Sure dems, knock yourself out. Just find evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor. Good luck with that. Ukraine is a nothing. No one but someone suffering from TDS could look at that transcript and see anything problematic. The real issue there is Joe Biden and the suspicious pay for play with his son Biden. His expertise on what was worth $600k or more to a Ukraine company. And let's not forget China. Or Joe's quid pro quo.
The Ukraine scandal will never lead to Trump leaving office, but if the dems push this -- given that they've been pushing impeachment since day 1 -- the rest of the country will see it for what it is. And once that fails, if the house then passes articles of impeachment on something else, it will look like nothing but a partisan attack.
Find evidence of a real crime -- fine. But the dems are acting like they've drawn a royal flush but they don't even have two of a kind. This isn't a winning strategy. Let we the people decide at the ballot box.
12
@Ralphie
The Biden family may indeed deserve further investigation. No rule that says corruption has to be solely confined to Trump. Nevertheless, the constant refrain of Biden, Biden, Biden is a deflection and a smoke screen, the "what about the other guy" argument, or in this case Donny whining, "but what about Joey, he did it too". For most of us that argument was invalidated when we last tried it on the Kindergarten playground. Trump needs to be thoroughly investigated, irregardless of what Biden may or may not have done. There is more than enough out there to justify at minimum a reasonable suspicion that Trump may have committed not only "high crimes and misdemeanors", but actual felonies under most penal codes as well. And if you want to parse legalities, reasonable suspicion is a basis for starting a criminal investigation, much less an impeachment investigation in any jurisdiction.
64
@Ralphie
And oh by the way. I'm not a Dem!
16
@Ralphie
Yes, the "suspicions" about Biden's son. Thank you for reminding me. I got distracted by facts, like Trump pressuring foreign powers to slander his political rival on national television. By the way, I heard the NATO countries are getting together to start an investigation into the Kushners. We really need to get to the bottom of this nepotism! And genius grants for Slovenian models, and chain migration for their parents. Very suspicious.
84
What Democrats need is evidence of a concrete crime, money laundering, tax/bank fraud, and for that they need Donald Trump's financial documents to be turned over. But in the present case they are not doing enough to deny Donald Trump his plausible deniability that he is merely "asking" Ukraine to "investigate" the Bidens. Evidence to the contrary in the form of a completed "investigation" that Donald Trumps fixer Rudy Giuliani has admitted being the source of has been turned over to Congress by IG Linick. It is abundantly clear that all that was required from the Ukrainian president in return for the $400M military aid was to sign off on the bill of goods presented to them by Giuliani
62
@IGUANA They also need the actual transcripts of the phone conversations with Ukraine and China, hidden in a highly secretive server.
10
@IGUANA
"ASKING" Ukraine for an investigation of a political opponent is a federal crime.
28
@IGUANA Merely "asking" Ukraine to "investigate" the Bidens is illegal. Trump is asking for a thing of value from a foreign government, in an attempt to derail Biden's run for president. Trump was televised asking China for help with Biden, and also asked China on a phone call for dirt on Biden and Warren. Plenty of evidence of impeachable offenses. How many times does the head of the decimated FEC have to declare that what trump has done/is doing is against the law?
28
Typical of Democratic thinking to have a legitimate basis for attacking your opponent and then to overreach, thereby turning off others who may have been willing to give Democrats their support.
30
@Jay Orchard The real problem is not Demo overreaching, but the amount of caution. It's the Trump administration that has been overreaching for years now, and destroying our State Department, EPA, HUD - the list is long. Mr. Blow is 100% right. It's not the Senate we should worry about. They will either come to a realization or not. We need to stand up for our country before we can't recognize it any more.
137
@Jay Orchard How is holding a lawless president to account considered overreaching? Particularly when he is obviously trying to use illegitimate means to get reelected next year? What choice did they have but to impeach?
116
@Jay I wouldn’t say that putting a career criminal on trial more that once is overreaching.
107
Liberal Democrats have been frothing at the mouth since Trump was elected and, as such, have not always shone good sense in their campaigns against the man.
Now, however, they may be learning that multiple fusillades against the man tends to weaken their overall argument. And, as some have noted, the public is becoming weary of the rhetoric from the liberals.
Therefore, their best shot at being successful is to pick the most likely road to actual impeachment and put their eggs in that basket. They may not win, but at least they can present a unified face to the population, something they have not managed yet.
Either way, they have an uphill trek and I do not wish them success.
26
The growing poll numbers in favor of an impeachment inquiry run counter to your argument that the populace is tired of investigations into presidential wrongdoings. Independents and Republicans of conscience are moving towards accountability for abuses of power. Whether the cowardly GOP Congress will notice this shift and due their duty to country to uphold the Constitution remains to be seen but doing nothing in the face of such transgressions against our shared democracy by the President sets a terrible precedent for future presidents be they Republican or Democrat.
101
@MCMA I believe that polls numbers can be misleading. However, consider this: Many Democrats fervently hope to get Trump impeached. A number of Republicans would be tempted to poll for impeachment just to get it over with to show that the Dems have overreached the evidence.
Actual voting for impeachment in the Senate is quite different and, if it gets that far, might well show that the Democrats have overextended themselves.
3
@Bill: I would agree with you except for the fact that every one of those fusillades has been true. They weren't made up, and if any ONE of them had been true of any other president at all, that president would have been impeached, censured, or forced to resign.
It is the very fact that there has been so much actionable activity that Trump has so far gotten away with every single one. They cancel each other out because no one can see clearly through this unbelievable miasma.
80
Columns like these are counterproductive. Should Trump be impeached? I don’t know. In fact, no one truly knows, that is the purpose of an impeachment inquiry.
In the United States, we investigate and draw conclusions. Trump is the duly elected President and there are rules, which should be followed before conclusory statements calling for his head should be made.
29
Yes, there are rules and he has broken most of them with impunity. This latest one is against the law. We either are a nation of laws or we are not.
144
@Mark Yes, we know. The facts already revealed by those involved in public comments by people such as Senator Johnson, Ambassador Sondland, former Ambassador Volker, and Mr. Giuliani, not to mention the President himself - buttressed by the hard evidence of texts, and instructions to the Pentagon to withhold payments are sufficient for impeachment of this President.
106
@Mark I can see your point of view. But it's kinda obvious what the Prezzy has done. The facts will be gathered and an impeachment vote will take place and I think probably succeed based on what we know NOW. Then it will be up to the Senate and the Republicans to make a choice. I seriously think R's will feel the pain next year if they let him off the hook.
44
Yes. Brilliant!
1
Absolutely, Charles, every single word.
1
Impeach, rinse and repeat..
2
A number commentators here have implied no crime was commited. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30121
There ya go. A crime.
1
Dear Mr. Blow: Could you please comment about Donald Trump's statements re: "stable genius" and today's "in my great and unmatched wisdom". It sounds like someone on the verge of total craziness. I enjoy your op/ed's and would like to read your take on this.
Thanks,
Richard J. Larcade
[email protected]
917.331.9825 M
4
I have no doubts this man will be impeached, the House should not stop with Trump. Virtually everyone in his Cabinet needs to be removed:
Mnuchin, William Barr, Sunny Purdue, Wilbur Ross, Ben Carson, Mrs. McConnell (aka Elaine Chao), Betsy De Vos, Gina Haspel.
After Trump is gone, these nefarious individuals will still be around. The House needs to "Clean House" otherwise the above (and others) will still find ways to disrupt and corrupt.
4
Trump does not respect the process or laws. When you make such an assertion, we should realize that Trump has never ever respected process or the legal system. He has abused it to his own ends throughout his career. At Trump Tower he had his enablers like Michael Cohen. He didn't pay his bills. he declared bankruptcy, and he has always left others holding the bag. Now he has his enablers in the White House as Frank Bruni pointed out yesterday.
The man is a classic grifter, defined this way at Vocabulary.com: someone who cheats others out of money. Grifters are also known as chiselers, defrauders, gougers, scammers, swindlers, and flim-flam men. If this does not describe Trump, I don't know what does. Why do you think he doesn't want to show you his taxes? His scams will be there for all to see.
He should be impeached, he should be convicted, and he should leave the White House in handcuffs for the crimes he committed there and in his "businesses." He is an insult to all Americans thoughtful enough to pay attention to his awful behavior. I can hardly wait for him to be gone.
7
I agree with your reasoning here. It is time to fight for the republic. It will signal that the Democrats are the party of the Constitution where no one is above the law.
And while at it, impeach Barr and Pompeo and Pence and the whole rotten lot of them. Mulvaney too.
7
If there is evidence of a crime, impeach. Why wouldn't you? The only two reasons I can think of would be cowardice or contempt for the American public.
3
Bravo, Charles!
Drumpf has committed a laundry list of offenses against the Constitution, the Office and the American people.
Try him and fry him.
2
Even if Trump gets re-elected he should be immediately impeached again. If the Dems win control of the Senate they should refuse to schedule any hearing for any new Supreme Court Justices, and for any Federal Judges that Trump may nominate. If Trump gets re-elected Dems should make sure that his second term is a total disaster for Trump and for the reputation of all Republicans who hold office.
3
The Ukraine phone call is clear evidence of a crime, justifying a count of impeachment. Inviting China to get in on the action is another count. The obstruction of legally authorized subpoenas is another count. When Trump urges somebody to commit a crime, and say's he'll pardon them, that's probably an impeachable crime. The emoluments stuff may be too hard to package to make an impeachment count. Some of the congress people who have been offering impeachment resolutions can probably provide further counts which have easy facts and are not just policy differences. They should all be voted on in the House and presented to the Senate, so that, at a minimum, future presidents are warned off of some of the corrupt behavior emanating from the current president.
2
--Perhaps Mr. Blow thinks that the entire focus of the country should be on impeaching Trump.. but he is wrong.
..There are doctors, nurses, teachers, construction workers, firefighters, people raising young children, caring for senior parents, bringing a sick dog to the vet...and on and on.. The impeachment has importance, but it really does not make much direct impact on most of our lives.. Whether Republican or Democrat we continue on regardless of impeachment hearings.
--Mr. Blow's obsession with Trump is a self-indulgence most people can't afford... and don't want..
4
I don't believe Trump supporters believe Trump. He's dishonest and they know it. To them I say, consider what life would be like to live in a society where someone could commit a crime against YOU; admit to it publicly; have it corroborated by evidence and witnesses but yet, a jury refused to convict (and your friends and family refused to believe you) because hey, they liked the guy who did it to you. You wouldn't have a bit of trouble seeing the injustice in that. You make no sense.
3
Yes. The truth needs to be hammered in to the minds of the people. It rarely comes in a revelatory flash, rather truth is hammered out of a solid block of cultivated ignorance. We can’t let up.
2
I am a Never Trump Republican, and I assure you that you are wise to pursue impeachment on the narrow grounds related to Ukraine. If you start down the whole conspiracy theory of Trump working with Putin to steal the 2016 election, you will lose any chance for Republican support. Your proposal that Democrats keep the impeachment inquiry open as a back-up may sound good on paper, but practically speaking you will undermine your best shot at removing Trump.
Let's take this one step at a time. First impeach him for inviting foreign governments to investigate a political rival and for obstructing the congressional investigation into it. Then in the Senate, the first priority is to get enough Republicans on board to ensure a full trial of the matter. Stop bad mouthing people like Mitt Romney. Champion the courage of every Republican who speaks out against Trump.
Remember, it's easy to condemn a president of the other party. Courage is condemning a president of your own. By my count there are already five potential Republican votes against Trump in the Senate--Romney, Collins, Murkowsky, Sasse, and Toomey. You need 15 more to convict, which seems impossible now, but it is not impossible, just unlikely. The goal is to garner the 15 votes during the trial process. If it happens, it will happen suddenly, and perhaps behind close doors. Twenty Republican Senators will secretly agree to vote for conviction and surprise the world with a coup de grace that cannot be undone.
4
Charles with all due respect I disagree. I have to go with Speaker Pelosi on this one. Yes many Americans know right from wrong but we knew much of what was wrong with trumo before the election and yet 62 million Americans voted for him. Right did not triumph over wrong. We are a nation if compromised morality.
We cannot risk and endless impeachment or the typical short attention span American will tune out. I think Speaker Pelosi is correct, this shot has to be well documented, iron clad and swift. Yes McConnell and the Republican Senate may obfuscate but that will be fresh on the minds of voters in 2020. They will have an opportunity once again to choose between right and wrong.
2
Trump is a cheap arcade game from the 80s who cares nothing about anything except getting quarters and making you smile and freak out for 2 minutes
2
If Trump shot somebody on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, and it was televised, and he made no attempt to deny it, I would expect an inquiry, followed by a debate over whether the law against shooting people was being interpreted correctly, followed by an investigation into Elizabeth Warren's son.
5
Everything depends on political opinion. If the public opinion really turns against Trump as it did against Nixon that will be really bad news for Trump. It is too early to tell which way things are going to go but there are early hints that Trump is increasingly in political trouble. I don't most of the public is buying his spin that this is a Democratic witch hunt.
1
I've been saying the same thing all week.
2
Terrific. Far too many daily crimes to let them recede into the mind-numbing, normalizing past. Anti-corruption thy name is Accountability.
3
Under the proposed strategy, who would have control over issuing subpoena's? Who would have control over when to end inquiries over each charge?
Per a recent tweet today Trump's mindset is astonishingly grandiose: "in my great and unmatched wisdom'! Yes, put the brakes on again and again and again until we pry this horrific
person out of power he has no right to.
12
In 2016, during the days of James Brien Comey's discovery of a new batch of Hillary Clinton's e-mails, I was having lunch with an acquaintance of mine during which we were exchanging our opinions on that news because, we Europeans, are very keen on the welfare of USA.
I still remember exactly what I had told him: "Listen to me Antonio, you know what? In the coming decades, tourists visiting the United States of America will take photos of tall granite statues of Comey erected in the most famous squares of this great country, because he, with his scrupulous working attitude, has now involuntarily moved countless votes from Hillary to the other presidential runner. In other words - I continued, while Antonio was slowly shooking his head - he has banned the inadequate Democratic candidate's victory, giving way to her competitor who, for sure, will be impeached in the next few years."
I was so involved in such optimistic hope or, I could say now, clear vision, that I barely tasted my "Spaghetti ai frutti di mare" dish.
1
Dems are cowards. Let them take impeachment to the full House of Representatives. They don't want to because the new members (from Trump districts) will have to take a stand and vote. That's not what Pelosi wants but it is something that has always been done.
2
Journalists, products of the deep state, incestuousness of the media and Dem.Party who attack our president so viciously, relentlessly,should be grateful they live in a country where there is a Bill of Rights and a First Amendment. Not so in many other countries in the world, to wit Mexico where hundreds of journalists have lost their lives for having criticized collusion of government officials with drug lords, or in Algeria, where more than 70 journalists were "offed,"either by the armed forces or GAI, FIS during the second Algerian war. If you earned your living , Mr, Blow, as a journo in Algeria during the iron rule of Boumedienne or Bouteflika, just 2 examples, would you have the stamina to criticize them, attack either of them as easily with the same vindictiveness that you go after Trump and his supporters."Reflechissez,"as they say down home, down yonder in Breax Bridge,parishes with which I am acquainted in your home state!
1
It's official. Blow is an elite.
Bless his heart that he doesn't share in any if the nation's socioeconomic problems, and wants only 24/7 impeachment entertainment.
His view is not shared in the African-American community, where real problems still exist.
Who is paying for this again?
2
How many Ukranians died while Trump was withholding our Congressionally-approved dollars for his political gain? The will of the people, and our dollars, were held up with lethal consequences, for his advantage! Please report the number of Ukranians killed in combat from the time the aid was withheld to when it was released. There are certainly Ukranians who lost loved ones because of his egotistical contempt for the will of the American people. And, somehow, this is supposed to be subtle. Are you kidding me?
2
The Founding Fathers wanted a clear way to reel in an authoritarian, crazy, incompetent, unpatriotic and/or unhinged President.
It appears the Founding Fathers were thinking of Donald Trump, a man whose springboard to political fame was the despicably racist Birther Lie and who has since followed that conspiracy with nonstop conspiracy since the Electoral College failed its duties and elected him into office.
We know that the Republican Senate has no principles besides oligarchy and that Moscow Mitch long ago abandoned the United States Constitution.
Let the House bring well-earned articles of impeachment to Treasonous Trump, Pastor Pence and and his lackey William Barr for aiding and abetting Trump Treason.
As George Washington warned in his Farewell Address:
"As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils ? Such an attachment of a small or weak towards a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter."
"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government."
The Republican Party has abandoned America.
7
@Socrates
Please Sir! Stop with this "founding fathers" malarkey. They were slave owners who I would not want to live next door to. Washington's farewell address! We are in 2019 and if you don't have anything more recent to guide us at least go back and quote Spinoza on Ethics.
1
We had 2yrs of Russian collusion ordeal ended with nothing except that it was likely Russian disinformation in the first place and Democrats fell for it.
As with the boy who cried Wolf too often credibility wanes.
Real justice would entail finding the origin and those who instigated the collusion gambit in the first place..in and out of the government as AG Barr is doing. The Peter Strzok Lisa Page "insurance policy" didn't emanate from a vacuum.
..beware of digging too deep in Ukrainian machinations too,Democrats made a lot money there.
1
Rather than multiple impeachments, do it right once. Impeach Trump on his most important abuses of power and press the Constitutional crisis hard. His climate denialism and anti-environmental policies endanger the planet. His racist lies are cited by white supremacist mass murderers. Pelosi’s trying to keep impeachment low profile, but Trump’s stonewalling makes that impossible. Impeachment must force Trump to obey the law, slowing his march toward autocracy. Charge Pompeo, Giuliani, and Barr with contempt of Congress and take them to Federal court. Trump isn’t going to be removed from office or resign—the fight itself the victory for rule of law.
3
Excellent, excellent idea. Wish I had thought of it.
1
Isn’t it interesting that we are now learning that not only did Biden’s son get a coveted board seat on a Ukrainian energy company, but Pelosi’s son and Kerry’s son have also managed to install themselves on the board of Ukrainian energy companies.
Trump is hitting the corrupt politicians’ nerves.
There is a wonderful opportunity for an actual journalist to research how many politicians have their children installed in positions around the world for which they are totally unqualified for.
1
Ken: It’s equally interesting that the Chinese granted all those copyrights to Ivanka early on in her father’s presidency. And that Saudi Arabia rode to the financial rescue of Jared on one of his buildings for which he’d overpaid. Or the deals for a Trump hotel built in one of the ‘Stan’s with dirty money prior to his run for the presidency; Ivanka acted as the family rep there,too.
It’s a simple fact of life that organizations striving to do business with the US will use family members of powerful people to dress up their boards. Whaddayagonnado?
6
@Subjecttochange
Probably not elect politicians that brag about it.
1
Our 'CurrentOccupant' president, with the help of Barr, Graham and other GoP jellyfish think they can hold back Congress' subpoenas and demands to appear before them, like holding them in dry dock.
The Ukraine matter is the first crack in the floodgates surrounding their obstruction. Piecing that defense will itself force open the door to the full deluge of ensuing congressional inquiries.
Like the U.S.S. Arizona, the Mueller investigation and it's report are lurking just below the water line. Mueller's efforts will buttress most of what Congress can pump out of it thru it's First Article powers ...!
3
Call me crazy, but I think Trump hates the job and wants to be impeached.
2
Shameful to think that there is a criminal in the White House that is so incompetent and flatly evil that multiple impeachment proceedings would even be thought of. Such is where we find ourselves. Republicans, you have plainly given up any pretense of morality. Your place in our nation's history will be forever soiled by his corruption and your refusal to defend your own country.
9
@Chris Hunter,
Perfectly stated.
3
in a world where the transaction is what matters, and getting ahead at all costs is what's important, his behavior isn't at all surprising. There are countless others like him raising families, running companies, at the head of foreign countries, etc. For me, it is the natural endgame of capitalism run amok. As Marianne Williamson has so brilliantly observed, Trump is simply an expression, a symptom, of systems in wild disarray.
2
If the democrats tried to impeach Trump a second time, its likely Mitch McConnell would just stall or not allow a second trial proceed. So I think it best if the democrats should go in with all the articles of impeachment that they can. But proving what Trump did with regards to Ukraine should be fairly simple, and all the other articles could more or less be kept in reserve for when the republicans find some technicality to let Trump be Trump.
It would be nice to say that impeachment was only about preserving the constitution, but the sad reality is that its
really about convincing the republicans to find a better candidate so the next election isn't just a mandate on whether giving Trump another term is worth shredding 243 years of democracy and the rule of law.
1
The release of tax returns must now be a required law when running for president, and term limits for senators should be next
3
Emoluments? Why is everyone forgetting about the clause in the US Constitution about emoluments? Is Congress afraid to investigate this issue? Is the emoluments Clause a joke?
4
The House and the Senate have the ability to censure the President. This President commits acts justifying censure multiple times per week and sometimes multiple times per day. Both House and Senate members should propose censuring the President every single time he commits a censurable act. In the last 9 months alone the Democrats could have censured the President for past and present acts more than a thousand times. The purposes would be to keep score and to call out this horrible individual who happens to be the POTUS for each and everything has done and does.
3
We need a leaker* at the IRS to put trump’s tax returns in the public domain. If the ruling on his tax returns goes to the Supreme Court it is VERY likely that the PARTISAN republican judges: gorsuch, kavanaugh, Thomas, alito, and Roberts will find in trump’s favor. Not for the good of our democracy and country (no matter what their rationale would be) but for their party...
republicans sadly are party OVER Country.
*perhaps we ought to take up a collection for that hero’s legal defense... and a reward for service to the Country. Just sayin...
5
If we can't use impeachment, we must arrest everyone who avoids oversight in the house. They are breaking the law of the peoples house. We own these political appointments. DC has a perfect jail governed by the house.
3
Author is too biased in his views to be taken seriously as a political analyst, so when one reads him,one does not expect a reasoned, objective assessment, but simply an article full of emotionally charged animosity.1 has a right to be enlightened when one opens up the cover of the TIMES, but such is not the case here. Being an advocacy journalist and presenting both sides of the issue are not contradictory. What I wanted to know is whether it is, as Andrew McCarthy has said about impeachment inquiry nothing more than a t.v. show, hence Mr.Blow's words that Dems. should just keep on impeaching, or will Pelosi do the right thing and call for a vote as was the case in 1998 and 1973?"Encore une fois," Biden's successful efforts to be named to the board of an energy company in Ukraine w/o experience in the energy field, then being a beneficiary of another more lucrative windfall in China thanks to his father does not sit well with millions of average Americans who actually work for a living. Author should have more empathy for his fellow Americans.
2
I wholeheartedly agree! And who knew that wholeheartedly was only one word, and also that it was OK to start a sentence with And!! Not unlike nonetheless I guess. But I digress, sorry couldn't help it.
Unfortunately it won't end there, even if it ultimately succeeds in limiting the perimeter of the stain that he is upon the arc of civilization.
It is a stain that grows, and feeds upon all that is vile in human nature, where it finds ample sustenance. I still believe that at the bottom of Pandora's box there is hope, but I despair at the depths we must plumb to find it.
2
My advice to Charles is to stay away from dead horses lest he be overcome with the irresistible desire to beat it. At least we know Charles is a man of his word with his 2017 vow to watch over every move Trump makes like a possessed hawk.
2
Trump is just like a malignant tumor. Excise it immediately or it will continue to metastasize. We must find the strength to do the right thing if we are to save this Republic from a horrific ending.
3
Just do it!
3
It's very simple. Do the impeachment inquiry and after it is done bring up the charges that rise to high crimes and misdemeanors. That's not overreach, that's following the law and or constitution.
3
An astute observer might sit back and look at a slightly larger picture? Politics are becoming more and more polarized. Everyone keeps upping the ante.
Harry Reid uses the "nuclear option" in 2013 to shove nominees to the executive branch and the federal bench through on a simple majority (instead of the 60 vote norm) ... and then are aghast when McConnell just extends that to SCOTUS.
Democrats lost to Trump, and pretty much since the day he took office they've been looking for ways to take him out. We knew from the beginning they were going to attempt impeachment. It was never if, it was merely a matter of when, and for what.
You may, however, want to consider that you are once again raising the bar? You are so convinced of your own virtue that you don't think there will be any ramifications to defining an entirely new standard of nastiness?
You don't think the next Democrat nominees to SCOTUS aren't going to be subjected to the same slash and burn tactics that Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were?
You don't think the next liberal President is not going to be scrutinized at levels beyond conception? Not just for disagreements about ideas, but for "criminal" activities?
Folks - there's not a single President in our history that couldn't have been impeached if one wanted to - but that's not how we've done things. Until now.
