While Mr Morrison was vainly trying to put lipstick on the Trump phone call pig he nonetheless ended up only with a pig with lipstick on it and again confirming Donald Trump did everything he is accused of..........
Face it Republicans, Trump's guilty as charged and all your obfuscating, denials and parliamentary tricks won't change a thing or the truth..........
2
Rule of Law or Cult of Personality?
Which do we want moving forward?
GOP seems comfortable with a would-be thug-dictator in the White House because he's 'their guy' or because they are terrified of 'their guy' lashing out against them.
"Profiles in Cowardice"
2
The article refers to "an unproven theory that Democrats had colluded with Ukraine in the 2016 elections." It is not that it is just unproven, but there is no substantive evidence to the assertion at all--or is the NYT not reporting this evidence. "Unproven" leaves the sense that when one weighs the evidence on both sides, it has not been proven. But there is no evidence in support of Ukrainian interference.
2
If Mr Morrison didn’t think this was illegal, this is an astonishing display of ignorance. This alone makes him unqualified for the job he was appointed to.
1
Trump says he didn’t do anything wrong. It was a perfect call. Yeah right. Trump isn’t any different than a two-bit criminal who claims, “I didn’t do it.”
So why are the Democrats not interested to investigate Biden in Ukraine? Why are they so keen to find the truth about Trump's dealings and so incurious about Bidens?
Could the MSM please stop using “quid pro quo” and start using “shakedown”?
It’s just as accurate, and maybe more so, since everybody can pronounce it and knows for sure what it is.
2
Many suggest now is the Time for Republican senators to break ranks & come out publicly on willingness to remove the president. I don't think this is going to happen very fast, because of the tenacity of partisanship, concern over losing one's base, simple loyalty,& in basic psychology, not wanting to lose face having supported Trump all along. Any or all of these motivations are substantially reinforced by "safety in numbers": if *all* Republicans stick together, the political costs of doing so shrink or disappear.
The best way forward for Republican senators caught in this dynamic but starting to have doubts is simple. Say you're steadfastly sticking by the president on the understanding that it is *far* from established that Trump broke the law or violated his oath of office, given reasonable qualms about the proceedings & Democratic motives & intentions, *but*...
Start to spell out where your Rubikon line is, that line that would trigger your withdrawal of support for Trump, the point at which you would vote for removal. If he conspired to conceal conditionality (quid pro quo) in the Ukraine matter, or the existence of that conditionality, making, or threatening to make, aid that was due **as a matter of policy** contingent on publicly investigating the Bidens.
It's not hedging to publicly say what standards you expect of the president, & state that so far you believe he has likely adhered to them, & that you are giving him the benefit of the doubt. It's loyalty.
1
I find this all fascinating.
Isn't it curious how, seemingly, the only way American conservatives can get what they say they want (keeping in mind that policies actually enacted tend to be counter to professed ideology) is to put an amoral, criminally inclined con artist into the Presidency and keep him there no matter what he does? There was really no option other than a self-dealing, ignorant-but-cunning, lying racist?
No one finds that eminently revealing about the true character of conservatism here? And maybe everywhere, looking at the types who espouse conservatism that predominate in other countries.
Is there something about conservatism that leads its proponents to be more corruptible?
Just saying...
Well, sure. If they're not nice enough to be our puppets, why should we be nice to them?
the fall guy is emerging, "it was all Sonderland's idea"
Inadvertently "it was conditioned on investigating his political rivals". But since when is it Trump's fault that his political rivals are also sleazy operators if not outright crooks? Should the Bidens be let off the hook with no investigation simply because their godfather is running for President? One would think the opposite that if, as certainly seems likely, Joe Biden is corrupt, he must be prevented at all costs from running for any office. And it is the President's duty to make this happen.
2
There’s a whole separate mechanism for that to happen that doesn’t involve government resources - that is the crux of the whole thing.
Additionally, something that had already been approved by Congress was now being personally held back in order for political use for campaign purposes.
This is not dissimilar to the “Chinese Wall” established for financial firms.
1
“One would think,” that an American President would not withhold military aid to a country we need as an ally, and depends on that aid to defend against Russian aggression, for domestic partisan reasons.
"White House Aide Confirms He Saw Signs of a Quid Pro Quo on Ukraine". "Signs"? Either he did or he didn't. Furthermore, Quid pro quo may be in the eyes of the beholder. Additionally, since when do we give money to a country and not expect something in return? This Russia 2.0 is going to end very badly for the Dems.
1
Read the constitution of the U.S. ...that will give you your answer.
The House must impeach and the Senate must convict. How could we do anything else? Trump is using illegal and unconstitutional schemes to steal the 2020 election. If we do not remove him from office, we will not have a free and fair democratic election. If we do not remove him, he will be free to extort more foreign governments into sabotaging the 2020 election. He has already approached Italy, Australia, the UK, China. If we do not remove him, his illegal and unconstitutional Ukraine scheme to sabotage the 2020 election will continue unabated.
4
Has any member of the House Intelligence Committee requested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide them with a copy of the tape they most certainly made of the June 25th telephone conversation with Donald Trump? It is a certainty that the Ukrainian intelligence agencies have such a verbatim tape. It is also extremely probable that intelligence agencies of other nations have the same documentation. That is why we have intelligence agencies.
3
Trump values winning over character...and thru that lens what he tried to pull off with the Ukraine was perfectly acceptable to him. Unfortunately character is the most important attribute of a president, and to watch the leader of this country demonstrate he has none is devastating. Trump is the "Ugly American" and we live in a country where roughly a third of its voting population embrace him. The election in 2020 will determine if that is the label we all feel comfortable wearing.
3
@Bernie "Trump values winning over character..."
It was never a contest. He has no "character."
This is becoming ridiculous. The Republicans have been unanimously voting no on anything the Dems put forward since Obama was in office forcing Obama to sign multiple exec orders to get anything done. Since Trump has been here, much of his time has been spent reversing everything Obama has done (even if good for the country). Nadler wrote a letter saying this resolution follows Joe things were done for Nixon & Carter, yet the Rs still complain. Maybe in my lifetime there will be lawmakers who think for themselves & don't follow the group like a bunch of school children
1
@Lisa School children don't always follow. They often say NO.
“Ambassador Taylor and I were concerned that the longer the money was withheld, the more questions the Zelensky administration would ask about the U.S. commitment to Ukraine,” Mr. Morrison said.
And that is why Vlad whispered it all to Donald in the first place.
2
Democracy or demagoguery, what will it be? Thank you Democrats for taking your oath to the Constitution seriously. Thank you Patriots who have so far testified. Your deeds are apolitical. You believe in the ideals of our nation. Thank you Fourth Estate for the facts, no fluff, no spin just the truth. I am continually amazed how the GOP stand by a criminal, as if there is no one else to support. I want them to answer the question, what will this nation be after he leaves? He will never have remorse. He will destroy everything before admitting blame. We won’t get a Nixon resignation or Clinton apology here. He needs to be removed by process.
2
If this is the most ‘favorable’, truth-telling (ie not Sondland) witness the GOP has, then it seems the case is already pretty much made, without even the heavy hitters (will Bolton testify ? Giuliani and his henchmen ? ) and other evidence (the secured transcript)
1
@ml "... it seems the case is already pretty much made, " No matter. As Big Hat famously said, "We don't need no stinkin' badges."
Today he would feel right at home alongside Mitch McConnell.
“In his opening remarks, Mr. Morrison ...made clear he did not view the actions of the president or others involved as illegal or improper. Instead, he characterized their behavior as bad foreign policy..."
So, not illegal - just incompetent. So much better.
I am deeply saddened and concerned for this country. Currently, we have a human being in occupying the Oval Office who doesn't value the integrity, honesty and compassion that are were envisioned by the founders of this country and the American Constitution. President Trump cares not one iota about the true vision of freedom envisioned by the American Democracy. He cares about himself... his ego... his power and his ability to manipulate others. He has no business leading the free world. We the People need to wake up and stop this assault on our government and our individual lives.
3
This is really funny if Trump was just creating the appearances of a quid pro quo to drive the bureaucracy absolutely nuts. Schiff is going to have a complete meltdown.
1
How many nails in the coffin do Republicans need? As far as I can tell, nothing will ever satisfy them that a) Trump used his public office to ask a personal favor from a foreign power b) he was holding aid over Zelensky's head c) this constitutes a flagrant abuse of power d) impeachment with extreme prejudice is their Constitutional duty. Oppposing impeachment may be good for pleasing their Trump-lemming constituents, but it is a gross dereliction of duty, and for this, their only fitting fate is to go down in infamy.
2
“I want to be clear, I was not concerned that anything illegal was discussed,” Morrison, who resigned Wednesday as former National Security Council’s top adviser for Russian and European affairs, told lawmakers, according to The Federalist.
2
I find it very telling Republicans view Morrison's testimony as helpful. From what I just read, he confirmed Trump and some of his employees were asking Ukraine to investigate political rivals in order to have Congressionally approved aid released.
For those of you who live in Republican districts/states, please call your Congressperson and Senators and express your views. They will not be open to the facts unless their constituents demand them to do so.
6
So can someone kindly explain how this lede squares with the parade of GOP hacks proclaiming Morrison's testimony a "complete victory" (the actual phrase trotted out repeatedly yesterday) for the White House?
I know we tripped over into complete raging loon territory the day this man "won" the election, but I mean really...for how long are we expected to proclaim down is up and wrong is right? How are we ever going to right the ship of state when too many seem content to merrily chuck the furniture, clothes, life preservers, passengers --anything and everything except the captain responsible for the crisis --overboard?
The real victims of this man's agenda are language, logic, truth, and meaning. Impeachment, removal from office, trials and convictions are the only way forward. Every wrong does have a corrective, but only if we insist on it.
Increasingly, it seems that we, the people, may end up having to be the ones who bring this message home. Left to the GOP aiders and abettors, nothing will happen. This status quo cannot be allowed to stand. I'm becoming surer by the day that it's going to take mass protests in the streets to awaken the GOP to how this nation really feels about its dereliction of duty and this corrupt man's rampage through democracy.
11
"Confirms He Saw Signs" reads the title to the article. "I saw the sign" what a great way to make politics!
4
It's funny that among all the insane, corrupt, unethical and criminal things Trump has done, he's finally been ensured for a devious and illegal phone conversation with Ukraine. I would have thought impeachment would have come with putting children in cages, hiring his family to work in the WH, making money off his hotels, hiring incompetent lackeys to key positions, not condemning Nazis... I could go on and on but don't have the stamina. Impeachment is what Trump deserves but as it looks now, he's undeterred, unrepentant and defiant. You'd think that with a looming impeachment he'd stop and reflect but no, Trump continues his clueless, vulgar bombast with his typical crass and blundering "leadership." Sad!
28
They got Al Capone on tax evasion charges. You go with what you can prove. Unfortunately GOP seems to be determined to bury its collective head in the sand, regardless of the evidence.
2
Mr. Morrison gave further evidence that an official inquiry into Donald Trump's dealing with Ukraine needs to be conducted, if for no other reason to, perhaps, clear him of "high crimes and misdemeanors" moving forward. Unfortunately, the Republican caucus in the House, including my own nervous Representative, Mike Gallagher, voted against authorizing any procedure for investigating this matter. The minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, a partisan who pays lip service to constitutional protocols, even had the audacity to state that the President had done nothing wrong, nothing inappropriate, in attempting to compel a foreign government to investigate a political rival. No need to show him any evidence because he doesn't want to know. In his view, apparently, Trump should be free to do ANYTHING he wants (perhaps even shooting someone in the middle of 5th Avenue) with impunity. Such a view of the executive branch is anathema to a healthy democracy and an insult to the rule of law that the Republican Party claims to hold so dear. I believe that the Republicans in Congress are a virus that, if left unchecked, will kill the body politic. They need to go. But that means that I have to put my faith in the Democrats as a super-majority, and as a committed Independent, that makes me truly fear for the future of this country.
18
You don't leave it to a criminal to define what a crime is. Just like you don't let Trump define "quid pro quo". These types have honed the con to a master class and should serve. Just not in the oval office
18
Linda,I agree with you,but I wouldn’t take book on the constitution winning.This is tough times when patriots are smeared by a draft dodger and that propaganda machine which is the opium to his base.
9
How many witnesses is there now 3or 4 . Republicans get over the denial . Trump is a traitor , blackmailer and is trying to corrupt the 2020 election for his favor. He needs to resign or go to jail for his corruption. To keep siding with him i hope finishes your career and soon.
13
The president would do well to admit he lied about the quid pro quo or if that's asking too much, just say that he didn't know any better. But sticking to this perfect phone call story won't fool anybody except the base.
14
Feeling thankful that those in the administration are stepping up. Republicans need to find a moral compass.
17
Trump doesn't even know what a Quid Pro Quo" is, yet alone claim he never deployed one in his,"you have to do me a favor first" drug deal as his former aide in John Bolton labeled it. Nor does he realize in that Abuse Of Power means, he also posed a risk for America's national security. This all despite the number of his former aides acting like Patriots in flipping on Trump, to reveal that truth.
However, even worse are his Republican associates, who beside having no offensive or defensive means to legitimately combat their authoritarian leader's "Violation of Federal Election Law" high crime, still also condone it as being lawful. That due to their fear in admitting the otherwise truth.
There's no better proof of their condoning Trump's quid pro quo, than having every single one of the 194 Republicans who voted in the House of Representatives on Thursday, in being against his impeachment.
That makes this be a sadder day than 9/11 as far as this country's future national security is for all Americans; with all those 194 Republicans feeling fine that Trump is allowed to be fully lawless. That includes, if still remembering, what now looks like just a "minor crime" in Trump abusing the IRS for decades as well.
20
I don't think Turmp wanted Ukrainian "investigation" into his political rivals, all he wanted was the new President there to publicly announce they were "investigating" the Bidens.
But come on you lefties, of which I am one; Biden's son was making 50,000 a month at the fuel company. That looks like some variety of bribe right there. This is the strongest point the Repubs have. And it's strong.
1
Neither biden now his son broke the law. It was ill advised for obvious reasons but not illegal.
Trump broke the law and violated his oath of office, and has endangered our national security for persobal gain. He should impeached.
Dont get distracted by the lies and shiny objects the gop and right wing press are regurgitating. Stand up for truth and what is the right thing to do.
20
@Nelly
I agree that Bidens son actions, even though legal, was a conflict of interest. But that is in no way a valid defense for Trump. He blackmailed Ukraine into announcing an investigation into his political opponent by withholding the aid that they could not survive without to help his re-election. He asked a foreign country to aid him in our election. That is textbook abuse of power.
20
@KJ Peters
No question that this was a textbook abuse of power. And as far as the Biden's appearance of bribery---whether illegal or not---it is in the greater pollical realm weakening of the Dems case.
Sorry, that's just the way it is.
1
Strange that this article describes the Democrats as “muscling through” the rules of impeachment. They had a process that was fully legitimate, then added a procedural step to satisfy their Republican detractors. But somehow this is considered “muscling”?
I had to check the page header to make sure I wasn’t reading Fox News.
24
Investigating his . . . Rivals????? No, Trump’s rival was HC in 2016 and Trump was asking about that past event when Biden was not his rival!!!
6
@aldebaran He is looking for dirt to use against Biden to knock him out of the 2020 race. Come on, catch up.
10
So many witnesses report what Trump said on the phone ,but Trump says they are all wrong ,is he a liar or just getting senile?
6
Anyone needing to ask if Trump is a liar at this stage of the game really hasn’t been paying attention.
6
Blame Mueller - he concluded that opposition research was NOT a "thing of value".
Every poison springs from this root.
1
As usual with this type of material, based solely upon
accounts of conversations, some ambiguity has crept into
the narrative. That is, what did sondland say to Morrison and
what he and dear leader said to each other prior to sondland's discussion with Morrison are now two distinct issues, connected by what Morrison remembers sondland said. Did or did not dear leader direct sondland to say something very specific to Ukrainian officials? We cannot conclude until we see texts of summaries of the conversations written soon after the interactions in question.
If these don't exist or are blocked from release, then it becomes sondland's word against Morrison + Taylor about
the extent of a directive from on high (aka a quid pro quo).
And we all know how that ambiguity will play out once
trumpicans get to ask questions of witnesses in public.
But there is the hint, at least, that sondland is positioning
himself (or being positioned by others) as the fall guy insofar as what he explicitly said to Ukraine and whether that was what dear leader actually told him to say.
The fact that there appears to be some difference between
Morrison and Taylor's account (not to mention everyone else on NSC involved with Ukraine) and sondland's account can only be resolved with texts authored by sondland.
3
When I saw the news tonight the house members leaving the room contradicted a lot of what this article now says. They said it was a pro Trump witness giving the White House line. Now that looks twisted.
1
@Saundra Because Morrison said he didn't view it as illegal. That can be taken as he said it wasn't illegal or he didn't know if it was illegal. The Republicans jumped on the "he said it wasn't illegal" narrative ignoring that by September 1, he knew that it would be damaging to our national security.
