Impeachment is both a legal Constitutional process and a political process. Joe Biden Jr. has demonstrated his strong belief and support for the former over his entire career. We cannot avoid political influence, as it is both human nature and has been part of all prior impeachment efforts. However we need to respect the process and consistently audit our motivations and actions. This is not about the character of the Chief Executive, but his actions during his time in office.
1
Joe Biden NEEDS to be worried about the fact that the fact that Democrats' impeachment antics exposed the investigation into his and his sons' illegal involvement in the former USSR has pretty much finished his chances of winning the nomination, and there's nothing he can do about it at this point.
As for unfair tactics, Democrats have been going after Trump for illegal involvement in the former USSR for years. Specifically, they've BOTH done business in the former USSR, which, according to the DEMOCRATS, is illegal. Not to mention highly corrupt. So they can't complain about Trump investigating Biden for doing the exact same thing! It would be more effective to investigate Biden for violating US law than the laws of other countries, but nothing else is wrong with asking foreign governments to investigate Biden for illegal activity he admits he did!
3
Biden should call/write his Congressman and then get back to telling us why he should be President (?)
2
I’m glad Biden finally said the word “impeachment” , but will it help move the process forward? Trump’s criminality and recklessness knows no limits and there doesn’t seem to be anyway to stop him from sending America into an abyss. What a sad time indeed and Biden...do his words really matter when we have an insane dictator President who millions of Americans are in love with?
1
Say what you will about Joe Biden, but he is a statesman, a proven leader, and a man of good character and judgement. He is the opposite of Trump. I'm heartened and energized that he has called for Trump's impeachment. Let's hope more Democrats — and patriotic Republicans — jump on the bandwagon and call Trump for what he is: a clear and present danger to Constitutional norms and our way of life in America. Good for Vice President Biden!
570
@H. Clark
How many late-night meetings with his campaign committee did it take for him to finally say this? He should have said this long ago. But it is the kind of careful, don't-rock-the-boat political calculation that a centrist Biden would make. The delayed action doesn't inspire much confidence at a time when we are looking for a bold leader. When someone slaps you in the face, you don’t say: “give me a minute to think about this.”
And the irony is that if the Ukrainian affair does take down Trump, it will be because Biden did something, not illegal, but something that certainly pushed ethical boundaries. It’s something also characteristic of Biden’s old-school, elitist-politics style of capitalizing on privilege.
Both Biden’s delayed response and his personal gain as Vice President that Trump is trying to exploit, are indications of an anachronistic approach to politics. It may take down Trump, but it will also take down Biden.
18
@H. Clark A man of good character and judgement? Really? And I like Joe Biden (And Bernie)
5
@Vaz Dubey sure he is, and not just by contrast.
7
Biden needs to go after the Senate Republicans who are enabling Trump's illegal actions also. This is the time to fight, there is no reason to worry about it getting ugly because it's already hideous.
501
@Suzanne Moniz
I assert that Joe Biden is demonstrating to his former colleagues in the Senate how statesmen and women stand up for our country.
Some Republican Senators may choose to join him.
Biden can next invite others to decide how they wish to be judged in the future.
22
@Suzanne Moniz Can you tell me where the vote was in the House to start the Impeachment process - as was in every other Presidential Impeachment in US History. Oops - they didn't have one - as the Democrats were afraid of a vote - so the speaker unilaterally sent it to committee. No matter how much you hate Trump - what happened to the Constitution, morality, tradition, and ordinary decency. I guess the Democrats feel they don't need to have any - as long as Trump is in the Whitehouse.
1
@Suzanne Moniz
Nancy Pelosi has spent most of her time mocking and marginalizing the Squad while offering a bevy of excuses for not investigating nor impeaching Donald Trump.
Trump agreed with her. So had Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.
More importantly smiling and smirking Benjamin Netanyahu, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Salman are enjoying every minute of the mayhem spectacle they have wrought.
Biden's nature and nurture makes him a very poor attack vessel. In order to attack Biden would need to refresh his rhetorical recollection by listening to some old speeches on his vinyl record player and practicing in front of a mirror.
1
Sorry, Joe-you are too late to making this conclusion. Would not trust you to make a clear decision in real time, no matter what dirty laundry issues may be bandied about.
93
@Julie The reason you don't like Biden is the reason I like him. He waited and considered before he spoke, and when he did speak, it was to the point and from the heart. Unlike those who were baying for Trump's impeachment from the beginning just because they didn't like him (and, BTW, I really, really hate him), Biden waited until there were actual, provable grounds for impeachment. The difference here is between a political animal trying to fire up a crowd or get a headline, albeit a Democratic one, and a statesman. If you want a left-wing version of Trump, there are plenty to chose from, but if you do, know that you might as well be voting for Trump. The other candidates, including Warren, are not going to be able to pull votes where it counts. I adore her, but Joe Sixpack ain't gonna vote for no woman, any more than in 2016.
15
@Ken - i think you like biden because you don't really know him. you omit that biden's problem has always been the heartfelt gaffe; his team is coaching him to shut that heart up. "waited until there were actual, provable grounds"? there's no additional factual proof now that wasn't in the whistleblower's report released by congress two weeks ago. "if i want a left wing version of trump" -- who's that, exactly? i really want to see the comparison -- lie for lie, prostitute for prostitute, bankruptcy for bankruptcy, fraud for fraud, conspiracy theory for conspiracy theory, cover up for cover up, payoff for payoff, recklessness even and narcissism on parity. put up or shut up.
1
There is no political animal more evil than trump. Harris is an attack dog, but she has bounds. Biden is a good person. He has always lived frugally and he looks honestly for solutions. He is the opposite of trump. He wouldn't sell out the Kurds. Trump is committing economic treason everyday for towers. Biden said trump clearly "betrayed this Nation".
1
Pure political theater. Biden's motives can only be interpreted as self interest as he runs for president.
83
@Jeremiah Johnson - I'm not running, and he should be impeached.
115
@Jeremiah Johnson And Trump's / Republicans motives are noble and pure? Your assertion would be amusing if not so scary and lacking in self-awareness.
122
@Jeremiah Johnson
Because Trump’s actions have been so selfless?
Donald Trump literally sells access to the executive office through the hotels he refused to put into a blind trust.
It’s always bizarre to me when someone accuses a Democrat of corrupt intent without mentioning that the current office holder is basically a mob boss.
168
Ol' Joe bringin' up to the rear. It took him a week to decide the obvious. While he dithers, the world moves on.
Perhaps a straight jacket would solve the problem better than impeachment.
5
Biden's time was last election, he hesitated and his moment is gone. He's a bad choice to run against Trump, this deal his son got stinks. I always liked Klobachar, I wish she got more air time
Let me address reader advice to Mr. Biden as found in these article comments. A significant number of readers urge Mr. Biden to speak strongly with greater force. There is a good reason for powerful leaders to speak softly, not forcefully. Statements of leaders can be crushing to many weak people. The most insignificant statement of a President can cause severe problems for weaker individuals and groups. A President must have a sensitivity to the spectrum of the audience. A President who is behaving like a gladiator will have a short time in public life. The hurts accumulate in the audience. Those who want to criticize Mr. Biden should go after something other than his choice to suspend making decision immediately.
1
Psychology research shows the opposite. A majority of people want a strong leader, one who speaks with conviction.
6
I believe this excerpt from the article is apropos: “Mr. Biden linked Mr. Trump’s false claims to the so-called Big Lie idea promulgated by the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. ‘You say it long enough, often enough, people may believe it,’ he said, invoking Goebbels by name.”
The same logic can be used to examine Russiagate.
2
@Bill B. If you're trying to say that the Russia investigation was a hoax, I would challenge that. Trump and and family and his close circle had a lot of meetings and communications with the Russians.....that they were lying about. I never thought they would find a direct quid pro quo with the Russians, but it exposed a lot of lies, including one by Trump saying he had no business dealings with Russia.
2
@Mike You are conflating two issues. The issue was never ‘does Trump have business dealings in Russia?’ That answer was always ‘yes’. The issue was ‘did the Trump campaign collude with Russia’. That answer was ‘no’. That investigation was, in fact, a hoax; and this new impeachment proceeding is a continuation of that hoax. This is Russiagate 2.0. Only this time, Trump is fighting back and investigating the inquiry into Russiagate. Get your popcorn ready.
1
@Bill B. One question was "did the Trump campaign collude with Russia" and I agree the answer was "no". The other question, for me and many others was " are there illicit communications going on between Trump and his staff and the Russians?" The investigation that you are calling a hoax found that there was, because they kept lying about them. People lie for a reason. People are in jail over that investigation, including a campaign manager and a cabinet official. It's important that we know what kind of connections our POTUS has with our adversaries, especially when he stands in front of the world and chooses Putin over our own intelligence agencies. That's why it's a federal crime to lie to investigators, because these investigations are important. It's Trump's own fault for hiring a campaign manager who worked for the Russians and for lying about his business deal that had a caveat for Putin. He aroused legitimate suspicion.
3
Wonder if trump and the gop will shut down the govt again when the spending resolution expires (in November I think?) As a negotiation tactic re impeachment. "you want to proceed with impeachment? Then we're shutting down the govt indefinitely..."
2
Better late than never, I guess?
What took so long? Was it the polls that came out showing more than half of voters favor impeachment? Does Biden just do what is already popular?
How about a leader like Bernie instead of a shuffling follower.
Biden -- leading from behind, as usual.
1
Take weeks to decide the obvious shows he can’t make decisions and do what is right. He can’t even defend the attack on his own son.
5
and the alternative may be trump?
1
@Not Pierre
Biden shows restraint, intelligence and integrity.
Try harder
6
Perhaps the times have found Vice President Biden.
A good man, albeit imperfect, with a good heart who is seen by the majority of voters to have the ability to defeat Donald Trump. My heart wants Mayor Pete to be President. But any time I ask a more moderate or conservative friend (yes, I have some in SF) who they like...they always, always say Joe Biden. And perhaps that is the number one criterion for a nominee. Someone with the ability to bring this divided country together.
10
Yeah Joe! Perhaps your spike to the heart of the Democratic impeachment circus will create the impetus to get the process moving.
3
Too late Joe. Problem is GOP not Trump. Step aside.
1
It's about time.
Now it's time for Biden to step aside and let Elizabeth Warren take the reins and get the Democrats focused on the 2020 election. And not just the run for the presidency but for The House, the Senate, Governorships and the entirety of the down ticket in every county, in every state.
And with Biden stepping aside, we'll finally get Black Woman focused as to what we need right now to win in 2020: An Elizabeth Warren/Cory Booker ticket.
Yes, Biden helped get Obama elected, but that was then, this is now. And this 'Here and Now' confronting the Democrats needs Black woman to move on, get on board realizing Joe Biden's just not the right fit at this time. Generational, gender, 'needed political IQ for the job as president'?
It's All of the above.
Warren/Booker in 2020.
2
There is so much public evidence of Trump family corruption—Ivanka getting all sorts of business favors from China, for example—why isn’t the Biden et al. go on offense, instead of defense?
5
So it took a DOJ investigation into Biden regarding potential cronyism to call for Trump’s impeachment?
Come on, Joe. We all know you’re watching this election from the sideline.
4
The nation needs to rally around a presidential impeachment, now! And this tormented Trump individual's most honourable duty of public service remaining for him to act on is to offer himself as that sacrificial lamb, to rip asunder and cleanse the tribalism afflicting American politics at this precarious juncture of the Union.
Why is the DOJ investigating potential cronyism in Ukraine an impeachable offense?
3
@Bill B.
The DOJ is NOT investigating potential cronyism in Ukraine. The impeachable offense is that Trump wants a foreign government to find dirt on his political opponent here at home. Inviting foreign assistance to help an American candidate is against the law.
4
Pay attention. When the President abuses the power of his office it is an impeachable offense. See Federalist #65 written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787 if you need further elucidation.
Shaking down Ukraine’s president for $391M already approved by We The People for military assistance unless he assisted Trump’s reelection effort is an abuse of power ergo an impeachable offense.
5
@jaco
Then call the FBI. and don't make previously approved funding conditional on a foreign government's looking for more dirt.
1
Biden needs to show that he has a strategy for handling Republicans if he finds out they are not ready to make real deals. They may propose deals that give them what they want and a fig leaf for him, and then accuse him of failure to deal when he does not accept such deals.
Obama was not very successful in countering the similar Republican positions during his presidency. Biden needs to say something about this.
