the Investigation started after Obama left office. Did you read about it?
@Edward huh?
I don’t know why any news organization tries to make sense of Trump’s thinking about anything. He doesn’t think as most of us understand thinking, the nonsense that pours out of his head should be treated like the jokes it’s so easy to make of it.
He doesn’t read, he doesn’t listen to anyone with any expertise, his ability to use the language is pathetic. Stop trying to cover him like any other elected official. He’s an incompetent who somehow managed to get elected and he has no idea what he’s doing.
Just ask the republicans, "What if Obama did this?"
9
IF we all agree that no one is above the law, then Donald J Trump. Just be held accountable!
IF Obama had a posh resort that was nearly going under, and where there was a small airport that was also nearly bankrupt, and the U.S. Air Force “stopped” there to re-fuel, costing American Taxpayers eleven million dollars the Republicans would have ALREADY been impeaching for emoluments clause violations!
IF Obama had raised the Military budget, for a “pet project” the Republicans would be demanding his resignation!
IF Obama had called the Ukrainian president asked numerous times for his government to investigate Obama’s political opponent, the Republicans would have immediately impeached! Not to mention that Trump’s refusal to give Ukraine the $250 million in military aid, is...extortion!
I could go on the list of high crimes and misdemeanors is long for the Republican president! Speaker Pelosi time’s up! IMPEACH!
5
Time for Democrats to have a full and thorough investigation. if the facts lead to impeachment so be it. This includes any and all attempts by the Trump administration to obstruct or withhold material facts. No more messing around. If Republicans know what's good for them they will support this...
Sadly, I feel as though nothing short of murder will move the Democrats to begin impeachment inquiries. But I don't blame them; Republicans have consistently shown time and time again that they are not patriots and will do anything to protect Trump. They know if they support removing him from office, it will be blight on the party and they may lose support from his base. This is a party that knows, demographically speaking, it is on the decline in a growing, diverse population that rejects its values. They are desperate to cling to their power, and aren't concerned with doing the right thing. The Democrats know this, so unless concrete, without a shadow of a doubt evidence can be produced, they know Republicans will never support a removal from office, which will only make their efforts look partisan. I get that there's a moral obligation, but why does that responsibility only fall on the Democratic party?
2
Nope. Not even murder. There is literally nothing that will move Congress to act.
@David, why is it incumbent on just Democrats to impeach trump? This is a Republican president, Democrats cannot do this alone. Republicans need to be a part of this situation. It is time for the media and the people to start going after Republicans and bug them as much if not more than they are Democrats. Republicans are complicit in everything trump is doing and they need to be held accountable, NOW!!!
Trump probably does not even care about being impeached.
As long as his big tax break for the millionaire and billionaire Americans stays, then he's done most of what he wanted to.
The next Administration better roll back those tax cuts pronto, at least for individuals, unless we want to see a country of lords and serfs. You middle class voters should take note of this. Your Medicare is on thin ice with the current tax structure. Just add it up. Soon you will start hearing Medicare painted as a "Socialist Entitlement". That will be your clue that they are working to get rid of it.
3
@Will Hogan, the Republicans won't care either until they finish stacking the court with right wing, conservative judges.
1
@Will Hogan " he's done most of what he wanted to."
Not even close. Absolutely no one is talking about a statue of him on the Plaza.
1
So, indicting Trump for the identical, indentical thing Biden did as a sitting VP. That is, telling the Ukraine President to get rid of the prosecutor who was investigating Biden’s sons’s firm for corruption. The Ukraine did remove the prosecutor. Liberal hypocrisy at its finest.
1
@Ace
Hunter Biden has been investigated and cleared. But for the sake of argument, if he did something wrong, why go to a foreign source for help in digging up the dirt? Why didn't Trump just push below the Barr to investigate? And why dance around withholding aid to Ukraine in return for info? Seems to me Trump knew what he was doing wasn't kosher. -- thegamesmenplay.com
1
Until yesterday, I reluctantly but fully supported Pelosi's decision to wait until more evidence came out regarding Trump's criminal abuse of power. There's a big difference between 'impeaching Trump' and beginning an inquiry into impeachment. The senate won't confirm impeachment...so that's out. Trump won't be impeached. But beginning an impeachment inquiry may well require the executive branch to produce papers/documents/testimonies/recorded phone calls...all of which have been denied...to be seen by the public. And that information would go a long way in galvanizing those few moderates who are sitting on the fence. Might even galvanize a few Republican senators.
4
The answer is simple if he has nothing to hide hand over the tape and let us hear the tape without redaction. The wheels of justice are slow but they do turn.
5
I made a prediction back in 2016. I predicted that whomever the Democratic nominee was, the Republican party would attempt to criminalize them. This is their new playbook, get a nominee, research their past and make up a criminal act they supposedly committed and attempt to spread it to the masses. It is so sad that this prediction has come to pass. If you are Republican and hoping for an Elizabeth Warren nomination be careful what you wish for.
1
@GG Is your response primarily to pat yourself on the back for a correct prediction...a prediction made by many? Kind of an "I told you so" boast? I assume you meant to write 'whoever' rather than 'whomever'...small point. If you have nothing to say, best to remain silent.
The President stated "it was a beautiful conversation" and I believe him.
We got Trump because Congress has failed to represent the American people. It stands to reason they’re afraid of their own very prominent shadow when trying uphold the People’s Constitution.
1
The President is in power due to international interference in the election for his benefit. He has stated he would take it again, he is now working on his re-election and again brazenly asking for more international support/interference for his campaign. He has neither any compunction, nor is there any push back and so he must undergo impeachment process.
3
The argument against impeachment by the House is that such an action will fire up Trump's base and put in peril Democrats who won in so-called Trump districts. For the past three years, media and politicians have genuflected to think monolith. But as powerful as they may be, they can't replicate themselves and become a majority of voters. And, those in Trump's base didn't vote for Democrats in the 2018 midterms. His abuse of power, grift and flouting of the law must be stopped by an indictment by the House, or our government just doesn't work anymore.
2
I believe that if steps aren't taken this week to begin impeachment proceedings then it's safe to say no politician cares about the Constitution or the law.
4
I hope that if and when the “partisan” whistleblower is revealed, he or she will turn out to be a Republican. I NEED to know there are some ethical, moral, and patriotic Republicans left in this country.
5
Nanci Pelosi brought a three-dimensional chess set to a mud wrestling match.
It's time to move past delicacy and finesse, and to act vigorously to protect our country's legal system from an all-out assault from would-be president-for-life Donald Trump.
Republicans, fearful of having lost the nation demographically, have placed "winning" above all else, and have utterly failed to protect the Constitution. Thus the Democrats have to pick up the ball and defend our country. Now.
It doesn't matter if an impeachment vote won't pass in the Senate. If Mitch McConnell and the Republicans vote against it, so be it. Then the record is clear: if they vote not to defend the Constitution, that's their legacy. But if Democrats fret and dither and do nothing, it will be their legacy as well.
The impeachment of Donald J. Trump is a moral imperative, not a political tactic. It's not about winning the battle, it's about being courageous, being right, and taking a stand, and giving conservatives a chance to do the right thing as well.
Trump must be confronted. A failure to impeach would a failure to protect America, and might prove more disastrous to Democrats in the long term than any one vote, or any one election. The moral legitimacy of the Party is at stake.
3
President Trump does what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants...with no boundaries, no concern for ethics, morals, or consequences.
This is how he has operated all of his life...and everyone around him has enabled, justified and/or condoned his behavior.
The Democrats don't know how to deal with such a breadth and depth of dishonesty, divisiveness, dysfunction and manipulation.
Trump is the projection of the state of the American family; what happens within our families when we ignore the truths and realities occurring within the family...instead standing in fear, illusion, and belief. (You will notice Trump plays on people's beliefs frequently; he is able to do so because he has no substantive beliefs in anyone or anything other than himself.)
He is the poster boy for our disconnect from our humanity...instead we choose to allow media, marketing money, and technology to direct our lives.
We don't know how to navigate this road, because we've not done so in our personal lives...in our relationships, in our own families.
Time for us to learn before it is too late...and the consequences not only impact our families and our nation, but the world.
2
The country has been in a Constitutional crisis since the 2016 election. The future is bleak for our Republic unless Congressional Dem's lay down the gauntlet. Trump is attempting to tear down our democracy by his disdain for the Constitution and our system of checks and balances. He is the Imperial Apprentice whom is using his presidency to enhance his family's wealth and future deals with other dictators. If he wants a fist fight let's give it to him. The sooner the better before it's too late
1
It's stunning to me how there are people out there being mum on Trump's possible impeachment. It boggles the mind when all I see is an outright violation of his oath of office on a daily basis since this man became president. If you ask me, you can take your pick in the vast array of violations--just in the Emoluments Clause alone, there are several. Reported on regularly. These, along with obstruction of justice, among other sordid behaviors relating to his taxes,etc. are just mere samplings (there are 16+ ongoing criminal investigations into Trump as I write this).
What really floors me is this continued hesitancy to Impeach when the GOP stopped at nothing to Impeach Clinton on one incident where he denied having sexual relations with an intern. ONE incident and the GOP went hog wild. (O.K. the Paula Jones case, too, but still, this is lightweight stuff compared to Trump's behaviors). The GOP House knew it would go nowhere in the Senate, but went full throttle anyway, so it would be on the record forever: Clinton was 'Impeached'.
As the years go by, the media recites this as a matter of course, and it works like a charm to belittle Clinton's eight years in office. It shrouds everything to this day. But here we have a madman president with a vast array of violations and still there's hesitation to go forward with rightful Impeachment? With such dismal cowardice, we are almost guaranteed a full loss of our fair and fragile democracy, folks.
It's stunning to me how there are people out there being mum on Trump's possible impeachment. It boggles the mind when all I see is an outright violation of his oath of office on a daily basis since this man became president. If you ask me, you can take your pick in the vast array of violations--just in the Emoluments Clause alone, there are several. Reported on regularly. These, along with obstruction of justice, among other sordid behaviors relating to his taxes,etc. are just mere samplings (there are 16+ ongoing criminal investigations into Trump as I write this).
What really floors me is this continued hesitancy to Impeach when the GOP stopped at nothing to Impeach Clinton on one incident where he denied having sexual relations with an intern. ONE incident and the GOP went hog wild. (O.K. the Paula Jones case, too, but still, this is lightweight stuff compared to Trump's behaviors). The GOP House knew it would go nowhere in the Senate, but went full throttle anyway, so it would be on the record forever: Clinton was 'Impeached'.
As the years go by, the media recites this as a matter of course, and it works like a charm to belittle Clinton's eight years in office. It shrouds everything to this day. But here we have a madman president with a vast array of violations and still there's hesitation to go forward with rightful Impeachment? With such dismal cowardice, we are almost guaranteed a full loss of our fair and fragile democracy, folks.
Nancy Pelosi’s warnings are all bark and no bite. She’d rather berate the left in her own party than go after Trump.
She aids and abets this administration by doing nothing. She accepts that the Senate has all the power and that only things passed through the Senate first are worth considering.
Sadly, this can’t start in the Senate. It has to begin with her, and nothing does. The good of America for Nancy Pelosi is appeasement. She wants elections to be the difference, but will not protect them.
Nancy Pelosi wants the whistleblower to speak but without the whistleblower, there would have just been the October surprise next year for Joe Biden or whoever else is the candidate.
Does she really think her oversight has stopped anything? It hasn’t. And the surprises will keep coming and they will destroy her party, and her candidates for President.
Defense of Liberty and the Constitution is apparently not something she deems important or worth fighting for.
But is there anything beyond her own power that counts? She is as mixed and as bad as Corbyn in Britain. The opposition needs a leader there like we need one here.
She is not it. I have lost confidence in her.
3
@Edward Brennan- Pelosi is too old to fight back. I wish AOC was Speaker of the House, she at least would have the courage and spine to fight back and not just sit back and take it like a punk.
@Edward Brennan Well, every now and then, she does say she's not altogether happy about what he's doing.
God in Heaven, I don't know what people are waiting for! Trump didn't need to spell it out for Ukraine's new leader. Zelensky is acutely conscious of the the withholding of financial aid from his country and would be looking for the tiniest clue about what it is that Trump is holding out for. Context is everything here. Trump need not command. He has merely to hint at his wishes, with no ostensible connection to foreign aid. You'd have to be a conspirator or a dope not to recognize it. (What a comfort, by the way, to hear that Nancy Pelosi is nearly fed up and almost on the verge of getting serious.)
3
isn't this the second time in 4 years that he has encouraged a foreign gov't to interfere with our electoral process for his own benefit? he got away with it the first time for various reasons, and now believes he's virtually invulnerable to everything. he might want to take a look at isreal and what happened to netanyahu. trump is not as invincible as he would like to foolishly believe he is.
4
Cue Marine 1 and the moving van.
1
Unless you know you have the votes in the Senate to convict, democrats should not spend the next 13 months ratcheting up impeachment proceedings. It's a no-win situation, or more accurately, a sure loss of the presidency and four more years of the most vile individual to ever hold the Presidency if you continue down the impeachment path.
2
Wait until Trump throws the Fox News anchors and hosts under the bus and trolls Sean Hannity suggesting he find dirt on Biden.
While we are at it - impeachment etc. can we please pass a bill that allows 2 votes for educated people for every 1 available to those without college degrees. After all, informed opinions should count for something ?
This should be a time for wholesale changes to the way we do vetting, voting, viewing, decision making etc. America needs a bath.
1
When I think of how little Clinton was impeached for, it makes me sick.
How this man has successfully positioned himself above all law is beyond me. We’ve lost what made America great to begin with.
3
Most Americans believe that they can do whatever they wish because the constitution gives them permission....no matter if what they do is moral or immoral, decent or indecent, or right or wrong. With this kind of total freedom the future will have no need of prisons, law enforcement agencies, nor law books. Why? Because if the law allows you to do what you want, then there is no wrong you can do.
Blessed are those who do not see yet believe. To those who believe in His name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Consider this for a moment:
What if what the whistleblower disclosed has nothing to do with Ukraine, but rather Russia.
In other words, what if somebody inside the white house staff has salted the press with teasers about Ukraine to take attention off of where Trump was really triggering a whistleblower to come forward under law and report the concerns, and have those concerns validated as "urgent".