6
@Liza it is exactly, according to you, what JOE Biden did saying he would keep back a billion dollars until the prosecutor was fired. The NSA would have stopped him if it wasn't ok, or referred him to the Congress for impeachment. That is how you can tell it is ok.
"Well, I sorta didn't kinda really think anything was you know, like totally wrong. But anyway, I quit, so...whatever."
8
Donald Trump is a life long criminal. He is finally being called to justice.
9
As Trump continues to show how corrupt he & his cronies truly are, the GOP still circle the wagons around their Emperor. Shame on them. How many more examples are needed that this con man has abused the power of the Office since he first walked through the door? He is the biggest hypocrite I have ever seen - he degrades and insults people every single day bit if one dares to criticize him, he goes after them like a schoolyard bully. Please, even if he slithers out of impeachment, VOTE HIM OUT in 2020.
18
This is horrible reporting.
The "news" in this story is this: a National Security Council aid does not believe anything illegal or improper occurred in the Ukraine call and Republicans are going to use this testimony to defend Trump. This point is barely mentioned.
While many of us may wish to see Trump removed from office, the NYT should not try to write every article as if another box can be checked on the road to impeachment.
7
@Don Fawcett He didn't say he didn't believe anything illegal occurred. He said he didn't view it as improper. But by September 1, he knew that if the strategy was pursued, it would be damaging to national security.
5
This is getting to be a joke: How many White House staffers does it take to plug a lightbulb into the head of a Republican?
20
Strange how different this headline is from what was just reported on CNN and NPR.
Both said that he saw nothing illegal.
With the polls in swing states and swing districts now decisively turning against impeachment, as even reported on CNN just a few minutes ago, this game looks to be going very badly for Dems and the media outlets that leak their spin like NYT.
2
@Dan https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/national-security-council-official-set-to-testify-in-impeachment-inquiry-is-leaving-his-post/2019/10/30/261285c6-fb62-11e9-8190-6be4deb56e01_story.html and https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/775121967/white-house-policy-official-corroborates-ukraine-narrative-but-saw-nothing-illeg
Because he didn't view it as illegal, doesn't mean that it wasn't.
4
Really?
And what did the signs say?
Unless Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskey announces in public that he was going to open up a criminal investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden's involvement in a Ukrainian company he will not get American military aid nor a White House visit written in 8 color crayon 8 ft x 8 ft sign with Donald Trump's signature in the Oval Office of the White House held up by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump?
4
@Blackmamba
Yes. The "announcing in public" is the heart of this affair.
4
Or...you can try the fox news take of the exact same testimony ..Nothing but Democrat harrassment... I prefer the truth , myself ..Nice to have a choice ..Back in the day there was only the truth .
5
When Trump was elected, I told my sister, a Republican, that Trump would destroy the party. He pretty much has done that at this point and, if he continues in office, he will complete the job. The party now is in the image of Tump, i.e., crooked, dishonest, anti immigrant, anti African American, white supremacist. If the Republican senators value their party and its conservatism, they will let the scales fall from their eyes and vote to condemn if Trump is impeached on a count of abuse of power, thus saving a valuable conservative party.
6
Any decent human being would resign.
9
What truly hilarious was how knee-stepping progressive conformists all sturdily insisted that EVERYONE must believe Mr. Vindaman because he was a decorated soldier -
- but they all threw spears at the decorated General Flynn because he had worked briefly for this American President.
Flynn's real crime? His intel guys had discovered that the Obama administration was involved in Barack & Hillary's genius idea of running hundreds of deadly weapons from Libya to terror groups in Syria and Iraq to punish the Syrian dictator.
2
You do realize Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI and is going to prison?
1
Trump would readily withhold a military base if he could use that to squeeze something out of a mayor, no? It's abuse of office and if it's ok to shake down Ukraine, look out Mayor of Bugtussle.
3
"... crusade by Democrats" (paragraph 10) is an oxymoron nowadays. "Crusade" was used by President Bush with awkward honesty after 9/11. It's only a majority of Republicans (a shrinking minority of Americans) that thinks that using Jesus's cross to justify the brutal ousting of Mussulmans was perfect.
2
Memo NYT: please report this accurately- stop using words like “transcript” when it is evidential that it was at best a doctored summary, and in fact a deliberate part of the coverup. Please be accurate to describe the process being undertaken as in line with the same principles as both Clinton and Nixon impeachment investigations....do not spread Republican talking points about secretive and socialist etc. These are deliberately designed by them to misinform and sway voters - your job is to report actual facts, not amplify their language. The world is relying on the USA to right this ship - too much is at stake for all of us. Your role is critical in this.
16
This articles characterization of the testimony submitted in writing is very different than many other new outlets. This article is clearly stating this testimony as a confirmation of Quid pro quo but buries the other parts about how he says he personally saw nothing illegal and the part about how he contradicts many of the key testimony talking points from yesterday. It’s almost as if this is article is trying to just distract the reader for a short period of time in order to make the other parts go away. It’s a very depressing time for journalism.
3
best vote ever today!!!!! Pelosi just voted herself out of speakership. THANK YOU.
1
“investigations into his rivals ( in plural)? How many Bidens are running?
1
I am grateful that Mr. Morrison and Mr. Taylor bucked the GOP and were honest about what they heard. Of course I just as grateful Lt. Col. Vindman but while he is being trashed by repubs her at least did not have to buck the GOP and Morrison and Taylor would seem to be in a little different position. Not saying that any of them are in a nice position right now but at least they can live with themselves for being honest. I am sure tRump will get around to trashing many more people, actually many more than he already has, but I consider the fact that he may run out of people close to him if he keeps trashing them. Not only would I not stick around him, I would not get close to him to begin with. tRump has a high slime factor for me, I steer clear of folks like him that really like themselves. I am just proud that at least these 3 men had the fortitude to do the right thing.
2
Not that long ago, American security promises led Ukraine to give up the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal and ushered our nation’s ultimate Cold War victory over the former Soviet Union. Who could have imagined an American president would threaten decades of sacrifice with such callous disregard?
10
Morrison confirmed Taylor's assertion but he held the same view as Trump that quid pro quo is ok which is the point Democrats need to dig into. Quid pro quo is ok only for the interest of the US but not for Trump's personal gain.
The genie is out of the bottle, the democrats now have the responsibility to expose the corruption and get rid of all the enablers- Barr, Mulvaney, Pompeo, Rudy and etc, if not Trump himself. In that process, maybe we can gain insight why is Trump so protective and servile toward Putin and Russia in the world stage at the expense of the dignity of the US?
6
Just to be clear. Republicans are claiming that all of these men and women who are risking their jobs are lying and instead they're choosing to believe the guy who lies more than a dozen times EVERY SINGLE DAY. Does anyone else find that a little odd?
15
"conditioned on investigations into his political rivals."
Baloney.
A falsehood, and a straw man fallacy crafted by Pelosi at al. to distract and deflect from the upcoming prosecutions by Durham.
It was conditioned on investigation of corruption and influence peddling during the Obama administration by the Bidens, and meddling in the 2016 election by Ukranian government officials working with DNC operatives.
2
Mr. Morrison stated clearly and emphatically that he was in the room as one of the ones listening to the conversation and that there were no signs at all of quid pro quo. This article attempts to alter Mr. Morrison's main point. This article is an attempt to hide the truth.
3
That’s not what he said.
there will be no senate impeachment trial. there will only be a nixonian resignation and retirement.
2
I agree that the Republicans are unlikely to vote for conviction and removal. That being the case, we go forward to the ‘20 election.
It remains unclear to me which of the Dem candidates can beat DJT. Early in the game, Harris was my favorite but she has not become what I had hoped. As for Biden, I don’t know why anybody thinks he is the most “electable”. I think Biden will be crushed in a debate with a Trump. One stumble or stutter and it will be downhill from there. So what if Biden has black support in South Carolina, we’re not going to win that state anyway. To choose a candidate on the basis of strength in red states we’ll ultimately lose is sheer stupidity.
I’m also worried that the superdelegates, who can vote after the first ballot, will go for the establishment Biden just as they went for Hillary in ‘16. Hillary, bless her heart, had no message other than talk of glass ceilings and a sense of entitlement. Big mistake.
Meanwhile, Trump had a hateful yet powerful message still emblazoned on ball caps all over the country. Like it or not, Trump is a master politician. He plays the crowds at his rallies like a violin. It’s the KKK version of call and response.
I’m a progressive white guy and love Mayor Pete, who probably could go toe-to-toe with Trump in a debate but has little or no black support. Could he bring on Stacy Abrams as a running mate? It’s an intriguing thought but what about Bernie who is so authentic and whose message is crystal clear?
1
@Braxton I'm 56 years old and this is the first time I've paid close attention to an election campaign, because I feel like this country is circling the drain under Trump. I live in fear that Biden will become the candidate. He can hardly get through a sentence at the debates, comes off as slow and addled, and Trump will wipe the stage with him. Biden's last chance to run was 2016 and he chose not to, and now it's too late.
I've watched every Democratic debate so far and at first thought Warren was my candidate, but I've changed my mind. She refuses to say the words that we will all pay more taxes for Medicare for All, and that really bugs me. Andrew Yang (along with many others) points out that her wealth tax will not work; it will be dodged, outmaneuvered, and litigated to death.
Buttigieg has good ideas, but I just don't feel he's ready. Klobuchar has the same good ideas, plus a foundation of years of experience and getting things done to back those ideas up. She has risen steadily up, through each debate, to the top of my list. Her ideas are good, she's not so far to the left to scare off voters who don't want Medicare shoved down their throats involuntarily, and she has a track record. Honestly, I don't care if she once ate a salad with a comb, get over it.
Most interesting is that if I had just listened to news coverage, instead of watching the debates for myself, I would not have come to this conclusion. So now I know. I hope others will see what I see.
2
A quid pro quo is IRRELEVANT! It would only add a second charge of extortion. Asking a foreign government to investigate a political rival is ILLEGAL! Period! Why can’t the media get this right?
12
Morrison also said he heard nothing illegal on the call.
1
I'd bet Brennan's ChiaPet will be able to shed more light on his hearsay evidence and on his political motives.
Deep State is alive and well.
1
He was unfit to serve the day he mocked a disabled reporter on the campaign trail.
Who does that ?
Who could defend such a person?
Who could vote for such a person?
Since then, it's been a long, dirty, painful ride to a bottom that most of us could not imagine as existing in America.
And it's not over.
13
Excuse me, I didn't read the article. Is the White House aide referring to Trump, or Biden? They are both culpable. Get them both out and everyone who supports them!
2
@Backwater Sage No they are not both culpable. Biden did not do anything wrong.
2
I agree Biden has to go too! He knew his son was working for huge sums of money in a corrupt company using his name and influence.
1
What is "Quid Pro Quo"anyway. If Joe Biden has a brother building houses in Iraq (no building experience) and Hunter his son working for an energy company in Ukraine with no energy experience and because his dad is VP obtains a Chinese equity position that will pay him millions in the future. Yes, all because of seemingly a connection to(you guessed it) Joe Biden is that "Quid Pro Quo" without the smoking gun or do you need a smoking gun?. If Hilary Clinton gets contributions for her "Foundation" from individuals from forgieng governments doing business with the US while Sec.of State is that a "Quid Pro Quo" and then we have President Trump who wants to know about "Biden" and asked the new Ukrainian President with money dangling for a few months as an incentive is that a "Quid Pro Quo"? What gets me which of the three are the worst? This thing about Trump does not even rise to high crimes and misdemeanors. Do you want Trump out? Do what I am going to do, vote him out.
It appears as though the battle is going to be between greedy unpatriotic republicans who believe in autocracy and extortion as valid means of control and patriotic, constitutional abiding Democrats who believe in a representative democracy that governs for the good of our society.
There is a malevolence percolating up from the right wingnuts like Moscow Mitch and Pompous Pompeo that is going to make this a close call over the next couple of years.
2
The headline of this article is why so many people distrust the NY times news coverage. Most important in the testimony was that Morrison stated that nothing in the phone call President Trump had was wrong. Ambassadors and others can say that they speculated it was happening, but this does not make it true. After three years of trying to take people's votes away, this is going to backfire badly on Democrats
2
We have the transcripts. The only new reveal here is that Morrison just let us know that he’s not too bright if he can’t see the illegality of the call and of his master’s actions.
1
Was the top diplomat he heard this from was the whistle blower? And how many people were in on this conversation? Does everybody have their ear on the door every time Trump makes a phone call?
If the democrats are smart they would walk away from this but that isn’t what a democrat is now. It is all about emotion from the radical left. The radical left runs the party now. The main stream is afraid to take them on. Facts are usurped by emotion for the radical left.
1
Let's all keep reminding ourselves that the crime was in the asking; quid pro quo isn't necessary but it certainly makes the crime much worse.
And the GOP senators should keep in mind that not all republicans are members of the "base." Enough of them might be disgusted enough with their senators to look for other options in 2020 and hand the senate to the democrats.
7
Sorry but Mr. Smith, your POV really does not matter. Every contract has a quid pro quo. In fact, without a quid pro quo there is no contract. Nevertheless, you will not find the words “quid pro quo” in a contract. The redacted transcript itself includes the quid pro quo. After Zelinsky brought up the Javelin system Trump responds that he would like a favor THOUGH. The favor asked is the investigation of the Bidens. When Zelinsky agrees, the quid pro quo is established as a matter of law. It makes no difference difference whether Ukraine investigated or not. Breach of contract perhaps but still a quid pro quo.
6
As the investigation goes deeper, One question I would like to have answered is whether Putin manipulated Trump into extorting Ukraine. It would make total sense. Russia is engaged in a misinformation campaign that is spreading the conspiracy theory that the DNC hack was carried out by Ukraine and that Joe Biden's son was corruptly involved in Ukraine. If Trump had been successful in pressuring Ukraine into announcing an investigation, it might have helped create doubt in American voters to aid Trump's election. Trump would have crowed endlessly on the campaign trail about Corrupt Ukraine Joe. I hope this investigation eventually leads to unearthing of transcripts of conversations between Trump and Putin.
5
Most President's would be in California by now but its not good for those who fly on brooms.
Your country has some of the smartest people in the world and in times as these I rely on Mark Twain "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
Our most honest politician here is a former intelligence officer.
1
I'm not sure what crime the Democrats think Donald Trump committed. As Timothy Morrison testified, there was nothing illegal or improper about what Donald Trump did. Whether it was wise is, of course, another story.
3
@John Smithson
Welp, here is the crime:
While mutual backscratching is a central part of giving aid and assistance to a foreign country, withholding Congressionally directed military aid, and using that withholding as extortion to require the Ukrainian President to announce the corruption investigation of your major political rival is illegal, unconstitutional and politically corrupt.
Precisely like the request to find Hillary's missing emails to the Russians is. Every Trump road leads to Russia.
Most important here is Trump's demand to *publicly announce* Ukrainian investigation of the Democratic front runner for president.
And there you have it: using Congressionally designated aid for personal gain.
6
Nothing wrong said Morrison and no quid pro said Morrison. It occurs to me that Morrison spoke his opinion and that is all it is -- Morrison's opinion.
3
The Republican Party used to stand for moral values, freedom and democracy. That was the party of Ronald Reagan. Today, they quickly defend a demagogue who would throw Ukraine under the bus for personal gain. "Absolutely no problem with that!" say all 194 Republican House members. There wasn't a single one who voted in favor of the impeachment inquiry. They have all become accomplices in the criminal enterprise that is the Trump administration. They deserve complete destruction in the upcoming 2020 elections.
5
Quid Pro Quo - yes!
But is it not often practiced in politics, foreign policy, even in internal USA matters in Congress ?
“Quid Pro Quo” is now the latest variation of high crimes and misdemeanors as “Collusion” was during the Mueller Investigation. In these last three years it would be refreshing if the Democrats could at least come up with actual crime that’s on the books rather than always having to infer everything Trump does is a crime. Of course to them he himself is one so inference is all they have available.
2
52 US Code 30121- soliciting a foreign national for election help
6
With the support of the republican senate, trump is moving toward autocracy. If a president can make deals with foreign nations to provide dirt on his opponents what will stop him from ordering the IRS or FBI to intimidate and threaten U.S. citizens? Breaking the law is a slippery slope and only emboldens the perpetrator.
7
Mick Mulvaney told us it was a quid pro quo. "We do it all the time and get over it".
Tim Morrison also acknowledged that Trump withheld military aid until Ukraine would get dirt on the Bidens.
Morrison didn't think it was illegal but they made sure to put the transcript of the phone call to a highly classified server. Morrison said because the call could be leaked and in this divided town......it might not look good.
If it was "a perfect call" there would be no need to hide the transcript.
Trump and his supporters want us all to "get over it".
As Americans not Democrats or Republicans we should never accept any president asking a foreign government to get dirt on his political opponent.
If we allow this to stand all bets are off.
Future presidents could ask for help with their reelection. China, North Korea or Iran could interfere in our elections.
Is that the America we want?