I'm not sure if Joe Biden has earned the presidency, but he certainly has earned respect after more than 30 years of public service.
Not a perfect person or record, but stable and mature.
17
Biden is correct, but unfortunately his current status as a candidate doesn't make his opinion any weightier than any other Democratic presidential candidate. They all said the same thing, so this is barely news. He is already too damaged from the Hunter Biden allegations (true or not, the unpleasant smell is in voter's nostrils) to be the nominee that opposes Trump in the general election, so the only way for him to successfully play the elder statesman card is to drop out of the race, endorse no one other than the nominee decided upon, and spend his time on seeing Trump is either impeached or defeated. If he has nothing to gain, his credibility goes up exponentially.
That took forever for him to do! He’s a good man, but he’s not edgy enough to do battle with Trump. Warren can hold her own in an argument. Biden is too soft.
2
@GCAustin
She may hold her own in an argument, but her agenda is too left to win independents and moderates in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, states we need at a minimum to win 270 electoral votes.
4
Had Biden recused himself from Ukraine policy as long as his son was on an oligarch's payroll he would not be at the center of this scandal. It's Ethics 101: avoid the appearance of impropriety. That there's no evidence that Biden was directly influenced by the potential conflict is a pretty low bar indeed. What it shows is very poor judgment from a man with 50 years in public life and a law degree.
In my humble opinion living out here in the sticks, Mr. Biden is Trump's preferred candidate. Biden's a blast-from-the-past and an avatar of yesterday's conventional politics in a moment when politics is anything but conventional. If the center-right policies of the Obama/Biden administration were so terribly popular, how did Trump manage to get elected?
4
maybe because Biden wasn't running for president?
2
Escalating his language in an effort to rebut Mr. Trump’s LIES about his actions with Ukraine - there, fixed it for you.
Unfortunately the colors will be red and blue.
Looking at the comments - looks like liberals are own worst enemies!
I am really concerned that liberal orthodoxy will help re-elect Trump again!
Remember Stein and Nader?
4
Yes, Trump needs to be impeached: His son Don, Jr. got a $1 billion dollar equity deal with a prominent Chinese Bank. His other son, Eric, sits on a Ukrainian energy company board and makes $80K a month. Trump strong armed the president of Ukraine into having a Ukrainian prosecutor drop an investigation into Eric Trump.
I hear Barron Trump sits on the board of Marvel Comics. He got that because of Daddy.
Yeah, that’s the ticket. Trump is corrupt.
4
Whaaat? Eric Trump sits on a Ukrainian Energy Board???
Can someone fact check this?
Where is the media on what is going on with Trumps kids? While we listen to Trump make accusations of corruption around Biden and his kid?
1
@JoanM . I pray this is sarcasm from you.
1
Well at least Joe wised up and didn’t call Trump an “existential threat” again leaving everyone scratching their heads wondering who he’s talking to and used plain English like “impeach” and “shooting holes in the constitution.” Obviously he’s trying to relate and reach out to NRA members with that last one.
1
Biden has yet to provide an explanation of his son’s snd his financial dealings in the Ukraine.
Until he does so, it will always appear that he is deflecting guilt.
10
Biden’s son cashed in on his fathers position and it is disgusting. But he is a minnow compared to the way Trump’s family has cashed in on Donald’s position.
5
@George Let's also hope for an explanation of how Jared Kushner got security clearance despite the fact the security services flagged numerous issues with him. And an explanation of how Ivanka Trump got all those Chinese trademarks.
4
@George He doesn't have to. They have been exonerated elsewhere. Conducting business in a foreign country is not illegal.
3
All said and done and Trump is peculiar in his ways but if you were vice president of the United States of America would you not talk to your son about the job he was going to take in a foreign country with a gas company for a high salary of which he has no experience in that field except that his father is VicePresident of the U.S.A. Every one has looked into this and found no impropriety. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Trump may be sophomoric when you compare him to the slick banana heads in the rest of the government. Get rid of them both at the voting booth.
2
@Richard Nothing illegal here. Check out the boards of most companies here and abroad; they are full of big-name people. You may not like it but it's very common.
2
@Richard No,everyone has NOT looked at this.
2
Peculiar? Try treasonous.
1
I know very little about Hunter Biden. I understand he graduated from Yale Law School, so he is not stupid. No doubt he was leveraging influence to get a gig in Ukraine. I have yet so see how Joe Biden benefited from that or offered any assistance. The charge that Joe Biden sought to remove a prosecutor to protect his son seems completely baseless. Susan Rice put the final nail in that coffin last week. Meanwhile, does anyone have any doubt that Eric Trump and Jared Kushner are right now leveraging their relationship with Donald Trump to benefit their business interests? Of course they are. The entire Trump attack is so transparent as to be laughable.
17
@Douglas Evans Wow, you do know they were in business before Trump became president, right? Hunter was never successful st anything till Pops became VP..
4
“I have yet to see how Joe Biden benefited from that or offered any assistance. The charge that Joe Biden sought to remove a prosecutor to protect his son seems completely baseless.”
Isn’t the point of the DOJ inquiry to investigate these issues?
None of us know anything yet. If there’s nothing there, why not let the inquiry play out and exonerate Biden?
2
Right on Joe. Tell it like it is. You can go all the way!
7
This is what a president looks and sounds like.
13
Oh, please. Obama is what a president looks and sounds like. This is Joe “gaffe” Biden you’re talking about.
3
Biden's call for impeachment would carry more weight if he also withdrew his candidacy.
5
He only moves when the poll do.
Not a leader.
2
To all the people out there who want Trump out but insist on tearing down BIden for every little thing— stop it. If Biden had called for impeachment sooner, he would have been criticized as too self-interested and too eager to jump on impeachment without sufficient evidence. Now he is being criticized for being late to the party. Meanwhile, Trump continues to trample on the Constitution and betrays our allies the Kurds to placate his dictator pals. Stop making the perfect the enemy of the good! Biden may be our best chance to defeat Trump. Did we learn nothing from 2016 ?
29
some of them are Republicans/Russians trying to sow doubt about Biden, the candidate they fear most. Americans need to stop being so naive. they been doing it against Trudeau here in Canada too. people generally see through it. if someone claims to like Biden, but tears him down, they're not his friend.
4
Is this the best of what we can hope for in our next presidential candidate? Someone who _finally_ wheels out a stilted response to the impeachment inquiry (which feels like other people put it together for him) days after he should have? I feel like Joe is the straw man for his consultants.
3
Because there's no voir dire (pre-trial questioning) of jurors in a Senate impeachment trial, and there have been so many Senators that have already made party-oriented opinionated statements regarding a desired outcome that would disqualify them from sitting on a non-impeachment jury, the only way a Trump impeachment trial can only be conducted on a fair basis is if the Senate Jury is allowed to vote secretly, allowing them to vote their alleged consciences, free from constituent, peer, or party pressure.
They should be entitled to the same freedom to vote freely as the jurors in any non-impeachment trial, and this could easily be accomplished simply by giving each Senator two marbles (one RED for Impeachment and GREEN for the President's Acquittal) so that as they exit the Senate Chamber they can dip their hands into receptacles and secretly drop the colored one of their choice into the Voting receptacle, and the other into the Disposal receptacle.
A televised counting of the colors in the Voting receptacle would then let the public know whether or not the president has lost his marbles.
2
A secret vote to oust a sitting president? I can think of nothing more chilling to our democracy.
8
I wonder how many of the Republican house members who are opposing the house inquiry were gerrymandered in.
Does anyone know?
7
Add to that position: Republicans and Trump oppose fair US elections. Period. Full stop.
13
Vice President Biden is a experienced foreign and domestic policy statesman that I hope gets elected by the Democrats to be their candidate for President. He will surely win against whoever he runs against. Compared to the current, illegal inhabitant of the people's house or any one of the greedy and spineless Republicans that support Trump, Biden is more like Cincinnatus than Capone. All those that attempt to demean the decision of a experienced statesman to take his time to come to this decision are the puerile cheerleaders for their far left uber progressive candidate. I couldn't care less who called for Trump's impeachment first. Better someone that knows the consequences of such a procedure and how it is done correctly based on experience than another candidate that thinks social media likes or the ranting of their supporters - Trump's base, for example - mean anything to the electorate that is just trying to live their lives. Impeachment will be a disruptive process because no Republican willingly concedes power. The moderates of this country that always vote but don't have time to attend rallies or hang out on social media having sparing matches support Biden. Some of us have actually voted for Republicans in the past. That won't happen again for a very long time. I'm grateful that Biden has agreed to serve his country, and is doing so in a reasoned, thoughtful manner. And that his policies are sound ones that will not further unravel this country, but mend it.
10
Joe is a day and and a dollar short. Trump and Giuliani has used Biden as a punching bag for weeks and now finally Biden fights back.Biden is fading in the polls because most people thought he was the only one capable of standing toe to toe with Trump.Letting Trump beat him for three weeks is not a confidence builder.
5
Biden is facing a big challenge, What Trump has going for him is a large white supremacist nationalist movement that fully supports him and the effectiveness of the "big lie" technique. The big lie is particularly effective now because of Fox News and social media. Each lie can keep reverberating throughout the echo chamber in addition to Trump repeating it over and over. Unfortunately cable news and social media have tilted the playing field so to speak in favor of authoritarians. This has allowed what would have been considered crazy fringe views 40 years ago to be accepted by millions of people. I think Biden is on the correct course. Being a leading Democratic candidate he has a big megaphone for fighting back against a president moving toward dictatorship and who is spreading lies constantly about Biden.
6
Biden and the Democrats on all hot button issues MUST fight back against tRump/Republican strategy of repeating fabrications by repeating over and over again the truth!
2
I heard that a reporter has financial records proving that Hunter earned far more than $50K a month. If this is true, Joe will not survive this. Even with the current facts, Joe may not survive. The whole "Hunter" thing looks bad and seems to be proving bad.
9
@J. G. Smith It seems like just last week you Trump cult-members were screeching about the whistleblower report being hearsay... and here you are, with hearsay.
5
World-renowned linguist and cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky said in an interview that such pseudo-scandals (notably that of Russiagate but one can imagine also that of Biden-Trump-Ukraine-gate) serve as a distraction from the actual scandalous happenings that are taking place on a daily basis in Washington, D.C., and only serve to embolden the “rich and powerful.” He specifically uses the configuration of the cabinet as an example: “Take a look at the cabinet. The cabinet was designed that way. Every cabinet official was chosen to destroy anything of human significance in that part of the government. It’s so systematic that it can’t be unplanned. I doubt that Trump planned it. My impression is that his only ideology is ‘me’. But whoever is working on it is doing a pretty effective job, and the Democrats are cooperating—cooperating in a very striking way … Take a look at the focus in Çongress. It’s one of the few decent things Trump has been doing. So maybe members of his transition team contacted the Russians. Is that a bad thing? Recent ambassador to Russia, Jack Matlock, had a blog where he pointed out that, ‘It’s exactly what you should be doing. It’s the job of ambassadors and diplomats coming in. There are serious problems and tensions you want to talk over to see if there’s anything you can do about them ... ”
3
Biden took so much time to Finally reach this decision. He should have been on the offensive right away demanding resignation and if not then impeachment. He should have said “how dare anyone question my integrity and my son’s integrity”. We still haven’t heard a word from Biden’s son or his role in the Ukraine company.
2
"Picked on the wrong guy." You're not proving that Joe. Understand that I'm working to defeat Trump. But you fail to defend yourself by making it clear that you called for removing a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor because he undermined the case AGAINST the company (Burisma) on whose board your son sat.
If you can't defend yourself Joe, how can we expect you to defend the Nation?
Time to retire.
3
No, we are long beyond that. Prison. Disgorgement.
1
You’re way late on this Joe; the guy’s been behaving badly for a long time.
1
Not sure why this constitutes it’s own article.
2
Time to go, Joe!
Third time will not be a charm with your run for President.
Democrats need new leadership!
The latest stunt by the Democratic Old Guard (Biden, Feinstein, Rendel, Carver, etc.) to promote Biden and pan Warren (because they terrified she will stop the corruption in DC) is going to push people even further away from him.