It is not beyond the realm of possibility, and it would be just like this white house to try to get the press wrapped around the axle on the wrong story angle... you know.. so Trump could go out and demean and condemn more fake news.
1
So when will Moscow Mitch McConnell, all GOP elected *public servants* and the Republican Party crawl out of their Trump Inc. cesspool?
When do the American people take back the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch that have been bought and sold to the global corporate conglomerates and Big Banking?
When does the Democratic Party admit it engaged in that auction since the 1980s and certainly since 2000?
Pretty obvious that someone is lying and making things up on the spot when they can't put an intelligible sentence together describing what happened:
“The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine,” Mr. Trump told reporters
Nancy Pelosi knows how to win. Trump ignoring her letter will be at his own peril.
1
Win what?
I have never seen a weaker opposition to a target which is so obviously flawed.
She should care less about her face lifts and Manolos. She should hand the job to AOC and learn something in old age.
This is not complicated. The guy at 1600 is a simpleton and believes he can endure on loyalty oaths contrary to American doctrine and an absence of personal emails to track down. Eventually, the wall will crack - but it will require the House to become Enforcer instead of Patsy. Wake up while there is still time. An election devoid of an impeachment is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back in this mud-slinging dirty brawl to come.
It is clear that we cannot wait for the 2020 election, because Trump is already, before our very eyes, working to fraudulently fix it. Impeachment must be now. Not later. Now.
Congressional Democrats: You can be primaried should you fail in your sacred duty to God and Country. Do your job!
1
@Voter
What would you have them do? It's the Senate who has the final word on impeachment and Moscow Mitch will not even go there so what's the point?
Raises even deeper questions as to why Biden family and other prominent Democrats including the Clintons have such an interest in Ukrainian and Russian energy companies (hint: it's about making money) and why Biden would feel so compelled to push for ouster of supposedly corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor. Anyone who thinks Biden really cared about ridding Ukraine of "corruption" is naive. Apparently any foreign government officials in Ukraine or Russia hostile to foreign investors from the US are labeled as corrupt--I suspect this is the real reason Clinton didn't get along with Putin and why Hillary Inc along with the DNC establishment has pushed the Russiagate narrative so hard. Trump is a buffoon and shouldn't have been elected in the first place, but anyone who ignores deeper questions about the extent of corruption among powerful Democrats is missing the bigger picture.
Why all the fussing and bluster aabout this American president doing something much milder than what Joe Biden admitted doing not two years ago?
Why the fury? Because the particulars make Mr. Biden look really bad. Hunter Biden had broken the law in Ukraine and was looking at a serious penalty.
Then- V.P. Biden then threatened thair leader with a BILLION dollars from American taxpayers not coming to Ukraine unloess Hunter's prosecutor was fired AND Biden Sr. got to pick his replacement!
Biden Sr. gloated about his threat working, and that's on tape for your listening pleasure. Limbaugh and Fox News will probably have all the details for those who don't trust Google/China any more.
The progressive Democrats are aboil with fear that not only is Biden cooked but Pres. Trump's popularity figures are up even more, over where Obama's were eight years ago.
Sans Biden, the Dems are doomed to lose states full of normal people like Minnesota, which went for Hillary by a ''whopping'' 1 & 1/2 percent.
2
trump is taunting and mocking the Dems quite openly and blatantly, seemingly to expose them for the cowards they are re impeachment. They look weak and disorganized. They look willing to tolerate criminal behaviour and flagrant disregard for the Constitution in return for political expediency. He must be loving this!!! When is ever wrong to do the right thing? It is well past-time for the Dems to perform their sworn duty to serve and protect.
5
@Barb Yes. We should take the emotionally satisfying route even though it is clearly self destructive.
It's okay to create a situation where Trump can campaign on the fact that he has been totally exonerated and vindicated in a "fair trial" by the Senate. It's okay for him to be re-elected, because we are frustrated with the slow pace of events.
It's the right thing to do, even if it sabotages our country in the long term.
Governor Bill Weld said on Morning Joe today that Trump committed treason. He went on to say that treason warrants the death penalty.
4
Wow. Seriously. Trump and the GOP certainly appear intent on denying millions of American citizens their right to vote by banning Republican Presidential Primary elections in several states despite the fact that the seat of the incumbent IS being contested by others in his political party.
Republican citizens, especially, should be furious and demand that their suffrage rights be reinstated and not tread upon a second longer.
Is there anything less democratic than disallowing challengers to an incumbent and shutting down all plans for an election?!
1
A malignant narcissist is not capable of putting the country’s interest before his own. Any psychologist can tell you that. Trump is mentally disturbed but a master manipulator and his supporters are sadly deluding themselves that he is fighting for their interests. He cares for no one but himself.
11
“We had a great conversation—uh—the—conversation I had was largely congratulatory, was largely corruption, all of the corruption—taking place—was largely the fact that we don’t want our people—like—Vice President Biden and his son—creating to the, the corruption already in the Ukraine, the Ukraine, uh, the Ukraine’s got a lot of problems—the, the new President is saying that he’s going to be able to rid the country of corruption—and, I said that would be a great thing—we had a great conversation, we had a conversation on many things in fact, I believe Ukraine put out a statement yesterday saying that we covered many different topics it was a warm and friendly conversation, uh, we backed, I backed Ukraine from the beginning.” - Donald Trump, verbatim, a Marine One Moment. I transcribed it.
6
If Don Jr. did the exact same thing that Hunter Biden did, their is zero doubt the Democrats and NY Times commenters would be demanding an investigation and would welcome the Ukraine's assistance.
41
@Scott, Zero doubt maybe on your part. But unlike Repubs, most Dems - and I consider myself Independent - reject interference by foreign powers. Too many dangers for all. Dems get that I think.
30
Um, he reportedly DID do something akin, or worse.
See, among other things, meeting with Russian government operatives during the 2016 campaign, etc.
47
@Scott
Ukraine is one of the most corrupt governments in the western hemisphere. What kind of business has Biden's son have with them?
5
Here's hoping dems don't take the bait. This is like a diamond thief knocking over trash cans and cops stopping to write him up for littering. The diamond is the presidency, and if we stop to write him tickets, he'll make off with it again.
To change the metaphor, Trump's appeal is based on opposition, like a WWE wrestling match. He won because Clinton played scolding teacher to his playground bully. And now he's recruiting Pelosi for Season 2. Don't do it. A he said/she said shouting match is better for him than to run on his failed policies.
60
Then again, as trump's buddy and defender Rudy Giulliani was famous for doing, if you catch someone for littering (or jumping subway turnstiles), you just might catch a diamond-presidency thief (or a person who committed other, much more serious crimes). Broken windows policy comes to Pennsylvania Ave.
14
@Robert Disagree. Failure to confront this bully only encourages him, if we're sticking to that metaphor. People keep believing it matters what Republican voters think about all this. It makes no difference what they think, they vote as a block no matter what. People also wrongly think swing/purple democrats will reject this move, and choose what exactly? Not vote democrat in 2020?
11
Why? Is there a whistle blower complaint on Hunter Biden?
10
Americans must pledge the following: We refuse to be accomplices in the annihilation of truth, the rule of law and the decorum of the US Presidency; not be a silent witnesses to the crime of destroying all norms befitting the US Presidency - the highest office in the land, and our standing as the moral compass of the world; defend our sacred elections from manipulation by greed to stay in office, and protect 2020 to be a repeat of 2016; not stand for the First Family profiteering from the High Office it holds but keep it accountable for all the ill-gotten gains; we will challenge every one of the unbeatable record of 12,000 lies and misleading statements; uphold human rights and International Law against the immorality of those in power !
We have kept these glorious traditions sacred over the centuries and will continue to fight for the cherished goals of our founding fathers.
5
Donald Trump used the power of his office to go after a political competitor and help his own reelection. Trump also used the power of his office to line his own pockets and create jobs for his kids.
He's supposed to be using that power to help us, to help the country.
Lots of people, especially women, even in bright red states, are uncomfortable with this level of corruption and greed. Alabama elected a Democrat to the Senate, let's remember, because the Republican candidate couldn't pass a basic moral sniff test.
Trump is failing the same test. The House should vote on impeachment, and let Senate Republicans do what they can to justify protecting him from the consequences of his own actions. Their constituents will hold Senators accountable for their part in this travesty of basic human values.
8
With just a slight bit of humor and a lot more seriousness, we may require a US version of the Nuremberg Trials or a Truth and Reconciliation Committee when the Trump Administration finally ends. The “Mar-a-Lago Trials”, anyone? There are many Republicans and others who will have a great deal of explaining to do regarding their direct action and complicit behavior related to this administration. Primarily, how they placed their party and personal enrichment before country.
5
It is time for House Democrats to put aside political calculus and do their duty. Impeach Trump.
6
Donald Trump is applying Machiavelli's principle of the end justifies the means, while the G.O.P seem to be fully vested in Faustian bargain.
Opposition research, PACs, Super PACs, Lobbying, and Campaign Financing are all euphemisms for corruption. We are conditioned to accept that money is the solution to our ills.
Clearly, what Trump is telling us is that the rules do not apply to him and sadly, the great American experiment is turning into a kleptocracy.
8
Trump should be impeached. There's no doubt. There's also no doubt the Republican-led Senate will not remove him from office. That's entirely beside the point and should have no bearing on the House impeaching him. Bill Clinton is often referred to as having been impeached, which he was...in the House. Trump should suffer the same fate.
7
I will be contacting my Representative and Senators, all Democrats, to tell them that they either push to impeach or I will not be voting for them when the time comes. Since I would not vote Republican for all the gold in the world, I would rather write in the names of my cats on the ballot than voting for people who are, quite simply, enabling this man's behavior for a political calculation. This has to stop.
6
Since when does legal privilege extend to planning and executing a criminal act?
Also, Mike Pence's silence or acquiescence in the face of his partner's (trump) ongoing destruction of not just our democracy and institutions, but also plain old human decency should disqualify him from holding the office of POTUS should trump be impeached or otherwise no longer be POTUS.
6
I sense tensions building to a showdown.
It reminds me of Chaos Theory. Much better minds than mine report that it shows how apparently minor, disregarded changes of initial conditions in a complex system can produce massive, unpredictable results.
So gamesmen may never see their real opponent rising - or why. A small town mayor? A witchy, sharp-eyed woman? A hidden pocketful of proof?
Reality may seem tricky but it always seems to serve Destiny's commitment to just deserts.
2
Bill Weld is 100% right that Trump has committed treason here. In a just world, he would be convicted and executed for such as he deserves. In this world, he will likely win re-election and become President for Life shortly thereafter.
If the Constitution and the world survive the current administration, the next few decades will be full of Republicans trying to absolve themselves in the eyes of history for their complicity in enabling Trump. Those efforts will be futile. They enabled the monster and expressing regret later will not wash away their complicity. History will not be kind to them for placing party and power over country and Constitution.
"These are my principles. If you don't like them, well, I have others." - Groucho Marx
5
Wasn't this originally Joe Biden's scandal per an May 1 2019 nytimes article? The Democrats are practicing some expert deflection by ignoring this fact.Both Trump and Biden are looking rather corrupt. Does it matter who looks worse? Aren't we use to this by now. The press covering for their political choice and demonizing opposite party.
Today's paper treated us to a philosophers view on fake news. I'm simpler than that. I suppose some people wait and hope for major economic trouble before the election. Trump won't win then. Neither will I. Meanwhile I await the latest PEW research poll to tell me what the top three issues are, impeachment is not one of them. If you think it is, think again.
3
@JoeG: How does the rule of law and Constitutional requirements boil down to "top three issues"? The law is the law... it is not subject to a popularity contest - or there in essence will be no law...
2
Trump accuses Biden of doing what he has done, and continues to do. It has been proven that Biden, nor his son, did anything wrong. Biden was acting on behalf of the US government and several Western European countries when he demanded that the prosecutor be fired.
As long as William Barr is the AG, he will do everything in his power to protect Trump. Barr runs the DOJ, Trump runs Barr.
It is a vicious circle of corrupt behavior. Honesty has no chance in our government as long as the GOP remains in power.
Trump says he is willing to release the transcript of this phone call. In the end, Trump will say he has been advised not to because it will set a bad precedence.
Time to vote the GOP out in 2020. We need to return our government to the people of this country.
5
The years following 2016 have been filled with attempts by the DNC to pin something on Trump ,to the extent that all but the most passionate Trump haters feel a little sick. Is that the best use of time and resources for our country? Does anyone believe that the person of Trump is where all evil lies ? Would president Pence do better?. Meanwhile, the actual agenda of the DNC remains indistinct as they transition from class to identity warfare.
The ferocity with which the Post and other fake news outlets are defending Ukraine Joe (the preferred establishment candidate) is the clearest indication yet that he’s in deep trouble.
They are like the Pretorian Guard protecting Cesar.
The last time time we saw this was when The One was President.
3
Is this just a set up? Now the media keeps repeating the story that Biden is corrupt. Is the whistle blower an operative for the GOP? People who support the President will not care that he asked Ukraine to investigate, they will see nothing wrong with that, they will just hear Trump’s accusation. Brilliant maneuvers. The Democrats have to convince the public that the entire GOP is unworthy of their vote, forget impeachment, vote out the majority!
2
So it looks like Rep. Pelosi is sending another strongly worded letter as the Presidential crimes against the Constitution continue to pile up. When is enough, enough?
4
The Pelosi led Democrats sound like an ineffectual parent saying to their child for the 40th time (based on David Leonhardt’s accounting) “NOW you’re in big trouble”, but, again, doing nothing.
Hold witnesses in contempt!
Withhold funding of the executive branch! Impeach!
What else does the House think it’s going to accomplish anyway? Getting a bunch of bills through the McConnell Senate? This fight, and getting qualified Democratic candidates to run for Senate in 2020, should be the sole focus.
It is the height of hypocrisy for this president to allege corruption against Joe Biden and his son when so many of his own corrupt acts and those of his family members are played out in front of us in real time.
That he would then push a foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden, possibly with the withholding of foreign funds being held as a cudgel, is beyond the pale. I have been opposed to impeachment proceedings based on the Mueller report in the past, but this is a horse of a different color.
If the acting Direct of National Intelligence does not do his legal duty on Thursday, I am 100% behind the opening of impeachment proceedings.
And BTW, AOC's weekend tweet calling out the Dems for inaction, some five days after this latest story broke, and deeming their behavior to be worse than this president's is the last straw for me. She is the most vacuous ideologue on the political stage today and someone should wrestle her mobile away from her.