6
@Charna
"Tim Morrison also acknowledged that Trump withheld military aid until Ukraine would get dirt on the Bidens."
No, you don't understand. Trump wanted for the Ukrainians to simply " publicly announce" that they were investigating Biden.
Actual investigation is not necessary. Only the announcement is. This request for announcement is the key to a major Dem attack. Otherwise, were Trump sincere about corruption, he would have simply requested an investigation, not the announcement of it.
Unfortunately, young Hunter was making 50 grand a month from the Ukrainian fuel company. Bummer. The whole world would construe this as a bribe to Joe who was VP at the time.
This impeachment may sink Trump, but it will certainly sink Joe.
1
Quid pro quo is obvious, even to the president's supporters. The question is whether we tolerate President Trump in order to get what some of us want: tax cuts and conservative judges.
It's not about collusion or Ukraine or Twitter.
Enough Americans can tolerate him, which makes the Democrats protestations irrelevant.
It's sad. But it's the truth.
2
Quid pro quo. Translation something for something. The era of giving foreign aid to pad pockets of corrupt regimes is over. All foreign aid from US tax payers should be for specific reasons and there should be oversight on how that foreign aid is used. Did anyone ever investigate the accountability of what happened to the billions in foreign military aid for decades given to countries that provided safe havens to countries that attacked the USA on 911 or those failed corrupt and crime infested central American countries that have caused migration through our Southern porous border?
In future congress should stop all foreign military aid at least until the national debt is ZERO. I do not want my tax dollars going to some country to kill anyone.
2
I might still be willing to vote Republican if the party would toss Trump and put forth a candidate with integrity, but it is beginning to look like there are none. My days as a Republican voter appear to be finished...although I certainly will not vote for a left-wing candidate, either. Where have all the centrists gone?
5
What seems remarkable is just what a grip Trump has on the GOP. Perhaps this is just too early in the process to expect much independent thinking by the party affiliated with the sitting president, but it is stunning just how locked down the GOP is. The expectation of loyalty has been much commented about, but here we see the effects of intimidation that can only parallel the intimidation of President Zelensky. Absolute loyalty or the regime will unleash the anger of its base and the withholding of campaign funds. This is a slow moving coup--the collapse of the Congress, the usurpation of the judicial branch (not simply a conservative judiciary, but an activist judiciary mandating the dismantling of precedent). Trump invites GOP members to lunch--tow the line or be fed to Florida alligators.
5
A lot has been made, particularly by Trump supporters, that Morrison stated he did not believe the infamous July 25 call to be illegal or improper. He had serious policy objections, and sought to secure the transcript as possibly politically damaging to the relationship with Ukraine rather than evidence of Presidential misconduct.
Morrison is a policy guy specializing in weapons proliferation issues. He has been a career Republican operative. It is not that he is being untruthful; his opinion as to Trump’s words and tactics is just that, and not proof of a fact. However, as a Pompeo appointee he may very well share Pompeo’s penchant for extreme partisanship. He was likely spinning a version less derisive of Trump; he expressed his ire at Sondland, seemingly blaming him for demands made on he Ukrainians. He fails to make the connection that Sondland was Trump’s proxy and Giuliani his consigliere (who was simultaneously advancing business interests of clients)
I think if Morrison is skillfully cross examined he will likely be forced to admit that the shakedown tactic was not acceptable diplomatic or Presidential conduct.
I doubt Morrison’s testimony is seriously detrimental to the impeachment case. Morrison can give any opinion he wants about Trump’s call and the machinations which preceded and followed it; the facts and words speak for themselves.
7
@Asher Fried
Yes, I agree.
The most damaging thing to the impeachment case is Hunter Biden making $50,000 monthly while his dad was VP.
That's the biggest hurdle for the Dems. Thanks Joe.
In any case, Trump is going nowhere. He will stay at the White House. The Senate will never vote to push him out of the White House.
So the evidence is really only being presented to the people, to vote on on Election Day.
And the other value is to show that the Democrats have the guts to at least try.
But Trump is staying, at least until mid-January 2021.
5
@David Martin
Agreed. Finding a single Republican with integrity is nearly impossible. Finding twenty will happen just after Sisyphus gets that boulder to the top of the hill.
We’ll see what happens, if the Republicans can market their viewpoint and the Senate does not vote to impeach then the precedent is set...after that any politician can solicit a foreign government to investigate their political rivals. If that happens the United States loses everything.
7
Mr. Morrison testifies of a conversation Sondland had with Trump where Trump says he is not asking for a quid pro quo and then goes on to outline what he specifically wants, which is a quid pro quo. This is the precisely the technique that Michael Cohen testified was Trumps modus operandi. This is a man with all the sophistication of a twelve year old boy and the Republican Party
rallies to his defense. I'm left asking how were these people raised? Who educated them? Attorney General Barr rails against liberals bringing about the moral decline of society?
9
Morrison is not even a lawyer. His opinion on legality is irrelevant, although it was a gift of some nice spin for the Trumpers. His confirming that the President used taxpayer-funded aid to get election assistance from a foreign government is a much bigger and more consequential story than whether Tim Morrison thinks that’s legal.
7
Sondland told some whoppers, no? Morrison confirmed it was extortion. No military aid for Ukraine until it interfered in our elections. Morrison, however, tells us he does not see that as illegal or improper? Good grief. What is Morrison playing at? If Trump et al. are allowed to continue to coerce foreign interference, and if the present Ukraine scheme stands, we will not have a free and fair election in 2020. Morrison believes that is not even improper let alone illegal? The founders and the Constitution explicitly characterize Trump's actions as "high crimes and misdemeanors." Our laws prohibit candidates from accepting anything of value from any foreign entity.
8
It seems that all opinions seem to concur that Impeachment is largely a political process. But is that actually the case? Obviously, in the past it has been. Clinton's impeachment was definitely at the end of a long political past. But was Nixon (who was never actually impeached) as well? Isn't the fact of a president allegedly using his power position to coerce a foreign country to dig up dirt on a political should make Americans of all stripes quite antsy about this president. It seems the Democrats calculus is that clear evidence of a quid pro quo demanded by Trump to the Ukrainians is necessary (its not) though politically (there's that concept again) it is desirable to help convince the public.
If that is the case Democrats are building, then so far there is a lot of smoke but no actual testimony of anyone overhearing an actual demand threatening to withhold congressionally appropriated aid unless the investigations were announced. Such testimony has been limited to hearsay statements except for the amazing revelations of Mulvaney. I wonder if the actual testimony or text is there for the quid pro quo allegation.
The corrobborations of Trump's malfeasance continue to grow. The House Democrats and independent did the right thing today, even if no Republican would. If the Senate doesn't remove him from office, I will view those who vote against it as un-American and in urgent need of replacement themselves. Of course, should Trump remain in office, I fully expect him to take dictatorial control and establish a dictatorship, so those Senate votes may well be the last ones that matter in any form.
6
Seems that quid pro quo has been established multiple times by now. This isn't really still a question is it?
7
The fact is, the Speaker could not garner all of the votes from her own party, and not a single Republican crossed the aisle. That will not bode well in November 2020.
1
Ha. Don't count on Republicans circling the wagons forever, or even 12 months. The election is a year away, and this whole matter only broke in the last few weeks! This is neither "the beginning of the end," and Churchill would say, nor in fact "the end of the beginning," but rather the mere "beginning of the beginning."
Though it's unlikely, it's conceivable Trump will prove to have done nothing wrong, and this may turn out to be a series of misunderstandings compounded by witness error and fallibility, with the impeachment scheme blowing up in Democrats' faces -- as you appear to hope, just like many Trump supporters. (Frankly, little would surprise me anymore, I regret to say.
However, the cumulative, mutually corrorborative witnesses of seemingly irreproachable qualifications and credibility seem to bode very poorly for the outcomd you wish for, specfically Trump coming out of this untarnished.
Americans are a highly partisan lot, fiercely loyal to leaders once they vote for them and win. But abuse of office, power, and authority offends most Americans deep into their political DNA. It's why we fought and won the Revolution and created the Constitution. Which do you think shall "trump" which? We shall see.
3
Paragraph 13 “Morrison ...did not view the actions of the president as illegal or improper”
1
@Buster Dee Considering he is not a lawyer, his opinion on legality is irrelevant.
4
Mr. Morrison did not initially see a quid pro quo in Trump’s conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky until he heard Gordon Sondland make it in an unambiguous fashion. Still he was reluctant to see that Sondland was in fact acting Trump until Fiona Hill explained it to him. The Republicans will, of course, make much of his behavior which seems a combination of naïveté and loyalty to Trump. Nevertheless the narrative of Trump’s bribery aka a quid pro quo emerges belatedly and hesitantly in Mr. Morrison’s testimony.
2
Of the three hundred odd posts so far, the trend is clear.
Posters certainly blame Trump but they blame the elected Republicans too.
What they don't ever get too is the voters who those Republicans are pandering too.
Should the elected leaders grow a spine and defend the Constitution and our established agencies? certainly.
Should they be willing to be "Primaried"? certainly
But what about their voters? shouldn't we all be taking on those voters? making it so they can never again use foreign influence to steal an election? to ignore the sitting presidents prerogative to appoint a Supreme Court Justice? to just NOT vote on legislation put forth by the other side?
we should be doing all those things and more, but liberals don't get that Courts and Judges are in many ways more important the Senators and Presidents.
Federal Judges get lifetime appointments, the others can be voted out of office.
3
I do not believe this is accurate reporting. Even NPR did a better job summarizing his testimony today that Trump said nothing illegal on the phone call but he reported it to a lawyer because it could impact how congress perceived the aid package. And the democrats said they didn’t need opinions from witnesses (like any good judge) because they would form their own opinions based on the facts. My problem with that is the witness said a lawyer also opined there was nothing said on the call that was illegal. At least 3 witnesses so far said they escalated to their departmental lawyer(s). How many more lawyers are going to say this was escalated to them and they didn’t see anything illegal. My question for this audience is will it be one lawyer or a dozen at which case you need to ask yourself that if a half dozen lawyers said this was okay, how do the democrats convince us it was not okay. I really think this impeachment is a fools errand and had we just used the 2018 playbook, we would have been hands down favorites in 2020.
13
James, there may be more than this one phone call to use as evidence against President Trump. And how can the Democrats stand by and allow an election to decide Trumps fate when there is proof he tried to undermine that election by seeking help from a foreign national to smear his opponent in that very election?
4
@James
Trump made a political error in judgement, not a legal or Constitutional one. What he didn’t factor in was CIA and NSC staffers in the White House plotting against him, some linked to the very people that have tried to have him removed from office since his inauguration.
He pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate a domestic political opponent. He withheld, in doing so, 400 million in military aid allocated to that country in their proxy war with Russia. If you don’t think this is an abuse of power, then what is one?
1
Sondland is the one who knows what happened. Morrison and Taylor learned what they know from Sondland. Sondland isn’t talking because he’s in Trump’s inner circle and Trump is claiming privilege. The importance of this case cannot be overstated. And you could lose it if your evidence is second hand. Losing on a technicality is unacceptable. You have to defeat the privilege claim and get to Sondland. You don’t wear second hand clothes to the ball — even Cinderella wore glass shoes. If she hadn’t, there wouldn’t have been a happy ending. Seeking removal of Trump with second hand evidence makes it all too difficult to assure that everyone lives happily ever after.
7
It’s tragic that people can’t see the handwriting on the wall. Direct evidence is irrefutable. However the Senate votes, everyone will hear it all. Anyone can poke holes in second hand evidence. Doing it right, if nothing else, can make all the difference in the 2020 election. There simply is no debating which way to go.
1
@michjas And Vindman actually on the call? Chopped liver?
2
@michjas, despite everything we learn after childhood at tortuous intellectual expense it’s those gentle bemusing fairy tales that stick forever. This is where Fox News hits the nail on the head in terms of presentation and substance. Rachel and Lawrence can preach fire and brimstone all night but when Sean and Laura wisecrack it up I don’t switch the channel hating the world.
How could he think this was not against the law? Thank god for the whistle-blower or trump would still be breaking the law with republicans cheering his criminality all the while.
50
The GOP is an enemy of The State.
52
"did not view the actions of the president...as illegal or improper."
Impeachment is not a criminal proceeding.
But is it improper for a president to use the power of the US to benefit himself personally?
I guess whether he is impeached or not will decide whether the US will adopt Russian and Saudi ideals or maintain democratic aspirations going forward.
32
@angel98
The framers didn't define what a high crime and misdemeanor is, but basically in the federalist papers, they said that a violation of the public trust could be a high crime. Following that logic, that would make ANY violation of federal law, impeachable. Nixon, for the conspiracy to burgle the DNC at the Watergate Hotel, then he covered it up, once again, someone stepped up, and a recording brought down Nixon. Much the same way it will bring down Trump, and the GOP as a party.
@angel98 As the Constitution explicitly provides, impeachment is indeed a criminal proceeding.
@John Smithson
The Constitution says no such thing
1
Let’s get the recording of the phone call.
Enough already with the transcripts.
Let’s release the recordings.
We don’t need to hear from people who were listening on the call, and debate what was or wasn’t said.
15
So here’s the thing - they don’t record the calls.
12
@Dale @Carl Yes, they do record all phone calls. That doesn't stop them from being erased, ala Nixon, or uploaded to a Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) server that requires the same clearance and need-to-know access. I'm sure there are Representatives and Senators who have the required clearances but still have to demonstrate the need-to-know to the Original Classification Authority (SCA) who is probably under Trump's control. It would require a Supreme Court decision to force the SCA to release the recordings or original transcripts. Not likely when the majority of the Court is under Trump's control. Even if forced, public viewing or testimonies of the material will be blocked from the public unless the SCA is forced to redact the classification - again unlikely.
1
It is NOT a transcript. It is a read-out. If it WAS a transcript, Vindman would not have tried to fill in the ellipsis and make other corrections.
1
You don't need a White House aid to see signs of quid pro quo. Anyone can see it. So far, no one has been able to prove it enough to sway minds and votes.
7
Nothing matters. Republicans have sold out whatever values America once stood for. They will claim what happened did not happen, embracing lies in plain sight. We no longer look to America as a leader in n the world.
38
Well said.
1
Facts are simple
* Trump admitted to asking a foreign government to help him by investigating the Bidens
* Several witnesses have confirmed that there indeed was a quid pro quo tying congress authorized and veto proof aid to Ukraine for public declaration of investigation on Bidens
Without doubt and as a reminder to future generations of Americans of the importance of our Constitution, Trump has to be investigated for high crime which this appears to be. If he is impeached by the House, the Senate has to act as jurors and impartially and apolitically assess the facts of the case to establish if he committed a high crime.
Those elected officials through this process, who put themselves ahead of the country should introspect as best they are able. If unmoved, they may win a battle or two but they and their base will be on the wrong side of history at this shameful time in the history of a great country.
19
@Independent What crime do you think Donald Trump committed? Seems to me that he did nothing illegal. A quid pro quo is not illegal -- that's what negotiations are.
So, another "he said"!! When is this going to stop!! From my POV, if the Ukrainian President said "no quid pro quo", there was NONE. It's that simple.
4
You fail to realize the quandary Zelensky (another 'he said', by the way) finds himself in: Russian-backed rebels waging war in the Eastern part of the country, and the country dependent on US military aid, which he had already found out had been held up on Trump's orders. In other words he's forced to tread very carefully
1
Like he would admit to that. As long as the current administration is in power, Ukraine has to acquiesce to whatever craziness is being thrust upon them. They need our support and money so why antagonize the Chief Backstabber in Charge?
Um, actually it is Trump said no quid pro quo and everyone else said yes quid pro quo, including a number of his own people like Mulvaney. And you should read up on extortion. That the Ukrainian President wants to stay as far away as possible from this whole situation has been abundantly clear from the beginning and simply demonstrates that the Ukrainians have been put in a really unfortunate position by Our Criminal in Chief.
2
Supposed "deep state" actors like Mr. Morrison aren't actually that deep, are they? They're not hiding in the bowels of bureaucracy, secretly and anonymously doing their nefarious best to undermine Trump. They're coming out in public, risking their careers, indeed some of them like Mr. Morrison are resigning career posts in order to testify, likely risking their own safety and that of their family.
In other words, they are displaying that moral courage that not one Republican in Congress so far has had the guts to display.
31
Tragically, Republicans could see a video of Trump smiling, holding a smoking gun, and a dead person on the ground (probably a person of color would be their choice) and still support Trump because it wouldn't be about murder but about the 2016 election...
All Republicans, Evangelical Christians have simply sold their souls for the corrupt immoral fool on the hill, Trump.
They all have blood on their hands.
They all spread the cancer that Trump is.
28
Sadly you are probably right. Trump could murder a hundred people as long as he delivers on things like restricting access to abortion Evangelicals will convince themselves that it’s worth it because they are “saving babies”.
1
Let’s get the recording of the phone call.
Enough already with the transcripts.
Let’s release the recordings.