Maybe it is because I'm in my 60s, and have lived through a lot of election cycles ... but here's the truth: What goes around comes around.
5
I say lock-up those who refuse to appear before Congress. You’ll only see cooperation when there are consequences for non-compliance. Otherwise they are letting Trump make a mockery of the Constitution.
6
Trump and Republicans are asking for impeachment. It's the Democrats that are trying to keep away from a vote by the whole House for impeachment. I don't think they can get even the Democrats of the house to support impeachment. As the why... there is nothing there and it establishes several precedents they don't want to see used later.
1
Our constitutional scholars must think there is some chance we've misinterpreted the constitution, and it's OK to pressure foreign countries to help American politicians smear their rivals. Why else would Democrats be tip-toeing around with an "impeachment inquiry" instead of an impeachment? You can't be too careful.
If Trump had even half the class of Richard Nixon (a really low bar to reach) he would immediately resign and spare the nation the debacle of a political food fight...that he may actually win in the end (the Senate) while the rest of us lose our self-respect as a democratic beacon to the world.
3
Repeated impeachments are not going to happen. If they did it would only give the bloviator-in-chief more opportunities to grab every minute of media attention and air time.
Any informed person could frame multiple Articles of Impeachment right now. Soliciting interference in an election from a foreign government while implicitly withholding aid or threatening economic reprisal. Multiple examples of obstruction listed in great detail in the Muller report. Hawking the use of his hotels and resort properties while executing his official duties; violations of the emoluments clause. Ad nauseam.
Complete the inquiry. Submit all of the Articles in concert. Let the Republicans in the Senate go on the record. Ultimately this battle will be won by influencing Democrats to vote and influencing Independents to vote Democratic.
If a clear, concise summary of the facts presented to the Senate at a trial do not carry the day, we must depend on the good sense of the electorate.
1
He's Fired on so many levels this impeachment proceeding I'm sure will cover. He will resign with all the micro managing we've all endured so far and can't help but be succinct and urgent in the undertaking. Those dollars he used to coerce Ukraine belonged to us. The buck stops here, and so does the overtaking.
1
Trump already set the precedent by saying he'd ignore all Congressional subpoenas tied to previous investigations. Two cases - Mazars and DeutscheBank/CapitalOne - are hung up in appeals court (Mazars started July 12), after federal district Judges Mehta and Ramos ruled within a couple weeks that Trump couldn't block the subpoenas. I expected the same with formal impeachment proceedings and that's what's happening now.
I agree with Mr. Blow that the Ukraine case should be pushed through even though it'll get stuck in court.. when it does, start others. BUT ultimately the issue lies with voters. Non-Trump supporters NEED to show up in 2020 and vote these guys OUT of office. The problem isn't enough people wanting Trump out, it's getting them to vote for the most likely person to win in 2020 - which will be the Democrat. I don't know if I'll agree with the nominee's agenda, but will have to trust Congress to moderate. Trump won because Stein got more votes in each of three deciding states than Trump's winning margin. If voters didn't learn in 2016, we'll get a tougher lesson after 2020 with another four years of party over country.
2
If the corrupt administration goes after the whistleblowers like they went after Andrew McCabe, meaning loss of pension, and who knows what kind of legal bills, there should be a GoFundMe campaign to make them all completely whole. Maybe Charles can lead it for legitimacy purposes.
I’m in.
3
Well said, Mr. Blow-
The Democrats absolutely must be determined and courageous about Articles of Impeachment. They must act with controlled speed, and they must act regardless of what they think or fear will be the result in the Senate.
The truth, facts, and the Constitution are on the Democrats side on this issue. If the Senate convicts on one or more Articles, so be it; a just mission accomplished. If the Senate fails to convict because too many Republicans fail in their duty to our system of government, then hang each and every failure around their necks like millstones throughout this next election cycle.
1
Impeach Trump.
Then indict him for multiple crimes.
Then find him guilty on all counts.
Then throw him in jail.
Then throw away the key.
4
Schiff has created a problem for the Democrats that will cinch Trumps victory in 2020. It is sheer folly to bet that the alt-left is going to be the deciding factor in the presidential election. They will not be. Coaching a whistle blower and using the "Attack Kavanaugh Strategy" is not going to work any better this time around. The fact that Brennan is jumping on the band wagon means that Trump and Barr are dangerously close to uncovering some long-term dishonesty, bribery and payoffs conducted during the Obama years (probably longer).
4
If the most corrupt and unqualified President is not impeached, then who?
If not now, then when?
The country can no longer simply wait for the election.
5
"Force the Senate to continually hold trials and take votes defending Trump’s wrongdoing all the way up to the eve of the election."
Provided the house is careful not to overreach and is careful to only investigate those items that can plausibly be labelled High Crimes and Misdemeanors, then yes, absolutely.
3
I hope Congressional aides read this and bring it to the Speaker’s and Committee chairs’ attention. I remember the unending wasteful Benghazi hearings which amounted to fruitless fishing expeditions. What you propose, Mr. Blow, is already supported by fact.
1
The most important article of impeachment must be treason. Everything else is secondary. Let every member of the GOP in Congress go on the record as to why praising Putin over all of the US security agencies and advisers is not treason.
4
@LVG
I recommend Article III Section 3. ( US Constitution )
{ the only mention of treason in US law }
Here's the tricky bit:
You can't have Treason without an enemy.
To have an enemy Congress must declare war.
Congress has not done that since 1942.
Ergo:
there can be no treason, because Congress has not declared war = we have no enemies!
( Supreme Court ruling defines enemies in this )
Here ya go:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lawrence+o%27donnell++on+treason&view=detail&mid=7114081FB21583472A157114081FB21583472A15&FORM=VIRE
Everyone seems to forget that, in an impeachment trial in the Senate, it is not the Majority leader who presides over it. It is the Chief Justice.
McConnell can neither block the trial nor hurry it. In an impeachment trial, he is only one Senator out of 100.
4
While we see the press and the Dems normalizing his behavior, this country is slowly being trained to look at this man and his actions through a less than truthful filter. The press describes his insanity in terms that ignore the insanity. Dem too afraid to act with the determination and with vigor and language it deserves, tailoring their message as "not too aggressive" so that they aren't seen as "politcal". The damage being done to this country is not just being done by Trump and the R's. The press and the Dems are softening the blow because they are afraid of the consequences, ignoring the real consequence that the people of this country are not provided with the information in a way that reflects the real damage being done. This column has courage. I would hope that the rest of the press core would find theirs and do their job to present the unvarnished truth.
4
You got my vote.
2
Do we really want a president who misuses the power of our government to extort foreign countries into helping to keep him in office? Do we really want a president who demonstrates contempt for our institutions and the rule of law? There have to be limits if we are to protect our democracy. If Trump can't be impeached for whatever reason then censure him as many times as necessary.
1
We should not concern ourselves with the immedicate political consequence of following Charles Blow's suggestions. Rather, we should be most concerned about creating an historical precedent. One that establishes guidlines for proper presidential behavior. One that sanctions confirmed presidential misconduct. A necessarry historical precedent for the years, decades and centuries to come.
Simultaneously.., walking and chewing gum at the same time.., we go about nominating a [just] presidential candidate, one that will defeat Individual-1 in November 2020.
2
President Trump's only crime was that he was elected. This was not supposed to happen. Hillary Clinton was the sure winner according to the liberal media and when this didn't happen there was an uproar. The drum roll of impeachment started and their goal was to remove a legally elected president from office. The impeachment talk has not ceased and they will stop at nothing to rid him of his rightful place in the White House.
Their dislike for our president is intense and has been evident since he entered office. They hate him because his policies do not fit their progressive agenda. They are making a big mistake with the American people. They are pleased with his results and they will not tolerate this constant impeachment discussion among the Democrats. It will be to their detriment come election time but be to the Republicans advantage. They will win.
8
@KMW
1. Trump strong-armed the leader of at least one country for dirt to benefit his campaign, while suspending aid allocated by Congress to protect that country from a mutual adversary.
2. Trump’s personal lawyer, with no State Department credentials or clearances, took a leading role in directing and coordinating State Department officials towards this end.
3. Even the Attorney General, whose actual job involves domestic concerns, has been flying around the world attempting to involve foreign countries in support of Trump’s 2020 campaign.
If Obama had done anything remotely like this, you and all the other Republican water bearers would be screaming “Impeachment” from the rooftops.
This blind servitude to this Trump God is stunning in its hypocrisy.
7
@KMW "Trump's only crime was that he was elected." Please read the Muller Report with an open mind. Please read the transcript of the Ukrainian phone call paying attention to every word. I think in the end, most Americans will know right from wrong.
11
Adam Schiff And Nancy Pelosi killed any chance of an impeachment for trump. It is now a fact, that the whistleblower went to Adam Schiff and his administration with his Complaint, And Schiff In his excitement to think he could “finally get Trump,”, ran to Pelosi with the information, and 24 hours before the story broke, Pelosi and Schiff Went on Camera to announce they were going to start impeachment hearings. They knew all along about the complaint, and lied to the American people they had no knowledge of the fact until the whistle blower story was Announced. Schiff should be held in contempt and thrown off this committee.
2
Blow's column is critical to the success of removing a traitor from the presidency. And I shall commit to voting for a Democrat who supports Blow's assertions. Madam Speaker must commit to it as well and those dullards and laggards in the House, the Penitentiary Caucus founded by Mulvaney, Jordan, et al, will fight to maintain corruption at all costs. Integrity hasn't existed in the Republican party for decades. Romney tries and he should have a following but because he lost to Pres. Obama and gave him a second term he lacks a kind of purity the GOP struggles to define. (It was more than happy to Swift Boat John Kerry who became one of our finest Sec. of States ever; Wm. Barr is a nothing by comparison. Forgive me, I misspoke. Wm Barr is a traitor and there is no comparison except to an early colonist. Benedict Barr has a background that would appeal to Czar Vlad.
2
Mr. Blow says that “Trump must be held accountable, fully and completely.” And I agree. However, accountability requires that consequences for misdeeds. So far, Democrats have shown that they are unable to convince Republicans that Trump is worthy of removal of office, so Congressional accountability is unlikely and ineffective. Of course, voters could hold Trump accountable, but the outcome of the 2020 election is highly unpredictable.
Therefore, to hold Trump accountable, law enforcement agencies must start building a case against former President Mr. Trump, if and when he leaves office in 2020 or 2024. To prove to this country that no man is above the law Mr. Trump’s crimes should not be forgiven when he is out of office.
2
I have long since given up the game of "What would Republicans do if Obama had done that?" However, the lengths that Republicans are willing to stoop to excuse Trump's recent behavior are truly mind-boggling. Are we really living in two different realities?
2
You can’t break norms in order to protect them.
While impeachment has only a few precedents, constitutional norms favor a “fair trial”
It would be an unfair burden to saddle a défendent with paying for representations at simultaneous trials. Similarly, it would be an irresponsible waste of the Senate’s (and therefore, taxpayers) time.
Build a strong case for impeachment. Build a strong case for criminal prosecution. Then play to win. Don’t play clever with meaningful norms.
What Norms? After judge Garland episode and after Kavanaugh confirmation there are no more norms. Maybe Anorms (to coin a new term!)?
4
Yeah, that’s just what this country needs. More conflict, more contention, and more political turmoil. What world do you live in that you think this is the answer to anything?
4
This will come as a shock to you. Most Americans don’t read the New York Times. They wouldn’t agree with Charles Blow if they did. And they are dumbfounded by the left’s refusal to accept Trump’s victory. A revolution took place in 2016. It’s time to figure out how to work with it. Staying stuck in this wonderland of denial isn’t doing the Democrats any good whatsoever.
5
Charles, since you obviously don’t know, Democratic leadership (It’s not an oxymoron, it’s your term) has not formally done anything of the kind. They are using six committees to hold oversite hearings but again (and you should know this) nothing is formal because no vote of the house to invoke impeachment said occurred. None
You other lack of understanding of the American Constitution is that it is not designed to deal with political dislike. Impeach Trump repeatedly is an idea from a child’s mind. Elections are designed to do find out what people think. These rules are bothersome to you it appears.
Your theme is absurd on its face. Personally I would respect the Democratic leadership if they, or she, called for an actual binding vote of the house members. Quit this silly word game and do something respectful.
5
The Kurdish people have fought along with our American boys to keep out extremists Muslims out of the Middle East this is what Pres. Trump and Republican Party/GOP. Gives them to be slaughtered by the Turkish. Is a shame we cannot have form policy and protect the people we fought for or with like in Vietnam.
Yes is time to pick what side you're on the isolationists before the World War II, or the people common sense Democrats do not give up on the Kurdish. Pres. Donald Trump sold them out 40 pieces of silver that's what their lives were for.
Do you remember the Paris Peace Cord. By Henry Kissinger/another Republican and Pres. Nixon slaughtered millions of people. The Cambodian slaughter nobody reports that because the Republicans don't have a backbone kill our allies in support adversaries. What does this tell you and yes the Ukraine to buy political failures to Pres. Donald Trump all the Congress Republican GOP. Decided the Swingle Ukrainians, and will support Donald Trump. This is bad for America people and this what we get for electing these people to office like Ron Johnson from Wisconsin a trader like many of Republican traders. At the elections were held today yes Donald Trump will be president too many corruptions for the American people patriot stand up take the fight to the streets. Vote 2020
1
Charles “All political corruption, abuses of power, conspiracies, cover-ups and attempts to deceive and mislead the public are wrong”.
This is all relative. What is wrong is subjective. George W Bush administration repeatedly lied to us and forced the country to fight an unlawful unfounded unfunded Iraq War. Tiny Blair has the decency to admit if the wrongdoing but American government kept covering up failing to acknowledge the disaster that was the Iraq War, and subsequent unrest in the entire Middle East.
Why is it Charles, that you selectively put blame on Trump but excuse George W Bush? Ask all those folks who list their sons daughters in the horrible wars, if they survived these kids returned maimed forever scarred facing PTSD and family break ups. But no one is answerable, as yet. Almost 2 decades of wars.
1
Well, when the IG report is released and the Durham investigation is also finished, perhaps we will have the whole story and then we will be able to determine who the patriots are and who the traitors might be. I am guessing that the democratic constituency of the latter will be significant; if so, what will you report and opine then?
3
Trump supporters strongly disagree with you, Mr. Blow.
Trump will survive this Democratic charade.
He'll be re-elected in 2020.
He'll keep on rollin'.
AND, he'll provide you with another 4 years of columns about him and your angst about him.
Be happy.
2
Do you have a mirror at home? Do you look at it in the morning? Do you like what you see?
3
@Blunt
I do
Wait, Charles Blow is against a Republican? Shocked; Shocked, I tell you!
5
So original! Wow.
2
@Charles, it’s beyond shocked to embarrassment. I find myself more feeling sorry for him after what I’ve read he’s just written. It must be hell thinking and feeling like that all the time, unless it’s just shtick, in which case I feel offended instead.
Tell it to Nancy. She is the one that is playing both sides of the fence. She wants to appease the base that demands impeachment while protecting the moderates who's voters do not by not ever holding a vote on it.
1
I am beginning to think that the real reason Trump so desperately wants a second term is so he can avoid prosecution for his many crimes. He correctly has concluded that as long as he is shielded from prosecution by being President he is safe for another 5 years.
5
@mr3
So glad you reinforced this important point.
Trump will do ANY thing to get this 2nd term.
A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.
3
@mr3 Do you honestly think that he will ever face prosecution? Let me tell you this now, he will never face it. Because democrats are not dumb enough to do it because in the future they will face the exact same treatment.
Criminalizing politics just brings us closer to another civil war. And the last time I checked it was not democrats that have the guns.......
1
Yep. But he ain’t gettin’ it:-)
1
It is very disturbing to see and hear(ie"In my great and unmatched wisdom...")this self ordained wizard and grand(iose) exulted ruler make mince meat of our way of law. It often seems there is no tool to wrangle in the excess and temper the hubris. Please let us find a means that our Congress can truly express and enforce it's mandate to be a coequal partner in the running of our country. The world is watching and we look like we are dawdling. We must once again be able to hold our heads up and stand proud in the international community. We need to honor our commitments to others and to ourselves. This is a time that demands of us to put partisanship aside and defend ourselves from our worst impulses. I support a continuing impeachment process at this time because I am afraid for our country, our standing in the world, and our ability to work together in our Grand Experiment known as the United States of America. Our very essence is under great stress and we must find the fortitude to work past this highly divisive time in our history.
1
Let's not cut down the apple tree because of one bad apple. If it can't be removed cleanly and with a reasonable amount of grace, leave it to fall off by itself and rot.
@James
There are THREE very bad and very powerful apples...Trump, McConnell and Barr.
The executive, legislative and judicial branches are all in Trump's powerful grip.
If the House does impeach Trump, Mitch McConnell will dismiss or direct his Senate sheep to quickly vote no to convict.
If by some miracle, the Senate GOPers get a conscience and defy Mitch by voting to convict Trump, the AG Bill Barr will find a way to block the order to have Trump physically removed Trump from office.
And even if Trump is voted out of office in 2020,
he has already vowed to challenge his election loss and start a civil war. AG Bill Barr will support him indefinitely.
This is going to be a constitutional crisis of epic proportions.
Trump, McConnell, Barr are the trifecta of powerfully bad (poisonous) apples. They hold full control of our government and will fight to the bitter end.
They will NOT just fall off the tree.
And the worse news is that they have a conservative Supreme Court to back them up.
5
Oh, Charles- this is so correct! But do the Democrats have the gumption to do this? It is a great plan and I think that if the Dems do this they will gain a lot of support. They lose support when they act weak and scared.
Thank you so much for thinking of this-
4
Great idea, Charles. Are you reading this, Nancy Pelosi?
1
Hopefully there is a whistleblower who will provide us with the details of Trump’s phone call with the Turkish strongman. I am willing to bet that his sellout of our Kurdish allies was based on receiving something of value from Erdogan. Trump probably got an attaboy from his handlers in Moscow too.
1
@Robert Nevins Trump already has 2 Trump towers in Istanbul. That alone raises the prospect of the glorious leader doing things for his own benefit. I agree that getting to hear the details of his conversation with Erdogan could be very enlightening.
Theater of the Absurd. But if that is what it takes by all means.
He will be known as the President who was impeached 10 times before he actually went to jail for tax evasion!
4
@Blunt
And Melania will be so proud...
Donald Trump, HER own husband, the MOST IMPEACHED president in U.S. history.
Or wait, maybe she'll just wear her
"I really don't care" jacket again.
3
@JM LOL!!
I'm reminded of the famous Stalin quote: "One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." Trump seems to be doing something similar with his lawbreaking: if you do it enough times, it's no longer a crime, it's a statistic.
At least that's how the American public seems to view the situation. How many times do we read or hear "Hey, will you guys just stop trying to drag the guy down?" Those unfamiliar with the details of Trump's behavior, the summaries of the Mueller investigation, or the parameters of the law - which means the vast majority of Americans - can easily fall for the right wing narrative that every new crime uncovered is simply another example of Democrats digging up some obscure notion of lawbreaking just to get rid of Trump.
What is most galling with him is his crude taunts: "Sure, I'm breaking one law after another - what are you going to do about it?" He's gotten away with so much in his lifetime, he can't conceive of facing consequences for his behavior. For that reason alone, he should be impeached, tried, convicted, and jailed.
1
Love it Mr Blow - let's impeach Trump on a daily basis!
As you say expose his corruption, and that of the Republicans in the Senate time and time again! At least it would be cathartic.
5
Repeated impeachment would help drive home to citizens the depth of criminality and our losses since 2016. We began losing vigilance and understanding of the infection begun long ago with trickle-down propaganda. So impeachment(s) now of those who long rode the one-percenter wave with their enablers can clearly show us specific reforms needed to protect against this new and particularly noxious type of constitutional threat. One impeachment on limited crimes probably isn't enough but is a good start to freeing ourselves from the helplessness we felt since 2016. And just from what we know so far, there's no excuse for continued apathy.
There's still a whole lot about all of this I just don't understand. Essentially, it's everything after Trump mocked the disabled reporter.
6
@Rich
The mocking of disabled reporter only guaranteed that in his next life Trump will be sent back as a struggling "disabled reporter" to learn the lessons of life he failed so miserably at during this one.
“...impeachment is no different. In fact, it is a purely political act.”
Is having consensus the same as a rule or law? A driver travels the same road to work for years. He takes an out of town vacation for two weeks. On his first day returning to work a cop pulls him over for speeding. The driver says I was doing 70. The cop remarks that was the old speed didn’t you see the new posted sign of 55?
Impeachment is not a political act but a U.S. Constitutional process. U.S. Congress members are not subject to impeachment. They can be censured or removed from Office by a simple majority vote of their respective chamber members. Faced with removal they typically resign their seats.
The USC does not mention the specific word “democracy” anywhere. But instead describes a special democratic procedure or the one person -one vote rule. One ballot per public voter and one vote per designated elected or appointed Official. No group or party whether political, business, labor, racial, religious, sovereign state or whatever is recognized as having U.S governing power only individuals reserve such power.
Politics are an affront to The USC as is any Congressional Procedural Rule Making that subordinates its principles & law. It ain’t complicated, each U.S. Official’s conduct is borne upon peers to publicly judge first daily and secondly by individuals of the public on an irregular basis.
Divisiveness regarding The USC by any U.S. leadership is its betrayal.
1
Amen! Democrats have been too passive and totally agree with you, now is the time to put the pressure on Trump and the Republican Party and show them on record as being the party of corruption and lies. 70% of the population will understand, see this for what it really is and vote them all out of office.
3
Amen.
If Trump keeps obstructing justice, abusing his power, violating emoluments, defying the constitutional powers of Congress and relentlessly lying to the American people, we keep bringing new charges of impeachment.
1
House Resolution #396, introduced by Rep. Jackson Lee last May, lists no fewer than 19 separate instances of High Crimes and Misdemeanors committed over the last 2 ½ years by President Trump. Seems to me that if the Dems limit the impeachment to a one-trick pony – Ukraine-Gate – will not be sufficient for them, or, for that matter, their base.
While 19 Articles of impeachment is way too many, I would suggest at least 5. (1) Obstruction of Justice, (2) Abuse of Power, (3) Violation of the Emoluments clauses. (4) Violation of Federal Election Campaign Laws, and (5) Committing Crimes Against Humanity Regarding Immigration Policy and Racial Bias.
All of these offenses (and many more) can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. It will take time to collect the evidence to support these charges. But the Republicans failed to follow their oath to the Constitution for the first two years of the President’s tenure. So, we’re two years behind. But it’s never too late to rid the oval office of an unpatriotic, mendacious, ignorant, psychotic narcissist.
@Herb Van Fleet I just don't get it. There is a mountain of evidence on all of the crimes Trump has committed. Given everything in the Mueller report, that alone should have been enough. Now, there is a transcript of the call to the President of Ukraine. There is even a witness to the call.
My conclusion is, either Trump hasn't done anything criminal or Democrats are incompetent. Of course it doesn't help, when the MSM repeats their anti-Trump memes over and over.
This Ukraine story is the Kavanaugh story, but, spelled Ukraine. Remember, Kavanaugh. He's a bad guy. We have a witness. We have a couple more witnesses. Followed by "I can't remember." "I wasn't there." "I don't know." after 6 weeks of nonsense, he was confirmed.
1
@Mike By Mueller's own admission, not one tiny scrap of the dirt he dug up and pored over rose to the level of a crime or chargeable offense. A mountain of evidence of non-criminality.
1
@JW "My conclusion is, either Trump hasn't done anything criminal or Democrats are incompetent."
I think we are in agreement.
1
Contempt of court and tax evasion is how they finally got Al Capone.
2
Hopefully the rest of the media will pass the word that this is actually a 70 to 30 country.
And Trump will not receive the 30 % vote because at least 35 R Senators will vote to convict.
There is no reason for the Senators to speak out against Trump now because that would only give the lunatic the megaphone .
Senators understand it is simply much smarter to wait for the Senate trial and send The Criminal Con Man in Chief on his way to prison in one fell swoop.
The New York State Attorney General will be waiting with open arms of justice.
There is some historical evidence to back this OP-ED piece by Charles M. Blow in today's New York Times that impeachment does not have to end with the first acquittal in a Senate Trial.
First off, I agree with Mr. Blow that "There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents a president from being impeached more than once."
Secondly, another House impeachment article was considered (but not acted upon) after President Andrew Johnson was acquitted by just one vote in his 1868 Senate impeachment trial. "There was talk of another impeachment article, to be written by Thaddeus Stevens, health permitting, but Stevens was growing more feeble every day" (Wineapple, Brenda, The Impeachers: The Trail of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation, New York: Random House, 2019, page 384).