4
Trump daily strokes his base with TLC. Pelosi, meanwhile, leaves her base, the popular-vote majority of the USA, adrift and bewildered while Trump shreds and debases our democracy.
2
His Word Jumble 'statement' to reporters yesterday is yet one more example that Trump is incapable of forming and or expressing coherent thought. It is time to commit this embarrassment to our selves and our once proud nation.
5
I just hope they (news media and the Dems) won't let his whataboutism dominate the conversation like they usually do. It is time to act - stop reacting to what he tweets and emits via word salad blurbs into microphones
3
"“The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine,” Mr. Trump told reporters before leaving for a trip to Texas and Ohio."
I know this is completely beside the point - the bar is already so low and he keeps just digging under it - but even for him that sentence is incredibly incoherent. It's like his brain is just hitting enter on the suggested autofill. But he's clearly not panicking or anything. /s
2
Doesn't make Trump a bad person, LOL. Seriously, the money transfer to Biden's son is suspicious and is fair grounds for further inquiry. Reports are that the money transited through various banks and countries. As a retired banker, this is a pattern suggestive of possible money laundering and needs to be investigated. I'm far from convinced that a thorough and objective investigation was conducted. It's not unusual for politicians to try to dig up dirt on each other. Insofar as impeachment, Dems would be fools to do this because the Senate will never convict him. Trump would emerge unscathed and claim that what he's been claiming about unjustified attacks by Dems and the media have just been proven true. This will help him considerably in achieving reelection.
1
Surprised?
Remember when Trump bragged "You know what else they say about my people? The polls, they say I have the most loyal people. Did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay? It’s like incredible."
Yeah! It's like incredible that this megalomaniacal creature is the leader of the U.S. It's time for Pelosi to act and force the Republicans' hand.
2
If the Democrats proceed in this action, viewing it as an abuse of Power; would they also not have to bring up charges on Mr. Biden. Who in office publicly acknowledged he ask/ demanded that the Ukrainian government discharge the investigator, looking into the company his son worked for; before Ukraine could receive money from the U.S.? Now that is a crime, asking the Ukrainian government to look at the company to see if corruption charges were overlooked as a result of V.P. Biden’s actions, is a responsibility of Office.
1
@William Hall
As the companion story notes, Mr. Biden was advocating for the dismissal of the Ukranian prosecutor because the prosecutor was TOO LAX in his investigations into alleged corruption; because the prosecutor was not being sufficiently aggressive in rooting out corruption. As the story also notes, this was the official position of the US government at the time (that the prosecutor was too lax), as well as the position of other Western allies as well.
As the story also indicates, the replacement prosecutor then conducted a thorough investigation into the activities of the oligarch who owned the company with which Hunter Biden was associated.
1
Trading Trump for Pence is the political equivalent of the proverbial jump from out of the frying pan, into the fire.
No doubt the GOP were sure they had Clinton on the ropes with their impeachment investigation .
Beware what you wish for.
@meloop: Really tired of this argument.
3
Trump’s crimes and lies are unlimited and is not tolerable anymore. He is a joke for the whole world and shame for America. It is more painful to watch the inaction and silence from the Republican leaders. Impeachment is overdue .
2
All this handwringing and indecision is exactly why the Democrats will probably not hold the house for long; they are seems as ineffectual and not worth the vote. I hope the democratic leadership wakes up to this problem.
1
If you’d really like to know how Trump gets over, look no further than the people who’d rather yell at Nancy Pelosi.
And I still swear that half the people yelling didn’t vote, ain’t gonna vote, and simply want an alibi for their indifference and their willful ignorance.
It is imperative that you and your neighbors and loved ones call the people who were elected to serve you, and put a fire in their bellies. I’ve called mine, and although they are loyalists in Trumpland, I will be able to sleep better. For now
2
And yet Trump's supporters love him not in spite of all the things you list, but BECAUSE of them. He is their mirror image, the vessel of their aspirations, the light to their fire. They are him. They love it when he says racist or xenophobic things, because that's how they talk in their own homes. They think it's funny when he mocks the disabled or calls women he dislikes vile names. They like it when he disrespects allies, including countries that sent their people to fight and die along side out soldiers after 9/11. And they get a kick out of his coddling dictators, like Putin, Duarte and Kim Jung-un. This is the only thing that can explain why Trump's approval rating has ticked up a few notches in recent weeks. The thing they like most about it is that it in doing all these things, he's owning the libs! God help us all.
6
Impeachment will take up too much time and effort and exhaust the American public. Let's just vote him and the Republicans OUT!!!! Congress should censure him instead - it sends a message. They did that to Joe MCarthy, after all, and that's part of history now.
2
"But the more crucial issue is whether Democrats from the districts Mr. Trump won or nearly lost can stomach a push to expel him."
But. But. But.
This false assumption has clouded the question of impeachment too long and it is as absurd as it sounds. What does Republican voter sentiment have to do with Democratic voters at all? Pelosi has maintained this rationale for over a year. What statistics is her office using to calculate this risk? It matter not one bit what Republican voters think about impeachment. Any effort we make to remove Trump will be met with a blockade engineered by McConnell. Correcting his obstruction is not our job right now. If you really want send $50-100 to Amy McGrath's senate campaign. He's losing in the polls already.
But....
We still have indict Trump (easy) and place that indictment at the feet of the Senate (a much needed show of party unity and strength). Leave it to people like Mitt Romney to convince the GOP that the wheels of this clown car have come off.
1
Perhaps this time Democrats will unite and oppose someone who will lie and cheat and seek foreign assistance in his campaign for the second time. So many "Sanders or else" Democrats didn't mind all the "Corrupt Hillary" attacks; they had their own 'score' to avenge. Trump needs to have a united party ready to take him on for his actions. As for the Republicans .... what will it take for them to value country over party?
1
It is time for Pelosi to either LEAD or get out of the way... she is now committing the same sin the GOP is... overlooking crimes and corruption for political calculus. Our laws and Constitutional requirements should NOT be viewed through a political lens. It's time to lay all the facts out in an orderly, trial like fashion for the American people to see and digest - BEFORE the election. Let the corrupt GOP Senators be seen shielding an obviousness corrupt President abusing his power BEFORE the voters go to the polls. Let them run on that platform and let the chips fall where they may. To do nothing in the face of this is an afront to our country and rule of law.
3
An interesting thing in the case Donald Trump is that each impeachable thing he does seem to raise the bar for impeachment.
4
Come on, House Dems, do your job. Someone has to actually be a check on this president. Our whole system is predicated on exactly that.
5
"Mr. Trump showed no sign of contrition on Sunday, telling aides that Democrats were overplaying their hand on a matter voters would dismiss ".....
says the president who claims I Could Stand In the Middle Of Fifth Avenue And Shoot Somebody And I Wouldn't Lose Any Voters"
Contrition is not in his vocabulary, never mind his personality...
3
Pelosi is still Trump's best line of defense.
2
Why isn’t DNI handing this over- even if against DOJ? This is larger than any single agency ruling and must be released to Schiff!
2
@Saints Fan Apparently nothing does in Trump world.
Very informative.
2
Impeach or resign, Speaker Pelosi.
2
From the Canadian Free Press:
Biden's Nepotism and Hypocrisy in Ukraine
https://canadafreepress.com/article/bidens-nepotism-and-hypocrisy-in-ukraine
Apr 11, 2018 · The entangled web of Biden and son in Ukraine’s corruption is made more curious by the coincidence of dates when Biden visited Ukraine. During one of those visits in early 2016, a criminal investigation into stolen IMF credits to the tune of $1.8 billion was closed down by Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office.
They are more independent than many US sources. Biden and his son are corrupt. Let the investigation into their business dealings continue.
3
@Brian First the president needs to be impeached as he is in power and he has committed too many unlawful actions so far.
@Brian
OK but that means the litter of younger Trumps and Baby Face Kushner are fair game as well.
Ya' wanna dance? Let's dance.
Joe better get ahead of this story quickly and punch back aggressively. Instead of being "Swiftboated" he will be "Ukrained." He cannot sit back like Kerry did or he is dead in the water. Shameful the DJT can abuse his power and get away with this strong-arming a foreign government against his political opponent, but that is what we are allowing these days it seems. Don't just sit there, Joe. Say something. Repeatedly. Every day and don't let yourself be defined by this. PUNCH BACK against him and his corrupt, compromised children.
7
Will the Times editorial board finally write that impeachment is necessary? Or will we get more wringing of hands, clutching of pearls equivocation? I’m not holding my breath,
6
I don't believe Impeachment will change sentiment (s) toward Trump either individually or collectively. Timed properly - fairly close to November it could catalyze voter turnout - an advantage to the Democratic candidate. A little patience will go a long way here.
2
@Mike Brown I don't think so. Timing or delayed timing suggest political intention. This isn't/shouldn't be about that. The charges are already in. The time is right now.
@Erich Richter
I agree it SHOULDN'T be about politics (positions on issues etc.). I believe Trump's behavior has become a menace to society - national & global though. Conviction subsequent to Impeachment being mission impossible electoral politics take precedence over all else. Thanks for your input Erich.
Listening to Trump and reading transcripts of his back and forth with journalists is like watching the scene in Godfather II where Michael Corleone testifies in front of a Senate panel. Ukraine has responded that nothing untoward surfaced from prior investigations of corruption and Joe Biden was correct in pressuring the firing of the former Ukrainian prosecutor - for corruption, which the international community supported and mounted their own efforts to similarly affect. What a strange time we're living through when a sitting President simply makes things up with zero evidence, calls a whistle blower "partisan" without even knowing who they are, their political affiliation, etc. He'll continue to use his bully pulpit, with some success, to besmirch the reputation of politicians like Biden when his own resume reads like an indictment, and yet we're stuck with a petrified Congress and a servile Supreme Court that allow the sorry saga of Trump's presidency to continue to our country's embarrasement. Having read my share of American history I can't help but think those who wrote our constitution would be first in line to now change it - this was not what they fought for.
8
Let’s be clear about what is at stake for Trump in this election: the very real possibly of ending up in prison. And he knows it.
This is just a small taste of what Trump will do over the next year. Be prepared for things to get A LOT worse. This is a desperate and scared man.
If he looses the election, he loses all the protections of the presidency which have not only prevented him so far from being indicted for obstruction charges but also the powers that have allowed him to stonewall requests for information regarding other matters such as this.
9
Please all, just have a look on Fox News website to see how they are phrasing and deflecting the current constitutional crisis with our President, to see what we are dealing with in this country.
We all need to boycott everything Fox and the Murdoch family as well as its subsidiaries. Including TV and Films.
11
Considering Mr. Murdock no longer owns the 20th Century Fox movie studio, maybe we should make sure we are boycotting the right things instead of blindly throwing down gauntlets.
Already do; have for many years.
A lot of these comments seem to be nothing but gratuitous Nancy Bashing. It's beginning to sound like 5 year olds stamping their feet and whining "I want it now, Mommy!"
She was my representative for many years so yeah, I've had my differences with the Speaker. In all that time I have never once doubted her integrity and her ability to play the long game. Her interest is in the long term survival of the Republic. She's not in it for immediate gratification. Y'all should show some respect and be thankful she's on our side.
7
@BC I also have great respect for her, but I strongly disagree with her on this issue. I see her calculating based on political mores that don't exist in Trump world. And she is badly underestimating the will of her constituents. I read the Monmouth report myself, Those stats could be read almost any way you choose, but once you remove republican voters, whose opinion doesn't make any difference here, it appears that there is very strong support among democratic voters to move forward with impeachment indictment. http://monmouth.edu/polling-institute/documents/monmouthpoll_us_082219.pdf/
Trump's canary in a coal mine will be when Lindsey Graham starts claiming he never really supported him and uses his circa 2015 Trump-excoriating interviews as proof.
7
Do nothing Pelosi speaks. Is there any misconduct egregious enough that she won’t tolerate it? I haven’t seen it yet. She has the full power of the Constitution and righteousness on her side yet she refuses to act. Is failing to do your constitutional duty because you think not doing it will win you an election any better than violating the constitution and the law because you don’t believe in the Constitution (Trump and the Republicans.)
2
Why is the Biden clan above investigation? How come they're supposed to be immune? It is common knowledge that the Ukraine is one of the most corrupt nations on earth, and if members of a US political clan do business there, it is worth a look.
5
There are two separate issues here. One, the allegations with the Bidens, has already been proven to be more lies from a man who knows he’s going to jail once he loses the protection of his current office, and rile up his blind followers who he knows will not do any fact checking of their own to see he is lying. The second, a sitting American President trying to blackmail a foreign government to take down his political rivals, is an impeachable offense.
1
Why does this man think his conversations asking for dirt on opponents okay? He would blow up Congress if a Democratic candidate called some foreign leaders or some friends in foreign governments to dig dirt on him. It's okay for him to do it but not anyone else? How can republicans & his base think this is allowable by a president? I cannot even bring myself to call this him the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. The USA has sunk to the bottom of the swamp & dictatorship is weighing it down. How much more will it take to get this failing old man out of office? He is showing signs of mental regression & loss of reality. If they think Biden & Sanders are too old to serve, then trump is too old to serve another term.
Pelosi's idea to get a law passed that allows a sitting to be indicted is an excellent act for Congress to pass. Of course, McConnell will not allow that to happen to this president but fails to realize it would be a law on record that could be used against a president of any future party. If the Senate can be flipped next year, Barr is fired, trump is out, Jared & Ivanka are out, Stephen Miller is gone, maybe laws can be changed & enacted for future generations to avoid this problem again.
No president is above the law & it should be stated plainly & legally & not ambiguously & open to one person's interpretation.
Christians like to print Bibles that are more up to date with modern times. The Constitution should be brought into the 21st Century.
4
I'll release the transcript, but first Bill Barr will redact it.
As for the whistle-blower's lawful complaint, Bill decided the DNI will not follow the whistle-blower law that explicitly says the DNI "shall" give it to the House and Senate. When Bill invents a reason not to follow the law, it's fine with me because he's MY Att'y General, not yours.
4
Did Democrats consider choosing candidates who did NOT receive a billion from otherwise uncharitable foreigners, while in office, for their foundation or for their children? There must be some such people still walking around.
Biden's mouth foaming "I'll knock Trump in the face if he looks at my family's business in Ukraine" is entertaining all right.