We don’t need to hear from people who were listening on the call, and debate what was or wasn’t said.
12
@Carl There is no recording. This has been stated multiple times.
1
@Carl There are no recordings.
A few minutes ago, on the local evening news, I watched Sen. Tom Cole, (R), OK, castigating the House for doing its job, sounding like nothing so much as an audition for Kellyanne Conway's job. I expect "my" Texas Senate delegation to follow suit. I don't "expect" it because I want them to, but because I know they will. The Republican party has abandoned all moral sense.
40
There is absolutely no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong regarding Ukraine. However, it is clear that Trump tried to use Ukraine to interfere with our election and their defense.
"So Ukraine, if you're listening, I hope you find those phone transcripts. Please send to Nancy Pelosi, House of Representatives , USA. Many thanks, the American people."
39
What more do we need? Trump was basically strangling a desperately weak nation courageously battling a Russian invasion so that he could promote his election by getting Ukraine to concoct some phony investigation into a Biden , his political rival . Everything Trump did was to benefit himself, not the country he’s serving, which in case he forgot is the United States of America.
This is all Trump ever does, only serving himself , but this time he sought to hurt Ukraine for his own selfish partisan purposes which is abhorrent .
Disgraceful!!
32
this article has an obfuscated headline and a largely false narrative in the first half. The second half then contradicts the first half of the article with some correction, which is the standard falsification structure used in Nytimes articles. The collusion articles typically were structured like that. The left winged click bait responders, who can not focus beyond the headline and the first three lines will like it, click and buy something. But anyone is who is able to focus, read and discriminate will be annoyed and question why they maintain a NYtimes subscription. I personally maintain it just to have insight into the dysfunctional opinion of the left, not to be informed with the news.
4
suggested? this is honest journalism? and where is the reporting that he said he saw nothing illegal? pathetic
5
@james alan: It's there:
""In his opening remarks, Mr. Morrison resisted drawing conclusions about Mr. Trump’s involvement, and in subsequent testimony he made clear he did not view the actions of the president or others involved as illegal or improper."
2
“Mr. Morrison’s confirmation of the conversations could be important for House Democrats as they seek to build their impeachment case against Mr. Trump.” I think it’s quaint how the NYT continued to talk about building a case. Any rational person would agree the case has long since been made. But sadly no amount of evidence will convince this GOP Congress.
14
What about reporting the whistleblower’s identity? It’s already been leaked all over the beltway. A 30 yr old Harvard grad cia spook for Brennan. He was planted in the WH to spy. A CIA op inside the USA is not supposed to happen. And who did Brennan work for? There ya go. A trail of corruption like we’ve never seen.
4
I can say anything I want just like you - that Trump is a Russian spy planted by Putin and his base has lost its sanity due to secret control signals being emitted by Fox and Facebook. All the Fox opinion makers are also on Russian payroll. If Trump wins 2020, he will hand over the keys to America to Putin while the zombie base will applaud it. See what I mean!
34
@Independent
No, they will hand over the keys to Jill Stein or Tulsi Gabbard...what is frightening is that delusional woman was almost President.
Love it!!
Let's not forget that this Ukraine episode is but ONE abuse of power in a long string of "the President's corrupt exercises of the power of office" (Mueller's term in his Report). TWO if you separate the obstruction and cover-up from the original quid pro quo bribery / extortion.
By this week's end they might be able to add to the list the war crime of "pillaging" in Syria as Trump trades Kurdish lives to "keep the oil."
Trump long ago learned from Roy Cohn how to insulate himself with a well-paid army of lawyers, lackeys and loyalists. Because it is so hard to pin any one thing on Trump (and kin), it is essential to look at his very damning pattern of corrupt and corruptive behavior.
17
To be clear, short of terminating the inquiry, there is no language that could have been included in the resolution that the Gutless Obtuse Pariahs would have voted in favor.
trump has stated, his lawyers have argued, and the GOP have spinelessly, meekly and disgracefully agreed to, an argument that this president is immune to any and all prosecution, even in the case of homicide. I say “this president” because the GOP reserves their right to impeach any future president of the opposition for any infraction, including jaywalking.
Having no evidence to pound, and no law to pound, the only thing the GOP can do is pound the table. They do this with great fervor and passion, to the delight of the idiot in the White House.
16
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the NYT to be used as a propaganda mouthpiece for the CIA and FBI, and carry their water. Covering up for this Brennan CIA plant in the White House is shameful.
1
@J House
We heard you the first time. This isn't Breitbart "Newz."
34
Alex Jones is looking for conspiracy theorists. You should give him a call.
1
@J House
I can do "wildest dreams"and crazy conspiracy better than you!
Why was Trump totally uninterested in early 2017 when the US Intelligence agencies reported that Russia had meddled in our elections ? Wouldn't the POTUS see this as a serious breach of national security and call for investigation and immediate plans to avoid future breaches?
Why did Trump blurt out national security secrets to visiting Russians, compromising our allies in Israel?
Why did Trump throw out the US translator and transcribers during a meeting with Putin -- something at best reckless, next best suspicious, worst, stupid and dangerous?
Why did Trump, in Helsinki, looking and acting like a whipped puppy, confirm to the world that he trusted Putin's assertion that Russia hadn't meddled in 2016 election over the assertions of his own US intelligence agencies ?
Why did Trump treat the 2018 Russian attack on unarmed vessels of our Ukrainian allies, in their own waters, as a case of "problems on both sides"? And then meet with Putin at the G20 because Russia announced the private talk even though the US said it was cancelled?
Why did Trump, without warning, or consulting "his generals," pull out US troops from Turkey, abandoning our Turkish supporters; opening the possibility of new life for Isis; opening th door for Russia to seize control of vast areas in Syria, and upsetting the balance of power in the region?
But it's crazy to suspect a "Kremlin Kandidate" in the Oval Office"
2
If you continue to support Trump you are saying that future presidents can hold taxpayers money over foreign allies who need US assistance, to extort help from them in attacking fellow Americans.
With all this the overwhelming evidence many did not bother to read in the Mueller report has been swept under the carpet. There is a lot more than the Ukraine scandal as a basis for impeaching this lawless reckless co-conspirator individual number 1 and self-confessed perpetrator of sexual assault.
23
Trump and Republican enablers can "think" or "opine" that the "favor" Trump requested on the call of pursuing investigations of the Bidens' activities in the Ukraine and opening investigation of conspiracy theories about Democratic collusions with Ukrainians in the 2016 elections. The evidence shown in the July 25 transcript and testimony of all of those recently deposed in the inquiry shows clear violations of Federal Election Laws related to the solicitation of foreign assistance in a US election.
They may wish to advocate for a judgement that while inappropriate and possibly illegal this does not rise to the level of impeachable behavior by the President. However, continuing to advocate that it did not happen is just silly and makes them look ridiculous.
6
Where is the list of Congress votes for and against impeachment? The mainstream media will not publish the list of Representatives who voted for impeachment because they know that many of these democrats will be voted out of office for their vote to reverse the Will of the People. This impeachment will be seen for what it is; an attempt to remove the duly elected President of the United States of America, because they cannot defeat this President through the Constitutionally mandated electoral process.
God Save Us from these democrats.
2
@Samara
Oh shut up about the will of the people. If you were so concerned about the will of the people you would have decried the last election where the winner by more than three million votes actually lost.
Save us from these crypto-Fascists.
BTW, Impeachment is constitutional. Whether you believe so or not. And Trump's behavior as President demands it.
24
@Samara: You cannot be serious. The list is in a different story, with a photograph of the board showing the votes:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/31/us/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry-house-vote.html
What an unusual amount of pro-Trump, counterfactual comments tonight!
So Trump has been exposed as a liar, who slanders people, shreds the constitution, and uses the Presidency to enrich himself and his many corrupt friends, however he gives the Evangelicals the judgers they want, rich people the tax code they want, and corporations the weakening of regulations they want.
Trump also gives his core voters their quid pro quo.
12
Thank you, Mr. Morrison. Rather than refuse to speak up, as instructed by the White House, you resigned. Then you spoke up, truthfully. You, sir, are a patriot.
12
No wonder Sundland wanted to "review his testimony." He doesn't want to be charged with lying to Congress.
15
@northeastsoccermum
And he can take a flying leap as far as I’m concerned. Straight to prison.
4
I wonder how many of us are en-heartened by the loyalty of this long-time Republican operative and his refusal to give the unconstitutional mob in Congress ammunition to take down our popularly elected President and Commander-in-Chief. If only Democrats possessed such virtue we would not have lost Vietnam and there would right to work laws across our soon-to-be great again nation. Freedom!!
1
Not popularly elected. He lost the popular vote by a considerable margin.
@Keitr It was a Republican President called Nixon who "lost" Vietnam.
@Keitr: No, Trump was put into office by the Electoral College. He LOST the popular vote. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, which is what "popularly elected" means. What is your information source?
1
How has it come to this? Testimony and documents confirm that Trump intended to release military aid (allocated by Congress) to Ukraine only if they produced dirt on Biden and confirmed the rightwing conspiracy theory that Ukraine helped Hillary.
How are Republicans OK with this? Treason has been committed. The President of the United States is not "conspiring" with a foreign country to manipulate the 2020 election, he's extorting them. Every mob boss knows how this works.
Republicans greased this slippery slope every step of the way, as they made one excuse after another for Trump's anti-American behavior while smearing anyone who complained. This is far worse than conspiring with Russia to throw the 2016 election. This is using the office of the President to jeopardize the security of an ally and to force that ally to do his personal bidding. This is a group of crooks operating in the shadows at odds with US policy, under orders from the President.
Republicans, stop and think! Can you really not see where YOU are leading us? Are you so compromised, so threatened, so fanatical that you'll betray not only our country, our planet, but future generations as well?
13
The Republican party, especially Trump, foolishly continues to insist Democrats want to "undo the 2016 election." What a stupid, naive statement. The election cannot be undone. It is a regrettable certainty which has led our nation to this misery. Why should the Republicans continue to fight so hard for an imperialist who would happily stab them in their backs if they stood up to him? That's his historical behavior. Add to that, if Trump is expelled, Pence will be president. He's like the most conservative, Bible waving members of the party. He's against the LGBTQ community, abortion, progressive women's rights, you name it. And he would have been the clear choice to provide a clear path towards making sure their agendas had clear sailing. That the GOP did not support him continues to surprise me to this day. That would be a horror almost as bad as Trump but he would not have broken the law. I recommend that the GOP decide to support impeachment and conviction of Trump if they want to achieve their goals; and Pence might even be more electable in 2020. After all even dyed-in-the-wool Republican voters would be glad to rid our country of the embarrassment they currently we all endure.
7
@Angelsea Exactly; it is the GOP quislings who refuse to accept the results of the midterms they lost by a record 9 million votes. That was a clear message from Americans that they wanted this dangerous ignoramus brought to heel.
10
None of this matters. He will be impeached, he will be acquitted and he will win re-election. In TrumpAmerica crime does pay.
4
I'm curious about precisely what Mark Meadows considers "very powerful and very contradictory to other witnesses that have testified” in recent days, yet he will not provide specifics. I'm actually looking forward to the public hearings, because I suspect that witnesses will present overwhelmingly damning evidence about improper pressure to dig up dirt on a political rival, but Republicans will overlook that to play up a small, insignificant issue, like the discrepancy of whether Sondland asked the Ukrainian attorney general rather than President Zelensky to look into Burisma. If that is the extent of the "very powerful and very contradictory" testimony, we know they have no defense.
8
@Ockham9 Yes indeed. They never provide specific details. They are Never Specifiers. Only in the UBA- the United Base of America. Mention is often made of the Trump agenda. His agenda is ethnocentrism and an obscene tax cut for rich people that America will have to pay for and that will explode the national debt. Presently he is squandering the carefully built "good" economy that he inherited.
8
Don't get used to it.
1
Isn’t the “whistleblower” a bit redundant at this point?
5
@Doug Lowenthal
It's desperation, trying to paint a poisonous tree and cut it down for fruiting. Just as they have been trying to do for years with the Russian investigation.
1
Mr. Trump is a great liar; he’s been practicing his entire life. He lies all the time and to everyone, and he always got away with it because he’s a blabber mouth and sane, intelligent, able people don’t listen to blabber. But people listen to presidents; and a lot of Trump’s blabber will fin it’s way into the hearings. That is what will be the final straw.
8
Initially, the phone call was "perfect", nothing to see here. Then it was maybe a bit unseemly, but certainly no quid pro quo. Now, it's well, sure, it's a quid pro quo, but not illegal. The next step will be that it was illegal, but within the privelege of the president. Then it will be, not within the privelege of the president, but everyone else does it. The Republicans have moved the goalposts all the way down the field, and their justification is so they can appoint as many Federalist Society judges as possible under their Useful Idiot.
15
This is all well and good, but let’s not forget that millions of Americans chose to follow and support a depraved mob boss from Queens who is utterly unfit for the presidency, and who, if there was justice, would, along with Barr, Pompeo, Pence, the Kushners. the Trump sons, Don Jr., and Eric along with many other miscreants, be in prison and not doing their utmost to destroy what is left of our republic.
21
Maggie2- Don’t forget Ivanka
13
That's it! This is the END OF TRUMP!!!!!
Now, uh, how many ends of trump does that make?
This TV show has more cliffhangers than any other. Way to go!
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
2
Not sure exactly what Mark Meadows thinks was "very contradictory" in Morrison's testimony. He confirmed that he understood the president to ask specifically for an investigation of Biden in return for US aid. He confirmed he felt this was quid pro quo. He confirmed that it was Trump and Giulliani that were asking it. He confirmed other people, such as Sondland, also knew about it and considered it as improper.
How is that contradictory?
13
I would have thought whether "bad foreign policy" is "improper" or not depends on the objective - whether the intent was to secure America's best interests or was to advance personal political advantage. That said, it has always been a mystery to me how it's perfectly acceptable for the U.S. to interfere in other countries' internal politics either overtly (take Trump in the Ukraine, Britain or Israel to name just three, otherwise the list would get too long) or covertly (the CIA's documented subversion across the world), and yet somehow it's not okay for other countries to interfere in U.S. politics. Where America leads, other countries follow. And this long-standing attitude of self interest trumping ethics or morality in politics inevitably infects the rest of a society.
5
Democrat's eyewitness Mr. Morrison, "In his opening remarks, resisted drawing conclusions about Mr. Trump’s involvement, and in subsequent testimony he made clear he did not view the actions of the president or others involved as illegal or improper". If this is the basis of impeaching Trump, they are really desperate.
1
Has anyone done a timeline by researching the dates when Joe Biden announced his candidacy, in addition to those polls which showed Biden ahead of Trump by 10 points? (I think it was 10).
Include in this timeline, all the dates of calls by Trump, etc. to Zelensky or representatives of Ukraine, meetings with Rudy, Soundland, etc. to show a complete picture of why Trump and Rudy were emphatic about the Biden's being investigated.
Trump and Rudy were worried that Biden would steel Trump's re-election thunder. They wanted to vanquish him early on. This was their attempt at getting Biden to end his campaign and give Trump some needed fuel to show his Base that Dems are the ones who are corrupt, not him.
For those who are blind to Trump's re-election maneuverings and fear of having to run against Joe Biden, the timeline may show why he was willing to bribe Zelensky. Trump was desperate. It's my opinion those polls that showed Biden beating him were scaring Trump.
Trump's impulsivity is what gets him into trouble along with his desire to win and to cheat if he has to.
11
And the headline in the Fox News world reads “Ex-White House official testifies he wasn't concerned 'anything illegal was discussed' on Trump-Ukraine call.”
Which is Fox News speak for “Trump didn’t do anything wrong.”
As reframed by Rep. Mark Meadows "Mr. Morrison's testimony is very damaging to the Democrat narrative. They've all of a sudden gotten quiet today because this particular witness is very credible and has given evidence that suggests some of the other witnesses have been less than candid."
Make no mistake about it. The Trump fans are well insulated from the actual facts of this impeachment.
Democratic leadership, which is doing a terrific job of running this investigation, needs to take on the additional chore of taking the facts to the streets if we are to rescue what may be left of our country. It may not be in the job description, but without the necessary PR, this ship goes down.
Seriously.
8
@Chickpea: Yes, silly things like facts . . . just look at the comments here that include outright false statements. They are not meant to be opinions or interpretations but rather genuine events, e.g., Trump was popularly elected.
1
Here’s a possibility: McConnell allows a Senate trial, and enough saintly Republicans vote to convict. (Of course through McConnells machinations). Pence is the Prez . With the sadly weak slate of Democrats vying for nomination, Pence has a good chance of 2020 election. At least he is not crazy, folks will rationalize. The Supreme Court gets one or two more conservative justices. Roe is gone-health care cut to shreds...inequality continues or gets worse.
And, of course, Pence pardons Trumpy.
So, call me an optimist
4
The gentleman resisted drawing conclusions about to legality of Mr. Trump’s phone call, for good reason. There was nothing illegal about the call. 
1
Where do you plan to move the goalposts next?
