Well, if it is a competion.
Deniro and the italian guy wins.
But may I bring you back to the times of Robert Redford and the other guy.
Jumping off a cliff into what knows best.
Best movie scene ever and his name is Paul Newman.
Probably the best line ever. Why got out for hamburger while you have steak at home.
Trump's operational method has customarily been playing the raucous, outrageous in your face bullying front man. With his deficient literacy and intellect he doesn't have the brain power to draw on the subtle maneuvering ability required to carry out his plans. He has to rely on other people who can do the work, refine, finesse the strategy. Let's out these behind the scenes people doing the dirty work. Make a clean sweep to rid America of this treasonous cabal.
29
And when those people refuse to testify? Off to jail. ASAP.
36
Margot Smith
"I was not lying. I said things that later on seemed to be untrue." —President Richard Nixon, reflecting on the Watergate scandal in 1978
10
"Lawmakers will also need to hear from whomever was charged...."
It's "whoever was charged." I'd like to know whom edited this?
One avenue worth pursuing is what Mulvaney told Congress. The White House deliberately deceived Congress about the reason for withholding foreign aid.
Another is why aren't Trump, Mulvaney, Pompeo, Barr, Giuliani and the WH lawyers implicated in a conspiracy to commit these crimes and then to cover them up?
Mr. Mueller: Here's your collusion.
25
That’s just a starting list.
Interview every single Republican who’s not running for re-election while we’re at it, and claw back all the money they’ve made from the corruption while they were in power.
The Republicans to a man have embraced this fraudulent, illegitimate right-wing coup since years before the day it began.
Why? Follow the money.
They’ve sold out this country, and democracy, for their own personal gain.
Small example: how many Republicans happily went on Russia Today - Michael Flynn included, btw - just to make a dollar? Without the slightest care for the consequences?
It spreads out from there.
All these people deserve jail for life, nothing less.
15
“in order to make sense of the sprawling Trumpian mess” there is also the need to know and to understand-two different processes-in depth, about many known and hidden internal American conditions.
Enabled over many years.
In different parts of the country.
Which enabled, perhaps even fostered, a flawed person like Trump to become President.
Allowed a range of personally unaccountable policymakers of all parties and ideologies, elected and selected, at all levels, to continue to operate. Which continue to weaken the norms, values and ethics underpinning a vital democracy. Daily.
Hearings, by themselves, are not likely to adequately explore and ascertain how many ordinary folk, America’s diverse Peoples, have chosen to BEcome complacent.
Complicit.
Willfully blind.
Willfully deaf.
Willfully indifferent.
Willfully ignorant.
Willfully intolerant.
Willfully close minded.
Willfully silent even as the mantrafy.
Willfully ummenschlich.
And if, and when, understanding is achieved, then WHAT?
WITH and by WHOM?
In a toxic, infectious, enabled WE-THEY violating culture!
1
If I read this correctly, Trump is trying to throw Pence under the bus by saying his conversations with the Ukrainian leader should be scrutinized as well. No honor among thieves!
23
The president is only a part of the GOP menace which has been happening since Saint Ronnie. And thanks to Moscow Mitch it will continue to happen unless and until there is a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic Senate.
15
It is still amazing The number of people who yet believe Mr Trump will win in 2020, who blindly believe him untouchable and have signed on to his willing glorification of all our national demons, ancient tribalisms and vanquished lost causes. Trumps idea of greatness is the veneration and resurrection of all these things. This is what fuels the 40 pct. who remain faithful no matter the facts. But for those who insist, history so instructs that with truth on the scaffold and wrong on the throne change is gonna come because no lie can live forever. Know that while the arch of the moral universe spans wide it bends toward justice.
10
I can almost hear a faint refrain drifting through the Beltway air---growing in volume and becoming reaching an ever wider audience: "Lock Him Up" it goes...and what ironic justice that would be. I expect the unhinged "Old Bone Spurs" (OBS for short) to start flailing around with even less attention to the truth or consequences of lying than he has in the past. And indeed, today he is accusing those who will run the impeachment show of "treason". Clearly, he's projecting again.
15
Since there’s no chance the Senate Republicans will allow any incriminating testimony to be presented in the Senate, and may not even allow any hearing, the House committees should present all the evidence publicly, so all Americans will fully understand the activities of this crime syndicate.
19
Do we also get to find out what happened to the translator notes that Trump confiscated from his conversations with Putin?
20
Chelsea Manning served seven years and four months of a thirty-five year prison sentence for whistleblowing US shenanigans to pursue invasive imperial wars against Iraq and in Afghanistan. Trump's gang of agents and facilitators deserve no less: long time penalties in the slammer for their betrayal of their oath to the US Constitution.
18
Take a step back and a deep breath.
The U.S. has devolved into a dysfunctional mess with barely a compass handy.
While the Republican Party and members of Congress must account for themselves, the severe dysfunction is a mirror image of Donald Trump's very being: disordered, poor self esteem, projectionist ... okay, you name it, the list is long.
Long past time to excise this malignancy.
9
Isn't it amazing that the President of the United States does not have that much privacy in his phone calls ? Isn't it amazing that, although he knew that a dozen of ear pairs are listening on his call (assuming stereophonic eavesdropping, though it could have been monoaural), he still engaged in unethical and illegal behavior ? Actually, it isn't because Trump has low ethical standards (usually compared with that of Mafia) and little knowledge of our laws, plus a "tremendous" disdain for them. He is supposed to be the most powerful man on Earth, or in the Universe (why stop at Earth ? we have a Miss Universe), so he should not be impeded by some obscure laws that make it illegal to suggest ("please look into it") or request ("do us a favor") anything for his personal benefit. Moreover, legal advice about such illegal/unethical suggestions/requests was probably not sought or was not provided. And it took ~1000 days to find out the first illegality. God, if you're reading this, please send to the House Judiciary Committee hints about the other 999 instances when our beloved president has broken the law. We'll put them into a book of presidential records, or some Encyclopedia Trumpiana.
5
Many years ago Alan Patton wrote a novel about apartheid and the value of christian kindness in a mean and divisive social and political brokenness. It's title, "Cry, the Beloved Country" is a sentiment people on both sides of our divide feel.
2
I’d like to know who paid for Rudy’s travel and for that of his staff - other attorneys etc who worked for Rudy. No one is working without pay and financing. Who is bankrolling this - us taxpayers or someone else Trump will be beholden to like the NRA.
16
In the age of Trump, we have to put on a show. A dry legal proceeding won't cut it for television. For starters, let's see if we can get Rudy to sing like a canary like he does on Fox News.
7
Isn't it amazing that the President of the United States does not have that much privacy in his phone calls ? Isn't it amazing that, although he knew that a dozen of ear pairs are listening on his call (assuming stereophonic eavesdropping, though it could have been monoaural), he still engaged in unethical and illegal behavior ? Actually, it isn't because Trump has low ethical standards (usually compared with that of Mafia) and little knowledge of our laws, plus a "tremendous" disdain for them. He is supposed to be the most powerful man on Earth, or in the Universe (why stop at Earth ? we have a Miss Universe), so he should not be impeded by some obscure laws that make it illegal to suggest ("please look into it") or request ("do us a favor") anything for his personal benefit. Moreover, legal advice about such illegal/unethical suggestions/requests was probably not sought or was not provided. And it took ~1000 days to find out this illegality. God, if you're reading this, please send to the House Judiciary Committee hints about the other 999 instances when our beloved president has broken the law. We'll put them into a book of presidential records, or some Encyclopedia Trumpiana.
The House must move swiftly and without hesitation, using the subpoena power correctly. If someone refuses to cooperate, hold them in contempt and jail them if necessary. Send the message that the power of the Congress will not be tampered with. The Trump administration has been thumbing its nose at laws and checks and balances for too long.
381
@stp
Perhaps the House should make a show of preparing facilities for witnesses who fail to show or who demonstrate contempt of Congress before these impeachment beginning hearings.
A nationally televised tour of a congressional jail made ready to detain a dozen or two individuals who fail to cooperate, for an extended and indefinite period of time, would likely help move things along.
53
@stp, we citizens must flood our congressional offices with calls and emails supporting enforcement of supeonas and jail. If we don't express our will in large numbers, Pelosi and other Dems will not have the support they need.
46
@stp
The only comment that I need to read, stp you’re exactly right.
18
Barr is a problem for another reason. He has made it clear he will investigate anyone who he believes is investigating or challenging Trump. Hence the FBI ruled almost immediately, and somewhat surprisingly, that actually asking for help from the Ukraine was not a campaign law violation.
I do not believe that a subsequent administration should prosecute members of the prior administration without really good cause. It creates a banana republic atmosphere that we should avoid.
However, Barr's behavior has crossed so many lines that I frankly would like to see him investigated.
339
@Texas Duck: Obama made a terrible mistake to not investigate the Bush Administration's torture and secret rendition policies. We went against the Geneva Convention. If Bush hadn't also tanked the economy perhaps Obama would have, though I doubt it. I think he sincerely believed it best. But torture! Perhaps that is why we now have Trump. Getting away with torture means you can get away with anything, in my book.
43
@Texas Duck
This is the result of a President and political party that has created what could be correctly described as the most corrupt and anti-democratic administration in the history of The United States. Rules and The Constitution no longer apply.
41
@Texas Duck
We should not forget that William Barr was picked by Trump to be Attorney General on the basis of a letter which Barr sent to Trump, a letter in which Barr essentially promised Trump he would be his boy.
30
When this is all over and the Democrats have lost again, some time should be spent investigating whether or not there was complicity between N Y Time staff and those who manufactured the false narratives that have been arrayed against Trump, and if such complicity meets the legal RICO standards for conspiracy and for corrupt practices.
Those who refuse to testify should be charged with contempt of Congress and jailed. A few days in a jail might encourage them to answer congressional questions.
104
Jailed in a regular cell and with a permanent mark on their criminal record.
Do the federal and state Bars (as in agencies granting licenses to practice law) and various other certifying and insurance agencies allow individuals with a (non-expunged?) criminal record and history of contempt of Congress or of court to continue to receive credentialing/benefits/services?
25
@Reader I completely agree. All these many months the Democrats have issued subpoenas, Trump et al refuse to honor them, and the Democratic response is, "But you're supposed to." And there it sits. Now that the impeachment machine is moving, I pray the Democrats will start putting some teeth into their subpoena powers: arrest these birds if necessary, perp walk, jail, the whole bit. Seriously, if that's what it takes and Congressional powers encompass it, then use them. I understand cutting off funding to depts is also an option in some cases: the good old power of the purse. Use that. Please.
43
@Reader
Bill Clinton lost his law license for his perjury in the lead-up to his impeachment.
6
Drawing up up a well-crafted witness list is simply not enough.
The average D representative questioning a witness in House investigation hearings appears to be woefully ineffective. The Rep arrives unprepared, speechifies away the first two thirds of their time, and wastes the final third stumbling through poorly posed questions. The witness swats the questions aside with a smirk. The clock runs out. Rinse and repeat. Among the rare exceptions are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioning Michael Cohen, Kate Porter questioning Jamie Dimon about teller pay, and the lawyer, Barry Berke, who grilled through Lewandowski's stonewalling.
That sort of effective examination of witnesses will be critical to the impeachment inquiry. House D's need to: 1) Organize and assign their questioning time to those Ds with a proven record of effectiveness. 2) Establish a policy up front on what happens when a witness refuses to answer questions. 3) Enforce the policy.
383
@Lawrence Yes, I think they need use staff attorneys or seasoned prosecutors that do this sort of thing for a living. No more messing around.
137
@Laura
Absolutely. I do not want this to be a circus that will confuse the clarity of the questions or the responses. I want the path toward the "reveal" to be purposefully pursued.
93
@Lawrence
GREAT post, thank you ! Yes, and to add to your list, I have had great admiration for Kamala Harris when she has had a chance to work at the National Level.
I have other favorites for POTUS, but let us not pretend that Ms. Harris does not know how the *game is played when a prosecution is underway ! Kamala comes loaded for *Bear, and she *never "takes her eyes off the prize" !
Like the best of lawyers, Kamala does not ASK a question to which she does not *already know the answer. From there, she is a legal "guidance and control system" laser focused on the target of justice.
39
This is a clear roadmap, with arrows pointing to where the respective committee needs to investigate. I hope Congress will follow it.
12
Your editorial is very appropriate. I would like to know who continues to direct the Trump machine in its publicity and who directs him. He is not a thinker or reader and could not be as efficient in creating his image if he relied on himself alone. Who runs Trump and how do they expect to profit? Check Putin, Koch, and Murdock first. I hope you will also address the remaining 5 areas that could also become principal parts of the impeachment inquiry.
8
Congress's challenge is not only to get your listed witnesses and more to speak, but also to avoid their own usual over-speaking and grandstanding. Nothing will turn the American public off faster then self-righteous bloviation. I suggested every committee bring in experienced and successful prosecutors and trial lawyers to lead the questioning. Committee members will gain points by asking only appropriate and targeted follow-up questions. This investigation must lead to a verdict of impeachment, hopefully not just for Trump but for a multitude of these additional conspirators and enablers.
We as a nation can and must rise to this situation and succeed. Failure is an unthinkable option.
17
It seems to me since the whistleblower had no first hand
knowledge, his sources should be determined and interviewed first.
2
@Nana Yes, and they were. Hence, the DOJ finding the complaint credible and urgent after review.
13
Beware the Lewandowski gambit when planning to deal with Giuliani. He might agree to testify, only to come in and try to embarrass the committee and the process.
I suggest that the committees in question get Giuliani to answer questions and inquiries on paper first, to see if it is worthwhile questioning him in person. Probably the same for other potential witnesses.
God help us all.
10
@JS
Didn't you watch the Lewandowski hearing? All of it and not just the yo-yo questioning from the political critters? The pros made mincemeat of Lewandowski. Let the pros question all of these people. Ad infinitum. Soberly, persistently, thoroughly.
3
@JS
he is a lawyer he can be held to a higher standard than lay people when it comes to what he says.
This editorial offers a logical summary of actors, and areas of question, for those investigating Trump's impeachment to follow.
Those who will pose the questions must frame them carefully and not leave opportunity for open-ended, rambling answers and obfuscation or ambiguity. Yes or no answers, perhaps with a very brief explanation, or respondents "taking the 5th" will be sufficient.
A large obstacle in this impeachment inquiry is the head of the DOJ, William Barr. He is implicated in Trump's "reconstructed" transcript as a "go to" guy for Zelensky in investigating Biden, yet refuses to admit knowledge of it.
He buried the criminal referral outlined in the whistleblower complaint. Congress fortunately was presented with it by someone with nothing to hide.
Trump clearly expects Barr's protection, and has thus far received it, largely due to Barr's gross disdain for the law and the Constitution, and an outsized ego.
No mechanism exists to dislodge him from his job, or force his recusal. Yet Barr does not serve justice, he obstructs it.
13
Trump’s allies assault democracy by telling many lies to the public about the democratic process. One of the many with procedural currency - the whistleblower’s account being hearsay.
Impeachment proceedings are akin to a grand jury proceeding. Federal and State Grand juries in this country return indictments everyday based upon hearsay. The reason is simple: The rules of evidence do not apply at this stage of a criminal proceeding. Moreover, the standard of proof is Probable Cause.
Grand Juries have the power to investigate to seek evidence on behalf of the prosecution. Hearsay testimony assists investigators find witnesses, documentary evidence and the like.
Trump defenders falsely state articles of impeachment must meet the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt and the House investigation must follow rules of evidence.
Regardless, Trump and Giuliani have admitted to the conduct and ratified the transcripts of the call which in itself proves the impeachable act. Thus, Trump’s party opponent admission proves the need to proceed with impeachment.
383
@Ben
Trump’s statement in the transcript is NOT hearsay:
See, Federal Rules of Evidence: Rule 801(d)(2):
A statement is not hearsay if
. . .
(2) Admission by party-opponent. The statement is offered against a party and is (A) the party's own statement, in either an individual or a representative capacity or (B) a statement of which the party has manifested an adoption or belief in its truth . . . .
23
@Ben, more points to please send Pelosi and other relevant members of Congress, thank you so much!
18
@Elias I concur, this battle will push Trump to his limits and produce more impeachment charges.
5
Voters need to remember that impeachment is a political action, not a prosecutorial one. It is undertaken because the official involved has violated the public trust in a fundamental way that can not be tolerated. Trump has done this on many, many occasions since his inauguration, but this last phone call reveals in his own words and in the context of withheld military support for a beleaguered nation, the clear use of Presidential office for personal political reasons.
This is the most transparent quid pro quo since 2016 and the manipulation of government and nongovernmental agents (Barr, the State Department, the OMB, private citizen Giuliani) all for personal — not national — purposes. The state is NOT Trump.
If electeds support this they vote away their power and our Democracy whether they are Republicans or Democrats, and they invite even worse violations of trust going forward.
445
@B. Rothman
I disagree that impeachment is a political action.
Instead it is a governmental action, written into law for one co-equal branch of the government to (in two stages of the House and only after that, then the Senate) counter the improper action of anothe r
91
@B. Rothman The problem is Trump is acting like that French king, one of Louis kings (I forget which number) who said L'etat c'est moi. Trump wants to be an absolute monarch rather than a president. Which is exactly what the founding fathers were against.
12
@B. Rothman - excellent overview: 'The state is NOT Trump.' And, Trump is clearly not the State when 'asking for a personal political favor.
This is equally true of Giuliani, a mere private hired hand (claiming to be an unpaid volunteer!) devoid of authority / authorization of any form.
His claim to have been 'asked' by 'the State Dept.' to run around Europe like a chicken with his head cut off in an effort to further the agenda of his lord and master is worthy of a variety of federal charges.
Trump's personal espionage AGENT! How overt can illegality be??? Clearly they never asked themselves one simple question: "When you run out of cards up your sleeve, how might this farce be perceived by a jury?"
17
I watched Giuliani's song and dance on the Sunday talk shows. He does not answer questions, changes the subject, sites already fully investigated and debunked conspiracy theories on which he waxes poetic, refuses to be interrupted by the interviewer and wears the interviewer and the audience down with his obfuscations. Anyone questioning him should be a highly experienced lawyer and prosecutor and must be highly disciplined and very tough, must insist that direct questions are directly answered, and must refuse to allow Giuliani to obfuscate and change the subject.
19
Another assault on Democracy:
Giuliani claimed the State Department [Mike Pompeo] directed; this contradicts Giuliani’s claim he was acting as Trump’s personal attorney. Both claims cannot be true, but in fact both are wrong, else Giuliani is violating the US Constitution either way.
Giuliani cannot be acting as the US Attorney General or the Secretary of State; such conduct violates the appointment clause in the US Constitution: Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, which requires Senate confirmation.
While Giuliani’s claim is false, Pompeo’s purported directions would not be a request to perform legal services; thus, Giuliani would not be able to claim attorney-client privilege because the communications would not be in furtherance of providing legal advice.
Moreover, Giuliani’s conduct, if in the course of soliciting a bribe - personal benefit for Trump - would be in furtherance of a crime, therefor, not covered by the attorney client privilege.
Finally, Trump cannot be pursuing personal business in Ukraine that benefits him only. He must act in the best interest of the country; consequently, any legal counsel he receives is for the benefit of the office of POTUS. Guiliani cannot claim he has an attorney-client privilege with POTUS. If he is, then the public needs to see his employment contract and the source of his fees and expenses.
Congress must investigate the source of his travel reimbursements, which could be a bigger scandal.
630
@Ben, excellent points Ben, please copy and send to Pelosi and other Dems on the committee. Thank you!
41
@Ben Congratulations on a logical, fact-based argument. I learned a lot from you today!
37
@Ben Rudy, Mr. 9/11 and a verb, has sold his soul to Trump. He is no longer a hero. He is a sycophant.
30
Trump is now wed to the notion that subpoenas are merely invitations that one can accept or decline. Then there will be all of his attempts to obstruct through executive privilege.
Trump is going to do anything he can possibly do to frustrate the inquiry. Things that Nixon never dreamed of. Nixon had to surrender his tapes. Trump should be forced to surrender his transcripts.
7
@David Cary Hart
If I understood correct from Maguire's testimony, the WH has not claimed executive privilege on the whistleblower complaint while forwarding it to Congress was delayed by weeks. It would be awefully incriminating if they claimed such privilege now.
2
Watergate started with a botched break-in and led to the resignation of Nixon.
This starts with a phone call and leads to.......where?
The push back has begun. The Democrats and any (if any) Republican who believe in the rule of law should be all in to find out the who, what, when, where and how far the effects of the 'phone call' extend.
My hope is by the end of this we'll have a modern day Alexander Butterfield, who'll tell us where to find the information we all need to know.
3
Is there, in fact, a verbatim transcript? Is there an audio recording of the call? Are there differing versions of the transcript?
@Michael
Let us hope there is STILL one...
Any fool can ask great questions. The hard part is compelling people to answer then. Our nation is faced with a concerted cover up effort, directed by the very people who are constitutionally empowered to enforce the law. Perhaps the Editorial Board can offer some advice on how Congress can break the roadblocks the Executive Branch will erect.
3
There will come a time, sooner or later, when a whole slew of Trump Administration members will begin to throw each other under the bus. When it starts it will be like a game of dominoes, snaking through Trump's "deep state" that he and his minions have installed in the past 3 years.
6
Marie Yovanovitch, the career diplomat in Ukraine who was replaced because her corruption investigation of Ukrainian officials stymied Trump's own attempts at corruption might be a welcome addition to the witness list. Indeed, corrupt officials in the Trump administration fall out of the trees faster than the billions of birds lost in North America this decade, the trick is getting them to cooperate with those investigating malfeasance, corruption and graft. I've mentioned before that there is a prison in the basement of the capital, the fact that Corey Lewendowski isn't cooling his heels in it, raises doubts that others will take these hearings seriously.
1409
@Rick Gage
I wrote commenting about that jail and it’s effective use for contemptuous witnesses. A reply came in with a link to the Sargent at Arms. Gotta love The Times comment system at times like that.
40
@Rick Gage
Yes! I'm surprised the NYT overlooked Ms. Yovanovitch. From peer accounts, a consummate professional diplomat, she has been deeply involved in the region in various senior posts for about 20 years.
She would have been caught in the crosswinds of Giulani's special requests for dirt on the Democrats and Biden, Bolton's desires to stabilize the Ukrainian government as a bulwark against imperial Russian expansion, Trump's desire for Ukraine "peace" with Russia (i.e. capitulation), and Ukraine's own internal anti-corruption efforts.
Minimally, she could give the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, as well as the American public, critical background and context for Trump's crimes. She could also possibly add first-hand knowledge of the actions of Giulani and others.
Ms. Yovanovitch, remember that your oath to uphold the Constitution overrides all diplomatic protocol. Trump attacked a fundamental Constitutional principle — free and fair elections. Speak freely — your country needs to know all of the facts.
74
@Rick Gage
Thanks for the reminder that Congress has the legal power to jail witnesses and others (such as those who withhold documents) for contempt of Congress.
66
Mike Pence took the same oath of office as Trump. If he witnessed or condoned constitutional violations and did nothing to stop or report them, he is an accomplice to Trump's crimes. The United States lucked out when Spiro Agnew resigned as VP prior to Watergate due to his corrupt activities in Maryland. Pence has been joined to Trump at the hip since day one of this purported presidency and got the job by agreeing to serve Trump, not the United States.
2120
@me If VP Pence participated in the Presidents efforts and this can be established as factual, how does he become President if/when Trump is removed? I haven't seen this question wrestled with as yet.
274
@Linda White Here's just a theory...if you remember the Nixon impeachment, ahead of Nixon's impeachment the prosecutors gave Agnew the choice of resigning or being charged with the crimes they had against him. He resigned, Ford became VP. Nixon was impeached/resigned, Ford became President. Depending on the facts and how this impeachment inquiry goes - could it be history repeating itself with these characters? Trump=Nixon
Pence=Agnew
Lindsey Graham=Ford
Could also explain a lot about Graham's behavior lately. Just a thought...
70
@Linda White
It is very clear. If Trump is removed, then Pence becomes President. Period. If Pence is impeached and convicted after Trump is removed, and Pence is President, and there is no new VP, then Speaker Pelosi becomes President. Period. If Pence is impeached and convicted, and Trump is not, then Trump will not have a VP until he appoints one, with the advice and consent of the Senate. All kinds of things can be established as factual, but until Pence is impeached and convicted, he remains VP until such time as Trump is impeached and convicted, or, if he has become President after Trump's removal, until he (Pence) is impeached and convicted. It's not as if Trump's traitorism has not been been established as factual. It has. And yet, here he is.
102
We know what happened on the call, we need to know who were involved behind the scenes, we need to know who facilitated the whole thing. The enablers and facilitators are equally responsible.
As Thomas Friedman suggested on the Fareed Zakaria's show, Democrats would be wise to have career prosecutors do the questioning rather than members of the committee. During recent hearings of Corey Lewandowskii, there was ample evidence on how the process can look more circus and accomplish nothing if not handled professionally.
5
Thank you editorial board .
I remember the nastiness of the cold war, the demolition of
the Berlin Wall, how elated all of those people were to taste
freedom, I never dreamed that we, the people of the United States, would ever be facing the loss of our democracy, the
systematic destruction of our constitution by a few very powerful and wealthy greedy people whom installed the man
called Donald Trump.
I sincerely hope this impeachment inquiry will uncover the total corruption of these greedy powerful people and help restore what's left of our democracy before its too late.
14
If America can withstand this constant barrage of illegal and unethical acts by Trump and his cronies it will not be because the federal court system worked. Nor the Congress.
It will be because an extremely talented and hardworking legion of journalists and newspapers have triumphed. I've been in a position to see how hard journalists work to get a story and to get the facts right.
Congratulations to the NYT for its excellent stream of stories.
21
@Richard
Yes. And now imagine where we would be today if the Constitutional free press still had the staff and other resources that that they had several decades ago. If the Constitutional free press had not been the victim of the predatory pirating of content by Google, Facebook, Apple, et al. If regulators had not permitted de facto media monopolies in local markets. If reasonable laws and regulations had kept the rightwing propaganda media empires of Fox and Sinclair in check. If NPR still had any public funding at all to speak of.
Richard wrote:
"If America can withstand this constant barrage of illegal and unethical acts by Trump and his cronies it will not be because the federal court system worked. Nor the Congress.
It will be because an extremely talented and hardworking legion of journalists and newspapers have triumphed. I've been in a position to see how hard journalists work to get a story and to get the facts right.
Congratulations to the NYT for its excellent stream of stories."
1
@Robert
"And now imagine where we would be today if the Constitutional free press still ..."
Where would we be? Trump very likely might never have been nominated.
1
One of the defences being peddled by the GOP is the notion that Trump merely was interested in rooting out corruption in Ukraine. Bill Barr also should be asked: what criminal predicate would justify a criminal investigation with the apparent support of the State Department into the Bidens.
4
We’ll never get the truth from this cesspool crew using traditional hearings. The Dems need to threaten them with jail time. You talk or you get locked up for obstructing. Period.
8
Yes, certainly have pros question all of these folks many of whom have been directly implicated. And, also have a pro question Individual One in front of the nation. That was a principal shortcoming of the Mueller investigation. Individual One was never questioned by a pro in person under oath.
7
Just like before, Democrats can’t be certain anyone of these people will show up to be examined by congress. The vote to impeach will then appear to be toothless leaving good cover for senate Republicans. Trump is lawless.
3
@James, the law requires subpoenaed individuals to appear or face arrest. That is the approach that must be taken: apprehend those who refuse to testify and hold them in one of those notorious for-profit prisons until they are willing to testify honestly. We may ultimately not hear what we want to hear, but it should allow us to hear the truth, which is what we need to hear.
2
Adam Schiff said that any effort to ignore subpoenas will force the House to issue further Articles of Impeachment related to Obstruction of Congress.
3
Ask away. I think if there's anything we've learned about this administration is that they are all in cahoots with keeping trump in office. They are willing to lie for him as he lies to the American people. This is going to get us nowhere, I fear. They will do their best to keep their positions of power and influence. I know all governments have some corruption, but this is truly the most corrupt American government of my time.
6
What about Trump’s personal and Russian phones? Were those monitored by our IC?
2
It's always the cover up conducted by the people you surround yourself with....how many times do leaders need to learn this.
2
When has Trump EVER acted alone?
It's called ORGANIZED crime for a reason.
14
I am anticipating a Trump declaration of martial law sometime in the coming months... perhaps after he loses the 2020 election but prior to leaving office in Jan 2021...