But it's less reassuring than Trump's "They can look all they want, I don't care, since I did not collude with Russia." Which turned out to be true.
2
Willingness without action is fantasy.
3
Trump’s captive Dept. Of Justice will stonewall any and all requests for information.
The house needs to start enforcing its contempt rules. The little jail they have needs to be used. The Sargent at Arms should be briefed on how his duties to support the constitution mandate that he follow orders to arrest a designated contempt person and escort him or her to that jail.
3
@RjW Email him and ask him if he has been contacted by Nadler. I did, didn't get a response. https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/officers-and-organizations/sergeant-at-arms
1
Thanks@Erich Richter
Maybe I’ll give it a try. Hey. Why not. I will. Could be a helpful nudge to the Sargent. It’s remarkable that a fellow reader had a similar idea. Wow.
1
Its in the record of the intelligence department if he did or did not do something that was definitely wrong. It will be easy to release the conversation and clear this up. Very simple conclusion. However ,if its true and Trump is fearful and his puppets are ordered to cover up then of course the "wall" will be built. A 6 yo can see this.
The reality is that many Americans , and most Repubs, don't care what he does. They worry that a son of Biden might commit corruption but accept the every day corruption of trump and his son Don Jr ( telling Russia he would love it if they helped)..
1
The GOP has given up everything for this president. Trump's defense doesn't even make any sense...if there was some sort of wrongdoing by American citizens (i.e. the Bidens) why would you ask a foreign government about it? Now the Republican party doesn't believe in U.S. sovereignty anymore?
1
Trump will not be impeached...Votes are not there no matter what he has done. It would be a complete waste of time and cause more grief for the Dems.
DEMs Focus on the issues!
4
@glennmr Well there is the issue that without an impeachment indictment there can be no impeachment at all, and that there are confirmed impeachable offenses.
We need to get rid of Trump!! Please focus on who makes up the electorate. In the last congressional elections the Democrats were able to flip 40 seats of those only two were progressives. That should speak volumes to all of us. Here in the Midwest there are many that voted for Trump that are unhappy with his shenanigans but I doubt they will vote for anybody that they perceive as a socialist.
2
@Conrad
If Liz Warren is the nominee, there will be four more years of Trump. Guaranteed.
1
@Conrad " I doubt they will vote for anybody that they perceive as a socialist." Meanwhile, he's out there painting everybody else as a socialist.
So whom do you think they'd prefer? (Not a woman, I'd bet. Worse chances than a socialitt, right?)
@Jack Okay, Jack. Thanks. And now back to this story about Trump and Ukraine.
Pelosi warns ""turn over the secret whistle-blower complaint by Thursday, or face a serious escalation from Congress. " oooooo, I'll bet the republicans are quaking. Let's open more investigations so the degenerate republicans can ignore every subpoena without consequence. The House HAS THE AUTHORITY to arrest people for contempt. But they've turned out to be a spineless, toothless group, all talk, no results. If this isn't worthy of impeachment, nothing is.
3
Trump is indeed acting more like a crime boss than a president. It appears he has dangled already-appropriated foreign aid arm to engage the Ukrainian Government in his opposition research--in the case we know about, on Biden. He is daily engaged in activities that, in a sane world, would make him a climate criminal. He is forcing Central American governments to sign agreements to reduce immigration to the US by requiring asylum in countries where people are fleeing violence--in part because the Trump Administration has turned its back on human rights. He treats Puerto Rico like a foreign government while its people, facing new storms, recover from old storms.
And we come full circle back to the climate change denier-in-chief.
But he he is hardly the first president to engage in extortion. It has been sacrosanct in US foreign policy--do what we want, for our businesses, our interests, or we will withhold aid, overthrow your leader, fund insurgencies (unless you play ball with us and then we will prop up the most heinous dictatorship).
Trump is just by far the clumsiest and most self-serving. Yet as the IRS auditor might say, ignorance of the law is no excuse. While Congress ignores criminality in the White House, preferring to play electoral politics and angle towards 2020.
The US body politic is sick. The national politicians' prognoses promise more of the same. The public is given two choices; neither will cure the patient.
But they make for good entertainment.
2
@omartraore "the climate change denier-in-chief." Hang on. His denials have just begun. And climate change will be the very least of them.
And the most softly spoken.
I'm not legal expert but asking , cajoling, hinting, applying suggestive aggressive language to a foreign government to investigate your political opponents family in order to damage their campaign is the definition of abuse of power; legally. Impeachment worthy? YES!
8
Just so I'm clear.....
Trump thought that after he was investigated for two years for colluding with a foreign power, that actually colluding with a foreign power was the correct next step in his presidency?
I don't think I have any brain left after seeing this...
11
@Pete It’s because he gets away with all of his corruption, like he has his entire life. Someone who’s lived his entire life within consequences.
@Pete He doesn't think in terms of "correct." He always looks for the "safe" next step that he can get away with....or blame on someone else if it goes awry.
Its baffles the mind to see how little the American public cares about preserving their institutions. We have not one, but a laundry list of impeachable offenses available in the Mueller report alone, and now this, and yet nothing is done. The general public is so ill-informed, uneducated, and uninterested that capitulation in the face of what should be considered intolerable behavior by ANY decent person has become the norm. We have become a country of cowards.
This is a case where inaction is the undeniable equivalent of saying, "This conduct is acceptable for a sitting president." The Republicans have explicitly condoned all of Trump's grossly immoral behavior, to their shame, but if the Democrats do not impeach, they will have permanently moved the line so carefully drawn by the founders as to ruin the entire structure. Blame the Republicans, rightly, for destroying out system of government, but the Democrats should be called to account for being so feckless and once again demonstrating they are more the party of incompetence than anything else.
It's time for something new, before time runs out.
11
What this man did is exactly what we, as citizens of a representative democracy, should understand is not done. The President of the United States should not attempt to use the U.S. Government and his color of office to investigate and prosecute political opponents. We leave that to Russia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Iran, and the other countries with which this man is obviously so comfortable (and enamored) aligning himself. Enough! The Republicans need to put country before party, which, by the way, this man has all but destroyed, for once and actually do something other than make lame excuses about this unforgivable behavior. There is no excuse for the abhorrent behavior by this man, his family, his organization, and his cronies. If he wants to continue to flout the ideals upon which this nation was founded, then he needs to move on, either into a jail cell or into exile to a land where corruption runs a muck.
1
@Trapper "where corruption runs a muck."
....where corruption runs AMOK .
Forget impeachment at this point.
Simply vote him out of office.
Then let our legal system take action.
4
We need a 'stronger' Speaker if the Democrats want to go after Trump. We need a younger, more fit Speaker that has the energy and 'speaking ability' to make the case against Trump. Listen to the Speaker at her next press conference and judge for yourself whether she sounds like a strong leader.
I'm concerned that Speaker Pelosi's best days are behind her and that Trump will get a second term in spite of this latest issue and protests from the Dems...
3
Trump has always believed he is above the law, and acts like that comes with the job.
That the Republicans and the people who support/vote for him, see it the same way, is the biggest danger to the USA (and consequently the Western World) there has ever been.
I do not know if the rest of the country really understands what is currently happening, and I do not know if there is time to get the necessary steps into place to get Trump out.
However, this seems like one of the opportunities that HAS to be taken to do just that.
Sinclair Lewis would probably say: I told you it could happen here.
How right he was.
5
@Don F Trump has always believed he is above the law, and acts like that comes with the job. AND SO FAR HE'S BEEN RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
I think that the allegations, if true, definitely amount to an impeachable offense. But here's the problem: we don't yet know what is true.
Step one: Congress must demand to see the whistleblower complaint, using every means within its constitutional power.
Step two: The allegations in the complaint must be investigated.
Step 3: Congress must hold public hearings in which the facts as they have been determined are aired and debate over what to do can occur.
Step 4: Assuming the facts support impeachment, and assuming a majority of the House support it, then and only then should impeachment proceedings begin.
Listen, I am about as anti-Trump as they come, but if you're not willing to at least wait until we know what the facts are before you start screaming for impeachment, you're just playing into Trump's hands.
7
@Joe M.
Sounds great, but they won't get past Step 1. Trump will simply refuse to follow lawful requests. The conversation needs to change. The real grounds for his impeachment are his intentional flouting of the House's constitutional requests needed to investigate his many misdeeds. If this is allowed to stand, we have a monarch and not a president.
@Joe M. " you're just playing into Trump's hands." THOSE HANDS?
How long must it rain before opening an umbrella seems like a good idea?
14
@FredInOhio Wait till you're holding 3 aces and a parasol.
I had a dream that after this latest wrong-doing by this corrupt president the Republicans came together. They issued a statement saying “Enough is enough. We don’t care if we anger our constituents, trump supporters. Our love of country comes before worrying about getting re-elected. We’ll take the necessary steps to remove him from office.”
Hell will freeze over before that happens.
4
if Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the genre are thrusting the
imagination of impeachment on the will of the people again,
they had better hope that it is more than just rhetorical;
the fan base for the candidacy is shrinking by the hour,
quite a few people don't care for biden or warren;
and if Mrs Pelosi's failed quo attempt at impeachment
happens, it may be very likely the president will just
steam roll ahead and win by a even greater margin
come 2020.
2
@Thomas W "thrusting on the will "? Wow !
We're worried about impeachment "creating the very divisiveness that helped him win in 2016"?During the last 3 years Trump has created and fueled this divisiveness and shows no signs of letting up.Democrats have put themselves " between a rock and a hard place"because they haven't acted before this.Sometimes we have to make hard choices and this is one of those times.I still don't get why impeaching a criminal president will hurt Democratic candidates up for reelection. Would someone please explain to me why this will happen...in detail.Not just broad assumptions about about where the electorate stands or how they will rush to vote for Trump once his illegal and improper actions are detailed and publicized by an investigation.The last time I looked,Trump had the lowest average approval rating of any president in modern times.Why are Democrats so afraid of him?
7
Pelosi opposed impeachment because it cannot succeed, and makes it easy for Trump to talk victimization. All facts.
On the other hand, almost half of folks back Trump no matter what, and Whatever Trump Says, goes. Likewise almost half of voters oppose Trump and will vote for whomsoever is the Dem candidate for President.
So the election turns on the ten percent of folks who either aren’t paying attention or cannot decide between a mindless dotard spreading disaster and a normal person of good intention.
Will impeachment wake up the slumbering few or the hopelessly indecisive? I’ll go with Pelosi’s judgment on this question, however that evolves.
7
I am deeply saddened by Speaker Pelosi's lack of interest in doing the right thing. She may be a master politician, and I understand there is little to be gained since the GOP Senate will not convict, but I still have personal regard for someone who would stand by the courage of their convictions. Old timey liberal values, I guess.
6
Trump’s actions in this affair are clearly illegal and unethical. Democrats and Republicans both need to take a stand on this.
At the same time, while I believe that Joe Biden did nothing illegal in regard to his relationship to Ukraine while Vice President, this affair underscores an issue that voters are finding more and more distasteful. That is, whatever the legal issues, the tendency of candidates and members of their families to think that they can do whatever they wish to maximize their own financial situation, while wanting the American people to trust them to make ethical choices. Clearly,Trump and his family have failed in this regard. It’s also the same sort of thing that we saw in Hillary Clinton’s decision to seek speaking engagements with deep-pocket organizations, even though she knew she would be running for president; she obviously thought she could take the money and no voters would see that as problematic. And while Joe Biden is once removed from this Ukraine business, I would be curious if he ever sat down with Hunter Biden and said, “I realize that you are an adult and can make your own decisions, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved with a cesspool like Ukraine. That could have consequences for you and for my political future. If you choose to do it anyway, understand that I will do nothing to help you insofar as my public authority is concerned.” American voters are concerned about these kinds of things, and politicians must adjust.
6
I agree completely. The using your political position to self deal for yourself and your family just looks bad. That also is hurting with income inequality as "connections" basically mean that a company will hire a big players kids in order to curry favor with the big player and not because the kids are qualified.
You also see so many instances of a politicians spouse is hired as a "consultant" to curry favor or bribe that politician. You would he hard pressed to see exactly how that spouse added value to that company. This self enriching is causing this mess and we need to vet our candidates to see how they are so wealthy and select ones who have shown through actions that the find it distasteful to self deal.
I'm an independent and didn't vote in 2016 but did in 2018. I would have now but it would have been an anti Trump vote and not a pro Hillary vote. I never liked the Clinton's and was not inspired to vote because the optics of all this stuff is just so bad. I'll hold my nose for Biden but we have two much better options running.
1
Congress and the Dems need to show some teeth. We cannot have information repeatedly withheld from Congress. Use any and all means necessary to get the information. Trump keeps us from the truth and nothing is done. This cannot go on.
5
This is the turning point on impeachment. Caution is justified pending review of the whistleblower complaint, but it would seem that enough evidence is available to be convincing of the fact that Trump personally requested the leader of Ukraine to affect a US election.
There was a whole special prosecutor investigation on such conspiracy, yet Trump has the utter lack of moral compass to blatantly do it again. Like in his businesses in NY, Trump is driven not by laws, but by what he can get away with along with support of his fixers. His fixers now include the US Senate.
I understand the perceived risk of a failed Impeachment, but Democrats must acquire courage. Should the Senate choose to deny Articles of Impeachment, it would seem a basis for enormous Democratic political advantage.
"He was investigated once and now we have witnesses of him doing it again."
Or. "Is Trump really unable to win an election based on his policies and accomplishments? Does he really have to have the specter of denied foreign aid dangling over the head of Ukraine to force them to support his campaign?"
"Who are we as a country that we accept foreign support, contrary to the Constitution, for a weak candidate?"
I want to hear the babble from the mouths of Republicans during campaigns and debates when faced with that sort of question. And they are 100% complicit in support of that behavior. They did nothing, said nothing, and voted against impeachment.
6
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! When is enough enough!!
8
Rubicon crossed
Time to IMPEACH!!
7
We should be having some discussions about what "President Pence" would be like. I suspect a lot better than Trump. At least he seems less likely to keep committing crimes.
And who would President Pence appoint as his VP? Perhaps if Mitch McConnell saw that as a possibility, he might start to think about doing the right thing and holding Trump responsible for his actions. All the sudden, the Republicans in the Senate might support impeachment.
Do you think Pelosi is having background discussions about what a new administration would look like? President Pence, VP Mitch?