Given the massive alleged criminal activities by Trump and his associates as outlined in the Mueller report and other documents, I agree with Mr. Blow that, "The impeachment inquiry needs to remain open after the Ukraine affair, not only to allow the cases in the courts to be resolved, but also to allow future whistle-blowers’ information to be immediately considered in the context of impeachment."
2
We are watching the death throes of a party.
The manic, panicked, frantic attempt to take down Trump before Barr takes them all down.
Except, the train is too far down the track. It left the station.
This latest fiasco has only served to show how corrupt Biden is and how desperate Democrats are.
Sad.
3
@Ken
As personally written by Donald Trump himself.
"Sad" is such a giveaway.
The GOP senators are very weak and sniveling. None of them has the guts to stand up to Trump. He has them whipped. In some ways they are like him in that they think of their own fortunes first and never really consider doing anything for someone else. I do enjoy watching them squirm. They certainly are pathetic and their weakness is proof that they have never ever really had any true convictions. They have always just been simplistic transactional self-interested liars.
Trump should have been impeached by the house two years ago. You can pick any number of reasons. Crimes, illegal orders, ineptitude, lack of mental stability, obstruction of justice. The fact that the senate will act corruptly should not be a consideration. You need to do what is right, not what is convenient politically.
1
Mr. Blow presents an interesting game plan. If at first you don't succeed, try...try again.
I predict that in the next 13 months, the economy will be the very best game plan and by next summer, I have a gut wrenching feeling that the economy will be biggest issue confronting many Americans.
The question will be ... are you better off now then you were then?
I don't live in middle America or for that matter anywhere near rural America. I live in mostly well-to-do America and I see plenty of empty store-fronts.
I also work in a business sector that relies on the spending power of the rich and shameless - they have curtailed spending too - the first sign for me of an impending recession. And since I have been doing this for over 30 years, I have seen this leading indicator before. The first time was in the early 1990's. Then early 2000's. And lastly in 2008/09.
The pattern was always the same. Long before main street saw it coming, uber-rich street did. Common symptoms included short-paying or no-paying contractors, cancelling orders, and in short stopping their discretionary spending.
If you ask around, I think you might get similar answers today.
So as the Democrats enter the final 12-months prior to the 2020 elections, I believe this will be the most pivotal message that they can pose to voters.
Sure, let impeachment inquiry upon impeachment inquiry go on. But in the end, its the economy, stupid.
2
@It Is Time! Except for the fact New Rochelle, NY is not exactly a representative sample of the broader U.S. economy. Your NY Democrat dominated government has apparently been successful in raising taxes and killing business. You may have missed the tax code changes that ended the huge mortgage tax break for big spending states like NY. People are leaving NY in droves. I don't wish any ill will on New Yorkers. You seem to be hoping for a recession. I am much better off than I was through the Bush and Obama years. I wish the same for you and the entire country. The world, for that matter.
Great idea. Trump apparently also lied under oath on paper to Robert Mueller. Surely that is at least as bad as Bill Clinton's
untruth that got him impeached by the Republican House.
2
Just make sure it ends with Trump spending his final days in a prison cell.
100% agree with Charles Blow. Great column - every person should read it.
Unrelated to trump, I find it curious those who refer to Charles Blow by his first name -as if old buddies. When referencing an author, please consider using the more respectful surname. I'll hold off making judgements regarding racial aspects involved here as my sampling of responses to white op/ed contributors was small. Suffice it to say, respect is always appreciated.
And indict everyone who has obstructed Congress, too, e.g. Barr, Pompeo, Mnuchin.
Equally important is dealing with GOP Senators who may be inclined to vote against Trump’s removal on impeachment. Campaigns should begin now against all GOP Senators to “remove or be removed” telling them that if they do not vote to remove Trump then the voters will remove them from the Senate whenever they are next up for re-election. Polls need to be taken in each state asking two questions: “Do you want your Senator to vote to remove Trump?” and “Would you vote against re-electing your Senator if they did not vote to remove Trump?” These polls should be updated frequently. It is unlikely that these Senators (most of whom seemingly do nothing other than vote as McConnell tells them) want to lose a well-paying “no show” job and would not want to go down with the Trump ship.
You folks in America are between a rock and several hard places. And you are dragging the rest of the world with you: climate denial, intolerance, opioids, anti vaccination, etc.
If Trump gets voted out imagine what he will do in his last months of rage and fury before 20 Jan 2021; if he gets impeached and resigns then you have Pence and Mother who may actually believe that Jesus tells him what to say - do you want that to guide use of the nuclear codes?
The only way out is to begin impeachment proceedings against both Trump and Pence; force both to resign because of their catalog of misdeeds and look to the third in succession, the first female POTUS.
@Rob
Maybe you should be more focused on your OWN Election? Scheer or Bernier? No chance it will be JT so which of those two do you prefer? You really think Bernier has no chance? You are focused on who right now? Mr. Trump? You have your own Trump and he is about to at least be a really big influence on a Minority Conservative Government. Tend to your own house.
1
The power, ego and money trough that many politicians drink from, especially the GOP leaves truth and honesty at the door.
Trump is a criminal yet has eluded justice for almost 3 years as POTUS. It will take a new generation perhaps to make sure this would never happen again.
retired federal attorney F/70
An alternative strategy would be for the House to negotiate with the Senate, a/k/a Mitch, to bring three or four articles of impeachment in the first House vote and Senate referral. The idea would be that this could provide cover for Senate Rs who could vote "NO" to all but one. Only takes one Article getting to two-thirds + one to remove this man by impeachment.
IF Mitch refuses this option OR if Mitch chooses a path forward that does not include any "trial" and witnesses under oath proceeding in the Senate, under Chief Justice Roberts' supervision, then keep the serial impeachments rolling.
Mitch easily got HIS Senate to a 100-0 vote on a statement from the Senate calling for TWH to release the whistle-blower statement. Unless Neal Katyal or another expert on the process in the Senate says otherwise, there could be no barrier to assaulting Mitch with serial votes to "dismiss" the charges without any trial or hearing? Many individual Rs on the record propping up two malign men, Mitch and Trump, with each vote.
Let's all remember that Mitch is the puppet-master and the man in TWH is his stooge. Mitch is the vortex of OUR collective evil. Stephen Miller doesn't keep children in cold concrete cages on our border without Mitch's acquiesence.
Always all ways keep our eyes on what he does and not on what he says?
Pelosi is being dared by Trump: Impeach me. Trump is emboldened by the assurance that Republican Senators will exonerate him no matter how egregious his impeachable offenses. Let's get past semantics of the nuance between impeachment inquiry and impeachment. Republicans impeached Clinton for lying about his extramarital dalliance, which was absolutely no threat to national security. They would have not hesitated to impeach Obama if he, for example, asked Angela Merkel to give him dirt on Romney in 2012, quid pro quo or no quid pro quo. Go to the full House vote and get on with impeachment!
1
From the beginning I thought a corrupt president will corrupt or try to corrupt democratic institutions
Malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance at every level of the trump administration.
1
I agree with Mr. Blow that Trump is likely to continue abusing the power of his office and that the impeachment inquiry should be left open for the next charge.
It's not a matter of If, but When and How Soon the next impeachable act will occur....
Unfortunately, I suspect Trump will blow off all attempts to hold him accountable.... It's a test of our government to see whether we have a strong enough justice system for these unusual high crimes...
This is the most embarrassing chapter in American history to date. Future students are going to be looking back on this time and going. “What did they think they were doing putting such a despicable person into power?”
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I read all these comments that claim impeachment plays into the hands of Fox news so we should be careful about seeking the truth. If thats true then we are lost as a nation. People who believe Fox news or defend Trump are willfully ignorant. Halt of the USA citizens are intentionally misinformed. We might as well speak the truth because if we don't nothing will matter anyway.
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Absolutely right!
“Trump must be held accountable, fully and completely.”
Amen. Unfortunately, the hapless Democrats will blow it.
Thank you for bringing this up. He Needs to be Impeached more than once, and also Pence, Pompeo and Barr.
So now we are going to have permanent investigations/impeachments???? Watch as Washington DC clears out of solid, decent, people in favor of little lawyers, bean-counters, and protected/undocumented groups who have less to fear from intrusive inquiries -- because they have less of a paper trail.
"Whistle-blowers can draw courage from one another. There can be a positive copycat effect that snowballs (Charles Blow)."
Virtue goes viral. Why not?
best idea yet. thanks for the explanation.
hopefully the cowards in government will follow the plan.
Congressional members all took an oath to defend the constitution, impeachment should be invoked as many times as any president violates their own oath of office.
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With Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation, shouldn't Mitch McConnell's recuse himself in impeachment proceedings?
(A wiser comment writer than I has opined that Chao leaving would be the tell tale of the end. Mitch will tell her it's time to get out.)
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No, many more Americans do not know the difference between right and wrong. Is it right to be a racist? Is it right to hat members of the LGBTQ community and deny them equal rights? Is it right to blindly continue to destroy the planet/ Is it right to protect only one religion and deny religious freedom to other religions? Is it right to throw tens of millions of immigrants out of the country, some of whom were born here and spent their entire lives here? Is it right to build alligator filled moats at our borders and shoot people who attempt to cross? Is it right to allow automatic assault weapons to be owned by individuals not members of police or military forces? Is it right to incarcerate a majority of young Blacks? If most Americans knew the difference between right and wrong, or even cared about what is right and what is wrong, Trump would not be our President.
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Impeachment - Charles Blow has a plan for that. And it's a good one. I am so worried about the ways Trump trashes our Constitutional government.
When did Americans become interested in the truth? That ship sailed in 2016.
That's right! Republicans voted to repeal Obamacare 54 times. Trump has done enough to be impeached every month for the next 14 months starting with the Ukraine case, payoff to Stormy, and going over instances of obstruction of justice.
Forget about any more investigations, but make sure the driveway between the WH and the coptor pad is kept open. And keep the president and his personnel lawyer talking. Look at what we just found out. That phone call the president keeps referring to as perfect was the fault of Rick Perry. How does that work? And super sleuth Rudy tantalized us on the Sunday talk shows with the fact he has interesting information on Romania. Romania? I can't even hazard a guess on that one.
While I readily acknowledge that little of consequence is being done in Congress at present, this is a great way to ensure that absolutely nothing will be accomplished between now and January of 2021. Were this strategy adopted, the House would be taking all its time drafting and passing Articles of Impeachment, and the Senate would be taking its time shooting them down.
If you believe that our current set of laws is perfection and need no changing on any front, then by all means adopt this scheme.
As to the Republicans stating, there are some who wanted to impeach him from his Inauguration on, I say 'Yes, we did' because he had already committed impeachable offenses in welcoming foreign influence from Russia to get elected, and he is still doing it and will continue until someone stops him. I wonder what he'd do if journalists laid bare all the dirt they could find on him from every foreign entity, including Deutche Bank and the infamous, 'golden shower'. Since he was never properly vetted by the Republican Party, and wasn't a government employee before, there was no record of service. He has yet to deny Putin anything he wants in terms of favorable policy, even attempting to turn away from sanctions imposed on Russia for invading the Crimea, that were passed by Congress. As Putin's puppet, he has even taken his word over our intelligence, about their interference in the last election and has done nothing to deter the same in the next. Yes, impeach again and again, never surrender our democracy to this corrupt administration. Justice must be served. The day of reckoning will come.
I will never understand why so many people, especially elected or appointed officials are wrapping themselves around this piece of work named Donald Trump.
What's in it for them?
Make no mistake, Donald Trump is a friend to no one but Donald Trump.
If they do something he doesn't like, then he would throw them under the bus so fast, they wouldn't know what hit them.
So why?
We often teach our kids to distance themselves from peers like Trump.
It makes one wonder, are they engaged in likewise antics somewhere, someways.
I just don't get it.
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Discussions about Trump's so called 'cult' break it down to those who are willfully ignorant and do not care, or those who benefit from his policies, e.g. the 1% who now pay a smaller % of their income to taxes than we 99% masses.
Some feel that this 'cult' is much smaller than the media make it out to be. They are loud and offensive but, fact is, they do not have the numbers to overcome a 'woke' electorate.
The DNC, though, continues its standard MO by keeping us confused as to our direction. This is accomplished partly by allowing Ed and his brother-in-law to run for president, now down to 10 or so candidates. The message gets lost and confusing. Where do we want to go, or what do we want to be?
Trump and the GOP attack strong candidates with little or no response other than numerous appeals for donations. Pelosi manages the House to keep it focused on what can actually be achieved. But, the call to raise the ante with multiple impeachments on Trump and his willing minions makes sense.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Absolutely. The more dirty laundry is shown to us, the better. The Mueller Report was too convoluted and obscure for all the "uneducated" (Trump's word) Americans. There is a need to clearly show that WE THE TAXPAYERS are footing the bill for the military staying at Trump resorts, that WE are paying for Barr to gather garbage on Trump's opponents for Trump's personal campaign, that WE no longer HAVE a Secretary of State or an Attorney General who work FOR the American people, although they are happy to accept the salary, health insurance, pension benefits. Show us ALL the cards.
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Pence can then pardon Trump for many different crimes, not just for the Ukraine. That's the only downside, but at least Pence taking over is better than Trump in power?
"...until all the corruption has been laid bare?"How long will he/we/us be here for such to occur? I can't take issue w/your points, Charles Blow, as I find them most agreeable, but legally or time-wise, could it happen thusly? I agree w/your most salient point(s) about all his wrongdoings, not just the recent one or two more neatly wrapped than the others. That the tax records are becoming public at this point in time seems eerily correct. What a wily fox Trump is!
I predict Trump resigns when the impeachment flames get too high for him. He will do this not only as a face-saving measure but because he needs to do so in a timely manner to get Pence into office so that Pence can start dispensing pardons to Trump, family, cronies, etcetera.
Without the promising benefit of the Penze dispenser handing out copious sweet pardon treats, Trump is exposed on countless fronts. Unlike Nixon, I don’t think he can count on the kindness of the next POTUS to save him.
I like this idea - I have been thinking it as well since Pelosi announced the inquiry. Assuming the RICO-publicans in the Senate refuse to remove, Mr. Trump knows he will have the singular distinction of being the only President to be multiply impeached (and his apologists in the Senate will have to repeatedly stain their legacy if they refuse to convict). It also gives more opportunity to convict, and after the primary season of 2020 is over, a conviction may actually occur (recall that Nixon's removal came after the primaries).
Of course, there is the danger that it will become "ho-hum, another impeachment" with the voting public, and one can expect the Republican/Russian propaganda machine to milk it for Trump sympathy, so the Democrats have to be careful with their messaging machine, making it clear that this is the only avenue available to them to try to rein in this horribly corrupt president, and only impeach him for clear reasons.
Good idea. Mr. Trump is going to be a very busy man trying to keep track of which lie goes with which coverup.
Please Pelosi hire a professional prosecutor. There is too much at stake to leave it to the politicians.
The specter of the disloyal senate majority leader giving Trump a get out of jail free card is hovering over these proceedings.
Trump's 37% only watch State TV and the GOP Senate only listen to right wing media - so the truth will never penetrate the bubble.
The more fascinating drama will be seeing how Trump Inc tries to monetize impeachment.
For once, I agree with Charles. Let the Trumpers spin their way into a criminal profile; the more charges are laid against a crook, the less he's able to smile at his crime. Also, I suggest the Dems create a special, trusteed fund to help Trump's civil victims (those he cheated out of their money) sustain their civil suits. Trump's m.o. is to counter-sue his victims into submission. Call it a Fund to Defend Victims of Trump.
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This is brilliant but unfortunately the Dems are too weak to adopt a strategy that the Republicans would have adopted on day one of a Democratic administration with similar tendencies.
Yes, yes, yes.
Trump has committed many actions that would be regarded as impeachable, so hit him , and his legal staff with a blizzard of legal actions.
Include others , such as Barr, Giuliani, Pompeo in other legal actions. It’s well past the time to make these creatures fear the law.
It’s clear that they have no respect for the law, so make them fear it.
The Vietnam War draft dodger persistently tramples upon the Constitution, constantly taunting Congress and the federal courts, with impunity. This Ukrainian fiasco, though, is different. Deflection, distraction, denigration, and defaming only goes so far. This time the chief executive and the emasculated Republican Party are confronted with hard cold grim realities with no easy means of sugar coating and summarily ignoring the obvious. Make no mistake about it. Impeachment is absolutely positively guaranteed just as sure as the Sun will rise in the East tomorrow. Extreme measures to diminish and marginalize the content and the impact of the whistleblowers' complaints, confirmed by the incomplete, reconstructed, 25 July 2019, telephone call, is a desperate grasping for straws. GOP senators are now faced with participating in the trial to convict or acquit. Rather than constantly pandering to their less than college educated, blue collar worker, base, pushing xenophobic immigrant and racial fearmongering, national security, and white nationalism, these senators must elevate America over party. Otherwise, the Republicans are content and satisfied to drag the nation down in the abyss of glaring hypocrisy in spite of the lawlessness of the draft dodger. Obstruction of justice is just one piece of the puzzle. Obstruction of process, drawing a negative inference by stonewalling House subpoenas and refusing to testify is a piece that is significant and critical. Impeach repeatedly!
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Hail King Trump, who may be trying to found a Dynasty to rule his Kingdom under his "Me First" policy.
His actions, however, make him more like Louis XIV. He hasn't said it, but he may think it : "Apres Moi, Le Bankruptcy."
Given the fecklessness, timidity and occasional incompetence of the Democratic Party, I'll settle for one impeachment done well.
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Ahhh, an ongoing, open impeachment; music to my ears. Just the thought of him finally being held accountable for something in his life puts pep in my step.
Right on the mark, Mr. Blow. And this process needs to start right now - without further delay.
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Wonderful idea! And vote vote vote for blue in 2020 as back up plan.
Oh, great idea, Charles. Serial impeachments will definitely not seem like the boy who cried wolf. Yes, this is just the ticket to ensure that the Democrats win the next election.
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the showtime show "the circus" just had an excellent episode. among other things - they went to a town hall in clinton/rhinebeck, ny (happens to be where my daughter and family live) and the new representative, Anthony Delgado, a democrat (the district was carried by trump but went from red to blue) , announced that he has been a holdout but now supports the impeachment inquiry. the district is 1/3 dem/rep/indep. a trump supporter w a MAGA hat first said "you don't represent me" (the rep happens to be black - Antonio Delgato https://delgado.house.gov/about)
and asked a very good question: what exact law did trump violate. delegate answered w great focus and detail quoting chapter and verse the exact law.
after the town hall the reporter (Alex Wagner) asked the MAGA if he was influenced by Delgado and the precise response to his question re the law that was broken. MAGA's answer is the exact problem we have in this country - although provided w the exact law w great focus and precision the MAGA said he still doesn't know what law was broken and think trump did. not brake any law and said with pride - "this is trump country."
ignorant. full stop.
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Yes, Trump certainly deserves impeachment, he’s earned it. Impeachment is politics, however, and politics is not about right or wrong, it’s about power and expediency. In this case, a broad and deep investigation covering the numerous known and emerging instances of Trump’s transgressions is justified. It should be expeditious but not rushed. Most of all it must be thorough...only in that way can the best strategy be determined for removing this felonious man from office. But, at this point, I wouldn’t rule out any options.
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The Trump plan is for the Senate to dismiss any impeachment quickly, win reelection, elect Pence in 2024 and have him issue a blanket pardon, (cf. Ford), And have Jared, Ivanka or Junion run Later. This is the only way to avoid jail. Of course there is always the option of defecting to Russia.
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This column is really over the top. Remember who you are dealing with. The KISS principle applies.
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I agree but it will never happen. Mrs. Pelosi wants to maintain some kind of decorum. She isn't "into" being aggressive, but that is actually what we need. The men in the GOP have very different ideas than you or i do, Charles. They don't want what we want, they don't think the way we think. That won't change. Even if the Dems come up with specific things to go forward with impeachment, the Senate will never vote him out. We truly do not know if he would leave office if he loses. If I could fathom the reasons why the GOP behaves as it does, maybe I wouldn't feel so awful. To give the evangelicals the White House? To keep whites in power? To suppress women's rights? To make the gas and oil companies happy? More likely, to boost the tiny small ego of a miserable wretch of a man. Please keep writing, Charles. We need what you say.
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For mostly women who have been abused came the #me too movement. For those of us who are appalled at the dishonesty and abandonment of values by republican sycophants our movement could be #me betrayed or ...... pick your #me movement.
Do Trump's supporters really know what they are signing on to here with him?
He is turning over our justice system and our electoral system to whatever foreign governments decide. He is denying 2 individuals , the Bidens, their Constitutional due process rights. What is to stop him from doing that to anyone else that he thinks a threat in some way?
And while he is doing that he is turning over our foreign policy to certain governments, possibly sometimes because they are staying at or buying his properties.
He is weakening our ability to defend ourselves by destroying our intelligence services either because they have dared to stand up to him or because that will suit a certain foreign power. Or because they will protect our elections from his collusions with foreign governments.
He is weakening our military by taking money appropriated for its maintenance to build a vanity project that makes no practical sense. -
This is not America First. This is the world running America on behalf of Trump.-
This isn't something new. This is how he got there in the first place. The template was set in 2016.
It is astonishing enough that he would hate America so much to want to destroy us this way. It is horrifying to think that people are supporting his doing this, to discover there are so many people who hate their own country.
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@Christine ....a well said summary of the widening pattern of harmful effects of this president.
Millions of his voters have been conditioned by the GOP over time to vote against their own interests. They were sitting ducks. Our democracy becomes warped.
He'll attack anyone he sees as an effective non supporter. It's an inevitably escalating process . He'll impose his will, denying people respect. Then when they naturally stand up for their rights, he distorts this as a threat, then doubles down with attacks. The GOP extends his harm by their acceptance.
It's a vicious cycle that can only worsen, with no limiting controls. It's a compulsive pattern of contempt for citizens' rights and our rule of law. This sounds like an exaggeration, but it isn't.
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@Christine
I want to address just one aspect of your reply. (To be clear, I am not defending Trumps actions and behavior.)
You claim "He is denying 2 individuals , the Bidens, their Constitutional due process rights." Honestly, I don't see how suggesting that a government investigate certain suspicious circumstances is denying those individuals of their due process rights. Yes, yes I do understand that Trump has bloviated his personal view that there was significant wrong-doing or illegality. But that also is not a denial of their due process rights.
Step back for a moment to look at the actual facts involved in Biden/Ukraine objectively, which I doubt that many NYT readers are interested in doing:
1) Joe Biden was VP of the United States.
2) The US was involved in a number of major negotiations with Ukraine, including but not limited to military sales/aid.
3) At the same time, his son Hunter (who has absolutely no relevant experience or skills) is somehow selected to serve on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, for which he receives $50,000 (per month!)
Now stop and think. Does it honestly seem more likely to you that Hunter got that highly paid position because he was Joes son, or because that company suddenly had an urgent desire for an unqualified director from the US? Now, I absolutely believe in due process. But I also believe that if that board member was named Tiffany Trump the democrats would be screaming for hearings!
In short, it is appropriate to look!
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@Christine Trump is actually running a "Me First" administration. No more hatRed.
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This is an idea that should be seriously considered. It seems that the Republican Party is intent upon defending every disgrace that their hero would bring upon our once great nation. In the face of such unprecedented and unprincipled opposition it is incumbent upon those seeking accountability to state their claims truthfully and relentlessly. The system must be tested until it breaks or brings forth justice, otherwise there is no truth or progress. If our country is the hope of democracy, as it purports to be, the world needs and deserves an answer. Charge him for every impeachable act he has committed and see if our system works. Great idea.
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@CDJ Precisely what Robert Mueller spent two years and multi-millions doing. The system brought forth the justice you seek in the Mueller report: i.e. not one chargeable offense. Most Americans have had enough system and are ready to move on now. More and more of them every day.
@JW Just because there were no charges brought doesn't mean there were no offenses. There was plenty in the report to support obstruction of justice and a belief that Trump welcomed Russian assistance. There was n clear indication of collusion. Trump can talk his way around anything and do some of his obstructing and encouragement of help through others and with no true record of what was actually said.
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@JW With all due respect, you are wrong. There were many charges brought as a result of the Mueller investigation. Michael Cohen is an example of one of them. And of course we know that President Trump was his co conspirator in the crime for which Mr Cohen is now serving time. The reason Mr. Trump was not charged is because Mr. Mueller chose to follow the Justice Department guidelines that do not allow for the charging of a sitting President with a crime. As far as impeachment based upon the Mueller report, there were several charges that the House could have brought as "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" as envisioned by the founders, however Pelosi made a political decision not to do so. So your assertion is untrue. Perhaps you are ready to move on, but you do not appear to be correct about most Americans. You and other Republicans need to look at what is happening here, do you really want to make our elections open to interference from other countries. Is that to be the price for saving Mr. Trump? Hopefully you will reconsider.