3
This is going to be harder to do than it might appear.
It is going to be very interesting watching the construction and drafting of necessarily particularized Articles of Impeachment that, collectively, can command a majority vote in the House. One should not think that since the President has "obviously" committed so many "high crimes or misdemeanors" -- as so many commenters here and in the NYT do -- this is a simple task. After all, many do not think that Trump has done anything at all that amounts to even a single such "high" crime or "high" misdemeanor. That's the problem. The Articles must list specifically what each, or more than one, "high crime" or "high misdemeanor" actually is in a way that can gain more than a plurality of Members' votes. Failure to do it right will (or should) doom the whole effort. See, e.g., https://harvardlawreview.org/2018/12/high-crimes-without-law/ .
Asking a Member to approve Articles that include one or more items that the Member does not agree with and wants removed from the menu, as it were, should result in failure to win that Member's vote. Will it? It should, but that assumes we still have at least some Members who are principled -- this in what often looks like a very selfish, shallow political body, one with many Members already on uncertain footing in the hearts and minds of their home district voters and facing their own personal 202) election.
Let's see if they're up to it.
1
Plenty of Dirty Hands:
Note to the Bar Associations: Why are you not investigating the actions of White House lawyers and Trump lawyers who appear to have broken ethics laws by concealing evidence of wrongful actions.
Shouldn't these lawyers be disbarred?
16
trump has always had fixers since he was a rich kid who always had stuff done for him. Nobody can fix what he has done now, however. trump will finally pay. Once all the evil he has done is out, people will be even more stunned. trump should spend the rest of his life in jail for ruining American democracy as we knew it. Toss Guliani and Barr in there too. Empty the truly big swamp: Trump Swamp.
7
Mr. Schiff, don’t leave Madeleine Westerhout, Trump’s former personal assistant, out of any impeachment inquiry. She was the president’s gatekeeper from Day 1 of his administration. She had unique access to the President and the Oval Office. She followed orders.
Who would Trump turn to in the White House, as close as family - someone loyal, devoted, that he could trust implicitly?
Trump has reportedly called her, “my beautiful beauty.”
Someone in the White House had to be so trusted to help conceal and to secrete the transcript of the July 25 call to a separate secure standalone computer system. It appears this may not be the only time.
It brings to mind Rose Mary Woods, the devoted secretary to President Richard M. Nixon, who was at the center of one of the great mysteries of Watergate, after 18 ½ minutes of a crucial White House tape were erased. In his memoirs, Mr. Nixon described Ms. Woods as being as close “as family.”
On August 29-30, the NYT reported of Madeleine Westerhout’s “abrupt and unceremonious departure”… because she indiscreetly shared details about (Trump) family and the Oval office operations at an “off-the-record” dinner with journalists.
That’s a big red flag. No one as loyal to Trump would do this, unless there was an agenda.
The timing is exquisite.
To get to the truth about a White House cover up, don’t leave Madeleine Westerhout out of an impeachment inquiry. She may be innocent, we don’t know. But, we have to ask these questions now.
12
So we have a shadow rogue government working in secret without oversight of any kind and doing God only knows what kind of damage to the US.
Its labyrinthine tentacles go all over the place. There is no control over its direction or growth.
Weeding it out must happen as soon as possible before it chokes off all sign of any legitimate government.
We have a growing cancer in the midst of a struggling legitimate government.
We must weed out the imposters quickly before it is too late and they choke off all normal paths of leadership.
Trump is a damaged person who does not know right from wrong. It is undermining the entire country and casting a pall over all its citizens.
3
Trump has an astonishing ability to attract people and corrupt them, despite his own lies, demonstrated disloyalty, and lack of charisma. Moths to a flame and all that. I still haven't figured that out.
4
This action of trump's is clearly a crime ... Most of the Democrat reaction to it is what I would expect in an American citizen... To my shock , most Republicans don't believe there is any wrongdoing ! They seem to think this is business as usual... I have been told that "Obama was worse ." How do you argue with that ? I don't ... You can't .. but vote. In every election , right down to Dog Catcher . When you allow republican's to govern at a state level, or even county , expect voter suppression , gerrymandering , dark money...the works .. Disempower them. Let them scream in the darkness .
4
America’s path forward:
Impeach Trump. Win in 2020. Have the new Attorney General investigate and prosecute as necessary.
Show the world and country we stand for truth and justice.
5
An important name was not included on the list — Jared Kushner. Now, don’t laugh...
While Kushner doesn’t seem to have any direct involvement with Ukraine, he has been called the de facto chief of staff by a number of publications. Since Mick Mulvaney doesn’t have much capital with Trump these days, are we to believe Kushner didn’t know about this?
5
I watched the run up to the 2016 election, aghast every time The NY Times would cover one of the President’s many flagrant trumpisms, and yet leave him the last word, indirectly normalizing his actions.
So I cannot help but feel a certain... “incensed apathy” at this point about everything, predictable predicament though it may be.
Maybe I missed it in my dizzying attempt to keep up with my reading these days,
but what about Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch?
Don't we need to hear form her what kind of pressure, if any, she was experiencing that she apparently resisted, resulting in her ouster?
5
Except may be the IG, I doubt the rest of the people mentioned might be truthful.
Because this will a TV event, start with eye candy — summon Hope Hicks who was hired by Trump so he has something to gawk at in the Oval Office when Ivanka’s not around.
As someone whose one and only job is to look like she’s just came out of the salon, why was she in a hurry to leave?
And why, unlike all other “resignations” only she holds the record of not being lambasted by Trump over twitter?
1
Many liberals with microphones think that when you impeach a president you kick him or her out of office, not so. Bill Clinton was impeached and finished his term. The Impeachment will die in the senate, the Democrats will have thrown mud on Trump but he will then win in 2020 as the impeachment will energize Trump's base which is why Nancy was avoiding it.
1
So many lies. So much effort going into covering up so many lies. His staff must be exhausted.
3
Think of the witnesses listed as your next Netflix movie:
“The Bowery Boys Go To Washington”
2
Surely it would be interesting to know all the things the editorial cites. However, how would that turn public opinion against Donald Trump and lead to his downfall? It’s a diversion, except in so far as some of the witnesses might directly and personally implicate Trump. Moreover, it would provide opportunities for witnesses to try to turn impeachment hearings into a circus.
The point is to hold Trump *personally* responsible for his depredations and those of his Administration. He is its Maximum Leader. Focus on the depredations and their significance. Make Mr. and Ms. America appreciate – viscerally – what’s at stake.
1
Has it occurred to anyone that Trump is actually incompetent enough that he thought he could fire the Speaker of the House?
The President said, “As far as I’m concerned Nancy Pelosi is no longer Speaker of the House.”
Wow.
3
Now a majority of Americans approve of the impeachment push. It is about time. Trump is a stain on our democracy. We have to survive this or our Constitution and country are doomed. I don't understand the people who are still supporting him. Trump wants to meet his accuser. For that purpose? He is calling this a fraud. Trump is the fraud. I am a New Yorker and would never have voted for him. I fear for the whistle blower's life.
3
Media should stop covering Giuliani. Okay, we understand he's part of Trump's circle of criminal conspirators. Now move on. Endless repetition gets boring, tunes people out, gives the narcissist exactly what he craves: attention. It adds credence to the lie the media is anti trump and fuels his base. So move on!
2
If Giuliani is doing work for the State Department, does he even have a security clearance?
2
The editorial board is missing the most obvious co-conspirator—Putin. I observe that the person who would most profit from stopping military assistance to Ukraine would be Mr. Putin. Stopping that assistance would cripple Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against the Russian proxy war in the eastern regions. Is it possible that in one of Trumps phone calls or meetings with Putin that he promised to help Russia grab Eastern Ukraine? I would like to know. Is Trump a traitor?
5
Trump NEVER acts alone. In fact, his modus operandi is to get others to do the dirty work in a way that seems to leave his own hands clean. He doesn't do it if he can't find a useful patsy or enabler.
2
Here's the thing.
In the transcript, Zelensky states "I stayed at your Trump Manhattan Hotel"
Trumps says nothing back!!! come on people, we all know that he would say something back about this, as his ego is what this man is all about.
I'm convinced we don't have the full transcript. We have an edited version and imagine what was left out.
Imagine what was said to Putin whereby no transcript exists? Imagine the Saudi's calls. I think it will come out one day that Trump was treasonous.
5
Sometimes it’s the middle man who knows everything but isn’t in the spotlight. Maybe it would be wise to interview the assistants of all of those White House employees. They have eyes and ears on everything.
2
Alone or not I'm looking forward to a NY Times daily edition without Trump in it.
2
@Mike Brown The only way that can happen is when Trump is no longer IN the White House. Hopefully not too far in the future.
3
This entire investigation will blow up the democrat party. Biden is toast and hunter will continue to be an embarrassment to his family. Many Americans are fed up with the 24/7 pursuit of “get Trump...no matter what...” led by the two most vile people in politics: Schiff and pelosi. Thanks to these two provocateurs, Trump will be re/elected, because the DNC has once again chosen 20+ of the most unelectable candidates running for president. The cry of the silent majority will continue to be “...anybody but him/her...” and trump will prevail.
2
Actually, for the first time, a majority of all Americans now support an impeachment inquiry. So no, Americans are not getting tired of the “get Trump “ effort as you call it. In fact, more Americans are onboard than ever before.
2
Many Americans have by now known Trump’ is a Russian asset working in the White House to undermine US security in concert with Putin.
The US intelligence agencies, and those of our democratic allies, know the same.
The question has always been how do you deal with such an existential threat to freedom and democracy working within the law regarding someone lawless and remorseless.
Trump himself made his own capture easier by dismissing any guard rails that would protect him, as he can trust so few with the corruption he lives with daily.
If Republicans want to continue to exist as a party, essential to a healthy democracy, they must jettison Trump in recognition of the mafioso he represents.
From Roy Cohn, to casinos, construction, money laundering, tax evasion, fraudulent conveyance in multiple bankruptcies, fraud, emoluments, graft, nepotism and incompetence- he will bring down anyone who is near him.
The country can stop foreign aggression and interference in our sovereign elections - and must.
Trump is the nadir of America’s history. May we use this lesson to teach those that meddle with the US that they will cease to flex any powers ever again.
May we move forward attacking the common problems facing the world in full alignment and with courage and ingenuity.
2
It's kind of the Times to offer advice to the investigators. What is your advice if Trump is reelected?
@Michael Livingston’s
If Trump wins a re election, I will to the very best of my abilities no spend one red cent with any company that is 1. Headquartered in a state that the majority of the voters voted for him. If Indiana votes for him I will spend $0 here until I can find suitable employment in a state that voted against this Sociopath.
I’ve already stopped going to Mass as the majority of people at my church supported this Horror of a person. My donations now go to the Democratic Party.
3
And please interview them simultaneously and don’t let them hear each other’s answers.
You'd think Trump would want to be impeached. Then at least he would have done something that Obama didn't.
1
We’ll know we’re reaching a turning point when VP Pence stops making goo-goo eyes when standing behind Trump.
3
Yes, there are others involved and a "roadmap of allegations", but to bring the public along requires a core violation- singular and clear. Commenters, Dem spokespersons and others keep saying that Pres Zelensky brought up that Ukraine was ready to purchase US military equipment & Trump immediately said, "Do me a favor" & mentions subjects of political concern. What he says is "Do me a favor, though". "THOUGH" IS THE KEY WORD! It's a direct link to the prior statement about receiving military aid and means "however, never-the-less", here's a related condition, a favor: investigate the DNC emails & Joe Biden's son by contacting Rudy Giuliani & AG Barr. The "though" establishes the quid pro quo.This isn't essential to an impeachment inquiry, but is supportive evidence of a direct connection. Zelenski's last words before Trump spoke is, "[W]e are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes", then Trump replies, "I would like you to do us a favor though...." It reads, "You are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes; I would like you to do us a favor though." Is it so hard for the Dem spokespersons to make sure the word "though" is included when they quote Trump and to parse it simply as stated above. I fear the clarity, the simple facts, which are moving public opinion could get buried in GOPs 'fishing expedition' narrative. Express SIMPLE facts!
2
Geopolitics is no longer about political ideals, it is all about power and money.
Putin is using trump to discredit and deem irrelevant any type of federal law enforcement, break up the Allies and castrate international law enforcement.
At least the last thing we have to worry about is nuclear war, until someone tries to move into North Korea's turf and starts a gang war.
As Mark Felt said to Bernstein, "Follow the money"! All the way to what have to have been deals with Putin.
Trump as acted like a mob boss all his life ,he suggests that other people should do his dirty work,without demanding it.He denies,denies, denies ,he was schooled by Roy Cohen Trump,s N.Y. attorney was was barred from ever practicing law in N.Y.
2
I concur with this editorial and find today's New York Times stories among the most troubling we have had to hear in America about the corrupt, dishonest behavior of our President and now another Attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Mulvaney & Barr, while newcomers to the Administration, though hardly wet behind the ears, have probably always been conspiracy theorists and also have placed their loyalty with the person they serve...not with the people of America, the people they own more allegiance to than any President. Whatever lies Trump fabricates "today that citizens guns will be confiscated and healthcare taken if Democrats win the next election are pure unadulterated lies. A simple fact, many Americans have healthcare only owed to Obama, a Democrat if I remember correctly. As to guns, most thinking people want the massacres to stop...that does not mean allowing gun ownership is up for grabs. With some people owning 100 guns any change would initially merely try to tighten the rules which are flouted in so many ways at the moment. Hardly a threat to gun ownership. But then Trump never says anything specific or meaningful anyhow...it is always gross generalization and fabrication.
5
Non judicial/political view might say: [Yes run the legals but...] diversify away from the bureaucrats. Subpoena Ivanka and Jarred to have Vice supplant Fox mostly assuredly.
Not alone - Wilkins Barr
Sadly, a large number of Democrat House and Senate members will certainly vote for impeachment, regardless of the facts. Trump was asking Ukraine to look into the hack during the 2016 election and Zelensky brought up the Bidens. There was no coverup or obstruction. We can only hope the the American people learn the truth despite the lies being spun by the media fraudsters; the shame of our nation.
1
The impeachment inquiry should also subpoena any conversations between Trump and Petro Poroshenko, the prior President of Ukraine. He lost his position by a wide margin. Was he asked to dig up dirt on Biden; did he decline; did Trump and Putin discuss removing him from office? Is that call also stashed in the top secret server?
1
The State Department is once again reviewing emails that Hillary Clinton's staff sent.
Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump's emails should be reviewed in light of the impeachment investigation to see if they were properly documented.
1
The question will come to this: what will be the penalty for ANYONE - from Guiliani, Pompeo, McGuire, Barr and all the others - called and subpoenaed to testify to any and all Congressional committees and they either refuse to show up, refuse to testify, or simply lie. The remedy is obviously jail time until they speak honestly AND severe daily fines - $50,000 / day for the wealthy, and perhaps only $10,000 per day for the lowly millionaires.
Where are our teeth? No penalties or punishment, no American democracy. We cannot permit the liars, thieves and corrupt to go scott free. This is what gets Americans crazy.
True or false: No one is above the law.
6
One wonders how GOP officials would hace reacted to news of President Obama's request for Vladimir Putin to investigate one of Obama's Republican opponents seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.
One might wonder but one doesn't need to wonder too hard. We would have been deafened by the shrill Republican chorus of screams to IMPEACH!
6
Mr. Trump himself has suggested looking into Mr. Pence’s interactions with Ukrainian officials. “And I think you should ask for VP Pence’s conversation, because he had a couple conversations also,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Is President Trump trying to get his Vice-President impeached too? Well, if #1 and #2 both get impeached, would #3 (House Speaker) become President?
President Nancy Pelosi! To be fair, surely Pelosi would choose Hilary Clinton for her Vice-President? The whole reverie seems too good to be true, but hope is in the air again, ever since Tuesday!
1
Relax...take a deep breathe. Time patience and persistence will be required.
Every Democrat when asked about impeachment should start their answer by saying:
1. We only want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
2. Innocent people provide all the requested details and documents to prove their innocence as they know that the truth would set them free....
Now to answer your question...
1
Will Biden be investigated too? He bragged about doing what Trump is accused of.
This investigation, like all the others, will hit the Trumpian stone wall of executive privilege claims. It will take more brave and patriotic whistleblowers to come forward and sacrifice their careers for our country. Only then will a few Republicans get scared enough to put country above self and party. I know there are career federal employees who take their oaths to defend our country and the Constitution seriously and who will not stand by and let one selfish, amoral braggart who has never served his country in any way trash everything they believe in.
2
The House needs to hear, even if it’s in closed committee, the Trump-Putin transcripts hidden in the secure server.
3
What information was DNI DanCoates privy to? His resignation and that of his deputy occurred in proximity to the fateful call to Zelenskyy. Why was there an acting DNI when the whistle was blown?
3
I (don’t think) I ever saw the Grateful Dead play The Harder They Come (...the harder they’ll fall). Anyone hear it live by them or Bob Marley himself?
The challenge -- will be to get them to stop lying.
1
@Bhaskar Trying to blackmail a foreign leader in order to dig up dirt on your opponent, and to interfere in our election, is not “foreign policy”.
3
“President Trump was repeatedly warned by his own staff that the Ukraine conspiracy theory that he and his lawyer were pursuing was “completely debunked” long before the president pressed Ukraine this summer to investigate his Democratic rivals, a former top adviser said on Sunday.”
First convincing Giuliani, who’s got Trump’s ear, might have done the trick.
“Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."
2
@KMW: "It has been reported that the whistle blower did not want the reelection of President Trump." Since the identity of the whistle blower has been reported to be unknown, how can stating that he/she didn't want Trump to be re-elected be known? Also, the political preference of the whistle blower is irrelevant especially since so much stated in the complaint is verified by the transcript of the call released by the White House. Truth is truth no matter which side of the aisle someone is on. A president soliciting aid from a foreign country to investigate a political opponent is an abuse of power. Even though I think the whistle blower's political affiliation is irrelevant, is it any wonder someone with integrity would not want a person abusing his power in office not re-elected elected?
2
To the investigators: Walk softly and carry a big stick.
We do not want a circus. Just the facts ma'm, just the facts laid plain and clear. Even if it does not end in impeachment it will weaken Trump with independents at election time.
112
Trump rarely acts alone, like the House of Representatives does not act alone in impeachment and removal proceedings. Even if the President is impeached by the House of Representatives, the Senate will refuse to remove him. Leaving the President to declare a “massive” victory against the “loser” Democrats just in time for the election.
@AAA
The Senate is complicit in the entire mess of this President's administration. It is the House's job to bring this forth and investigate. Let the public see the entire inquiry on television and expose these lying, corrupt people. If the senate does not try and convict the obvious then their complicity becomes so apparent that the lack of integrity of the party is exposed.
Ditch Mitch!
1
It is a shame that we no longer have an independent judiciary. Rudy, Maguire, Barr and Pompeo all should be inducted in this attempted subversion of our Constitution.
3
Trump can't act alone! He has 40% of Americans complicit in this mess.
Impeachment investigators should not overlook those on the other end of the call where potential whistle blowers were also listening. Perhaps Zelensky's aids and others trump has mistreated, bullied or coerced might blow their whistles.
Merkel, Macron or even Obrador of Mexico may have some interesting transcripts to provide. Imagine what a Brazilian whistle blower would have on conversations between Bolsonaro and trump! Investigators do not have to go abroad for any of this - just ask the NSA who monitor calls on foreigners abroad even when talking to Americans!
Locking down trump's consciousness of guilt because of previous leaks is a lame Republican excuse. Besides, "locked down" at this end of the call doesn't mean it is "locked down" on the other end. The leaks trump complains about could have come from those on the other end of the call. The fact that trump can't reveal what he talked about because of improprieties means those on the other end can threaten to release their records UNLESS TRUMP DOES THEM A FAVOR.
One foreign leader, Putin, already receives a virtual monopoly of favors from trump! He's certainly got the goods on trump in HD voice recordings of their conversations - no editing required - to hold over the trump.
Giuliani is moving in on Manafort's territory - this harebrained Ukrainian idea likely originated in his bizarro mind, on orders from trump, of course.
Wow, who’s left? This Trump has become such a headache. One just dreams of a life when there would be no Trump to deal with.
In trying to take care of the old swamp, Trump seems to have created a new one: his own.
Politics may be a doomed career for eternity. You can never be a politician without imbibing a Mephistopheles of your own. (There is Trump, then Pelosi, then Mcconnell, there was a Clinton, no two etc. etc. etc.)
The key, as Michael Cohen has demonstrated, Trump asked for things without being direct in asking.
2
You forgot Dan Coats and Fiona Hill, and anybody who resigned in the last six months since the timeline presented in NYT article "How a Shadow Foreign Policy in Ukraine Prompted and Impeachment Inquiry" lays out that pressure activity started months and months ago.
Boy, do I feel sorry for Ukraine, so in need of a legitimate ally in it's active war with Russia, having to makes deals with Trump et al. It so unlike the America ones thinks we were or I guess, wishes were. Feel so deeply ashamed, as one was/is of pulling out of the climate treaty, and Abu Ghairb.
1
I’m reading She Said by Kantor and Twohey. Weinstein didn’t do what he did by himself either. Sandusky was able to do what he did because people were willing to look the other way. It’s what people who do questionable/bad things do - count on people to look the other way or look at each specific incident and explain it away. Trump is doing the same thing.
Miller is in the middle somewhere. I'd bet money on it.
2
It is absolutely essential that all of the people with knowledge of this illegal action taken by mr trump be called to account by Congress.
1
After listening to the nonsense on the Sunday talk shows, the one thing I noticed is that the moderators have no real understanding of the corruption in Ukraine and roll certain oligarchs play in this whole matter.
Central of must of this story is the role of Igor Kolomoisky and his role in Burisma Holdings. The real scandal going on in Ukraine at the time is about a missing $1.8 billion and that is what the Prosecutor General Victpr Shokin was investigating. His successor, Lutsenko, swept the whole story of the missing $1.8 billion under the rug and claimed that it was not a problem.
If you look carefully in the Ukrainiian press at the time you will see that Shotkin was planning to interview Hunter Biden about the missing money when he got fired, Lutsenko, his successor promptly ended the investigation. That is the story to investigate not the one the US press seems to want to talk about.
As for the Military aid, Obama did the right thing by refusing to send lethal weapons, but rather sent things like rations packs, jeeps etc, NATO and the US believed feat that Russia would seize Kiev which is why they wanted to send lethal aid. What we should remember about this civil war in E. Ukraine, is what Putin said. He said if he wanted to seize Kiev he could get there in 2 days. Neither NATO or the US could get there in less than 1 month.
1
@Judy Weller,
My understanding is that Hunter Biden wasn't even on board until 2 years after this whole episode place. The initial prosecutor removed was Russian dupe not even investigating the corruption going on, that is why the European community and the US wanted him removed, to replaced by prosecutor who actually did start prosecuting the company and that is why the oligarch left the country, and Hunter Biden was completely absolved from any involvement.
And still ... not ONE republican member of congress will stand up against trump ...
There are no words ...
1
It would be good for the Times to run a piece on impeachment procedure, especially regarding what Congress can do when most of the persons listed here refuse to testify, as surely they will. Are there any real powers of coercion--fining or incarceration--for contempt of Congress?
2
Good luck getting any of the members of this renegade administration to testify. The Attorney General of the United States is leading the charge to ignore or break any law on the books. My fondest wish is that of these odious and criminal enablers find out how low they have fallen when they can bear firsthand witness to the vast difference between federal prison and the luxurious resorts to which they have rapidly become accustomed.
3
Did Mueller investigate Trump Organization’s long-time CFO? The CFO of his business likely knows more about any Russian or German bank financing deals than Manafort et al.
1
I am extremely skeptical that Mr. Giuliani (or Mr. Trump) would tell the truth, ever - even under oath.
8
The problem is that Giuliani and other Trump toadies will just lie when asked for details. Lying under oath is no big deal for those with no respect for morality or the law.
6
I'm hoping that there will be at least one honest person with knowledge of the true facts who will see it as his/her civic duty to testify truthfully. As for the rest of them, I hope Congress puts them in jail for contempt, then I'm waiting to see them take the 5th.
4
This is a brilliant dissection of the Trump operation - though it leaves out a shopping list of the people he has swapped in and out of seats over three years - some of whom may be willing to talk.
It is also time for the Great Patriot who carefully assembled the whistle-blower complaint not necessarily to come forward (using the pronoun everyone is using) himself - beyond meeting with a select few trustworthy members of Congress.
More importantly, he must convince his sources to go public with what they know.
Let us assume, just for a second, and without reason, that a member of the CIA staff who wrote the report was somehow motivated by partisanship.
The people who hold the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle - those in the middle - owe it to the nation to come forward. At the least, they should suggest via a third party, that their names be put on a subpoena list with an assortment of others without key information, obscuring their role in the report.
Lastly, the mysterious “lockdown” and “use of voiceprints” to identify speakers adds up to “recordings”.
Not the old reels of tape from ‘68, but anything from hard drives to micro-SD memory sticks - physical objects, bear the sounds.
These must be found, perhaps beginning with orders from judges placing guards on the probably off-line physically securable objects.
And the new noise level - a repetition of the timeline divorcing Joe Biden’s actions from any quid-pro-quo and “new” Clinton investigations must be exposed as nothing more.
2
Trump behaves like a mob boss so you have to investigate him like one. The Intelligence Committee just needs to find the weak links-- staffers/foot soldiers with plenty of inside access to Trump's activities, but who are vulnerable to being thrown under the bus to protect higher level "captains," like Barr and Pompeo. Put the squeeze on those staffers--offer them immunity from conspiracy charges in exchange for testimony before Congress, and they'll roll.
2
Impeachment Diversion Pool: In order to divert attention from impeachment, which country will Trump attack, and when, and how?
My pick: Iran; late November; cruise missiles.
1
"Mr. Barr is neck-deep in this"
Of the persons you name, Barr is the most important. In the end, questions whether Trump's conduct is criminal, just dumb, or mentally ill is just a haze of speculation over the stark, black-and-white reality that Trump has put into almost every high level position persons suited to destroy the purpose of those departments. Regardless of the cause, the results are sinister. When enough departments have been inverted, the system is rendered dysfunctional, and criminality reigns. But the nadir is when a criminal is running the crime department. That means there's no one left to save us ... except those with the power to impeach.
3
Your editorial makes one thing very clear to me: comparisons of the Trump Administration to a clumsy mob operation are not at all hyperbole. These folks supposedly running our government, besides from doing criminal and unethical things, are just plain inept, uneducated, and foolish. The self-dealing and conspiracy theories involved with Trump and his minions begin at the top with himself, his family, his cabinet, and West Wing staff, move to the GOP in the Senate and House, continue to the Republican Party itself and spread their wings to glide overseas to ambassadors and their staff around the world. Along with the congressional investigations, pressure for both Trump and Pence to resign must start. Political figures, elected officials, media outlets and prominent Americans must begin to demand the resignation of the President and Vice President. There will have to be multiple, inescapable pressure points in order to get Trump and company out of office. It must start now.
3
Yes . Trump acts with half of Americans.
That is how he was elected .
What about Steven Miller who claimed to Chris Wallace on Fox News that he "Knows about the conspiracies of the (so called) Deep State?" Put him up for questioning and let all his misinformation and lies come out on the record.
While Trump must be removed, if only for spreading Hate, his radical anti-environmentalist assault on Life On Earth, & his role in the ongoing Saudi atrocity in Yemen, the inquiry over this phone call needs to uncover the real corruption of Trump.
Trump defied the Will of the People when he Twice vetoed congressional demands that he stop arming the Saudis in their war crimes.
What really are Trump's reasons for his allegiance to the brutal, murderous Saudi regime? Why did he travel-ban all Muslims except the nation from whence the 9/11 terrorists came?
While Trumpists will talk circles around 'Russia-gate' & now 'Ukraine-gate', None of Trump's sycophants have any defense of this bizarre, obsequious allegiance to the Saudis.
Something is going on there that's far beyond Saudis owning the top floor of Trump Tower & condos in Trump properties.
If the inquiry can uncover that link, the real case for impeachment may be exposed.
And don't forget to ask about blackmail, threats, and intimidation. These are Trump's favorite MOs.
As a last defense, the republicans and Trump can offer, it's Obama's fault.
Just about everyone in Trump's circle, and many of his supporters, are staggeringly arrogant and partisan. For that reason, none of the members and former members of the current administration will consider it their duty to answer Congress's questions. It also helps to lack consciences.