Better get wheels on them.
“Okay, it was illegal, but it’s too close to the election,” is their most likely destination.
1
Here in Arizona, the group Indivisible is holding free, adult, civics classes that explain both Constitutional concepts and state government structure at public libraries. It would appear that this is very necessary.
While civics classes don’t cover FEC law, when one runs for office it is necessary that FEC laws be known and followed. Ignorance is not a valid excuse.
That Trump, Pence, Pompeo, and their staffs did not know withholding Congressionally appropriated funds was a Constitutional violation, is poppycock. Of course they knew, and that is why it was covered up. I would not be surprised if this attitude of being above the law is not at the heart of the many Cabinet, State Department, Defense, and White House resignations. When this ship goes down, it is going to take all hands down with it.
4
The Democrats are devoting too much time and energy to proving that Trump demanded quid pro quo before releasing authorized funds to the Ukraine. They have devoted no time, energy or rhetoric to explaining to people why this was wrong. The average person accepts that politicians are eager to have dirt revealed or manufactured about their opponent.
2
While not exactly a direct indictment, this testimony is consistent. Why does Trump believe the taxpayers must subsidize his re-election in this way? Under pressure, people (sometimes a generous description of Trump, who routinely behaves as a narcissistic robot!) tend to act in their normal, baseline fashion. Trump sells his name to a building-- no cash on his part, just royalty income. He decided to use our cash to fight his battles. Trump's understading is juvenile at best; he needs to go! He endangers Our security by endangering others' security. He's trading on securities he never earned, and certainly doesn't own! Sad...
3
As things stand now Republican Senators are not likely to remove Trump from office by virtue of the impeachment process. However, they might give some thought to Trump's emboldened behavior if he is acquitted. His rhetoric will become more harsh and divisive. His "base"will stick with him. But others, including myself, would vote him out just to get him off the airwaves, and a handful of Republican Senators would go down with him---so their own best odds at survival might be to take the life line offered by impeachment and removal.
248
@Oxy Mora. You make a good point. If Trump could somehow exercise just a bit of discipline for the next 12 months snd if the economy stays strong, he has a very good chance of being re-elected.
1
@Oxy Mora If any Republican senator votes to convict Donald Trump based on the evidence we have seen so far, that senator will lose his or her seat. And so they should.
4
@Oxy Mora 90% of Republicans support the President and oppose impeachment. If those handful of Senators desert him they lose all those votes and they won't get any Democratic votes. They will be toast. He will be impeached by a Democratic House and acquitted by a Republican Senate. Meanwhile Democratic primaries will get little attention, immigration, infrastructure, healthcare will go nowhere.
3
Well it's certainly time that we find out what our country stands for. Also, our elected officials get to decide whether to support the constitution or the president. It is clear to me that they can't choose both. Impeachment means they have no choice, they can't wriggle out of this, Constitution, the rule of law and democracy or Trump, demagoguery and the decline into a cult of personality.
186
@Linda A lot of us feel differently. We think that the part of the Constitution that calls for the election of a President every four years supersedes what politicians do which is determined by political considerations and nothing else. We also believe we've been hearing that some want to get rid of Trump for three years and we're fed up. You want to get rid of him? Win the election.
2
@Linda cult of personality? are you referring to the arrogant Obama administration? Just because you do not like the President does not mean you get to erase people's votes on flimsy circumstantial speculation. You just may get eight years of him for this
2
@alan brown And there are those of us that think holding approved aid back as a threat to a foreign government from whom one needs "a favor, though", is an impeachable offense.
Trump will likely get away with his corrupt behavior and win reelection. But it will be decades before our country recovers from 4 more years with him as President.
13
This seems to ultimately come down to whether we believe that the president asking another country to investigate their political rivals, either as a quid pro quo for military aid or for any reason, is an impeachable offense. I believe it is, and don't personally think it matters whether it was done as part of a quid pro quo. It's clear most republicans, notwithstanding the fact they used to be the party of "national defense", do not.
140
@AEA
The thing is, every republican who doesn't vote to impeach (in the House of Reps) or doesn't vote for removal of office (in the Senate), they're on record saying it's okay to ask another country to investigate your political rivals.
I'm not in marketing or run campaigns, but holy moly could I destroy them in an election!
Right now polling shows about half the country in favor of impeachment; let's see how it is once the hearings become public. Those in the GOP will go with what the public thinks.
I am sure many in the GOP would love to have him impeached and removed from office so they can run a better candidate.
11
@AEA
Since doing so... is in fact against federal law, and given impeachment is valid for both misdemeaners as well as high crimes..... if senators cannot find there spine to convict.. they themselves are irredeamably corrupt and are in violation of their oath to the constitution.
14
@AEA I think he was not asking for political dirt but for an explaination of corruption, and where the $7 billion from Obama really went. I think he can ask questions. It has been corrupt there,so we don't need to give them aid that will not be used for the military.
1
How many people are going to corroborate the whistleblower's account before the Republicans in Congress stop with their stonewalling and denials? Some of them are hopeless, but surely others feel the obligation of their office? If they don't wake up to reality soon, we will certainly know that they value party over country. Will that convince enough patriotic Americans to get to the polls and vote the lot of them out? I am losing confidence daily.
18
In his opening remarks, Mr. Morrison resisted drawing conclusions about Mr. Trump’s involvement, and in subsequent testimony he made clear he did not view the actions of the president or others involved as illegal or improper.
From the desk of The Donald: Finally someone gets me! Please send that nobody loser, whoever he is, a 'cheeseburder' together with an offer to become the new acting head of Homeland Security.
4
Wow, a sitting president using the power of their office to get re-elected. I guess I’m mistaken as to what “incumbency” means. Terms should be limited to just one if we really wanted to get serious about this never happening again. Eventually the entire office will be eliminated as well as politics in general and then all our problems will be solved.
2
There has to be a line. Holding up strategically important military aid to an ally for his personal interests seems as good a place to draw it as any. Foreign policy should be run according to the best interests of this country and not whoever happens to be in charge.
7
@BAM, how many times during the Vietnam war were bombs either ferociously applied of held back in order to correspond to elections and shape the voting public’s perception of how the war was going and who they should vote for? Everything before incumbent elections are giant kabuki dances. W’s “Mission Accomplished” wasn’t one giant political campaign ad paid for by America’s soldiers and the American taxpayers?
Given the evidence, would Democrats have defended Obama in such way?
The Senate wouldn't impeach Trump for an affair.
Is that even comparable to Trump?
3
@Martin With regards to Mr. Obama, yes many of the Democratic membership would have abandon him if he had behaved like Mr. Trump. Mainly because they would have been afraid of the political wind storm.
2
In this case there will be NO such storm.
1
@Tyrone: But President Obama would not have behaved like Mr. Trump.
2
Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't the entire Trump/Ukraine/Giuliani situation nearly identical to the Pence/Flynn/Russia debacle from 2016/2017? Both were unofficial back channel attempts to circumvent legal restrictions on action that would benefit Trump personally. The only differences I can see is that the Ukraine effort was underway longer before it got out and that Trump had more stooges to help him than he did in 2016/2017.
As I said then, and still believe now, I think Flynn "fell on his sword" in an attempt to protect the Trump regime- and Pence in particular.
Is anyone looking into whether the two events are actually part of an original/identical plan?
7
They certainly demonstrate a disturbing pattern of behaviour. Given Mueller had testified only the day before the phone call detailed by the whistle blower, it’s becomes even more disturbing. It seems just about everyone knew that phone call was well dodgy, even Trump aids who tried to bury the transcript by abusing the classification system.
This impeachment is not about undoing the 2016 election - rather, it is about stopping Trump from corrupting the 2020 election. Given Trumps pattern of (at least) encouraging foreign nations from corrupting US elections, it’s highly likely that, unless removed from office, Trump is likely to try to subvert your democracy again. Trumps actions have forced his own impeachment by removing the right of Americans to remove him via the ballot box in a free and fair election. Given the stakes, removal from office is the only option should Americans still wish to be the people who decide upon their leader. Otherwise you may as well just put the entire democratic system up for international auction, national security be damned.
4
Three central questions frame the argument commencing now. Is the act of the President authorizing and participating in the use of Congressionally authorized funds in an attempt to bribe a foreign leader into publicly declaring an investigation domestic rival an impeachable offense? Is the act of the President impounding Congressional funds without informing Congress in the manner stipulated by law an impeachable offense? Is the act of the President to use the separation of powers to thwart an Congressional investigation of potential Presidential abuse of power for personal political advantage an impeachable offense?
7
"Timothy Morrison, a National Security Council aide, said a top diplomat close to President Trump suggested a military aid package for Ukraine was conditioned on investigations into his political rivals." So, let's break this down. Timothy Morrison is a National Security Council aide who is close to President Trump. Morrison said "a top diplomat close to President Trump" "suggested" that " a military aid package was conditioned on investigations into his political rivals." So, we have a National Security Advisor who is close to President Trump say that a top diplomat close to President Trump suggested that a military aid package was conditioned on investigations into his political rivals. So, who are we listening to, Timothy Morrison or an amorphous "top diplomat close to President Trump?" Do you see how we are being manipulated?
2
Has any reporter looked into the possibility that Trump, under direction from Putin, never wanted to release the needed aid that congress authorized. Trump must have know there was no corruption to be discovered, and denying aid would help Russia in its influence in Ukraine's economic takeover. If there was any indication of this, Trump would also be guilty of treason.
11
President Trump is trying to make this about one 30-minute phone call.
In fact, the evidence appears to show that he engaged in a months-long campaign to abuse his power by forcing a foreign country to publicly announce an investigation into his political rivals in exchange for 400 M in military aid and a trip to the WH.
16
The phone call was so "perfect" we thought we should immediately permanently hide it in our secret server.
23
Mr. Morrison's opinion regarding whether the demands made by Mr. Trump in exchange for delivery of military aid and/or a White House visit are irrelevant. He is a fact witness, not an expert on Constitutional law, criminal law, or grounds for impeachment.
12
Mr. Morrison thought it was ‘bad foreign policy’ to demand investigations in exchange for military aid. Some days I really have to wonder if this country can be saved. And other days, like today, I have to wonder if it deserves to be saved.
Bad foreign policy? Trump was demanding Ukraine conduct an investigation aimed at exonerating the very nation from which they needed our military aid to defend themselves.
So much focus is out on the request for the investigation into Burisma and Biden that the very real fact that Trump asked Ukraine to investigate a matter meant to clear Russia of interfering in the 2016 election is too often ignored. Our official foreign policy with the Ukraine is to prevent further Russian aggression. Russia ‘annexed’ a part of Ukraine. Trump holding up aid meant to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia so they could investigate and clear Russia of attacking OUR election is not ‘bad foreign policy’. It is insane.
14
How many people have to say that Trump compromised American foreign policy (to the advantage of, surprise, Russia) before Moscow Mitch grows a soul and decides he actually cares about what's best for America?
9
It's fascinating to read the rightwing media echo chamber today as they frenetically attempt to spin Morrison's testimony as exculpatory. It's just the opposite.
8
The Republican Senate find themselves in a prison of their own making. They have allowed Trump free reign to run roughshod over the constitution and the laws that govern your great country. The senate can't address the dishonesty, chaos, extortion, and abuse of power because they have been just as complicit as Trump with their deafening silence over the last three years .
Buckle up people because it is going to be a rocky ride. These wolves will eat their own young in their desperation to come out on top.
Kevin Brock is absolutely correct. The question will be whether the American people believe Trump's actions are OK- legally, ethically and morally. This is an attack on the Constitution of America and the very soul of your nation. It is time for the silent majority to stand and be heard.
9
With all the hero's and patriots who had testified before today, it appears the only testimony republicans heard was Morrison because he did not see [deliberately] what all the patriots saw. It comes across to the public as the only argument they can find to let them off the hook and they are THRILLED to have it. This portion of the public [me] will no more look at this without suspicion than fly to the moon.
3
So now it is a quid pro quo.
But a quid pro quo is no longer a problem.
Because the president can use the power of the US to benefit himself personally? Dizzying.
Quick question - Is the US president an anointed god, lord and master of all, and thus infallible. Is that where this is going? What with emoluments - no problem!, Self-pardons, why not. Quid pro quo - who cares. And not to forget shooting someone on fifth avenue or committing a crime however "heinous" yeah! so what, that also gets a pass.
7
“Even then I hoped that Ambassador Sondland’s strategy was exclusively his own and would not be considered by the leaders of the administration and Congress, who understood the strategic importance of Ukraine..."
Rather naive of Morrison. Why would the ambassador to the EU get involved in a country outside of his duties, if it were not for the fact that someone with higher authority had so commanded.
And where would Sondland get the authority to stop something that was passed by Congress.
No, there is only one source and we know who it is.
7
Except of course the aid was released and the investigation didn't happen. At least that is what my next door neighbors cousin said.
2
@Mkm: Next time you might want to tell your cousin the bankrobber didn't shoot his gun and he didn't get the money he "requested"...
4
I not sure why Trump and company’s incompetence should continue to exonerate him. In fact, I’d suggest his failure to get what he wanted despite exhorting an ally, would be further indication that he represents danger to national security
3
Trump wanted to revisit his 2016 election questionable validation. That's what this 2019 HimPeachgate bizarro episodic drama is about. He couldn't move on.
3 million illegals musta voted, etc. etc. Trump knew that the HRC email thing was lame and the Benghazi one too. 'Lock her up' sounded good at the rallies and Republicans really loved it.
It was pandering.
Trump always knew Obama was born in the US. He knew Mexico would not be obligated to build a wall to stop drugs coming into the US and our guns going south. Foxed faked freaky sound bites work for him. This Biden obsession thing is the newest desperate reach.
Rail against someone other to distract. The trillion-dollar deficit, No more pre-existing health insurance, kill public options, no infrastructure, school debt, so on and so on. Nothing is getting done for Americans that don't go to Mar-a-Lago clubs.
7
Trump didn’t care whether Ukraine followed through on the twin investigations of the Bidens and the Democratic Party. He only wanted a public announcement from Zelenskyy acknowledging the intent to investigate.
Morrison’s testimony underscores this. And, in a way, this makes Trump’s freeze on Ukraine aid and the July 25th call even more egregious — he just wanted news of the investigation out there in order to stymie political opponents.
This is the same thing he’s doing with the Barr initiated DOJ investigation of the DOJ. He really doesn’t care if Horowitz finds anything, just as long as both he and Fox News can keep dangling the fact that there is an investigation.
In a way, I have to give Trump credit for lessons learned — after all, when Comey announced the FBI was reopening the Clinton e-mail investigation, that was all it took for Clinton to lose some of the momentum. It didn’t matter that days later, Comey announced that nothing new was found.
As for Morrison believing that Trump’s actions were bad foreign policy but not illegal — he must be basing his assumptions on the amended Constitution in Trump’s office. And after all, Trump clearly said there was no quid pro quo — just an insistence Zelenskyy publicly announce the intent to investigate if Ukraine expected to see $391,000,000.00 in aid.
What great talking points for the GOP. No wonder Meadows is today’s happy camper.
7
Did anyone ever realize that the overwhelming comments are anti republicans and anti Trump. Folks are you really thinking you get the full story in this echo chamber.
3
Umm........YES !!!!
6
These Republicans and the lies they are endorsing have my head spinning...
This is a comment. I’m not making a comment.
3
With all the patient respect I can muster--which at this stage is not too much--I would ask Mr. Meadows [simply based on the information provided in this article] : "can you specify how Mr. Morrison's admittedly powerful testimony contradicts the testimony of other witnesses?" Differs in a few salient aspects, yes: in at least one recollection and in at least one opinion ventured by Mr. Morrison, but contradicts? In fact, Mr. Morrison's testimony corroborates multiple, crucially important details that have been publicly reported so far, and completely contradicts...wait for it...the now-farcical assertions that were no quid pro quos, the now-ludicrous assertions that there was no coordinated, long-running, unofficial strategy which undermined formal diplomatic work and stated policies. Not to mention a Congressional appropriation of funds. Mr. Meadows, you're gonna need to do better on the substance than that--though I know you are trying awfully hard to please your Fearless Leader. Just a word of gentle advice: I have a hunch he is not so fearless, and you might want to re-think your commitment. Soon.
6
It is a shame that not one republican congressmen thought that mounting evidence so far is worrisome that Trump is acting against national security interests.
Entire 2020 democratic campaign should be built on putting republican members of congress and senate on the spot on their unflinching support for the corrupt shame in White House.
2
Is Mark Meadows ASLEEP at the wheel?!!!?
I'm sorry to rain on your parade Mr. Meadows, but your characterization of Mr. Morrison's testimony is completely off-base. Mr. Morrison corroborates what other witnesses have said. Period.
3
This modern republicanism is a contorted blend of denial, Stockholm syndrome, and fear, propped up by Fox News opinionistas. It will implode like a house a cards, and I can’t wait for it to happen.
Everyone out there stay the course of truth, of right, and honesty.
6
Talking about cover up...