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As Iguana below notes, what Congress needs are Trump's tax returns and financial records. If those are not full of repeated and flagrant acts of fraud, I will be amazed. From what we have already heard, surely these involve two sets of books: one for the IRS and one for the banks he was asking for loans. Financial crimes are something that honest, tax paying, Americans can understand; asking a foreign government for help digging dirt on a political opponent, not so sure. Democrats in congress are incompetent jerks for not already holding people in contempt and having them locked up.
@rawebb1 I don't care if Trump is actually impeached. The process of doing so will unearth so much damaging debris that being impeached will be the very least of his problems. That's why he needs to leave office NOW, when Pence is still around to pardon him and his pals.
Of course it is a heavy lift but in fact there can be no reconciliation without truth. The republican party is an organized criminal gang dedicated to the acquisition of power to ensure the increase in wealth of its financial benefactors. Until this amoral, anti democractic, treasonous cabal is held to account, our democracy, nation and human life as we know it, are threatened.
Of course open ended impeachment inquiries are warranted until the criminal malfeasance, corruption and violence are held accountable.
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NYTIMES - Laws! Facts about our Laws! Please!
There is a United States Supreme Court decision which determined the question as to whether the US Senate had properly tried an impeachment that was a political question and could not be resolved in the courts.
"- that the Senate's Members must be under oath or affirmation, that a two-thirds vote is required to convict, and [506 U.S. 224, 225] that the Chief Justice presides when the President is tried - the precise nature of which suggests that the Framers did not intend to impose additional limitations on the form of the Senate proceedings."
I am writing again because the writer Mr. Blow and his readers are not informed by the writer that the US Code, or abbreviated, USC prevails over the civil/criminal Impeachment proceedings. It is my legal opinion, that the impeachment of the President is also a civil proceeding since immoral conduct may not be criminal but may be harmful to US citizens and the world at large.
There are many quasi criminal proceedings in the U.S. and they are definitely weird. But if and when there is an impeachment of the now President, the final proceeding will be a TRIAL.
All trials have legal procedure and I am sorry but Mr. Blow and his eager beaver readers are misguided if they believe that numerous articles of impeachment can be launched at the President simultaneously. In my opinion, such multiple actions would be an abuse of legal process. Times! Wake Up!.
Reminder to all: Mobster Al Capone was convicted of tax fraud. Focus on forcing the IRS to release Trump's taxes to Congress. Days later, the fake Wizard of White Supremacy will probably resign.
No. Stringing out impeachment after impeachment would be political theater at its worst. It would be a mockery of the system and would be deservedly framed as the very kind of partisan hackery that Democrats rightly accuse the other side.
This needs to be done in a somber, sober, and serious way. It should be approached as apolitically as humanly possible.
We have an unfit President degrading the Office. Impeachment is a necessity, successful or not, to send the message that Trump's behavior is unacceptable. The political ramifications be damned.
I agree with both the short-term and long-term strategies of the Democrats to hold Trump economy. His support will continue to ebb over the next year as he acts increasingly deranged and as the Democrats enact popular legislature and consistently stand for justice for all.
If Republicans want to stay on a train approaching a fallen bridge, so be it.
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In addition to holding a rolling impeachment inquiry, the House could theoretically stockpile articles of impeachment passed as “sense of the House” resolutions, but not present them to the Senate for trial until the Senate Republicans became more open to the accumulated evidence. Furthermore, although politically impractical, there is no constitutional prohibition against an impeachment trial on the same article more than once.
JAIL to the Chief.
Period.
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Mr. Blow, you are on point regarding this, dumpster fire, administration, as always. May some higher power help the USA!
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People talk about the impeachment getting in the way of the election campaign.
But the impeachment (article by article by article by article)...
...is like a WING of the election campaign.
"... many more Americans, at the core, know this difference between right and wrong." I wish I still believed that but ...
Nearly half of my neighbors, the folks Jesus commands me to love, hate my liberal guts. They intend to burn my country to the ground, just so I can't live in it anymore. Make America Gray Ash! Where are they going to live? They don't know - Fox hasn't told them.
The power of Divisive Donald (blessed be his holy name) comes from their sure knowledge that he is incapable of, "political corruption, abuses of power, conspiracies, cover-ups and attempts to deceive and mislead the public."
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So, if at first you don't succeed, impeach, impeach again? Works for this reader. Anything else but surrender!
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Fine.
Now review dear author how many of your columns meet this standard of upright and straight for the constitution.
Oh well.
MAGA types do not think. They are not patriotic. Their top 2 values are hatred of Democrats and progressives and extreme racism.
Many have said that they'd vote for a Russian before they'd vote for a Democrat. They already have.
They are voting for a treasonous, kleptocratic, Russian mob boss to prove it. These are extreme tribalists who care about nothing but winning and maintaining complete power.
As for the US... given the extreme power corporations have always held, and for a dozen other reasons, the US was never a democracy, but now it's definitely becoming an authoritarian dictatorship.
Any nation that would vote for and continue to support this kind of obvious evil racism and this corrupt and criminal activity in the presidency and throughout the government is an evil nation.
The US is no more a democracy than Russia or China. The Faux Noise propaganda machine is the US State-run media. Corporations hold all the power; workers are little more than slaves. The now-fascist federal courts are rapidly turning the US into a police state. The percentage of US citizens behind bars is greater than in any other nation in world history. Racism is not only widely accepted, it's embraced and celebrated. The number of guns, including mostly weapons of war like the AK47 and high-capacity ammunition clips, now exceeds the population count.
America is among the most evil nations on Earth. Trump and his corrupted GOP are poof positive of America's evil.
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@NY Times Fan
Above illustrates why Democrats will be out of power in 2020. Blistering and unreserved Hatred of Everything American. Everything. Yeah, I am gonna want to vote for that?
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@GregP
Here's a clue: we are SUPPOSED to hate evil. But first you have to recognize it. Apparently you haven't figured out what's going on yet.
The man-baby you're voting for is the TRUE hater of everything. He hates every race other than White, every religion other than Judeo Christian, and he even (secretly) hates that MAGA types. Oh! And he DEFINITELY hates America -- which is why he's siding with Putin against the US (treason in Helsinki), why he's destroying the environment in the US, and dismantling the EPA, why he's trying to destroy the government, the judiciary and the free press. He's just using you for your vote if you're foolish enough to give it to him (again).
He's taking care of the super wealthy - like himself, his family and his cronies. He's laughing behind your back if you vote for him and you're not wealthy and you have to work for a living. Next, he and his Trumpist Party will take away your Social Security, your Medicare, your Medicaid (which even middle class and mort rich people need when they enter nursing homes). This is the viciousness you're voting for when you waste your vote on anyone in the Trumpist Party. The Anti-American, Anti-EVERYTHING party.
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Ummm...and you know this person is a Democrat how?
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It doesn't have to be a series of formal impeachments.
Just have Congress keep calling new witnesses and investigating him so as to hold down the damage that he will surely do to the country in the next year to a minimum; and assure that voters entering the polling booths on November 3, 2020 will be fully informed of all the multifarious dirty deeds he has been guilty of while serving as President and before.
We still haven't seen his taxes, or learned much about his violations of the emoluments clause, or heard from the women he molested on airplanes, or seen his bone-spur rays, or counted up the costs of his trips to golf courses and Mar-a-Lago, or gotten a full reckoning of the brutality he has served up to migrant families on our Southern border, or heard anything true from his doctors about his mental state, his hair and his orange complexion.
The man is a gold mine of lies, criminalities and peccadilloes and like all gold mines should be mined to the fullest extent permitted by law.
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America is broken. Our tires are flat, our brake cylinders leak, our timing chain has skipped, our main bearing has spun, our chassis is rusted through, our head gasket is blown, our u-joints are twisted, .......And we're fixated on the crooked hood ornament.
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Good point Mr. Blow. While I believe impeachment is futile, I do believe it is necessary. The man has clearly broken the law and all the information we can get on that needs to be put into the historical record. And if he obstructs, which he most surely will do, that needs to be put into the historical record as well. Yeah, the republicans will block it every step of the way. I expect no more from those cowards. You know what's funny? We have young men and women stationed around the world willing to put their young lives on the line for their country while republicans like Graham, Rubio and so many others are not even willing to put their careers on the line for their country. If I was a man or woman in uniform it would make me wonder what the heck I was fighting and willing to die for. Soulless cowards like Lindsey Graham? Whimpering faux-patriots like Marco Rubio? Pathetic apologists like Jim Jordan? They won't question it because they took an oath to fight for their country something these pathetic politician will never do.
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Charles this could be the only strategy that has teeth.
If nothing else, the defenders of the indefensible have got
to be tired.
Fox must be a great place to work,shame free.
Delusion has become 40% of our problem.
2 sets of Facts......really? Spin this somehow?
Rick Perry maybe it's time fess up
Is the truth more powerful than “Alternative facts”? Fox News says no.
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Have you ever considered running for office, Mr. Blow?
I know they aren't used to having a person of your caliber and intelligence but what you say makes a lot of sense. And we could use some sense in government.
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What exactly are you going to write about when Trump is no longer President? Perhaps how much higher the unemployment rate is for Black Americans under the policies of the New Democrat President.
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From your keyboard to Nancy Pelosi's ear!
Charles,
Brilliant as always!
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Impeach Trump, repeatedly, with extreme prejudice.
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Trump loves a good fight, so let's give him one. He's already showing the symptoms of a punch-drunk boxer. Someday he'll go one round too many, and the Republicans in his corner will have to throw in the towel.
Excellent Layout Charles!
Right, because anything worth failing at is worth repeating endlessly.
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I agree with Mr Blow. It´s important for the historical record and for our grandchildren, to show that the majority of Americans believe and support our constitution, laws and have a moral and ethical compass. To do otherwise shows our democracy, laws and values do not exist anymore and that a minority of american´s-Trump supporters- will be able to thoroughly corrupt, impugn and pilfer our constitution and it´s laws.
Need a new piece with the following title, Charles:
Senate Republicans are Impotent Cowards
We know that Trump has no shame. He has and will do absolutely anything as long as he thinks he can get away with it. So far, he has gotten away with everything. Mueller was a complete and utter failure. Either he was too old, as am I, or too antiquated to do what had to be done. When Barr starting burying his report, he should have held a press conference and denounced Barr. He should have been all over the press denouncing Barr till Barr quit or changed his tune. He did not do so, and Trump got away with more than 100 occurrences of campaign collusion with the Russians and at least 10 obstruction counts.
So far, Trump has gotten away with emoluments violations since he was inaugurated. Add to that the endless abuses of power plus further obstruction of any and all investigation, and the impeachment articles are almost endless.
However, it would probably be best to have one article based on the Ukraine offense, a second article on emoluments, and a third article wrapping all of the obstruction into one. I suppose there could be fourth article on abuse of power. I don't think impeaching over and over is going to work, but 3 or 4 articles that the impotent, feckless GOP senators will have to vote against will put them on record for throwing the US Constitution in the trash. Lousy yellow-bellied cowards!!!
This writer seems to not understand (or is purposely not stating) what is happening: The Democratic Party has wanted to Impeach Trump since the night of the election, when Hillary conceded. They don’t care what it’s for. They don’t care whether it’s based on actual evidence. They simply want him Impeached. And the most comical thing is this: They didn’t figure out till quite recently that Impeachment is an Indictment, not a Conviction. Many of these idiots thought that if Trump was Impeached, he must leave office. It’s finally dawning on them that he won’t be removed by this charade. Bill Clinton was the the victim of “perpetual investigation.” The only way this FINALLY ended was when the Republicans Impeached him. The Impeachment meant the end of the “perpetual investigation.” What your theory is is that “perpetual investigation” is what The Democrats should do. Your philosophy/theory will backfire, just like is did to Bill Clinton. After the Impeachment, Clinton had one of the highest approval ratings of his presidency. Guess what? Trump currently has one of the highest approval ratings he’s ever had.
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Yes!!! Thank you, Charles. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, never, never, never let up!
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What an amusing idea!
Yay! Write the same column, repeatedly!
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Impeach as often as necessary and then throw him out of office! Thank you for your comments!
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Impeach Trump. Make America Great Again!
Trump is like the old man in Scooby Doo cartoons. They pull the goblin mask off to reveal an angry, sociopathic coward bent on revenge. Only Trump says fake arrest, fake charges, we should really kill big dogs.
Well said, Charles!
You are too creative and sane for politics, Mr. Blow. Thankfully, your message is getting out due to the NYTimes being smart. Let's do it. Let's impeach Mr. Trump over and over.
Excellent strategy Mr. Blow! Now, let’s see if the Democrats are smart and tough enough to adopt it. Thank you !
Please Speaker Pelosi listen to Charles Blow.
I think US citizens would sleep a lot better.
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Impeach on every single thing this dangerous narcissist has done. Interesting that charges were dropped against Jeffrey Epstein after his death as I am sure many of the “Johns” involved were glad to see this “buried” so they would not be exposed. Where is the dignity of Trump going after a Hunter Biden who died a tragic death. Joseph Biden has suffered enough. Time for Trump to face some consequences for all the people he has thrown under the bus both and before he became America’s Businessman President. The insanity of Trump the other day with the Finnish President with his fun house performance. Impeach on multiple counts. If Pence does not respond to his subpoenas, arrest him. Time for America to rise and rid ourselves of the cancerous money grubbing lying womanizer. One must wonder if Melania has coached Donald to “Be Best”?
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I wholeheartedly agree with you Charles, although to impeach as often as necessary will take more time than exists until next November. The list is l.....o.....n.....g.
I fully agree!
"Impeach Trump, Repeatedly
A president should not be able to stonewall and run out the clock. By Charles M. Blow"
It's interesting to find out the NYT's is so concerned about the fair application of the rights of the voter to determine who will be their president. The actions by the Socialist Democrats as enforced by the "HIT SQUAD" and put into play by their whipping girl Nancy Pelosi shows their fascist tactic of dictating who the American citizen can choose as their president through misappropriation of the articles of impeachment. Impeachment "INQUIRY" allows only the Socialist Democrats and their six appointed committee chairmen to control the process without equal representation by the republication party. Also, all of the allegations brought forward by the Socialist Democrats do not have the substance for enforcement of impeachment as a high crime or misdemeanor as delineated in the Constitution of the United States. This illusion is a partisan hack which has deleterious implications for the American democracy and the voting rights of the American citizen. The American voter is not one to be trifled with. The voters know exactly why they elected president Trump and will elect who they believe best represents their interest and the Sovereign Democracy of America without being railroaded by any political party.
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The power of the purse belongs to the US House of Representatives. Let's severely reduce the numbers and salaries of Executive branch political appointees.
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totally agree. It's like catching Capone on taxes - but this sets a dangerous precedent for another, but smarter, demagogue. It has to be established now that morality matters
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My view all along. Play the long game even into a second term if that happens. Maybe by then there will be a Democratic Senate or if not, a Republican plurality not so frightened of a lame duck president.
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Think of it this way: Where will Trump take the country if he remains unchecked? Off a cliff, probably. Whatever, it won't be pretty.
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Might as well get busy doing it, then repeat as many times as you can until democrats lose the House in 2020. Have a lot of fun doing it or make it a chore, up to you. Knock yourselves out. You have mine, and Mr. Blow's, express permission what are you waiting for?
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Excellent this article. Excellent this headline. Love Charles Blow. Love the NYT (at least this moment). Thank you.
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There are enough high crimes and misdemeanors for this House to impeach, and for a hypothetical patriotic Senate to convict and remove, at least ten times over.
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Impeach him for treason. "... treason, we used to handle it a little differently than we do now,"
No less absurd than his original comment on the subject.
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I couldn't agree with you more, Mr. Blow. I was thinking the exact same thing this morning. Impeach him now, and then again and again.
I agree with this strategy. I am also coming to the conclusion that K Harris is the one democratic candidate that can survive trumps mud wrestling tactics. She also has the verbal agility and prosecutorial skills necessary to weigh him down with his own misdeeds. At this point i don’t care about policy nuances between candidates. Whats needed is a knock down drag out contest with someone who can go toe to toe with a proven dirty fighter. Democrats need to put the best fighter in the ring, smokin’ Joe will be decimated, he doesn’t seem to be able to defend himself well, nor to be able to land a punch.
Absolutely agree.
Excellent idea.
Hang Trump around the necks of all the Republicans in Congress who will not defend the constitution and condemn the lies, offenses, and ineptitude. Make them own him and all he stands for. Over and over and over again. And then watch Americans vote. Have faith in our system. GOTV. Fear not.
It would be a good story in and of itself.
Thanks for this action idea, Mr. Blow.
No matter what...since the primaries there have been far too many American Voters who are members of Fox's Nation and are convinced of a Deep State Conspiracy against their choice for President. Although thanks to the Presidents own words as well as Rudy G. ...public opinion is now slowly changing. However it's just a snails pace ...glacial speed change. The Deep State is Real....and it's the MAGA Hoax that began with the spellbinding repetition of the mantra...Mexico is going to pay for the Wall etc. The Deep State is the Doo Doo the US finds itself in after electing the worst President in American History who has not succeeded at anything but weakening out Democracy and standing in the world. At this point there should be no Trump support. The fact that Fox and Barr are promoting all this is just as bad as promoting the notion that Obama wasn't a legit President because he wasn't born in this country. What a mess the 2016 election has put us in !! MAGA? You must be kidding !!
Trump is doing everything he can to stay in power. His lackeys in the House and Senate are doing the same. The courage to do the right thing is as rare as hen's teeth in some quarters. Only in America.
Impeach him daily until the election! There is no shortage of wrongdoing. Probably enough to impeach him hourly.
Unfortunately the deplorables will like him more the more he is impeached. Unless we solve that problem the rest is academic.
Yes, the Trump regime is stonewalling and mocking the constitution, but if you impeach & he's acquitted, impeaching again on another charge will look like piling on and it could very well cost Democrats the election even if all the charges are just. Unless he really does shoot someone on Fifth Avenue after acquittal, it would be prudent to back off & fight him & his enablers in the election.
I agree! IMPEACH! And IMPEACH again and again and again and again again and again and again and again again and again and again and again...
I agree 100%, Mr. Blow. To me, Trump is not a human being, since he has self-amputated his faculty of reason -- the quality that sets us apart from sheep and chickens. I do not ever want to see his name on a road, a bridge, not even a latrine pit. For that reason alone, his name should be disgraced for ever.
A side benefit of this approach is occupying the Senate with impeachment processes to the degree that it disrupts the judge approval conveyor belt that McConnel has set up.
The founding father didn't have an answer for a Mitch McConnell Congress, a handpicked group of activist SCOTUS justices, a demagogue buffoon President, and an ignorant portion of the population empowered by the electoral college all working in cahoots for a silent plutocracy hiding behind it all.
It's more than impeachment. This man needs to be tried and sent to prison
No matter how this is done, all this is just for the Democrats to amuse themselves. Let’s face it, Democrats despised Trump from day one of his presidency. I still remember MSNBC’s Keith Olberman calling himself “the resistance“ right after the election. Ranting on his show every single night. Then incessant Muller on MSNBC. Ukraine is simply the left’s Muller 2.0. A thousand whistle blowers whistling Dixie. A circus.
Times are very different from the Nixon era: the Senate will not vote to remove, period. This opinion piece is a bit like: Let’s impeach him, oh no let’s impeach him twice, let’s send him to jail, oh better even, let’s send him to Guantanamo as a terrorist.
Look, the pendulum will swing soon enough: there was Carter there was Reagan, then soon Clinton.
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What a brilliant idea, and one that has occurred to me as well. Let’s do what is required by those who are still loyal to the constitution, impeach Donald Trump. This obligation stands independent of the political effects that may result. Mr. Trump is the most corrupt, openly racist, religious bigot and pathological liar to occupy the White House, against the wishes of a plurality of the American people, in modern history.
If America is cursed by God again with this psychopath and narcissist-in-Chief for a second term, we must again proceed to impeach him. The second time making an exhaustive list of all infractions warranting removal. That includes his disloyalty by enabling and welcoming Russian foreign nationals in their attack in 2016, numerous counts of obstruction of justice, unending abuses of power, use of the office for personal financial gain, etc. When the history of Trump’s full measure of corruption and his crimes is written for the ages it will require in excess of 1000 pages to even get started.
"When a True Genius appears in this world,you may know him by this sign,that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
I want to entreat the NYT to not blow the cover of the next whistle blower(s). These people need to feel safe to come forward without having their identifying details exposed.
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Impeach away Democrats. You are cementing a Trump victory in 2020.
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@Alex our kids need to understand how a democracy works. A president cannot hold a gun to our heads.
President Trump's only crime was that he was elected. Isn't this what this is all about. Their darling Hillary Clinton was all set to win at least in their minds until she didn't.
They have been talking impeachment since day one with Maxine Waters beating the drum. Others followed such as Jerrold Nadler and it has only grown louder. President Trump won fair and square through the electoral college. Can we please move on and stop talking impeachment impeachment impeachment 24 hours a day.
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I gather trump will not receive the Nobel Peace prize this year.
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Thank you! This is brilliant! Nancy are you listening?
Trump Derangement Syndrome is evident at every turn. This is another orchestrated attempted coup by Shiff and his gang of deplorable committee members. Nadler is a disgrace to whatever sanctity is left to be found in this so-called governing body. Not sure you'll see this in five minutes....read fast.
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I suggest an ad campaign. Trump currently has one filled with lies that he thinks his 40% will buy. Instead of totally reciting the facts of the case, try something like;
‘Mr. Trump continually plays the victim. He tells us that the FBI, CIA, allied intelligence agencies, NBC, CBS, ABC, NYT, WaPo, other news sources, have all plotted against him. Poor guy, he is the victim.
This makes no sense.’
That’s the ‘reality’ Trump wants to sell. Go straight at it. Mention his pathological lying, his bizarre affinity for the brutal dictators of the world, his bullying of anyone who criticizes him. And repeat and repeat and repeat.
Trump tells lies until some start to believe them. Democrats need to tell the truth until reasonable people can see it.
Have you taken the time read Peter Schweitzer excellent book "Secret Empires" which spells in detail (with footnotes) the sleazy actions of the Bidens, both father and son, in Ukraine and China,and how a talentless former drug addict, could make millions in both countries!
Even shampoo recommends rinse and repeat. Let's get this guy out of our hair (Sorry, Charles).
Excellent piece !
America wake up, we have a President so corrupt yet republicans are running scared to say anything against this liar trump.
Trump attacks anyone who contradicts him because he has all day for that.
He does not get anything done as his job requirements asks him for.
Tardiest government servant America has ever known.
Impeach Trump however long it takes. I like Mr. Blow's thoughts Impeach him again and again. I do not think the republican cult would ever vote against this nasty man.
I wish he would go to Mar-a- largo and stay for the rest of his term. .
Brilliant! Being impeached more than once will also serve to make it official that he is the worse president ever.
Charles M. Blow's columns are almost therapeutic for me now --- as a counterweight to the continuous lying and gaslighting we get not just from Trump but most of his followers and defenders. I can't even imagine the barrage of hate mail and threats that Mr. Blow must get in response to his insistence on telling the truth. I hope he takes care and knows that many of us appreciate his courageous stance against this "president's" corrupt, hateful mob-like behavior.
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With a shameless con man in the White House, Democrats have no choice but to counter all his lawless acts and take on every fight as it comes up. If that means multiple impeachments, so be it. Ultimately, the American voting public is to blame - Trump wasn't some mysterious figure who swept into power and then took everyone off guard with his antics. Trump has been a consistently deceitful, self-serving grifter for decades, all in full public view. Now, despite everything that has transpired and Trump's wildly out of control response to the impeachment inquiry, his support level remains at 41.5 percent. If you are an American with respect for the Constitution and in possession of a functioning conscience, I don't know what you do with those facts. The country is split in much the same way as just prior to the civil war. Trump supporters are not only willing, they are gleeful about following him down his warped rabbit hole of lies and altered reality. How does that play out moving forward? The Trump base has no problem with willfully denying the facts their own eyes and ears are delivering to them. They prefer the fiction Trump spews because it feeds their spite. That doesn't leave any room for compromise. I just don't see how this ends well.
Nonsense.
The Democrats stupidly ceded their Article I legislative branch checks and balances obligations and powers to Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III.
There is no Special Counsel in any article of the American constitution. Losing all credibility and lots of time in the process.
The Mueller Report is akin to the ' Yellow Pages' a legal jargon filled deceptive duplicitous hypocritical political mess.
Since becoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been focused on malignly mocking and marginalizing the Squad while offering a bevy of excuses for not investigating nor impeaching Donald Trump. Trump agreed.