6
In this propaganda piece for Joe Biden posing as a "news" article, we're told that Trump's claims against Biden are "unfounded," but we're not told what those claims are. Only toward the end of the article does the author mention the allegation that Hunter Biden (or "the Biden's) made "millions of dollars off of Ukraine." The author denies this, but provides no sources. We know from the Times, Politico and The Hill, those obvious organs of Russian propaganda, that Hunter Biden was making on average $50,000 per month working for a company in Ukraine under investigation for corruption. We also know from these same news sources that Hunter Biden had no previous expertise in either energy or Ukraine. We know, again, from the same news sources, that his father made a call threatening to withhold $1.6 billion in aid unless the prosecutor was fired, and that this threat came just prior to the prosecutor's plans to interview Hunter Biden. The claims of corruption, whatever their specifics, which, again, are not stated in the article, may as yet be "unfounded," but that's easy to say when they have not been investigated. (Would the author have us forget that the Obama Administration supported a coup in Ukraine)? Biden cannot run on his Republican-friendly record, so his only appeal to voters is that he's that candidate Trump doesn't want to run. Neither Trump nor Biden deserves to be president. Please stop foisting Biden on us.
9
[citation needed]
@curt I've provided links here in the past, and I've also cited the media sources above. If you're qualified to vote for president, and you're interested in facts, you're capable of doing this simple research on your own. First suggestion: search for "Politico" and "Hunter Biden;" "The Hill" and Hunter Biden;" The NYT and Hunter Biden. You can also search those same sources for "Burisma." You'll do fine.
3
Shouldn’t everyone call for Trump’s impeachment?
11
Seth Abramson points out,"
"Trump condoned Russia invading Europe.
Trump let Turkey invade Syria.
Trump let Kim develop nuclear weapons.
Trump sought to weaken NATO.
Trump threatened to invade Venezuela.
Trump praised Duterte for extrajudicial killings.
Trump helped MBS cover up a murder.
"
https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1181937614032687108
Enough IS enough. Impeach already!
9
Of course Biden is for impeachment. Most likely to save his own skin. What hubris.
7
Too slow Joe.
Instead of rebutting this the day Trump start peddling his moribund justification for the Ukraine shenanigans, Joe's flaccid response allowed this negative narrative to gain traction.
3
Show some fire and emotion, Joe! This criminal is trashing you and your son every day and you’re still talking about “constitutional integrity”. Tear him a new one and let your supporters and undecided voters know you’ve got what it takes to stand up to a bully.
4
NANCY PELOSI, Speaker of the House of Reps
Dear Ma'am,
You've partly done your job. You've started impeachment proceedings (finally).
Now FINISH it. Enforce the subpoenas in the legal manner available to you. Stop dithering and faffing. The opportunity is clearly available to you now, and you have the public opinion and legal reason to do what the law permits you to do. So, just Nike. ie: DO IT !
Invoke inherent contempt and the power described in the Supreme Court ruling in McGrain v Daugherty, 273 US 135 (1927): arrest and hold any person subpoenaed for testimony or for document production who ignores the subpoena until such time as the person responds to the subpoena, or the Congressional term ends, whichever happens first. And why not also fine a person for ignoring any subpoena. No person is above the law.
Sincerely,
More than half the world's population who looks to you and your mob as the only saving grace to what has become an embarrassing and now life threatening (to many) presidency.
3
For those for whom it's not obvious -- a category that may even include the author of this article, Jonathan Martin:
The NYT decided long ago that it wanted Elizabeth Warren to get the Democratic nomination. That's why you'll see no anti-Warren articles in the NYT, an occasional pro-Warren puff piece, and many articles dumping on her main apparent threats – Sanders and Biden. In this article, for example, the point is not to highlight Biden's courageous stance on impeachment -- it is to stress how late it came. After all, Warren took the very same position – indeed, that Trump should not only be impeached but that he should be convicted and removed from office -- long ago.
Get it? I happen to agree that Biden and Sanders should drop out, but my reasons are different: They're just too old, and Sanders' heart attack last week all but assures he'll drop out soon. The "Ukraine Incident" will yield the same result for Biden; it may or may not end up with Trump being impeached (frankly, it should), but it certainly will deep-six Biden's candidacy.
Whether Warren can beat Trump remains unknown, but she's long had the Democratic nomination in the bag. It's high time for the Democratic Party to acknowledge this and start preparing for the general election.
4
Biden should be concerned about his wayward son's involvement in landing deals he was apparently unqualified for.
5
The only thing he didn't say and should have is, "You want a piece of my family? Bring it on. I'm looking at yours, Daddy Trump."
3
It just *astonishes* me that people can look at this whole situation and feel like Trump is being hard done by or unfairly attacked. Obviously no one has all the facts yet, but my god. This whole think stinks to high heaven of presidential misconduct and election meddling for personal gain.
3
Sorry! but is time for this addled senior to packed it up.
Not stopping junior to profit (handsomely) from a foreign company flagrantly wooing favors from the US government, throwing Anita Hill under a bus, plus a political career that charitably could be describe only as utterly mediocre.
Do it for your country Joe!
2
Atta boy, Joe. No more Mr. Nice Guy. That type finishes last. Now that it's off your chest get to the nitty-gritty and let America know you will always have their back as you did all your political career. You never forgot your roots and that's the man I want in the White House. Most importantly, always tell it as it is which is you mantra.
4
From a staunch Democrat and someone who really might have voted for you: Way too late.
And who are these advisers you have working for you?
3
That the former Vice President has now called for President Trump’s impeachment will convince many more skeptics that it is the right thing to do. Still, the President's assertion that he has a duty to get to the bottom of possible malfeasance by U.S. officials in Ukraine remains credible. If only he had done something undeniably outrageous, like allowing a family member to reap enormous profits there off his office, impeachment would certainly be a no brainer.
1
Good for Joe to speak out and even better for the USA!
3
It is past time for Biden to seriously step up his campaign and show he has a fighting spirit. He has let trump define him up to this point without a meaningful, forceful, or sustained response.
And this is cause for immense concern.
My number one priority in choosing a Democrat in 2020 will be how effectively they can prosecute the case against trump. If they can’t even defend themselves they are not going to be my preferred choice. To be clear, I will gladly vote for literally any Democrat, but I want one who will take trump head-on.
2
Whether you support Joe Biden or not, he is doing a tremendous service for the Democratic party. To use the baseball parlance, he is "taking one for the team."
That is, he is absorbing all the negative energy and abuse from Trump and his GOP operatives and thereby shielding and insulating the rest of the Democratic candidates and party from Trump's attacks.
I'm not sure Biden really wanted to run for the presidency, but he sincerely believed that it was imperative to remove Trump from office. He felt that he was the only one who could realistically defeat Trump in the upper Midwestern swing states where, thanks to the arcane Electoral College system, our presidential elections are always decided.
Basically he is serving as a placeholder for the Democrats. If someone else can prove that he or she is capable of winning OH, PA and MI, he would likely step aside, but until that happens, he is willing to offer himself as the one realistic chance of defeating Trump.
He is really doing the Democratic party a service.
10
You're asking easy questions:
"In this case, there was no such vote - ... Can someone explain to me - how this is moral or legal?"
The Constitution doesn't say the House must hold a vote to start the impeachment process. Many people CLAIM it says that, but it doesn't. The House can go about impeachment any way it sees fit to, and it can change the method each time.
7
@Commenter
The rules of the House govern how impeachment proceedings occur, not the Constitution.
Historically, every single impeachment inquiry has been voted on before starting. There is no reason to abandon that precedent now. They have the votes. So why the hesitation to say what you stand for? What is the big deal with taking ownership, and being on the record, on the right side of history?
House rules do not allow for pre-inquiry limbo the Democrats have been pulling for two years. They invented this circus to drum up public support after it was clear the Mueller testimony was a dud.
4
Bravo for Biden! It's about time he took this stands, although given the recent War Trump has started this week, I can't imagine more GOPers not coming forth to support impeachment.
6
I do think Trump crossed the line this time, and so he should be impeached and removed.
But I very seriously doubt he'll be removed. (Impeached yes, removed no.) Most Americans will just look at this Ukraine Incident as "more of the same;" they'll lump it together with the debunked "Russia collusion" allegations we've been hearing for 3 years. We hired Robert Mueller to find evidence of "collusion," and he failed to turn up even a shred after nearly two years of looking. I consider this "Ukraine Incident" to be different -- the "real deal" -- but most Americans won't. They're more than a little bit tired of what they perceive as "sour grapes" allegations.
1
Biden's campaign has been tainted by Trump's accusations. This is just like Trump did to Hillary. Unless Trump is impeached and removed (highly unlikely) from power, Biden should step aside and let others have a change of winning. That is if Biden really cares for the future of the country and no for himself as he claims. Otherwise, there is a high probability that Trump will be elected as it was the case with Hillary.
Biden has always seemed reactive to me--go along, get along affable Joe Biden.
Speaking of reaction time, Joe's is slow and getting slower. In other words, it should not have taken Biden this long to come up with a response to Trump's insults and impeachable behavior. And I am afraid Biden's political momentum is going in the wrong direction for him to be the Democratic presidential candidate.
Post Trump, we need a president who demonstrates the character, instincts, and good judgment to respond quickly and with human decency to the many problems that are and will be thrust at her or him in the Oval Office. Biden has basic decency, but he seems to delay and test the political winds for much too long before "reacting."
Maybe Biden is relying too much on his advisors and PR people, which, of course, is the very opposite of Trump, who takes no informed advice and has thrown this country under the bus because of his malignant, vindictive instincts and impulsive trigger finger behavior.
Hunter Biden should sue trump for defamation of character and libel or slander. As a private citizen it's completely within his rights. And if trump and his hypocritical defenders say that a president can't be sued while in office look no further than the Clinton presidency where the precedent was set when he was civilly sued while in still in office with the Supreme Court's blessing.
Per Wiki-"Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681, was a landmark United States Supreme Court case establishing that a sitting President of the United States has no immunity from civil law litigation, in federal court, against him or her, for acts done before taking office and unrelated to the office. "
Of course the trump apologists will argue that somehow those laws don't apply to trump, or republican presidents in general, and the cultish supporters will agree. It's only against the law if a Democrat does it.
3
@sharon
Those laws to apply to Trump.
The Bidens, like the Clintons, do not sue for libel or slander because they know that the allegations are true enough that they will lose any court case they bring. Worst of all, the lawsuit it will be on the public record, drawing further attention to their unethical behavior.
That's why they don't sue.
5
Joe Biden is correct. It took him awhile to come to this conclusion, but he's there, and that's good.
6
There is no such thing as compromising with Trump or his party. Obama couldn’t learn that lesson nor it seems can his Ex VP.
1
Maybe the Republicans can stand up, too, if they can grow a spine.
It's time to call conspiracy theories what they are. And, I object to using tax payer money to have Trump's cronies flying around the world to fabricate more alternative facts.
5
Good for Biden, Trump should be impeached and will be.
Trump's claims about Joe Biden are the same as the rest of his unfounded blathering: lies and distraction to deflect attention from his own failures and corruption.
Biden was carrying out Obama administration policy by calling for the resignation of the Ukrainian prosecutor general. Shokin was failing to pursue corruption cases and on the make. The Europeans and the IMF made the same call. VPs don't make policy - they say "Yes, Mr. President" and carry out a job.
2
Nobody seriously thinks Burisma couldn't have Hunter Biden on its board if that's what it wanted (or pay him $50,000 a month for being there). This strikes me as having been entirely "legal."
But wise? Nobody seriously thinks Burisma put Hunter Biden on its board for any reason other than the fact that he's the son of the then-current Vice President. They sure weren't paying him $50,000 a month for his experience.
I don't think Joe Biden ever has done anything to exploit his position for personal gain, but he DID get a nettlesome prosecutor removed from office, for the benefit of his son's company. He should have stayed out of this.
"... don’t judge [Biden[ for his family’s actions, that were by the way, legal."
1
To all the people who say Biden is too little, too late, and not forceful enough. You need to think deeper about what he is doing and the narrow path he knows he has to walk.
Even if Trump is impeached. Or edged out in 2020. We're still left with a country wherein an enormous percentage of the population voted him in, and delights at pictures of dark-skinned women and children in cages.
A Democrat may win the WH, but then what? Our task is not as simple as winning the Oval Office. We've got to calm this place down. That's not going to happen through fiery partisan rhetoric.
By treading carefully and methodically, Biden is telling the rightists to not be afraid. The water is warm. That's why Trump fears him. Trumpists who might take up arms against O'Rourke or refuse to be led by a woman, would shrug at Biden being president and many would secretly prefer him. But with another Democratic winner, who knows what these people might do? Trump is counting on that. He's unhinged. The president of Finland knows it. It's going to take an expert touch to land this plane.