"His schemes often entangle, by chance or by choice, an array of accomplices, enablers, observers and victims..." We heard the president in the phone conversation. That is the smoking gun. The rest is deep throat.
One name left out is Marie Yovanovitch, the US ambassador to Ukraine who was removed from that position by the Trump team because she was not cooperating. What was she being asked to do? She should be asked to testify. Was she pushed to do things that she found to be wrong? If so, what?
1
Did Giuliani have security clearance, and if so, why?
What lies behind Trump asking Zelensky to investigate circumstances surrounding a debunked conspiracy theory?
1
Something occurred to me just now. It has to do with the studies mentioned in another front page article showing that those who look at child porn for the first time have probably already abused a child IRL.
It seems to me that we have been aware that republicans have been doing things like elevate the security level of information then claim that someone who had transferred it in the open when it was not secure info has in fact "transferred secure information in an insecure manner".
Seems to me just based on the facts I know from observing our nation for my lifetime that the concept that applies to looking up child porn for pedos might also apply to republicans whom engage in this sort of propagandist manipulation of reality and facts. It may be the first time they openly engaged in propaganda, but it is not the first time they have committed a crime or crimes to get their way because they cannot get it honestly.
One last thing. If we had all listened to our English teachers and used the language as it is supposed to be used people, like Trump could not get away with what they get away with. Few people deliberately lie because they know a deliberate lie will inevitably be exposed.
I was expecting to see the names of two of the closest and most trusted people in the inner circle--Jared and Ivanka.
1
It's been clear from the start that anyone associating with this president is risking reputation ruin or much worse. There is no upside to attaching yourself to him. Just ask Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen about the long term consequences.
It’s not just Trump assaulting democracy. It’s the entire Republican Party. That’s the more important message here.
1
How about we just ask Trump to come and testify to Congress so they can understand his thinking on Ukraine? I’m sure all his advisors would love for him to explain this under oath. Right?
1
The really scary thing is that Trump and his minions are really a mafia. Trump with his consigliaries, his offers and favor requests that heads of state can't refuse...we are living in a reality tv show my friends, but one with very real consequences.
2
There is a wonderful small location on your Left Coast where citizens obey the laws, share qualities of life which are beneficial, have easy access to Canada, and where folks seeking solace and safety are welcome. Hmm. What do you think? Cheers.
(Perfect for persons being threatened by the Big Mouth. Technology is such that private interviews can be arranged.
Nothing like a home with border guards for protection)!
1
This investigation is confusingly backwards, isn’t it. Ordinarily investigations seek witnesses and collect evidence in the hope of discovering a smoking gun. In this case, we’ve already seen the smoking gun. Now, it seems, we need an investigation to along with it.
The additional detail will make it clear that Trump’s message to Ukraine was not an ad lib or a slip of the tongue. That’s important. But we already know the most important thing. Trump attempted to extort Ukraine into giving him dirt on his most feared rival.
I have no doubt that Trump has done many detestable things. But we don’t need to know all of them in order to do the right thing here.
Barr claims he didn’t know about the July call between Zelensky and DT until mid August. Yet when Sen. Kamala Harris asked him “Has the President ever asked you to investigate anyone?” he stammered and never answered the question. Harris asked the question MAY 1st, more than 12 weeks BEFORE the call. Barr was part of this long before this now infamous call among the presidents. He must be forced to recuse himself or, better yet, resign. He certainly is not the nation’s lawyer.
1
These malevolent people have to go. Playing on people’s fears with all their phony grievance and resentment. Trump doesn’t govern. He complains, acts corruptly and complains some more. Now he’s desperate because not getting re-elected means the southern district of New York has indictments waiting.
Democrats, is jail an option for any of these witnesses?
Republicans are unable to tell the truth because they can’t recognize it. They are too far gone. We know walking in that they’ll deny, defend, and defer until the last syllable is uttered.
To get any of them to tell the truth will take jail time or some unpleasant experience like listening to Mitch droll on about Senate protocol, listening to Rudy Giuliani for 5 minutes, or a Pat Boone album. (sorry Pat).
To get anything of substance out of any of them you’ll need to make it painful, like a one way trip to Moscow. (Actually this might be up their dark alley?)
These suggestions should be in reverse chronological order. Start from the bottom. And don't forget those who were -- and were not -- involved in the decision to delay the aid to Ukraine. Nail down the avenues the big names will try to use to escape, the better to pin them down when their time comes.
I am so interested in what John Bolton will have to say. Will he still be the good GOPer, or perhaps act with the fury of one scorned? Won't this be fun?
1
Also, ask Secretary Pompeo, why was Amb. Yankovitch recalled, why Trimp says she was "bad" and the details of his conversations with her?
And ask Mulvaney which attorneys from the White House were involved in the decision making and what they actually advised?
2
The democrats are burnishing the credentials of the whistle blower to justify their ridiculous impeachment hearing -- he is lawyer-like, a federal agent, and a good writer.
So what?
Strockz was a federal agent.
Page was a lawyer.
Steel was a spy and used good English.
The only thing they all have in common is avid Trump hate.
The whistle blower's complaint is as ridiculous as Mueller concluded the texts and dossier were to bring down Trump.
@Bhaskar So, it is your contention that any allegations against Donald Trump are valid only when they originate with Trump supporters?
You were less enamored of this concept when it was Bill Clinton facing impeachment.
This editorial truly underscores the very frightening level of corruption and crazy-making that’s going on. Our heads are spinning. We’re living in the middle of a tangled web of astonishing dishonesty and dirty deeds. The layers of dirty tricks from the main players reveal equally massive layers of dirty tricks from the underlings. I worry that those who are scrambling to uncover the truth and find justice are, or will be, overwhelmed. Then what? Perish the thought that Trump may slide through the Senate. To save the nation more Whistleblowers and patriotic Republicans must stand and be heard. Your country is calling you.
5
The Board left out the most toxic, insidious creature of all--Steven Miller.
Five will get you ten he is involved in every dirty or shady action
emanating from Trump's White House.
12
Trump may be a narcissist but he is also profoundly lazy and has an overweening sense of entitlement. His modus operandi is to call for a flunky to unquestioningly carry out whatever fantasy enters his fevered brain. Any wavering or questions are immediately met with rage and abuse as documented by any number of former employees and associates.
It is also obvious he has "people" to do things for him as he lacks even the most basic skills at doing anything. Thus the moneyed elite make things "happen".
6
Trump should be viewed through the filter of mental health. He has a narcissistic personality disorder. His profoundly thin skin, compulsive lying, delusions of grandeur, extreme sense of victimhood, these are some of his symptoms. He is often out of control and uncontrollable. All of which is to say, he's a danger to America, indeed all of mankind. He should not only be impeached but removed from office. Any of the GOP that don't get it should be consigned to the dung heap of history.
6
This looks so much like the dumb kids in grade school trying to be clever. The sheer amateurishness of the phone call alone is staggering. Clearly, this bit of brilliance was thought up by someone who doesn't do a lot of thinking, doesn't know the law, and has no idea how to keep anything at arm's length. Diplomacy is best conducted with one's own mouth firmly shut, and if you happen to have someone around who never shuts up...? The trail of lead ingots leads only one way.
5
All this is fine and good, but Republicans really have a finger on the pulse of America by turning their attention back to Hillary's emails.
Repeal and Replace!
2
Do these Republicans in power hate their country so much that they are willing to sacrifice principles, fealty to the constitution, honesty, decency, for a cancerous wart called Donald Trump? So much in love with their own power that they are willing to let Trump sell their country to the highest bidder for his personal, political and likely economic gain? How very sad!
8
@ARBThis is not about loyalty to our Nation - this is about power and greed.
Trump should be viewed through the filter of mental health. He has a narcissistic personality disorder. His profoundly thin skin, compulsive lying, delusions of grandeur, extreme sense of victimhood, these are some of his symptoms. He is often out of control and uncontrollable. All of which is to say, he's a danger to America, indeed all of mankind. He should not only be impeached but removed from office. Any of the GOP that don't get it should be consigned to the dung heap of history.
3
Yes, Trump never acts alone and while he is simply a paranoid, and vindictive serial liar -- perhaps suffering from dementia, narcissistic personality disorder or some other serious mental illness -- his Republican enablers, abetter and coconspirators are equally if not more to blame. They include Pence, Pompeo, Mulvaney, Mnuchin, Wilbur Ross, Barr, Giuliani, McConnell, Lindsey Graham, McCarthy and a slew of other GOP senators and congressmen.
9
Boss, Underboss, Capo, Solider, Associate and dotted line Consigliere. Will the Criminal enterprise .org chart for this investigation be laid out accordingly?
3
Yeah, Mr. Loyalty always lines up some chump(s) to take the fall for him. In this case, his "base" are also the the chumps, along with Guliani, Pompeo, and all the little guys already in jail, and headed for jail. And, he's been collecting so much money from the Treasury, that there's no end to the bribes he can pay, IF he actually pays anybody, in the end. Usually, he doesn't pay. ( Like McConnell, and so many others, tRump has yugely enriched himself by occupying an elected office, and going rogue.)
5
Now suggest he step down.
1
All of these witnesses need to be under oath and, if they fail to cooperate, jailed in that little cell under the Capitol building until they see the light.
No more messing around with these fools.
2
Impeach the president.
Disbar the lawyers who helped bury politically damaging information.
4
Trump is used to asking for favors:
https://clarechampion.ie/i-endeavoured-to-do-what-i-could-do-about-it-varadkar-under-fire-over-doonbeg-call/
The problem is that he is now President and he wants all of the power without any of the responsibility. He does not accept that laws and procedures apply to him.
2
Some irony, Mick Mulvaney on this list. Mulvaney, who said in 2016 that he did not like Trump, "He's a terrible human being" and absolutely not a role model for his sons, sold his soul to be Acting Chief of Staff to the swamp king, to do his bidding. Heck of a role model yourself, Mick.
14
Just remember that Trump always accuses people of the very crimes he himself commits. Rigged election? Check. Deep State conspiracies? Check. Treason and fraud? Double-check.
10
So, he wants to meet his accuser, does he? Pick up a phone book
4
Is the NYT proud of the ridiculous Rep. Shiff’s totally fabricated narrative he read as Chair of House Intelligence Committee. Is that what we are about? Individual made-up narratives driving Congressional Action? Our country deserves much better, including serious consideration of consequences of the continuous actions of the Democrats to delegitimize this President. Recalling the McCartyites of the 1950s, Have you no shame?
Why would you disagree with Trump's suggestion that the press look into Vice President Pence's conversations with foreign leaders? Are you afraid they will contain the same evidence of abuse of power that Trump's own conversation contains?
And we should hear from Trump's psychiatrist. He doesn't have one you say? Well that's our biggest problem because he is a mentally unstable crackpot. I know I've said it a lot, but what else can I say when we have a gangster running the country?
9
If we want to criticize Fox News for being the political arm of the GOP, NYT should not be issuing directions to impeachment investigators.
Because it is their constitutional duty and because Trumps corrupt and treasonous conduct leaves no choice if we are to remain a democracy the House will impeach Trump. There are 3 counts that require no hearings as the proof is already already established. (1) Treason in using the power of the presidency in demanding that a foreign power support his reelection and to clear Russia of attacking America in the 2016 election,(2) violation of the emoluments clause and (3) obstruction of justice. Any one of these is sufficient to remove him from office.
If Trump, and his criminal cabal, basically an organized crime gang whose racket is destroying government and raiding our treasury, stonewalls the impeachment investigation, where they effectively take the Fifth, as the public will see it, as a mafia cappo does when he is on trial.
There are 2 juries. First public opinion. Do the majority believe that Trump is (a) guilty of reason, bribery and other high crimes as misdomeanors and (b) should be impeached as a result. The Dems are making their opening arguements now and the inquiry will decide whether the GOP will try to save itself by becoming patriots for once in their careers. As the Trump mob would say, like rats leaving a sinking ship. Those rats who waited too long may not be able to find another ship.
If a Dem is president in 2021, Trump, Barr, and the whole gang will be on trail for their crimes.
5
You forgot Vladimir Putin. Otherwise, a solid editorial.
5
The Democrats need to re-watch the Corey Lewandowski testimony to understand, without doubt, that it is much more important to forego their five minutes of national TV facetime and let professionals do most of the questioning. This is much too important to let the witnesses make them look inept, again.
I know this is asking for a nearly impossible sacrifice from politicians, but when a whistleblower has put his career and life on the line for this country, he—and we—need the best possible people in our corner. Please let professionals handle the bulk of the interviews.
27
Note to investigators:
Any lawyers who participated in shielding presidential conversations on top secret government servers to insulate Trump from politically damaging information is guilty of breaching ethics obligations and must undergo a disbarment proceeded. They have forfeited their ability to serve as lawyers.
24
As soon as a Democrat is elected president and appoints an honest broker AG, the policy that a sitting president can't be indicted should be rescinded. Bill Clinton handled the Lewinsky affair and managed to continue to function as president.
On the issue of the impeachment, it is going to boil to down messaging. Can Democrats make a clear and simple case for impeachment in the face of obfuscation from Trump sycophants like we witnessed on the Sunday talk shows yesterday? We need more voices like that of David Jolley who pointed out that the transcript of the Zelensky phone call was not 2nd hand or 3rd party information. I thought Adam Schiff's parody of the transcript and complaint was out of line. Democrats don't need to embellish the truth. It is there in black and white for all to see. The next step in the impeachment process should be to hear from the Whistleblower and those individuals he/she referred to in his letter.
1
Why would you want to undo 2016 election by these means one year prior to ( less if you take in account the time consumed by this) is a mystery. All these points can be made on a campaign trail. It boils down to this talking point: Obama actually investigating a political opponent is a honorable defense of the country and done "by the book" and Trump mere suggestion of investigating possible corruption is a High Crime for personal political gain. Republicans have a mirror image of this argument. So again why take the risks involved and play on Trump's terrain? Lots of theories. Mine is there are no chess moves here. Dems are Riding a Tiger by the Tail. An angry Tiger poked by the media.
@no pretenses Because the President’s actions have given Congress no choice. This is part of their oversight duties. To NOT do this would be to shirk their constitutional role. Of course those who stand to lose will try to paint this as partisan.
6
@no pretenses
You seem to forget we have a Constitution. It is, by some measure, the entire point of this nation (you know, where it says things like "We the people...." In that Constitution, a democracy is contemplated, where people vote for their representatives, including the president. It is also contemplated that when those elected individuals engage in serious violations of their oaths of office, their right to be part of the democratic process should be stripped. In this case, in that Constitution, the House of Representatives has a duty to monitor, investigate, and pursue impeachment when the President has violated his oath of office. If using your power as President to pressure a foreign government to (interfere in a US election) and act on your personal behalf by taking down a political opponent currently running against you is not a violation of his oath of office (never mind the landry list of other flagrant abuses he's engaged in), then I don't know what is. Regardless of the politics, Impeachment is a Constitutional necessity. That mirror image argument makes no sense. The Russians interfered in 2016. Trump publicly celebrated that fact, and (his campaign and children) met with them numerous times. There was no doubt it was collusion, just not "criminal" according to his AG, William Barr (who will hopefully be going to jail at some point). Oh, and yes, Obama was not running for President at that time!
7
@no pretense
This impeachment isn't an effort to undo an election. That's a Republican talking point that you merely mimic. The House is doing their business. You should thank them.
Obama? Republicans have dared to suggest that Obama should have pursued the Russian interference! As if it was his fault. Sadly Republican partisans have no shame. The House will take care of the Constitution, never fear, while you Republicans sit on your hands and allow a rogue president to burn it before our very eyes.
1
Hopefully the Lawyers for the Investigative Committee can stop people from claiming "Executive Privilege" as this time, without a doubt our National Security is in severe danger thanks to Trump's flouting of the law and trying to interrupt our Free elections system, not to mention the transferring his conversation with Zelensky to a 'secret computer storage system. Talk about cover-up.
The Whistleblower has not only put his job and life on the line for our Country, but he has shown up the entire Republican Senate and Republicans in Congress to be the real enemies of our country, for not living up to their Oath of Office and their responsibilities for oversight of the Executive Office.
Trump and company need to go and as fast as possible before there is nothing left of our freedoms.
13
It’s naive to think that impeachment proceedings will make any difference. Soon, Congress will find that not even formal impeachment hearings will have enough power to compel these people to testify. Soon, they will learn just how toothless their power really is. If they think formal impeachment proceedings will make anyone connected to Trump quake in their boots, they have not been paying attention. Already, they’re all screaming, “Executive privilege!”. If they have to go there, the courts will take forever and even if they do find someone in contempt, this gang has shown that not even court judgments have any effect on their lawlessness. Perhaps, instead of publishing a bucket list of who’s who, the Times could do some investigations into how Congress can work around the inevitable stalling and outright refusal to cooperate.
33
@Frau Greta, good essay. You may not like the answer, not at all. At a glacial pace, these matters may find their way to the Supreme Court. That institution has been packed to support the Executive Branch. My prediction/analysis/forecast: the current administration will project power in the manner of an unskilled tyrant. This White House is waging war against the free press and against whistleblowers?
Why do 40% of Americans support a bully that couldn't hold a job where lying is a primary human resources violation?
Democrats won't do any of this. I guarantee if the GOP was in charge of an impeachment inquiry of a Democratic President; every real and perceived deed would be investigated and everyone involved-hauled off to jail if they did not comply. We The People have a right to know about every player in this sorry Shakespearean Tragedy/Travesty. Democrats need to use their Constitutional muscle.
43
Trump compared the whistle blower’s sources to spies and implied that they deserve to be executed for treason. The whistle blower’s legal team wrote a letter to the Acting Director of National Intelligence ”to request specific guidance as to the appropriate security practices to permit a meeting, if needed, with the Members of the Intelligence Oversight Committees.”
I found this chilling because I am an immigrant from the Philippines where then President Marcos ordered the assassination of his political rival, Benigno Aquino in the Manila International airport, which has been named after him.
This is America? We fear for the safety of a whistle blower testifying before Congress because President Trump considers his sources as spies guilty of treason and deserving execution. This sounds more like a banana republic.
84
I would think there is a law that directs how such calls should be preserved. Of course Trump would ignore those just as he has with who visits the WH.
8
@ncvvet: Exactly so! There are laws that dictate how confidential conversations are stored, and at what level. Trump and his accomplices are in violation of these laws.
Further, there are laws that prohibit classification of communications simply to avoid political embarrassment. Plenty to see here.
Another note to House...ask Kamala Harris to be the questioning "staff" attorney on this one. We need an experienced prosecutor in the front desk interrogating witnesses---no amateurs on this one, bring in law and order caliber attorneys.
55
@Amanda Jones
That seems like a conflict of interest! Surely, there is other capable attorneys who are NOT running for president...Rep. Katie Porter comes to mind.
@Amanda Jones
Amy Klobachar was the one who showed up Kavanaugh for what he was. Perhaps she should also do the questioning,
2
Trump knows nothing about presidential norms, constitutional laws, American history (except about Abraham Lincoln's hat), pubic service, etc. nor does he appreciate those who do because, as he states, he is the "genius," and "nobody knows more than I do." However, it is true. Trump looks for "patsys" to prey upon in order to have an advantage and then claim he did nothing and is the victim. Individuals 2, 3, 4... are also looking for an advantage so they are no different than Trump i.e., Individual #1 in terms of principles.
Yet, why should the Congress, the media and some portion of the American people be surprised or disappointed or elated, if that is the case with anyone, with the travesty in democracy being experienced as a result of the Trump presidency? If democracy is worth saving, salvaging and, for the people, securing-- the time to act as a nation is now. E pluribus unum: Out of many, one. Trump, the illegitimate president is the one who is deserving of impeachment and those who abetted him, it appears, knowingly. He is repeating some of the same steps that carried him into office i.e., the assistance of a foreign government to prop up his candidacy against another candidate. Just switch out Clinton for Biden. Trump already said he'd take the information from a foreign nation (switch out Russia for Ukraine or wherever) and he would "maybe" report it. Someone else reported it. Again.
This cannot be normalized without destroying democracy. Trump doesn't care at all.
23
Of course he doesn't act alone.
He's not clever enough to act on his own, and by using someone else he can always pass the blame.
39
If Pelosi is pressing her colleagues to keep the impeachment message simple why do you wish to call all these people before Congress. More than half won't even show up or they will drag their requested appearance through the courts. Liberals like you always complicate the message.
@Babel Geeting to the truth is not easy when there is resistance. That's one of the reasons why crime suspects are often interviewed in separate rooms so that they cannot coordinate their lies.
9
@Babel There is some truth to your assertion: Alt-right conservatives have learned they can get 40% of the population to believe anything if they dumb-it-down and repeat it nightly.
1
It is as if Trump turned the entire federal government into his private criminal enterprise.
Indeed everyone around him seems to be implicated.
38
Giuliani says he’s working for the State Department in Ukraine, then says he doesn’t have to talk because, as Trump’s personal lawyer, he has attorney-client privilege. Which is it? He can’t have it both ways.
39
The Editorial Board has been committed to Trump Resistance from the day of his election.
It's endorsement of impeachment highlights this commitment.
These political stances undermine the Times as a source of fair and responsible journalism.
The concept that the views of the Editorial Board can be insulated from influence on the "newsroom" is disingenuous nonsense.
3
@jck Or it may be that they’ve seen Trump and his syndicate as the corrupt threats to Democracy they are since Day 1 and it is journalism’s duty to shine light on that fact.
1
@jck: True that the board doesn’t always get it right: it still galls me that the nyt editorial board supported W’s blunder into Iraq.
1
Impeachment will not be enough! The ENTIRE Trump administration and the resultant damages done INCLUDING his executive orders and the packing of the judiciary with highly unqualified extremist ideologues, NEED TO GO! The best and only way for this to happen is for the Supreme Court to ANULL the results of the 2016 presidential election because the results should be highly questionable because of Russian meddling and voter suppression. I am quite certain that Justice Clarence Thomas, with his extensive knowledge of and training in Catholic catechism knows that annulment constitute the nearly perfect reverse “time machine” to reverse the almost catastrophic damages already done. The Court’s previous intervention into the 2020 election gives them the necessary precedence for doing so. The almost complete subversion of the Constitutional system of checks and balances makes quite urgent for this extreme intervention to save our nation from future death of our Republic!
9
Hopefully, each committee will have a professional prosecutor to do the questioning. That will decrease the showboating and accusations from the trumpsters that the process is a 'witch-hunt'. There are several Republican prosecutors who are also upright and this will take the wind out of the fawning trumpy enablers on the committees.
21
Note to impeachment investigators: find out why Schiff was tweeting about this in August; find out WHO changed the rule to make second hand information acceptable ; find out who the whistle blower is that decided to bring the entire country to an irreparable division.
2
@Jackson The Whistleblower didn’t cause the harm — just blew the whistle, as it were, on the malfeasance happening. A more pointed question might be why, as a nation, are we divided on how to handle corruption at the highest levels?
5
@Jackson one whistleblower brought this country to it's current state? Come now. There are very fine people on both sides. Your Dear Leader said so, so it must be true.
1
@Jackson It is trump who brought the entire country to an irreparable division. To think otherwise is naive.
1
I would add to this list the interpreter from Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki on July 16, 2018. This was when the two met alone for two hours except for interpreters. After the meeting Trump confiscated the interpreter's notes and told her/him not to disclose what was discussed.
As reported in the Times, "American intelligence agencies were left to glean details about the meeting from surveillance of Russians who talked about it afterward."
Since Putin has a keen interest in Ukraine, this meeting could be relevant to the current investigations regarding impeachable offenses. It is in the interest of our country that the interpreter be questioned.
Yes, Trump also confiscated interpreter's notes after his meeting with Putin in Hamburg in July, 2017, but there were other officials in the room at that time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/us/politics/trump-putin-meetings.html
29
@EB I disagree with involving the interpreter. We need expert, independent interpreters to provide our leaders with straight forward, honest interpretations. We also need our leaders to know that the interpreters are acting independently. Once we include them in politics we lose their ability to act without fear of the consequences.
1
@EB
It was extremely troubling to hear that Trump confiscated
the interpreter's notes after his meeting with Putin in
Helsinki on July 16,2018,there has been a systematic
demolition of our democracy, and I have no doubt that
Putin is instigating a lot of this.
this is not business as usual, the soul and freedoms of the
people of the United States is at stake.
1
@wvb Nonsense! The notes of a conversation between the President and another head of state belong to the US government. They are part of the official record of the President’s administration. Releasing them for review by an oversight committee of Congress is not in the least bit politicizing; refusing to release them, however, would be.
1
The electorate is at fault and they are complicit in this effort to destroy our democracy. The greed for money and the need for power has overtaken our government. We can't print money fast enough to line the pockets of corrupt politicians and corporations. We have become a country without representative democracy.
7
Great questions and suggestions for investigation, Editorial Board. Thank you.
What, I wonder, will keep all of those questioned from stonewalling as Barr did? Even if you get them in front of the House, recent history suggests they won't betray trump.
10
Trump has always had it out for the Intelligence departments of our government. He felt they weren’t on his team, even out to get him. He ignored their advice since he knew better they did on how to protect himself, I mean, the Nation. Since then he has mounted a concerted attack on every agency tasked to defend us. He made a heavy-handed remark that the CIA whistleblower needed to be executed. He is actively employing his henchpeople to help him carry out incessant attacks on American public servants. How can Americans attack their own, just to please their self-serving boss?
7
Barr needs to go or be isolated from this process. Without him someone will be forced to turn on Trump in order to save their own skin or allow anger a Trump to surface. Bolton might want to lead that charge.
6
I can’t help but wonder, how many other whistleblower complaints have been swept under the carpet?
10
For one reason or another, most of these people will likely either refuse to testify, take the 5th or simply lie. There MUST be severe consequences for that behavior and these individuals must be advised of that now. Anything less will be a further miscarriage of justice and a potentially fatal blow to the rule of law in America.
11
Number one priority for people in power: Stay in Power. We are beginning to see the tide turn, and every big shot Republican supporter of Trump will soon turn on him as they see he is finally on the way out. That is why it is wrong to conclude that the Senate won't convict upon impeachment in the House. They will suddenly see their "duty to the American people," once they see that supporting Trump will endanger their own prospects of Staying in Power.
18
@John And every red-blooded American will vote against Warren.
To me it's quite clear Trump started a civil war in the US and the Republicans joined him. Like Pelosi said, 'he left us no choice.' Let's hope the most civilised people will win this war.
21
@Eddy I don't buy that perspective. In my view Democrats and their identity politics have come close to causing a civil war.
2
@Alex- How's that? By electing a bi-racial President? By pointing out the reality of police treatment of minorities? The fact of racial inequities does not constitute causing a civil war.
7
@Alex - Trumpanzees also believe Trump is an honest man.
That fact alone refutes your position.
Does anyone know if Trump tapes conversations? He mentioned that once. I personally would love to hear what John Bolton thinks because he seems like the least tainted by this and not a blind loyalist although he may want to protect his career as a Fox commentator. I'd love to see Pence, Giuliani and Pompeo skirm trying to dodge questions without committing perjury. But I do think it will be a lower level staff member, like a Butterfield, who will offer revelations he or she can't avoid because of being under oath. And why doesn't anyone in Congress ever subpoena the translators? Putin doesn't want transcripts of his conversations to be released. Did he push the Ukrainian narrative? What is he hiding?
6
Shouldn't Congress subpoena information about the FIRST call between Trump and the elected president of Ukraine? I think that's maybe more important than the second one. Also, do we know how long the second one lasted? that way, we could get an idea about how much of it is revealed in the notes released.
20
@victor the call lasted 30 minutes, so the 'notes' reflect a tiny sliver of it.
1
The plot thickens.
Many careers and reputations at stake in this political quagmire of Trumps making. More than one of the individuals mentioned will place their reputations above loyalty to him, and unload the truth. Chief among them should be Bolton, but Volker, Pompeo, and Atkinson may prove less reticent. I believe Barr will attempt some chicanery that will backfire and cause him to be disbarred (no pun intended). Pence, with the backing of the GOP may turn the tables on him, but will be left unscathed.
If that seems like a Xmas wish list, perhaps it is.
15
That the NY Times Editorial Board feels the need to enumerate obvious questions for the Democratic impeachment leaders tells us the Board doesn't trust these leaders to do a skilled job. This concern is warranted.