The Ukraine Trump conspiracy is all that is left. Bringing up the other stuff is a belated distraction.
At most the American people can focus on three clear and concise articles of impeachment. Ukraine plus obstruction of Congress and justice.
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"Many Trump loyalists will never accede to this point, but many more Americans, at the core, know this difference between right and wrong."
Bingo. That gets it just right.
Trump has boasted that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and it would not affect support from his base. What if he does? And what if he keeps doing it? Do we simply wait for the next election to sort it all out? Especially when Trump is trying to rig the next election, illegally enlisting the support of foreign powers to do so?
Trump wants to build a wall with potentially lethal spikes at the top and alligators and deadly snakes in a moat below. He wanted to shoot immigrants, but when told that would be illegal, he asked if he could shoot them in the legs instead. What do we do with such a president?
We should impeach him every day, sending him into apoplectic fury, only to have to return to it the next day, and over and over and over again ...
Imagine Trump as a hobbled immigrant trying to scale his own wall, for all eternity. Like Tantalus forever reaching for fruit and water, Sisyphus forever rolling his boulder up the hill, an Ixion forever strapped to his fiery wheel.
Now that would be poetic justice.
Are you that afraid of the people, that you can’t wait for the election, in 13 months? Try changing people’s minds, not ripping the country apart.
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"Short-fingered vulgarian".
This photo is perfect to accompany a topic like "Impeach Trump, Repeatedly". He has proven himself to be a threat to us through his words, tweets, actions, and the hidden unseen things he is doing to undermine not only our country, but to the entire world. I want to see him impeached, repeatedly, through all infinity.
This is absolutely the right way to proceed. Trump must be held accountable for every misdeed he has committed while president and also held accountable for crimes he may have committed before becoming president.
Did Trump obstruct justice when he fired Comey? Check.
Did Trump obstruct justice when he ordered McGahn to fire Mueller, something that McGahn refused to do? Check.
Did Trump obstruct justice when he sought to reverse Session's recusal? Check.
How many women have accused Trump of sexually assaulting them? Those are potential crimes that need to investigated. The guy even admitted on video to sexually assaulting women.
Has Trump laundered money for corrupt oligarchs? Get his tax returns to investigate.
The truth needs to be known completely about any and all corruption that Trump has committed, particularly while living in the White House. For the sake of the American system of government, he needs to prosecuted for every potential crime he has committed.
Trump’s stonewalling alone is grounds for impeachment.
He acts like a dictator, and then completely refuses to follow the law.
He is a great and effective Con artist, and that’s why he needs to go.
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Even if Trump is finally Impeached; which I seriously doubt the sick G.O.P. sycophants will ever allow; the damage to American democracy is already done. Trump and his merry band of lunatics have drawn a road map for future Authoritarian tyrants a blind man could follow. No you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. As long as a significant (40%) amount of the American public are willing to swallow the G.O.P. Kool-Aid; and they so obviously are; what hope does a 243 year old piece of paper like the Constitution have? No; I hate to say it; but the U.S. has a cancer that it may not survive. It is called Trumpocracy. Anything less than a full Impeachment and removal of this cancer; and the U.S. is now nothing but a glorified Banana Republic. The Star Spangled Banner may still wave, but it will be a symbol of yet another Failed Empire; joining the Roman, Ottoman, French, and British empires before it in the trash can of history. Democracy in the U.S. is all but dead already.
Not Only Trump Stonewalling but his Campaign ads stating Democrats orchestrating a "coup". It's not . It's a Vote of No Confidence in a President--who has had 3 wives and 6 bankruptcies---Trump should not be allowed to run ads while he is under Impeachment Inquiry............................
I liked it!
Yeah, it's called Mob rule. In more ways than one.
This is a brilliant answer. Impeach him for each and every crime, every violation of his constitutional duties.
Sparklingly great idea. Thank you.
What I like best about your brilliant idea, Mr. Blow, is that it gives our Narcissist In Chief something new and unique to crow about:
The first and only POTUS in American history to be impeached more than once! It's countless and priceless. Hillary never even had a chance, while Barack couldn't do so even though he had two terms to try! This is a win for Trump, a win for our democracy and a win for the world. Let's just hope it never happens again.
Vote.
While we are seeking multiple impeachments, let's not forget to impeach Barr, Pompeo but most importantly, Pence.
No refuge in the Rapture available here.
I agree.
At the same time, seeing republican members of congress on Sunday news shows tells me that succeeding I the senate will be difficult. For all their protestations and claims of bias, they are ignoring the facts that trump held foreign aid hostage pending assistance from another country to damage his political opponent.
Hearing them suggest that trump’s request for help from China during an exchange with the press was a joke. When has anybody heard trump joke? Putin is the one telling jokes. He is enjoying our predicament immensely.
What are they afraid of? Do they think the citizens of this country are stupid? Why have they failed to recognize corruption and take steps to stop it? Are they part of it?
While all this is going on, who is looking out for the good of the country and the daily requirements that keep it running?
I see someone argued that we should give Trump the benefit of the doubt because the was a "duly elected President." Hmm, isn't that what this inquiry all about--only if you buy into the Trump machine's lies would one agree he was duly elected. He cheated. With the help of a foreign power. He is, as Jimmy Carter noted, an "illegitimate" president and deserves no special protections just because he holds an office he did not earn. Impeach now. Imagine if you will a lame duck Trump.
The Democrats in the House know how to walk and chew gum at the same time. It appears to me that the Republicans in the Senate would have trouble doing either one, separately. All the same, I agree with Charles. Throw everything that Trump and his lackeys have done at the wall and see what sticks. There is enough evidence so far for the wall to be completely covered with a sticky gooey mess, and even a blind man could see, a deaf man could hear and a man with a raging sinus infection could smell the rot from a mile away.
Impeach tomprrow based on his own transcript and the "China, if you're listening" and the obstruction to date (tax returns, documents, witnesses). Then keep going, Mueller, etc. Darn right. Yes, sir. Sic 'im.
Why the GOP refuses to act and continue with their cowardly ways is baffling to me. Politically speaking, wouldn't they prefer to have a President Pence, albeit (hopefully) briefly, since Pence is more purely aligned with the conservative Republicans and it would give them a slight chance to rebuild their tarnished and stained brand? I mean sure, their idiotic base might not forgive them this coming election cycle, but swallowing a short term loss in my opinion is much preferred to a generation of defeat if they drag this out.
The longer they let this linger, the worse the electoral drubbing they face next November. I sincerely believe with every fiber of my being that the GOP will pay dearly for their malicious intransigence if they continue to stonewall and cover for this traitor.
Get it over with, rip off the band aid and get rid of this bad seed.
Great strategy, and you'd get my vote;
if you had one.
Unfortunately, we NYT readers are already
with you, and those that should read your piece,
won't
Explain why Pelosi won’t bring it to a vote. Until she does, it’s just a Democrat inquiry since the Republicans are shut out of participating. She either doesn’t have the votes or is worried about losing seats. Either way, it’s another partisan witch hunt based on hatred of Trump.
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Mitch McConnell is un-American.
Time to ditch that silly DOJ memo that says a sitting president can't be indicted while in office. Trump is a gangster and needs to be prosecuted, tried, convicted, and imprisoned. His presence in the WH is an obscenity.
This is our chastening moment. We've hit bottom, and the American people have finally received their lesson in civics. This is what we get when the electorate is ignorant and completely unqualified for citizenship. Most Americans couldn't pass a citizenship test if their lives depended on it. How many have ever read the Constitution?
We have a chance to come away from this horrible experience wiser and uncompromising. Time to throw out all the unethical, corrupt, craven political operatives, from both parties. Time to remake America as the founders intended, and this time, even better than they intended.
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Idiotic. The dems have been pushing for impeachment from before Trump took office. The biggest issue with Ukraine (and China) is whether we the people should pursue Joe Biden under the provisions of the emoluments clause.
The notion that Trump wanted Ukraine to help him defeat Biden in 2020 is laughable. Biden is the ideal candidate for Trump to oppose. He's way too old, he's lost his fastball (should be playing T-ball it looks like) and he will wither in the campaign. So will Warren when the details of her posing as a Native American come out.
The person whose finances should be investigated is Biden -- he's been living pretty pretty large on a senator's salary plus that of his wife, a teacher. And isn't anyone curious about his big book deal. Afterall, how many people do you know who can't wait to buy a copy one of he upcoming Biden's books.
The left (and intel services) have no credibility on impeachment since they've been doing nothing but trying to impeach Trump since he took office. First it was the Steele dossier (handily made public by Comey and the left), then it was Stormy Daniels, then the Mueller report, collusion, obstruction, this and then that -- give me a break. You lost the election. The Ukraine investigation is partisan period. Why not give it a rest, have the dems go back to governing (as bad as they are at it) and let the people decide at the ballot box.
I sometimes wonder how some Republican lawmakers can look at their children in the eyes before going to work in the morning. Only a few, Romney in particular, will be able to say they spoke their conscience and did not compromise their honor while this man was in office.
Surely no political agenda is worth pursuing by protecting this serial abuser of the office. History will be brutal to McConell and this generation of the Party. Don't they see that?
I am in full agreement. Mr. Trump’s conduct in office is so egregious, history should record him as the ONLY president to be impeached more than once. I also believe that the administration’s refusal of testimony and documentation should be met with contempt of congress charges, with offenders being held in the cells in the basement of the congressional building. Congress should be much tougher with such blatant obstruction. Having said all of that, given the hyper-partisanship now gripping the country, once a precedent for multiple impeachments is set, it will become the norm. One of the reasons I had my doubts about a Hillary Clinton presidency was that I feared the Republican congress would immediately launch an impeachment investigation. Multiple impeachments of President Trump, no matter how justified, would certainly insure immediate impeachments of future presidents by a congress held by the opposing party.
Yes, Charles!. Precedent! In ways we are writing a part of our constitution for all time. We must make as clear as sunlight that stonewalling and lying bring powerful consequences. Always and for all time.
“We know now that in the early years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own. We know now that as human beings busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacence people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of their dominion over this small spinning fragment of solar driftwood which by chance or design man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space. Yet across an immense ethereal gulf, minds that to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. In the thirty-ninth year of the twentieth century came the great disillusionment. It was near the end of October. Business was better. The war scare was over. More men were back at work. Sales were picking up. On this particular evening, October 30, the Crosley service estimated that thirty-two million people were listening in on radios.”
---ORSON WELLES, Opening words of the “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast, 10/30/1938
Eighty-one years later and Trump’s supporters are still expecting the Martians and believing in every lie and piece of fake news he tells them.
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I agree with the writer at The Intercept that said impeachment is only happening because Trump finally went after somebody who looked like them.
The notion that previous charges were "too complicated" is just nuts. Here are two more articles:
For emoluments, because he doubled the price of admission to Mar-A-Lago and accepts foreign dignitaries at Trump hotels. Done.
For obstruction of justice, for telling Lester Holt that he fired Comey to end the Russia investigation. Done.
Senators backing these charges wouldn't even have to make a speech; just bring up your iPad and a speaker and reply Lindsay Graham's 1998 speech on "cleansing the office".
But, that said, I'd limit it to three, there's this "rule of 3" in rhetoric, and besides, the leave Stormy&Karen for the Manhattan DA.
But, yeah, more will come up - and he should be charged with everything that you don't want to normalize. Skip one thing, and it becomes, "Well, Trump got away with that, at least, they never mentioned it. So I can, too."
We could have the monthly impeachment from now to November 2020.
@roy brander :
Actually, my "monthly impeachment" idea could be extended to allow Trump to die by the sword that he wielded. He'd never have won without the aura of "boss" that was manufactured for him by his reality show.
So let's start a show where different congressmembers appeal to the audience, like singers on a talent show; each would present why THEIR article of impeachment would be The One for that month, and audience members would vote with 1-900 or the web to make that the Crime Of The Month.
Impeach on the 30th, McConnell dismisses it on the first, and the next show starts on the following Thursday.
You want to sell "complicated" articles? Make it a game show, with audience participation.
While such suggestions might help, we are dealing with an ever growing group of lawless thugs who will destroy our country with malice. They have already stepped on our laws and values and have shown no respect for our constitution. Think of this group of lawless thugs running this country for another four years. What we have to lose is extremely precious and once lost may not so easily be recovered. Vote Trump out and we clean house----the whole rotten group. We might even take the Senate. But if not we are still in trouble.
Agree!!!
Great idea! Impeach and impeach some more! Don’t allow McConnell to abet the high crimes committed in plain sight (and covertly).
P.S. Please stop using the newly popular grammatical malpractice of starting a sentence with a conjunction followed by a comma. (As in, “But, Everybody’s doing it.”)
Revolving Impeachment. You, Sir, are truly a Stable Genius.
Cheers.
I'm with you on this, Charles.
I disagree with Mr Blow 99% of the time
This is the 1% when I don't
This is exactly how trump dealt with the multitudes of lawsuits filed against him and his company, stonewall, obstruct, deny. What makes this distasteful abuse of power even more so is it has the stench of Roy Cohn, the quintessential fixer, and his Mafia politics written all over it. A mobster lawyer is dictating WH defence strategy from the grave. Just in time for Halloween.
Absolutely. The GOP has given in and surrendered America to this lunatic. We won't. If the GOP is sticking to its racist idea of what America is, and hence not going after a criminal white President, then the abused minorities will have to finish the job. Thus is power handed over. Slowly and then quickly.
1
You're preaching to the choir here,Mr.Blow, but you are correct. This guy is a veritable smorgasbord of high crimes and misdemeanors! I am inclined to think Ms.Pelosi and Congress is leaning in that direction. The fact that the released transcript revealed that more of his conversations were moved to the "ultra classified" files is an opening to obtain them. They could possibly impeach him for twenty,thirty separate phone calls alone. And this doesn't include emoluments,Cohn,Daniels,Manafort, or his own kids' corruptions
Charles,
You are spot on.
Get tough. Keep focused. Impeach ASAP.
Keep it going.
On and on and on.
Be strong.
Go Girl
Yea Nancy
Looking at the many, many - I'll be polite and call them misdeeds - trump has been guilty of since he took office, is like taking a magnifying glass to a computer screen, you will see lots of dots. However, when viewed in the aggregate a picture emerges.
The number of offenses - big and small - could fill a Word A Day Calendar with an offense a day.
It would be impossible to impeach him for every one, committed out in the open with the ramifications, like dust, not fully settled before the next occurrence.
Impeachment will likely not remove him. But it might lead to criminal indictments that will. If one and done gets us to that place, that's all that matters to me, and the sooner the better.
1
I agree wholeheartedly with this but the Democrats need to become a lot better at messaging and not let Republicans constantly hijack the narrative.
They'll say "Democrats are wasting our time with these hearings and we're not able to achieve any legislative agenda". The Democrats must point out loudly and repeatedly that they have passed over 250 bills that are just languishing on Mitch McConnell's desk. Bills about all those things Republicans now claim they're very concerned about like guns, prescription drug prices and infrastructure.
Then there's their claim that it's not right to undo the results of the last election as if Trump won some overwhelming majority and the will of the people is being undermined. To lose the popular vote by 3 million and back into the presidency only by virtue of the electoral college and foreign interference is hardly a mandate
Above all, ask the American public one simple question: Have you ever known anyone who was always right, always innocent, yet shrouded all possible evidence to the contrary in total secrecy?
Anyone who questions him is "An enemy of the people" Any investigation of him is a "witch hunt". Everyone is wrong and he's always right, does this make sense to you logically? I didn't think so.
2
Let justice roll like a river and righteousness like a never failing stream!
1
Amen!!
Amen!
1
Amen!
Agree. Attack. Attack. Attack.
Another great column by Mr Blow.
1
Thank you! Thank you! Charles Blow, for your stand!
1
Amen.
Amen.
YES!
The real key is next November. Democrats must turn out to vote in record numbers and vote out as many Republicans, including Trump and McConnell.
2
You, Mr. Blow, are a genius. Have you ever consider a stint in politics? NYT, please forward this article to the office of Nancy Pelosi as soon as possible. She has something very important to consider.
Blow has an interesting and perhaps effective strategy.
Fortunately, the House does not yet need to decide whether it will need to engage in serial impeachments.
First Pelosi crawled.
Then Nadler walked.
Now, Schiff can take one leap at a time.
I could not agree more with Mr. Blow.
Hit Trump hard and hit him repeatedly. Anything less than this will not vanquish the Trump juggernaut.
The rot is deep and extensive, and it will take exactly what Mr. Blow details in this piece to beat them.
oz.
1
Amen
History will judge us harshly if impeachment was not taken up regardless of whether the evidence is sufficient to convict and remove. If the Senate games it, that too becomes part of the record with the player's names permanently affixed.
1
The evidence so far suggests that, assuming that the constitutional system survives, it will take years after Donald Trump is out of office to uncover everything he's done that theoretically ought to be included in articles of impeachment. If an actual impeachment and trial are to take place, a limit will have to be set somewhere, and other items can be taken up by the courts, if appropriate. If (a big if, granted) the Senate conducts a proper trial, then repeated impeachments will appear to many voters to be nothing other than bitter partisanship. A second or third impeachment makes sense only if the Senate clearly has refused to do its duty. In the end, it's still crucial to win the 2020 election, and not to re-elect a president who clearly is unfit by temperament and morality for his office.
1
It's common knowledge that the most powerful person in American politics, right now, is Mitch McConnell. Assuming the House approves one or more articles of impeachment and sends one or more of them to the Senate for trial, they will pass or fail there only as McConnell decides. In other words, they will all fail. I get that. In a sense, McConnell's verdict is already in.
But the process is critical to the 2nd trial, to be held in November of 2020. Those jurors, all 120 (or so) million of them, need to hear the evidence so that each may take it into account when ratifying or rejecting McConnell's verdict.
In the end, the American electorate will be its own court of last resort.
6
We must not succumb to bloodlust in the passion for removing Trump from office or cleansing Trumpism from a top-of-mind obsession in voters minds. Using a fulsome impeachment inquiry process to develop as many Trump transgressions and illegalities into as many serious, legally refined arguments as is possible to un-elect Trump in 2020. For good measure, the strategy to de-legitimize Trump for use in the next election should also seek to soil his Republican apologists and sycophants enough to wrest control of the Senate from them, while keeping the House in Democratic control. A switch to Democratic control at the top of government in Washington for the next 4-8 years should be the only favored goal here. That should provide enough time that new-version Republicanism can be chased back under whatever rock it oozed out from under these past 20-25 years, but especially the past 5yrs.
To accomplish the greater aim of stabilizing our politics and hence our democracy, the focus should be kept squarely on the strongest, provable arguments that can be sold to the electorate at large. Crushing Trumpism out of vengeful anger will only legitimize the grievance politics that brought us Trump in the first place. Our strategy as a sane citizenry should not be in grinding Trumpism under our collective boot heels, but to chase avid Trumpites back to the obscure fringes of our society where they can do little or no harm to the body politic for the remainder of our foreseeable lifetimes.
5
Mr. Blow, excellent plan! Thank you.
Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Schiff, Chairman Lewis, Chairwoman Waters and all others in charge of drawing up articles of impeachment please seriously consider Mr. Blow’s sage advice. There is a criminal in the Oval Office. He needs to be held to account. His enablers must be made to be on a formal historical record that they did nothing to stop the criminal, nothing to stop his crimes and nothing to hold him to account.
7
I will never understand why this country has allowed the US President to get away with having defended and protected a foreign adversary, Putin, over an attack on our country, and getting away with instead launching a campaign to discredit the FBI and CIA for investigating that attack. It's pretty safe to say that, had a Democratic president done the same, Republicans would have gone absolutely ballistic and that president would have been impeached and removed, if not imprisoned, two years ago and the election overturned as having been corrupted. I can't think of more treasonous and impeachable behavior by a president than defending a foreign entity which has attacked the US. Okay, okay...a sex lie...but other than that....
2
@Virginia
Had Obama done any of this, the roof would have blown off the Capital, and there would have been mobs at the White House gates with torches and rope
2
This is a great idea. Keep hammering the con man as more despicable acts unfold. For those in the NY real estate business who are familiar with Trump, I can assure you there are plenty of scams to come.
Each time congress and justice failed to rein him in, Trump didn't say "WHEW, I GOT LUCKY". Instead, he simply planned the next caper. If he can pack one Trump hotel with government employees, "... let's pack them all".
Trump is a career criminal and as the house of cards begins to crumble, the rats he deals with will seek immunity and give up other scams.
Buckle up. It's gonna be a long and bumpy road.
8
You want to get rid of Trump ? Take it to the streets . He will not go quietly in the night ,
3
Keep impeaching Trump? This is the sort of bad advice that will get him re-elected.
3
What a great idea.
2
The end game needs to be Trump in jail.
To achieve that, Congress must not allow Pence to become President, in which case he would clearly pardon the worst criminal cabal in American history.
Pence needs to be impeached, too, for using American tax dollars to enrich Trump via his hotels and for aiding and abetting a criminal conspiracy involving foreign nations.
Lock them ALL up!
9
Honestly, it feels more and more like every time the Democrats open another box of ACME Impeachment Products, I hear Trump going "Meep Meep".
2
The foolish strategy to impeach Trump into the teeth of the election season has taken most of the oxygen away from the Democratic campaign. Once the impeachment (by an obvious kangaroo court) is thrown out of the Senate, the election, including Democratic hopes for the Senate will most likely be lost.
Better strategy would have been to concentrate on the election, where the real chance of success once existed.
3
@Richard
I underdstand that it is a sound idea for the Democratic candidates and the eventual Democratic nominee to present positive plans and programs to deal with current issues. They should provide the public with clear evidence that they’re qualified, capable and motivated.
On the other hand, clearly pointing out Trump’s unfitness for office, the terrible job he’s done as POTUS, and his highly questionable/criminal behavior must be part of the process.
Focusing on the election, by forgetting about Trump’s corruption, is folly of the first order!
1
@Richard
You actually want attention focused on the Dem candidates?
It’s by design.
1
If the ONLY source of your information is FOX entertainment or even FOX news then you have absolutely no idea at all of what trump is really doing to this country. When his admin rolls back clean air and water rules it is not discussed on FOX. Not even mentioned. Read his twitter feed on a daily basis--it bears no resemblance to reality. His followers have no clue.
4
The Public is having PTSD
Perpetual Trump-atic Stress Disorder
Do not subject them to Perpetual Impeachment
Get it right the first time--Impeach and Remove from Office
2
Good advice!
Don't forget the possble deal between the U.S., Turkey and Russia that will threaten F35 viability because of the Russian S400 system. That's a national security risk, an economic risk and a fiscal risk. Uncle Sam becomes the unwilling partner out in the menage with these strange political bedfellows.
Great idea, and let’s not forget the the district attorneys office in NY are smacking their lips for when this lying,corrupt conman trump is kicked out of office.
Let’s see, tax evasion, self dealing in his “charity”, money laundering, Mr trump and the rest of his corrupt morally bankrupt family will be spending a lot of time in court and hopefully prison.
1
A clear pattern has emerged. The right wing in this country deems the American left and Democrats to be their real enemy. They've spent their time, power, and taxpayer money investigating Benghazi, one of thousands of terrorist attacks against the US, which collapsed only when it becomes clear it was a political exercise, and abuse of power and Congress, to weaken Clinton as a future presidential candidate; they spent their time, power, and taxpayer money investigating a legal private email server belonging to an American; now it's an increase in admiration for Putin amongst Republicans and declaring it nothing that Putin attacked our democracy, meddled in our election, and are doing Trump's bidding by instead investigating the FBI and CIA...and Hunter Biden, not MBS, not Kim, not Putin, Erdogan (now leaving the Kurds to be slaughtered, again), guffawing at Trump asking China to also help him to win reelection (he was joking!)....That party is so diseased at this point, so blinded by the trees they can't see the forest any longer, the forest being the Constitution and patriotism. Donald Trump was inevitable in a party blinded by dysfunctional, rabid and mindless hate for half of their own countrymen.
3
Up until the last few weeks, moderates have been treading softly for fear of the electoral consequences of an impeachment inquiry. If anyone has made this impossible it is the president. It is entirely possible that this president may be reelected one way or another. Regardless of the election, there is a clear constitutional duty of the Congress to protect and defend our democracy and the balance of power. An impeachment inquiry is long overdue, and the president and his enablers have no one to blame but themselves. Fiat justitia ruat caelum -let justice be done though the heavens may fall.
1
The only thing that soothes his tiny soul is the adulation of crowds. He'll hold rally after rally, and I'll be gobsmacked if he doesn't commit more impeachable offenses on camera. Tote 'em up and charge him!
2
"And, we only know this because a whistle-blower stepped forward and said something." No, Charles, we know this because the basic facts of the quid pro quo are in the summary of the telephone conversation released by the White House. Then the whistleblower confirmed and expanded our knowledge. Trump and Giuliani also spoke on TV and confirmed it.