3
I am glad that Joe has fought back. Trump cannot control the narrative as he is prone to do.
4
Bottom line, I don't trust any politician but the bottom of the barrel starts with Trump, Mitch and the GOP.
4
A glaring display of poor judgement. Which is worse, asking a foreign country to get dirt on your opponent or one presidential candidate asking to completely 'cancel' his opponent? There are plenty of people 'on it' Joe, yet another example of why in the end, he may have the most moderate credentials, but his continual blunders are severely offputting.
This is exactly what happens when you jump into the mud puddle with the bully. You get covered with muck. Biden, not the greatest mind on the planet, just devolved to Trump's level. Now the two will be at twitter loggerheads, and nothing will get done in the government, the fight will smother any effort at a good debate coming up, the election will be in the shadows while the environment grows more toxic. Biden should have kept his mouth closed. There may be no smoking gun, but it doesn't look good that hsi son, known for drug problems and always having someone enable him, should have been on those lucrative boards when his father was one breathe away from the presidency. It is going to be a mean winter.
Congratulations Joe, for becoming the very last Democrat to call for Trump's Impeachment.
As a frenchman, when asked why he was chasing a crowd of protesters down the street was claimed to have said: "I must catch up to them, for I am their leader."
1
think of it like the al capone story. he was a killer and they got him on tax evasion. we need to get trump any way we can. at this point, it’s starting to seem like the fate of the world is at stake.
A POLITICO reporter recently followed Biden's campaign in Iowa & transcribed many of Biden's comments. These comments show a fuzzy, often confused Biden saying Robert Kennedy & Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated in the 1970s, that only men became hippies & more bizarre, inaccurate remarks. See POLITICO for story.
Biden does only a fraction of the events Warren, Bernie & Pete do. Biden's staff doesn't make him available for interviews.
If POLITICO is accurate, Biden isn't just 'rusty.' He's frequently confused about what he's talking about.
Remember "they should put on the record player"?
Biden was flustered when Kamala Harris challenged him on busing.
If Biden was really ready for this, he wouldn't keep making bizarre, inaccurate statements, wouldn't be parceling out campaign events instead of having daily events like other candidates & would willingly sit down for interviews with numerous reporters requesting them.
That Biden refuses to be as accessible as the other top candidates is evidence he's tired & unfocused.
Liking Joe Biden is one thing.
Believing Biden would survive a rough 5 month one on one campaign against Trump is something completely different. Hillary lost partly because she couldn't physically match Trump on the campaign trail. And Hillary is healthy. Biden at 76 is a far less energetic & nimble candidate than Hillary was at 69. But Trump was still able to out-campaign Hillary on a daily basis.
Trump will pound Biden into the ground.
8
Where was Biden's pushback two weeks ago, when he found out that Trump had targeted him and his son?
8
@alank Perhaps he was still in the Democratic mindset of if Trump goes low, Democrats go high, a strategy that does not work against the grifting traitor.
Biden should withdraw his campaign and give other candidates a chance. I don't think he will beat Trump after Ukeraine issue. Warren, Sanders and Yang have new thoughts and plans.
8
Waiting this long to say it was smart by Biden. It underscores that he is the most moderate Democratic candidate, which will be most appealing to moderate swing state voters.
11
Biden may have now positioned himself to win the Democratic nomination but lost his chance to become the president, because there is a larger, more responsible and smarter constituency that will cease to consider him as level minded, as opposed to a hack that feels compelled to accommodate the mindless left wing democratic party base. the independents will determine the outcome of the election and now Biden has lost all credibility among that group.
4
How is the left wing of the party “mindless”? It’s the only section of the party with new ideas!
@Karnard
so called "ideas" that are destructive and can not be implemented are mindless A 5 year old can also dream those up.. The democratic party is basically only left wing - Biden is aligning with the left - for example today with impeachment. Despite all of Trump's downsides, he is better positioned and qualified to continue as president largely because he has still worse competitors - the left wing.
5
Earth shattering, now maybe he can show off his bipartisanship mantra and do something about the Senate GOP. Exactly.
1
Joseph Biden dithered, taking the moral high ground when his tenure as VP was maligned with his son, Hunter who joined a Ukrainian gas company board. He should have come out fighting since the accusation was confirmed false. But now he is. Better late than never or is it too late already with Warren riding a wave as polls indicate. Warren could easily out-debate the vocabulary and policy challenged Trump.
3
@NNI - Hunter Biden did not get a sweet sinecure with the Ukrainian gas company? Your saying that is proved false.
4
Yes, Trump should be fired “impeached” for cause. I think Biden should be on the attack, not defensive. There are no moral equivalents here. Biden has put the country first through his lifetime of service, don’t judge him for his family’s actions, that were by the way, legal.
7
The entire Democratic field should be giving speeches that strongly advocate impeachment and removal. The public needs to be educated day and night that Trump is everything we say he is, a white collar criminal who stumbled into the White House and who looks at public issues as opportunities to self aggrandize himself and his family's business interests. He is felonious by nature and wholly unfit for his office.
9
Help me understand this - as a dumb Canadian. In all past Presidential Impeachments, the House of Representatives holds a vote - and if the majority agree - then the impeachment process starts. The rules are - that the house must approve the process prior to the commencement of the process.
In this case, there was no such vote - no such debate on the floor. The Democratic party simply decided to have an Impeachment of the leader of the Republican party, who happens to be the President of the USA. There was no vote or debate (they were afraid that they would lose - so simply didn't have one).
Can someone explain to me - how this is moral or legal? There was no Vote - no debate - nothing. Why would anyone cooperate with such a committee? I suspect that the courts will simply say it is an illegal proces. I don't care if you love or hate Trump - surely the rule of law and the US Constitution should mean something.
6
@Randy Quoted fromthe lawfare website (link below) :
"Is it constitutionally acceptable for the House speaker to initiate an impeachment “by means of nothing more than a press conference”? In short, yes.
The constitutional text on this issue is spare. The Constitution simply says that the House has the sole power of impeachment. Ultimately, if the House wants to impeach someone, it needs to muster a simple majority in support of articles of impeachment that can be presented to the Senate. How the House gets there is entirely up to the chamber itself to determine. There is no constitutional requirement that the House take two successful votes on impeachment, one to authorize some kind of inquiry and one to ratify whatever emerges from that inquiry. An impeachment inquiry is not “invalid” because there has been no vote to formally launch it, and any eventual impeachment would not be “invalid” because the process that led to it did not feature a floor vote authorizing a specific inquiry."
https://www.lawfareblog.com/must-house-vote-authorize-impeachment-inquiry
as an informed Canadian, there has never been a requirement to hold a vote first. with Clinton, there was no House investigation. they used the Star report and went straight to impeachment. nothing being done by the House is improper or unconstitutional. this is a distraction from Republicans who have no defence and can only focus on process and hope to muddy the waters.
1
@Gioia Tauro
How the House gets there is entirely up to the chamber itself to determine.
The Chamber did not determine anything.
Pelosi is not the Chamber.
1
Biden's appeal is to another generation -- one to which I belong -- when what younger Democrats want is national health, the green new deal and systematic tax reform to recoup some of the taxes that corporations and the rich have been too generously forgiven.
But to win, he will need to step a little more lively. Trump practically owns the message about Hunter and corruption. Joe should have been in there sooner.
3
Thank you Joe Biden, for finally saying what many of us have been urgently calling for since January 20th, 2017.
11
And what were the "grounds" you would have cited that day?
9
@Margo an impeachment inquiry could have been launched. Trump filled in the corruption blanks beginning with the inauguration ceremonies. There has been something else just about every day since.
My respect for Biden just went up several notches. Any candidate of either party that does not support the impeachment of Donald J. Trump lacks patriotism.
14
Joe? Your call for Trump’s impeachment would have even greater moral force if you made it as a former presidential candidate.
1
I am amazed by the number of folks who find fault in the courageous statement Biden recently made. It seems for many that even when he does something right, he's still wrong.
Instead of bashing Biden, where is the outrage at the other 9 candidates running for president who have been silent during this entire impeachment inquiry?
13
Joe Biden only came forward now because his ratings among the voters has slipped. It is a bit too late to redeem himself. His chances of gaining the Democratic presidential nomination were slim before this and have gotten only slimmer. Maybe he should do the right thing and get out of the race.
10
Joe Biden is a candidate who can start the much needed healing in this country .
His policies may be moderate but are feasible , they can be paid for and do take us forward. That’s progress.
The situation the Democrats need to focus on is winning the swing States particularly in the mid west.
Can Senator Warren do this , I hope she can but it is a risk.
On the other hand Biden gets strong support in these States and with the Afro American support he will beat Trump.
The motivating factor to get people to the polls will not be Bidens “soaring oratory “ but an intense dislike for Trump
If he wins Biden must choose a VP who can succeed him in 4 years and a Cabinet that is competent and stable.
Stability is what we need , controlled progress is necessary therefore Bidens comments must be seen in this context.
9
Great, Biden finally got around to stating the obvious.
But let's collectively ask our Republican members of Congress when they intend to get around to stating the obvious - and to rid our nation of the danger within.
It's time for them to ask themselves if they believe in the urgency of the moment, which they fully know is rife with Constitutional dangers, enough to have the courage to speak out. We know they can, like they did yesterday re:the Kurds.
It's well past the time for them to ask themselves if they will be able to look their children and grandchildren in the eye and tell them they did the right thing, but they must do it anyway.
They should be able to say, and mean it, that no one is above the law, just as they did with President Clinton.
And they should look in the mirror and ask if they really don't care about their legacy, because like Rudy said, they'll be dead anyway.
Finally, for the religious right that, somehow still justifies their support of this president, they should abide by the ten commandments, they profess to hold so dear.
"Thous shalt not lie," would be a good place to begin.
1
Biden should come out even stronger about asking for trump's impeachment. He should go so far as to sue for liable, based on the groundless and persistent accusations the president is making about Biden and his family. I wish he would say that he is fearful of the collapse of our democracy due to a completely inept president and then emphasizing in his campaign that we need to bring sanity back to our nation. I am not necessarily supporting Biden in the primary, but would, of course, vote for him should be get the nomination.
1
Why does this headline read "Joe Biden Says Trump 'Should Be Impeached'"? Why not Biden / Trump? Why not Joe Biden / Donald Trump? Why not former Vice President Biden / President Trump? Why has the media suddenly fixated on Joe Biden Joe Biden Joe Biden? And always first and last name -- Joe Biden.
2
So, Vice President Biden assures us he can persuade Republicans to support his agenda. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-republican-cooperation_n_5d07f44de4b0ea7c4a4e01dd
Could he show us right now how he'd do that? Like, perhaps persuade a few Republicans to support impeachment?
2
Better late than never, Uncle Joe! You can’t transport Trump out of The White House on a feather bed!
1
Biden calls for withdrawal of troops from Vietnam
Biden calls for legalization of gay marriage
Biden calls for US to send men to the moon.
Biden. Too little, too late
1
Biden 2020:
"Better late than nev... what was I saying?"
1
"Nothing up my sleeve, nothing down my shirt."
Can Trump say the same?
No.
Never.
Impeach.
Enough of this circus.
It's not at all funny.
Exile this crooked carny from the stage, and rid him from the highest political office.
Now, or possibly never.
5
Joe: Welcome to the club.
4
Joe just doesn’t have the criminal caliber of trump he’s way too honest , the Country respects
an con artist that can bribe manipulate and threaten . That’s the rules now.
1
The impeachment process has rendered Biden's Presidential campaign moot. What ever Biden has to say from here on out is irrelevant.
7
@Purple Spain by that standard, Trump is running for re-election in 2020 so anything he says is irrelevant.
I am a non-partisan who favors impeachment. I think it is somewhat comical that the Times this morning wrote an article sympathetically portraying Biden as Go Slow Joe because he has withheld judgement thus far on whether Trump should be impeached. Comical because within just a few hours of that article appearing, Go Slow Joe became Full Steam Ahead Joe.
1
Sanctimonious Joe Biden speaks. I wish my name was BIDEN so I could get paid $50,000 a month for nothing and never be accused of wrong doing. The joys of being a Washington insider !
14
I think you mean you’d rather your name was Trump, so you could get unearned appointments and foreign assistance and a pass on all bad behaviour like Ivanka and Jared.
10
Joe Biden is the only candidate who can save our country from the oil and coal industry Trump and the climate deniers don’t care about. He has had 8 years of success with President Obama so all you people who find petty stuff to complain about him shame on you.