Over the last 30 years our Congressional Representatives have become skilled mainly at getting elected by pandering to the tropes and talking points of various identity groups using formulaic, focus-group tested talking points. They spend half their daily working time on the phone courting donors in order to protect their office during election cycles. The primary job requirement for a Congressional Rep these days is to be photogenic, deliver good speeches and work the corporate gravy train of reelection pay-to-play money. This skill set does not map well onto the needs of a democracy and the radical orientation need to defend it in a time crisis.
Am I the only who notices a certain personal invective by Democrats against Republicans? This is bad strategy. The enemy is not the Republicans but their current idea that government does not matter, that society should be let to deteriorate into human suffering while the money needed to run it piles up in billionaire bank accounts (which then conveniently find their way into their reelection coffers.)
To this end, Republicans are willing tolerate cheaters, lawbreakers and those who would corrupt our government for the sake of profit. Cleansing this attitude requires more than a fundraising mentality.
36
@Kip Leitner
I agree with you in spirit, but I think all of us should be asking ourselves whether we're doing enough in our own lives to fight the corruption and gaslighting that we are witnessing. I'm rooting for the Democrats right now, and I'm praying for the honest integrity of the people who are in government and can stop this madness. This is not entertainment nor a spectator sport, and I have to believe that enough people will act honorably in these times to hold back the darkness.
37
I mostly agree except that Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Schiff are doing great jobs. Chairman Schiff is so good that Trump has already begun to try to impugn him. Speaker Pelosi is beyond excellent. I thank God for her.
61
@Kip Leitner - This editorial was written to the readers of the NYTimes. It's purpose being to clarify for the readers the depth and conspiratorial nature of those involved (I never expected to think of Bolton in a positive light). Hopefully, enough of the American electorate has come to understand that anti-democratic people have taken over our highest levels of government and are actively moving to balkanize our thought and remove democracy as a system from the world stage. Your comment, which mirrors, or reverses truth by accusing the defenders of truth with the crimes of the plotters has run its course. Now this tactic only further exposes those complicit in these crimes. It also exposes those still confused by this tactic. Which are you? Whichever you are we have reached the point of that mattering very little. Most important is that everyone can clearly tell the difference. The anti-democratic minority has been outed through their own statements. Good to see you.
15
It gives one the measure of the men who have chosen to aid and abet Trump, a man never known for nobility of character. Outside of Atkinson, and perhaps, too, Bolton, these are men who are nothing more than political moths, lightweight in integrity, fatally drawn to a demagogue's orange toxic flame to satisfy their personal beliefs, but most of all, to honor Trump's and their darker ambitions. Further revelations likely will see Stephen Miller, Jared and Ivanka added to that list of gofers.
47
A large reason Trump has evaded legal troubles so far is that he rarely does the dirty work himself. And that practice of his may well allow Trump to evade impeachment. All we have at this time is the transcript (which is great because it is Trump speaking) but that's it.
13
Do NOT forget Jarrod and Ivanka - his senior advisors whom should never have received security clearance due to their lies and incomplete responses.
Go after this family - not just the don.
106
What can the House do if confronted by the claim of Executive privilege and stonewalling by the people they need to interview? At the least the questioning will be delayed and finally land up in the courts which are in Trump's pocket. And by then we are deep in the election cycle. .....
5
@s.chubin
No, they need to add an article of impeachment called Obstruction of Congress, just as there was in the Nixon impeachment. There is no time to wait. Each time they stonewall and hide evidence it further proves guilt.
26
@s.chubin
Nixon tried that. Does not work in impeachment. There is no executive privilege to hide high crimes and misdemeanors.
@s.chubin I think that is also a reason that we now have impeachment on the table: it was necessary to stop the stonewalling and smirking of Republicans arrogantly parading fealty to Trump over law and Constitution.
The House should hold each of them in contempt and fine them $25,000 per day until they cooperate if they refuse to directly answer even a single question. Plus the congressional committees should have their staff attorneys help them draft their questions to make either contempt immediately apparent or allowing no wiggle room in the response.
68
@snarkqueen Too cheap! Try $10m per day. $25k is nothing to Trump's friends.
Trump represents the classic case of the child who is caught in a lie and doesn't realize that even people who support him recognize that it is a lie.
His tantrum will become ear-piercing hysteria, while some of his supporters will continuing peeling away because it is impossible to defend or explain the lie. His congressional defenders will be compelled to simply continue denying that anything significant has happened, further weakening their ability to impact the procedures and public opinion associated with impeachment.
At some point, even Trump's staunchest defenders are not going to jeopardize their reelection if they appear to be waving the banner of Civil War that Trump and the religious right are already flying. Many are going to have to mildly acknowledge that, yes, the child has been lying.
28
If this inquiry finds that the President betrayed the country and betrayed the constitution, he should be impeached.
What the Senate does is not relevant. If a crime has been committed, a charge should be laid.
80
Yes, principles win cases. Just make sure one of the obvious or secret doors is highlighted for the highly pressurised Boomer.
All GOP Senators are going to stick to him, when all facts are coming out.
1
Thanks NYT - you certainly have the right A list.
Certainly not the entire cesspool, but this will be a good start at the deep middle.
Yes forks, trump is right about one thing, there is a deep state and that deep state is trump himself.
trump, classic conman, morally bankrupt, drunk on this own ego.
Impeach and vote my friends, there are a number of Republican senators and congressmen that need to be held accountable and removed from office in 2020 for enabling this fiasco of a government.
50
Yes, Donald Trump rarely acts alone. He does not have the intelligence required to add two single digit numbers and when he does make an attempt, the decisions almost certainly lead to utter disaster - as evidenced by the half dozen bankruptcies of his business.
Furthermore, Trump is nothing if not a parrot that is faithfully following the rule book written by Roy Cohn, his mentor. Cohn was a lawyers to mobsters, thugs and of course to Trump and Rupert Murdoch. So it is hardly a coincidence that the actions of both these gents are hardly conducive to the conduct of civilized society.
Ever wonder why Fox News - owned by the Murdoch family- is such a mess and a clear danger to society? Ever wonder why Fox and Trump seem like they are made for each other ?
Cohn's thesis was simple - A mess created by a team is harder to untangle than one created by a single individual.
34
I would like to submit a letter to the editor regarding: "Impeachment Is an Act of Desperation
By Christopher Buskirk" but I cannot figure out how to do it on your website, so here is my comment:
Mr. Buskirk view of the Democrat's move towards impeachment is so fundamentally unsound that it does not warrant publication. His argument is based on the premise that the Democrats should act only in their self interest, rather than in the higher and nobler interest of the nation and democracy. Trump's criminal behavior must not go unchallenged. If the Democrats do not pursue impeachment under the current circumstances, they would be little better than Trump's sycophants: the republicans and Buskirk. God forbid. Buskirk has been watching too much Fox News.
39
This man, Trump should not be in office. Another four years of this wannabe Dictator is not the path this great country of ours should be going into.
He stole the election with Russians interference, now he is asking the Ukraine to help him “win” /“steal” another four years.
28
To whose interest and stake in government - i.e., the middle class, small business, minority business growth, etc. does Trump address and appeal to? The answer - None of the Above. Trump just wants to match Putin in fraud and lawlessness. Trump is a menace to democracy - our Democracy - Here and Now.
34
Let me get this straight.
In another article in the NYT, the investigation into Hillary's emails has been reopened by Pompeo's State Department. Emails that were not classified are now retroactively being classified to create crimes that did not happen.
Trump's family in the administration are not using secure emails servers that are at the base of the accusations against Hillary. Not classified or sensitive information at the time. ( Nothing was hacked, no national security interests at stake but hey! Let's spend American taxpayer money to reopen an investigation and change the evidence!)
And now, Trump's phone calls to foreign leaders are being hidden on a "special server" to protect him from his crimes and treasonous behavior. Can we call this ironic hypocrisy?
This is the opposite of Hillary. They are using a secure server to protect Trump's criminal activity. Classic!
87
The Editorial Board writes that:
The challenge for congressional investigators will be to get as many of these people as possible to speak — especially given this White House’s expansive interpretation of executive privilege — and then make sense of the sprawling, Trumpian mess.
The Trumpian mess? Now that is the understatement du jour - and a 'bigly' one to boot.
15
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Dan Coats resigned. Especially since this allegedly isn’t the first time that Trump and friends have hidden phone call read outs on a server.
28
What about Jared Kushner. He usually has a hand in everything involving breaking the law.
49
If proof were needed the headlines today elsewhere "State Dept. ramps up examination of Hilary emails." When are they going to quit? And also, again like the problem they created with the Ukraine, now the "government of Donald J. Trump & Rudy Giuliani, Barr & cronies" ramp this up again. Using their time to pursue their enemies rather than acting as a US GOVERNMENT of the US Citizen. And the most worrying, supported by man Americans who do not have any understanding it seems of how these "businessmen" in their vendettas are trampling on the rights of the people under our Constitution.
24
@JHM They can't seem to let go of Hillary. She is not even on the ballot. She has been investigated over and over again. Sour grapes. They are trying to divert from Trump's crimes. It should not work but unfortunately it will.
17
I don't really get the purpose of this op-ed piece, and I think it actually damages the credibility of the Times.
I'm of the belief that a media syndicate--or press of any kind really--shouldn't wear their beliefs on its sleeve, and as much as I believe in many of the things our platoon of democratic candidates are putting forth, I don't really want/need those beliefs to be apparent in a news source.
Furthermore, I feel like articles like these end up feeling trite and pedantic, and that the Times jeopardizes its reputation without a real purpose. For instance, does the editorial board really think that none of the 235 democrats currently in the house wouldn't have thought of the recommendations put forth by the Editorial Board here? Or that they somehow have intel that the intelligence committee doesn't?
Please, as cheap as opinions are to public, don't cheapen the paper by over publishing them. As much as I'd like to see Trump impeached, there's nothing of real value in articles like these, and they really just give credence to cheap blows from "the right." Moreover, if the suggestions you think of are as obvious as these, it isn't really news, and it's not really opinion worth reading.
5
@James -
Putting this information out there is good for those who do not support Trump who may have to endure conversations driven by friends/relatives/co-workers who are solid watchers of Fox News. This is ammunition for those people who are anti-Trump, but only read occasional articles or opinion pieces, in those conversations. Being able to say, “I would like to hear what Mr. Bolton will say under oath, not just during an interview where lying has no real legal consequence.” (Although they may have to lower the reading level in that statement to be understood by many Fox Friends.)
@James
It is an opinion piece.
@James. How does this diminish the Times’ credibility? Let’s try a reasonable definition of “the news”: it’s facts, corroborated. The Times’ opinion is clearly, as stated, based on “the facts, corroborated.”
Beliefs, too, can be facts, and they can be corroborated. Your argument is that editorial comment should somehow be ‘neutral’—the right-wing rhetorical gambit the country’s been struggling with for decades.
This phone call with the president of the Ukraine was a rare instance of trump personally committing a crime .. He has spent his whole life getting others to do his bidding .. And throwing them under the bus when THEY get caught . That is the genius of trump. The only genius of trump.
23
Unlike the earlier impeachments the current Congressional impeachment investigation will be an asymmetric battle between the law and protocol bound Congress and the habitual offender of law like Trump and his operatives who rely on liess and deceit leaving no crime trail behind like the international crime syndicates. There's perhaps no dragnet or the lie detector yet with the law enforcement mechanism that can really nab Trump and his accomplices. So, not much should be expected from the current impeachment probe except that it will add yet another chapter in the long history of Trump's play of hide and seek with the law and morality.
6
@Prof. Jai Prakash Sharma
But Trump will also be tried in the Court ofPublic Opinion.
And as public opinion shifts, this chapter may play out disastrously for trump -as the rats leave the ship, voicing all they know (as the only lifeboats left).
12
What the NYT and other members of the mainstream media ignore is, that the threat to democracy does not come from President Trump, who was duly elected in 2016. But rather, from the unprecedented challenge to the electoral process that has been fostered by the Democrats for nearly three years, and now from the National Security Deep State. It is not accidental, that the "whistleblower" is an active CIA operative.
If the impeachment succeeds, Americans can kiss any vestige of democracy good-bye.
4
@nikolai burlakoff
You lost me at "duly elected".
Did you forget about Russian interference and Trump's cooperation and probably collusion in the 2016 election? Are you excusing the attempts at forcing a foreign power to interfere in the 2020 election?
The electoral college has installed bad presidents on minority vote, no one worse than Trump though. Methinks that with this impeachment, democracy is happening. However, Trump does think he is above our laws. He said so himself.
42
@nikolai burlakoff "Duly" being the operative word. But then that's another matter, and subject to differing opinions. It's an outdated argument that, in reality, will not be resolved to anyone's satisfaction. The issue is not about an electoral process that has been debated in the past. Rather, it is about what faces us in the present. And unlike 2016 where the initial threat appeared from outside the main residence, 2019 has the call originating from inside the house. Scary, I know. I think you forget what a democratic republic is, and the role of Congress to remediate possible infractions of our constitution. "Deep State" cannot be conflated with constitutional safeguards. It should not be used to malign intelligence agencies that do, for the most part, make us more intelligent. Bottom line: Even if the whistle blower is a CIA operative working for the deep state, those who approved his complaint, and considered it urgent, are not. Even if one thinks that the complaint is a fabrication based on hearsay, both Trump and Giuliani have publicly confirmed its contents. With a slight alteration: What you're seeing and what you're reading is precisely what's happening." Hello democracy. It's nice to see you're still here.
3
@nikolai burlakoff
Trump, who has never enjoyed majority support, was put in place by a compromised election & an anti-democratic electoral college & Senate scheme that weights regional identity over individual voting rights; he leads a minority government composed of a cobbled-together coalition of socially regressive special interests - antithetical to the majority will of the people -and entrenched wealth. His administration shines a beacon on the lack of democracy in the US and just how easily the public will can become irrelevant in the face of unscrupulous greed.
1
Boy Oh Boy if the NYTimes asked these kinds of questions before the Iraq War, we may not have gone in. They should apply these types of get to the point, probing questions with other important topics like Medicare For All, Iran, Israel, the Military Complex.
I think Putin told Trump to delay the money. I think someone like Giuliani probably came up with the Biden angle after the fact. Don't forget that it's still true that Trump owes Putin because he had literally borrowed hundreds of billions from the Russian Gangsters years before. But I don't want Pense as President. Not for an hour or a year or any time. So get him out too.
19
When a Delusional person (like Trump) is supported, aided and abetted by others (Giuliani, etc), no matter how many people and pieces of evidence contradict those Delusions, that person (Trump in this case) will cling to the Delusional version of “reality.”
And if the delusional person is a Sociopath with a great deal of power, that person can and will do anything to promote and protect their delusions (and thereby themselves).
This is where we are at!
I cannot say this more strongly. As a retired clinical psychologist. A US citizen, sitting here in Europe (on a long trip) this morning. Concerned and alarmed for our nation and the world.
It is time to ring every danger bell and alarm!
As the Intelligence Committee works expeditiously to investigate how this Delusional, Sociopathic Individual 1 has misused the powers of his office, betraying his Oath to the Constitution, in an apparent plot to keep himself in power (and out of jail):
It is imperative that we extricate ourselves from the perilous position into which Trump has maneuvered us all.
29
I thought the incumbent had the advantage of running on his record, the accomplishments of his first term? Surely all of the winning! and the fact that America is so much Greater Now would make one think that another term is in The Bag.
How did we get sidetracked from All The Winning?
11
@Thomas Payne,
All that winning must be like laughter, intense, side-splitting laughter: you do too much of it and it becomes painful, and you don't want to do it anymore. Maybe it's like that in America with Mr. Trump.
2
Even if he is impeached, his supporters will be adamant it was the deep state at work. If the people no longer believe in US institutions then a threshold has been crossed. Trump has even retweeted a civil war may be in the works if he is removed from office & its hard to argue with him. So impeach him, and then Trumps wrath will kick in and he will carry on being ‘President’, he will deny the legitimacy of the next President (even if its Pence). It will be like one of those Banana republics, where you have two people declaring themselves sovereigns, but it won’t be a novelty, as Trump will command at least 30% support. Its going to get so much worse
3
@Adam A familiar fear .... if this guy is tossed, things will get worse and he will refuse to leave office. What is more likely is the impeachment process will reveal so much of his dirty laundry (and that of his family and network of enablers) that he will be “duly” UN-elected. This is a Democratic republic. The moving van will back up to our White House and remove his stuff. A limo (or police van) will cart him away, whereupon thereafter the numerous crimes of he and his web of accomplices will be dealt with in various courts of law.
6
@Fredrica
I vote for Trump to be taken away from the White House in a clown car, as is only fitting.
When Trump is gone, the GOP will turn on him as an act of survival. Just like Khrushchev denounced Stalin, it will be the only way for it to survive.
McConnell, Jordan, Nunes, Graham will go the way of Beria.
12
I wonder who paid for Giuliani's trips (even if he was not paid personally).
21
re the path forward. back up. 2 things...
- is interviewing the Whistleblower more than theater at this point? It keeps not being about them anymore. Get to the point, start with the IG report that interviewed and validated the direct witnesses. Where is that document? Get to them before they are compromised.
- the White House released phone call is not real. Can't the Congressional Intelligence Committees look in that NSC server for the real one... and others?
10
@dgeorge The whistleblower's part in the drama is over. He/she did the right and tough thing to report information to the Inspector General. Job done. The whistleblower didn't create this tempest. Trump did that job to great effect.
Trump wants to 'meet his accuser.' That's not the whistleblower it's me and the American public. Come at me Trump.
7
Backbone, something that is not prevalent in the current Republican paty.
7
How many people from his business, campaign and administration have been indicted so far? Around 20. Not to mention so-called "un-indicted co-conspirators" referenced in some indictments, as well as others who sat by and watched his unethical, immoral and, at times, unlawful behavior and did nothing.
He acts more like a mob boss than a president. The "Trumpfellas" show needs to be cancelled.
10
Trump asked a foreign leader to dig up dirt on the son of his political rival. Unacceptable. Ignore the GOP distractions on whistleblower intentions, and quid pro quo. Take all participating cronies down with him. Stay focused on the facts, because that's all this inquiry should concern itself with. 2020 is around corner.
15
Indeed the man can't peel a banana without help, close an umbrella, and can barely drink a glass of water.
That he could hack a NSA classified server without massive assistance is simply not possible.
The depth and scope of the crimes committed by Trump, the GOP politburo, and other private citizens like Lewindowski, the NRA gang, and others will be breathtaking.
12
Better late than never. All should be held to the severest penalties allowed for their abuse of the public trust. Anything less, doesn’t give notice to those that might do the same. And quite important, I believe, the Kremlin said it didn’t want anyone perusing their phone conversations with our domestic terrorist, trump. Take a look.
6
As Pence is also heavily implicated, once he and Trump go, that leaves Nancy Pelosi as President, right?
12
Scary how Republicans behaved today on the Sunday morning talk shows today; they couldn't answer a single question, so they deflected to Biden. In the end, Trump will do what he has always done: act like a martyr.
11
I've been saying for some time that when some people who know what has been happening see the Trump ship sinking, they will start talking to save their own necks. Do I think it will be some high level person like Barr or Miller or Pompeo? No. But it will be someone who is in a position to know and who doesn't want to take the fall for Trump. All we need is some patience and the power of the subpoena. It will happen.
I have been thinking of John Dean these last few days and wondering what he is thinking of all this.
7
This is a bit off subject, but it must be noted that the Senate voted UNANAMOUSLY to release the whistleblower complaint. Something isn't adding up on that front.
3
None of these people had listened to their mother's best advice by not to associate with bad influence- Trump. Bad influence from power center is infectious and addictive. By the time you realize, it is already keen-deep.
2
You can subpoena lying Rudy all you want but you'll never get the truth. He is completely unhinged from any sense of justice or truth. Something snapped in him and he has zero regard for ethics or responsibility. He creates an alternate realty. Go through the motions of questioning him but you will get more truth by talking to a stone.
Even the perception of corruption should be avoided. Trump has the power to withhold aid to Ukraine so he should never ask for a favor.
If I am a municipal official with the power to assign a city contract to an electrician, do I ask him to do me favor and check the wiring in my house?
Does a coach with power to put a kid on a coveted team ask a parent who owns a restaurant for free meal?
Hey Lindsey Graham, if you have any ability to be honest, ( which I doubt), ask. yourself this: if a democratic president did the same thing would you say there was nothing wrong with the call?
9
If we're going to investigate Biden's son's business dealings, shouldn't we also investigate the sitting president's family, e.g., Ivanka and Kushner, and their business dealings in China, etc.? While we're at it, shouldn't we also look into how Trump continues to violate the emoluments clause of the constitution?
25
Speaking of which: Since there are two sides of every phone conversation, wouldn't the Ukrainians have a recording of the conversations between Zelensky and Trump?
12
I think I that people are overlooking what may be happening with Guiliani . . . He may not have been digging for dirt; rather, he may have just been inventing it. This is classic Lee Atwater/Roger Stone stuff.
11
The important question in my mind is did anyone on this list break the law?
3
The Barr thing is especially bad. That an attorney general could be so biased, so owned, by a president is unforgivable. This needs to go beyond just removing Trump from office. People around him need to be investigated, tried, and, if convicted, punished. And then we need to thoroughly assess where changes need to be made and then make them. If we think our country is worth it. Some of us do. I would say many Republicans don’t.
21
Don't forget Director Coates. He probably resigned because of this scandal.
10
"...Mr. Barr should have formally recused himself from any involvement with it. Why didn’t he?"
Session recused himself, look what happened to him.
5
Trump is going to invoke broad Executive Privilege. Most will refuse to appear. Anyone who does shows up will cite this when asked any real questions, including processes of the White House. Next they’ll hold a raft of people in contempt. Then Shifff will quickly look like Nadler as he runs to the courts for relief he will not get.
Another tactical error is to narrowly focus on the Ukraine situation and shelve the rest of their three year list of crimes. What are they going to do with that if they fizzle out on the Ukraine? Tell the American people we’re going back to the old plan? Good luck with that.
Try just adding Ukraine to the list of grievances and persuade the people they’re better off voting him out in 2020. That might actually work. If they make him a victim of impeachment he will master that argument and win again.
Trump isn't the enemy, and until people understand that things are unlikely to change. Trump is the errand boy.
Trump has basically laundered all the money for the oligarchs after the fall of The Soviet Union. It's how he got involved, and how he's been manipulated ever since. This is all entirely Putin's work, and Putin has to be the focus. The problem is, Putin owns our own president, and his allies within government.
The only people who can really help us now are the people within the system, plus the media. Those, and people who will listen to their consciences when it comes to speaking up and working outside their comfort zones.
Fact is, there's a war on that America isn't even aware it's fighting. And Trump is the enemy's most valuable weapon.
Not until that fact is taken on board is the hope of anything actually being done. And the truth is that even once that's understood, there will be something else up Putin's sleeve to deal with it.
This will turn out to be one of the greatest coups in history. When a country's own president is its biggest traitor.
20
Many things for Congress to investigate. Not only persons of interest, but also objects of interest; namely, the contents of the secret servers. The existence of these servers was a huge reveal by the whistle-blower, along with the fact that this wasn’t the first time this administration used it to conceal non-classified information.
Who the had access to the server? Who ordered the transcripts to be moved? Who actually moved the transcripts? Was Pat Cipollone or John Eisenberg the "White House counsel" who asked for the Ukraine transcript to be hidden on it? They're both also involved with the White House National Security Council.
What's on the server? The Kremlin advised the administration not to publish any transcripts of the calls between Trump and Putin. Since this this isn't the first time files have been moved to the server according to the whistle-blower, are there also transcripts of calls between Trump and Putin, Kim Jong Un, Erdogan, Putin, El-Sisi, the Saudis, and the Taliban?
The contents of the server need to be investigated. It's the most sensitive system used by the NSC, and managed by the NSC's Directorate of Intelligence Program as a standalone, disconnected system. The data on it can be retrieved only by those who have code word access to individual programs. Nixon's secret tapes were eventually made available to Congress after a subpoena, which he fought all the way to the Supreme Court. Can't Congress subpoena these secret servers?
9
So far, I’m really enjoying the Watergate parallels.
2
Gee if only Trump had not use the word reciprocity. But he did.
2
It seems quite obvious that Mr. Trump is guilty of trying to pressure another nation in aiding his reelection campaign. Of course, the House needs to go full tilt at unearthing information about this.
Yet let's not forget all the other corruption we have witnessed by this president. What about the firing of Comey? What about Trump's attempt to fire Mueller? Don't we need to hear from Donald McGahn about whether Trump ordered him to fire Mueller? This president is almost certainly guilty of obstruction of justice multiple times.
Then what about those tax returns. Don't we need to see his tax returns to learn about other possible corruption? Is Trump guilty of laundering money for Russian oligarchs? Maybe Putin really has some secret information that he can use to gain leverage over Trump.
After over two years of watching Donald Trump in the role of president, nothing would surprise me. He is probably the most corrupt person this nation has ever had as president, and by a large margin. If the House is able to delve deeply and unearth all the sordid facts about Trump and make it public, Trump may find his support drop below 5 percent.
5
Many have feared that if Trump ever went down, we would be stuck with Pence, Trump’s “impeachment defense”. The Beaty of the current fiasco is that Penske seems to be neck deep in this as well, and will go down with him.
Next in the order of succession: none other than Nancy Pelosi, our first woman president!
President Pelosi: it even has a nice alliterative ring to it.
9
The more I learn about this President the more convinced I am that he is in the pockets of the Russians.
Unbelievable what has happened in this country.
16
You can safely bet that Donald Trump will try to throw everyone under the bus, even though he does not seem to realize that the street has been blocked off to traffic.
6
I really got a chill today; for the first time since all this Trump insanity for 3 years began. And the reason for that is quite simple. I really fear for the life of this whistle-blower; whoever it may be. Call me paranoid (Republicans no doubt will); but when I saw that there is now a $50,000 bounty for anyone to reveal who this individual is; it might as well have been a bounty on that person`s life. Does anyone seriously doubt that if his/ her identity were to be revealed; there would be an attempt on that person`s life. I would not put anything past the thugs in the G.O.P.; and the lengths they would go to in protecting Trump. David Guergin said the same thing tonight. When Trump becomes this cornered; he becomes a trapped animal who will do anything to protect his power. And I do mean anything. This is now deadly serious business. The future of the U.S. as a functioning democracy is now at stake. The Democratic movers and shakers probably have crosshairs on them as well. I hope and pray that I am wrong. But I do believe that your nation is in unchartered waters. You have never dealt with a criminal element like the Trump Administration before. Even Nixon was not this dangerous. Trump rarely acts alone. INDEED. There are no shortage of characters out there who will stop this investigation; one way or another.BEWARE.
15
Trump, Pence, Barr, Mulvaney, Giuliani, Pompeo, et. al., violated the US Constitution and violated the oaths of their offices.
Trump, et al, MUST be held accountable and punished to the full extent of the law, unlike the bankers and financiers who perpetrated the 2018 collapse yet were never held accountable.
For too long, wealthy and well-connected criminals have not been held accountable for their misdeeds. Such inequality, though unmistakably the norm, undermines our fragile American democracy.
8
Great opinion. At the same time, Nicholas Kristof’s op ed brings up other deep concerns. How involved is Putin in any of this? Now is the time for critical concern to be investigated as well.
7
The Democrats should have learned by now especially after Lewandowski’s testimony that no supporters of Trump will ever answer a question about any conversation they had with him. They’ll claim Executive Privilege and the Dems will just sputter in affront.
They should also know by now that the witnesses will never answer a supposedly “yes/no” question with either of those words.
They should know that none will ever offer an opinion on the President’s behavior or intent.
They will never admit that an action that someone, oh maybe like a president of the United Station, might “hypothetically” have taken could possibly be illegal.
2
I wonder if the Trump administration is being held to different standards from the rest.
Dick Cheney revealed a CIA operative in the Plame affair. He was CEO of Halliburton which benefited from the Gulf War II reconstruction contracts. George Bush's Arbusto oil company would have benefited from a reduction of oil supply from Iraq. Obama supported fracking. Such a move made the US very much less dependent on oil politics in the middle east. Such technologies were present even during the Bush's administration and it seems to be good for the US as a country.
The consequence of the Gulf War II is profound. The vacuum among other factors there led to ISIS. The economy swapped from oil based to opioid based as reported by investigative journalism both from this paper as well as the BBC. America herself is at the receiving end of this profound consequence.
It would seem from my foreign perspective, that administration did profound harm to the country.