2
@DJS2018. Mitch McConnell has much more power as senate Majority leader than he would as Vice President. Johnson found that out when he took the job in the Kennedy administration. Events did come to move Johnson into the presidency but Mitch might be too cautious or wary to gamble on that,
Lets face a basic fact which colors every avenue of action. Yes, the democrats believe that the President should be impeached but they know that it will not be successful. So the fear is that the democrats would be perceived as being as scary to the voters as the president. This forces people to move into their respective camps and potentially gives the president an opening to win.
The same imperative to be less threatening is a reason for Joe Biden. Who could be threatened by Joe Biden?
On the other hand, what about Elizabeth Warren--she has more energy, is generally considered smarter, and has a plan for everything. But she is allowing the opposition to paint her into that corner of fear. How much will medicare for all costs? What does it mean when she says that overall costs will go down?
Donald Trump avoided this scrutiny by having secret plans which no one else was allowed to see unless he was president. It allowed him to define Hillary's plans and not actually have to show anything on his end. Donald would give you great healthcare at a fraction of the cost. Wasn't true but it got him elected.
From an outside perspective, is the persecution of HIllary's Benghazi any different than the impeachment of Trump? Sane people would argue yes but we have few of those. Is Pelosi correct? I wish she was not. I am terrified that she is.
2
I see both sides. I understand Pelosi's reluctance to impeach because of the risk of it backfiring. But if she doesn't impeach, there is also the risk of THAT backfiring.
Taking it all into consideration, I believe it's better to take the risk of impeachment because the risks of not impeaching are greater in the long run.
Risks of NOT impeaching:
1. losing the respect of our base
2. many people will not vote at all due to that disrespect
3. setting precedent that presidents can get away with anything
4. making it more likely that the behavior will continue and get worse
Speaker Pelosi, you know how to deal with children. They need consequences for their behavior. I know you preferred the consequence of the 2020 election but this child is an unusual child and needs more severe consequences....
11
Yes.
Democrats need to be stewards of our Constitution and fight for the rule of law
There are no downsides.
2
Those representatives whose decision on impeachment is determined by their own reelection prospects and how they might be affected do not belong in the US House because they are not protecting or defending the Constitution or this country.
6
Making impeachment a matter of "political timing" does nothing but cheapen the constitutional requirement.
13
Here is the issue. A lot reporters say that a lot of people don't want the President impeached. A lot of people are not paying attention as most people don't look at cable news. That is where a lot of discussion is happening.
If we have hearings by one committee with questions from professionals (not Congressmen who want to get their mug on the TV) and have the hearings on regular(free) TV, that is, ABC, NBC, CBS then people will pay attention. Up until now, the only info my friends and acquaintances about Washington, is what I tell them.
4
I doubt The transcript of the call is going to prove extortion (though will likely suggest it, along with a timeline of when the aid was released). The whistleblower complaint needs to go to congress.
8
Impeachment? No one believed Trump was going to win this election. The head of the FBI lost his job informing the public that Trump colluded with Russia; members of his election committee were guilty of illegal activities. Without personal consequences he took it as a free pass.
I’ve never lived in a time where the President did not, in his way, represent the values of our government. I do now, and watch as he undoes all the good that was done to benefit We the People, replacing reliable, experienced, qualified administrators loyal to the mandate of their job (like the EPA) with Trump puppets- minions who will do his bidding against the interests of We the People, while trying to put the checks and balances of our three branches of our government, into his pocket to make it a one-man show- like a misbehaving three year-old who’s never been punished, testing his boundaries; ready to blame someone else if caught. But he’s been caught many times with no consequences, so he keeps going and we let him.
I think we are too late for impeachment. Even if it succeeded, the deck is stacked: his cronies and connections are in place; he has his foreign allies and can run America with Mike Pence at the helm.
Andrew Johnson, who ignored laws, Congress, and illegally overstepped the mandates of his office to undo the Reconstruction set in place by his predecessor, Abraham Lincoln, was unsuccessfully impeached, Had that outcome been different, we might not be facing this one.
4
It's become clear that the Republicans have decided that the US constitution has become irrelevant, and that the selection of leadership is too important to be left to the people. Welcome to the new United States of America.
9
Strange, as it seems, Trump may only know one way of releasing himself from the Presidency. Acknowledging an impeachable offense (claiming it doesn't rise to that level), being impeached and then resigning - the impeachment process being an affront to his dignity.
Even he may be getting sick of this bout though he'll always long to fight another day. Perhaps being free to agitate from without may be more "fun" for him.
2
@John C. Calhoun. Yes, he then he could start looking for Kamala Harris’s birth certificate.
1
If Trump is as innocent as he claims, he should call on the Director of National Intelligence to forward the whistleblower complaint to Congress as required by law.
If the whistleblower is nothing but a specious attack by the Deep State, then Trump could easily expose it.
Right.
7
The most overlooked aspect of the Mueller report was Trump ordering Sessions to investigate Hillary Clinton. I said then that a President pressuring the Justice department to target a political opponent was shocking and most likely criminal. Now we have him admitting to asking a foreign power to investigate a political opponent. Out of all of the criminal/corrupt activities committed every day, the only ones the current occupant of the White House seems interested in are his political opponents. He has even gone so far to say someone like Manafort and Flynn were treated so unfairly. Anyone who thinks it is acceptable for the President to use investigative powers to only target political enemies is acceptable behavior has no understanding of how justice is supposed to be blind and we are all equal under the law. This is what America was supposed to be about. Truly only dictators directly target political opponents and dissent from the media. I fear that this type of behavior-if unchecked-will become the new normal.
8
All this Trump impeachment stuff would be more palatable if Biden could have somehow avoided collecting millions from Ukraine for no-show work. Democrats treat us with such persistent contempt.
4
@Chris. How much business for his hotels and resorts, as well as other Trump and Kushner family businesses has Trump racked up while in office. Quite a lot of it at taxpayers’ expense. it is not palatable in either case but the Democrats would look even more foolish than they now do not to make some comparisons of the issue is raised in Trump’s canpaign. And when is the House boing to seriously investigate possible violations of tne emoluments clause?
No one can fault the Democrats from attempting to build a solid base of legislation to benefit the average American. But this president tests the patience of all of the public to put up with his lawlessness and shenanigans on a daily basis. I think the Democrats must begin the process of impeachment and flood the news cycles of his all too often misdeeds..
10
Bret Stephens on Mr. Trump, NYTimes, 19Sept2019: " ... weakness masked in bluster ... general indifference to human-rights ... abandoning American values ... asking for Saudi direction ... " And now this. That's some POTUS we've got, huh? Maybe we could get somebody else?
6
So, Lyndon Johnson makes up a phony attack by North Vietnam and gets us into a war and Bush makes up phony weapons of mass destruction and gets us into a war, and no impeachment. But, this guy asks for someone to be investigated and he’s a traitor? What the heck was Biden’s kid getting paid for? Seriously, who gets paid that kind of money for just sitting on a board? What qualifies him for that, other than being his Dad’s kid. Please. Don’t we all have a right to ask someone to investigate something like that? Did Trump actually say, “Do this or else?” I bet if Trump’s kid was in the same situation, you guys would want to impeach him for that!
11
@Joseph Falconejoe
Well yea ...
Please look into this ...
Impeachable offense? Did T accept that nothing bad was done? Did he change the evidence?
Did he hire a spy to write a fake dossier ...oops my bad ...forget that last one.
1
Oh, you mean like when Trump’s kid met with the Russians in Trump Tower in 2016 in order to conspire with them against a presidential candidate?
1
Yes, let the republicans stew in their own juice. Their allegiance to the dictator in chief can only help destroy their majority in the Senate. How can Pelosi continue to think otherwise?
5
Enough is enough is enough! Get this guy outta there already!
8
Why are the Democrats helping Trump??
4
He has been a treasonous traitor from day one (or at least the day Manafort showed up). POTUS is either a knowing Russian pawn, or just an imbecile, maybe both.
-Failing to support Ukraine (started at GOP convention in 2016)
-Attacking our NATO allies
-Siding with Putin over our own intelligence
-Supporting Brexit
-Failing to take action to secure our elections
-And so many others
All ways in which POTUS has aided Russia, not his own country.
8
@BullMoose2020
Agreed ...he should have sent tents and band aides to support Ukraine like Obama did...
THAT shows support ...
1
Mr. Nixon, is that you?
1
Take off the gloves Ms. Pelosi.
5
Everyone should keep Helsinki in mind . Trump met with Putin with only there respective interpreters. Trump took his interpreter's notes afterwards. I'm sure they resumed the negotiations, the quid pro quo, for Trump p Tower Moscow.
11
Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and Jerry Nadler will never vote to forward articles of impeachment. They are the best friends and allies Donald Trump could ever hope for: an incredibly timid, fearful, unprincipled, inept, and feckless Democratic Party. It is on the watch of Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, and Al Gore that the Democratic Party has become a mere shadow of its former self.
In his book “Hitler’s Ascent 1889-1939,” author Volker Ullrich reveals that Hitler’s rise occurred not necessarily because Hitler was so strong or powerful, but instead because the German legislative governance was so weak, unprincipled, and obsequious.
Democrats today have a solemn, moral, patriotic obligation to expedite impeachment. Let the chips fall where they may. The evidence to support their case is overwhelming.
Trump is increasingly brazen, contemptible, and totalitarian in his disregard for the law because he knows he can be. There are no checks to stop him: not the Justice Department, not the federal court system (I.e. Supreme Court), not Congressional Republicans, not Congressional Democrats, not the mainline corporate press, not social media (for sure), certainly not Wall Street, and—most compellingly—not the American voters themselves, who are too jaded and scammed by a steady stream of right-wing propaganda to take a stand to save what is left of our democracy.
12
Pelosi reminds me of the threatening parent who does nothing. At some point it comes down to put up or shut up.
Political calculus should not supersede the saving of the Republic. I believe our way of governing is in danger if the conduct of the current occupant of the Oval Office goes unchecked.
15
Why aren’t we talking about how withholding military aid to the Ukraine helped Russia. I’m sure Mr. Putin was well pleased by his friend. Holding up the aid package sent a signal to the Ukraine and the world that we are a very unreliable ally. Just what we need in this time of world turmoil and climate change.
11
@R.E. Landwehrle
What aide did Obama send?
Tents ...not even ammunition ...
1
@R.E. Landwehrle
There is not one person who didn't know what kind of degenerate Trump was in 2016, even among the GOP.
But Joe Biden remains the gift that keeps on giving to the low road in America, ever since 1973. It was a mistake by Team Obama and the DNC to drag Biden out of the heap and give him both national and international legitimacy beyond Delaware senator.
Elections matter as much as WHOM within that candidate's family and political circle is also then elected, be it a local, state or national election.
If only American voters understood and cared about the short term AND long term ramifications of their vote. Democracy is serious business; we are 6 decades past when Americans ought care about the future of our nation instead of oft selecting the worst and then worst of the worst.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/may/07/viral-image/fact-checking-joe-biden-hunter-biden-and-ukraine/
An impeachment trial of the president is presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Interesting speculation as to what Chief Justice Roberts is thinking about this possibility.
In the end it would still require 2/3 of the Senate to pass impeachment.
Republicans need to review the Watergate/Nixon period to realize this current administration has far exceeded that episode.
10
Trump may or may not hand over the transcript, and if he does, it may or may not be redacted or doctored. In the meantime, there needs to be a close look at what happened to military aid for Ukraine from the time it was approved by Congress until it was finally released by the Trump administration, just as this scandal began to unfold.
Judging by the administration's past behavior, there may already have been attempts to sanitize the record. We need to get to the bottom of this.
8
A line has definitely been crossed here. The Democrats cannot continue to ignore the recklessness and deliberate flouting of the law this administration exhibits on a daily basis.
It is time to get serious about impeachment. It is also time to serious about congress flexing some muscle. Subpoenas need to be responded to or contempt charges follow, no question, no hesitation. Witnesses answer questions and stow the attitude when speaking to elected representatives (I'm looking at you Lewandowski, and you to Kavenaugh) or contempt charges will follow. Put up or shut up it's time to play hardball.
The only caveat being that due process must be adhered to. As hard as it may be to prove these days we are still a nation of laws. Jumping to a vote for impeachment without an investigation, as Representative Jayapal suggests, is irrational and the surest way to delegitimize any outcome. The adults still need to be in charge of this.
6
Just want to point out that if trump did indeed use the $250 million - the "promise" referred to in the complaint - to coerce Zelensky to provide dirt on Biden, he was using taxpayer dollars to do it with.
In other words he was using money from the US Treasury for personal gain while also arguably committing a crime. I'm not sure what federal statute that would fall under but am pretty sure it's a big, huge no-no.
13
Many stories circulating about the actual content of the whistleblower complaint have referenced a promise, not a threat, which I would like to know more about. The foreign aid to Ukraine was already in the pipeline, so withholding it, which seems to have been done for a time, could be seen as a threat. But what was the promise? In light of Trump’s history, there can be legitimate concern that he promised additional help if evidence of wrongdoing by Biden’s son were fabricated. That is why we must have the full transcript of the call, not a selective disclosure in pieces, which seems to have begun already.
7
The Democratic leadership does not possess the courage to do anything beyond complaining about Trump’s trampling on norms, and his lack of civility. While there are members and caucuses within the party that support Impeachment, the party as a whole will never press forward. Donald Trump knows this. He also knows that he can use our clamoring for justice and the rule of law to rile up his far right base, getting them to the polls in record numbers. I would be very grateful to Speaker Pelosi if she would prove me wrong. It’s time to impeach Donald Trump.
6
The quid pro quo argument is a distraction. There did not have to be an offer of aid or favors for the Ukraine to understand its options. Trump has publicly admitted asking a foreign power to investigate one of his political opponents. There is no significant national interest in Hunter Biden's activities. This is all about Trump's abuse of power to further a personal interest; and as such, is a perfect example of the founder's concept of a high crime. Public opinion will swing against Trump if this simple issue is effectively highlighted by the House. Its time for impeachment proceedings to begin.
10
When I was around five years old, up to this date I still remember my mother's word of wisdom. She said, " Son, success or failure is not really matter as long as you do your best ".
Many people in this country do the best thing they can wake up in the morning. They drop off their kids at school, go to work and pick them after work with daily rituals to support their family. We have seen enough with this reality show president with daily chaos, drama, lies and denigrating almost everyone of our great institutions. The latest insult is coming to California to raise $15 millions for the campaign and mark the homeless as " hurting the image of LA and SF " .