1
As a lifelong Democrat and one who loathes Donald Trump and all that he stands for, I am having a difficult time reconciling why Speaker Pelosi is stalling on bringing the Impeachment inquiry to a vote on the House floor.
Call Trump's bluff! If the White House is resisting House Committee subpoenas because they are waiting for a House vote, then remove that from the table and vote on the resolution.
She has the votes. Let the Republicans in the House go on record with a Yay or Nay. Every other impeachment proceeding in the country's history has had this vote. Why should this one be any different?
1
@Len -
Precisely because Donald Trump has demanded it is reason enough that Pelosi should not do it. Donald Trump is not going to dictate his own investigation as it turned out with the Mueller investigation. And if she did it wouldn't make a difference anyway ... Donald Trump would not cooperate. He would just move the goalposts as always.
2
@IGUANA
All that is true @IGUANA. But to the electorate, particularly the independent and swing voters, it would appear that the Democrats are being reasonable, practical, and following past impeachment protocols.
There is nothing remotely wrong with that formula. So let Trump stonewall even after the vote is taken on the House floor. He can expect to lose even more voters who had given him a chance in 2016. Ain't nothing wrong with that scenario in my opinion.
1
Also, not impeaching him for all of his other crimes would mean that future presidents could commit those crimes with impunity.
Of course Trump should be held responsible for all his crimes.
If people start arguing about which crimes he should be impeached for we will have gone over Niagara Falls without the barrel.
Congress needs to go on offensive. Do something out of the box. Show some teeth.
Put people in jail if they ignore subpoenas. Start with one person and make a public example for the rest.
3
"All political corruption, abuses of power, conspiracies, cover-ups and attempts to deceive and mislead the public are wrong. Many Trump loyalists will never accede to this point, but many more Americans, at the core, know this difference between right and wrong."
This is what makes republicans' hypocrisy so galling. Just for one example, how they all howled that poor trump must be considered 'innocent until proven guilty' during the Mueller investigation, and now listen to them; all wide eyed as they ask us what the Bidens are hiding, if they're so innocent! It's not hard to see right from wrong; we have lots of laws already on the books. The laws that trump grinds under his expensive shoes every single day.
It's so childish to blame everything trump does, every ugly word that comes out of his mouth, on Democrats, those meanies! Every law, rule or value he trashes, according to his cult followers, is just because that horrible constitution won't let him do what he wants.
Another example: trumpies insisted that Democrats quit blaming W for the recession in 2007, that he take responsibility, since he was president. Like W never existed! But now, it's Obama this, Hillary that, Nancy Pelosi and now Rep Schiff... It's just so middle school, as if republicans can't be held to any standard at all. How are we supposed to take you folks seriously when you just let this guy do what he wants?
2
At long last INTEGRITY should mean something in Washington
I know many maga enthusiasts. They love this. Really many are simply nihilistists but they don’t know what that means. Genie is out of the bottle. Also they have no shame. We will have to see if there is a coalition that can defeat them in 2020. Otherwise, we are in for a rapid decline.
1
Excellent article and great idea: impeach him for each and every lie, spin, false accusation he said, betraying the public trust while as POTUS.
There's no need to hate Trump; just impeach him for every rule of law he has broken and for violating the public trust. Mike Pence and Rudy can join him in the impeachment parade.
It will take decades to uncover everything Trump has gotten away with in the White House.
One of the asinine excuses in Trump country is they believe we patriotic Americans of all walks of life want to impeach Donald J. Trump because we hate him. We do despise him for we recognize early on that he was nothing but a con man who has used his high office to enrich himself and his family, but he has brazenly repeatedly broken his sworn oath of office that can’t go unpunished even for a duly elected President of the United States. The United States Constitution must be held up to preserve our fragile democracy.
I agree with the Mr. Blow that both avenues to impeachment charges should be pursued.
Mr. President, this isn’t a witch-hunt. You are still obstructing justice in plain sight and are going to be held accountable.
Thanks be to God that the U.S. House of Representatives was flipped in the 2018 mid-terms or the Republicans would have already assisted in covering up the whole abuse of powers by this corrupt president. Our only regret is that the United States Senate wasn’t also flipped for the removal of this lawless president would have already been set in motion as he so richly deserves.
In the almost 3 years of “The Donald’s” presidency, there have been endless scandals and a corruption charge he has already openly admitted to.
In Barack Obama’s 8 years there were zero! Go figure.
I’ll repeat for the record: “If Donald J. Trump slips out of all these charges, it will validate that we are in the early stages of a authoritarian dictatorship!”
1
What has Trump actually accomplished while President? His tax cut was in the GOP pipeline long before he came along and all he did was pull out a Sharpie to sign it. A tax cut, that's it. Aside from that, for three years, how can his antics be distinguished from those of a baboon on a meth binge who had gained access to the Oval Office? Is this what people really want from the leader of their country? How can his supporters applaud this behavior?
Trump’s campaign is now running odious commercials that impugn the Democratic leaders as the swamp and claim that they created conspiracy fictions in the Ukraine scandal that they are using to reverse the 2016 election results and to take away their strong and successful President from them.
The shamelessness of these commercials and their slander of the Democratic leadership are the true fictions but they are designed to heighten divisions in
America and obscure the truth. They confirm the suspicion that Trump will stoop to the gutter again to try to hold onto power by smearing his opponents and repeating lies until they are believed by some of the American people. They are the propaganda tool of authoritarians and will harm our institutions designed to protect the constitution and the rule of law. Of course the cowardly Republican Party and its leadership will remain silent and complicit with these campaign commercials since they have already decided that power and partisanship are more important than the rule of law, the truth, and their oaths to defend the constitution. I wish there would be a ban on this form of disgusting propaganda on commercial television as indecent and untrue and aired to prevent justice and increase disrespect for our institutions! Of course at their end Trump brazenly announces that he endorses these commercials.
It is Joe McCarthy time again.
1
Trump is a street fighter who obeys no rules. The Dems should have gone down and dirty from the start: not only impeach but invoke the 25th Amendment; demand psychiatric evaluations; demand a real health report from real doctors; order the IRS to turn over his tax returns with no ifs, ands or buts; jail those who defy subpoenas including government officials, cabinet members, White House aides, Trump's lawyers, Barr, Giuliani and now private citizens who once worked for Trump and still cite phony executive privileges. Above all, stop threatening this and that and ACT!
3
Jeffrey Toobin presented this insight, via an online post in The New Yorker , October 6, 2019:
" . . . Just two years earlier, Putin had invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. The government in Kiev went back and forth between leaders who wanted to accommodate Putin’s regime and others who wanted to enlist the help of the West to push back against it. The political consultant of choice for the pro-Russian faction was Paul Manafort, who served as Trump’s campaign chair in the summer of 2016. As Mueller documented, Manafort passed proprietary campaign polling data to pro-Russian Ukrainians. The campaign-era Trump portrayed in the report suffered from one major limitation: he wasn’t President. He clearly welcomed Putin’s assistance, and promised a better relationship with Russia, but he was still just a businessman from New York. The whistle-blower’s complaint is the epilogue to Mueller’s report: the coming of age of an aspiring colluder.”
Re-read this sentence; " . . . The whistle-blower’s complaint is the epilogue to Mueller’s report."
The Russia and Ukraine situations are, in fact, one story ---
both promoted and enabled by con-man Trump.
3
Call me naive but why hasn’t one of these traitors been taken away in handcuffs for defying a subpoena?
This is not a rhetorical question. You bet I would be, if charged with contempt of Congress. This is going way too slow to save our country.
2
What makes you think we can control the ballot box? Russia now controls us. Whoever Putin wants to win will win. Sound crazy? Plausible?
1
@Mike Allan Given Trump's trade war with China and it's growing pain for the Chinese people, I think China will ante up, to get Trump out of office.
If the Chinese get upset at an NBA GM, I can only guess how they feel about an uncooperative US president.
How about impeaching Trump for telling 5,000 lies to the American people? Isn’t that a misdemeanour at least. A serious one in fact. How can a leader of a country lie almost every day, often several times a day, sometimes even lying about the lies, and be allowed to continue in office? Maybe if he were a dictator but he has been elected in a democracy to represent the will of the people. How can the people know he’s doing that when he lies and lies about everything. And no, Jim Jordan, you can’t claim they are all “jokes”. Now it’s getting surreal. The American public now can know even less what is truth, when it’s either a lie or it’s a joke. The real joke is Jim, the shirt, Jordan.
1
If the House refuses to take a vote on impeachment, the citizenry will suspect that the whole thing was a ‘Resistance’ ruse. If the Democrats do vote on impeachment, they and their whistleblower/s will thereafter be subject to investigations and subpoenas as well...
It doesn’t look good for the Democrats.
3
"Trump deserves to be impeached for every offense he has committed against the office of the presidency and the American people. " What recourse is available for the countless offenses against people who aren't American? Separating families at the border and torturing children are offenses against humanity. How awful that the U.N. and the International Court of Justice cannot render justice against this soulless man. Impeachment should be just one of the trials he faces.
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@Trish S
You want Trump impeached for following US immigration law?
Wow.
That might happen.
Not.
@Trish S That will come in short order once he is no longer able to hide under the protection of office.
5
@Trish S
I was recently in Mumbai. It became obvious to me that the US needs to have an open border policy. The suffering by the masses there is awful. If anything the Central Americans have it good in comparison.
1
This is an argument that makes sense! It never occurred to me that Congress could present articles of impeachment serially.
The drumbeat of offence after offence would drown out the ridi-culous excuses made by Republican senators, and bring the full picture of Trump's criminality to sunlight.
I hope members of Congress are reading this piece and taking the idea seriously.
4
The problem with that is it amplifies the talking point that the "do nothing" Democrats are so obsessed with getting Trump out of office they're not doing any other legislation. Not true, of course, but it would make it more believable.
As a Trump supporter, I'm all in favor of Mr. Blow's approach. The multiple impeachments would convince the American voters that the Dems are extremely partisan, have no governing agenda other than to impeach their opponents, are not fit to govern and, most importantly, don't think they can beat Trump at the polls.
2
@Ulysses This is a teachable moment for our children to witness how presidents misuse their power, cross lines disregarding law and lawmakers, and how the congress is in place to enforce checks and balance. For a runaway president like trump who has little regard for rules regulations laws policies, we need an equally strong counterbalance as opposition. This is democracy in action. President Trump has never been held accountable whether in his private life or business life and now as a chief executive of the country.
4
@petey tonei Could be. But Mr. Blow was calling for multiple impeachments -- not a responsible approach.
"Whistle-blowers can draw courage from one another. There can be a positive copycat effect that snowballs."
When I first got into this, I thought, no way Pelosi would stand for it. But didn't we all think just a few weeks ago that she wouldn't back impeachment at all?
Right now Trump is emboldened beyond belief. Which means, that he's bound to keep multiplying his offenses, not just calling on other governments to investigate political opponents, but actually go on to commit new abuses of power. Case in point: maybe he'll start jailing a journalist or two--hey, Barr would back him. Or he might ban the free press altogether--ditto.
Oh, he'd never do that, you exclaim! Did you think that one day after the live Mueller testimony he'd just reach for the phone and extort the new president of Ukraine?
Whistleblowers will draw on the power of each other. As they should. Let there be as many as there are impeachable offenses by Trump. And then, let the hearings--and the impeachments--begin.
7
@ChristineMcM -
Unfortunately tyrants also draw power off each other. Donald Trump is not a full fledged tyrant yet but he is making progress.
1
I do not understand why the Dems cannot impeach as well, on obstruction of justice and campaign violations as he is an
indicted co conspirator in the Michael Cohen case? As soon
as he steps down or is removed from office he will be charged
with that felony. Piecemeal articles are just too messy and too
political for the timid Dems to carry out. The real question is
what are we going to do as the Senate seems unlikely to remove him?
1
This is a great idea. In view of McConnell's implied threat to limit impeachment debate in the Senate to an hour or two, thereby taking the topic quickly out of public view, the idea of having a whole stream of impeachments seems a quite appropriate and sensible counter-strategy.
It would make this president the first in history to be impeached more than once.
5
I said this three weeks ago on Facebook.
Every week. Vote on a new article every week.
Spend Robert's and the Senate's time on constant reminders of just how illegal and unlawful Trump is.
Emoluments could be a mini-series. Campaign Finance violations a three week saga. Have fun and pick some on week only items. And impeach him one last time with a retrospective vote the week his successor removes him for real.
5
Time from Nixon defying the subpoena demanding the watergate tapes to the Supreme Court decision? 15 days.
Court decisions don’t have to come slowly. In an impeachment, they should arrive abruptly.
2
Charles Blow is right about the importance of stonewalling as the Trump strategy. He managed to run out the clock on the Mueller investigation without ever offering meaningful sworn testimony. He can tie everyone up with well-lawyered appeals by his personal fixers (including some federal employees who shall remain nameless). But if the charges leveled by Democrats aren't seen to rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" by the voting public, the effort will backfire. We need more credible whistleblowers to put their careers on the line. Or, the Senate Republicans need to grow a spine.
1
the US is overly preoccupied by populist- sounding, flashy rhetoric. enough of us voted for a person who, from the very outset, was a grossly flawed candidate ( to say the very least ).
that man managed to poison everything he got close to and have polorized us so we can't even talk reasonably and be tolerant within our own families anymore. further wreaking the obviously fragile environment and pushing world economy ( and lives of millions ) to the brinks of collapse are alongside gross human rights violations at our borders- the list could be very long indeed.
impeachment is only a tool in the total game of politics. its not about to change anything we don't already know: Trump is an abomination and needed to have been removed from the WH long ago.
yet- we continue our silly game of measuring financial war chests of presidential candidates and comparing polls' percentages as if that's where our salvation might come from.
none of that is describing a place which is about to become great again.
how sad, disappointing and telling.
3
Although I'm a Socialist and a lifelong Democrat, let me speak for the ghost of Senator John McCain: I prefer Presidents Who Do Not Get Run Out Of Office.
By=bye and good riddance, President Mouth, you won't make it to Halloween in office.
4
There is sometimes some confusion about what is meant by the word "misdemeanor" in the phrase “High crimes and misdemeanors” in the Constitution. The Oxford English Dictionary, which is the is the authoritative source on the meanings and etiology of words of the English language, states that "Misdemeanor" meant bad demeanor back in the mid-eighteenth century. Telling your grandmother a dirty joke would be a misdemeanor but not a “high” one. Getting drunk in Parliament and asking the king to go do something with a pig that should only be done under the sacred bonds of matrimony with the queen would be a “high misdemeanor.” Any kind of behavior that ought not be done was a misdemeanor, regardless whether it was legal. Now in modern American, "misdemeanor" means criminal acts that are not as serious as felonies. Criminal acts are divided into misdemeanors and felonies. But back in the day, our founders though that "high misdemeanor" was just something that a president really, really ought not do even though it was legal. If it was illegal it was a “high crime” not a misdemeanor.
So for impeachment purposes, it is not necessary for a president to have broken any laws.
1
Yes! In rapid fire, one for every impeachable offense, of which we know there are many.
4
He wanted to have people say he had the largest inaugural crowd in record. Sorry, missed that. How about going in record for having been impeached more than any other president? If he generates 1000 tweets for every impeachment, enough impeachment’s could overload Twitter, solving both problems. Eventually the Senate might just decide they need to agree to one if the impeachable offenses to stop them from coming. THEN they could start doing their real job.
While we’re at it- read my name and make me your next write-in candidate.
Now that an official impeachment inquiry is open--how about we (or at least Congress) get a full UNredacted version of the Mueller report?
4
trump is the all-purpose impeachment candidate. There is an article for everyone. Obstruction, collusion, violating his oath of office, falsely accusing anyone of treason, emoluments. If you don’t find an impeachment article you can vote for yet, wait a few days there will be another one.
282
@MLE53 And is he less or more corrupt than the other Administrations we have had since neoliberalism took over?
2
@Christopher Hull More. Much, much more. There are a lot of conspiracy theories about corruption by the Clintons, but years of investigation turned up nothing. There's a widespread notion that they managed to hide all of their corruption, while Trump is open about his. I'm skeptical, but even if we assume that, there's no way they could have hidden anywhere near as much as what Trump does openly... and that theory also ignores the possibility that Trump is hiding much of his own, in addition to what is seen. I agree that Trump himself isn't smart enough to do that, but I don't think the same can be said of his family and friends.
16
@Christopher Hull More corrupt. Obviously.
8
Absolutely!!
Double or triple the staff.
As you say there is enough terabytes of bad stuff about Trump et al to hand deliver an impeachment daily with acknowledgement of receipt. Overload them.
Democrats have a duty to literally erase Trump and his way of doing things - he is destroying every democratic institution of your country. That can’t happen.
And please don’t repeat the Hillary- Sanders Syndrome of 2016. D
2
The problem Mr. Blow is the Democrats are such weak messengers that they risk alienating voters with repeated failed attempts at conviction. The Democrats are playing a legal game and Republicans are playing a political game.
Think about it: Two weeks ago the whistleblower complaint lead many of us to think ‘This is finally it. Something will finally stick to this guy.’ But what happened? Once again his surrogates went on TV to spread lies and disinformation and Trump inoculated himself against the whistleblower by confessing to another crime on the South Lawn. Who needs a whistleblower when the criminal confesses and his flock shrugs? Biden runs a WaPo OpEd that landed with a dull thud and the Democrats keep supporting 79-year old Non-Democrat Bernie Sanders.
If Democrats are going to keep impeaching, they need to figure out how to up their political and rhetorical game. Cuz I have zero faith that they can beat Fox, the RNC and Trump and his enablers.
I wish one of them would simply say it: The Republican Party is an organized crime family with Trump as it’s Don. Don Donald.
7
The more I watch Trump supporters twist themselves into pretzels defending his wretched actions, the more dismay I feel. They, his followers will never leave him, dispite his trashing the Presidency and the institutions that have served this country well since the founding. don't bother with these people. They don't deserve the right to vote because they can't discern the truth Or choose to deny it.
5
This is one of the best ideas I've heard. Let's go for it. If McConnell thinks of an impeachment as a kind of mosquito he can just swat dead, let's keep him swatting over and over and over and ...
4
These articles address starting a formal impeachment without a vote, which seems to me to be about political calculations instead of profecting our constitution. With no vote for impeachment, it seems a damaging political precedent could be set, enabling even more partisan calculations and politics, if I understand correctly. I'm interested in other readers take on this as well as Charles Blow's.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/houses-move-toward-impeachment-leaves-gaping-questions-about-the-road-ahead/2019/09/24/83ccbe1e-defe-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html
https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/464492-casual-or-cowardly-pelosi-takes-dangerous-road-to-impeachment
You perhaps missed Goldberg’s column reviewing historical impeachment proceedings. In the past, committee chairs did not routinely have subpoena power. During impeachment’s, the house voted to form a special committee for the impeachment imbued with extraordinary the power of subpoena.
The house did not vote to “formally” open an inquiry. It voted to create a committee. This house has no such need because existing committees have all the authority they need.
It is not for the executive to tell congress how to conduct its business. If it were, Merrick Garland would be on the Supreme Court.
3
It is a mystery what motivated Donald Trump to run for highest office of the land.
@Trevor Diaz
"follow the money" is the watchword--I'm convinced he is making money from manipulating the market, for one thing...If only some hard evidence could be obtained.
4
I believe that once the dam is broached, we will see a rush of whistleblowers and conflicted public servants coming forward. There is too much corruption taking place across this clown car cabinet in enabling the president*'s criminal behavior. The rats leaving this sinking ship are starting to sacrifice their young in their haste to escape.
4
Mr. Blow You say that at their cores Americans know the difference between right and wrong. I used to believe this, and all the other things my parents taught me: That "Every cheat will meet defeat," that bullies have to be stood up to, that "honesty is the best policy." But now...?
5
Brilliant, Mr. Blow.
2
Wow, I'll drink to that, Mr. Blow! Just think of the joy of rising each day to a fresh impeachment! As opposed to each current day of a "fresh new hell" unloaded on us by the usurper @ the White House!
Two points: Someone who says, “I would like you to do us a favor though,” is certainly not asking for an uprooting of general corruption.
Second, why don't the Democrats & the media stress how WEAK the usurper is? So WEAK that he knows he will lose without tons of outside Foreign cheating?! You know, like in 2016?!
3
Pence is the ‘poison pill’ that awaits America in the event Trump is impeached. Damned if you don’t & damned if you do.
1
If removing Trump through impeachment or an election has any chance of success, liberals have to stop wringing their hands and saying his outrages are "alarming", "scary", or even "troubling". Don't they understand that's just music to a bully's ears?
The correct responses, immortalized by Peter Finch in "Network", is: "First you've gotta get mad. You've got to say I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!"
5
Agree. To hell with political norms and conventions. These are desperate times and we have to stay on offense.
4
I've read articles on the pros of narrow focus on Ukraine and others on a broad investigation of everything. Kudos to Charles Blow for brilliantly resolving this conflict. The public deserves to have all President Trump's misdeeds in office investigated, and our country needs to have him held accountable.
7
I've been advocating this approach for a while. It could be a campaign strategy.
While the White House is staving off the Deep State Wolves hounding them at the door and Senators are twisting like a rope in the wind trying to defend him, the Democratic candidates are free to ignore the proceedings and concentrate on their policy and marketing to change voters' minds about who should be President.
AND the strategy would be based upon facts put before the electorate; not some crazy Qanon conspiracy theory only a few will believe.
3
Reading some of the comments it seems too many see this a partisan politics and ignore the concepts of right and wrong. So much about Trump is just wrong. But the solicitation of help for his campaign in the form of bogus "investigations" or more accurately dirt fabricating operations from foreign entities in exchange for foreign aid or trade agreements or some advantage, is flat out illegal. It is wrong. It is immoral. It degrades our elections and national security. In what other ways has he been selling out our country for his benefit? We need to need know and Trump needs to go.
4
To generalize: the mainstream Democratic Party,
and media like the Times, put a lot of eggs in the basket of the “Russian Collusion” inquiry. Although there was obstruction during this inquiry, collusion was a dead end. The Dems came across as sore losers. And they were.
This time, however, IS different. Mr Blow nails it: at the very least, for the sake of future of the republic, for the sake of the proper role of the Executive as envisioned by the Founders, the House needs to keep at it. Short term political consequences are secondary at this point.
This kind of reminds me of Lincoln’s advice to Grant during the Civil War to press on, and press on hard. Lincoln, it should be remembered, was at first regarded as timid by Frederick Douglass. But in the end, Douglas admired him for his wisdom and his strength.
1
@Joseph Dibello
Since when does insisting that obstruction of justice is impeachable make Democrats "sore losers"? Obstruction of justice is a crime. Obstruction of justice on an FBI investigation is a crime. A number of Trump cronies went to jail.
The problem with the people of this country is the blatant disrespect for the law. Trump does it...and everyone thinks it's okay. The Constitution is just so much toilet paper. Power is everything. If it doesn't hurt you, go ahead Mr Trump and be a dictator. No wonder the country is going to the dogs...the Russian dogs.
1
Charles,
The trumpublican narrative is already one of the Democrats on a continuous investigation of Trump. And the answer to that is, or should be, obvious. Trump is a law breaker on a continuous basis. So, with Trump continuously breaking the law and flouting the constitution...the Democrats need to continuously investigate Trump.
And don't worry about the Trump base. They are crooks too. They support Trump's attempt to steal the next election just as they supported the theft of the last election. The Trump base doesn't care about the constitution...they use it for toilet paper. The Trump base doesn't care about the USA...they would happily tear it down to maintain power.
This is the decisive moment of our age when it comes to Democracy and the world. If we fail, we head into a very dark age of repression that will end with destruction on a massive scale as climate change hits with full force. But that's what Trump's evangelical base wants. Armageddon.
2
Excellent idea. How do we proceed?
This column is a brilliant solution to the problem of producing Articles of Impeachment that are narrow enough initially for the public to understand and support without closing the door on all the other high crimes and misdemeanors which require more evidence and even those this lawless amorality is yet to commit.
You give me hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, Mr. Blow if only we muster the imagination and resolve to start thinking outside the box, again.
Your columns have been a blessing and an inspiration throughout this nightmare presidency. I thank you.
3
Goodness, that sounds extreme! But so does government by the intransigently corrupt. Mr. Blow is right: Fight Trump's fires with as many controlled burns.
2
Hey, I have an idea! Why don’t the Democrats and Republicans try to address some real problems? You know, healthcare, immigration, the list goes on. No President has ever been removed from office by the Senate, and this one isn’t going to be removed either. There is an election in 13 months, why not go out and vote?