Trump is not my president. So I watch with some amusement at his bluster and tweets, which is generally unconventional for a head of state.
However, I can assure the readers here, being in east and southeast Asia, your system is so far ok. Say or even write the things you say or write about Trump here, and you there is a chance you will be jailed, sued to bankruptcy or even killed. I am deliberately vague for specifics here. So that should tell you something.
5
We need more whistle blowers. Trump and company have had ample time to cover their tracks and warm up the spin machine. I don't like how this is playing out.
5
The guy in the White House made the call, he talks about how much we do for Ukraine(after ordering funds to them frozen), he asks for a favor, he mentions investigating the Biden's, he mentions "the server", and he or someone close to him directs the conversation be held on a secure server.
The only mention of the "favor" was by the guy in the White House. The facts mentioned above will not change. No amount of spin will make those facts disappear. Any discussion of another situation will not change the facts. Facts are vital to any case. I am looking forward to hearing from the folks in the room when the call occurred.
The whistleblower's statement has been corroborated, in part, by what we in the public already know. More corroboration will soon be available. Facts matter, and those facts are just beginning to be revealed. I was a young man during Watergate. I foresee many rats jumping ship, just as happened in Watergate. Truth will prevail.
11
Did you see the whistleblower law was just changed in August? Before it required 1st hand knowledge, the changes allowed 2nd hand. I smell a plot. But it’s about to be changed back. Democrats have set a precedent to treat all political rivals the way they’ve treated Trump. That means all Democrat Politicians can be treated this way in the future once Republicans gain back the House. As far as supposed treason charges after the result of investigations I’m all for it if everyone gets investigated on both sides & all guilty are executed by firing squad. That means Obama, Hillary, Bush, etc. Everyone. Clean house. The law must apply equally to all sides.
1
@JOSEPH
Congress changed the law while in recess?
Hard to believe!
10
@JOSEPH
A 'form' was changed. A 'form' is not the law. A 'form' is a convenience to those who want to come forward. Adding a checkbox to clarify whether the information is first hand or not does not alter the underlying law.
Try reading the law--I'd provide a link, but I sense you wouldn't read it so I won't waste my time.
Oh, what the heck, here it is:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3033
Go ahead, point out where 'first hand knowledge' is required. Can't find that requirement? Gee whiz, what a surprise.
1
How much evidence has already possibly been destroyed? On all sides?
This is going to get far more—not less challenging. People will do more of the same, and the more threatened, the more reactive the response—on all sides. That’s to be expected. It’s not surprising at all.
Follow both inquires.
The truth can only prevail if all sides are subject to scrutiny. A one sided inquiry will leave those who differ with the impeachment hearings to doubt everything that is brought forward. The country will be more, not less polarized.
The truth stands on its own. No one needs to prop up the truth.
I know nothing about the complaint about Biden. The WH material will tell the story on the WH occupants. Do what needs to be done to access it.
But don't let the opportunity to get that information slip away by denying that there is merit to reviewing, yes again, whatever happened in the previous administration.
If one side is not to be scrutinized and is “protected” because “that’s already been done,” why shouldn't/wouldn’t the other side resist and say it’s a witch hunt? When the reptilian brain is activated, people feel threatened. Look in the mirror, you do the same thing.
Bring it all out in the open.
Remind us.
At this point in history, most of us are so overloaded we have a 90 second attention span. At least I know I do. Who can claim to remember what happened 4+ years ago w/out the memory being refreshed?
Bring it all out in the open, all of it, Biden included.
2
Rather than meeting with the whistleblower, an investigation of the secret computer to which all the hidden presidential phone conversations were removed directly addresses the essence of the entire matter. Was the president acting collaboratively with or under kompromat by Putin? Was the president involved in some way with the assassination of Mr. Kashoggi? Were other examples of using the executive office and/or legally appropriated funds leveraged for personal or political gain? Look at the secreted phone calls first. Then question individuals of interest.
3
Trump has, so far, learned that there are no consequences for flouting law and norms of common decency. Trump makes no secret of his bald faced disregard for his oath of office and total disregard for our rule of law.
It's long past time that congress, both House and Senate, including all republicans hold him to account.
A missing name from those identified to be heard from by the House: Stephen Miller.
5
The Don and the Consigliere are right at the top.
I am not sure Bill Bar got involved in the Biden allegations, although that would have been the proper channel.
1
What if they do not oblige to the invitation?
1
"Why Was Ukraine's Top Prosecutor Fired? The Issue at the Heart of the Dispute Gripping Washington" is a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty article worth reading. It examines the timeline of events of the Ukraine Affair and the actions of the persons of interest that refute the story the Trump Administration is peddling.
2
Each of these people should be sequestered separately with no contact allowed among them! This should have been done several days ago!put an end to the “getting their stories to conform!” Claims of privilege should be examined critically. Refusal to appear should result in jailing immediately—no second chances.
These are matters of the utmost importance, critical to our security!
2
Add to this list the interpreters who translated for any meetings and discussions with Putin and the Saudi’s. They can corroborate any emerging transcripts or replace the absence of such.
5
Please let Barry Berke or other skilled prosecutors do the questioning. This is too important to let the Representatives fumble around and let witnesses evade the questions. Furthermore, it will seem less partisan.
7
Both Trump and Biden should not be in the ballot of 2020 Election. We need younger leader like Beta.
1
I believe President Trump should be impeached. I also believe that this president has caused chaos in our relations with China, Iran, North Korea and other countries. Our deficit is at an all time high and the President carries the blame along with the GOP. Rules about environmental protection are being rolled back. Immigration and asylum laws and practices are being fundamentally changed. The top echelon of government is dominated by evangelical Christians all the way up to Pompeo and Pence. There are many other issues out there, in addition to the President's conversation with the Ukrainians.
New York Times, please report on this issues. Front page.
4
I’m one of the independents who disagrees with impeachment. Not because I think Pres Trump is innocent or competent, I think he’s a disaster and should be removed from office ASAP. But a process that can lead only to a Trumpian end zone dance is potentially counterproductive to the goal of making him a one term president.
Find a good candidate and focus on building him or her into a force that provides a solid, attractive, alternative choice for centrists. I’ll vote for whatever the Dems put out there but I’d prefer one I WANT to vote for rather than one I feel obligated to vote for.
3
@John Vance : Free honest elections are the key to our democracy. Rule of law and the constitution are key to our democracy. We cannot ignore the assault on both committed by this administration, no matter the political cost. Either it is his end or our end as a democratic nation.
18
In other words, instead of an orderly public hearing of facts and witnesses, leave this matter to an ad and Twitter campaign by rival superpacs.
The list in this editorial of witnesses who will need to be called by the House in the impeachment inquiry is long, and it will unquestionably get longer as the inquiry begins.
It is vital that House Democrats discipline themselves to resist giving speeches, focus on hard interrogation and fight back at attempted disruption by House Republicans, armed with their talking points from the White House.
Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should consider that weeks of testimony will be needed for one scandal – Donald Trump’s effort to use our tax dollars to buy or coerce the interference of Ukraine leaders in the 2020 American election. The hearings also will involve the attempted cover-up the Ukrainian adventure and then the cover-up of the cover-up.
We should ponder the many other -- totally unrelated -- “high crimes and misdemeanors” our corrupt president has racked up in less than three years in office.
15
Was Barr not compromised from just before his appointment by two of his children getting jobs out of the blue? Was there not some concern they might have been part of the 'lure' from Trump. He tried that on with Comey but it backfired - but it is his way. Interesting now to see how far Barr thinks it's right to compromise himself.
15
The only two people completely in the clear appear to be the whistleblower and the Inspector General of Intelligence. Let's hope the impeachment investigations uncover enough criminal evidence to burst the bubble of executive privilege quickly and let the perp walks begin with Mr. Giuliani. Surely Rudy has done more than enough to rate the first place in line.
40
For all those commenting that the Democrats should use experienced trial lawyers to do the questioning, I'd like to remind you that Adam Schiff is a highly experienced prosecutor and was very effective when he was a Federal prosecutor here in LA. Furthermore, he did an excellent job questioning Mueller and got him to confirm a lot of important information when he questioned him.
62
@CA Reader And in case you do not see it, he still is doing a great job.
This has already been successful. Trump needed reined in a long time ago.
14
Making sense of this "sprawling, Trumpian mess" and distilling it into easily comprehensible facts for public consumption will be a herculean but necessary task if we want to protect our Constitution. And by protect our Constitution I mean voting Trump and his right-wing enablers out of office.
The anti-Constitutionalists must go ASAP.
33
This issue cannot wait until the next election - this must be dealt with now to ensure the next election is legitimate. Chump and the Administration (and the Curruptlicans) have made that clear. No other option is acceptable. They must be ousted, as soon as possible!
1
It's incredible the lengths part of this country is going to go to defend a person who was wholly unqualified for the job he holds. There would be little fight if any of us hired a plumber to fix a pipe and then found that his only qualification was that he knew how to use a toilet. This is ultimately what we are dealing with here as so many of Trump's actions since he became president showed he had no understanding of the Constitution, the role of the President, and that he was the president of the entire country and not just the ones that supported him. He seems to believe that there was nothing wrong with his phone call and yet there is nothing right about it. One wonders how many thousands of people have worked diligently to perpetuate this fraud and tried to make him seem unworthy of all the criticism leveled at him for years. The sad reality is all the criticism he has received was all earned by him due to his inability to do the job.
It is perverse that the singularly most job on the planet has been reduced to a bizarre popularity contest instead of an honest contest between two knowledgeable, qualified candidates. The RNC should be held responsible for not doing its job to provide a qualified candidate and proved for all time that their only interest was not for the country but for their grasp of power. Every Republican should pay for their betrayal of this nation but sadly they don't fear the consequences as they have wholly bamboozled their constituents.
144
It’s not even a popularity contest when the winner is 3 million votes less popular than his/her opponent. It’s a joke.
10
The Curruptlicans believe that power is more important than morals. It’s plain and simple! So sad!
1
Over time people will start to appreciate and miss John Bolton. This man is super smart and understands better than most what is relevant to US interests.
5
@Harry I'm already impressed that Bolton urged trump to release the funds to Ukraine. It would have been the right thing to do had trump not been extorting Ukraine by withholding the funds until they did that wee liddle favor for him.
4
You mean the war monger that was a big driving force behind the Iraq war that cost the US Taxpayers more than 5 trillion and resulted in the death of tens of thousands of lives?
1
@Harry
That dismisses his constant war mongering and extremist views on active engagement by our armed forces.
1
How much of this will they attempt to be shield by executive privilege?
It will drag thru the courts past the election.
I hope there ares several deep throats who will not be silenced.
56
You mean you want the FBI to again interfere with domestic politics?
Mr. Giuliani is an attorney for the President and his conversations,advice, and investigation would be covered by the attorney client privilege. Even something as simple as, 'I would fire that Ambassador to the Ukraine, if I were in your shoes Mr. President." should be privileged. I don't thing Mr. Giuliani would say very much to congress beyond wishing them a very good day.
Executive privilege could be raised in regard to the other witnesses, but may not be necessary in this case. Mr. Barr, Mr. Mulvaney, Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Pence should be more than happy to set congress straight about the details.
Bring it on.
6
@Eugene Patrick Devany When conducting diplomacy he has no such privilege, it does not apply. If he was trying to persuade a foreign government to engage in election interference a federal crime, no privilege applies then either, although he may need to take the Fifth..
99
@Eugene Patrick Devany
Executive Privilege does not extend to obstruction of justice. I am sure Rudy and his ‘boss’ know this but they will pretend they are not criminals. They are.
17
Attorney client privilege doesn't extend to crime or fraud, neither does executive privilege. Bringing it.
10
While Trump has committed many impeachable offenses, this ironically isn't one of them.
Joe Biden, on the other hand, should be forced to resign as a candidate. He did worse than what Trump is accused of doing with respect to Ukraine - and it is indisputable: in the public record and on film.
11
@Observer What did Biden do? He was representing an administration and was concerned about the corruption of Ukraine officials. He was not a candidate in 2016.
73
@Joan Staples Biden was the vice president tasked with fighting corruption in Ukraine and f2 weeks after his first visit there, his son who had previously had zero working relations in the Ukraine, receive as very highly pad director job where he is not supposed to be present working for a corrupt company owned by a corrupt oligarch in a position where he was just getting the check, no presence necessary. Hunter was hired to give an appearance of cleanliness to a dirty business and to shield the company from noisy prosecutors under the Biden name. When a prosecutor tried to look into the company, Biden got him fired under the pretense that said prosector was unfit although there were no court rulings that Shoklin was corrupt. The new prosecutor was hired to look away. So Biden was fighting corruption with one hand while accepting money from one of the most corrupt oligarchs with another.
6
@Observer
Biden and Trump are two completely separate issues. Whatever Biden did or didn't has no bearing on the weight of Trump's treasonous behavior.
40
If things go as they should the next president will spend their entire administration investigating, trying and convicting the criminals associated with the current administration. That is what should happen, but it probably will not.
55
The way to make them sing -- and sweat -- is to have trial lawyers conduct questioning at the hearings. And to the extent that Democrats in the House so their own talking, I respectfully suggest to Madame Speaker that she should instill firmly into her caucus: every sentence out of your mouth ends in a question mark. No speeches, feelings, filibustering, etc. And every member's lead question, as needed, should be a verbatim repeat of one *not* satisfactorily answered for the previous questioner. And: straight answer, or contempt citation, take your pick, every question. Non-stop and unrelenting. There's a tone and rhythm to this thing done right, and that won't happen by itself.
173
Well said. Trial lawyers watching the hearings all over the country have been pulling their hair out at the many obviously missed follow up questions. The Congressional questioners need to turn the questioning over to professional staff.
44
From now on, there should be professional staff attorneys questioning the witnesses.
124
@Kristine
As well as no ego grandstanding, or those being questioned, no bloody running off at the mouth to use up time. Either answer the questions, or the bailiff will, or should remove the person to a holding area, for future questioning! Break the rules, suffer the consequences ~
There is no need to hear from all of them,, it will just delay what needs to be done. Do what is required. If there is a desire to chase co-conspirators,,,, do that after Trump has been removed from office.
He is in clear violation of enlisting the aid of a foreign power in a federal election. He is in clear violation of the emoluments clause.
Get him now,, before he starts a war.
130
The impeachment needs to begin. The impeachment action gives the House greater powers to subpoena people and documents. Absent republican cooperation, the House hearings should then continue right up to the 2020 elections, so it never goes to the Senate for the trial that would surely acquit the president - for the wrong reasons. The American public, meanwhile, will learn plenty.
69
To Every Person Wanting to See Democracy Continue to Exist:
This impeachment is not just about malfeasance in office “High Crimes and Misdemenaors”, the substance beneath that surface is whether the biggest richest democratic nation on our fragile Mother Earth can endure to give democracy hope to exist. America was that prime hope.
Some may say that the EU has a better chance, but the EU is not a nation, just a mostly benevolent trading group, and it has many splinters sticking in its side, not the least being Brexit. Brexit has done so much damage & inflicts more each day as sordid story after story comes out about PM Johnson. While the main UK opposition to the PM grows ever more disliked in response.
Democracy and our other liberties and freedoms are not guaranteed, indeed we could lose them if the oligarchs behind Trump are allowed to crush this rightful impeachment so all freedom lovers, be they left or right, should be aware, if truth is not given and justly acted upon, freedom itself is in danger. Freedom for all of us.
FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE; IT MUST BE EARNED DAILY.
104
If trump “apparently” needs to go then Biden “clearly” needs to go. There’s no question over the Bidens’ involvement in requesting a prosecutor investigating a corrupt energy company paying his son millions of dollars being somewhat dubious. He admitted it live on camera for God’s sake. If Biden gets elected let alone nominated, the impeachment papers should be ready to go on day 1.
7
The Ukrainian investigation, as far as it went, of the company Hunter Biden worked for centered on incidents that happened many months before he joined the board—and was no longer being pursued. So no. Joe Biden was perfectly correct to join Europe and the IMF in demanding that the prosecutor who failed to prosecute corruption should be fired.
126
@Hjb
Context is everything. This is not equivalence.
1
@Hjb The GOP sent out talking points that intentionally lie about the Ukraine prosecutor's removal. It was for NOT investigating and pursuing corruption ... the polar opposite of what the GOP claims.
4
I had to chuckle when I read about William Barr's surprise at being thrown under the bus along with Rudy. Barr seemed like a reasonably smart guy before he signed on with Trump.
83
No one smart and reasonable would sign on with trump
There are too many questions of too many people in this cats cradle of lies. Pelosi needs to hire a independent prosecutor to focus the inquiry -- to leave it to a dozen or more grandstanding politicians is not going to get us to the truth.
91
Ah, folks, if Biden and his son engaged in corrupt practices in Ukraine, don't you guys want to know that. If Biden used taxpayer money to coerce Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating a company for corruption who had hired Biden's son for $50,000 a month in order to give it some protection against such an investigation as now seems to be the case or so claims the fired prosecutor, don't you want to know that before you nominate him to go up against Trump? And don't you think you and the rest of us have a right to hear that information and make some judgement about whether it is true or not before we install him in the Oval office? The Dems and the Times tell you that if Ukraine were to conduct the investigation that Trump asked for and disclosed to us the result of its investigation, it would be interfering in the election and attacking our democracy, but would it? Or would it be merely giving us information that we need to make an informed choice? The Dems and the Times say the law makes it a crime, indeed a high crime, for Trump to ask for such information. But the JD says that because the law does not clearly prohibit asking for information rather than merely something of value and because prohibiting such a request would conflict with the public's right to know, due process requires the prohibition to be explicit to be enforceable. And don't you think that if the law were explicit, SCOTUS would say it is unconstitutional? I do.
13
@Bob Richards: Everyone involved with the Ukraine investigation says the efforts to get the prosecutor removed occurred within an international context; Biden was not the only official involved -- many of his counterparts in a variety of other countries were, too. The prosecutor in question was known for corruption, and the Europeans wanted him out, so they asked for a coalition of people to act. The details were in a Times story yesterday. I'm sure that Trump's people would love to change the narrative, though!
161
@Bob Richards. This revelation is not about Biden. It is about Trump, what he did and what he said.
Changing the subject to throw a spotlight onto the victim is what Trump does as a modus operandi. Attack. Attack. Attack. He is a one trick pony and the public is tired of it.
And BTW what are Trump’s daughter and son-in-law doing in all those foreign countries since neither of them has foreign service education. And what about the kids of many other elected officials making their way in the world? Let’s look into everyone of them?
151
No, Trump should not be asking a foreign government to investigate his political rival, period. The fact that you and other folks don’t get that this is an abuse of power, misuse of our government resources and a national security threat is dumbfounding. He was also withholding military funding which was appropriated by Congress which he is not allowed to do. We have three equal branches of government and this President is trampling in our Constitution.
170
If we don’t start this impeachment process we do not have a country the way our founders envisaged. This is not about the expediency of 2020 election it’s this country ‘a future as a democratic federal republic. We are doomed if we cannot kick our flawed leaders out of office for gross use of foreign influence to undermine our democratic process of elections. Who cares about 2020 when we may not have the country we inherited?
78
As a Navy veteran ("65-'69) and a retired federal prosecuting attorney (1995;2010) I would add the following.
Think of each of the witnesses listed herein as analogous to a stone dropped in a pond. And just as that stone will radiate waves in all directions when it hits the water, so too will the witnesses' testimony radiate in all directions when they begin naming names, then another one, then another one, then another one . . . For at the the point the witnesses' desire for self preservation should surely outweigh their loyalty to #45.
153
@Richard
No offense, but as a former Marine, our democracy must have hundreds of bags of stones, with people who know how to toss a stone or two, and also know where the polluted ponds are!
@Richard
That's exactly why Trump tries to undermine our justice system daily--so that none of the stones matter because they're all 'partisans,' and therefore lying. He's trying to destroy the legitimacy of the process. He's been doing that since day one of his presidency.
You say you were a prosecutor--how would your job have been if juries never believed any of the evidence presented because the president of the United States had declared whatever matter you were prosecuting to be a 'witch hunt?'
That's what happening to us--I hope we're strong enough to survive this.
Bill Barr, attorney general. Mr. Barr, you may remember, was unable to answer the question by Sen. Kamala Harris, has anyone asked, suggested, hinted, etc. at you (AG Barr) opening an investigation on anyone? He inexplicably ducked what was a very straight forward question answerable by a simple yes or no.
216
@Carl Lee. Sen Harris knew the answer to the question she was asking. You could tell by the look on her face. He was blindsided and stammered his way to a non answer. Another liar in the trump orbit destroying his own career
2
Yes it is important to get testimony from these people. It must be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Clear guidelines and a time table should be given with the understanding that obfuscation or refusal to cooperate will be viewed as obstruction and added to the list of impeachable offenses
62
no trump doesn't act alone. scott pelly reported tonight on 60 min that the whistleblower is under federal protection because someone put out a $50K bounty on them. perhaps trump should be charged with witness intimidation over his comments about treating spies differently in the old days.
278
@Steve
I wonder if it will be the same kind of federal protection that Epstein was given? Barr could interfere with that protection and if harm befell the whistle-blower, Trump could excuse/pardon the perpetrators.
3
@Steve
To be fair, the report stated that bounty was on identifying the person, not killing them. But I have no doubt that there are rabid Trump supporters willing to do so.
4
If President Trump and his minions successfully evade the inquiries of the enhanced powers of a House Impeachment Inquiry and a Senate Trial of Impeachment, the United States (or "America" as President Trump's MAGA mantra tags it) will be weakened and impotent in global politics. God bless us all.
41
As soon as the Democratic president and Senate majority take office, the first order of business should be passing strong anti-corruption laws with real punishments. Government by and for the people has been hijacked by special interests of all kinds, foreign and domestic. Faith in our government must be restored quickly. Our public servants, whether elected, appointed or employed, must understand that their service is a sacred trust, not an opportunity to get rich. Cynicism more than anything else will destroy the republic.
193
Yes, each person in your list has something to explain but it may be more productive to interview people out of top leadership level but still within the White House. They are more likely to tell the truth and reveal the details that will finally sink this ship.
49
Yes.
However, the compelling reason is not because the "present" wants to know the truth about itself, but because the future's curiosity about the past is insatiable. Let us provide them with the best of the facts that we can, else, they will judge us very badly and the conflict will only repeat itself.
23
Please, please be thorough. There really is no hurry in doing your Constitutional duty. Stop listening to pundits and Trump who demand that the process be quick. As with Nixon, and even Clinton, the devils are in the details. The Don Segrettis, the payments, John Dean's casual 'loan' from the safe in his office of unaudited campaign contributions, the actual tapes rather than transcripts.
Prepare the case, if there really is one, over a year, a short legal time for such a serious matter. Then prepare the impeachment resolution(s) and table them until Nov. 16, 2020 to allow the election to proceed with the public knowing the contents of the pending charges. Do Not allow McConnell to rush a senate vote through to prevent removal before the election. Even a re-elected president can be removed from office for cause. Nixon & Clinton were both second term.
America's future is at stake.
106
@Speakin4Myself
Your comments are rational and valid to me. But do the voters have the fortitude to slog through more than 365 days of testimony, denials, bellicose buffoonery from the Oval Office and outright, egregious lies? I’m not so sure...
Add to that, the more time it takes, the more Trump will tweet and the less time he’ll spend actually doing his job — come to think of it, that might not be a bad thing.
1
Get the “jail” in the basement of the Capital Building ready, there are many occupants who refuse to answer questions to be held. Let’s make them feel the pain
@Speakin4Myself No. That is absurd. You do the investigation and Congress does its duty.
"All the President's Men, Part II." We can only hope -- for the health of our democracy -- that the ultimate result will be the same.
90
The Democrats need to employ a group of experienced prosecutors to conduct most of the questioning in the upcoming hearings. This in order to get directly to the point of the hearings and avoid the unhelpful grandstanding that these politicians are sure to engage in. I'm saying that I'm not sure the Democrats are up to this.
175
@koyaanisqatsi, agreed. This is not the time for Democratic wannabes to have a star (showboating) moment. Bring in the most gifted, media-savvy prosecutors; enforce subpoenas; chase-down every scrap of evidence. Show the country what the powers of the law (and the press) look like. And journalists, please ignore the madman's tweets! Stop amplifying insanity.
President Trump himself should contribute to the elucidation of the Ukraine issue -- by the only means that can be trusted: The classified transcripts of his conversations with Zelensky, and with Putin.
The Kremlin has already objected to publication of private conversations with another works leader. On basic diplomatic principles, the Russians have a point. A limited one.
How to preserve diplomatic confidentiality that deserves to be preserved?
The chairmen of the Senate and House intelligence committees -- a Republican and a Democrat, two men of integrity and discretion -- should be allowed to personally review the relevant transcripts, then to subpoena only those passages, if any, that contain evidence of an abuse power or a betrayal of the national interest.
45
@Viv
Mr. Schiff is a fine example of person with morals.
2
Oh, as opposed to Trump, who has been a beacon of truth, honesty and fairness, right?
I notice that Trumpists never seem able to provide more than sneers, accusations and conspiracy theories. Golly, why is that?
1
In 2018, we learned that Trump had an interpreter's notes destroyed after one of his meetings with Putin. Democratic officials had wanted to subpoena the interpreter at the time. Of course, trump's Republican lackeys, determined to protect and enable trump at all costs to the country, said no, and that was that.
The revelations of the whistle blower complaint puts into question every conversation trump has had with foreign governments. How many other communication records have been destroyed or moved to more "secure" systems in order to politically protect trump?
Democrats now have subpoena power, and it's good to see them using it. They are the only ones trying to minimize and limit the damage trump's corruption is causing to our country. With Barr's justice department now acting like trump's personal lawyer, and Mitch McConnell's dirty partisan tricks, they face an uphill battle. Still, Democrats are the only ones trying to keep a check on this out-of-control administration.
This is why we vote in 2020, up and down the ticket. Elections have consequences.
162
Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani appear to have succeeded in bringing attention to potential corruption by the Bidens. Although Trump, his children, and many cabinet officials are also very corrupt, Democrats, in wanting to clean up government, should aim for a much higher standard for their nominee for President. Mr. Biden should either withdraw his nomination to avoid distraction from the serious efforts of the Democratic nomination process, or primary voters should consider nominating another candidate for President. Ms. Clinton’s candidacy was weakened because of perceived corruption, with a major assist from Mr. Bernie Sanders. Democrats should avoid making the same mistake. I’m concerned that Trump, whether impeached or not, if not removed from office, will win re-election and could eventually have the last laugh.
14
@Mireille Kang First, the issue of corruption on the part of Biden is a canard raised by the Trump to distract from his own wrongdoing.
Second, the investigation was performed by Ukrainian authorities and found to be aboveboard.
Third, Biden has not been chosen as the nominee. His issues with the electorate are greater than this diversionary tactic by Trump.
88
@Mark In PS
You can't say it was a 'canard', if there were rumors of corruption they could not be confirmed without an investigation and I thought the issue was directly related to Trump's request for an investigation into Biden's son's dealings in the Ukraine, which means it is directly related to everything. Disingenuous to say that it was a diversionary tactic, when it fact, it was a relevant part of the discussion.
5
@Rebecca
One more time . . . the Biden matter was investigated three years ago and it was determined that there was no wrongdoing. It is being used as a diversionary tactic by Trump to distract attention from his own wrongdoing. It is not a relevant part of the discussion because it is a settled matter that Trump keeps bringing up in an cheap attempt to confuse people who don't know any better and to draw attention away from his corruption. Trump's request to the Ukrainian president for an investigation into a potential political rival is the issue, and the only issue that is relevant.
112
It seems in the order of things Inspector General Atkinson should testify before the whistleblower. He investigated the basis of the complaint for a couple of weeks finding it credible. He disagreed with his boss and Office of Legal Council on the issue of urgency and issues of potential criminality.
I hope a targeted approach includes presenting witnesses in sequence. The whistleblower needs some cover from the incoming flak and threats. Atkinson is the only man standing to supply that support.
40
I posted about this yesterday.
It's now essential that we cast an eye back on every single person who has left this administration. While empathy supports why any sane, ethical, logical person would leave, we now must consider what they knew and when.
If, in fact, some of those who decamped did so because they knew illegal actions were being taken and couldn't bear to be party to them or witness them, but failed to report those crimes, then they must be treated as accessories to that crime.
There is no gray area in the White House. If you know high crimes and misdemeanors are being committed --as they clearly were and are-- then you must report them.