The impeachment for this president is long over due, do the " Best " you can, Miss Pelosi, there is no guarantee in life.
13
To be quite honest I'd bet that the President might have been hoping for this outcome.
Obviously we won't know what actually transpired until a, hopefully, accurate transcript is provided. But he certainly knew that conversation was not private. So he probably intentionally used language that was questionable but not illegal.
The outcome has several purposes. First, the Democrat's will expend even more efforts on a loosing battle. We all know that the House will pass the articles of impeachment as only a simple majority is needed, which they hold, and no sitting Democrat would dare to vote otherwise irrespective of the lack of facts.
Second, the Senate will not pass the vote. Third, the media, especially MSM, will launch into a feeding frenzy over this. The net result is that the upcoming campaign will be drowned out in their efforts to get the electorate in a frenzy as well. The electorate will be even more disenchanted with Washington.
2
I'm sure Trump is shaking in his boots. Since when has Pelosi done anything but given lip service to Trump's misdeeds? The Mueller report contained more than anyone could want to impeach. Yet she did not act. This will be no different. It's no wonder the Democrats are moving toward the next generation of politicians to get what they want.
3
I find it remarkable how the Republican Party can sit mutely in the sidelines...they must have all forgotten how badly Richard Nixon’s shenanigans damaged all politicians, of every political stripe.
Ethics in government is a key issue worth preserving, despite what Trump era Republicans seem to think.
8
The Democrats need trump. He is their key to a landslide success in 2020. Removing him from office destroys the best target Democrats have had in a long time. The evils perpetrated by this so-called president and his supporters, when presented in total, can not be defended. There is no need for Democrats to promote controversial progressive concepts. Addressing restoration of Obama administration policies could be a real asset.
2
Though the president has, at last, admitted to making the phone call to the Ukrainian president, he doesn’t regret it. He even justifies it, saying that “we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine.”
Apart from the murder of the English language, the justification he has offered is laughable. Trump is more concerned about the corruption in a foreign country than the corrupt business and political activities of him and his family that are being investigated in the U.S.
Democratic members of the House who have been opposed to impeachment for the only reason that the Republican-controlled Senate would acquit Trump anyway, can take some consolation from what Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham have said. If a staunch Trump supporter like Graham finds this phone call too troublesome, many of Trump's less loyal Republican supporters are going to find it that way, too. After all, they all have vowed to protect and defend the Constitution. Inviting a foreign government to interfere in the electoral process – that’s what a Biden investigation by Ukraine would amount to – is an assault on the Constitution.
It is good to know that Democrats who have been skeptical about impeachment until now, have started saying that Trump’s latest action has made impeachment unavoidable. Who know, the phone call to the Ukrainian president may mark the death knell for the Trump presidency.
8
If impeachment is the only answer then we should impeach now. Mike Pence is also a good leader with less baggage and would have not trouble getting re-elected in 2020. Ooh the outrage, the loathing the fear. Every day it seems there is a new (this is the end) moment for Trump. These lessons in theater are only diluting any credibility that the media has left. If something is outrageous then please be outraged. If something is partisan please let it flow in one ear and out the other. This is like the story of the little boy who cried wolf except Donald Trump is not the wolf.
5
@RSs
I met a woman who had just moved from your state to my city of San Diego. While we were talking, she kept referring to Missouri as the "state of misery." She saw my puzzled look and explained that one reason she had moved was because of the small-minded ignorance of many people.
Please don't prove her right. Read David Leonhardt's opinion piece "Trump vs the United States" for just a few of the reasons why so many want Trump to be gone. They just don't want someone who is so unfit to represent our nation.
1
@RS
Sorry but no. Mike Pence is a disaster of an entirely different caliber. He's the evangelical's dream candidate the one they new could never be elected on his own.
You want to see an American Taliban in power? Put Pence in the Oval Office.
Pelosi and the old Democrats are acting like Trump operatives... at this point, it wouldn’t surprise me if they are. Seems everyone is working (even passively) to turn America into a plutocracy.
7
All the political jockeying and theorizing regarding the “decision” to impeach is driving me crazy. Did Trump commit impeachable offenses? Yes. Then it’s no longer a decision to be pondered. Our constitution demands it. Nowhere in the The Constitution did our forefathers write, “Follow only if politically expedient for your party.” We must stop viewing impeachment through the lens of political jockeying and uphold our constitution by doing the ethically and morally right thing. Ethics are rules provided by an external source - in this case, our Constitution. Morals refer to individual principles regarding right and wrong. Our parents taught us to do right. Our Constitution does the same. We must not be tempted to drink from the same poison cup as our current GOP Congress members: i.e. defy ethical and moral behavior in order to facilitate political strategy. We must do right and impeach.
8
@Sheila Ray
Yes! Indeed! Pence will make a great replacement. Mike Pence is a hard core conservative that will turn the country Christian again.
Well, that was quick! We're already in Phase 5 of the now-familiar Trump Damage Control Protocol.
As we've all seen dozens of times, Trump's response to scandals and revelations of corruption follow a pattern:
Phase 1: "Fake news!" Trump denies everything.
Phase2: The coverup. Trump orders subordinates to refuse to testify and deny all requests for information, delaying the investigation process in the hope the media and the public will lose interest.
Phase 3: "Witch hunt!" When the story won't die despite Trump's denials, he claims that the persistence of the investigators is simply proof of the widespread conspiracy against him.
Phase 4: "But her emails!" Trump tries to change the subject. As the media and the public grow more concerned, Trump tosses out various accusations against his political opponents, arguing that the media and the Justice Department are so focused on him that they're ignoring "the real corruption" of Democrats.
Phase 5: "OK, I did it, but there's nothing wrong with that." When the story just won't go away and the facts are on the table, Trump admits he did the thing he said he never did, but argues that there's no law against it.
This process, which we've seen with the Russia investigation, Stormy Daniels, and other crises, usually takes weeks to unfold. The fact that we've gotten to Phase 5 in a matter of days is a good indication that Trumps sees this particular crisis as more threatening than anything he has faced so far.
12
I can't help but wonder whether the whistle-blower affair is a ploy by Trump and his republican lackies to get the democrats to distract voters away from the elections and the debates, by conducting investigations and impeachment proceedings.
Although it may be the right thing to do, voters don't seem interested in impeachment, but will follow the proceedings once they are started.
It is more important to defeat Trump in November; and win a majority in the Senate, just enough to deprive Mitch McConnell from the post he so abuses.
2
There has to be clear, unassailable evidence.
Trump is using this whole episode to kill Biden's chance of election among disaffected GOP.
The GOP is hearing that Biden is just as corrupt as Trump. That is their FOX message. Even if it turns out that the Biden charges are wrong, charges at all, makes them equivalent in FOX eyes.
The Hillary e-mails were nothing, but were made into something.
Perhaps, making this into a scandal about abuse of power, is a good way to turn the conversation. (add in weather report and retribution on car makers )
But abuse of power may be too complex for Tweeters.
Maybe he's overplayed his hand and should have just let the Democratic elites and media kill Biden's chances.
I'm a dinosaur who remembers when it didn't used to be like this.
7
@Sharon
Biden never ought have been a 2020 Democrat primary candidate, such as he is. He ought never have been a candidate in 2007 and certainly not a hand picked veep in 2008/2012, either. He ought never have sold the nation down the river time and again during his 40 years in Congress.
We must raise our standards of what we consider acceptable from these men. We always could've done better than Biden.
Henry Ford 100 years ago stated exactly what we've become politically in this country: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
@Sharon If you were an older dinosaur, you might remember the days of Grant and Harding and Coolidge and Nixon.
Enough.
There is enough ground to impeach the sitting president. And yet, it is not only a moral obligation to do so, it is imperative to save our democracy!
However, is it really what "WE THE PEOPLE" want? Is the controversy around this current administration an important "money maker" for media outlets (including social media)? Every single day medias report about outrageous activities, the panels discuss and spin the topics - and then poll are introduced (which are more like measurements of how "successful" medias have influenced the public).
That distraction is diverting our focus from so many really important topics. Our planet is ill (climate change); our schools are in crisis, gun control is overdue, our health care system is dysfunctional, our infrastructure is disintegrating - and there are so many other issues our nation must address!
How deep we have fallen - and how deep our democracy has been eroded already - slowly but steady.
For the sake of our nation, for sake of our democracy, for sake of other generations to come - the impeachment process has to get started! It is our civiv duty!
2
On November 3, 2020, Donald Trump will be our sitting President and the Republican Party candidate for re-election to the Office of President.
Impeachment of President Trump by the House of Representatives will not change that foregone circumstance.
So why provoke 435 elected members of the House to impeach when the 100 elected members of the Senate can nullify that act?
Instead, understand the outcome should be decided by our roughly 160 million registered voters.
It is surely just that voters decisively determine President Trump’s future position in our country, since it was voters who made him President.
3
@Ed C Man "On November 3, 2020, Donald Trump will be our sitting President and the Republican Party candidate for re-election to the Office of President."
MAYBE NOT !
It seems that every other month brings some new "will this be a turning point?" question, and I don't see strong enough evidence that this is, in itself, significant. I have agreed with the decision to avoid impeachment hearings because of the (probable) acquittal in the Senate; I even agreed with the argument that a failed impeachment would strengthen Trump.
But, having surveyed the field of candidates opposing him, I am thinking that he will win in any case. So it now looks like the best hand the Democrats have would be to vote to impeach. Because you never know, once the wheel is in spin, just where it will land. The drama of the process itself could turn the public--and enough of the Senate, so that impeachment succeeds.
The danger there is that the credit would wrongly go to the progressive fringe, who are prone to overplaying their hand, and they would lose the public on their own efforts, having nothing to do with Trump. Because bringing down Trump doesn't change the unpopularity of much of what the (leftier) Democrats are prioritizing.
In a nutshell, I see greater danger in Democrats acting rashly rather than decisively, and that isn't limited to what they do about Trump.
8
@Allen
National polls show wide support for medicare for all and other progressive policies.
@Allen
It seems that if enough Americans think that having a dictatorship is preferable, the we will have a dictatorship.
It would be a shame to lose America because people don’t realize how lucky they are, but that’s where we are.
1
JUST. DO. IT. All of them who deserve it. Start at the top, to be sure, but don't let Barr, Ross, Kavanaugh off the hook either. A look at Pence would also be worthwhile. There is enough evidence that these people have all violated their oath of office to do a thorough investigation. Then publish the results of the investigations and take the appropriate steps. And let the chips fall where they may. If the Senate GOP rejects reality, then let the voters decide. And if the voters reject reality, it was always over anyway.
33
And again, the House, led by Speaker Pelosi, does nothing. I'll be pleasantly surprised if the Democrats finally find their mojo! And maybe, just maybe, some of their Republican colleagues will find their conscience, and their courage, and join them.
12
Susan, I’m beginning to think that Pelosi has a strategy which is: let’s proceed with impeachment hearings slowly, dragging out the whole thing. So that the evidence, witnesses and finally the vote is taken in 2020, the election year. This will be the story of the year. I have confidence in the House Democrats.
4
@Susan You realize it's only been, what, 4-5 days since any of this info became known? Also, Congress has not yet seen the whistleblower report. So it's kind of unreasonable that Pelosi would take action at this point. First step: force Trump to release the report. Second step: investigate those allegations. Third Step: take action based on the facts.
2
@Mari, I think her thinking is closer to "The Dow is near its all-time high. If I announce we're impeaching the president, the markets will fall precipitously and it will be seen as my fault." I can't have very much faith when it's abundantly clear that greed and campaign contributions (aka legalized bribery) still rule, on both side of the aisle.
1
Sooner or later, Trump is going to make a play to completely abolish American democracy. We all know this.
Impeachment may not be a winning hand, politically, but it is the morally right thing to do.
41
He’s already done this myriad times
the president has admitted to a crime. call it collusion, conspiracy, whatever. i think it's a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
according to the DoJ website, "the FCPA prohibits the willful use of the mails or any means of instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of any offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment of money or anything of value to any person, while knowing that all or a portion of such money or thing of value will be offered, given or promised, directly or indirectly, to a foreign official to influence the foreign official in his or her official capacity, induce the foreign official to do or omit to do an act in violation of his or her lawful duty, or to secure any improper advantage in order to assist in obtaining or retaining business for or with, or directing business to, any person."
i know there's a ruling that a sitting president may not be indicted, but this is a high crime and the response should be impeachment.
the DoJ has prosecuted a total of 364 cases since the FCPA went into effect in 1977 with additional cases moved forward by the SEC. individuals have been jailed for violating the law.
this isn't a partisan issue. it is to protect the reputation of the USA and assure that business and foreign policy are carried out honestly.
it figures trump would do this. he has paid hush money and likely bribes. any member of congress that doesn't see it is unfit to serve, too.
12
It's now time for ALL Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, to decide if the blood shed by our forefathers was worth it. Are we a country defined by integrity and a rule of law, or one defined by political party affiliation?
31
@Dan Political party affiliation. And a dollop of personal gain.
Democrats are insuring a Red Wave in 2020. Their continuous attacks on the President are quite enlightening to the the public that has common sense. Make no mistake, Trump has made plenty of distasteful tweets and comments. That being said, he is attempting to execute the promises he made during the campaign that resulted in his election.
Then we got Stormy, collusion, obstruction, Blasey-Ford, and now talking with a head of state. All nothing of true substance.
And he has given us a decimated ISIS, a border becoming protected, lowered taxes, job creation, military preparedness, a constitution following judiciary, energy abundance, and less dependence on food stamps. All things of substance.
It is time that the Congress quit playing games and begin working with the President to effect reforms in things that matter. Prescription drug costs, a lowering of the deficit, infrastructure repair, immigration control, removal of wasteful spending, etc. The list is large.
The Democrats have resorted to slander because they lost the control of our lives which they expected to have. It is time for them to get to work on compromises that effect our lives. Slander is no longer an option for them.
15
@Duane Mathias Using Taxpayer Dollars to force a Foreign leader to help cheat and win an election is a crime; election fraud; bribery; theft of tax dollars. Trump Exploded the deficit; has no infrastructure plan; has no drug cost plan; no healthcare plan; spends millions to play golf. His immigration plan is zero immigration. Trump stole our control from us;it is called a Dictatorship.