8
@D.j.j.k. What? Exactly what success did Joe ever have since he was wrong about every foreign policy decision?
7
This commenter's appreciation for Biden's courageous stand on impeachment is, shall we say, measured:
"A day late, a dollar short, but welcome aboard."
How unpredictable was this, eh? A candidate for the Democratic nomination for President opposing the incumbent Republican President? What a surprise!
4
The impeachment approval numbers have been increasing consistently. Joe's no fool. Can't say the same for the GOP.
3
This commenter is thrilled:
"I am glad Joe Biden did the brave thing and called for the impeachment of our so called 'president'."
Pretty "brave," that's for sure. Can you imagine another Democratic Presidential candidate supporting impeachment of a Republican President? Oh, you can? In fact, you say, they all do?
Democratic candidates for President supporting impeachment of a Republican President. Who'd have ever guessed, eh?
5
While we expect democracy, Trump is laughing in our face.
It's high time for the tide to turn. There's established ways to run things, and then there's Trump's way. And Trump's way is not the way to run our government.
Impeach NOW!!!!
2
I guess Joe doesn’t need to see any data.
2
Good for you, Joe. The rest of the Democratic candidates should as well. Trump is killing democracy in this country and wants to be a king. He must be stopped.
3
This president of the United States has:
1. Demolished the personnel and efficiency of the State Department
2. Caused all the intellectual memory/property of the Department of Agriculture to have to leave the Dept. or make an unnecessary move
3. Showed unfailing foolishness in matters of international alliances, and bowed down before our ESTABLISHED enemies
4. Instituted policies that are antithetical to the tenets of the Constitution and Bill of Rights
5. Openly created emoluments for himself and his family
6. Incited civil war among the citizens of the nation
7. Confessed to personal felonies against women (prior to election)
8. Reversed financial decisions made by Article 1 institution of government, the House of Representatives
.....
What took Biden and everyone else who claims to be a patriot of this nation so long to declare that this waste of space should be impeached.
Note: The two most outstanding persons calling for his impeachment are both persons of color, Al Green and Maxine Waters, whose personal legacies are of the group that has had the promises of this nationstate denied them and their cohort.
2
SO WHAT? the train has left the station
4
Joe should go much further. He needs to deflect this back to Trump's own much more egregious, much more damaging nepotistic corruption, in allowing Ivanka and Jared to run amok profiteering off of us while being government employees. Unlike Hunter's completely legal (but inadvisable) activities, years ago in Ukraine, Trump and his family are in clear violation of the Federal law, at 5 U.S.C. § 3110, which "...prohibits a federal official... from appointing, promoting, or recommending for appointment or promotion any “relative” of the official to any agency or department over which the official exercises authority or control."
C'mon Joe. This is a mob-boss running our country. Call him out!!
3
Joe, you're late to the party and to slow to keep up with an ever increasing world of political whirlwinds. You're a nice guy but not up to the job.
Absolutely right, Joe!
It’s not a matter of politics- it’s constitutional responsibility.
Trump is a stain on our nation.
5
What of you been waiting for, Joe? We already have an entire political party that does nothing without a consensus of the political impact on them. We don't need a Democrat doing it too.
Joe Biden comes across as an honorable gentlemen whose great experience within government would allow a mainstream middle of the road, stabilizing influence in these tumultuous Times of lurid twit and self-aggrandizing mirror distortions. As long as climate change , medical program access, and fair and justified taxation policy are in his portfolio, along with the perfect pick for Vice President, there should be no hesitation in voting for this Veteran Statesman.
3
It's worth watching Biden's speech. He projects such decency. He doesn't rant and rave, but, almost sorrowfully, describes Trump's crimes. People respond to this kind of talking.
I read the comments here about Biden with disgust and alarm. I swear I'd like to grab these people by their nose rings and shake them. The very reasons that Biden is the best candidate are the same reasons that the PC crowd don't like him. White (that's right, White, because a lot of voters are racist, but [headline coming, PC people] their votes still count, male, not a screamer, moderate, can relate to people across the political spectrum and particularly blue collar voters in swing states and Blacks, experienced, a hugger. Above all, bone deep decent, and he projects it. The perfect foil to Trump.
You want Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, etc., YOU GET TRUMP. You want Biden, you get Biden.
6
Joe Biden sounds like a desperate man who knows he's not going to be nominated. He should have taken Pres. Obama's advice when he said "you don't have to do this" Pres. Warren!!
3
I don't think Joe Biden should get this much credit for saying something Elizabeth Warren said months ago. Way to be late to the party with no original ideas.
1
Please not fall into Trump's trap and restrain yourself from attacking Joe Biden, which is exactly what Trump would like you to do. If you think that Trump's baseless attack on Joe Biden can help your favorite candidate, just think twice. If Trump succeeds in destroying and eliminating his most fearful rivalry Joe Biden from the Dems primaries using the baseless attacks, do you think he will spare your favorite candidate once s/he becomes the candidate? S/he is more likely less vetted than Joe Biden, and just wait for Trump and GOP's smearing attacks.
2
@RM too late, it only took him minutes to respond - telling trump to restrain himself - good one!
Joe Biden's new found courage is exactly the reason why he is NOT the right person to be president. America needs politicians with courage, not your everyday poll tested cautious moderate democrat.
Elizabeth Warren, called for impeachment years ago, and now it sure looks like she was right. She was also right by predicting the 2008 great recession and more importantly against the massive giveaways that the Obama administration gave to the same people who caused this catastrophe, the banks! Where was Joe? Probably having a beer with a bank lobbyist!
The country needs a massive restructuring of our capitalistic system, to make it more democratic. The time is ripe for a bold leader, not the ones who are trying bring back the old racist working class whites who brought Trump. As Gore and Hillary learned when you tack to the right of your setting president you lose, when you offer more evolved policies from your last president you win. Obama was to the left of Bill Clinton, he won, Elizabeth is to the left Obama, and she will win!
1
@beachboy Where was Joe Biden when Glass-Steagall, which separated commercial from investment banking, was repealed? Lobbying for its repeal. (Please look it up, cites have been previously provided). How many commenters on this board even know that? (Or care)? That's why we repeatedly get bad presidents. Too many are too easily manipulated by propaganda, like this piece, because they don't want to be bothered with the relatively easy job of educating themselves about the facts. Too many have failed democracy 101.
3
It is disappointing that Biden would advocate shortcutting the rules to advance to sentencing directly.
In my mind that makes him unworthy to be president.
4
The United States routinely conditions aid on certain behaviors that we want to change. It often has to do with human rights violations. And it is normally a collaborative effort among various agencies, the State Department, the NSC, our intelligence agencies and so on.
What is very unusual, and what is very troubling, is that Trump withheld military aid for his own personal gain. To dig up dirt on his (at this point) strongest political rival. And he did so on his own, apparently with no input from anyone. That's the problem, and that's what has led to the impeachment inquiry.
Our constitution gave the power to Congress to hold the president accountable, and if he commits an act of "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors" he could be impeached. The framers of the constitution had just succeeded in revolting against a king. They felt that no man is above the law, including the president.
So this is why Congress has opened an impeachment inquiry; because Trump abused the power of his office for personal gain. He endangered our national security for personal gain; this is a violation of his oath of office. This is a "high crime", an impeachable offense.
2
Now if only every living former President would speak up. And many former Secretaries of State.
6
Though I continue to think another Democratic candidate might have more clout against Trump, I applaud Biden's stand. And it could also energize some of his supporters, and more Dems in general, to become more vocal, more engaged in confronting the bizarro-world Republican juggernaut that is the evil parade in DC.
1
@Liberty House
Joe’s not done yet. He’s still the best bet to beat Trump. Not Sanders. Not Warren.
Go Joe!
2
@Brian That's what everybody thought about Hillary.
Go Warren!
3
@S Shields
vote for Joe and you'll get Joe.
anybody else you get Trump.
Simple.
1
It may be unwise to discount the impact of this announcement: Biden is universally perceived as the most moderate of the Democratic candidates. Independents, who are the critical demographic in 2020, could well perceive this decision as originating from a solid, prudent source; impeachment may now appear to be a more well-grounded stance.
5
Joe Biden made a very valid point that if you repeat something over and over again people may believe it to be true. This is the strategy of Trump. This is why the democratic candidates need to be constantly out in the media, fact checking the President and confronting Trump with his lies. The Democratic Party could do a better job communicating to the American people what is at stake for our democracy under the presidency of Trump. They need to push the envelope that each American will relinquish their right to vote when a President corrupts the process of fair elections. Each American subsequently gives up his/her individual power to have a say in the direction of his/her life. Not only is our national security at risk, but the validity of our vote in the electoral process is in jeopardy.
Today was an excellent strategy by Joe Biden today to directly confront his and our abuser of our nation. Let’s hope we see more of the strength of Joe Biden as he confronts Donald Trump in the future for the benefit of us all who believe in a fair and just democracy.
8
@CD I was stoked to read Bidens statement.
Well done Joe!
"Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation and committed impeachable acts."
2
What polls are you reading?
"While Mr. Biden stopped short of calling for Mr. Trump’s removal from office, his new aggressiveness marked an acknowledgment that he must do more to both confront the president and to halt his slide in the polls in the Democratic primary."
Biden was initially being cautious, but he gave a barn burner of speech here, and that pattern is actually how Biden has always expressed himself when dealing with something outrageous, so no, it isn't about the polling, it's how Biden has always spoken, and how he speaks today.
It isn't as if Trump has done anything outrageous in the last 24 hours. The final straw for Biden was Trump declaring the US Constitution null and void by falsely claiming Congress has no oversight power over the Executive branch when the Founding Fathers explicitly gave Congress that power in the Constitution.
If you want some empirical data consider that Biden's standing in the polls is statistically unchanged. Most notable is how stable Biden's numbers have been despite everything supposedly wrong with him, as already established by both FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics.
What has happened is that Elizabeth Warren has consistently been rising in the polls, but Warren's gains have been largely at the expense of Kamala Harris, not Biden.
Finally, as just reported:
"The latest polling data from Morning Consult shows former vice president Joe Biden climbing back into a stable lead in the Democratic presidential primary."
4
We, in despair, have shared cartoons, limericks, jokes... all in an effort to alleviate our fears with some degree of humor. There is nothing funny anymore - the late night TV and SNL skits merely confuse too many folks about the seriousness of what is happening in our democracy. Yes, we have other problems... dark money, lack of meaningful immigration policy, a health care system in shambles... but it all pales compared to a president who feels he is above the rule of law. Each one of us reading and writing these comments, let’s write or call our representatives in Congress NOW!
6
Legitimate reasons for impeachment are multiple. But even putting most aside, I'm increasingly persuaded that the shear abundance of Trump's lies, about nearly everything and many individuals -- daily, consistently, and continuously -- is contrary to the Founders intent, Constitution, Presidential Oath, Office of the Presidency, and common decency. They are impeachable and disqualifying. They represent wholly unacceptable behavior for a holder of the highest office in the Land.
2
Talked about a desperate act, right after Warren takes the lead in the polls. Who's going to switch from Warren or Sanders for him based on this?
2
Perhaps people concerned with Sanders’s post-MI electability might.
1
@Scott
Mr. Biden's agressive approach in response to Trump's incessant trampling of the US Constitution has ignited a fire - a fire of leadership and a fire of passion - to rid the nation of the con man and his cowardly enablers.
so yes - this blue will do!
1
As long as Biden doesn’t get into a constant tit-for-tat. Biden cannot let Trump set the narrative for his campaign, which is what I’m afraid will happen if Biden now doesn’t distance himself from any impeachment talk. Biden needs to just concentrate on the long months ahead and let those on Capitol Hill do their jobs.
Given that just minutes passed before Trump issued his usual, insulting “Sleepy Joe” tweet, it’s clear that he would like nothing more than to derail and distract Biden by putting him constantly on the defensive. Biden must be careful.
2
I am a liberal from Seattle, more liberal than Joe, but he can beat Trump and restore dignity to not only the presidency but to this country. Biden has made mistakes but so has everyone else running (or not running). Biden has integrity and experience and gravitas that Trump utterly lacks. Biden scares Trump and the Republicans like no one else does, for good reason. I like Elizabeth Warren a great deal, and support many of her policy positions, but in the end I think Joe Biden is the solid choice for this time in history (Biden-Warren ticket ?). Biden needs to continue to come out forcefully, deliberately, seriously, and go after Trump relentlessly, while reminding Americans of what is at stake if we let the Trumps and their ilk take over this country for 4 more years.