How about White House lawyer Eisenberg moving trump-Ukraine transcript to strictly classified server so it would never see the light of day...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-lawyer-moved-transcript-of-trump-call-to-classified-server-after-ukraine-adviser-raised-alarms/2019/10/30/ba0fbdb6-fb4e-11e9-8190-6be4deb56e01_story.html
White House lawyer moved transcript of Trump call to classified server after Ukraine adviser raised alarms.
I lost count of all the despicable people, who are ready to betray the oath of office and lie shamelessly on behalf of this White House.
Thanks God for true patriots career people, who risking everything and courageously stand out to defend our country Constitution.
These are the role model for future generations!
5
It is so amusing to see the NYT present third and fourth hand information as fact. Is this how it is taught in Jounalism 101?
3
@Robert
Did you miss this?
“...according to his prepared remarks for Thursday’s appearance, which was reviewed by The New York Times.”
Who’s laughing now?
5
@Robert: Well, if Trump's phone call is so perfect as he says himself, he'd surely be more than willing to show the full unredacted transcript to the American public, wouldn't he?
10
GOP is a cult and cult always dies with their leader..
Impeach Trump and we will see that GOP & MoscowMitch will be gone in 2020 election for good.
6
It seems the last refuge of Trump/GOP is, "It doesn't rise to an impeachable offense." Deja vu, "It's only sex." My guess is the GOP will twist the "offense" into a mantra that Biden's sin was worse, AND, Dem's never accepted the results of the 2016 election, AND, no collusion, no obstruction, AND, vote for me unless you want socialism, AND, Dems will make the stock market crash. Dem's you better get some talking points together, in unison, that convince voters in the Fly-Over states, and TX, MI,WI,PA,MN,FL,OH, etc., or we might be facing a second term for Trump.
202
@Sid: Indeed, for those voters you mention: "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." (A.L. Mencken)
22
@Sid "It doesn't rise to an impeachable offense." Indeed, what does constitute an impeachable offense if this does not?
13
@Sid If nothing is fact amymore, it really comes down to every individual voter, and if he/she/... truly believes that it makes a whole lot of sense when republicans say things like "democrats want to crash the stock market / want illegal immigrants to come in the country to rape, steal and kill / etc etc etc"
Everyone just has to ask themselves if that really makes sense. That a whole party came together with the intention to achieve these "goals"...
When you come to the conclusion that it doesnt make sense, you should ask yourself if you want to support the people who believe that it does. And vice versa.
Intelligence (and the ability to correctly identify what your own long term goals im life should be) will play a big part in which side you will lean towards.
Some people might even realize during this thought process that there actually ARE different kinds of truth to everything... and that they're not mutally exclusive.
3
"In his opening remarks, Mr. Morrison resisted drawing conclusions about Mr. Trump’s involvement, and in subsequent testimony he made clear he did not view the actions of the president or others involved as illegal or improper."
How Morrison decides to opine on the legality or illegality of the endeavors Trump initiated with respect to asking Ukraine to investigate his political rival is neither here nor there. What matters is that he's confirming the factual accuracy of the substance of the phone call. And it's the substance of that call that call, along with the stated quid pro quo, that the Democrats need to establish in order to proceed with the articles of impeachment. Mission accomplished.
19
Will the Senate committees who advise and consent on presidential nominees be changing their approach to vetting future ambassadors, attorneys general, and others? A large part of this mess has been caused by political appointees who think that loyalty to Trump is more important than loyalty to country, fair foreign policy, and following the law. The Senate is thus partially to blame for voting to confirm these people. What say you, Messrs. Schumer and McConnell? Will you change?
11
Mr. Morrison validating the content of the call while also validating the "perfection" of the call certainly was interesting. The suspicious mind in me wonders if somehow Mr. Morrison is also caught up in his own "perfect call"? How many other members of the GOP (or Democratic Party) have their own personal "perfect calls" that they don't want revealed?
I don't get the worry about the transcript of the call being leaked if there were nothing wrong. Why would anybody bother leaking it? Mr. Matthews reasoning strains credibility. If there's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong (even if it looks a bit off). But the immediate action was to bury the transcript is a highly secure server. Hmmm....
12
My goodness the opinions of who did and said and what it may or may not mean to certain people of differing countries, backgrounds and political persuasions are flying. Wow and all this time I thought the President of the United States was in complete and total charge of our foreign policy. Not aides, not analysts, not hangers-on, not congress nor their aides, staffers and lawyers, and certainly not leadership of congress. He can do whatever he thinks he needs to do. So my read is that what has happened to cause the Democratic Party to send us down this road is incorrect and insufficient in term of the written words of the Constitution and therefore will cause immense pain in this divided country. There are many a poems about unleashing the Gods of war and all of the unintended consequences that will certainly occur. I fear greatly for our future civility.
5
@Mike The Gods of War have already been unleashed by Russia upon Eastern Ukraine, seizure of Crimea and Russian missile to down Malaysian flight 17 killing 298 citizens. Thusly the constitutional importance of bringing impeachment charges against the President attempting to withhold Congressionally approved and needed American assistance for a vulnerable, struggling and nascent democracy until his personal campaign objectives were pursued by a foreign country to interfere with the American electoral process. America stands moderately taller today.
1
to protect civility, we should forgive an egregious abuse of power? we currently have a deplorable situation. let's resist accepting more of it.
3
The president has the right to conduct foreign policy, but he does NOT have the right to break the law to do so. He also does NOT have the right to demand a foreign government manufacture dirt on a political rival in order to receive the aid approved by Congress.
3
The Republican defense, echoed here by Mr. Morrison, who previously worked as a Republican aide in congress, is that there is nothing wrong with pressuring a foreign government to smear one's political rivals.
The American people must be made to understand why these actions are wrong. We expect the president to conduct foreign policy for the good of the country; conducting it for his own reelection bid is an abuse of his office, an abuse of tax payer money, and an abuse of election law.
38
If Trump felt he needed foreign help to win the next election, he probably did the same thing to win the last election! What ever happened to winning on issues and policies?
23
Republicans gave that up years ago.
2
@Connie Moore
My suspicion is that the only way Trump ever won anything was through cheating.
5
This line of offense isn't going to work for the Democrats. The President published the transcript of the conversation he had with Zelensky, yet the Democrats are pinning their hopes on minute underlings, whose status will be elevated by a complicit press, to provide some factual basis for their fantasies of impeachment. In the end, rational people will view this for what it is.
3
@SinNombre Fact checking. trump published only "partial" transcript with key information hidden in DOT DOT DOT.
6
@SinNombre
For the millionth time. It was not a transcript of the call, it was a summary. It was edited.
If you have bothered to read it you can see it clear as day on the bottom of page 1 under Caution.
Rational and responsible Americans do their homework.
7
@SinNombre
If you'd actually read for comprehension, a transcript was NOT published. It was a summary of the call, as prepared by the WH. A summary that wasn't quite complete.
6
So if Mr. Morrison witnessed Trump shoot someone to death on 5th Avenue he might say that while it created a traffic jam as hospitals dispatched ambulances to get to the victim he was not saying a law was broken.
18
So, it wasn't wrong, it was just bad foreign policy. Wow. When can they depose Trump?
8
And another aide says there were none. More selective leaks.
1
Pelosi is a master politician. You are seeing greatness in action.
10
Trump must resign for the sake of this country. A man who has no respect for the rule of law does not need to be sitting in our White House. His shadow government needs to be dismantled now, not later. He is laughing at us. I want to see what he is hiding on those taxes. Why must we all pay our fair share and he jokes about his. Every American should be livid.
16
@Karen
A person no respect for the rule of law is likely to do anything — especially that which benefits them.
I can’t stop thinking how this would be flipped if it were HRC. Moscow Mitch and his minions would’ve stormed the White House by now and defenestrated poor Hilary. Then they’d propose legislation to make the day they did it National Defenestration Day, and the history books would call it the Defenestration of DC.
9
"Mr. Taylor also testified that, a few days later, Mr. Morrison told him that he had learned of a conversation between Mr. Sondland and Mr. Trump that Mr. Morrison had said gave him a “sinking feeling.” In it, Mr. Trump had told Mr. Sondland that he was not asking for a “quid pro quo” from Ukraine, but then went on to “insist” that Mr. Zelensky publicly announce an investigation into both the Bidens and an unproven theory that Democrats had colluded with Ukraine in 2016."
Evidently, the President* continues to suffer from a degree of illiteracy that has plagued him his whole life. 'Quid pro quo' is actually not a different thing than insisting someone give him something in return for whatever he has said or done. You see? Same thing. Yes. Yes, it really is. Really.
14
Please stop calling it a "transcript"! It is a summary. The transcript is locked away in the secure server. Incidentally, when are we going to see the actual "transcript"?
25
@Howard Kessler
The thing is there’s no real transcript. What resides in the super secret server is text based on notes from those listening in and voice recognition software.
Actually, the call as transcribed by the voice recognition software may actually have recorded and it, too, could be in that super secret server — or maybe it’s just on the not so super secret server. Now that would be a transcript. Anyone?
1
@Dunn Arceneaux: It may count as a transcript, but it would have some mistakes.
Please stop calling it a "transcript". It is a "summary"! The transcript is locked away in the secured server.
10
One of the many things I've learned over the weeks: Republicans don't just condone a lying, corrupt president but give an enthusiastic thumbs waaaaaaay up the more despicable his behavior becomes. Sad how much this party has slipped into disrespectability.
21
“In his opening remarks, Mr. Morrison ..............made clear he did not view the actions of the president or others involved as illegal or improper. Instead, he characterized their behavior as bad foreign policy of the sort that could potentially squander a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” afforded by Mr. Zelensky’s election.”
While Morrison confirmed the basic allegation that Trump asked Ukraine to do investigations on his political rival, forget even the apparent quid pro quo, he’s opining this is Not illegal or improper. Isn’t this a violation of the FEC statute on solicitation of foreign interference/contribution in US elections? Wow, talk about relativity in the eye of the beholder vis a vis the statute. This will make GOPers very happy!
159
@Fe R
I wonder why he is not versed on the law here. As I always told my kids; if something doesn't feel right in your gut that's your instincts telling you it isn't right.
38
What a tragedy when the Republicans’ best defense of Trump is he is not criminal only stupid and incompetent.
42
@Fe R
It is indeed a violation of federal election law.
Thing is.. his "opinion" has no legal basis as a defense of Trump. But of course Trump and his water carriers will try really ard to present a non-legal opinion as though it was "settled law" somehow.
He presented facts, under oath .. and it is up to Congress to review and decide if it is a crime that rises to the level of impeachment enforcement.. and I am confident when all the facts come out... most of the public will agree that it is an impeachable offense and will tell their congressional representatives accordingly.. both in the senate and the house.
10
Poppycock. Trumplicans insist that impeachment is trying to “undo” the election. As usual, no evidence for that. When Republicans were not keen about the Affordable Care Act, did Democrats accuse them of trying to “undo’” Obama’s election? No, because that is a meaningless and desperate means of arguing about health care. Republicans do not have a reasonable defense against the blatant law-breaking throughout Trump’s presidency (and for many years before). So they make a ‘straw man” about bitter grapes. Yes, Democrats believed in 2015 and since then have had more and more reasons to believe that Trump is a horrible President. But Trump is a disaster not because Democrats are trying to undo an election. Trump is a disaster because he he has always been a self-serving, ignorant, immoral, law breaking, dangerous and sociopathic little boy.
461
@Peter Nowell
Yeah!!
26
@Peter Nowell
Thank you.
24
@Peter Nowell
Very well said. The Republicans and Faux News types all start with this assertion that any resistance to about undoing the election. You have to give them credit for message discipline.
So far, Pelosi has done a good job with the inquiry but I continue to find Schiff weak and ineffectual on camera. I hope he’s better behind the scenes.
Regardless of the verdict in the Senate, we Dems still have an election to win and so far, I’m not sure any of the candidates can do it. I’m hoping that Stacy Abrams will run with whoever is nominated.
Despite her recent polling, I don’t think Warren can win but I’d like her better with Abrams. I’ll say that for all of them.
2
Why haven’t we heard that Congress has sent Bolton the subpoena he requested? If he is in receipt of the no matter what machinations his attorney argues in court are moot. Bolton can do as he pleases. Send the subpoena and see what he does. His information about Juliana would be remarkable.
11
There was never any request that the Ukraine announce an investigation of a political rival.
Okay, there was such a request but it was a simple request with no pressure or quid pro quo.
Okay, there was both a request and a clear indication that if they refused to announce an investigation of political rivals there would be no military funding or WH visit.
But there is nothing wrong with any of it. “We do it all the time.”
America’s Fifth Avenue moment. All the evidence indicates Donald was right.
79
@John David James this is crazy from your side. It's the same as.if you hire some one to kill some one you still go to jail just from asking. Wake up an smell the crime
1
Your reasoning and your conclusions deserve a hearty Bravo.
2
@John David James: In the famous words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till it's over."
1
With so many credible witnesses coming forward with “unimpeachable” testimony, what’s going to be the tipping point for Republicans to realize that it may no longer make sense to defend their president against impeachment?
Maybe in the end this will help bring the parties together because it’s going to get more and more difficult for them to back Trump.
15
This is what I’ve been saying and hoping. Then again, Republicans thus far have shown themselves to be completely spineless.
2
After three years of listening to Republicans in Congress make excuses for Trump, it no longer surprises me that they’ve turned their backs on their oaths to uphold and defend our Constitution. Their actions serve to teach Americans that the Constitution is mere empty words on paper, and that it is meaningless. Well done, Republicans.
41
Did anyone else catch the recent episode of SNL where 3-4 people were discussing the whole impeachment thing, the majority of participants were indignantly listing Trump’s transgressions, and Keenan Thompson was nodding along, but when his turn came to speak, he said “Ain’t nothing gonna happen.” Hilarious. And, unfortunately, spot on. That’s because no Trump supporter, and by extension no Republican politician, thinks it matters that Trump uses his power for the ghastly things he does. They will care one day - maybe. But since it’s already too late, it doesn’t matter now.
16
Here's a question for the lawyers and maybe the legal team at the NY Times. If a regular American with an 8 to 5 job, like me, was summoned to appear before Congress and I publicly announce that I'm going to ignore it, what would be the possible consequences? Bolton's response through his lawyer is Mr. Bolton was “not willing to appear voluntarily,” declining to specify what his client would do should he be subpoenaed. Would this be an option for me?
15
@Mark No the police would arrest you and throw you in jail. But you’re not above the law. The law does not apply to Trump and his collaborators.
2
@Mark
IANAL. But sure it would be an option. That's why Congress has subpoena powers, to compel anyone who doesn't wish to appear. They ask you to appear, which is a polite request, and then if you say no they decide if they want to pull out the subpoena hammer.
A subpoena is a form of coercion, so like any coercive act it has a cost (e.g. bad publicity, or even just making you mad) so perhaps if you're just an ordinary citizen that cost is less and they are more willing to do it. And that cost is why they might try asking politely first.
1
Are all of these non-partisan officials lying about the quid pro quo Trump and the Republican Party have been insisting did not happen but has repeatedly confessed to in public?
Do Trump and the Republican Party really believe that these people are out to get them?
Is everyone that contradicts Trump and the Republican Party really carrying out a partisan agenda against them?
Will today's Republican Party join the likes of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roger B Taney, author of the Dred Scott Decision, in supporting Donald Trump?
Are Republicans willing to wear a vote to retain Trump in office for the rest of their lives and even after their deaths like former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roger B Taney, author of the Dred Scott Decision?
Are Republicans willing to take responsibility for everything that Trump does or fails to do after they vote to retain him in office?
Think long and hard Republicans, you can't take this vote back.
17
There is opinion, of course. Howerver, there is also the law and the Constitution. The questions is, which side does one take?
Did the president knowingly break the law and denounce our Constitution?
5
Why yes. Yes he does.
2
@Kristin
Thank you. I agree. The evidence, going back months, speaks for its self.
1
So Morrison sees nothing "illegal" or "improper" about the President using his office to blackmail a foreign government into investigating his political opponents? Let me suggest that Mr. Morrison may be lacking a working moral compass of his own if something that is so obviously corrupt only bothers him because it is "bad foreign policy." I can understand why John Bolton brought him into the NSC.
27
So this Trump adviser doesn't think it's illegal to ask a foreign country to dig up dirt on political opponents in return for foreign aid. Where does Trump find these people?
40
@RRM In the republican party. Plenty to choose from.
6
Can we stop with the quid pro quo and call it what it really is: BRIBERY.
53
Now we have unimpeachable testimony from war heroes and long term Republicans saying that there was a Quid Pro Quo, while Trump is trying to buy the Congressional seats of Republicans who showed absolute cowardice today.
Is our Republic salvageable, or are our representatives utterly corrupted by money and power? If all else fails, the people need to vote these criminals out of office. And that means Romney as well for showing utter cowardice in the face of indisputable facts.