1
If impeachment seems partisan it will fail.
14
@Covert
How was the Bill Clinton impeachment?
2
I believe that now is the time to go full bore into an Impeachment Investigation and say so publicly and clearly.
It should be focused on the umbrella charges of obstruction AND contempt of Congress and include all the junk this person, trump, has committed.
May I also say it should include something for AG Barr for aiding and abetting.
I mean that sincerely and I do believe the American people want to see things going forward no matter what happens in the Senate. The American people have always paid attention to a Congressional battle...the McCarthy hearings, several judicial nominations. We are ready for the fight...”trust me”!
7
Clear as mud that unless the Elders of the GOP step-in now and convince their leader that unless he begins to cooperate with the Democrats efforts to uncover his role in conniving with a foreign government to harm a political rival, they risk the possibility of throwing our country into a Constitutional crisis, just when we can ill afford one.
5
If we even portend that the United States is still a democratic republic where the will of the people reflect those that govern us, then we have to demand that Donald Trump be impeached.
11
@Seth Holt
The stumbling block is that all the wrong people have been running things for 20 years, if not 40.
It is apparent that Mr. Trump used despicable tactics against our NATO Ally, the Ukraine.
What is so worrisome are the sound of crickets in our courts, and the Republican Party.
What in God's Name is occupying our courts so desperately, that our courts fail to lift a finger to encourage the White House and its evil minions to release all witness, documents, and phone tapes of Mr. Trump's Russian mafia intimidation?
5
Ukraine is not a member of NATO for which we should be thankful!
The clock is ticking widely under the arrogant and abusive reign of Trump and the GOP (see David Leonhardt's column today). The time is long overdue to reinforce our Constitution, and to not let it be trashed and made a mockery by Trump and the GOP.
Think about error theory. Which side do Pelosi and the Democrats want to err on (because we can always be wrong in any decision)?
1. Keeping quiet as the Trump fiascos--aided, abetted, and even cheered by the GOP--pile up, and the country goes under due to flagrant Trump-GOP lies and corruption?
Or:
Doing your constitutional duty as elected representatives by at least trying to hold Trump accountable, restore the legal power of Congress in relation to the Trump executive/dictator branch, and show the world America still has standards and will fight for what is right and just?
Impeachment hearings will at least educate the public about Trump relative to the Constitution, laws, and ethics.
In my lifetime, we have never needed profiles in courage more than now, if we are to remain a democracy. And it just may be that more Americans prefer dictatorship to democracy in 2020. It is a fight well worth worth having.
7
Don't worry today trump will say that is not what he said.
4
'corruption accusations'leveled against your political opponent to a foreign power , with express purpose of gaining dirt that you can use to defeat his candidacy.. blackmailing them into cooperation.. it would be laughable for trump to level corruption allegations against anyone, given his history.. my hope and expectation is that he will be Hisory by next november..
3
You can do this in private business but not as President of the United States of America!
4
You should don’t even do this in private business. It’s coercion and highly unethical. Sick world we have here.
Can imagine how the youth of today can now justify crime with the simple reasoning if 45, Lewandowski, Flynn, Barr & Co. can get away with it, why can’t I? We teach our youth team work, community involvement, fairness, justice and more, while the foundation of democracy is being destroyed by trump’s spineless enablers, all for short term thinking…very sad to see this develop right before my eyes, while living & working in Germany, which already dealt with a cretin horrific dictator!
7
Sometimes I wonder about the standard left for future leaders. What if the next president cheats on his taxes or lies about important stuff. What if he or even she is accused of rape. What if they side with the enemy over the opposition? I suppose it’s true when they say the ends justify the means.
The people get the government they deserve.
8
@Randy Koreman
We got the government -this time - with the help of Putin and an antiquated electoral system. Most voters did not want trump to be president.
2
I do not see what the big issue is. Obama requested the previous Ukraine President to remove their chief prosecutor because they claim he was corrupt. Now there is a claim that Trump has no right to request the new Ukraine President to investigate Biden's son. Was their something going on behind the scene??? Let's not be politically correct. I think there should be an investigation into Hunter Biden. The NYT is good at doing investigations of people that do not support its political values. Perhaps the NYT should do the investigation or it could be turned over to Adam Schiff or Jerry Nadler. It sounds like the final report is being written, before any investigation.
9
@Rod "Now there is a claim that Trump has no right to request the new Ukraine President to investigate Biden's son. "
Correct. One had to do with the way another country conducts its business. This has to do with another country conducting OUR business.
3
He should have been charged with treason for the Russian interference. Mueller soft-pedaled the heck out of his investigation when he claimed they couldn't prove a conspiracy. Read the report, all the facts needed are right there. And now he's trying to do it again right before our very eyes. Impeach.
14
Why would anyone believe a transcript released by this White House? Remember Rosemary Woods.
3
Trump keeps ratcheting up the criminality and the lies which has been his MO throughout his lifetime and it won't stop until he is stopped. We've reached the blackmail stage having already passed through the lying, cheating, obstructing phases -- next step is the killing phase when he will be in charge of some form of "killing someone on Fifth Avenue" and his supporters will still be with him.
Trump is an evil, dangerous, reckless man who will literally do anything to help himself.
12
Make no mistake: impeachment has not happened because of this criminal’s collaborationists: the members of the GOP. if we have lawlessness it is because of them. The Democrats cannot do this alone.
8
First: Donald Trump has repeatedly behaved criminally and traitorously; he is a clear, present, and ongoing danger to the United States of America.
Second: His Administration backers, like Pompeo and Mnuchin, are such a disgrace that they have become enablers of his impeachable offenses. Barr is worse.
Third: Republicans in the House and Senate are an utter disgrace. Senate Republicans in particular are actively destroying democracy in the United States of America.
Fourth: About 100 million of our fellow Americans are perfectly fine with Donald Trump being a moronic sociopath, they are OK with his egregious flouting of the law and with congressional Republican complicity.
Fifth: None of these people will do anything to save our country. Quite the opposite. The Republicans in power are greedy, narrow minded, and mad hungry to keep power at any costs.
Sixth: It is up to Democrats to provide leadership. This has been clear for years. They must provide leadership. They have not been providing leadership. Mere timidity and pragmatic political calculations drained of insight and spirit are what is on offer. Our country lacks a leader already in power who is a match for the crisis we are in. There is, however, reason to believe that a President Warren, for example, would be that leader.
Seventh: Within fourteen months, we will learn if we even have a chance to save ourselves.
7
How encouraging to learn the the nearly-forgotten "theater of the absurd" remains alive and kicking inside the Beltway.
Buoyed by feelings of renewed vigor and excitement in anticipation of what the next act may shake out, I return to pushing paper with that memorable refrain of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" buzzing in my head, to wit"
"'ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again."
If the House doesn't impeach Trump, no future Presidential malfeasance, corruption, or treason will ever be an impeachable offense.
12
@Lona
We are there actually.
We are about to establishing supreme leader concept such as Kim's or Khamenei or MBS.
This guy, Trump, is a danger to not only this country but to the world. Get the tape of the phone call. If he really tried to squeeze Zelensky into an arms for information deal, just get rid of him.He's supposed to be our president, not some racketeer.
7
General Lou Dobbs: The radical left is after this great president.They are lying about a phone call that never existed.
Comdr Hannity: The Deep State is after our great White Leader. We must not allow them. As for the so-called "phone call" president Trump was inquiring about getting Ukrainian president support to fight the Iranian terrorists.
Justice Pirro: The communist Dems and Liberals are desperate. They know president Trump is winning bigly and will win next year election in a landslide. They are fabricating a phone call that never existed. I have my own trusted sources who assured me that guy "whistleblower" is actually Hunter Biden himself threatening the president of Ukraine.
The tragedy is: at least 30-40% among us will believe every word they tell them.
14
"Crossing the Rubicon" lead to the installment of Ceaser as a dictator of the Roman Empire
1
Trump's quote to reporters...is this supposed to pass as English? Wow, what a laughing stock the US has become.
6
“Oh, we need to...we must...we have to...republicans should...the American people won’t stand for...they expect us to...”. To quote the eminent jurist and terrible golfer, Judge Smailes...”well, we’re waiting”.
2
Is there a case to be made that there is something to investigate related to the Biden’s?
6
All of the reporting I’ve seen on it says no. A regrettable appearance of conflict at most. The head Ukrainian prosecutor was fired by international consensus for NOT pursuing corruption aggressively enough and his office had already completed/closed their investigation on the Hunter Biden associated company.
3
@John
Clearly, anyone in U.S. government or associated with anyone in U.S. government ought not have been engaged in the multi-million dollar conflict of interest business dealings with a notoriously corrupt former Soviet country - partially still controlled by Russia - that both Biden and his demonstrably troubled son have been participated in and enriched themselves since 2014, when Biden was veep.
That it does not rise to the same level as Trump Inc. and his sons' corruption is no excuse.
Check out the recent article in the New Yorker magazine
trump better straighten up & fly right, or he faces another serious tongue lashing from Speaker Pelosi!
Really?
Give up on ineffectual jestures and just impeach him already.
14
Trump is getting sloppy. Everyone knows he colluded with the Russians to rig the last election, it just couldn't be proven definitively. You'd think once he'd gotten away with a doozy like that he would be more careful. But then, after claiming for years to be the victim of a media witch hunt, yesterday he admitted to discussing Biden with Ukraine's leader. A little on the nose, isn't it? "I'm so tired of Russian collusion honey, let's try Ukrainian tonight." It's like robbing a store, having your wanted poster up everywhere, and coming back to rob the store next door. Time to collar this cocky criminal.
7
@Samuel Russell
I'm not surprised. He has no shame or self awareness. Both of which would be required in order to back off. Instead the non-event of the Muller report emboldened him to do the same thing but more obvious this time.
Holding Trump to account will go nowhere--just as it has so far--unless the Republican-held Senate decides to act. Immense pressure must be put on the Senate and individual Senators in particular.
If The President does it, it's NOT ILLEGAL!
6
@bobandholly
Good Old Nixon times.
We want Democrats stop snarling, start biting.
10
Many of us remember Trump calling on Russia to find/hack Hillary's emails; now Trump urges the Ukraine to dig dirt on Biden's son. He more brazen for he can dangle the $$$ purse and get damaging information that promises to get him another term so he can make our friends our enemies and come close to the dictators he admires and believes. If this is how he is going to make America Great Again, we need a mountain of help. Get out and vote.
7
Whether there is substance to the allegations of corruption Trump and Rudy are attempting to level at the Bidens should be irrelevant to how we judge Trump's actions and a whether congress pursues impeachment in response to them.
Yet I can't deny that if I were in Pelosi's position, I would be pressing Biden very hard to tell me privately whether further investigation might yield evidence of wrongdoing/conflict of interest on his part while he was Vice President. It shouldn't matter -but if Pelosi throws her weight behind impeachment and it becomes clear over time that Trump was pushing for Ukraine to investigate a legitimate case against the Bidens, that revelation could lead to the sort of political backlash from impeachment that she has feared all along.
I believe Trump's actions in this (and several other instances) constitute black-and-white examples of high crimes and misdemeanors, but the public may be inclined to see only grey if it turns out Biden was guilty of misdeeds as well.
7
I have so far looked at impeachment in a political way. It will go through the house, it will die in the Senate, all on purely partisan lines. But this is different. This is potentially a sitting US president using 250 million taxpayer dollars as dirty campaign funds. If proven true, this makes Clinton a blip and Nixon quaint. If this goes unanswered, how is Trump not emboldened to do even bigger previously unthinkable things? What's stopping him from stopping elections or not respecting their outcome? We let this slide and we watch democracy slip away. I'm not gleeful at this. I had hoped Trump would be voted out.
11
I'm torn because I know impeachment will rile up Trump's base and be stopped in its tracks in the Senate, but how long can Trump be allowed to break all the norms that make us a civilized country?
6
@Diane His base is already 100% behind him. What do the Democrats have to lose by impeaching him in the House? Absolutely nothing. It will die in the Senate but at least they will be on record for their actions.
3
So here we are, at the point of our second Civil War. Trump admitting and not caring that he committed a high crime is equivalent to the firing on Fort Sumter. What to do? By law, Trump should and must be impeached; otherwise our laws and our Constitution mean nothing.
Today, instead of North versus South, it's roughly 65% of the country versus 35%. Ralph Nader suggests that a million of us march on the White House, surround it, and demand Trump's resignation. Perhaps he's right. Perhaps the sight of a million people surrounding the White House will persuade Nancy Pelosi to begin impeachment proceedings. That the corrupt GOP Senate won't convict is beside the point. The point is Speaker Pelosi and the rest of us must take a solid stand for our country.
7
A logic: If he is admitting to this behavior, then what (worse) behavior is he trying to cover up with the distraction?
3
Possibly this:
Trump speaks w/ Putin: 7/31/19
Trump requests list of top US spies: 8/3/19
Russia publishes name & biography of a man living near DC: 9/10/19
Trump says we should not use foreign spies: 9/10/19
#WhistleblowerComplaint is filed re: alarming “promise” to foreign leader: 8/12/19
https://mobile.twitter.com/jennycohn1/status/1175818881505452032
1
He is distracting with this phone call because the phone call in which he made a promise to a foreign leader is the phone call in the whistle blower complaint. Thats the call that was reported.... why is everyone talking like this is it? This isn’t it. The promise he made is it, and that’s why he stirring this up, so as to have another dirty mess to blunt the effect when it comes out.
After the questions and concerns of having a presidential candidate seemingly collude with an adversary and get away with it, he has the chutzpah to do it again?
5
Not impeaching is the same as saying constitutional guard rails don't really exist in the US. Trump and his minions represent a clear and present danger to any reasonable form of democracy. The dems dawdling is another danger.
4
Multiple foreign intelligence agencies probably recorded the telephone conversations in question between Trump and the elected leader of Ukraine, and certainly the Ukrainian side of those conversations did so.
It is time for a patriotic citizen of the Ukraine, or another elsewhere, to leak to the world those audio recordings or their full transcripts.
After all, Trump is supporting, or at least acquiescing in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, its occupation of Crimea, and its fomenting of armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine, likely for venal reasons that will most assuredly be revealed someday.