10
A day late, a dollar short, but welcome aboard.
1
If you're keeping count: 39 Senators (all Republican of course) support Trump unconditionally. Probably he's got something on them, but whatever the reason, that number has to get down to 33 or else Trump wins. The whole country could be in favor of his removal from office, but it all comes down to those 33 votes in the end. I have thank our two Iowa Senators, Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, who are NOT in that group of 39 Trumpistas.
33
@IowaFarmer
It’s not always about winning the battle. This is a war for the soul of our country.
That requires us to delineate we’re we stand as a country. If republicans choose to protect this out right criminal and promote an imperial presidency, aka fascism, then we should see it as clear as day. This allows us as individuals to vote, plan and protect our families as best as possible.
6
@IowaFarmer Not sure how Trump comes out of this "winning". Or the Republican Party come to that. These sordid attempt at extortion, followed by blatant obstruction justice, will not be forgotten before next year. He'll claim it's a win, and his cult members will believe him, but everyone else knows the truth.
4
If the whole country is in favor of his removal, why not just wait for the general election? It’s right around the corner.
5
Sometimes great tacticians make bad strategists. That's happening here.
The already-released "transcript" of Trump's July 25 phone call makes the "tactical" point well enough: Trump used US government power to promote his personal interests. Maybe Trump has a good explanation, but we sure haven't heard it yet.
But "tactical" correctness doesn't mean Trump's opponents should hurry. Good strategy calls for delay. If the House impeaches Trump, either he'll not be convicted (obviously bad for Trump's opponents), or he will be. If he's convicted, fairly soon, Pence will become President –– with (and here's the important part) lots of time left before the 2020 election.
Why would Trump's opponents want to give Pence time to "act Presidential" and, perhaps, win the 2020 election? Better to drag this out until just before the election (even after, if it looks like Trump will avoid removal), even if tactically you sometimes look "weak" in doing that. Hand over the Presidency to Pence, if ever, just before the election, so that the Republicans don't have time to regroup.
Strategically, that's exactly what the House leaders appear to be aiming for, and that's what I'd do too. Occasionally great "tacticians" will argue that the House can and should act more quickly, and they'll be correct – tactically. But why rush? There are some "costs" in delay (it makes the House look "weak," for example), but the benefits of delay far outweigh the costs.
1
@Commenter When Trump is successfully impeached, and all his Senators show their support for presidential corruption by voting against conviction, how is that "obviously bad for Trump's opponents"?
And this process should not be a strategy. It's a solemn duty.
1
@Commenter
I'm weary of swampland strategy.
Mr. Trump is a criminal & an opponent of democracy. The Department of Justice identified several obstructions of justice perpetrated by the President, but declined to indict him on grounds of long-standing policy forbidding indicting the President. There are dozens more latent articles of impeachment available from his public acts alone. And for insults to members of Congress, Mr. Trump outdoes President Andrew Johnson, who was impeached for that offense, among others. Impeachment isn't limited to infractions of criminal law, but can extend to any serious abuse of power.
The House of Representatives is the only institution available for rendering a formal accusation that will go to trial. The House must act promptly, vigorously & without further hesitation.
Regarding the fretting about prospective President Pence. He will be detested for his abject complicity with Mr. Trump, & he has little charisma to convey him to victory in 2020.
Impeachment renders a victory for Democrats in 2020.
@Commenter Sorry but we’ve already been through the Russia collusion fiasco. We all know this is just another Dem fishing expedition since Pelosi won’t bring it to a vote.
4
I am glad Joe Biden did the brave thing and called for the impeachment of our so called "president". As an experienced vice president, and lawmaker, he is probably the most credible person, so far, to call for impeachment.
Compared, to our so called "president", Mr. Biden is polar opposite. Some here think he is too comfortable of being in the middle, and has too many ties to Republicans. Considering, what we have for a "president", Mr. Biden is the right person for the time.
This country need to heal. We are not going to do that with a re-election of Trump or an election of someone being as far left, as Trump being far right.
For Mr. Biden, this is personal. He is not only being smeared by Trump, and the GOP, but from his own party. There are people, who have posted here, would like to not only see Trump impeached, but Mr. Biden, and his family, embroiled in their own scandal, so Ms. Warren wins the nomination.
Yes, some polls show her ahead. However, when it comes to head to head with Trump, Mr. Biden still has a good lead. If the idea is to unseat Trump, and get the largest base to defeat him, than Mr. Biden is the strongest candidate.
Finally, Mr. Biden learned a great deal from eight years being President Obama's Vice President, ans well has from his years in the Senate and the House. What some people do not realize, is Trump is going after Mr. Biden, because he knows one o n one =, Mr. Biden will defeat him.
27
A lead in the polls only matters if the poll shows an *Electoral College* lead. That goes for any candidate. Dems should be careful about the structure of the polls upon which they base their prognostications.
3
Biden is right, but not wise. Yes, he should call for an investigation; but given his involvement in the issue he should informally ‘recuse’ himself - that is, let it be proven he did no wrong and then join the call to impeach and convict. He has nothing to fear from an investigation.
5
@MG
Trump would never recuse himself. The mere suggestion would irritate him.
@MG: Biden is the class valedictorian standing up to the bully. Good for him!
@matty Biden should “recuse” himself...that is, wait for judgment and then call for the jerk to be impeached and thrown out. Biden, not Trump. Trump wouldn’t even know the meaning of such a sophisticated word.
Biden call to impeach Trump is far too late and he is not the person that could defeat Trump in November.
Like Hillary Clinton, he is connected to the past and the old money interest of the Democratic party. There is also a cloud of questions with his involvement with Ukraine.
Biden has a poor environmental record, immigration record, criminal justice reform, a history of supporting the military industrial complex,and is too moderate with his health care plan.
We need a progressive Democrat like Warren with bold and exciting economic, health, immigration and environmental plans. She can lead America and undo all the damage that Trump has created the past three years.
Warren came out months ago calling for the impeachment of Trump and has the vision and courage to defeat him in November.
11
@patrick ryan Elizabeth Warren was Republican well into her 40's. She's an opportunist, the Democratic equivalent of Ronald Reagan, who also switched parties late in life. Beware of those whose core values change radically in mid-life. It's rarely a sign of authenticity.
1
This comes down to trust. I absolutely trust Joe Biden's heart and spirit. He also has a long, well-honed sense of when the moment is right. His comments supporting gay marriage encapsulated what the majority of Americans felt, even though they pushed Pres. Obama into backing gay marriage.
The Ukraine situation involved Biden directly: he and his family are the targets of Trump's unscrupulous and illegal attacks. Trump withheld authorized military aid from Ukraine which needed it desperately in its war with Russia. In exchange, the "favor which he (Trump) needed" was for Ukraine to fabricate evidence against Biden.
Everything Trump does, he does for his own profit or the good of Putin.
Everything Biden does, he does for the good of the United States. That is what a lifetime of dedicated public service means.
22
You know why Republicans have no problem with Trump seeking help from a foreign government? It is because they know Democrats would never do it to them. They know they are in an asymmetrical fight when the other side believes in the rule of law and winning elections on the power of ideas instead of cheating.
12
Asymmetrical? Who’s trying to impeach who?
@Chris
Yep. They are fascists or as close to it as can be described in modern times.
“True” Americans whose leader is always right, wise and should be protected at all costs. They even use an ethnic minority as a tool to gain power while caging them and causing suffering.
This is why we need to GOTV in numbers even the Electoral College can’t ignore.
Good to see someone coming forth, hard not to see it as damage-control strategy by Joe.
The cynicism runs deep these days.
5
My wife (now deceased) had her first journalism job in Rochester, in the mid 80's. In 1988, she got a chance to interview Donald Trump, who visited Portsmouth, NH in his first foray into presidential politics. She had his number even then, telling me he was a bloviating narcissist. Babe, if you were alive today, you wouldn't believe what has happened!
24
@JS
How was Trump involved in Presidential politics in 1988? What was he doing in NH, and who was he supporting then?
@GMooG
Sorry to burst your trump worship bubble but here are the facts, you know, those pesky little things.
"He had previously considered a presidential run in 1988 as a Republican, but chose not to run. For 2000, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura persuaded Trump to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, which was fracturing despite achieving ballot access and qualifying for matching funds as a result of the 1996 presidential campaign of businessman Ross Perot. Trump's entrance into the Reform Party race coincided with that of paleoconservative commentator Pat Buchanan."
2
@GMooG Testing the waters of the NH primary in preparation for his own possible campaign. His visit to Portsmouth was actually on Oct. 22, 1987. https://time.com/4448365/draft-donald-trump-mike-dunbar-new-hampshire/ My wife was a reporter/editor at the Portsmouth Herald.
1
Sooner of later the GOP is going to have to face reality and admit that Trump is unfit. As the consequences of his many mistakes pile up, he is going off the rails (Turkey).
I see three possibilities:
Negotiate an immunity agreement, Trump resigns (best option for the GOP).
Article 25 Removal (2nd best, lost of bad PR but it will end).
Impeachment and Removal, Trump fights all the way (Worst possible option, the GOP gets killed at the polls).
4
Biden is always too cautious. Warren was the first to call for impeachment. His lag time suggests he waited to test the political waters. No to Joe.
9
This commenter has it right:
"Stick a fork in him, because Joe is done."
The same can be said for Bernie Sanders, after his recent heart attack. Warren was always slated to be the nominee, but lately it's looking like that will be clear sooner than I'd expected. Whatever happens to Trump after this Ukraine incident, it's been clear from the start that Biden is toast.
4
I recently watched on YouTube the 1960 presidential debate between Nixon and Kennedy. Political views aside the debate was civil. We blame our politics for so much of our woes but in reality our politics is a reflection of our culture. Angry, rude, arrogant, presumptuous while humility and civility is seen as a weakness. We reap what we sow.
10
@Anthony You've hit the nail on the head here,that's for sure. The orange-man is of course a reflection of those who 'voted' him into the office for which he is so ill-suited. I don't think he could manage a lemonade stand.
2
Nobody with a normal balanced personality and great intelligence would ever run for office these days. The whole thing is too abusive.
Reminds me a bit of John Kerry who was also unable to personally fight Republican lies. Need someone stronger to take on Trump in 2020. And younger.
5
It’s insanely poor judgement to encourage the forum of an impeachment proceeding for Donald Trump to explain to America’s Congress and the entire world why he saw something fishy about $50,000/month fees for legal advice from a known cocaine addict. These really took place, let’s not forget that. Joe Biden may be confident that his own legal position is safe, everyone says so, but few people believe in the fairness of the legal system these days. The whole thing just confirms a situation where the privileged elite of Washington DC gets away with it, exactly what got Donald Trump elected in the first place.
5
@Michael
This is epic, world-class missing the point.
@Michael
"why he saw something fishy about $50,000/month fees for legal advice"
The gig was OVER. The Job done. It was not an issue. It was NEVER an issue.
Innuendo much? You regressives are a real gas insisting that "Trump saw something fishy......." Trump cares only about his corruption, not other people's corruption.
@Michael
"why he saw something fishy about $50,000/month fees for legal advice"
The gig was OVER. The Job done. It was not an issue. It was NEVER an issue.
Innuendo much? You regressives are a real gas.
The corrupt vs the corrupt. How sad that this is the best we can do.
7
It's about time.
He needs to go on the offensive as much as possible.
4
Before they impeach Trump, Congress needs to impeach Barr, Pompeo and Pence. Barr first so that Trump loses his "Roy Cohn and Pence can't pardon Trump once he's removed from office and Pompeo for so he can't protect his accomplices in the State Dept.
8
Please stop throwing Joe under the bus. He remains the only Dem candidate that can beat Trump. That may be sad, but it's all we've got.
10
@Lannock
But he can't. I used to think he could beat Trump, but no more. After the debates, we learned that he's really lost his step; he's very slow on the go. And in the last two weeks, we learned that he is simply not capably of responding to the "corruption" issue in any substantive way. Hunter, plus all the MBNA skeletons he has in his closet, will be Biden's email/albatross.
He's done. Let's move on.
1
Joe should refrain from making comments. So should Hillary. This must be seen for what it is ... a legitimate inquiry. It cannot be seen as political payback.