3
Talk to your Republican senators. Except for criminal justice reform, they haven’t taken up a single bill passed by the house since 2018.
The problem with waiting for the election is that Trump is obviously not planning for a fight at the ballot box. He’s planning to fight over the box itself. That well could be the last election, ever.
1
Interesting strategy, but there is a downside not really examined in this piece. One after another impeachment cases will seem desperate and disingenuous by the Democrats. And it will be expertly spun that way by the cowardly Republicans.
It’s clear Trump is deserving of being thrown out of office, but realistically the Democrats do have one shot at it. Then, the election.
1
As you clearly point out in this well written op-ed, Charles, among the many questionable actions taken by President Trump, the recent revelations concerning Trump’s freezing military aid to Ukraine in an effort to blakmail President Zelensky into providing him damaging information about Joe and/or Hunter Biden is singularly useful and straightforward in getting Trump impeached.
When it comes to the inevitable stonewalling by Trump and his minions, I’m somewhat confused.
(I’m a retired high school math teacher, not an attorney.)
In a case where the president is the defendant, what rights does he have to endlessly drag questionable, distracting issues into the proceedings? Are the members of the house investigative committees required to investigate every implausible, unrelated distraction that Trump, Giuliani, Pompeo or Barr insists must be considered?
The president’s history of wearing his opponents out with lies, misleading statements, distractions, incomprehensible arguments and abrupt changes to his story is daunting.
Can the impeachment committee force these corrupt liars to simply answer the questions asked?
Just the facts, Ma’am. Just the facts.”
— Joe Friday, DRAGNET
2
Truth is a powerful weapon, for those who believe in factual “truth”. I often wondered how seemingly intelligent people could fall for what I thought were obvious scams; the free vacations, free seminars, making millions in real estate with no investment or the guy wanting to give you $21,000,000 if you just gave him your bank account number. Then came Trump. When I listen to his supporters who believe all his lies, disbelieve any negative media about him, and rave about all the marvelous good he has done, I understand no amount of truth will ever penetrate their fortress of adoration for our autocrat.
2
As TV viewers saw this weekend from the pathetic performances by sycophants Jim Jordan and Ron Johnson, the GOP wouldn't impeach Trump if they had video evidence of Trump holding a gun to President Zelensky. They would justify their vote by saying he was just acting or deflect by demanding an inquiry into Lisa Page. (Or possibly Bert and Ernie.)
However, if a majority of Americans were presented with incontrovertible evidence, they would demand an end to the GOP sham and there would be a Democratic landslide in 2020. That would be the worst of all possible worlds for Trump. Impeached. Voted out of office. Waiting for the next rack of shoes to drop from the Southern District of New York. And no pardons emanating from the Oval Office.
Anyone doubting that prediction should review the 2018 congressional vote totals.
And if McConnell abuses his power, again, it seems America is ready to impeach him, too. We can’t let his corruption relieve Trump of the consequences of his (Trump’s) actions, and voting McConnell out is too far away.
1
This could work if the Democrats say up front that they are doing it. They need to call the Ukraine-related articles of impeachment the "first articles of impeachment" or "preliminary articles of impeachment". That way they cannot be accused of just "trying again" after a failure in the senate.
1
I'll settle for one impeachment in the House, a conviction in the Senate and then back to New York to face the music as Individual #1, followed by conviction and jail time. Preventing him from watching Fox news in jail will be the ultimate reality check.
1
The US President used 400 million US tax payer dollars as bait to get personal help from another country against his political rival.
The House should vote to impeach and if the Senate Republicans don't convict then we all know where everyone stands.
Then we the people will vote and tell the world what kind of country we are.
1
The longer our Republic brothers and sisters enable obstruction of justice, slander, lying, philandering and hate speech, the less chance we have of ever recovering our dignity as a nation or democracy as our form of governance.
1
We all had enough of him!
He must must go
The damage he did to our lived is unmistakable
This president should never have achieved the office. The will of the American people was somehow eclipsed by the flawed and outdated electoral college system. Trump has committed high crimes and misdemeanors against his fellow citizens, and he must be held to account for each of them. Should his captive republicans refuse to do their job, then I agree that articles of impeachment for each and every one of his infractions should be submitted until either the senate or the electorate come to their senses and kick Trump out. Awaiting him will be enough state and federal law suits to last his lifetime. He is not above the law.
I am afraid the Trump administration has been trying to divert attention from Trump’s business and treasonous dealings with Russia.
Ukraine, Australia and China stories are impeachable offenses and illegal acts and any rookie attorney knows it and probably told Trump.
Committing these illegal acts was in a desperate move to cover up more serious treasonous acts.
The Trump administration has succeeded in diverting our focus away from Russia. He has outsmarted us all.
Charles has been the leader of the resistance to Trump since Trump was elected President. Charles has been relentless and effective in exposing the corruption,the incompetence and has demonstrated time and again that Trump is unfit to serve as president. His call for a never ending series of separate impeachment hearings is way over the top.Such steps will be seen as over kill and Trump will be martyred and could gain the support of middle of the road voters. Roll it back Charles.
Keep the inquiry going? LOL.
The public doesn't have the attention span to focus on this for more than a few weeks--the Times has a daily round up of events tied to the inquiry.
This sort of inquiry is more akin to chopping wood than it is an episode of Perry Mason. It requires painstakingly accumulating evidence, sifting through it and presenting relevant information in a form that is legally sufficient.
As additional allegations come to surface that have been corroborated regarding his acts of obstruction of justice, ignoring the rule of law, his abuse of power, djt's rage will contiune to escalate along with his paranoia. Democrats have to place this on the laps of the GOP a.s.a.p.
The man still holds the power to bring our country down the rabbit hole domestically and internationally to a point of no return.
If Hillary had won, would we be having conversations of impeachment over the Steele Dossier, bought and Paid for by Clinton and the DNC? Certainly far more impeachable than a phone call. And what about the suspect Clinton Foundation And pay to play? Come on Democrats, stop with this impeachment nonsense and get on with the business of running our country.
3
Hillary Clinton is not president.
The impeachment isn’t over “a phone call” and you know it.
Are you prepared to make an honest argument, or is your goal to muddy the waters to confuse the public?
@James K. Lowden
The entire problem is what happened and who was responsible for the election interference in 2016 against Trump. And who snc of what is “crowd strike?”
My question was “IF Hillary was president...”. And thank heavens she isn’t, because Our country would be in further chaos because of the past dealings of the Clintons.
1
The purpose of impeachment is not punitive; it's protective.
As there is not a dimes worth of difference between Trump and the sycophantic and complicit Republican Party how do you protect our democracy after Trump is not removed by the Senate?
How do we stop Trump from illegally influencing the election if he continually gets away with it? How do we stop Trump from instigating the hacking of vote counts in a system acknowledged to be insecure due in part because of the work of his partner in undermining democracy, Mitch McConnell? How do you stop him given that the DOJ has been compromised by the corrupt Barr?
Keep the Impeachment investigations open as long as there is credible evidence that Trump is commiting high crimes and misdemeanors. Since he does so openly since the cops (Barr) and the jury (McConnell) are in his pocket, there will be no end to attacks on elections and democracy until Trump is out of the White House. Multiple impeachments wont stop him, but it may slow him down.
3
A Trump Act II with Senate majority completes a court packing that tilts “juris extremis” for 40 years.
I like this. Add to this a TV ad campaign highlighting all of the legislation the House has passed this year that has died in the Senate, to defend against claims that Democrats are not getting anything done.
1
You read my mind, Charles.
Bringing all Trump's corruption up in multiple articles of impeachment in the House, over time, is the right move.
It is representative of his Presidency.
1
Oh please do, please do. Being a strong Trump supporter, I can relax and watch him slide into victory next November.
1
Negativity begets more negativity it seems to me. Endless impeachments will grind us all down. How do we bring the positives in whilst executing with extreme prejudice on the high crimes and misdemeanours?
Interesting exercise: how many words of four letters or more can you get from the word impeachments?
Some of my favourites:
Scheme, chasten, pain, stain, hasten, pinches, impeaches, chimps, speech, tames, hates, teaches, pitches, matches, shame, spat, cheats, chimes, steep, memes....
Also Pence, Mitch....
If we can have endless Benghazi hearings to smear Hillary Clinton, we can have well founded impeachment hearings to investigate Trump’s corruption and abuse of power. McConnell may prevent removal or conviction but the hearings can show the American people how evil and destructive Trump is. Then it’s up to them to decide if they want another four years of him.
1
When Nancy Pelosi and her feckess Democratic Party minority fell for the delusion that Robert S. Mueller, III was the Second Coming of Christ that James Comey believed himself to be and waited on the Mueller Report to perform the Article I legislative branch checks and balances on the Article II executive branch she wasted time and lost credibility.
Pelosi let way too many impeachable 'treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors' to pass to effectively raise them now.
There is no such person as 'Special Counsel' in any Article of our Constitution.
Since Pelosi became Speaker she has spent her time focused on maligning, marginalizing and mocking the Squad while offering a bevy of excuses for not investigating and impeaching Donald Trump. And Trump agreed.
While the Mueller Report had all of the excitement and impact of 'the Yellow Pages' with Bob Mueller grounding us down with esoteric legal mumbo jumbo and jargon.
The Trump Administration Ukraine conspiracy to haggle over millions in American military arms particularly anti-tank Javelin missiles in exchange for some unethical Ukrainian business dealings dirt by Joe Biden's son is the essence of failing to faithfully execute the duties of President of the United States while preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution.
The focus of impeachment has to be Ukraine and any obstruction of Congress investigation. No more than 3 articles of impeachment are digestible and tolerable.
1
Serial impeachments are the ticket to ridding our presidency of the first American president in 250 years who holds himself above the law. Whether or not he is reelected next year, whether or not a more disastrous president (Mike Pence) assumes Trump's mantle of corruption, remains to be seen. Only by impeaching him again and again will America be trump-free.
This president and his administration have gaslit the American people into believing "alternative facts" are the truth. Will Donald Trump ever be held accountable for his high crimes and misdemeanors ("bribery and treason", too, in the 2nd Amendment), or will he ski away scot-free from his and the Republican Party's appalling abuse of the power of the presidency?
1
As Groucho Marx famously stated, "I've never been so insulted in all my life ... but it's early yet."
Every day Trump remains in office presents an opportunity for a new or expanded cataclysm. What so many Americans fail to grasp is Trump's damage is cumulative; every mad dog thing he says and does adds up. And don't think for a heart beat this maniac would hesitate to throw us into a major war as just the next diversion.
We have him on the run now. Let's begin each new week with a fresh attack on Republican tyranny.
1
If he is impeached on the Ukraine crimes but not convicted in the Senate, could he be impeached again and tried again in the Senate on the Ukraine crimes in a new Congress? Double-deopardy shouldn’t apply as neither is a criminal proceeding but I also doubt there is any Constitutional or case-law precedent on this. Any thoughts?
I would agree. This can not stop here. This must go on no matter what happens, win or lose.
1
Trump's ego is what drives him. His obstruction is due to his lack of regard for any authority that doesn't personally enrich him. His desire to get a wall built by ripping dollar bills from the pockets of the same potato heads that roared in approval of his claims Mexico would pay for it, is out of a desire for an ego-boosting monument to himself for posterity. When on a trip to New York, my first, I was en route to the NBA Store and enamered with the non-descript shades of grey all over Manhattan, almost as if there was an unspoken rule, a code if you will, that to build here isn't about self, but Manhattan. Well, then I turn a corner and out of the corner of my eye noticed something out of a place, gold lettering. I turn my head and saw TRUMP in big bold gold lettering. I thought then, 2 decades prior to his run in 2016 for this nations highest office, that guy is absolutely shouting his inferiority complex to all within sight of his tacky signage. Everything he does is in pursuit of validity that he is actually as important and brilliant as he likes to say he his - but to his dismay knows he isn't.
1
Brilliant! Let history record that, yes, he was THAT bad.
2
I agree completely. Accountability is key, and not only for Trump. The Democrats need to cultivate a systematical list of all the (possible) crimes and impeachable offenses and offenders, including Barr, Pompeo, Pence, as a start. Go through the list again and again for it to sink in, and force the Republicans to take a stand, and to own all of it, should they vote to acquit.
2
Mr. Blow is correct. The Democrats should vote to impeach Trump once per day as long as he is president.
1
I agree with this approach. Although it will be all consuming and disruptive it may be our only choice. If we do not continuously and forcefully push back against Trump's lawlessness, we accept it. His lawlessness, his anti American behavior is unacceptable.
Keep him spinning, beat him at his 'chaos' game. For every chaotic move he makes double down on impeachment. It may just wear them all down in this ridiculous game they're playing with our democracy.
1
I really hate to always beat the drum of negativity, but the facts are plain and simple.
Republicans will never oust Trump. Republicans will never admit wrong-doing by any of their own, until it becomes a political liability. Republicans will not remove Trump from office.
The GOP will maintain its minority rule on our country and use that power to further stack the deck against challengers.
Our country has shown that it is not deserving of a benevolent leader. We will all reap the consequences. Trump has evaded any sort of repercussions since day 1. Does anyone HONESTLY believe that rule of law can take him down? He will never be punished, and he will never see the inside of a jail cell. That's how it works for the wealthy. You are just kidding yourself if you're trying to say "It'll be alright, the American people know right from wrong."
FALSE. Trump is direct evidence that grown adults will further their own personal interests by burning down the country. Look at his voting base. There is no convincing these deplorables, and we will all suffer because of it. Get ready.
I would follow this rule. What would NEWT GINGRICH do?
1
Great thinking Charles. Fire with all canons. Let loose a barrage of clearly well developed impeachment charges. After all, a grade school kid who can read and reason could examine the Constitution and vote to convict.
But Democrats have said they can walk and chew gum at the same time. It ain't happening the way it should.
We need to be reminding the electorate that Trump literally failed them by not delivering on his promises:
1. "A new health care plan, better and cheaper!"
2. Bringing back manufacturing jobs to the US. The latest stats show the opposite.
3. A "huge infrastructure plan" that would deliver good jobs. Nope.
4. "Drain the swamp"...um, it has turned into a sewer with industry hacks swimming in it.
I suppose we could add the recent insane decision to abandon our Kurdish allies in Syria. You know, the soldiers who did the heavy lifting in fighting ISIS.
Sure, impeach over and over again. But the public needs to be reminded that a 3.5% unemployment rate does not mean people have jobs that pay the bills. And a healthy stock market only benefits some - not most of America.
Oh, wait, then there are the farmers that can't sell their crops because of a stupid and unnecessary trade war.
This president is consistent about one thing - betrayal. Shout it from the hilltops.
1
Absolutely. Impeach, then impeach again, then impeach again. Mitch McConnell said the Senate has to consider articles of impeachment. So make them say they don't care.
I'm in favor of impeachment, if not once then more than once. This President has such contempt for the law that he may do double the dirty deeds he's already done to, as is said, spit in the face of his accusers. Kentucky's favorite son, McConnell, who is actually from Alabama, has already said that impeachment will die in the Senate. So there is to be a lot of pushback, a good deal of it will be infantile.
It would set a horrible precedent. He tried to illegally effect the outcome of the coming presidential election using foreign countries to dig up dirt on his opponent. If we don't impeach him, how will I ever trust the results of another American election? I have no doubt that he would rig the actual vote counting if he knew how. He must be made an example of.
Jeffrey Toobin presented this insight, via an online post in The New Yorker , October 6, 2019:
" . . . Just two years earlier, Putin had invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. The government in Kiev went back and forth between leaders who wanted to accommodate Putin’s regime and others who wanted to enlist the help of the West to push back against it. The political consultant of choice for the pro-Russian faction was Paul Manafort, who served as Trump’s campaign chair in the summer of 2016. As Mueller documented, Manafort passed proprietary campaign polling data to pro-Russian Ukrainians. The campaign-era Trump portrayed in the report suffered from one major limitation: he wasn’t President. He clearly welcomed Putin’s assistance, and promised a better relationship with Russia, but he was still just a businessman from New York. The whistle-blower’s complaint is the epilogue to Mueller’s report: the coming of age of an aspiring colluder.
Re-read this sentence; " . . . The whistle-blower’s complaint is the epilogue to Mueller’s report."
The Russia and Ukraine situations are, in fact, one story.
Both promoted and enabled by con-man Trump.
1
Cynicism will be the death of the American experiment in democracy.
Cynicism is what got Trump elected.
Cynicism is what drives his rallies and his base of voters.
Cynicism is what prevents more Americans from fighting Trumpism in Congress.
Cynicism is why Republican senators will not vote to impeach Trump.
Cynicism is why more people feel hopeless about climate change.
Cynicism is why we elect the wrong people to improve America.
And cynicism is why America is in decline.
2
It is the cumulative effect of this ignorant and dangerous man that has set back our country for decades. His announcement this morning to let Turkey annihilate the Kurds is damaging to any trust we have with allies for decades to come. It is disrespectful to the special forces who fought bravely in Iraq and the region to maintain a kind of peace. Because Trump is feeling cornered by even the Ukraine impeachment, he will act in dangerous ways to save his news cycle. Impeachment is not going to happen soon enough to protect this country or our allies. Clearly maybe he’d take a bribe to resign. That’s the language he’s used to.
Good job, Charles, I agree with you 100%. I've been saying the same thing, that we should let this drag out all the way up to election, so that ALL voters become aware of the troubles Trump has brought upon himself.
while this impeachment is unfolding, trump should be banned from rallies and speeches. Suspended students do not get to participate in class nor trips.
Absolutely! And pair this with heavily-publicized delivery of house approved legislation on infrastructure, the environment, firearms, healthcare, and taxes to the senate. Ms Pelosi should go with media in tow to personally deliver bills to Mitch’s overly-full inbox.
3
To impeach and then convict is, as you say, to place "patriotism over party." So why then is impeachment a "purely political act"?
@Richard, the word 'political' isn't necessarily bad. There are military acts, political acts, diplomatic acts, etc.
Any American election, local or national, is politics. That's just the word. It's not a smear.
@deb
Deb, I'm not saying it's a smear. But either impeachment and conviction is political, or it isn't. And patriotism over party is not political.
They must move forward with impeachment. To do so would be to acquiesce to his criminality. You cannot get reelected as a Dem to congress otherwise. Besides, impeachment is the only way to force Trump to testify in some form under oath. THAT will be his undoing because there is no way that he could keep from lying! At the very least republicans would have to go along with a censure for lying under oath and that would be enough for the fence-sitters out there when they go to vote.
1
Please, Mr. Blow enough already. I agree Trump should be held accountable and if impeachment is warranted impeached. Please let the process work. This daily call for Trump's impeachment is making people numb. I fear if it contiues it is going to be like The Mueller Report. Almost two years of hearing about The Mueller Report it just became elevator music to most people. Any readers of your columns know how you feel about Trump and his occupation of the oval office. I and many people agree with you that Trump is unfit to be president. We don't want the matter of impeachment to start sounding like the boy who cried wolf. Why not start writing about the enablers of Trump? Trump is not thumbing his nose at us by himself. I would love to see someone inspire the massive African American vote in South Carolina to come out and vote Trump's caddy Lindsay Graham out of office.
3
@Steven McCain, sorry, but no. Truth, justice and the American Way may be boring to some, but it IS how the process works.
If you are becoming numb to the Democrats' efforts to reign in a power grab by the executive branch, maybe you need to re-calculate.
I'm not sure what you've been reading, but there are PLENTY of people writing about trump's enablers. These are the people trump now calls Enemies of the People. There ARE many voices in the African American community speaking up. Those are the ones trump insults.
If you are going to join the republicans telling the Democrats to stop 'crying wolf', maybe you would have preferred America to quit crying wolf about fascism in 1939? Or that General Washington's exhortations got boring and old?
Look around you. The chorus of those who despise this president's abuses is loud, growing and inevitable. Don't lecture; help amplify!!
Re-impeachment makes sense. No double jeopardy for new and distinct crimes. And on a similar note, re-election (should that happen) should also not preclude future impeachments as warranted.
1
Well said. With more incriminating information disclosed every single day, I expect public opinion against the president and his criminal organization, otherwise known as the republican party, to grow. Democrats are in the driver's seat now. Regardless of whether he resigns or is impeached, it's all over for Criminal Trump.
1
I don't think multiple impeachments will fly by Pelosi nor is there sufficient time. So far Pelosi has been right to predict rump would self-impeach. I totally agree she was prescient in this respect or just savey enough to recognize a bully. And I think Mr. Schroeder's comment may be on to something. If articles of impeachment reach the senate, the Chief Justice will preside. Can he have the affect of leading 20 to switch in favor of the principle that no one is above the law? Can Roberts rise to the occasion through whatever means at his disposal and make the vote private?
The rigidity with which so many Republicans stubbornly defend inept Donald Trump is no accident. Republicans have long claimed that protecting the status quo is a good thing. After all it is their wealth that is at stake.
What they cannot grasp is that no one can stop change - or slow the chaos, natural and social, of the modern world. We can only try to manage it with intelligence, flexibility and mutual tolerance, which are NOT republican virtues.
2
Unregulated Capitalism, so valuable to the top dogs in America's corporate culture, is founded on the notion that customers will not notice the flaws in the products and services they pay for. A Buick is built by GM workers who saved the company with concessions during the 2008 bank meltdown. Taxpayers helped, too. GM wasn't called Government Motors for nothing. Now the top dogs are closing plants and have implemented a three tier pay plan for the unwashed employees that the union wants to get rid because the plan is unconscionable. Top dogs get away with whatever they can get away with by any means necessary. And that's how America gets another four intolerable years of Trump, his in-bed-with-industry cabinet members, and the Republican Senate that is able to do to America what corporate top dogs have wanted to do for decades. Very clever. Very wrong.
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"I say, impeach Trump as often as necessary until all the corruption has been laid bare."
Or, until you lose the House. Whichever comes first.
It would help if you a had a Steele Dossier. Or, Robert Mueller and his tireless troupe. How about a couple of anonymous sources, in the White House. Maybe, ring up George Conway or Tom Arnold.
And, it wouldn't hurt if you had a committee chairman in the House, that had Hannibal's(of Carthage) contempt of (political) death. "I will either find the evidence, or make up some."
There is no way Pelosi is bluffing. She has the goods, right. Right?
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And may I ask if there is not benefit to continuing impeachments (plural) through the election and even inauguration? It's entirely possible that he could prevail in a messy election and there would still be popular and valid support for removing him.
Many Republicans are pushing the false idea that impeachment is a coup, a way for Democrats and moderates to get what they wanted from the start, to overturn the 2016 election. Short memories.
There was a strong movement to impeach Obama throughout his first term. It was not merely rumblings of a mutiny but an actual plan. The leadership managed to tamp down such discussions but, with Obama's re-election, the plan was moving forward. Then, Republicans realized belatedly that it would backfire.
Obama was called a lawless president, a man trying to become a dictator. The right went wild with the idea that he wouldn't leave office at the end of his term. In fact, Obama and his wife Michele were eagerly looking forward to the end of his presidency, the end of the tumult and the glare of public attention. "I can make my grilled cheese," she told an interviewer, meaning she wouldn't miss the constant personal service available at 1600 Pa. Ave.
Wild, ridiculous rumors were used to undermine Obama's authority as president every step of the way. He wasn't born in America. He was not Christian but Muslim (something many STILL believe). An ordinary, scheduled military training exercise in Texas was a PLOT, the beginning of an effort to allow him to stay in office.
This nonsense was floated every day across the nation. Trump's insults to democracy and the Constitution are vastly different, as if Obama would have been impeached for jaywalking. Oh, and wearing a tan suit.
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It is also important to note that Republicans normalized impeachment with the purely political impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998 (they knew they could not win the Senate with the case they presented). Clinton's impeachment was in part revenge for Nixon's in 1974 for those who still remembered how Nixon was run from office for, it should be noted, actual crimes. Now, they are trying throw mud on Democrats for doing what their party did to Clinton in the '90s even though there is no reasonable comparison.
Leaving aside a thousand other actions and words, the case against Trump boils down to this: it appears that he and his administration have engaged in a world wide effort to dig dirt on Biden and son, no help refused, no possible country left without prodding. In addition, his attorney general has, it appears, carried out an equal effort to prove that the 2016 investigation by a private "spy" was the cause of Trump's problems during that election.
From all appearances, Trump and company have had mainly two goals: dominating the news media day by day and waging a full frontal attack, with the use of government powers and international influence of the US government, on those who might challenge their power through the election process. These actions appear to be a subversion of the purposes of government, an abuse of power and use of government funds for private benefit.
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I wish they had impeached Trump for shutting down the country in January and causing the country. It was an unprecedented abuse of power and nobody can pretend it didn't happen, so Congress would not have to waste time digging for evidence .