The only hero in this story is the whistle blower. There should have been dozens of him.
209
It has been just noted that the whistle blower will be testifying soon before congress. They want to protect this person's identify but will they be successful in keeping it secret. The names of those who gave him/her the information should be released. This should not be confidential. There have been too many leaks in the Trump administration.
It has been reported that 55 percent of the American people approve of an impeachment inquiry. At least for now. If it drags on and on they will not be too pleased. It will not be fast and quick. These never are. The Mueller investigation went on for two years.
16
@KMW
'They want to protect this person's identify but will they be successful in keeping it secret..?'
Not if Devin Nunes has anything to say about it.
1
@KMW
Good point. You can have "quick", or you can have "thorough". An Impeachment Inquiry is not a Fast Food Drive Thru.
@KMW There were leaks because he’s committing crimes.
2
As I read these comments and watch the news coverage of the impeachment proceedings, I can’t help but think of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. The Democrats, in their pursuit of an impeachment which will be dead on arrival in the Senate, are probably laying the groundwork for Trumps second term in office. He can be removed from office, but it will require the will of the American voter; not the wishing and hoping of Democrats in the House of Representatives. Give us a Democratic presidential candidate that can beat the pants off of Trump. Someone who can once again inspire us. Someone like John Kennedy. That’s what is needed to deep-six 45. Is that too much to ask?
15
McConnell was there BT and likely has a plan to be there AT. Don't count on him supporting The Donald when it's obvious. For example, McConnell has already made it clear that if impeachment is voted in the house McConnell will definitely allow a vote in the Senate. Doesn't sound like Mitch is stonewalling this one.
20
@Jake
Just a point of order here, Jake, once Articles of Impeachment are brought, the system, all the way to removal from office of the person brought before the Senate for Removal from office (which may never happen here, but which is *still worth it just for doing the RIGHT THING), requires not a *scintilla of additional input from the American Voter.
The Constitution makes Impeachment and Removal the responsibility of Congress, requiring nothing from the American voter beyond the fact that the Voters previously *elected the Congress.
5
@Jake
Kennedy would be skewered in the modern media age. I don't need to be inspired. I simply want a competent individual who can go a day without lying or breaking the law and who wants to govern more than just their base.
2
You can't impeach a president on foreign policy, because that is exclusive domain of presidency.
Presidents can talk to any foreign leader about anything, that is their job.
For impeachment hearing, the democrats need information on calls with foreign leaders. Trump can decline on executive privilege, since it will dangerously undermine the office of the presidency and make it difficult for future president to conduct foreign affairs.
The democrats can go to court. Who do you think the Supreme Court will side?
Set aside whether Pelosi has enough votes in the senate. The ridiculous idea of impeachment won't even get off the ground without the information needed to launch one.
3
@Bhaskar Actually the logic here is shaky. If a president talks to a foreign leader that doesn't automatically make the interchange foreign policy. Otherwise you'd want to claim that if Trump asked Putin to send one of his minions to execute one of his rivals that would also be privileged foreign policy. The information on the Ukrainian call is already available even if it is not verbatim. The Democrats have the numbers and the evidence to impeach if they choose to do so. To say there is not enough information for impeachment is not a viable stand. You might not think Trump should be impeached, but that is far different than saying he can't be impeached.
66
Mi Amigo, impeachment has not yet been decided. An investigation to determine if impeachment is appropriate is the only action undertaken. Let's wait and see what information comes out, then decide.
22
@Craig Freedman
"The Democrats have the numbers and the evidence to impeach if they choose to do so."
Do the senate math.
By your logic, Hillary must be president because she got less electoral votes.
@Tom
What will they investigate if they do not have what it takes to investigate -- information protected by executive privilege of the office of the presidency.
3
A clear roadmap, and with the power of an impeachment inquiry there are no excuses for not being forthcoming. Courts don't look so lightly at refusing these subpoenas.
35
Although I’m a democrat and completely agree that Trump has abused his power here, the nytimes is doing itself and the public a disservice by not writing about the ‘soft corruption’ (read: legal corruption) of politicians leveraging connections for great financial benefit much as Biden’s son appears to have done. This is an issue which deserves attention not only because it is wrong but also because it will become the central issue against Biden if he becomes the Democratic nominee. The Republicans will take that right down to the bank just as they did with Hillary’s emails and the Clinton foundation, and it is inescapable.
Optics is something the Democrats seem immune to understanding. They don’t get how bad it looks for someone like Biden’s son to reap 30K/ month in Ukraine, in a business he has no experience in, and after Biden senior forced out a Ukrainian prosecutor. I doubt the general public cares about the details regarding whether or not it was legal. Republicans understand this all too well and Democrats should too. Not just because it’s bad optics but because we really should expect higher standards from our politicians.
I typically cycle through the nytimes, the Atlantic, politico, HuffPost and then the national review to get a sense of these ongoings. The national review being the obvious outlier here let’s me know what the ‘other side’ is thinking and they definitely see a winning issue with Biden’s son’s opportunistic ventures in Ukraine and China.
23
@Kevin
The National Review has a bias rating of extreme right.
best to check with Reuters, Associated Press etc. if you are looking for balanced journalism. Hope this has been helpful.
24
@BlueBird
My point is to see the other side of things which is the extreme right. The extreme right also happens to be the current occupant of the White House and The National Review is probably one of the more representative publications out there regarding that point of view. If we aren’t attuned to what they are thinking, we will end up supporting a fatally flawed candidate and end up with 2016 all over again.
It’s interesting to see our side caught off guard all the time by the Republicans deftly steering the narrative on the legal yet ill advised activities of democratic politicians. Gotta give it to them, Republicans are great story tellers. Politics is really about great story telling. (Optics)
9
@Kevin
Do the American voters make their decision to support a candidate on what you call "optics"? I hope not because that would be a travesty of democracy. Or, say, a democracy of countries like Russia and eastern Europe.
But your point about Mr Biden's son being too gainfully employed deserves scrutiny. Incidentally, the figure given by Mr Trump was 50 grand a month not 30 grand.
I need to remind you, though, Mr Trump's behavior is far from presidential; he seems to be an American in Putin's skin. Let the president's conversations with Putin and India's Modi be made public. Then you would know how much damage this man has done to the world peace. Just for that reason he deserves to be removed.
10
I thought there were multiple phone calls that created this situation. When was the first?
Sarah Sanders should also be called. She just barely escaped this incident by leaving her post July 1. Isn't it possible she'd have information on the lead up to the final call? Meanwhile she's already spinning Trump's "brilliance" all over Fox when she could be a key witness.
27
@HR, very good point but Sarah has zero credibility since everything out of her mouth is lies and obfuscation. She couldn't be trusted to hold an infant much less provide truthful testimony to a House committee. Sad indeed.
John Bolton, the former national security adviser, is particularly important to question. Only a few people had the security clearance to read code-word level documents on the most secret White House server.
Bolton was certainly one of them, and, as a Russia hawk, I wouldn't be surprised if he or a senior deputy scoured the files for Russia related documents. This was arguably part of their jobs, but knowledge of Trump's interactions with Putin could be very powerful if malfeasance was documented there.
Of course, we know Bolton didn't make effective threats in order to keep his job. But he is in a position to sabotage Trump, who he no doubt believes is soft on Russia, if not much worse.
Someone already leaked there were Trump related 'politically sensitive' documents inappropriately stored with top secret stuff. And that Trump's Oval Office meeting with Lavrov and Kisliak included reassurances Trump was ok with Russian election hacking and interference.
Maybe it was Bolton or an associate, or maybe not. Regardless, and to the extent they reflect illegal or inappropriate activities, Bolton should be questioned about his knowledge of Trump's actions and any related documents or conversations.
Without a reasonable predicate, presidential documents on the top secret server can't easily be obtained by House investigators. But once obtained, such documents might be more explosive than the Zelensky call.
33
@Michael Tyndall
"Improperly stored" is extremely doubtful and debatable. If his previous conversations with Mexico and Australia hadn't leaked (for no good reason), you would have a good case for improper storage. But you don't.
The WH has a duty to safeguard their conversations with foreign leaders. No one would agree to a phone call if they knew it was going to make the front page of every paper.
This is what happens when everything is a scandal and is leaked to the press. You entrench the very secrecy you claim to abhor.
But hey, maybe you can get Crowdstrike on the case, and hope that nobody has taken a hammer to the servers in the interim.
3
@Viv
You are incorrect, because only 'certain' conversations were stored, not all of them. This 'pick and choose after the fact' procedure, based on whether the call contained political content that might be viewed as inappropriate, is wrong. Why? Access. There are people in government who are granted access to these conversations so that they can keep abreast of what's going on.
You may think everything this buffoon president has to say to foreign leaders should be held in utmost secrecy, but the government apparently doesn't think so or the established procedures would be different than they are.
1
The trouble is, most of these people will respond like previous witnesses to the various committees. They will claim an "executive privilege" that prevents them from talking about any of this. And some of them will snarl at and insult the committees while pushing the Biden lies. A Prime example of this will be Mr. Giuliani. The Democrats have failed to enforce subpoenas or control testimony, mainly because of a lack of tools that a court would have - in other words, contempt. I suppose the plan will be (a) someone will crack; and (2) if not, the wholesale obstruction will be added to the vote for impeachment.
12
@Jimmy Verner
Your concerns re potential Republican behavior are well taken. Apparently, Congress's inherent contempt powers haven't been used in many decades and aren't part of current House rules. That leaves only extended negotiations, gavel pounding with harsh words, or the courts to settle disputes.
If the House wants to detain or fine uncooperative witnesses, they'll have to update their rules by majority vote. I'd move for that at the first sign the administration won't cooperate with the Ukraine investigation. But this move and its use could be dangerous from a political standpoint, as I'm sure they're considering.
3
Was the call recorded? If so where is the recording? If the call was not recorded, why not? Why rely upon what might be an inaccurate summary when it is so easy to make and keep an authentic record of what was actually said?
35
@sls3
I've heard they stopped taping stuff after Nixon. That now they have voice recognition software that immediately creates a transcript, and those listening in to the conversation read it in real time to be sure the transcript is accurate.
I believe that is of the utmost importance that every scrap of paper, every email, every letter, every memorandum, every financial document, every computer disc, every video, every audio recording gathered by Congress for use in the impeachment hearings be carefully preserved and protected for use by scholars and future generations of Americans.
With luck and G-d’s great help, these past 2 ½ years may turn out to be the first and last time this country will ever come close to transforming itself into a One Party country run by a Dictator.
Americans of the future will need to have the necessary materials available to them to understand how and why it happened, and how to prevent it from ever happening again.
55
Sadly, I'm certain most Americans will stay in their party's corner for this episode of US History. They will never learn the factual truth of what happened. That's also why diehards will never believe what their the president did was wrong. Hard for me to find kind words to describe that type of person: blind loyalist isn't appropriate because our Founders warned about this in 1787. The Constitution is what we should be loyal to, not a reality TV entertainer.
49
If they do as you predict -- stay in their party lane -- I fear they may end up with only one-party power, led by a dictator. Heaven help us all if that happens, and all should make sure it does not.
The computer system could shed a lot of light on this crime as well. Computer forensics experts can find out who placed the transcripts of the conversations Trump had with foreign leaders there. Those individuals need to be questioned as well.
40
Let's not forget Dan Coats and Susan Gordon, who were still on the job when this all started. Not that either have been implicated or likely to have been part of a Trump cabal, but they clearly were in positions to have observed the whole mess. Love to get their testimonies in public hearings.
74
@Bill Ryan Yup. Coats was insistent to Gordon that she resign. Seems like he wanted to protect her from something.
We're going to have to rethink the whole notion of executive privilege once we're on the other side of this national nightmare.
99
@a little bird
Its not just privlege... the evolution of the theory of the Unified Executive has created a Presidency with powers and authority (abused by both Republicans and Democrats) that exceeds anything the framers had in mind. In effect, the Constitutional checks and balances no longer exist. The Congress has willingly ceded all sorts of its Constitutional authority (i.e. war powers, spending authority, treaties and trade agreements) to the Executive, under the assumption that the Executive would operate in a lawful manner consistent with the oath of office and use the enhanced powers judiciously. Trump has shown what happens when someone assumes executive control with blatant disregard for the Congress and its Constitutional authority, seeking to rule by fiat on virtually every issue of importance.
46
After reading quite a lot on this subject, I think to make progress, congress should start with only interviewing career professionals at justice and state, stay away totally from any appointees. One, they will not lie, and two, it will clearly demonstrate they have top cover, which is most critical. I would imagine having long serving, good and honest folks, would counter the talking point brigade in a very effective way.
66
As evidenced by leaders who are either oilmen or with direct investment ties to other big businesses, the U.S. political party situation is (like here in Canada) fast becoming a corpocracy.
I view corpocratic rule as that in which the two established conservative and neo-liberal parties more or less alternate in governance while habitually kowtowing to the interests of the very wealthy but especially big business’s crippling threats (whether implied or explicit) of a loss of jobs, capital investment and/or economic stability. Also, corporate representatives writing bills for governing representatives to vote for and have implemented, often enough word for word. This of course fails to mention, amongst other things, the corporate-welfare-cheque subsidies doled out annually to already very profitable corporations and the forgiveness of huge loan debts owed to taxpayers. Also, almost all of our information is still produced and/or shared with us by concentrated corporate-owned media.
This corpocratic political reality may be why so many low-income citizens perceive futility in voting at all, let alone waiting in long lineups to do so.
52
This mess is historical and it will be a great pleasure to see not only Trump but the cast of his enablers go down with him. This is going to turn out to be one the most entertaining and historical events in our history.
Me so happy.
65
@David Trump makes Nixon look like Abe Lincoln.
1
Polls now indicate that for most Americans, job #1 is to dismiss Trump from the presidency because while he is president nothing else can be done in the normal course of government business. In our democracy Trump is very simply more than trouble than he is worth.
84
No, they don’t. The latests say that a majority favors an INQUIRY, and a small plurality favors impeachment.
Please leave the gush to Trumpists.
1
If trump can claim executive privilege over an investigation of the executive branch , during an impeachment investigation, then the executive branch is immune to the rule of law.
87
You may hear a lot of "I don't remember" -- selective amnesia.
...and is no longer the Executive Branch, but the offices of a dictator.
This matter will not benefit from an investigation that goes on and on. Many of the witnesses will adopt a Lewandowski approach intended to please their master, the collateral litigation will gobble up time, the Supreme Court might not even enforce the Congressional subpoenas and the administration of justice needlessly will be delayed. If the issues are (1) what did Don do, (2) what was his intent and (3) devising a remedy, few of the suggested witnesses would be necessary. Should Mr. Schiff attempt to interview and lock in the witnesses that the defense might like to use and rely upon? Of course. But otherwise, let the defense call anyone they wish, but don’t muck up this simple case with needless complexity. Don’t overthink it. Don’t make it something it doesn’t need to be. Most prosecutors relish telling a jury that a case is simple, and they explain how and why that’s the case. I vote for following that model here. I’ll be curious to read any comments to this note explaining why this matter should not be just as simple and straightforward as the telephone transcript indicates.
12
@Mark Larsen
Absolutely agree. The one thing Trump does well is hijack the news cycle. Dems need to be hypervigilantly focused on prosecuting this case.
14
@Mark Larsen I have a feeling that this is going to operate at a different level from the testimony we've seen in the past. For starters, an impeachment hearing and investigation has a different standing in our federal courts. And people who lie during their testimony are going to be looking at lengthy prison sentences. If they have any sense of history, they should review the Watergate hearings.
I also believe that most of Donald Trump's enablers are going to finally have an epiphany, and they will realize that lying for his doomed presidency is going to be like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic around the time that the orchestra stared playing its last song.
29
@Mark Larsen In that case we better "gird our loins" for revolution. I'm a veteran... I took an oath, too.
I will be very disappointed if Donald Trump and a significant number of his associates are not ultimately sentenced to long terms in prison. William Barr, Rudolph Giuliani and Roger Stone should be near the top of that list. So, too, should be the names of Donald Trump Junior, Jared Kushner, and Sean Hannity. This list, of course, could go on and on.
222
The witness list should be well known at this time thanks to the whistle-blower and his/her released report. Moreover, thanks to investigative reports from independent media, like the NYTs, we have learned so much already.
If I were to suggest an ideal order of who needs to testify, start with the smaller fish and work your way up. Also, it is critical to collect quickly all physical/documentary evidence from all individuals and agencies involved. This is pretty standard practice, but may require a little patience from us all.
From speaking with witnesses who have direct knowledge of these events and collection of records/communications, the critical facts can be substantiated. The investigators need to cover events before the July 25th call, as well as activities afterwards related to a possible cover-up. After these interviews/hearings, the congressional committees will have solid evidence of the facts revealing what the big fish knew & did, and when.
Only after that, bring in the bigger fish to testify. Now, the facts will be known and substantiated by the congressional committees. So the truth will be known by those asking the questions. The big fish will thus have to consider if President Trump is worthy of their loyalty and lies. Their necks will be on the line.
Let's do this expeditiously and professionally. Let's be fair and transparent. Let's keep the public well informed. And if this is done well, we can get through this difficult, unsettling time.
63
While is agreed that Trump cannot be indicated while he is sitting as President what about the cast of characters who the Times rightly pointed out assisted him ? Perhaps a few indictments among his henchmen would persuade them to be more forthcoming with information.
37
@Speculator It is current DOJ policy that a President can't be indicted. It is NOT law and NOT in the Constitution and what happens if New York State decides to indict him in State court? Stay tuned.
74
IS it possible to challenge a a DOJ policy in the SCOTUS -- such as current policy that a sitting POTUS mayn't be indicted for a crime? Shouldn't it be the Judicial branch that decides if someone can or cannot be investigated, indicted, prosecuted, punished, per the Constitution of the USA? Perhaps with the input of Congress, who, after all, wrote & ratified all the other federal laws?
Are the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States of America prepared to state in a formal decision that if one of them or one of their family members is, heaven forbid, shot dead "in the middle of 5th Avenue" by a sitting POTUS not acting in legally-recognized self-defense, that the person of the President cannot be investigated, indicted/charged, prosecuted, or punished so long as he (or she) is President, and that their and our only hope or remedy would be the lengthy and extremely politicized and political process of Congress (hundreds of individuals at this point) deciding whether or not to even initiate an impeachment inquery, let alone to pursue it, vote to pass it to the Senate, and the Senate then to conduct its own lengthy and highly politicized and political process of conducting a trial and then voting (again, over 100 people) whether or not to remove the POTUS from office?
And are they also prepared to state that not one person working in the Executive Branch or its agencies may put aside legal privilege and share what s/he knows, even when issued a valid subpoena?
In interviews to promote the publication of his book "A Higher Loyalty," James Comey noted how Trump's behavior was generally "mob behavior" of the type he observed during decades as FBI Director, Deputy Attorney General, and U.S. Attorney.
That Trump, perhaps elected on a fluke, would behave as he has all his life, might not be surprising. What is shocking is that so many public servants—up until now thought of as reasonably respectable and honest (Barr, Giuliani, Mulvaney, Pompeo, etc.)—have abetted, defended and enforced his criminal behavior.
The root cause of this is Trump's support in Congress, particularly the Senate. Rumors are circulating that up to two-thirds of Republican senators privately are appalled by Trump but know they will lose their seats to primary challengers if they express their dislike of him. The main reason these GOP primary voters love Trump is that they are egged-on by Fox, Breitbart, InfoWars, etc. which are in turn financed by the Koch Brothers and other dark money. If this is true, the U.S. meets the basic criteria of a banana republic: oligarchy and plutocracy.
182
Treat the Trumpers a little more charitably and you'll probably get closer to the truth. They could be reading National Review, the Federalist, TownHall. They might be reading aggregators like RealClear Politics. They might read the Claremont Review of Books. I have a conservative friend who regularly reads Le Monde, en francais. And, yes, many read the NYT, as well as local publications and lots of books.
I think the finances of Trump’s supporters in the Senate and House should also be looked at. Why are they defending this crook when prior to his “election” they largely had nothing good to say about him.
112
@opinions for free
Why are they defending this crook? Because he is doing their bidding.
All of the people listed with the possible exception of Rudy Giuliani, have sworn oaths to protect the Constitution and to serve the country. Giuliani probably swore an oath as a federal prosecutor but I don't know if it's in force now. Each one of them ought to be called before the relevant committees and grilled about why it's okay for Trump to violate the laws and for them to countenance it. His being president is not any justification for his behavior.
9/29/2019 5:18pm first submit
47
This entire caper has the handwriting of Rudolf Guiliani all over it. I bet that he was the "brains" behind it since it seems that he has a proclivity for mafia-like solutions to problems despite his record of being a mafia prosecutor. In his second career he seems intent on emulating the mob rather than being proud of putting them in jail.
53
Popcorn Alert: Should Rudy be subpoenaed, he'll certainly be "entertaining."
Those who remember his tendency to get testy and combative with the media during his press conferences when he was Mayor, should expect vintage Giuiliani; only without the combover.
17
@Ponsobny Britt
I would really like not to hear Rudy testify about anything. Closed session only. No stage lights for him. Hard for me to understand how so many of us have come to revere TV personalities just because they they are on TV (or youtube). The content of what they say is irrelevant - they are stars, as Trump pointed out to us, and we let them do it, do anything they want, just because they are stars.
28
The NY Times writing an editorial calling for an exhaustive investigation, eager to "get them", a whole bunch of them?
we have seen this movie before, and still waiting for the Mea Culpa. Journalists swore the Mueller report would bring him down. They promised there was a "conspiracy".
obsessive minds won't let go. the Dems using subpoena for a weapon is ok? but, Trump asking an ally to investigate corruption is not ok? Meanwhile, Dems also asked the Ukraine government to help with an investigation - but that one was ok because it was the Mueller fiasco they wanted help on.
Both of these incidents are similar, but only one gets liberals' attention. hmmm... is there a lack of intellectual honesty in the air? Yes. apparently, yes.
11
@Joe Yoh
Hmmm. Perhaps you did not hear about Trumps admission that he sought aid for his personal gain from a foreign country (illegal), while at the same time withholding aid from an ally.
65
Using subpoenas to exercise oversight is ok, yes. It’s normal.
Of all the people involved in corruption in all the countries of the world, Trump picks Biden in Ukraine. Does he go to the FBI? To the CIA? To the NSA? No. To investigate corruption in a foreign government, he taps Giuliani, his personal lawyer.
Military aid, approved by congress and the Pentagon, Trump holds up for months with no explanation. Not a word to anyone. The second “explanation” eventually given was that he was dissatisfied with the contributions from other countries. Did they pony up? No. Trump released the funds under pressure from the senate once it learned what was going on.
Trump is using foreign policy and military aid for his personal and political benefit, inviting foreign powers to meddle in our election. Let’s hope no clearer abuse of power comes to light.
69
Simply not true. There was no personal gain for Trump in any of this. His administration had been talking for a long time about the desirability of putting a hold on aid because of corruption inside of Ukraine (and so doubt the money would be used appropriately) and because the European States would not pitch in and the US should not have to foot the whole bill. Bolton and others were debating this fiercely in June.
9
The president will not allow those noted, who have involvement with this corruption, to testify.
He will stop them all and he will kill this investigation. He does it all the time; it is his standard operating procedure. Other lawyers involved, Barr, Giuliani, etc. will help stop it with legal tactics. Trump is likely to get re-elected and the world will contionue it downturn. A very dangerous man. Our constitution and laws are much too vague. The rules governing the house, senate and gov departments (like Department of Justice) are far to undemocratic and almost tyrannical. Examples: Mitch McConnell should not have final say controlling what happens in the Senate; the Department of Justice has a "tradition" that a sitting president cannot be indicted; absurd. None of this is in the constitution and all of our constitution and "rules" and laws need to be entirely re-worked. They no longer work in this country of 327 million people. Maybe fine for the agricultural colonies but not for today.
35
It’s an impeachment now. No mere oversight.
The executive cannot be allowed to decide how the legislature conducts its impeachment proceedings. Should the Supreme Court decide otherwise, we essentially have no constitution any more. In that case they should be impeached too, for failing 9th grade civics.
35
@James K. Lowden
No articles of impeachment have been voted on or passed. Pelosi won't schedule a vote on it, despite the pretend urgency of this "last straw".
There is no "impeachment" on the books of the House. It's the same circus they've always had, of pre-investigations, pre-inquiries. This was evident when people challenged their subpoenas before judges, and the judges themselves asked for clarity as to what the scope of these committees was.
If there was indeed an impeachment inquiry on the books, they would have had far more teeth with their subpoenas. Doubly if a vote on the articles of impeachment had passed.
They won't hold a vote on it because they know the public doesn't want it. They saw that after Pelosi's latest press conference scolding, Trump's fundraising haul from small donors grew even bigger, by $5 million.
No one has that kind of conviction on the Democratic side besides Bernie Sanders, and they'll soon bump him off.
5
@Viv
You've got some of the procedure in the wrong order.
Voting on articles of impeachment is the very last step in the House; with 2/3 aye it then goes to the Senate for the trial.
So in the house, the subpoenas happen before the articles of impeachment are written.
You may be confusing a vote to hold the inquiry with the actual impeachment vote.
25
Oh, it would be an interesting spectacle to see Giuliani forced to testify, for him to be forced to give straight answers, to see him called to task whenever he strays into the alt-reality that hs his home turf these days...
And I hope every request for an interview is prepared along with a subpoena ready to be fired off the instance any resistance is put up. Because resistance will be put up every step along the way.
26
What this editorial leaves out is crucial for the lawmakers and their staff who will read it: how far is the house willing to go to compel testimony? We have seen no indication that Democrats are anything but spineless weaklings when it comes to enforcing subpoenas with the harshest penalties available to them. Why they do not play hardball is a mystery. It should be added that if they do indeed play hardball, that they have the spine to back it up, including such measures as imprisonment, that are in fact available to them, should testimony be denied. We live in radical an unforeseen times in this country. We will have sad results unless we hold criminals accountable. I have seen nothing but softballs lobbed so far in terms of how the house has indicated they will enforce these serious subpoenas. Let’s face it, we know they will be completely ignored. If there are indeed anybody reading this who has any connection to these congressional staffs, please Pass it along. We are dealing with violent traitors to the republic. Anything less than the harshest potential measures that can be taken, and the spine to back them up, in order to compel testimony, Must be realized. Just watch, you will be disappointed. So, let’s wait for the subpoenas to be ignored because we all know it’s coming. Maybe all of us except for the House leadership, Who somehow still seem to think they are living in normal times. The constitution appears to be a gentleman’s agreement.
25
@Dean Rosenthal I agree with you 100%. people who are getting excited about impeachment, are going to be very disappointed. We should all remember what happened with Muller investigation and all the subpoenas that were not enforced. Basically, those who got a subpoena, ignored it, and instead, they gave the democrats the middle finger. Democrats must find some spine, and say it, mean it, and do it.
16
@Dean Rosenthal I agree. I need to learn more about contempt of Congress remedies but I know they do not include criminal contempt measures. That would be up to Attorney General Barr. You know that goes nowhere.
10
@Dean Rosenthal - May I add a fee thoughts? The primary credo, the number one prohibition, across the outlaw world, is "don't get caught.' Snitching and murder of life-long friends are shaded by forms of perverted "justification," but not the fact of being apprehended with your hand in the cookie jar.
To date Trump remains a 'successful criminal' because he sustains the means to use the law to hide behind. How does this continue to occur? It's simple: he is consistently enabled by henchmen, as this article demonstrates.
What drives this ruthless gang to shockingly overt displays of treachery? We all know: the insatiable appetite for power, influence and money, spawned by a encyclopedic menu of greed, dishonor, and addiction to control over others.
The law of the land has become a lark; a game played by two-faced attorneys, corrupt politicians, hypocritical 'people of faith,' a sea of gullible underachievers, and the same sucker mentality which attended traveling carnivals in the 1920s offering momentary views of a bearded lady.
At 77, and ill, I will be gone soon. Ironically, I am thankful to avoid the exponential heartache consuming this nation ... this cruelty joke which attends the wholesale lie that we exist in the 'land of the free and the brave.'
For, given the existence of Donald Trump and Republican Party, along with those who blindly support them, America has become a B-grade horror movie built on a pseudo 'reality show.'
My grief is insurmountable.
Expecting Rudy Giuliani to tell the truth, even under subpoena is asking a lot. Better to get the evidence from others first, and if Giuliani was indeed subverting the State Department’s efforts in Ukraine on Trump’s orders, then just charge him with that crime and proceed with impeachment.