6
He’s on to something. I think there’s a decent chance Trump wanted the Democrats to find out about this Ukraine business. Figured Dems would chomp at the bit for any pretense to impeach, he has no chance of actually being removed from office, and that impeachment without removal would raise his prospects while damaging vulnerable Democratic congressmen. Meantime, all this talk of Biden’s son damages or destroys Biden, the only Democrat centrists could vote for so you’re left with Liz Warren who I think has gotta be the easiest path to victory for Trump. Her “plan” is generally to seize control of the private sector and to tell everyone how to run their affairs even though she’s an academic politician with zero business experience. That may play well to a base of people who look around at the world and think the only reason they’re not as successful as some other people is that the game is “rigged”, but there are enough Americans who are going to be concerned about empowering big brother to come for another guy’s property to keep Warren from her devious plan to steal property and destroy the US economy. We’ve all seen the movie about “first they came for [insert group].” Eventually they come for you. Every time. They always do.
3
Bravo to Joe for the courage to declare that the Emperor is a hardened criminal
9
Now if only anyone cared what Biden said or thought about anything.
6
Barack and Joe both knew what Trump and the Russians were up to before Trump was elected, and look where we are today.
5
I guess this is the only way Biden thinks he can become president.
4
It's good to see Biden connect with his fire-in-the belly and come out for a fully impeachment. No more taunts of "Sleepy Joe" can come from the White House.
3
Hurrah! Keep repeating this over and over.
3
Joe who?
I thought Joe Biden had already dropped out of the race.
Oh well, he will soon.
10
Finally he has spoken. This treasonous president needs to be impeached and all his shenanigans must be unveiled. Enough is enough.
6
Maybe Joe's opinion can sway some of those Centrist Democrats to support impeachment.
I don't think he's looking for support here. I think he realizes his candidacy is over
6
I haven to give Biden credit: by making this misguided run for president, he rattled Trump so badly that Trump made a mistake that could very well be his undoing. Once again, Joe Biden has done a remarkable service for his country.
606
@Stevem Only time will tell.
10
@Michael In what sense is it a "misguided run for president"? He's beating Trump (if not quite like a drum) in every poll that's out there and he's doing so by a wider margin than any of the other Democrats in the field.
35
@stu freeman
Biden is old and feeble. In this report he never defends himself with evidence.
Time for Joe to retire. Any of the Dem candidates can beat Trump.
We don't need Hillary 2.0.
5
“He should be impeached.”
Probably the bravest and guttiest statement I ever heard from Joe Biden.
405
@Marge Keller
Low bar . . .
8
@Marge Keller
Impeachment is a great step. I personally want to see him in PRISON. A roommate for Bernie Madoff ?? They could scam each other.
32
@Marge Keller
It sure took him long enough to say what has been glaringly obvious for two years. Imagine how quickly Republicans would have declared that HRC should be impeached.
13
"Escalating his language in an effort to rebut Mr. Trump’s unfounded claims about his actions with Ukraine..."
We can do without the political analysis. Just give us the story straight, for once. Why is it to hard to believe that a man who has served his country honorably for decades could look at the same set facts we all see and reach the same conclusion most of us have reached?
9
I believe the media are wanting Biden to win the nomination. Article after article, news clips after news clips give Biden the spotlight. It's free campaign advertisements.
It's taken "this long" for Biden counterpunch.
I, for one, don't think VP Joe can beat Trump. As the impeachment inquiry moves along, I suggest showing Sen. Kamala Harris grilling Barr and Kavanaugh. I cannot see Biden, Sanders or Warren standing up to Trump in a debate. Harris has proven she can take on the toughest of the tough.
Give Harris time to iron out her stances.
"Yes or no, Mr. Trump? Are you debating or just bullying? It's a yes or no answer."
4
@KAS You don't think that Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Harvard and Penn Law Professor, can stand up to Trump in a debate?
Think again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOIOgKbon6Q
1
@Dan Garofalo I watched the clip you posted. And, yes, I agree Warren is a top notch.
However, I still believe Sen. Harris has more of what I'm looking for in someone who can stand up to Trump.
Too late Joe. We all know that your new response in trying to sound “tough” after weeks of meekness must surely be focus group tested.
Bye Joe. Trump will eat you for lunch. It’s a shame. Now out and back Warren.
10
Repeal/Replace Trump/Pence now!!!
4
Linking Trump’s claims to words of Joseph Goebbels is a powerful condemnation. If we go to a gunfight and we bring a knife, we’re likely to get shot.
We can’t always go high when they go low.
19
@Regards, LC
Agreed.
1
Johnny-come-lately. Biden call for impeachment came only after he got a direct hit. If that is what it takes he is not qualified to be president. Elizabeth Warren called for impeachment on day one without intermediary step of inquiry. We are tired of having Presidents who can’t take a stand on issues and can’t tell the difference between right and wrong. The country needs structural changes and not recycling worn out ideas.
4
Given that VP Biden has claimed, as a central strength of his campaign, that he can work on a bipartisan way, let’s see if he can convince his former Senate colleagues to take on the articles of impeachment that will be coming their way. Expectantly, we await Mr, Biden’s updates.
3
More politicians not just Biden, or democrats - I am talking about the Republican Party whose members need to get on the bandwagon and demand impeachment. Trump has ruined the United States.
4
@Oh My
Nope neoliberal policies of Reagan, Clinton Bush and to some extend Obama ruined United States. They kill the middle class and left people desperate and clinging. Trump is jus a product of that. So unless we address underlying issues we will get another "Trump" even if we defeat this one.
5
@Robert
Those neoconservatives are all over Fox News telling people to vote against their self interest and protect their god leader Trump who can do no wrong.
Good. Biden needs to offer voters a contrast to Trump's kleptocracy.
10
Good.
None of the Republicans are not your friends and will never abide by any act of compromise. They would thwart you at every turn just as they did with Obama.
7
I can't find a transcript of the speech so it may be included.
I would have included, if not emphasized, how Trump endangers our national security as well as ignoring our Constitution.
He endangers our troops, is disloyal to our allies, insults our intelligence services, has no concept of history or strategic importance, is proudly ignorant of facts, and manages to benefit Putin more frequently than the US.
But Trump's most egregiously consistent pattern of behavior is that he does what benefits himself before the interests of our nation.
8
Our Country fears treason, and in yesteryears, an army would have been escorting the President out of the White House, and arresting those under his banner.
Thanking Joe Biden for having the courage to be an American and telling it like it is. We The People may be seeing his finest hour.
9
Vice President Biden is right in calling for Trump's manifestly deserved impeachment.
However he has been horribly wrong in:
allowing the smearing of Anita Hill,
facilitating the nomination of Clarence Thomas,
voting for the Bush/Cheney Iraq war,
condoning Obama's tripling of our involvement in Afghanistan, supporting private insurance companies in opposition to Medicare for all and
failing to vigorously oppose his son's acceptance of highly paid sinecures in foreign countries.
And the tough guy "I'll beat him up behind the bleachers" rhetoric is just ridiculous.
Please hang it up Joe.
23
Why shouldn't his son be able to make a living? And why do you keep banging drums from decades ago?
5
@PeteH
'Why shouldn't his son be able to make a living?'
Why should his daddy continue to get him board jobs using his position?
4
Good, It's about time Joe started putting up a fight.
2
Good...he will be the second witness called by the formal impeachment inquiry. You already know who the first one will be.
1
Biden is at his best when he is alone on a stage talking to an audience with honesty , integrity and heart which is the exact opposite of the animal in the Whitehouse .
21
@KarenE
Please don't disparage animals. My dog has far more integrity than the sub-human who occupies the White House. trump is evil and completely contemptible. Sub-human describes him perfectly.
1
trump belongs to jail serving time, good for Joe.
16
@B Sharp See...the government puts a person in jail...and Trump controls the government.
Of course. There is no running away from Trump and waiting for voters to simply hand the country back to you. Trump and his foreign allies have corrupted the process. They will destroy Biden or Warren or Sanders the same way they destroyed Clinton - if you let them. Pelosi you must impeach this criminal.
12
Too little too late, just like with everything else. Just because Biden is the candidate Trump chose to get himself impeached over doesn’t mean Biden has changed from anything other that what he is, a senile relic who won’t apologize for promoting segregationist policies.
11
@sedanchair
You have Biden confused with Lindsay Graham.
7
@matty No, it's just that Biden is really not different enough from Graham to bother with. That applies to foreign as well as domestic policy.
2
The headline could just as easily read, "Joe Biden Throws a Hail Mary Pass."
He seems desperate to get the media glare off his son Hunter's profiteering from Joe's position as VP. And perhaps he hopes that it will show 'leadership' and staunch Elizabeth Warren's rise in the polls. But it won't work.
People could laugh off Joe's gaffes, and could try to look the other way to his touchy-feely stuff. But when you take your kid on flights on Air Force Two and then he consummates lucrative business deals with people you met during the visit, it is a swamp-factor too far.
Stick a fork in him, because Joe is done.
Too bad, too, because he is a decent guy.
20
@Liberty hound
"He seems desperate to get the media glare off his son Hunter's profiteering from Joe's position as VP"
YOU seem desperate, along with all the other regressives, to make this fable the issue, when it's not.
9
How do you know it’s not an issue? The DOJ is still investigating. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and there is a lot of smoke coming from Hunter’s dealings in Ukraine.
5
You go, Joe! Beat him like the drum that he is.
13
Given Trump's defense he and Barr should charge Biden with crimes and arrest him.
4
@Bananahead In fact, Biden should demand Trump lock him up. If he can.
What has Joe Biden to offer against the 'unmatched wisdom' of this malignant narcissist called Trump ?
Go Biden go. You have nothing to lose but exposing the lies of this dangerous person.
33
Any of the top five Democratic candidates would be light-years better than Trump. Biden has clearly decided that this might create the appearance that he's the man for the job. However, I feel like he's badly behind the curve on so much.
He's old like Sanders and Warren, but without a progressive bone in his body. That's a problem for him, if the goal is to energize the electorate. As HR Clinton learned (I hope), you can't phone in a win against the GOP.
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@Daibhidh let’s change that to Any of the Democratic candidates would be better. Choose the one to win and ask the others to form the Cabinet or become Supreme Court justices.
What took you so long? Finally, the gloves are off!
Let's show some spine Democrats!
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It took him a while to realize what is obvious to any intelligent and decent human being. Better late than never I guess.
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@Blunt
I have no doubt that he realized it -- but unlike any normal "intelligent and decent human being", he also happens to be a presidential candidate and as such, had to weigh the pros and cons of actually coming out and saying it.
7
A bit unprecedented that a candidate would reach out to elected officials to interfere in a congressional process by exerting pressure for his own personal gain.
Where is the outrage?
14
@Jay Another day, another Trump supporter arguing in bad faith...
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@Jay
Are you trying to draw a parallel with the outrage against Trump abusing the office of the presidency to pressure foreign leaders to interfere in our elections?
If so, please understand that Mr. Biden is a private citizen and has the right to make his personal views known to U.S. elected officials.
Oh, and unlike Trump and Ukraine, Mr. Biden is not black mailing a foreign government with tax payer appropriated dollars to dig up dirt on anyone for Putin's benefit.
Make sense? Go spread the news!
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@Hunter - that's all they have left.
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Ummm, like shouldn't this be what every candidate is saying, but also being clear that this is because of high crimes and misdemeanors, and being specific about having committed multiple federal crimes, since that seems to be the arbitrary criteria laid out by the Republicans. Joe has looked a bit soft and tentative, worried about his flank rather than what is right in front of him. This is a step in the right direction, but he needs to stay on the attack against Trump. Even if he eventually loses the nomination, he has to pummel Trump on the way down.
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@Steve Yes. What is it with Democrats... they let Trump slash and burn his way to power yet they still want to delude themselves that they can take America back by virtue of the power of ‘civility’ and decency alone??? Wake up!
8
I deeply wish that Pete Buttigieg would be the Democratic nominee but it's unlikely to happen because people aren't willing to do their homework. Instead, we watch Biden somehow decide it helps him to jump on the Impeachment wagon. He could have handled that differently, but it seems that he won't end up as the nominee so I guess it doesn't matter. Biden could have been the nominee - he could have demonstrated a strong ethical foundation, a keen intellect, a thorough understanding of policy, and the focus to keep from reacting to everything Trump says/tweets... Oh wait... That would be Pete Buttigieg. *sigh*
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@David Problem is we did do our homework, did you?
1
Biden represents the best that America has to offer. Trump represents the absolute worst. The choice is clear.
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@H. Clark If Biden represents the best America has to offer, then I truly am scared for the future.