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A brilliant suggestion. Even Trump and his allies will wither. Now that would be shock and awe. Brilliant!
The problem the Democrats have is not with the impeachment itself, but in a lack of charismatic and at least somewhat impartial leaders to take it to the public.
I wish more Hollywood folks and CEOs would worry less about their pockets and more about the fate of their country.
Months ago, I responded to. Lawrence Tribe tweet with the following:
1. House should group similar impeachable offenses together and vote on impeachment, one group after another. Send multiple bills of impeachment to the Senate, overwhelming them like chocolates coming down a conveyor belt to Lucy & Ethel.
2. House investigating committees should request federal court to make judge available during witness testimony to rule immediately on specious objections and claims of privilege. Committee chairmen must prepare strategy to fight delay tactics!
Charles, you are so right...keep a steady stream of impeachments going on full display through the 2020 election season!
If anyone thinks this is "overkill", please remember the never ending drumbeat of the Republicans with their years of repeated attempts to repeal Obama's ACA .
This is a very good idea - keeping open the possibility of multiple impeachments, since AG Barr has decided that the president cannot be investigated or indicted for crimes he commits. That means impeaching is what is available to address presidential criminality, lawlessness, and Constitutional violations. So we need to impeach, impeach, and impeach again, because the violations are multiple and ongoing.
Great Idea!
Nancy Pelosi will never allow that. She doesn't even want it now, not as long as there is ZERO chance of getting a conviction in this totally corrupted and fearful GOP majority in the Senate.
It didn't hurt Republicans to vote to repeal Obamacare 60 times. Why would it hurt to bring Impeachment articles again and again for each of his class of crimes? It will FORCE senators like Ron Johnson and Lindsey Graham and Tom Tillis to openly say it's OK for the President to violate election law, and jeopardize our National Security to get dirt on a political opponent.
It will FORCE Tom Cotton and John Cornyn to say it's OK for the President violate the Separation of Powers.
It will Force ALL the Republicans to prove Trump right: That he could murder someone out in the open right on 5th Avenue and get away with it scot-free and that ALL they care about is power and making their patrons richer.
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Yes, Mr Blow that is a well written article. I agree wholeheartedly to have multiple impeachments. Do not let the Republican argument of legislative stalemate influence you? Except for the budget and a small number of bipartisan issues, the US House proposes and the US Senate disposes. Let's keep that most corrupt and unfit Trump busy with impeachment after impeachment. He will become unglued and completely unable to be elected. Also, those 22 Republican senators up for election in 2020 who vote for his acquittal each time, at least half will lose their seats, Then all legislative branches will be run by a party which is fit to govern.
@John
Exactly! Republicans aren't afraid to abandon precedent, violate, or even re-write Senate and House rules.
But pearl-clutching Democrats are. "We'll alienate Obama/Trump voters!" "The Republicans won't work for bi-partisan legislation!" As if they do now?
When you're afraid and timid, the other side wins.
If only....Mueller wasn't a Republican.
If only, the financial Trump scam was included in the "Mueller report" and connected to ? This would have been over before any child was put in a cage. And before this dictatorship had so much control.
And most importantly, Barr has power, a lot of power, with strong connection to Mueller. What is the truth?
What would have happened if Mueller was a Democrat with all that integrity they made us believe Muller possessed ?
Why do we keep on trusting in words from enemies of the state? Why are we choosing leaders that are being sold like the new box of detergent at the local market to clean everything up?
Republicans no longer represent America. We must create a new image from an old constitution based on equality, not the wheel of fortune.
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Agree. The more articles of impeachment, the merrier. Let Moscow Mitch have to deal with each one of them separately, and further openly make a mockery of the Constitution. Just make the articles simple, built on a solid evidentiary foundation.
I like the idea. Multiple impeachments would also expose the GOP Senate's underbelly for the 2020 election. The fact that the GOP Senate has abandoned its Constitutional Responsibility.
The GOP Senate under McConnell is behaving as though the Constitution has been rewritten so we are governed by a national plebiscite every 4 years to elect a President. And, that the role of Congress is to just write into law whatever the President wants. The whole concept of being a deliberative body, dialoging with their constituents and working towards solutions (even small solutions) is missing from their actions. Just this week, we saw two examples -- Joni Ernst pleading impotence in controlling Trump and Ron Johnson blathering to "defend" Trump.
Unless the GOP wakes up, there will be many more examples. Democrats should be able to use these examples to focus on the GOP Senate's abandonment of their Constitutional Responsibility.
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Public Support which mandates appealing to lowest common denominator for message to massively reverberate. Hence, one impeachment, make it stick.
Absolutely.
Does anybody really think Trump is done doing impeachable things?
I'm not just saying we'll learn more about impeachable acts he's already undertaken (emoluments, to start with), although I'd be surprised if that didn't happen.
It just seems very likely that Trump will keep committing illegal, unethical "high crimes and misdemeanors" for the rest of his term. It's sensible to keep the inquiry open until he leaves or the term ends.
Pelosi and company hopefully realize they're not simply preparing the bill for Trump's excesses; they're opening a tab.
“I say, impeach Trump as often as necessary until all the corruption has been laid bare.”
Sorry, laying bare all of Trump’s corruption through the legal process could take over 100 years, not a just a few months, to prosecute.
To call any new whistleblowers copycats is rather insulting. We do not know what their motivations have been but to say that any second or subsequent persons are motivated to any degree to simply copy the initial whistler is like saying that the second guy on Omaha Beach was not independently brave in his own right.
Aside from that Charles presents a very novel approach to impeachment in this time of near complete Republican cowardice.
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@Bunbury You mean the two whistlers who both happen to be CIA agents? Or that until last month neither would have been able to be whistleblowers because they did not have DIRECT knowledge?
@Christopher Hull
Your comment about something occurring last month leaves me at sea as what you are referring to. Were some changes made to the whistleblower act last month. Senator Grassley who wrote that law has made no public complaint about its use. If both whistlers are from CIA it proves nothing one way or the other. Suppose both were originally from Arkansas?
Whatever happened to Trump’s tax returns? The treasurer and IRS commissioner broke the law. Why haven’t they been arrested? Why hasn’t Chairman Neal asked New York for the state returns? Dems are hiding behind a Mueller-like punctilio. Politics is not for the weak of heart.
Impeachment investigations permit access to documents and testimony that Trump and his minions would otherwise stonewall and delay. If we rush the impeachment investigation(s), we limit our ability to uncover corruption. Why hurry?
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Sound thinking; thank you for bringing this idea forward. With each new impeachment effort brought forward, the Senate will also have to twist and turn in its wind -- until, hopefully, those Senators clinging like fall leaves to the trump trunk will have no choice but to let go, one by one by one.
And not just Trump. Impeach Barr, Pompeo, Mnuchin, and every cabinet member that is aiding and abetting criminal activity. Impeach as many times as is necessary. Democrats must play hardball if they are going to uphold and protect the Constitution. Congress should also use its inherent contempt power to force officials to comply with subpoenas.
Agreed. Besides being the worst President in the history of the nation, he’s also a contemptible human being. Trump should be impeached on Ukraine quickly. Then the House can go back and proceed with additional impeachment charges on Trump’s laundry list of crimes and misdemeanors. Hopefully impeachment will have consequences on his “advisers”, GOP House and Senate accomplices, saboteurs and enablers.
One correction. The rational Americans have known of Trump’s and the Republican Party’s corruption and Russian conspiracy. The need to impeach and imprison has been obvious. However republicans have been able to deflect through their massive propaganda apparatus. But The Ukraine scandal is so blatant, so bold faced so crystal clear republicans cannot ignore it. They have to face it. And in facing it, they expose the criminal enterprise of their Party.
Now what?
It could not be more evident at this point that Trump does indeed believe himself impervious to the rule of law. That is the example he projects from the Whitehouse. He literally has given any self conscious congressional person no choice but to hold him to account. Any congressional member who does not see the need is not a true patriot, has no respect for law and does not deserve to serve. Yes, impeach Trump for each and every violation of oath office and rule of law. Not doing so means giving him untethered free reign to trample on the constitution and rules of office.
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In the end, they got All Capone for tax avoidance. Follow the dirty money. Steve Bannon predicted that Trump's money laundering would ultimately be his undoing; for once I wouldn't mind seeing him proved right.
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And find a way to levee large financial penalties and put those who refuse to testify in jail for contempt of congress and the American people
1
For an illegitimate individual (#1) who, though once an entertainer (thus an "acting POTUS") flummoxed enough Americans with bigoted rhetoric to make him the nominee and then vote for him instead of a flawed but capable woman (Clinton)-- again, voted for an individual (#1) who never spent a day as a public servant nor ever offered a true public service-- and knew nothing about government (though he always spoke of running but never prepared) and repeatedly has stated that he "has the absolute right to do whatever he wants, as President"-- I thank you Mr. Blow for outlining what is deserved of this unsuitable individual (#1) currently occupying, undeservedly the office of the President of the US. He offends on every occasion and continues to break the law at his whim, disrespecting that the office is one that represents the people of this nation. It is not any one person's office. Whomever is present is the current occupant for a limited time. For all of Trump's (hitherto referred to as individual #1) indiscretions and intentional breaking of the law i.e., ignorance is no excuse and those willfully serving as his accomplice(s), Trump should be impeached again and again and again. Trump's absurd fascination with being president "for life," is just that-- absurd. It is time for this horror of a reality show to be canceled-- its run having become undone.
1
RICO Impeachment?
With a growing number of director of agencies plus staff being found involved in Trump's extortion of Ukraine to investigate a political rival, perhaps all these federal civil servants can be impeached using a RICO approach. After all, Trump is acting like a mob boss ordering others to do, or assisting in doing, his illegal acts.
1
While much of Trump's style and rhetoric are over the top and different than other presidents -- what has he done that specifically rises to 'high crimes and misdemeanors'. What laws have actually been broken? Is it a campaign finance violation (did he receive $$ value from a foreign government?), was it extortion (did he explicitly withhold money to Ukraine for personal gain?), or some other? The more specific the charge, the more likely it will gain traction. Instead, the boy who cried wolf nature of never-Trump Democrats, who for 3 years have been screaming over every tweet and put the country through two years of Russia collusion hysteria, has made much of the country numb to this latest 24/7 coverage on CNN and MSNBC. My bet is that impeachment proceedings will bite hurt Democrats at election time much more than Trump and Republicans.
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Trump wants Ukraine to investigate why Biden pressured Ukraine to fire the prosecutor who was investigating the gas company that was paying Biden's son a lot of money and also cooperate in the investigation of the origin of Russia collusion investigation which may lead to trouble for a lot of people if the suspicion is true. If these two investigations reveal wrong doings the way Trump suspects, it will benefit Trump in his next election and hurt Biden. The investigation related to Russia collusion investigation will hurt, if proven right, a lot of people including Obama, all his intelligence chiefs, many Democrats, in addition to Biden. Both these investigations involve foreign countries. Now the question is, can Trump ask for cooperation of foreign countries in the investigation of suspected malfeasance and wrong doing of his opponents and opposing political party? Trump supporters think he can and he should. Imagine this, if Obama/Biden people misused FBI, CIA and DOJ to hurt Trump's candidacy and his presidency, and Trump cannot try to find the truth simply because it will benefit Trump and hurt his political opponents. The argument is ludicrous and that is the argument Democrats are advancing to impeach Trump. There is nothing wrong with asking for foreign help to find the truth in these cases as these cases involve foreign conspirators.
3
Impeach repeatedly? To what rational purpose? A totally ridiculous idea. This progressive fantasy will NEVER happen. Get real. If the Democrats can't seal the deal when the President incriminates himself on a daily basis then they never will. Non-stop impeachment hearings play into the Fox News narrative that the Dems have a terminal case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. There's a limit to the American public's patience which is at the breaking point now. The Democrats were not elected to hold endless hearings on the Trump administration. They were given a House majority to craft & pass good legislation. Where is it? Countless impeachment hearings driven by leftist fanatics will over-reach. It will be easily spun by Trump as an out of control witch hunt to fair-minded voters. When impeachment fails in the Senate Trump will again claim victory. The excessive amount of attention to this can backfire miserably, with Trump being reelected and not being the result of Russian interference. This column is a great example of why Progressives rarely have good political advice. The left & their co-dependents who are pushing this train are motivated by blind hate & outrage. They're oblivious to the consequences of their proposed actions. Innumerable Trump hearings will facilitate his winning a 2nd term, which will be devastating for our country. Pelosi to her credit is trying to keep everyone's eye on the ball. This is an open & shut case. No excuse for not getting it right the 1st time.
2
Since the spineless Republicans in the Senate won't convict Trump after being impeached for obstruction of justice, summoning help from multiple nations to interfere in our elections (Russia, Ukraine, China, etc) and profiting off of his private investments while still in office, etc. Trump may proceed to win another election to the Presidency, and be impeached over and over and over again for all of his high crimes and misdemeanors against the Constitution. In fact, Trump's motto for re-election should be FOUR MORE IMPEACHMENTS. Let no Republican open their mouths about defending the Constitution ever again. (include "the national deficit" in that no-speak list as well)
Interesting idea Charles and a good one too. Trump should be made to swing in the wind in terms of never feeling safe again. If the anti-Trump sentiment is as real as Democrats think it is then Trump's defeat in 2020 is all but certain.
Trump should suffer for the damage he has inflicted on the Republic. Prison time is unlikely but appropriate.
Yes, impeach him repeatedly until he's either out of office or dead, whichever comes first. Personally the latter would suit me just fine and with his obesity, poor diet, and lack of any exercise this might work.
President Obama's disinclination to assert himself robustly in holding the egregious self-dealing of the previous administration and its private sector enablers fully to account.
Whatever administration follows Trump should avoid the same error, holding responsible miscreants for the harm they've wreaked. Such accountability should spare nobody who has abused the US Constitution or committed perjury for personal or political gain.
The Miscreant-in-Chief is the president himself. For example, he has done incalculable harm by assassinating the characters of Joe and Hunter Biden, acting illicitly as police, prosecutor, judge and jury on no evidentiary basis whatsoever.
Once Trump is out of office, the Bidens should sue with the same thuggish mercilessness that Trump visits upon all whom he perceives to stand in his way, even when they don't.
LOL, you've been saying "Impeach the president!" even before Trump became president. If you read David Brooks editorial last week, you'll realize this is the reason why even the moderates ignore such opinions; its the same old tune regardless of the evidence.
1
Yes. Impeach at will.
Mr. Me-First will be so proud to be the first president to face multiple impeachment inquiries and votes.
In between presidential impeachments the House could offer up alternative impeachments for Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, and William Barr. Make them all face the music.
Anybody who stonewalls and won't answer subpoenas should have their budget cut to zero until they comply.
Multiple impeachment’s for Trump’s multiple crimes. Keep each case simple so the average American can understand it. We also need to get the complete transcripts of Trump’s conversations with Putin, Kim Jong Un, and MBS. What has Trump traded away in terms of our national security to benefit himself? Let the Republican Senators go on record defending this corrupt man. We’ll deal with them at the voting booth.
We need to move quickly on impeachment before Trump does anymore damage to our country. Trump has just betrayed the Kurds, our long time allies against ISIS and other terrorist groups. Was this on orders from Putin? One thing we do know, Trump is not acting on behalf of the American people.
In spite of its craven subservience to Trump, let's hope that Republicans can see the danger of legitimazing the use of presidential power to destroy political opponents by defamation or unjustified investigation (unless they think they'll be in power for ever) and co-operate in the impeachment of a terrible president.
1
i totally agree- keep up the investigation and the pressure on trump- he hasn't been left to commit as many horrible crimes as he could have - so let's keep going to expose all the misdeeds and crimes. let him and the republicans deal with an onslaught of information and indictments- keep the evidence in eh public eye and keep trump on the defensive
Wouldn't Chief Justice John Roberts preside over the trial in the Senate. At that point, Moscow Mitch just becomes 1 of 100 jury votes. He'd have no say whether a trial is held or how long it would take. Am I wrong?
1
My first thought was, Bravo! Keep impeaching him and making the republicans defend him. I love the idea. A great article
"I say, in that case, deluge them with new articles of impeachment as they present themselves. Force the Senate to continually hold trials and take votes defending Trump’s wrongdoing all the way up to the eve of the election."
Well, that's mature. That is the political equivalent of a temper tantrum.
The "science" of impeachment is settled. Trump should be impeached, for anything and everything. What is the plan if Trump really does commit an impeachable offence? After a couple of false starts, do you really expect to lure Americans back to this circus?
Perry Como, "Dream along with me, I'm on my way to a star."
The GOPs retaliated against Clinton for Nixon. A sequence of trials for tRump would destroy any chances for a reform Democratic president supported by a Democratic House. Sometimes we must le history, the future record of the sins of the past work. We did that when we became friends with post-WWII enemies. We have wrongs to right, scores of them. Let us get on with Ms. Warren and Congress. Humiliate tRump, but only once. Put the devils away, elect re-reformers. if we can. Move on. So much to fix. Impeach and, dare I say, "Reconstruction" must begin. Make America Great Again.
1
To impeach doesn’t mean to throw out of office, it means to investigate on behalf of the voting public. And the impeachment proceedings, as politically fraught as they are, are the best way to bullhorn the narcissism, corruption, and rot threatening our democracy. We need this process to unfold for the duration of this presidency as the slow motion report card of hubris it is. But then ultimately, the voters must decide. Impeachment provides the trial - 2020 Election Day, the verdict. Anything else will result in civil unrest.
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@Hannah Henry
Superior comment.
The only problem is that the voting public--the ultimate jurors--are not subject to voir dire and cannot be vetted.
5
Thanks for the threat; alas, I tend not to be intimidated in these matters by people who know zip about the Constitution.
3
@Hannah Henry Actually, if the Senate voted to convict Trimp, that would be the best way to avoid civil unrest.
It would also follow the truth, protect the Constitution, and allow a measure of redemption for the GOP senators who currently do not or cannot follow their moral and ethical duties to the country.
7
Besides impeachment I think that Trump should be charged with treasonous actions/behavior. He is openly flouting the laws and openly inviting other countries to help him win. In this reader's opinion, no matter who wins the Democratic nomination, Trump will ask other countries to dig up dirt on him/her or manufacture the dirt. Trump has singlehandedly destroyed voters confidence in our electoral process. If he loses we're going to hear that there was cheating. If he wins we can't be sure that there wasn't cheating. Either way we can't be sure he'll leave the White House willingly if he loses or when his term ends.
The GOP should be indicted in this as well. They have allowed Trump to bring the country to its moral knees. What he's done is far worse than what Nixon did in 1972.
10/6/2019 8:41pm first submit
1
This is inspired. Mr. Trump has deluged the country with so many lies that many people doubt that he can be stopped. A deluge of charges, for all of the impeachable offenses. is the way to bring back truth.
You thought you could get away with anything, Mr Trump. Just wait till the charges mount...
You say that letting Trump stonewall his way through this sets a bad precedent. That's true. But doesn't multiple impeachment referrals by an opposition majority party in the House and perpetually open investigation also set a terrible precedent? Is this going to happen now every time the Presidency and the House aren't lead by the same party? You'll say Trump is a dangerous and terrible exception and you would be right. But that's also what will be said every time this happens even if it's someone who isn't morally vapid like Trump.
1
The crowd that wanted to impeach on day one lost its credibility.The Democrats have an obligation to legislate, drug costs, trade agreement ,infrastructure, border security, national safety and federal deficit, gun safety need to be addressed.There is an election in November and the Dems will loose again if all they do is to have grandiose plans but no action.If the democratic candidate is a fake Indian and an almost 80 year old who does't understand the optics of Hunter Biden making money on his last name god safe us.
I totally agree in concept, with one exception: I no longer trust that the majority of actual voters are either smart enough or care about democracy enough to actually care that they have a criminal as POTUS. I have come to realize that the greed and disregard for equality (slavery and genocide of indigenous people) that made this country successful in giving people a high standard of living are the very same qualities that are now very close to killing what ever is good about it, like caring about the rights of others. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not optimistic that Good will triumph over the evil embodied in the GOP.
Don’t give Republicans an out by nominating someone else for 2020.
If a thief robs a bank while awaiting trial for another crime, the person will be arrested, charged, and tried twice.
2
Why is our thinking so binary?
It is either this or that. Like children, who have ben told that we cannot stay up late, we think the answer is to stay awake in bed. That will show them!
There has to be answers out there for our dilemma that does not split us in two. Thinking outside of the box and gig culture throws up so many perspectives on a problem that the answer must be out there, somewhere, in the USA to relieve us of our unnecessarily limited view of ourselves.
I think we allow symbols to overwhelm our sense of reality.
4
Not only is "There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents a president from being impeached more than once," but he can be impeached repeatedly for the same charge. That means even if the Senate kills this impeachment against Trump and he goes on to win the 2020 election (God forbid), the next Congress can impeach him again for the same high crime.
13
Impeachment is the least of our worries. We have Trump because we have a thoroughly corrupt Republican Party that has been working towards permanent GOP rule by any means possible for decades. They are fully complicit with Trump's actions because they are getting what they want:
• Activist judges to protect their agenda even if they lose the Congress and the White House
• Tax cuts for the rich, destruction of the safety net for everyone else
• Crippling the very idea of government as a check on the power of money, corporations, or as a positive force in people's lives.
• Destruction of anything that might oppose them, whether it be the Democratic Party, the Press, Organized Labor, the International Community - anything.
• The rejection of fact-based policies and the constraints of reality when it gets in their way.
• The rule of law for thee but not for me.
• Religion/race as a weapon to bolster their power and divide potential opposition - a permanent culture war.
Trump is the apotheosis of what they told us they were doing.
"...when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'"
In that context, Trump's delusions and narcissism are Mission Accomplished.
The GOP must be removed from power while we still can do it.
40
Impeachment is the least of our worries. We have Trump because we have a thoroughly corrupt Republican Party that has been working towards permanent GOP rule by any means possible for decades. They are fully complicit with Trump's actions because they are getting what they want:
• Activist judges to protect their agenda even if they lose the Congress and the White House
• Tax cuts for the rich, destruction of the safety net for everyone else
• Crippling the very idea of government as a check on the power of money, corporations, or as a positive force in people's lives.
• Destruction of anything that might oppose them, whether it be the Democratic Party, the Press, Organized Labor, the International Community - anything.
• The rejection of fact-based policies and the constraints of reality when it gets in their way.
• The rule of law for thee but not for me.
• Religion/race as a weapon to bolster their power and divide potential opposition - a permanent culture war.
Trump is the apotheosis of what they told us they were doing.
"...when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'"
In that context, Trump's delusions and narcissism are Mission Accomplished.
The GOP must be removed from power while we still can do it.
5
@Larry Roth
The notion of what government in this country was created to do, and has done, though not well at times, is over. No longer will people be able to present themselves as being willing and able to do the people's business in this particular form of government.
No, now we will have nothing but investigations - no work being done, just investigations. Both Rs and Ds will savage one another legally, 24/7, non-stop cable news.
This is the cat that is out of the bag, so get used to it. Non-stop investigations.
It really was a better country once (I am in my 70s). You can have all of the "smart" devices, TV shows, movies and such, but it will be a poorer country.
4
@Jonathan Well, I'd argue restoring the Fairness Doctrine and domesticating Fox/hate radio would be a big step forward.
As for the rest, well Warren has a plan for that.
"I believe that Democrats have to place their faith in something more fundamental: the power of the truth." Unfortunately, there are enough Americans that believe truth is completely subjective and that Fox News propaganda is truth ... enough to roadblock justice. I don't know what to do about this other than push forward, hoping to enlighten trump's blind believers, and, if nothing else, record our outrage for the historical record (assuming it doesn't get covered up).
11
Charles, your wrath and indignation are well founded but you keep emphasizing the downsides of attacking Trump. First off, he doesn't care. Witness his refusals to supply information and his staff's constant refusal to answer subpoenas. Already, Pompeo has snubbed Congress and all the rest of the Trump cohort will follow suit.
Between Barr and McConnell a border wall has been built.
Okay, fine, let's have multiple impeachments, but time is getting short. The Democrats are still having "debates" while Trump breaks the law untouched. Where is a common ground?
11
How about starting a GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money for Trump to resign? He has a price. If there are, say, 25 million people who want this horror show to end, and each person contributes on average $10, that's $250,000,000. Would he accept it? I'd be astonished if he didn't.
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@Barry more likely he would take it and not resign.
@Barry
Sorry sir; trump deserves to be removed in disgrace and embarrassment in the same degree he has disgraced the United States and it's citizens. I'll donate to any Go Fund me group that their sole purpose is continued investigation of citizen trump that could possibility put him in jail. A lesson for any other demagogues waiting in the wings taking notes on trump's mistakes hoping to cash in as you suggest.