25
I think the US should leave the EU straight away, but only with a deal, although it would be better if you stayed.
Sorry, wrong country.
It's difficult to differentiate stupid these days.
39
The best reason for impeachment is "evil triumphs when good men do nothing"......Thomas Jefferson
79
Pence is involved and he will be pushed out to prevent Nancy Pelosi from becoming POTUS
18
Just get Giuliani, Barr, Pompeo and Mulvaney. What a group of rotten characters that is.
51
Barr and others are getting close to the diseased parts of the bureaucracy, and the pressure on them to discontinue is getting fierce. It will be interesting to see if they can stand the heat.
"Note to the Impeachment Investigators: Trump Rarely Acts Alone"
Ultimate loud-mouthed coward that he is, I suspect Trump NEVER acs alone. When things go wrong for him, as they always do, he MUST have someone to blame. It is the most familiar modus operandi of this despicable person.
60
In one of the comments, the writer mentions something about a Senate Approved office holder. There are quite a few of Trumps officials who are only ACTING, not senate approved. This must have some bearing on their participation around and about Trump.
27
@S Norris Giuliani is a private citizen, no government role, no security clearance. Trump is fine with letting his children and friends have access to classified material that in a normal presidency would require vetting by the Senate and intelligence agencies. Trump seeks always to avoid or undermine the legitimate government channels. He continues to follow the Bannon agenda of deconstructing government, and the GOP helps him.
18
It is time to focus on economics. The Donald does not pay for all that free advertising. What happens when someone does not pay?. No more business. Let us all remember THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH.
So, what to do?
It is obvious.
Share all the good news that is to be found, you may have to look a little more carefully.
Focus on the positive such as all those wonderful candidates including that man in CA whom you have so far tended to ignore.
Focus on those children, world-wide, who are desperately trying to teach all those grown-ups who appear to be living like mushrooms, underground. that their concerns are much more important that the idiotic babble of some overweight man with fake hair and orange skin which may or may not be due to the sun
Was it not two years ago or longer that kootenay girl suggested someone ought to knock on the door of that oval office, provide an escort service down the long hallways, take the elevator to the parking lot, then with a hijab around his head, whisk him away, far far away. Cheers.
8
Sticking to the sequence of events is likely to result in the most damning information .
Republicans in the Senate already know that the president has become a clear and present threat to our national security. Proving the criminal activity beyond a reasonable doubt is what will get these Republicans to finally publicly acknowledge what they have known privately for months.
Rudolph Giuliani who has been hired by Donald Trump to provide disinformation to the media is not only not credible at this point but he has become a ridiculous clown on the world stage. I can’t decide whether he should be pitied or arrested for his behavior.He was known for years as a toxic figure in New York politics but now he has taken his contagion and spread it across the country on a national level.
Issuing a subpoena for Rudolph Giuliani won’t hurt but what will hurt is an indictment.
22
@RD Sure, Barr will obtain an indictment against Giuliani right after he indicts himself.
@RD What George Will said of Trump is also true of Giuliani: "He is an inexpressibly sad specimen." But we can't ignore illegal activities only because a person is a sad old guy.
The Republican president has a whole cadre of sycophants, including Moscow Mitch, Lindsey, and all the rest of the cowardly Republicans!
Republicans can NEVER again claim to be the the “most patriotic”!
46
Want a great read??? Here is the article mentioned twice in the WB report. It's all about the two men who worked as "envoys" for Trump and Guiliani.
"Since late 2018, the men have introduced Giuliani to three current and former senior Ukrainian prosecutors to discuss the politically damaging information. The effort has involved meetings in at least five countries, stretching from Washington, D.C. to the Israeli office of a Ukrainian oligarch accused of a multi-billion dollar fraud, and to the halls of the French Senate. Parnas and Fruman’s work with Giuliani has been just one facet of their political activity."
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/meet-the-florida-duo-helping-giuliani-dig-dirt-for-trump-in-ukraine
23
What you will hear from all of these facilitators are only a few words: privileged information & 5th amendment.
13
Trump already admitted to the crime through the released reconstruction of the call. The real electronic record that was hidden probably contains even worse revelations.
The only question is about finding who else is involved, and what else is really going on. It may be even worse!
This paper has reported that Giuliani was also peddling his connection to Trump for his own profit to get gas deals etc. To me this lit a bulb!!
Is it really just Giuliani looking for money in Ukraine? Is Trump really just after dirt in Ukraine as has been reported so far?
When one reads that NYT report about Trump and Giuliani’s Ukraine dealings, there’s potentially big money also involved, and Trump loves money.
Could he also, in fact, have used the aid to gain some deals for his own??!
Is this, in fact, what he was really doing??? The “dirt” on Biden may be a distraction! They may be using it as a cover for Trump’s real dealings there which are much worse!!!
This may not just be about the aid and holding it back and dirt on political adversaries!! It could also involve Trump trying to make some money for himself with the aid, holding it back to pressure the Ukraine folks to give him some gas or other rich deals through Giuliani and using the dirt, as bad and impeachable as it is as it is, as a cover for his real dealings there!
Digging dirt may not be all Giuliani was really doing there!!!!!
10
@Freak Since the 1980s Trump has seen Russia as an opportunity for making money. As one of his sons said in 2016, a large part of the Trump company revenue comes from Russia. For Trump, to make money while also seeking dirt on a political opponent would be happy multitasking.
13
Who enforces hearing attendance of this witness list when they all tell Mr. Schiff to pound sand?
8
That’s why they started an official inquiry. They now have different powers than before! And, importantly, any attempt to sabotage or not show up or refuse to disclose or submit evidence by any of these people, will be construed as evidence of guilt!!!
15
If you include tRump in the list of his accomplices, you have enough for a baseball team.
15
I keep trying to imagine the House getting any straight, non-contradictory, answers out of Giuliani...
16
I am not a Trump supporter and believe the ongoing investigations into any possible impeachable offenses by the President should be followed through to their conclusion.
That having been said, I also believe those investigations should also look into any possible unlawful acts by Hunter Biden such as whether he paid taxes on the three million dollars he was paid for being on the Board of the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings and whether his father and Vice President at the the time Joe Biden unlawfully used his office to influence a foreign government just as Trump is being investigated for now. If anyone has any doubts, they can listen to Joe Biden boasting about it in his own words: https://youtu.be/UXA--dj2-CY
I think it's only fair to see if there was a reasonable basis for Trump to believe that possible criminal acts by the Biden's may have taken place and his bringing it to the attention of the Ukrainian President; aside from the obvious self-serving aspect of it.
So here are at least three more persons whom I believe the House needs to hear from in the order listed during its inquiry:
1- Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin who was fired at Joe Biden's request should be invited to testify to ascertain what evidence had been gathered prior to Mr. Shokin's firing.
2- Hunter Biden should be subpoenaed to testify under oath; and,
3- Former VP Joe Biden should also be subpoenaed to testify under oath.
And any other witnesses as required.
7
@EMIP At the moment this investigation isn't about the Bidens but about Donald Trump's impeachable actions. The Bidens currently have no influence over our lives. If there is anything there it will eventually come out if Joe gets the nomination. But for the time being lets stay focused, please.
20
@Owl Writer
With all the ongoing investigations by different committees in the House, surely it would not be asking too much for both sides in the controversy to be subjected to some level of scrutiny.
Unless the Democrats want to lend credence to Trump's claim of a witch hunt, it's essential the Democrats present at least the appearance of fairness if they are to maintain the support of the majority of Americans.
Since when are we incapable of conducting two criminal investigations concurrently and have to condition one only to "if Joe gets the nomination"?
3
@EMIP There is no there there. The whole Biden controversy doesn't exist. Apparently it has already been thoroughly investigated and the Bidens have come out squeaky clean. You can read else where how Trump's national security people told Trump countless times that Biden has been investigated and there is no substance to the charges. There is no wrong doing to sensationalize. Giuliani is blamed for keeping up the fake narrative about the Bidens. One reason the Bidens want the networks to stop giving him air time to push the false charges.
Dear John,
Stephen Miller. Need I say more?
21
A note to those that are frothing at the mouth with the impeachment of President Trump. Impeach does not mean the President must step down, Bill Clinton didn't. This 2019 impeachment however is more to take out The Democrat Front runner Joe Biden and put a more extreme left-wing Elizabeth Warren out front. This is an impeachment of Joe Biden, not Trump. Joe is on tape bragging about witholding US dollars from Ukraine unless they fire a prosecutor investigating his son's company, Joe is toast.
NOTE: More baggage for Joe coming out with the October IG report about The Obama / Biden administration spying on the Trump Campaign.
Warren is a cleaner Dem candidate even with the whole fake Indian thing.
5
18 U.S. Code § 2382. Misprision of treason Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States and having knowledge of the commission of any treason against them, conceals and does not, as soon as may be, disclose and make known the same to the President or to some judge of the United States, or to the governor or to some judge or justice of a particular State, is guilty of misprision of treason and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than seven years, or both.
18 U.S. Code § 2381. Treason Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
13
Quite frankly a number of folks have been suggesting that trump is the one who could he tried for treason. Is that an impeachable offense? Hmm and what might the penalty be? Will the “ chair” bother Donnie’s bone spurs?
All in good time.
14
The Prez asks Zelensky to talk to the Europeans to do more for the Ukraine. He also asks for a "favor." He asks Z to look into Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity company suspected of being involved with a hack of the DNC in 2016. Supposedly the Ukrainians have the server. He seems to warn Zelensky that the people around him may not be trustworthy on this. He urges closer cooperation between the US and Ukraine, specifically through the Attorney General. Z mentions that some of his people have already spoken with Guliani, and Z hopes that he can return. DT says that he will have Guliani and the AG call Zelensky, and then expresses concern about a prosecutor who was “shut down.” Then DT mentions “the other thing,” which deserves a full quote: “There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution...Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it... It sounds horrible to me.” Trump wants to find out the truth about “a lot of talk,” a charge made about Biden’s son, and what Biden did when he said that he stopped the prosecution.
None of this sounds anywhere near impeachable to me. I would rather that Biden’s name not come up, but it’s hard to ask for Zelensky to investigate without mentioning the principals. And the Ukraine and US do have a treaty supporting cooperation on investigations of this kind. In any case, asking for investigation and determining the truth is not an impeachable offense.
1
@Nathan
Yes, there is a treaty with Ukraine on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Have you read it? I have, however, the treaty doesn't say that the President of the United States can request assistence for investigations directly from the President of the Ukraine by telephone. Instead article 2 of the treaty clearly states that only the "Central Authorities" of each state shall make and receive requests for assistance and that for the US this shall be the Attorney General and for the Ukraine the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Lead Procecutor. Article 4 of the treaty says that the request shall be in writing and shall include - among other things - a statement of the purpose for which the evidence or information is sought.
So, it would have been Bill Barr's job to make this request to the Ministry of Justice and the Lead Procecutor of the Ukraine and he should have made it writing.
But Bar didn't do that. In fact, a spokesperson for the Justice Department even said that Trump never directly asked AG Barr to launch an investigation into Joe Biden. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/25/william-barr-ukraine-memo-1512255
So, unless Barr reverses course and says he did make a request in writing according to the treaty, this case still stinks and the excuse "there is a treaty" doesn't fly.
The American people are exhausted by all the Democratic scheming to undo a certified election...recounts, Russian interference, Facebook hearings, Russian collusion, Mueller testimony, blah blah blah!
I frankly don’t have the appetite to watch Schiff who has his own foreign collusion for nude photos act a fool on TV with his silly parody. The Democrats have been mining for foreign dirt and using governmental agencies as well.
Here in California we are being sold on some Nixon roadshow with Dean as the main attraction to pump up the coastal liberal energy. The Democrats need to review their Watergate history more closely where the bipartisan vote was 400 to 4.
This is clearly a partisan political coup and I’m just not interested.
4
@Charlie
Claims that Democrats are trying to undo the 2016 election are ridiculous. Removing Trump would elevate Pence to the presidency, which in no way would undo the 2016 election. The only way to undo the 2016 election would be either to put Hillary Clinton into the White House, or leave Obama in the White House--neither of which is a possible option, and neither of which the Democrats are advocating for--however much they might wish one of these were possible.
27
@Charlie
Can you conceive of any inquiry into Mr. Trump and his administration that is not partisan?
Does it bother you that he was able to bypass the Constitutionally specified appropriations procedure?
Or that multiple people in his administration worked out training wheels to keep the president from getting in trouble? That's not good for anybody, when a president's people feel the need to institute safeguards-- it's just as anti-constitutional as the appropriations.
9
@Charlie
For someone expressing disinterest and ennui with Trump impeachment investigation, your extensive remarks sound like that of a partisan who has been doing his homework! So which is it?
Mitch McConnell needs to go on record and publicly assure the public that if an impeachment conviction is voted on in the House the Senate will start a trial immediately. This needs to come from his mouth personally and not hide behind a statement issued by Senate majority leaders. And if not I can be counted on to drive to Kentucky and do everything in my power to get that man voted out of office. This hijacking of our Democracy by this lunatic is outrageous.
30
@Ted Siebert. You should review how an impeachment is conducted. The House acts as a prosecutor. McConell dosen't have to promise anything.
I sure do wish and pray the "Anonymous" author of that Op Ed on questionable things in 45s administration would step forward now with specifics. Along with several of those who voiced their concerns to the Whistleblower. America needs you.
15
You know Trump is in trouble when they trot out S. Miller on FOX to spread lies about the whistleblower.
29
Well then. They are banished from governing leaving Madam Speaker as president. Wishful thinking.
5
Every morning, DJT makes phone calls to his corrupt buddies looking for affirmation and applause.
Like being the President of the United States of America has never been enough for him.
DJT has NEVER thought the law pertained to him.
Bring all his phone buddies up for subpoena- Sean Hannity comes to mind first!
WE CANNOT HAVE 4 MORE YEARS.
We will all be emigrants.
14
The Intelligence Committee also needs to interview former DNI Dan Coats and his deputy, both of whom resigned within days of the July 25 call with Zelensky. Discover what they know about the Ukraine situation and if it is related to their departure from the Administration. Coats seems to be a straight shooter, and as a former Republican Senator, his testimony will carry great weight.
20
The Republicans in congress and on TV and throughout the land have done nothing short of selling their souls to the devil. They buy every lie Trump and Fox tells and they think it's the Gospel, but whose work are they really doing and is selling out this country to the Russians really making us great?
They have betrayed America, to worship Trump as if he were a God.
But what does Trump have to do with God or America's better angels?
10
The irony of trump's attacks on Biden and son flies in the face of his repeated assertions that his own son (Don jr.) is totally exonerated by the Mueller report. How does he know this?AG Barr is still sitting on the real (ie unredacted) Mueller report. It was supposed to have been released to the Congressional Judicial Committee several months ago. All critical parts of the report related to Don jr. have been redacted (ie covered up). Go figure.
14
all of them, complete crooks. It's like a mob boss, his consigliere, capos, the whole thing is Trump running US Government like the mafia. I mean, using the DOJ (Bill Barr) as if its his personal lawyer/consigliere service? And of course, Barr is perfectly good with the arrangement. Crooks, the lot of them.
25
Trump is involved in something unsavoury. Pence has been implicated by Trump himself as also be involved. Isn't it Nancy Pelosi who would be next to step into the role of President?
13
When someone declares himself to be a great deal maker, and refers to everything he does as a deal, it’s clear as can be that the request for a “favor... though” is tied to a deal. It’s certainly not a simple stand-alone request not tied to other parts of the conversation, especially not the immediately-preceding reference to Ukraine’s need for defensive weapons.
And then to quote Ambassador Michael McFaul, “there are no favors in diplomacy.”
14
While the State Department is now going through Hillary Clinton's e-mails to bring here up on charges of using a personal e-mails server for official business (talk about diversion here), Congress should be asking for an audit of what non-classified transcripts are sitting on a classified server. A server which is suppose to not have anything but classified information related to national security.
I say this, because you have to add Putin and the Russians to this list. Especially, in light of s story, in which Putin says he hopes that his private conversations with Trump do not get exposed.
While the impeachment inquiry focuses on Ukraine, and one phone call, this could easily mushroom into Russian involvement.
The idea, if Trump did what eh did with Ukraine; he did it with other countries, and other leaders, as well.
This will get nasty, it will bring down everyone mentioned in this article, possibly Biden (Trump do to Biden, what Nixon did to McGovern) and Clinton (diversion by Trump officials); before all is said and done.
5
It's my sincere hope this investigation is smarter, broader and mercifully quicker than the Mueller investigation and doesn't end up in the hands of the hack politician assuming the position of Attorney General. I've seen enough to know that Trump and the entirety of the enabling Republican Party are the most dire threat to the ongoing concern of the United States of America. So yes, please feel free to ensnare as may Lindsay Graham's, and those disgraceful hacks in the "Justice" Department, as possible to initiate the healing of this country's government that has been pushed to the brink by folks who time and again put party over country and would gladly sell their mother's for a disingenuous tax cut.
10
Shifty Schiff claimed he had proof of Russian collusion during the Mueller investigation. Nothing materialized ever. The Democrats have been talking about impeachment and removing President Trump since he was elected. They also wanted to impeach Justice Kavanaugh to no avail. They hate this president and all those who are associated with him. We have never seen anything like this before. The Democrats are barking up the wrong tree. This inquiry will fall by the wayside like those before this. President Trump will be exonerated because he has committed no crimes.
3
@KMW
Abuse of power is not, per se, a crime, yet it is an impeachable offense.
Telling federal officials that it's ok to break the law is almost certainly a crime, but it may not be impeachable.
Understanding the nuances may help you understand how much of this is above partisanship.
8
@KMW. Where does Schiff keep all of the evidence he has?
@KMW, Never seen anything like it, huh? You seem to forget within minutes of Obama being elected president in 2008, Republicans/ Tea Party swore to obstruct, deny denounce and deflect anything, and everything in an effort to make him a 1 term president. This was the political landscape Republicans, including Trump began with their birther nonsense. Now we have a president whom is wasting vast amounts of taxpayer monies for revenge, and personal gains, but that's not "worst you've seen?" The only transparency one gets with Trump is when it comes down to how morally and ethically corrupt he is...
3
does anybody honestly think that these players, each and every one, will not lie through their collective Republican teeth?
11
Trump needs this to end with enough time left for Pence to pardon him before the November election. Trump will resign in just enough time along with a shocking amount of despair, probably not allot of shame though.
Nixon's resignation allowed the country to go forward without a president ever being removed from office through an impeachment conviction.
Trump will soon realize he best go the same way,..... and then bloviate about it being a patriotic gesture, taking one for the team if you will. Hero to the end,....just ask him.
3
If what Flake said is true that there are at least 35 Republicans in the Senate who would vote to impeach and remove Trump if it was a hidden vote then its likely that Senate Republicans will want this impeachment and Trump removal to happen fast with all the truly dirty dirt of Trump exposed so there is no doubt of his guilt. Mitt Romney and Nicky Haley can jump into the Presidential race. immediately. Whomever loses the primary can become the vp candidate. These are both "normal" Republicans well positioned to jump in at a moments notice and would give any of the Democratic candidates a real run for their money.
6
Democrats on the committees would serve the country best by keeping statements as short as possible, when not eliminated, and letting professional staff counsel do as much of the questioning as possible.
One of the strongest overall arguments in favor of impeaching Mr. Trump is the vast incompetent arrogance of him and his administration. In contrast, those seeking to bring him to account must appear crisp, professional, and above both partisan and personal grudges.
11
As I noted in an earlier comment to a different story, the resignations of Dan Coats and Sue Gordon are an interesting part of the timeline. Dan Coats announced his resignation 3 days after the July 25th phone call. Then, on August 8th, Coats abruptly interrupted Gordon during a meeting and suggested that she resign, which she did that day. I’m surprised there has been no additional information about what, if any, roles they had in this.
I think Barr must be questioned about why the Department of Justice did not pursue an investigation. It seems that the only investigation was a review of the phone call transcript. The procedure for federal prosecution calls for an investigation by a federal agency, such as the FBI. The Attorney General then decides whether to accept or decline charges.
Everyone involved in the decision to withhold money intended for Ukraine should be questioned. Trump’s reasons for withholding the money are nonsensical. If Trump is so concerned about corruption in Ukraine then why didn’t he bring that up in 2017 or 2018? As for his claim that the US is providing more than other countries, how does he explain the fact that EU countries have given Ukraine $16.5 billion in aid since 2014.
Former Ukraine prosecutor, Shokin, gave Giuliani an affidavit stating that he was dismissed because he was pursuing a case against Burisma and wanted to question Hunter Biden, contrary to all evidence. I would like to know if Shokin was paid for that affidavit.
8
Trump suggested that Pence be investigated for his role in the Ukraine discussion. Maybe Trump expects Pence to say that Pence's talk with Zelensky was "perfect," and that ends the matter. But what if Pence decides to spill the beans and confirms that Trump was trying to help his own reelection? Then Pence may be the next president, if there is a hard Trexit. (trump exit by impeachment in House and conviction in Senate.) Would this be an incentive for Pence to turn against Trump? Pence does not have a Trump base, and has little prospect to be a winning presidential candidate on his own. But now Pence is a heartbeat and a Senate vote away from the top job, so he might just try to take advantage of an opportunity handed to him by Trump himself.
7
Behold un-indicted criminal trump with his ragtag motley crew of so-called expert and experienced advisors in tow ... dithering Pompeo, bombastic Bolton (now gone but still talking), amateur Kudlow, silver-tongued Mulvaney and the corruption duo Mnuchin/Ross ... are pressing on furiously besmirching Biden at every chance. The game plan appears to be to push Biden aside to open up a concerted anti-socialism campaign targeting Warren. It will certainly consolidate the trump base but will it fly with independents, blacks, the young, and the disenfranchised.
11
Mr. Trump made it a point to make lots of enemies and no real friends, he is surrounded by sycophants and opportunists. They are not likely to hang around if they can get out of the kitchen when it gets hot.
9
Trump trying to publicly loop Pence into this mess is classic criminal behavior. "Pence cannot testify for prosecution because he has mud on his hands, too!".
Maybe so, but I expect his involvement would not be nearly so compelling that anyone has to worry that he would also be impeached. He certainly has a lot to gain from the removal of Trump, and he may know a lot.
6
Great plan, but this Administration won't play ball. They will play the delay game. They will invoke Executive Privilege and run out the clock in the courts.
4
The only thing that is going to make these guys talk is to extract money from their wallets or having them spend time looking out through prison bars. The Democrats need to put the hammer down and they need to do it now. If I didn't answer a subpoena or showed contempt of court or obstruction, I'd would be doing time.
12
And if any of these miscreants refuse to obey their Congressional subpoena or claim "executive privilege" and refuse to answer crucial questions they should immediately be found in contempt of Congress and thrown in jail (a jail that Congress controls independent of the DOJ which needs to be set up right now) until such time that they agree to testify fully and honestly.
We need to re-establish the rule of law in America. The Executive Branch has been completely corrupted at the top at this point, including the DOJ. The Democratic House has to be the place it happens.
14
@Enigma Variation
The Capitol did have its own jail, for exactly that purpose, until it was remodeled away in the 1930s (ironically as part of the renovation after the Supreme Court left for its own building).
There's a space that looks like a jail (Speaker Pelosi was photographed pointing to it) but its not.
1
President Pence's first and only official act during his 24 hour tenure in office should be to nominate Hillary Clinton as Vice President, who would be quickly confirmed by Congress and take over as President upon his resignation. Let Hillary have a taste of what she deserves before the new and hopefully duly elected President is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021.
2
It's good to see all this spelled out in such an orderly way. It feels like something to help keep the tornados and hurricanes of the Trump gang from destroying everything.
5
I would put Trump’s immediate family high on the list of people who privately knew about these criminal electoral offenses. As the people whom the Fake President probably considers to be the most loyal to him, they were most likely privy to the formulation and the execution of the nefarious plan to seek foreign assistance to discredit Biden and his son.
7
Trump isn’t acting alone.
But this has been going on for a very long time.
Did the Republicans ever care about America?
If you believe so, please give some examples of anything that they have ever done that has helped the country or the American People.
No one seems to be able to provide any examples.
As far as I can tell, they are just a bunch of opportunistic con men ho believe that working against the country can make them very rich.
Unfortunately, they are very good at it, and the country has suffered mightily for it.
Republicans only exist to make money for themselves.
Giving more money to rich people is all that they do.
That is not going to make America great no matter how many times they repeat it.
Mitch McConnell, Steven Miller, Lindsey Graham, Steve Mnuchin, Jim Jordan, Mike Pompeo, Rudy Giuliani, and all complicit Republicans are not in this to help America.
15
Regarding impeachment, pressuring foreign leaders to rig a American election is as serious as high crimes and misdemeanors can get. Trump has not just betrayed his pledge to uphold the Constitutional, he has essentially admitted he has done so by releasing the call transcripts. He will be remembered as a traitor on the level of Benedict Arnold. Which begs the question, how will the forfeiture of all the money he has made ignoring the emolument clause be handled? Reducing the national debt he nurtured by cutting taxes to billionaires perhaps?
After this plays out, let's consider placing him and his coconspirators in a private, for profit prison in order to celebrate the GOPs great love of the marketplace. Usually those kind of prison's quotas are met by imprisoning the people of color Trump habitually demeans. Maybe he'll get to share a cell with one of the many minority subcontractors he stiffed on his many projects to house the 1%. I'm sure his cellmates would love to spend some quality time with a special criminal like Trump.
A fellow can fantasize can't he?
12
Is McConnell 's sudden about-face on support for election protection a sign he was aware of Trump and Rudy's attempted manipulation of 2020? Odd timing.
9
This list of people is too long and most of them, if not all of them, will refuse to testify.
The Democrats want this inquiry to be finished in a short period of time. They really need a lawyer with constitutional experience to advise them how to proceed.
5
This ‘whistleblowing’ matter draws attention to the deliberate trump slow-walking of Congress-directed funding support of the Ukrainian efforts to confront Putin’s territorial aggression tactics. It is also a reminder of trump slow-walking sanctions imposed by Congress for Russian meddling in our elections for almost two years now. Incredibly, prominent GOP senators like McConnell, Graham, Cruz, Cornyn, Burr, Johnson, and Thune are all in lock-step support of trump’s kowtowing to Putin’s demands for US sanctions relief on Russian oligarchs and their business interests. Romney is among them. It shows how deeply and all pervasively trump’s obstruction in plain sight is seriously jeopardizing national security. Under normal circumstances this kind of abject support of blatant political meddling would sound alarms all over the place. But a kind of public nonchalance about these developments seems to have settled in, emboldening these senators to sense that they can turn a blind eye to activity bordering on outright treason with impunity, which is extremely troubling.
10
the first news report we heard about the Whistleblower was that President Trump had made a promise to a foreign leader. The details of that charge have not come out.
Is it possible that Trump promised Vladimir Putin that he would find an excuse to delay sending arms to Ukraine? is it possible that the story about digging up dirt on the Biden family was a ruse, that Trump's ulterior motive was simply to damage Ukraine? Ukraine is an ally, the American president working to damage Ukraine to benefit Russia would be treasonous activity.
26
Jared Kushner should not be left out of this group. Jared seems to operate in the shadows but it seems like he’s been involved with Trump throughout his presidency.
41
Watching the Trump surrogates on new shows this morning and none of them look good. All of them want to skirt the issue of the President wanting a favor of the Ukrainian government by getting dirt on Joe Biden and his son. They were all deflecting as part of the Republican strategy to make this about Joe Biden & son. At the same time they went on to attack the whistle blower as a partisan.
It didn't work. Real journalists understand the Trump team's proclivity for changing the subject and not answering the question. Journalists refused to buy into the deflection and returned time and again to what Trump did, which was essentially to extort the President of Ukraine to aid his political campaign against Joe Biden.
Now there is another allegation that Trump told the Russians that interfering in our elections was no big deal because we did it all the time ourselves! Is there a transcript of that? If it is true how will Lindsey Graham defend that? Attack the whistle blower of course.
The whistle blower is a patriot. Try as they might to sully that person, no one is buying it and it is extremely important that he/she is protected. If anything happens to this person it will be Trump declaring himself guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.
64
Kudos to Mr. Atkinson for letting Congress know what was wrongfully being withheld from them, that too, took bravery.
46
Mitch McConnell may decide that Trump is expendable. Pence will do, and McConnell only really cares about keeping the Senate. He is putting his money raising & time into that.
27
@CBK/San Antonio is so right in saying "NOW".