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@H. Clark In what way does he represent the best? If you mean the best corporate America can buy, then yes.
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@H. Clark and he is a very good father, look how well his son has done.
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“Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Wednesday called for President Trump’s impeachment for the first time.”
Joe wake up, you shouldn’t have hesitated so long to call for Trump’s impeachment! Trump is a political animal who doesn’t hesitate like you: “If someone attacks you, do not hesitate. Go for the jugular!”
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Yes Trump should be impeached, but it does not mean that Joe should replace Trump. While Trump is an abomination, Biden never accounts for why Trump prevailed as he did over HRC.
For too long, corporate Democrats have not represented core constituency such as labor unions, working poor, etc. Trump may lack manners, but his policies are not that aberrant from what HRC would have done as far as endless wars, tax breaks for the rich, half measures with healthcare reform, nothing serious regarding climate control, etc...
The three candidates with actual ideas to change the course of the country are Sanders, Warren, and Yang. There are pros and cons for each, but any one of them are far better than Joe.
12
“His policies are not that aberrant”
Tax cuts for the rich trillion dollar deficits, trade wars, welfare for rich agribusiness but cut funding for food stamps (which can only go to farmers who grow American food to begin with). Betray our allies and toady up to our enemies like Putin, Assad and Kim Jong Un. If you say his policies aren’t abhorrent you aren’t paying attention to them.
3
@Cee Biden would be a decent President. And Democarats need also the votes of independents. Not sure if Warren has a chance against Trump.
2
Trump not only needs to be impeached, he needs to be urgently impeached. We knew this was coming. This will only get worse. Accelerate impeachment now.
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@KH
Impeached, convicted and imprisoned, then forced for the rest of his life to watch reruns of "The Apprentice."
4
This will be a good test for Mr. Biden. He needs to face up to the bully and I can't think of a better much-needed jolt to his campaign than standing up and punching back.
I think he will come out of the other side of it a stronger candidate.
11
There's a growing body of evidence that Donald Trump manipulated foreign policy to extort personal political favors from foreign countries in an effort to further his own re-election. Such an action is an abuse of presidential powers. Worse, it undermines the very sovereignty of our nation. This is the precise kind of presidential corruption the framers of the constitution had in mind when they gave Congress the power to impeach and remove a corrupt president from office. The framers expressly intended for Congress to overturn a president's election as a check on presidential corruption.
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Did he prove he's the candidate who can stand up to Trump, or did he prove the opposite?
7
Biden should spotlight the actions of the Trump organization and children, they are benefiting FAR more than his son did.
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Joe Biden needs to use more forceful language directly accusing Trump of treason. Trump calls him, sleepy, old, cold heated crooked. What is preventing Biden from calling him out.? It’s time to understand you can’t go to a gun fight with a wooden stick. Trump’s base Ioves his insults. If you think you are going to score with Trump base by using civil language then you are going to lose. Trump has used this tactic ever since he announced his candidacy and it has helped him because no one took him on thinking no body will tolerate him. But they did including women even after his famous Hollywood access tape.
Democrats, wake up or you are repeating what happened in 2016
17
I keep saying this over and over. The Democrats lose because they don't know how to fight dirty. The high ground simply doesn't cut it sometimes.
3
Better late than never, I guess.
I wonder what finally convinced him?
4
We need respected politicians like Biden to voice their very serious concerns and support impeachment loud and clear.
Thank you Joe, let’s hear more from you!
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The more people who say this out loud the better:
"Impeach, Convict and Remove trump!"
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Pulled out of the Paris Accord. Aligned himself with Russia, North Korea, the Philippines and other dictatorships. Destoyed relations with our allies. Ignored Congressional limits on wall spending. Tolerated, if not encouraged, foreign meddling in our elections. These are only his governmental actions, and don't include his personal misdeeds from affairs with porn stars, payoffs, vile attacks on minorities, etc. Why was a request to have a foreign nation obtain dirt on his political opponent the straw that broke the camel's back? Why was anyone even shocked? He should have been impeached long ago. He should never have been elected. Joe is very late to the party.
17
Finally putting on the gloves.
You go Joe!
10
Dear Democrats, mobilize the country with a simultaneous televised national town meeting on impeachment and the need for a Green New Deal morning in cities across the nation.
5
@Jonathan M Feldman If that were done. half the country would run for the hills. People who do not live on the coasts don't favor impeachment, and hate and fear the Green New Deal.
I'm not saying these are good things; I'm just saying I live here and I know those are the perceptions and beliefs.
About time someone on spoke out strongly after the White House sent that letter yesterday.
Now, I want to see some consequences. The executive branch yesterday declared its self above the law. The president is a hair's breadth from naming himself dictator at this point. Put a stop to it now before it's too late!
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About time, Joe. Ignoring subpoenas, demonizing everyone who disagrees with him, continuous lying, attacking our institutions. The American people can't sit back and wait for the next election. A little slow, Joe. You're a better man than Trump: There's sufficient reasons to go after his kids, but you won't.
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At this point, is there any non-broken American who believes Trump hasn't committed "high crimes and misdemeanors"?
Even the Republicans know he has but they're cowards playing to the broken souls minority of the country.
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Not surprising that Biden is askin gfor impeachment for Trump, who is actively asking to investigate Biden's past deeds.
As they say in Louisiana, you have to enjoy the entertainment value of politics, because the reality of all this wasted activity is infuriating to those of us who want governemnt to get back to work on meaningful legislation, not this junk.
7
Impeach, and then, one day, hopefully, and what a wonderful day that will be, Lock Him Up!
45
In 1974, North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin, in his beautiful Southern drawl, issued the following dire warning (video link below), which now seems as prescient as Eisenhower’s military-industrial complex speech :
“The Senate Select Committee is recommending the enactment of new laws, which it believes will minimize the dangers of a future Watergate.... Candor compels a confession, however, that law alone will not suffice to prevent future Watergates.... As one who has labored as a practicing lawyer, a judge and a legislator ... I venerate the law as an instrumental service to society. At the same time however, I know the weakness of the law.... Law is not self-executing. Unfortunately at times its execution rests in the hands of those who are faithless to it. And even when its enforcement is committed to those who revere it, law merely deters some human beings.... It does not make men good.... [N]o man is fit to participate in politics, or to seek or hold public office unless he has two characteristics. The first of these characteristics is that he must understand and be dedicated to the true purpose of government, which is to promote the good of the people, and entertain the abiding conviction that a public office is a public trust which must never be abused to secure private advantage. The second characteristic is, that he must possess an intellectual and moral integrity which is a priceless ingredient in good character.”
https://youtu.be/4odpI6QzfPg
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@Kevin A shame that we haven't had a president who fit that description for many years. Moral integrity does not seem to be required by the voting public.
2
jrd.. it's been 3 years since President Obama was in office.
I believe he embodied both characteristics that Sen. Ervin described.
7
Thank you.
Trump broke the law and he is no religious figure no matter how we wants to sue the word. TRUMP broke the law and is destroying America. Biden is a true American but he has lived thru the birther movement with the demented old man so he has a very strong back
I will say it again for the Russian, American Trolls, TRUMP broke the law and so did his administration,..
Biden has class, integrity and smarts.
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Mitt Romney should say it next.
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@Michael Don't hold your breath.
3
Well it's about time! Biden's been getting some bad advice - he should have been at Trump's (figurative) jugular all day, every day since this whole Ukraine thing broke, but instead he's held back, and looked weak. Bad form, Joe.
8
Take a firm stand Joe and don't budge. We need someone to represent we the people with guts and fortitude
12
I think this is a very important moment for the US. Now it's up to the Republican leaders to follow Biden.
I doubt they, will but they should all go on the record so voters know if the Republicans stand for the US or for Trump because Trump and the US are not the same, even if they are in Trump's mind.
21
The need to impeach has been clear to many of us for awhile. Of course I appreciate Joe Biden jumping on the bandwagon. But I'm really waiting for the first brave and/or principled Republicans to catch up with the obvious.
Tick tock.
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There are no principled Republicans anymore, they sold out.
4
@InMN
How can people live with themselves knowing down deep they are selling their souls, they are not standing up for what is right? Don’t they feel extremely weak and timid?
2
Is there a first brave Republican? I doubt that such a creature exists.
2
And the U.S. congress has the constitutional right to impeach Trump.
A quid pro quo is not required for impeachment and as far as "rules" of engagement go, the GOP should recall how Merrick Garland's SCOTUS position was stolen. The shoe is on the other foot now and Trump has already shown he asked a foreign government to meddle in the U.S. election.
32
Joe Biden is a patriot. Bravo! Now it’s time for our former Presidents to speak out. I continue to believe Biden is the most electable candidate despite his age.
72
@Ozma How, how is he a patriot? I want a real democrat in the White House.
6
@Ozma
I’m with you on the call to former Presidents to speak out against Trump’s degradation of their former office and The Constitution. It’s time.
I disagree about Biden’s electability.
3
@Ozma
I also had an upwelling of wild hope that Presidents Bush and Obama, for instance, could stand side-by-side and beg the nation for a recovery of civic honor and authentic respect for the Constitution, while affirming the gravity of the concerns that have been brought forward about the current occupant's actions and endorsing an impartial impeachment inquiry.
2
That's a gutsy move! Hope other Dems will follow.
19
@Elizabeth
Warren was the 1st candidate to call for impeachment over 6 months ago.
255 House democrats now support impeachment, and
all other Pres candidates have supported impeachment.
Even the other 2 Republican presidential candidates support impeachment.
Dem voters have supported impeachment for over a year.
47% of all Americans now support impeachment.
I appreciate Biden finally joining half the country, but I would not call it gutsy at this late stage
1
Vice-President Biden should next call Speaker Pelosi and ask her to have entire House of Representatives vote on what a majority of Americans now clearly want -- a formal impeachment inquiry.
Let's get that off the table so President Trump and his minions cannot cloud things with that non-issue.
House members in purple districts will eventually have to vote on Articles of Impeachment; so, just get this vote over with now and vote on a formal impeachment inquiry.
8
@Didier No. Getting that "off the table" won't change anything and will only encourage Republicans to raise the bar higher. This whole affair is about drawing lines and enforcing them. Nothing to negotiate at this point. Republicans never do and now Democrats shouldn't either.
7
@Didier
There does not need to be a vote on any "formal" impeachment inquiry. Only a vote on articles of impeachment.
1
Good for Biden. He's finally come out and said what the majority of Americans (if not the world) is thinking.
64
As easy as it is to parse this in terms of political expediency: a spine is a spine. Let's give props to every politician who's finding theirs.
What Biden should be campaigning on: "Why is Trump so afraid of me?" Because Trump's shredding of the Constitution is ultimately an act of fear.
17
As any patriot would say.
40
Thank you Mr. Biden.
51
Go Joe!
41
Great
But it shouldn’t take a week to state the obvious.
48
It's about time. Thank you, Biden. Trump has got to go - now.
124
Joe knows he can’t beat Trump in an election so he hopes he can beat Trump by impeaching him! Dream on Joe, dream on!
16
@Ross Stuart What polls are you reading?
43
@Ross Stuart Trump is at 38 to 41% approval. Not really changed in years. Any of the Dems could beat him. America(not GOP) is Sick; I repeat Sick of Trump and his hate; lies and corruption. Yeah; Trump has $125 million to spend on ads on Facebook where he lies. Trump does not pay his bills so that $125 million will go pretty far. Lies are cheap.
72
@ross probably the same ones that predicted that Hillary would win the election.
3
Right on Joe!!!!!
The sooner the better.
209
The man has committed treason. Aiding and abetting a foreign adversary is treason.
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@Armo
I think you might actually be talking about Biden. Um ..
1. Ukraine is not an adversary. They are an ally.
2. What do you mean by aiding an abetting?
On the other hand, maybe you meant our current president. In that case, you would be right about that - and sorry for my misunderstanding of your statement.
11
@Armo
The Constitution, Article 3, Section 3, in defining "treason", says "enemies", and it doesn't mention "adversary". The distinction is important, because "adversary" is up to your imagination and opinion, while "enemies" would result from a declaration by the Congress.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
I suggest impeaching Mr. Trump for crimes and misdemeanors other than treason. Getting a conviction for a count of treason is less likely than Mr. Trump being struck by lightning. Emoluments or bribery seem very likely to me, once the House obtains the tax returns of Mr. Trump and his family.
4
@Daniel Brockman Okay I get it. Russia is the enemy.
Finally!
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Bravo...
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