4
The more Congress avoids the 'I' word, impeachment, the more Trump will goad us with unfit behavior. Do your duty, Congress — protect the Constitution you've sworn to uphold. Show the rule of law and the separation of powers *matter.*
1
Speaker Pelosi is basing her decisions on historical “knowns”. Didn’t she watch the Donald Rumsfeld movie “The Unknown Known”? She makes her decision to not impeach based on the belief there will be fair elections and Democrats will win. The underlying assumption is that we know or will know of all of DJT’s corruption and attempts to cheat the system. I don’t believe this. I believe in unknown unknowns. With no oversight and whistleblowers getting treated as criminals or discredited in the court of public opinion, I suspect there are many more irons in the fire for how to ensure a DJT win in the next election by dishonest means and no one is ever going to find out about them. Ever.
Oh, Ms. Nancy, this is not the United States anymore; we have entered an alternate reality and are now living in a new season of the Sopranos where the DiMeo crime family is permanently installed in the White House and key members of Congress and the Justice Department are at its disposal.
3
For the love of Pete, do something and do it soon! trump is so afraid of being defeated because then he would be subject to indictment. He is desperate and flailing. Do it now while he is so vulnerable. Enough of this!
11
@Gardengirl He is not afraid of indictment. He's afraid of no longer being noticed.
The latest Trump bad-boy tempest over the Ukraine phone call — have to wonder what the Donald would be charged with: first degree dirty tricks. Compared to the Muller investigation and report -- now consigned to apparent oblivion -- this new hot button episode is but another blip on the Trump saga radar.
As for the Democratic House hearings thus far, feckless seems the most appropriate characterization. Think the latest episode with the Corey Lewandowski’s brazen affront which got a total pass.
The Dems are pretty much in disarray and a house divided. Trump will grandly run amok with little damaging push back from their quarter.
This and the battle for 2020 barely even into the first round of what is certain to be the most contentious, dark money intensive, and dirty trick laden, and downright ugly election campaign in modern history.
A dead in the water impeachment run will just make the fiasco that much more dysfunctional and deranged.
4
In 48 hours Trump's gone from denial to distraction to admission he repeatedly pressed Ukraine to give his personal attorney Rudi Giuliani dirt about a family member of a political rival while Trump blocked delivery of Congressionally mandated military aid to defend itself against Russia's invasion and seizure of its territory.
This extortion for personal gain started July 25 and went on for months until Congress finally intervened and forced delivery of the military aid to Ukraine. Now even when Trump finally admits he did it, he blows it off as nothing--- so what? what is wrong with that?
The clear-cut answer is Trump's abuse of office for personal gain flagrantly violates Title 18 section 201 paragraph 2 of the US Code. Its a felony punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
Meanwhile, Trump's minions and Putin's trolls go pedal to the metal cranking out the usual lies and whataboutism to hide the crime while Trump commits another crime suppressing the whistleblower complaint about Trump's abuse of office for personal gain so Congress and the public can't see and hear the evidence first hand.
Hopefully the stonewalling end s in a this Thursday when Congress puts Trump's acting Director of Intelligence Maguire on the spot to turn over the whistleblower evidence and testimony. If Maguire still refuses, then the die is cast, Congress should take maximum punitive action against Maguire and immediately begin impeachment proceedings against Trump to enforce rule of law.
14
Joe and Hunter Biden should slap both Donald Trump and Rudy Guiliani with a $500,000,000 libel lawsuit. Make both Trump and Guiliani turn over their evidence during the discovery phase or lose a fortune. This will get their attention and stop the lying.
12
@DeVon You'll never stop Rudy G. He needs the attention to prove he's still alive.
Why aren’t we talking about how withholding aid to the Ukraine helped Russia and Putin and sent a message to the world that the US is a very corrupt and unreliable ally. This isn’t a case of petty political mischief, it goes far beyond that!
10
This is where cried wolf comes back to bite us. This is really a constitutional crises on the unchecked power of the office of the president to preserve his place in office. As a CNN talk show host discussed last night. The problem is this same host has declared a couple of dozen constitutional crises already. Really? Were all those really all that, some of them actually had to have retractions issued. Now, with this, some of the public is ho hum.
1
@DJ I missed the part of this story that hinged on last night's TV show.
This cannot be endured, seriously he is admitting to joining in 2020 what he was accused of in 2016. The time has come for Republicans to stand up and defend the Republic. We cannot sit by while a Tyrant uses his office to perpetuate his power and invites foreign powers to persecute American citizens. Democrats better recognize that unless they toughen up now there won't be future opportunities. I cannot believe I'm writing this it makes me sick to my stomach.
7
What if there’s no so called whistle blower and it was actually Trumps Administration getting the press to highlight Ukraine? The more the media focuses on this the worse it will be for Biden. Trump takes Biden out of the race and then has a clear electoral victory against one of the radical socialists. Psy Op. Trump is savage.
2
"rash What amazes me is that of all the Republicans that are not running for re-election only Hurd from Texas has had the integrity to speak out against him. To all the other cowards I say, "good riddance".
5
Why aren’t we talking about how withholding aid to the Ukraine helped Russia and Putin and sent a message to the world that the US is a very corrupt and unreliable ally. This isn’t a case of petty political mischief, it goes far beyond that!
2
It’s too bad rhetoric isn’t taught anymore. One of the most ineffective ways to begin is by declaring you never took sides, but now you must speak out. Your personal experience is irrelevant and not very persuasive. We see this over and over again in the comments which have been one long screed against Trump without let-up going on three years now, and nothing ever changes. Try something new for a change.
3
@Edward
Will take your advice strongly to heart in 2020!
2
"Impeachment" Haven't the Democrats sort of made a mockery out of that word? By brandishing it on a weekly basis depending on their latest bone to pick with Trump. Either ground the petulant child or not.
2
The American people are chanting:
"Lock him up!
Lock him up!
Lock him up!"
When will Congress start listening?
6
@Paul-A
OMG!
Congress can only do so much, it's the senate that will have to approve impeachment and Moscow Mitch is alive and well and you know that is never going to happen. Besides they don't have the votes in the House either. Best they can do is censure.
Obviously, all the Republicans in Congress need to be impeached because every one of them is aiding and abetting Trump's crimes.
2
Either impeach Trump or concede the Constitution and the rule of law mean nothing.
7
Pelosi is painting herself as either the Grandmaster of Political Brinksmanship or a junkyard dog that’s all bark and no bite.
The article states her letter House Democrats never mentioned the word “impeachment”, only “hinted” (which is a generous assessment from this paper). She’s also given the White House until Thursday to turn over the whistleblower complaint. Quite a bit of time.
We shall see if “a whole new stage of investigation” actually equals full-on impeachment or some milquetoast, half-baked action.
Either way, this could very well become the defining moment of her legacy.
Speaker Pelosi is wise in not taking the bait.
3
Why the rush to impeach? Let Trump finish destroying the Republican Party. His successor is a self righteous creep who would only be worse. Trump exposes the hypocrisy of what remains of the “moral majority.”
This present crisis is bewildering, until you accept that it’s all part of a cathartic process. Elections have consequences!
Next Trump will say - "Yea, I shot that guy on Fifth Avenue. So what. I told you I could do it during the campaign!" And all the Republicans will chime in - "Well, the guy deserved to die anyway."
6
Could it be that President Trump wants the Democrats to impeach him and is doing everything he can to get there? Maybe to divide the country even more?
We sure need a mental evaluation of our President by a team of independent doctors.
There doesn't have to be anything wrong with anyone in reality for Trump to lie and say they committed a crime - look at how he destroyed Hillery by constantly lying, or doesn't anyone remember the birther issue for Obama? Trump will lie, cheat, steal and even kill to get elected so he doesn't have to go to jail.
3
Trump is a crook whose best hope to evade jail is to be reelected or pardoned. So it is not surprising that he uses all crooked tricks to enhance his chance to be reelected while Republicans look the other way.
Did Trump commit impeachable crimes and misdemeanors? You bet - plenty of them. Will Senate Republicane block impeachment? You bet. Will observant voters change their mind if Trump survives impeachment? I very much doubt that.
That is the sickening story of American politics today. Truthful reporting does not reach a large fraction of Americans who listen to the fact-distorting propaganda from Fox "News" and social media outlets skillfully manipulated by Trump and his Russian (and other foreign) helpers. Realistically, the upcoming election may be the only hope to save this democracy -- and it is not yet clear whether it will.
1
Trump you have caused our nation so much grief, anxiety and fear, resign now.
3
What bothers me the most about this kerfuffle is how the media jumped on the impeachment wagon before the facts were even known.
3
Yogi said that "when you come to the fork in the road, take it."He also said "it's not over 'til it's over." The Dem's don't know which fork to take and ITS OVER!!
1
Serious escalation? All talk no promises.
Enough with talk of threats.....................act on them already. This is beyond the pale already.
1
Trump is doing in the White House what he bragged about as his talent: Making deals. Hey, Ukraine: You want US military funding? Here's the price: Destroy the Bidens.
Why is anybody surprised?
I wonder what was offered to Trump in return for his supporting Putin against US interests?
3
IT IS ONE THING to ask for an investigation. It is another when MONEY is offered as a prize — especially when that money prize is a reward [BRIBE] for digging up dirt. And doubly so if that bribe is what is standing between you and a BEAR!
1
No Impeachment. Vote him out if you can. It is only 13 months to the Nov 3, 2020. Biden is no Saint either.
2
If you don't like the current President, vote. If you don't like the policies of the administration, support an alternative. Rants and mudslinging solve nothing and that is all the Democrats have done since the election with their stated goal of removing a President by any method necessary. They were supposed to win and they don't like it when the American People disagreed. The preferred method has been to accuse the President of everything and anything; to investigate full time, all the time, and most of all . . . lie. Well, the efforts have come up with nothing and still, the party of "Tolerance" continues to do more harm to the American People than at any time in history. Go figure!
7
@Tommy2
For Pete's sake as if Republicans haven't made a full blown entertainment industry out of smearing the other side. This is how they get the voters excited enough to win.
Would I prefer that we all have rational, grown up consideration of the positions and vote accordingly? It's served you well that Democrats are trying to be adults in the room. But it hasn't served us or this nation, so we're on to your tricks.
4
@Tommy2
Every word that trump utters is a lie, starting with
:" cheaper better healthcare"
Saying President Obama was not American?
Wanting to execute the Central park Five even though they are innocent?
it's not a question of rants and mudslinging, this president is a criminal. Unless you think colluding with dictators is not a crime.
3
How about if I don’t like a president who violates the law, and the constitution, and takes my healthcare away from me, and sends my kid to war, and increases poison in my air and water?
4
The House is a rudderless ship going in circles.
And this is the best the Dems have to offer?
4
Lindsey Graham says that Trump should "share" the details of the call in an "appropriate way"? Share? What is appropriate? Completely redacted? What about the rest of the whistle blower complaint? Should that also be up to Trump to "share"?
6
When the President reveals he is a clear and present danger to national security, the Senate must take steps to protect the nation and the Constitution.
7
Opposition to impeachment by Congressional Democratic leaders, Republicans that place loyalty to Party and political self-preservation as priority number one are abetting the overreach of power by the executive branch, the irrelevance of Congress as an effective check on abuses of power, erosion of public trust in the judicial system and the Supreme Court and the continual slide towards fascism.
2
Enough is enough. I do not care for the politics or the politicking, the backroom machinations or the veiled or open threats.
If there is wrongdoing, and there appears from the very beginning that Trump has either flirted VERY close to breaking the law or has actually broken the law, the rule of law must be enforced and impeachment must be started. The fact that he may not be convicted in the Senate and removed is inconsequential. Bill Clinton perjured himself and faced the consequences of impeachment. In the case of Trump. the investigation must happen and the impeachment proceedings must start, to enforce the rule of law. If we are to ask for Al Franken to step down because of allegations of sexual harassment, to date still unproven, then we cannot sit idly by and allow yet another solicitation for foreign interference to slide by without consequences.
For the controlling party in the House NOT to act is both a sign of cowardice and a normalizing of unpresidential and un-American behavior.
3
I repeat, with one addition about Republican politician perfidy: The "system" has its means to stop Trump but no-one prepared to use them with utter determination in this unique and bizarre situation--Trump being unique and bizarre in that office. And so, what may we expect from Trump? Perhaps endless stonewalling? And what may we expect from the Democratic "leadership" in Congress? Endless whining? Does the sun appear to rise from an easterly direction each morning? OK, I'll give a hint about the scenario regarding Trump: Outrageous behavior (leaked either by some official or Trump himself), huffing and puffing from Democrats in Congress, silence from Republicans, stonewalling by Trump, nothing substantial happens to him, and he and his supporters/ voters at rallies have a fun time together as they highlight his supposed attackers looking so foolish. (Repeat seemingly endlessly--hideously, unless some miracle happens)
Tired of warnings, words and hollow threats. Not just from trump but from the House Democrats. Please, don’t just talk, Madam Speaker. Do the walk.
3
At this point if we do nothing, and do not begin immediate impeachment hearings, trump will do it again; he will withhold the whistle blowers name or as he said himself, he will shoot someone across the street and senate repubs will simply shrug their collective shoulders. IMPEACH ASAP. The polling booth is too far away, 2020.
4
Impeachment based on this Ukraine piece will be Mueller V.2. It will give the Republicans exactly what they need, a diversion. The Democrats will lose this fight. They should stick to the process of defeating Trump at the polls. He's too slippery to beat in the White House.
@AACNY: True, so many "what if's" but what we have here, regardless of the "facts", is what was said of Nixon's behavior in office: It's not the crime, it's the cover-up.
4
Trump has once again bragged about an illicit activity. Once again it appears questionable if any action will ultimately be taken to come to terms with the fact that the Congress has abetted the rule of a despot, rather than prevented the continual erosion of our so called democracy.
2
I would love to ask Jordan what Trump would have to do before he would consider impeaching him, but he will never respond to that "specific question" because he is emotionally incapable of addressing it.
Our fabled checks and balances are a joke. They depend on both parties putting country over party and responding in an ethical and responsible manor. The republican party is not, and we are a car without brake, careening at high speed towards a tight turn. A minority of the electorate choose a dictator, and we cannot seem to do anything about it. I am not having good feelings about free and fair elections in 2020.
2
On Sunday, Pelosi said: “The administration is endangering our national security and having a chilling effect on any future whistle-blower who sees wrongdoing.”
But by refusing to do her job, Nancy Pelosi has become his biggest enabler.
2