11
A real President would have said, I can make a deal here. I'll give Ukraine millions of dollars, and they'll fight to stop Russia from overrunning their country and maybe all of Europe. Our fake President said, I can make a deal here. I'll give Ukraine millions of dollars, and they'll find or make up dirt on my rivals so I can lock in my political and family fortunes. Surely any reasonable person sees the difference.
14
The Republicans in Congress are about to normalise the seeking of foreign interference in an elections. And why would they do this? Because they realise the chances of a Democrat doing the same are about zero.
Maybe once every Republican votes to not convict Trump, the American people need to take to the streets in a show of disgust and strength in numbers so overwhelming they are forced to come to terms with their insanity and their leaders.
10
The more we hear from career diplomats the more seems that Trump is building a swamp. The rot does not stop at the top; there are many enablers.
Whether the Congress ens up impeaching Trump or not, and if impeached, whether the Senate will remove him from his office or not, does not matter. These hearings have shown that once you enter Trump's orbit, you have to join him in the "drug deal" and sully your name. Or else just leave.
13
Folks who are worried we're in Constitutional crises should take comfort knowing, if it was Hilary or Barrack or Warren who'd done the exact same thing with the President of Ukraine, Republicans would be howling in the aisles for impeachment.
At least we know our they're prepared to defend American democracy about half the time.
11
I'm betting that between Trump's using aid as a bludgeon and his abandonment of the Kurds, US credibility in Ukraine is somewhere in the single digits.
13
With each corroborating statement by people of integrity, the noose gets a little bit tighter as Republicans hang themselves in defense of blatant corruption. America will remember who stood for truth and the defense of our Republic at the next national election.
9
“A National Security Council aide testified on Thursday that a top diplomat who was close to President Trump told him...”
What are we getting hearsay after hearsay, this impeachment is build on shifting sand.
1
Imagine, it only cost Gordon Sondlan a million dollar contribution to the Trump campaign to get his reputation permanently besmirched and forever known as a toady and a liar. Compared to the sacrifices others have made on Trump's behalf, only to meet the same fate, its a bargain if you ask me.
14
So Morrison thought that Mr. Sondland wanted the Ukraine's inspector general, rather than Zelensky, to undertake the Biden probe, and that makes his account "very contradictory" according to Meadows? Well, I can see how Fox "news" is going to play this.
9
When I hold my shotgun against the side of your head and demand all the cash in the register, it isn’t an armed robbery. It is just a “request”.
39
If Republicans who voted, all voted no, how does this country move forward together? How can Republicans not think treating the Office of the Presidency being run like a mafia operation and compromising our entire world standing is okay?
28
@Lilly
You would think that the Republicans who announced they are retiring would have given a more objective vote rather than adhering to the party line. Good thing they are quitting, I guess since the going is getting tough.
1
Republicans are "happy" with anything that would provide a cover-up for the egregious Trump. It's disgusting, considering that the aide for Ukraine--duly authorized by Congress and considered imperative by our own security services--was held up for about two months for that Trump dirty deal. Ugh. Away with Trump!
7
This appears to have been a rather artless deal.
6
No connection between his resignation and his testimony? He just happened to resign, with no prior notice, the night before the testimony? This administration seems to believe that we will believe just about anything. Absurd and ridiculous.
7
Wow! Another nail in the coffin of the Trump administration.
6
Is there nobody who writes about Russia's happiness about Ukraine not getting the aid to fight AGAINST Russia.
How our Orange Bomb, basically was playing from Putin's playbook.
Everything piece of foreign policy he has done has strengthened Putin...... whether its in Ukraine, Syria, Turkey. And lessened our support from our allies.
Very hard to say he is not In The Service of Putin...
9
Bait and switch -Current occupant of the While House is the ultimate nightmare. It’s Halloween everyday he remains in office. A smart Republican would want this monkey off his/her back ASAP! Why suffer threats from such a corrupt situation? He’s attempting to trade Russia’s illegal tampering with his 2015 bogus election for a Ukraine deal. Ukraine is fighting for its existence free from Russia’s interference. Putin’s got a hold on him. Why is anyone in our country falling for this foolishness. It’s time to take our country back from Russian meddling of any kind.
7
Mr. Trump told Mr. Sondland that he was not asking for a “quid pro quo” from Ukraine, but then immediately asked for a quid pro quo....and then reiterated to everyone that there was no "quid pro quo"......while reiterating to Ukraine that the public Biden investigation must happen before they got any military aid.....while denying there is any "quid pro quo".
See how it works.
Break the law.
Deny you broke the law.
Break the law again.
Deny you broke the law again.
Repeat ad infinitum.
Claim executive privilege, fake news, Ukrainian hoax, Hillary, Obama, deep state, etc.
Schedule another Hate Rally.
Make Gaslighting Great Again.
Impeach this national security threat ASAP.
92
@Socrates Thank you, an excellent summation, as always!
Why do the vast majority of Republicans keep their heads firmly stuck in the sand?
6
@XXX They're bottom-feeding scavengers.
1
@XXX
They are afraid of Trump's loyal supporters, just look at his rallies.
1
Question is why isn’t Rudy Giuliani brung summoned, pronto! Why beat about the Bush! Why not go to the source the mastermind of all these crooked dealings! Trump Giuliani go back a long long way. They each behave like the mob boss.
6
@petey tonei
Dear Petey tonei,
"Brung"? Is that like dance with the one who "brung" you. Or did you have something else in mind?
@gpickard , “being”! My autocorrect changes words faster than I can type. And if I am not wearing reading glasses I can’t read vowels! (Head slap) my bad.
How many more witnesses to this murder of our Constitution do we need? Just get rid of him already!
9
In spite of a mountain of credible evidence provided by nonpartisan public servants, Republicans continue to cling to the lie that Trump is a victim. This disgusting display of “party over country” shows just how craven and pernicious the GOP has become. If the shoe were on the other foot they would be calling for a lynching, as they did with Clinton who was guilty of far less. We can add gross hypocrisy to the charges against them. They are truly deplorable.
5
Turn the oven off, this turkey’s cooked.
6
the first of the ringers has shown their true colors.
I posted three weeks ago that Dems needed to be careful in who they brought in to testify because some of them would be trump supporters who would claim trump was just stupid not criminal.
Morrison is the first; how many more will there be?
2
I hear a floodgate opening.
5
“Dr. Hill told me that Ambassador Sondland and President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, were trying to get President Zelensky to reopen Ukrainian investigations into Burisma,” he said. “At the time, I did not know what Burisma was or what the investigation entailed.”
Not asking basic follow up questions like, “what is Burisma?” is not an acceptable excuse. Rather it’s either proof of your incompetence or lying under oath.
My money is on the latter.
6
Meh. He also testified he wasn't concerned about anything illegal.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/31/timothy-morrison-nothing-illegal-trump-ukraine-phone/
1
Orange is the new extremely ill-fitting Dinner Suit.
Lol.
5
Let me guess, he’s another “never trumper”, or a spy, or Obama holdover, right? At what point do trump fans realize that it’s not everyone else conspiring against him, but the more realistic scenario is that trump is just lying and he is the actual grifter. At some point trump fans have to come to the realization that trump will be gone in about a year, and then who will they follow like a some cult leader? Who will give you one liners to yell out and hats to buy like some wwe wrestler. When will you all realize that karma is coming, and like your dear leader says, you will go down “screaming and crying like a dog”.
6
Honestly, I’d be embarrassed to be a Republican right now. Seeing ALL THIS EVIDENCE, and representatives from my party are wantonly disregarding it all for a conman’s ever-fluid favor?
It’s pathetic.
3
Is everyone involved getting scared about not coming forth so here they come?
Getting more interesting. The woodwork is bulging.
2
And Trump and his minions will say (like George Costanza, in a Seinfeld episode, said when he got caught having sex with the office cleaning lady) "I don't understand...was that wrong?"
2
"Mr. Taylor testified last week that Mr. Morrison, a top Russia and Europe expert, had informed him in early September of a meeting in Warsaw between Mr. Sondland and a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Mr. Sondland told the Ukrainian aide that the United States would only provide a package of $391 million in security assistance that Congress had allocated for the country if Mr. Zelensky committed to investigate allegations related to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son, who sat on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company."
Methinks Mr. Sondland has some whatchacallit it, um, perjury exposure here. Good thing he is filthy rich, 'cause at $1,000 an hour, these top-notch white collar defense attorneys could bankrupt a poorer man right quick....
Adios, Sonnie, we hardly knew ye...and couldn't stand ya....
7
As I am watching the pundits discussing Morrison, I realized that the press and media reinforce the animus between the Dems and GOP. They consistently say the Democrats when referring to the Committees doing the impeachment investigations. It is the HOUSE committees, and they are doing it because the actions by this administration are threats to the Constitution, the basis of the government of the people. Trump has been the president of his base ... our laws, Congress and the constitution do not belong to only one party, even if one party is shirking it’s duty. And the committees have always been chaired by the majority, but include members of the minority party as well.
295
@Mountain Dragonfly Amen. The press (which also calls arguments about policy differences "bickering" to de-fang deep disagreements) just loves to make it look like some kind of soccer match...
30
@JFMACC: Did you listen to the House members today before the vote?
1
@JFMACC
...which of course just makes everything worse.
1
Timothy Morrison is another hero who values exposing the truth about Trump's 'perfect' phone call.
How many people are going to have to tell the same story before the Republicans admit that Trump was using taxpayer money to bribe another country to have it investigate a political opponent?
I continue to read Republican comments stating nothing was found and that this is the L falsely attempting to damage the president.
I feel sorry that Morrison, a National Security Council aide, felt he had to quit his job before testifying before impeachment investigators.
72
@Carol Ring
these trump cult followers refuse to acknowledge the facts and will do and say anything to save their king
15
@Carol Ring
The only problem with calling Mr. Morrison a hero is that the man has a J.D. from George Washington University, is supposed to know the law, and yet saw no illegality with trading Congressionally mandated aid for dirt on Trump's opponent.
That smacks of professional idiocy and irresponsibility. Not heroism.
37
It appears that the one deviance in content Mr. Morrison mentioned was happily grabbed onto for dear life by Mark Meadows, eager for anything differing from the preponderance of evidence from multiple witnesses.
That's where we are. That Mr. Morrison didn't think this behavior mounted to a high crime or misdemeanor is besides the point. After all, he was pretty removed from the details of this quid pro quo if he didn't even realize what Burisma was.
Let's see how the American people feel about it after live hearings by public servants and Ukraine experts whose shock at how brazen and reckless this man has behaved is well documented.
155
@ChristineMcM
"Let's see how the American people feel about it after live hearings..."
Let's hope enough of them see the hearings directly and not just the Foxified versions. Because let's face it: if the hearings say "black black black black black", Carlson et al. will still say "white white white white white".
26
@ChristineMcM
Meadows recently sent out a poll only to supporters in his district asking if they think Trump should be impeached. He did not send it to all the constituents in the district. I guess their opinion doesn't matter.
.
24
@ChristineMcM And Nixon didn't think what he did was illegal either--"I am not a crook."
21
What will we tell our children or grandchildren when they study Trump’s administration in their civics classes in school?
The House will eventually impeach him and I imagine the Senate won’t find him guilty.
What we tell our children and grandchildren? I am speechless. And quite embarrassed that he will end up getting away with these crimes.
211
It depends on who gets to write the history books, doesn’t it?
14
@BSR
Many schools don't teach civics anymore. Have you read some of the comments?
21
@BSR One of the problems we have as a nation today is that schools no longer teach civics. Maybe when this episode is over that will change.
31
Mr. Morrison thinks it was not illegal.
I think it was.
Neither of us has the authority or background for such a judgement, which, by the way, is not necessary for commending articles of impeachment.
Thanks for your testimony, Mr. Morrison, as it corroborates the testimony of others and implicates the President* as well as some members of his staff.
Let the inquiry proceed.
35
Sworn testimony to criminal behavior is not good enough in era a Trump's world of constant lies. Only hard-core documentation will do. Even that may not qualify as a smoking gun, but it's a lot better than "he said, she said," even when the "saying" is under oath.
9
I believe that the GOP position will shortly be that (1) Trump didn't know what he did was wrong and believed he was acting in the national interest, and (2) even if Trump was wrong he should not be removed for a single offense.
And they have the votes in the Senate.
25
That may be true, but that argument will surely fall apart when it comes out that several of his top people likely explained to him that it was wrong and problematic. I’m sure Bolton must have told Trump he was playing a risky game, and Trump in his infinite Trumpishness decided he was a very stable genius and chose to ignore the warnings.
Either way, it will make it a lot harder to say he didn’t know that what he was doing was wrong.
Let’s subpoena Bolton and really get to the truth. I have a feeling Bolton is just dying to say his peice and is waiting for a subpoena so he doesn’t look “too eager.”
8
@John Graybeard I would tend to agree with you, save for one important fact. If Trump and his administration thought that everything was above board and "perfect", why hide everything and why try and block your minions from providing evidence? The burying of evidence like this has the hallmarks of a criminal endeavour.
358
@John Graybeard But for me and you: ignorance of the law is no excuse.
8
It is now a virtual certainty that Trump will face an impeachment trial in the Senate.
So far, the evidence is overwhelmingly devastating to Trump with virtually everything the whistleblower attested confirmed by multiple witnesses. Trump withheld military aid to a foreign government to extort personal favours to help his 2020 campaign and thus undermined U.S. national security.
Republicans have struggled to find any kind of defence other than, "It's not fair!"
53
@Keir Shakespeare
I personally think that it is clear that Trump will be impeached by the House and tried by the Senate. But, I also think Pence, and members of Trump's cabinet, could be,a s well, as accessories (cover up, altering records, violation of national security, additional quid pro quo incidents, and yes treasonous activity.
Nixon committed the "Saturday Night Massacre"; this is a presidential administration equivalent of "9/11". Trump is not only going to go down, he will be taking a lot of people with him. Bolton was right about the hand grande comment.
6
We now have a well-corroborated series of events from three people working in the foreign policy arena, all of who have testified that Mr. Trump held up Senate and House sanctioned aid to pressure the Ukrainian president towards opening an investigation into one of his political opponents.
The question now remains, will this be enough to sway Republicans in the House and the Senate to see this for what it is, a blatant abuse of power by the President. Mr. Trump prioritized his political ambitions over foreign policy in an area as sensitive and strategically important as Ukraine and used taxpayer dollars as an incentive. I fail to see why Republicans don't agree that this is egregious. I fail to see why they have to tether their reputation and their party's future to someone like Mr. Trump.
The obvious answer is because of the base of voters who have stood by Mr. Trump. That is another thing I fail to comprehend. Americans are known to be fiercely protective of their sovereignty and despise any outside interference in domestic and national issues. Why, then, does the Trump voter base still stand by him? What would it take to sway them? Or is it even possible? Can Mr. Trump, actually, shoot someone in broad daylight and still not lose voters?
This America scares me.
99
Sometimes I wonder why Republicans don't simply cut ties with Donald Trumpski -- so they can concentrate on their core mission of gutting the environment, the poor and middle class, and all semblance of social justice!
64
@Don Davis Trump is handling the destruction....just look at all of the corporate people he has been assigning to cabinet positions and policy changes being made. Trump is doing all of the dirty work while Republicans just have to sit there and cover for him.
When all is done, the Republicans can use Trump as the escape goat while getting their destructive agenda accomplished AND walk scott free.
7
@Don Davis I suspect that without Trump as a candidate, that is with Senator Clinton against any of the other Republican candidates in 2016, Clinton would have likely prevailed. The Repub. field was very weak and none of the other candidates would've been able to get the blue collar votes that Trump got, giving him Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, etc. And now, Trump is even more popular among Republicans (which to me says something unpleasant about Republicans in generall....).
2
@Din Davus: Simple really. If they do they will be primaried out of their nice, comfortable (often gerrymandered) jobs and somebody else will then reap the rich rewards of benefiting corporate America by doing the things you mention.
3
so apparently, if Trump says a quid pro quo isn't a "quid pro quo," then he's clean. sort of like if I call a rose "Robert" it's not a rose any more. see how easy that is?
59
@Judy Hill yep - their alternative reality at play again. And again. And again. And ....
3
It is hard to believe, at this point, that the phone conversation between Trump and Zelensky was a friendly chat. We now have first hand accounts that Trump was going to withhold military aid, from Ukraine, unless Mr. Zelensky authorized an investigation into the Bdiens, in order to obtain negative information that could be used in the 202 election campaign.
Today, 232 members of the House thought that there is now enough evidence to open a formal, and public, impeachment inquiry. These 232 members of Congress feel that rule of law and the Constitution rises above politics. 196 thought put their political careers ahead of the rule of law and the Constitution. 4 were just cowards and chose not to vote.
In three previous impeachment inquiries, Clinton, Nixon and Johnson, their crimes all pale in comparison, Nixon, though, was the benchmark fro political scandal. However, Trump has far exceeded anything Nixon did. Trump committed extortion, and what could be interpreted as treason (trusting the Russian government over our own certainly qualifies).