Sadly, Democrats are not familiar with words like 'quick',
'thorough' and 'together'. Getting them to all agree on anything is like herding cats. Their questioning of Cory Lewendowski was a prime example....single focus is not a trait Democrats aspire to. Ms. Pelosi deserves a metal for having managed to accomplish anything. ever, in the House. One ponders if Dems are even in agreement about un-seating Trump.
2
@RYR.G First Impeachment poll out. 55% of Americans favor Impeachment Investigation; and that with each day bringing out more details of the scandal. Independants are evenly divided; Trump and his accomplices should worry; a lot.
34
Not only does Trump rarely act alone but he has an uncanny knack for letting his subordinates (Manafort, Cohen, Flynn) take the fall for him while he stays a whisker ahead of the law. This Ukraine episode can be different if his Oval Office staffers reveal all the machinations they have witnessed. Just as Pelosi had no choice but to proceed to impeachment inquiry, I'm guessing after the full measure of Trump's treachery is uncovered, the Senate Republicans will have no choice but to do what Senate Republicans did to Nixon after the revelation of the Watergate tapes.
44
We need more facts so that we can convince GOP Senators that this is a grave abuse of power by 45th and they should not be behind 45th in this issue and convince 45th to resign followed by Mike pence pardon 45th for all the mess he has created. We definitely don not want our former POTUS in jail.
Just like Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon in 1974.
2
@Trevor Diaz
No doesn’t deserve a pardon!
2
Really? Don’t want him in jail?
Speak for yourself.
Not only do I want him in jail, (and Ivanka, Jared, Don Jr. and Eric, Giuliani, Barr)
and throw away the key. Enough is enough. I’m tired of this endless doublespeak. Trump is an illegitimate president and spoiled brat. He is a traitor to our country and does not represent me or my beliefs. Enough is enough. Impeach already. Then put him in jail and throw away the key.
Amen
6
Harry Markopolos had it right when he spoke to Malcom Gladwell for his new book, "Talking to Strangers," as Harry growing up in his father's restaurant observed how employees weren't honest, and would rob him blind, not like some of the customers. Remember, Harry Markopolos is the person who figured out Bernie Madoffs behavior, a decade before it was brought down, but couldn't get anyone to listen to him, especially in the financial world of regulators. The truth is that the nature of the human animal is tribal, which is to go along to get along, not rock the boat, and most often go down with the boat. Sadly, that is why government is so full of ineffective action, as good policy will, more than likely. offend the financial, or political interests of particular constituencies, and lobbying groups. Then, if the ship goes down while you are aboard, you go down as well, so those in the inner circle stay tight, until they don't. However, in the case of DT, he has fired so many, that few will be left by actually impeachment time.
12
@MaryKayKlassen I meant to say, not unlike, instead of like, some of the customers who did the dine, and dash at his father's restaurant.
5
@MaryKayKlassen Mammalian predators who run in packs. Unfortunately.
2
Good call, however, I don't think we can ignore the influence of the evangelical right on the Trump administration, as embodied by Pence and Pompeo, and others. I think the roots go very deep throughout much of the GOP.
Their fanatical fervor is the only tenable explanation of how they can happily support Trump's anti-American, anti-constitutional behavior.
It's is obvious to me they see Trump as a sort of 'hand of God', as unbelievable as that might sound.
42
@SAJP
The Evangelical Right "flock" are blindly led and beholden to a group of leaders who are really not that much different from Trump, they are "predators" just like him and also very dangerous.
11
@SAJP I agree. The staunch ask no questions Trump cult believers I know are all religious. With most religions comes sexism as well. So it was easy for these "believers" to hate Hillary as President instead voting for Trump blindly.
6
@SAJP
For a child shall lead them.
3
The sequence of interviews is as important as the list of who congressional investigators need to hear from. It’s more likely the truth will emerge from strategic follow up with those higher in the administration based on information obtained from others that include administrative staff. It’s also likely that the list of who to question will expand as ongoing information is obtained. Representative Schiff and his committee will need to be very strategic in this regard so as not to drag the impeachment inquiry on any longer than is absolutely necessary.
11
The attorney general has an obligation to investigate political corruption, especially when it may involve foreign actors, including foreign government officials becoming entangled with elected and appointed members of the US government.
The fact that the subject of an investigation may be a candidate in an election at some point during the course of the investigation should have no impact on how the AG carries out the investigation. The Dept of Justice investigation into potentially corrupt foreign involvement in the 2016 election has been ongoing for many months. When it is concluded in the next few months, the Times readers should not be shocked to learn that there was indeed significant intentional entanglement between one of our political parties and foreign actors from several different countries to improperly influence the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election. Just not the party you have been slandering for the past 50 years.
5
@Alexander
Slander requires lying. Guess who does that.
3
It's hard to believe that Rudolph Giuliani once put mobsters in prison. What has happened to him and all the others who should have known better? This massive betrayal of the Constitution is beyond even the situation ethics that exemplifies this administration. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America..." These words that I recited as a child are still meaningful and a reminder that allegiance to country comes before any political party or administration.
28
@E. Smith
Who else was in on the extortion plot or knew full well
what was planned by Trump and his front line extortioners
Who else: VP Mike Pence; always goes where Trump
does not want to go...this yes man ...boot licking VP
Pence...what did he know; what does he know and are'
his phone calls also in the "classified..secure 'Vault"
Let them fall like the autumn leaves and we shall rake
them all in ...either for mulch or for burning.
5
@E. Smith
Some interesting facts about this GOP:
"Of the 70-plus town halls scheduled over this upcoming recess, only nine (9) are Republican."
"Ninety-eight percent of freshman Democrats have had a town hall since they were elected, but only 51% of Republicans".
Why are the vast majority of GOPers hiding from their voters?
GOPers should be RUSHING HOME to have Town Halls with their constituents to vigorously DEFEND the allegations against Trump.
IMPEACHING A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES is a very rare and serious last resort option in our democratic process.
It has happened only TWICE in the past 250 years. It is history in the making.
Why are these GOP Representatives and Senators who will publicly vote on Articles of Impeachment against Donald Trump, so afraid to meet face-to-face with the people who elected them.
4
@E. Smith
It was politically useful for Guiliani to put mobsters into prisons. You know, big shot prosecutor, maybe mayor or senator or even president someday.
It is NOT politically useful for him to help put Trump or any of his cronies and enablers into prison.
3
It's hard to believe that Rudolph Giuliani once put mobsters in prison.
39
@E. Smith
Yes, he did. But they were mobsters that other mobsters did not like. The fact is mobsters do not fight each other in the streets of the US with bullets any more. They fight each others using "the law" and its instruments.
13
@E. Smith
Many prosecutors learn that, alas, the big money is in defending the Mob.
3
@E. Smith
He has learned from New York’s best.
3
I agree, Mafia sociopaths like Trump usually have associates they pay off and later crush. They are not reliable pals.
33
Impeach all of them!
... and then Nancy Pelosi would become President.
47
@Joyce Thanks, Joyce. I've been longing to say this. If both Trump and Pence are swept out of office by all of this, we will have our first woman president.
8
I would have liked the article to list the individuals in its very first paragraph and then given the more detailed description of each.
Some of the Times' writing on even critically important issues, has become, imho, more of an advertising analytics-boosting eyeball-trap string-along than reader-friendly (ie, customer-friendly) journalism.
Still, important piece.
6
One would think this paper would have exhausted itself after the Jill Stein electoral college investigation, Stormy Daniels, emoluments clause, Russian collusion obstruction hysteria. Here we go again. Yawn.
4
You would have yawned at this point as well during the Watergate scandal that concluded with Nixon’s resignation more than a year after the break-in. Patience! And, by the way, Nixon, I mean Trump is not off the hook re Stormy or personal enrichment. Or for obstruction of Justice for that matter. Mueller outlined more than 1/2 dozen instances for which Trump can be tried once he’s out of office. You are jumping the gun (or assault weapon if you prefer).
36
@Sue Mee The Trump campaign did collude with Russians. They weren't found to have conspired. There's a hairline of difference between the two. Trump has openly flouted the emoluments clause and Trump definitely obstructed justice. The collusion and obstruction was laid out in the Mueller report but, I guess, you haven't bothered to read it. This new Ukraine issue is pretty blatant and I'm shocked that Trump didn't see the uproar it would cause. You should stop yawning and start reading the news.
7
@Michael Fremer…..I thought Mueller referred to 14 other matters as being further Investigated that...he wouldn't reveal ? The wheels of justice have been grinding ever so slowly...Trump has gotten away with so much....hopefully that's changing !! Poor Cohen...he's got a few years to write a good book !! Maybe he'll title it...They Never Believed Me !! Mueller may write one with the same title as well !!
6
Why hasnt the NYTimes spoken out against Trump’s necessary demise as they should? What are they waiting for—Santa Clause?
This is sheer nonsense and the Democrats are digging a big hole for themselves. Keep it up Democrats-- you are just showing the voters what you are and as a result you will lose bigly in 2020. Vote for America--Vote Republican.
6
We will keep it up. Thanks for the suggestion.
6
@Jonathan wow. So "voting for America" is what you think cozying up to authoritarians, doing Putin's bidding, being buddy-buddy with religious authoritarian regime in Saudi Arabia even after they barbarically murder a civilian journalist, and hey- use the levers of power to dig up dirt on opponents from a foreign leader to sway an election? ARE YOU SERIOUS? GOP has lost its mind, party over country.
9
Stephen Miller anyone???
22
Yeah, that pencil neck should definitely be in the dragnet.
6
I can easily see Schiff flipping Mulvaney and Fat Mike. Pence will probably escape with a censure but Barr and Rudy will be going to prison with Trump.
30
@Mexico Mike
claims of executive privilege by all involved will prevent any real action by the democrats
Please let us know when Joe and Hunter Biden are scheduled to testify - we can’t wait to hear what Biden’s kid did for $50 K per month - who knew he was such an expert on Ukrainian oil production.
9
One need not be an expert on the company’s core business to run it or be involved. One hires experts for that. One need only know how to do the job for which one is hired and to be successful at it, exercise good judgement. In other words, Trump too was hardly an “expert” at governing or politics, neither of which apparently stopped you for voting for him. Too bad he’s shown consistently bad judgement and refuses to pay attention to experts.
33
@Common Sense how does Hunter Biden's making money off connections excuse Trump from his treasonous behavior? It doesn't. And if you are going to want Biden taken down, then Ivanka, Jared, and the Trump boys, all making money off their politically connected daddy, should all be given the same treatment, no?
14
Trump is a moral vacuum, but Barr is worse; he is moral anti-gravity. He knows that he is abetting a foolish and corrupt man, but he does not care. Power is his faith, obfuscating legalese his catechism, obeisance to the false god of Republican infallibility his act of worship.
56
Pompeo using the State Department to investigate Hillary Clinton? We do live in a Dictatorship.
51
NY Times,
Well said; and it's know that they all lie together to cover each other. Let's start putting them in jail for every lie and contempt. We can easily start with Barr (He already perjured himself)..
Also; I am sure; we can give contract to some GOP donor to open a new prison for this newly minted GOP members.. they will gladly take it.
Crime against USA won't go unpunished.
10
Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway... The + ions, the worker-bees who carry out the dirty little tasks.
29
Bolton has been unusually quiet. Dude is timing his revenge on Trump.
41
I wonder if the Democrats will hire a top notch prosecutor to press its case.
5
The Times can join the bandwagon and be part of the impeachment proceedings, why not more power to truth.
1
The fact that Biden is running for office does not grant him immunity for corruption.
At the time, The New York Times published a scathing article about Biden sent to deal with corruption in Ukraine while his son was hired by one of the most corrupt oligarchs there, so I am surprised that now the entire NYT coverage has dropped this "little fact" in the dustbin of history.
What I am more surprised of is that
1) there is a Ukrainian court order attesting the fact that confidential information had been illegally sent to the Clinton campaign and
2) there is a written affidavit from the prosecutor Biden asked to be dismissed where he says that he was pressed to drop all investigation into Burisma holdings, the company that employed Hunter David, and
3) there was never a court ruling that found that prosecutor guilty of corruption or anything.
These documents have been online for a while ad yet the Associated Press and the NYT claim that Trump's accusations re Biden are unsubstantiated which is FAKE NEWS.
There is an interesting interview with Giuliani about these facts where the anchor interrupts him each time he tries to say something against the MSM's narrative.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#sent?projector=1
Biden's corruption in Ukraine and China is painstakingly researched in Peter Schweitzer's book, Secret Empires,
a non partisan investigation that also looks into the shoddy conflicts of interests of Mitch McConnell and Jared Kushner.
8
Peter Schweitzer’s book has been thoroughly debunked nor does any of it have any relationship to nor offer any cover for Trump’s corrupt behavior.
6
@Alexgri Why in the world hasn't fox news brought the Biden thing a long time ago being that their fair and balanced
2
@Alexgri Why in the world hasn't fox news brought the Biden thing a long time ago being that their fair and balanced
Hey hacker what's up with the link. NO ONE CLICK ON IT
3
Trump lamented “Where is my Roy Cohn?” Well he certainly has not found him in Rudy Giuliani. RG craves the spotlight almost as much as Trump. He is everywhere and loves to appear on CNN.This itself is strange given that Trump describes CNN as failing and the enemy of the people. If Trump is counting on RG to rescue him he may as well pack his bags right now. Simply put RG is an embarrassment to NYC and to the legal profession. And this is Trump’s saviour?
15
@Milton Lewis
Compared to the Trumps' Organization's criminal syndicate, the Bidens are strictly a Ma and Pa operation, if what you claim has any ultimate veracity.
Impeach Pence too, please.
43
They all belong in jail.
22
Please add to the list: Comey, Flynn, Sessions, Tillerson, Kelly, Erik Prince, Bannon, Hannity, Conway, Mercers, Putin... I'm sure I'm missing some.
May I add that we need to ignore trumpty's distractions which will come fast and furious and trust the process that has begun. Advocate for that. Ignoring a person takes away their power and minimizes their importance. Keep focused on the one thing which is now more important than even climate change for the short term; the impeachment and trial of this treasonous clown. Remember the best way to defeat a bully is by ignoring them and when necessary; a punch to the face. At this point both are required. Aloha
16
it's long past time to requisition the actual recording of the phone call. Certainly Ukraine's government has a copy they'd be happy to supply (unedited, no trascript necessy). For words are not said in a vacum, and hearing the tone, intonations, tenor of the conversation can be the difference between words on paper, and what they very same words were meant to convey (threat).
And, if there is nothing to see, that it was a "perfect conversation" then the blustering fool trump should have no problem issuing orders for all the world to see that he is just making small talk.
Right. What are you sycophantic enablers afriad of?
Answer: whatever it is the badly written and badly performing mob boss a/k/a trump had to say.
Nuff said. Let's HEAR the conversation already.
10
Why hasn't Giuliani been disbarred?
41
recommend, good list, good questions, giddy...up
9
President Trump has called the Democratic Party "savages". We know what he's called African countries and people he holds in contempt. Haven't we heard ad nauseum all the nasty nicknames he christened his enemies for the past 3 years?
Now the whole gang of crooks in the White House will be investigated up the yingyang by our Democratic Congress. The list of all the people who are being investigated reads like a script for SNL. Tragic, isn't it? Whistle-blowers have inspired the Congress to impeach our 45th president. May impeachment (and resignation or removal from office) afflict our teflon don soon.
14
Look out Mike Pence! The bus is coming for you.
25
There are two (2) fundamental points that The Times Editorial Board has (deliberately?) missed.
1) The first one is that "the Whistleblower" has written what is hearsay. The "knowledge
1
Of course Trump doesn't work alone. He is an idiot who has enriched himself at the expense of others. He has an enormous ego but he only knows how to lie and cheat others. Why people believe him is beyond me, but they do.
He will throw anyone under a bus in order to keep himself looking like the 'stable genius' he thinks he is. Guliani and Barr have sworn allegiance to him and will protect him, lie for him, and commit crimes knowing that by continuing to be loyal, they will get pardoned.
Why is the GOP so quiet now? Obviously, waiting to see how this plays out with Trump's supporters who are blind to his underhanded ways. Should that dwindle, the GOP will stand up and cry 'treason' and whatever else they think they have to say to keep their own support. Since that doesn't look like it will happen and there are so many facts that prove Trump has reached out to a foreign country again, they are probably hoping this will go away.
I hope the GOP goes away... to prison.
22
@Louise
The GOP will go down with Trump, the party shares responsibility for Trump, the party made him possible.
17
What about the CIA general counsel? She first had the complaint and took it to the WH. Why? Did she do anything else with it? Did she tell her boss about the complaint? What does Gina know about it?
8
Investigate
Indict/Impeach
Trial by peers
Convict
Incarcerate
20
Now everything is just creepy
while Trump goes screechy.
Mueller didn't touch him from afar;
we heard that directly from Bill Barr.
So Rudy "the Mouth" said "do it a-gain"
this time with a big "favor" from Ukraine.
The call was then made
and Zelensky was swayed,
but before it they could hide it
a patriotic CIA agent spied it.
The whistle was blown;
the transcript was shown,
and Pelosi was beseeched
that Trump must be impeached.
Now everything is just peachy
while Trump goes screechy.
31
We commentators MUST nominate this piece for Comment of the Year!
2
Cliches anyone? Here is the list of "usual suspects" to be rounded up, as well as it being a veritable "rogues gallery." Let's finally get to it, please!
7
"I will hire only the best people." - DJT
Translation:
I will hire a bunch of sycophants to do my dirty work. And then throw them under the bus.
33
A general rule of thumb here would be to question anyone like Geraldo Rivera, who thinks that patriotic, civic-minded, honest citizens like the whistleblower are, to use his phrase, “rotten snitches” that he’d “like to whack”.
8
We have witnessed repeated violations of the oath of office by this president. the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump. took and an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Donald Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he is a man of low moral character, he has proven his deep ignorance, incompetence, and that he can be is easily corrupted and manipulated. He acts reflexively out of self-interest to protect himself and to derive transaction benefits in any given moment. His Republican supporters and defenders are equally corrupt co-conspirators. Effectively the White House, attendant staff, the cabinet, and much of the Republican party combined are a organized crime syndicate, a Mob. Trump is the Mob boss and chief. He must removed from office along with his enablers and consiglieres. With every move they now take to defend him, they demonstrate their complicity and involvement in this criminal enterprise.
15
How about the 300 pound guy in his parent's basement spreading debunked conspiracy theories? Oh wait, that's the President.
26
Yank them out, one by one. Demagoguery requires complicit, enabling followers. The fish may rot from the head down, but the assistant tail and deputy fins always join the stink voluntarily.
15
You should add Dan Coates and Sue Gordon to this list.
Why was Coates fired under suspicious timing and what do these two know. I bet there is much more to this story.....
16
Q: Is Rudy on the federal or private payroll?
15
Chris Wallace, Fox, reported this morning that Trump/Giuliani had two lawyers working with them "off the books". It is no surprise that the two lawyers turn out to be the husband and wife team of diGenova and Toensing!! Add them to the list.
23
Trump's deflection of any criticism, as in this latest scandal, where he keeps pointing to, "look what the other guys did", is typical of the bullying techniques he uses. He has never really grown up.
Separately, trump's efforts to get any support in the way of "favors" as he called them, in his telephone call with Mr. Zelensky, if realized, would not only have helped himself, but gone some way to help his buddy Putin. It could have been a winner for P and T!
11
William Barr is "neck deep" in this mess. Neck? You've got to be kidding.
9
I'd also include Pat Cippilone, as Maguire testified that he knew of the complaint, but did not facilitate it's release as mandated by law.
12
"A man is known by the company he keeps." Aesop
Trump's rogues gallery says it all.
21
It all stinks to high heaven.
The longer it’s dragged out past these questions, the more chance Trump has of outlasting the inquiry, and the greater chance his minions and cult followers simply shrug and wail false equivalencies.
As has been pointed out a million times, Trump survives because he has no shame and simply lies and deflects. And his GOP allies are now just as shameless and just as corrupt. If they won’t admit that the already known facts are a smoking gun, then they are irredeemable and our country is in serious trouble.
8
Why is Ukraine so important to Trump and Putin? It's at the heart of Trump-Russia, as I note here https://realcontextnews.com/how-cohens-and-manaforts-ukraine-ties-tell-the-deeper-story-of-trump-russia-and-the-mueller-probe/ Also, as Giuliani embarrasses himself over Ukraine and Biden, a look at Rudy's own shady ties to Ukraine and the Russian mafia https://realcontextnews.com/rudy-giulianis-kislin-connection-raises-issues-for-his-role-as-trumps-russia-lawyer-exclusive-analysis/ And with Trump using his official power as POTUS in conducting foreign policy to target Joe Biden, we may have his most explicit attempt to make govt into his own personal political tool for hurting his political enemies, part of a trend with him/GOP I note here https://realcontextnews.com/trump-gop-destroying-the-pillars-of-democracy/ On impeachment, I believe that Trump should have been impeached some time ago, but practical considerations make this issue much more complicated, as I noted before here https://realcontextnews.com/the-impeachment-of-donald-trump-russias-victory/ And let's not forget the main opening chapter in this whole saga, what I call the Russo-American Cyberwar of 2016. See the big-picture you haven't read about in my take here: https://realcontextnews.com/the-first-russo-american-cyberwar-how-obama-lost-putin-won-ensuring-a-trump-victory/ Trump telling the Russians in 2017 he wasn't concerned about election interference is grossly unacceptable after what happened.
6
Hasn't every single political appointee in his Administration yet realized that, in time, with complete certainty, he or she will be corrupted, used, destroyed and tossed out by Trump like a soiled rag?
If integrity isn't enough to avoid this cesspool, how about at least saving a career?
12
Operational heavyweights Pompeo and Barr particularly need to be interrogated and held to account.
13
Am I the only person that finds it interesting that Trump is much more interested in the 2 Ukraine's supposed involvements with the last campaign's foreign meddling and not at all interested in Putins meddling. Is it at all possible that Trump is showing his holding support to Ukraine to impress Putin's desire take Ukraine back. Something smell fishy here besides his pursuit of dirt on Biden's son. Like his preference for Ukraine's previous administration criminals only for Biden's dirt.
13
Democrats in congress should site the oath of office to everyone on this list(on tape) prior to asking any questions. These people need to understand that their role in this administration will be examined and scrutinized for decades to come. They can go down in history as whistle blowers and patriots or as self serving goons with zero regard for our constitution.
8
Here’s another one to work on: Trump said “ there’s a lot of talk about” or “I’m hearing” or “people are saying”. Who who who are these phantom anonymous sources that seem to be perpetually talking into the Trump ear? Hannity? Joe Schmo who delivers the coffee? Melania and Tiffany? Brett Kavanaugh? Are they real? I want some clarity on who the Donald is conversing with, don’t you?
16
@ABaron - Yes, I do along with "an anonymous source close to the White House said..."
3
I believe that there are patriots in the DOJ, State Department or NSC that will come forward and do the right thing. It takes only one person and this corrupt, rot infested administration will fall.
10
This outcome was inevitable the day Trump took the oath of office. He is corrupt, end of story. Now he is a corrupt President. How could we expect anything else.
The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung, to which the scorpion replies "I couldn't help it. It's in my nature."
Trump is the Corrupt Scorpion.
9
Robbing Hood, and his merry band of accomplices. Steal from the Rich and crooked, and KEEP the loot.
Seriously.
3
I'm not sure Mr. Schiff is grateful for your opinion citing how his committee should do its job.
Why not keep your powder dry till you have something of import to say?
Peter Kelly
Palominas, Arizona
1
@Peter Kelly
I appreciated the article and the questions that need answered. Please do not use gun vernacular to try and make your point, it is not appreciated.
4
Not only does Donald Trump rarely work alone, but his tendencies seem to lean in a direction which is so conflict-averse as to necessitate a staff on hand at all times to follow his orders, or “act loyal,” as Trump might say. He’s also someone who deliberately built the headquarters of his business ‘empire’ in the same building he lives in, because he’s that much of an eccentric shut-in.
“Mr. Barr should have formally recused himself from any involvement with it. Why didn’t he?”
For the same reason that he was appointed:
“In his waning days in office, Mr. Bush resolved to pardon Mr. Weinberger. ‘I went over and told the president I thought he should not only pardon Caspar Weinberger, but while he was at it, he should pardon about five others,’ Mr. Barr later said. Mr. Walsh called the pardons ‘the last card’ in the cover-up.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/09/us/politics/who-is-william-barr.html
“Mr. Trump himself has suggested looking into Mr. Pence’s interactions with Ukrainian officials. ‘And I think you should ask for VP Pence’s conversation, because he had a couple conversations also,’”
Is there anyone that Donald Trump won’t throw under the bus, other than Ivanka?
7
It seems most Republicans feel that treason is now acceptable - as long as it's a Republican doing it.
20
@Chicago Guy
Yep, just like balanced budgets, the rule of law and respect for The Constitution. They were only kidding, they really didn't mean it.
9
When did he first get the idea to pressure Ukraine?
That’s obvious: from watching Fox News harp on the issue. And bizarre presidential behavior.
3
Cowards never act alone. They always need someone else to do the the dirty work, and shoulder the blame.
7
Common criminals and thugs all! What a mess but the truth will prevail and hopefully these guys get the jail time that they so richly deserve.
2
If these people also offered help for Ukraine in exchange for investigating Biden's son, does that mean they would also be impeached?
3
The chamber of horrors, those the article named, who enable trump in his daily corruption and lies have turned up the echo chamber. Sorry, it will not work as too many people are watching and know the truth. Trump tells US himself. Most Americans are sick to death of trump!
3
This process will work only if Congress is ready, willing and able to put anyone who obstructs the inquiry in any way in jail.
5
Trump is cunning, but not smart. And he certainly knows nothing about how government works. I always picture him lying, flailing on his back, demanding his own way and protection and care.
On the other hand, Barr and other apparatchiks know how to pull the levers to get Baby Donnie what he wants. The best thing about Trump's impeachment or about him losing the 2020 election is that his troop of manipulative monkeys will go with him. (Yes, monkeys are cleverer than Trump.)
8
President Trump’s assaults on democracy are rarely solo endeavors.
Among the thugs, goons, yes-men-and-women, apologists, enablers and the Republican Congress and other Trump supporters are Rupert Murdoch and Fox News.
6
As a former prosecutor, I wouldn't call Barr, Rudy or Pompeo into a public hearing until I locked them in via a deposition. They are liars. They won't disclose facts because they will assert one or more privileges. Get a former prosecutor to depose them first. Lock those liars in.
18
@Allan
Will the next ABA meeting feature everyone chanting "Lock them in!"?
2
"Trump rarely acts alone."
Donald Trump himself is attracted to the corrupt,
attracts the corrupt,
and corrupts the corruptible.
6
The House investigators would have to pursue this matter in an aggressive manner that would do credit to the likes of Jordan, Pompeo, and other Tea Party nasty meanies, and such freelance mercenaries like Rudy Giuliani. Half-hearted efforted would not get the job done. "Cause besides acting as a Russian Romanov, Trump is also his own Rasputin who also is aided further by a number of insider and outsider Rasputins, like Bill Barr and Rudy Giuliani.
2
Excellent essay, as usual; the NYTimes Editorial Board is now one my first go-to's when reading this historic Pulitzer-Prize-winning news source.
You guys and gals are doing a great service to America by providing information and, most importantly, insight into the complexities of politics. You are not always right, of course -- who is? -- but you always make me form, at least somewhat, and rethink my position.
I hope lawmakers will read this column regularly and take notes. It could only help. Objective truth and perusing a wide selection of opinion can set us free. Bad thinking, bad ideas, and unsupported bias are killing us.
10
Trump is an empty vessel, getting his ideas from the person who had his ear most recently, to whit: his gun control pronouncements, immediately rescinded upon his visits from NRA leader LaPierre. In this case, the ideas were whispered in his ear by the henchmen mentioned in this article. It’s not rocket science. Indict and convict these men.
7
Press Bolton, Dems. The now-infamous call was July 25. Bolton left the White House Sept. 10 under murky circumstances and with Trump having created another Twitter target. Bolton would have been privy to much of the Ukraine caper. Perhaps he is ready to serve that cold dish of revenge.
11
What about getting the Donald Trump to testify?
6
@Reader - Agreed. The Republicans can't come up with some phony talk about a sitting president can't be called to testify. And Donald Trump is no Clinton. He will stumble all over himself in less than 10 minutes. He is worse than Rudy.
5