I suspect the House will determine that Trump should be tried din the Senate. The question remains will the Senate put rule of law and the Constitution ahead of protecting a liar,e extortionist and traitor?
37
I think we’ll soon see a hastily coordinated effort with senior White House officials using their testimony to try and protect President Trump by scapegoating and throwing both Ambassador Sondland and Mayor Guliani under the impeachment bus!
I’m positive both Sondland and Guliani will soon learn, the very hard way, what “loyalty” means to Trump!
They all did this to themselves, made this bed, and now they all suffer in it. So sad for America.
29
If I find out that you know that someone broke the law how is it wrong for me to encourage you to report it to law enforcement?
That said, it appears that quid pro quo exists on both sides of this equation.
Guaranteed, Hunter Biden does not get this job with Ukraine if his father was not the sitting vice-president.
Whether Zelensky was persuaded by Trump to rat out the Bidens is not yet established, but it doesn't look good.
3
@MIKEinNYC Way to miss the point - this is not about Hunter Biden, whose business dealings may have been legal but they were certainly inappropriate, it's about Trump's repeated abuses of power.
It's a fact that almost every Trump foreign policy decision that involves Europe or the Middle East, when seen through the prism of "cui bono?" works to the benefit of one person, the president of an enemy nation: Vladimir Putin.
46
He saw it. Vindman saw it. Mulvaney says 'get over it'. Trump says it was perfect. This is all just a test to see how far abuse of power and dismantling of our government can be taken. Thus far, to our country's detriment, it is working for Trump and his power hungry enablers.
63
“Let me make something 100% clear to the American public and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election. This is not a novel concept.“ -- Ellen Weintraub, chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission
219
@Gioia Tauro Didn't Mike Pence echo that statement when running for election in 2016? Different story now ? He has been very quiet of late.
9
Got this from a family member with deep roots in the Democrat party.
“Sick, sick of the dems acting the way they did. My dad must be turning over in his grave. The party is nothing like it was back in the 40s and 50s. Sad. I hope it is soon resolved. I do not think he will be impeached - but we have to go through the process.”
I believe this person in 2016 voted in past family tradition.
1
@Jerry Davenport. Tell your family member that MANY millions in this country are sick, sick of the Repubs acting the way they did and are. We are especially sick of how Trump continually abuses the power of his office, including his violation of the Emoluments clause.
3
@Jerry Davenport - was waiting for a punchline at the end of your post: Just kidding, we're Republicans.
2
@Jerry Davenport - It seems like all of the trolls online today are using some variation of this theme. It's getting old.
The committees have requsted that Bolton appear before them. His lawyer says he will not appear voluntarily.
What I would like to know is whether or not the committees will be slapping Bolton (and others) with a subpoena, and if not, why not.
They apparently don't want to draw things out with protracted legal battles, and they state that non-compliance by Administration personnel will only serve to make the case against trump stronger. Surely non-compliance to a subpoena is stronger than non-compliance against a pretty-please, is it not?
Now is the time to come to the aid of the country, not to pussy-foot.
58
Bolton and Kupperman are both waiting for a judge to rule about appearing before Congress. Bolton will will likely be subpoenaed, Kupperman already has been subpoenaed. They are both represented by the same attorney.
2
@RickyDick
It makes sense Bolton will not appear voluntarily in some respects. He doesn't want to appear too much of a snitch. Being handed a subpoena provides some cover of being demanded to appear and not appearing too disloyal. Bolton does probably want to work again.
6
How much corroboration do House and Senate Republicans need to hear (during closed-door depositions in which some of them are present or when open door hearings begin) before they stop smearing the process and start questioning Trump's fidelity to the Constitution? Where is their red line? The evidence is becoming overwhelming, so my question to the Republicans is: which side are you on? United States of America and its Constitution or Trump?
326
@me they have not cared about anything other than power and money since 1980. They will lie cheat and steal to win elections and laugh behind the backs of their uneducated supporters.
24
@me Well, that's a silly question.
7
@me If the blind faith Republicans continue flaunting the truth, saying black is white and up is down, and trying to smear highly respected officials risking career and safety to tell the truth, that red line will soon become a blue line.
The Republican party will soon be sounding its much deserved death knell, along with the Trump circus.
13
It's odd that this Mr Morrison didn't think extorting political dirt on a future opponent in exchange for US military aid was against any law or untoward. He must have been hired by Mike Pompeo.
228
He is known as “Bolton’s Bolton”. He is a neo-con nuclear Republican.
11
@Markymark He did as of September 1. “Ambassador Taylor and I had no reason to believe that the public release of the security sector assistance might be conditioned on a public statement reopening the Burisma investigation until my Sept. 1, 2019, conversation with Ambassador Sondland,” Mr. Morrison said. “Even then I hoped that Ambassador Sondland’s strategy was exclusively his own and would not be considered by the leaders of the administration and Congress, who understood the strategic importance of Ukraine to our national security.”
Mark Meadows said Mr. Morrison’s testimony was “very powerful and very contradictory to other witnesses that have testified.”
Mr. Meadows, you must be bursting with the need to tell us how Mr. Morrison's testimony was very contradictory. If he said anything that's exculpatory, let's hear it.
Oh, and just because Mr. Morrison didn't view trump's actions as illegal or improper as opposed to bad foreign policy, that doesn't forgive or excuse trump's extortion attempt. That may be Mr. Morrison's personal view, but did confirm the quid pro quo. And that's what the investigation is about.
207
@Claire Elliott
The House inquiry and probable House impeachment is about DJT's abuse of power and authority. The elevation of the detail of a "quid pro quo" to a central question is to distract attention from DJT attempts to use the office to solicit the aid of a foreign government to a investigate a potential political agenda rival for his own political gain and obstruct the investigation by asserting nonexistent law and recruit others to not cooprerate or lie during the course of the investigation.
11
@Rob D
Yes, when the story broke, quid pro quo was shorthand for the transactional nature of trump's conversation with Zelensky.
Since the details have emerged and been corroborated, we've learned that the whole sordid situation is broader, much worse, and more threatening to our democracy than it originally appeared.
Abuse of power gets to the heart of the matter and is easily understood.
9
@Claire Elliott
Which is why the House is moving now to a public set of hearings... so people like Meadows cannot peddle a narrative in the absence of the public seeing actual re-presentation of these testimonies.
1
We've long past the point of absurdity in this investigation. Mr. Morrison's testimony further corroborates what all the other witnesses have said: there was, in fact, a quid pro quo.
President Trump and his Republican supporters seem to believe that if you don't say the words "quid pro quo" no crime was committed, as if it's some kind of Latin magic incantation. So, Mr. Trump could indeed shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and so long as he didn't say "I'm murdering you," he get away with the crime simply because he's President.
And here I thought that the American Revolution was fought to liberate use from a tyrannical monarch who did whatever he wanted. Obviously, members of the deep state must have fought that Revolution too, except then, everyone in America called them "patriots."
141
@jrinsc
Trump probably doesn't know what "quid pro quo" means. He certainly seems to have trouble getting the entire phrase out, as opposed to "pro quo."
That's the tricky part about those darned magic incantations - you've got to understand what they mean, and then say them right.
5
So, the testimony of high-level foreign services officers is corroborated by White House officials who had s need to know.
What do Republicans not understand about treason and corruption? They certainly wouldn’t have tolerated anything like this under a Democratic president. Their hypocrisy is going to reduce us to the level of a Middle Eastern caliphate. If Republicans don’t like the symbolism, they brought this opprobrium on themselves.
114
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18 GOP sold it's Soul; never getting it back. Vote out Republicans or get 5 more years of Hate;Faer; Corruption. BTW; Trump rolled back Obama protections that kept Coal Ash Toxins out of our drinking water. Trump is literally poisioning us. Ray Sipe
11
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18 The Republicans do understand treason and corruption. They just don't care. Also, it could be that Putin has incriminating evidence on the Republicans as well that Trump is leveraging (NRA money).
11
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18 it creates their demise from wealth and power....
3
This appears to be bribery under 18 U.SC.201(b). The President corruptly sought something of value personally (investigation of a political rival) in return for release of foreign aid to Ukraine. No different from a president seeking $1 million in cash from a foreign oil company in return for the grant of a lease to drill for oil in a national park.
Bribery is expressly listed as a ground for impeachment in the Constitution: treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors.
So much for this not being an impeachable offense.
284
Excerpt from said code listed above.
"(2) being a public official or person selected to be a public official, directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in return for:
(A) being influenced in the performance of any official act; "
5
@George so sitting presidents are not allowed to have people investigated simply because they are running for president? Well let me announce myself for 2020 so I can go commit a slew of crimes and cry foul when the DOJ starts investigating me a political rival. Makes total sense doesn’t it?!
For personal gain? Can a police officer give a ticket for speeding if he will gain bonus? There was a sincere belief that the Bidens and the Ukrainian prosecutor did things illegal and corrupt.
There is no doubt that if the President were a Democrat, Republicans would absolutely see that asking a foreign nation to investigate a political rival while withholding military aid as illegal, and therefore impeachable.
We have public servants with decades of experience blowing the whistle loud and clear, and the Republicans are sticking their fingers in their ears and trying to make greater noise. The utter irresponsibility and hypocrisy is endless in its implications.
Every Republican notion of rule of law, adherence to the Constitution, government accountability, or personal responsibility has gone out the window with today's vote.
87
@Suzanne Moniz
“Every Republican notion of rule of law, adherence to the Constitution, government accountability, or personal responsibility has gone out the window with today's vote.”
I agree with all you say, except for one word: “today.”
That happened already, quite some time ago.
9
Tired of seeing this destructive and despicable behavior called by neutered, obscure, soporific names like "quid pro quo."
Try something a little more accurate and fitting to these alleged facts.
Like "Misuse of Presidential Power, or "Obstruction of Law," or "Violation of Presidential Oath of Office."
Even "Drug Deal" is closer to the mark than "quid pro quo."
100
@SA Or "Undermining national security for personal political gain." I agree: "quid pro quo" is not strong messaging!
22
@SA I'm hoping one of the articles of impeachment will call it rightfully was it is -- bribery. Everyone can understand that's a serious crime.
5
Completely agree @SA. Bribery, coercion, mob deal...etc
3
We know he'll never resign, and we know the Republicans would defend him if he were guilty of being an ax murderer...so what is the only viable alternative to save our Constitutional republic from another four years of toxic errosion? Best support a Democrat who can win rather than suffering a loss like the 1972, George McGovern candidacy.
25
@James Landi
So let's see, we are about to nominate who then? Biden, yeah...and how is he different than Hillary? Oh, let me tell you...he's dumber...way dumber, and has a pretty questionable moral compass (see Hunter, legal, but looks awful), and is a centrist neoliberal with no policy chops, basically a republican light, except he even gets the social parts wrong of being a democrat, not understanding the moment, clueless to racism and #metoo. So, Hillary lost, because not enough people wanted more of the same problem, and now Trump will cheat again, and we'll run a worse version of Hillary, probably only better (in some people's views, not mine) because he is male. Aside from that non-accomplishment, he's arguably weaker on every other aspect, except for the absurd likeability factor, which is mostly old folks liking him. Young people are like...are you kidding me??? This guy is the one that makes my school debt stick to me forever, even through bankruptcy. It's time to move on from all the same old same old fake Democrats. We need progressive policies. Vote Warren. Vote as if your life depends on it. It just might.
6
What is so nauseating, beyond the activities of this administration, is that GOP elected representatives and Senators almost unanimously are trying to derail this investigation with lies, cover ups and obstruction. Shame on all those who are putting party before country, and their political careers (incidentally paid for by us) above the CONSTITUTIONAL process to get to the truth.
109
@Mountain Dragonfly for the GOP, this is a money grab. Trump is paying them handsomely to stick by him. What I would like to know is who is funneling millions of dollars into trumps reelection campaign? He has a much larger war chest then any Dem.
6
Trump's entire cabinet can all testify that Trump abused the office of the presidency in the dealing with Ukraine and the Republicans will still try to defend Trump.
It looks like Putin also has incriminating stuff on the Republicans as well and not just Trump.
186
It’s also a big part of the Trump voters and the Republicans that are holding each other hostage over their shared knowledge that all that’s been going since they elected T. is really damaging. Changing side is after this almost impossible because of your own internal moral consequences. The scam has to continue from now on or they’ll be exposed.
2
@mrpisces
Trump could admit it freely himself.. and congressional republicans would still try to defend him as harmless of any crime or blame whatsoever.
3
@mrpisces
I wonder how many people Putin bought with his blood mafia money.
Remember couple of years ago when McCarthy was a majority leader he said ...
“There’s …there’s two people, I think, Putin pays: [California Representative Dana] Rohrabacher and Trump … [laughter] … swear to God.”
Obviously more than just two are fed and taken care by Putin, they sold out the country over Russian millions.
Let us never forget they will go in history book with well deserved asterisk of traitors next to their names.
4
So now the question is not whether there was a quid pro quo - Ukraine investigating Hunter Biden in an attempt to influence the 2020 election in return for military aid that Congress had already authorized.
The question is whether we, the American people, believe that is OK - legally, ethically, and morally.
I see this quid pro quo as a frontal assault on the very foundation of our constitutional democratic republic. It is exactly the kind of abuse of the public trust that Alexander Hamilton was talking about in Federalist 65.
456
@Kevin Brock I hope the Republicans stay the course and thumb their noses at the Constitution. The result will be a well deserved defeat in 2020. They will lose the Senate and the White House, precisely because the American people do not believe it is OK for the POTUS to to withhold military aid from an ally in order to get dirt on a political opponent.
7
@John Fitzsimons
Not necessarily. "A republic, if you can keep it."
It is far from certain that we can at this point. Party of Trump voters and representatives appear to have no real interest in doing so in either the abstract or the concrete, and with Faux and worse egging them on there is no real hope of winning them back. We have only one choice.
Vote Blue No Matter Who....at all levels....and teach your kids to do the same.
Sending the Party of Trump (formerly known as the GOP) the way of the Whigs will be a multigenerational project, but is absolutely necessary.
15
The evidence as corroborated by witnesses of quid pro quo begs the question. How will Republican Senators respond to questions when they know deep down, Trump abused the power of the Office to gain political advantage using a foreign country?
You can't play it down like Trump, you can't deny he did it, you can't just say, "get used to it". Trump has put them in a bind, country or party. And the majority of the country know he's guilty and should be removed.
The Democrats are doing a superb job at organizing this Impeachment. And the President and Republican Congress are squeamish because it's what we'd call, " A Gotcha".
150
@cherrylog754 Republicans know exactly what Trump did. They just don't care.
11
@cherrylog754 They will continue to play it down, deny it, and say 'get used to it' as long as they can possibly get away with it.
7
@cherrylog754 the Republicans are being paid handsomely for their treason. Where is all the RNC and Trump campaign money coming from????
12
I am sure that it was purely for "personal reasons" Morrison resigned prior to testifying. But my suspicious, skeptical side says, perhaps prompted by the Angel of Conspiracy that seems to govern our psyches now, that there is more to it . . . at the very least the toxicity of the Trump regime, if not the vindictiveness and pay-back tactics they employ. After all isn't this the very nature of the Ukraine Affair: "play by my rules or we'll let the crocodiles eat you." Quid pro quo is putting it mildly. And anyone who testifies against the regime is bait.
44
Morrison acknowledges the existence of a quid pro quo.
Morrison says it was bad foreign policy.
Morrison doesn’t believe the act was illegal.
Is Morrison a lawyer?
The quid pro quo is superfluous
As soon as trump requested assistance from a foreign government for the purpose of influencing an election, a crime had been committed.
Anybody who doesn’t think so is a republican member of congress.
618
@Steve Ell
He's not a lawyer; he's a stooge and an enabler. And talks out of both sides of his mouth. He's a super hawk, a fan of Bolton. He merely has a BA in poli sci. A basic nobody. But you don't have to be anything special, if you just suck up to people on the fringe. They always need credentialed hacks to fill the ranks.
27
@Steve Ell : Or votes for Republican members of Congress.
11
@Steve Ell. And that he assumed it was Ambassador Sondland's personal, rogue foreign policy initiative that not directed by his reporting hierarchy.
3
Trump is like the Obi-wan Kenobi of presidents: "These are not the droids you're looking for."
"These are not the droids we're looking for."
He can say it wasn't a quid pro quo all he wants (and he knows what that is, he knows all the best words after all), but when you say "I will give you this if you give me that", that's a quid pro quo. Furthermore, if you say " I will ONLY give you this if you give me that", that's extortion.
97
And yet not one House Republican voted for an inquiry. What a bunch of patriots.
392
Did you say “parrots”?
27
@Leading Cynic
Hopefully that little bellwether will loom large in voters' minds in about a year and a week.
8
@Leading Cynic
@ Democrats didn't either NJ2 and MN7. And, 4 House members were too cowardly to ote.
2
Wow. Just remarkable. The sad truth is that Republican acolytes will dismiss this testimony, and never acknowledge their hypocrisy if these proceedings were against a Democrat.
72