Were they planning to beta up or assault (sexually?) - investigation must be done whatcthreat they had in mind
21
Will there be processional music composed for the march to the Senate Chambers? This farce needs both music and costumes.
22
Tallying up a search of current Senate Republicans' backgrounds and education shows that twenty one (21) have at least one law degree. Certainly anyone with a law degree knows how critical witnesses are to proving a case or further informing jurors so that a rational verdict ensues. So, once the Articles reach the Senate, can we expect to see these 21 senators acting to uphold the rule of law?
115
A first year law student could list 12 different impeachable offenses that Trump has committed, starting with the extra-judicial killing of the Iranian general -- an act no less a murder than the 'disposal' of the Saudi journalist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi by the Saudi Crown Prince. Trump's brazen defense of the murder, changing each moment, recently ending with something akin to 'he deserved it' highlights the completely cavalier interpretation Trump rides into his so-called 'presidency'.
If he is re-elected, history will record 2020 as the end of the USA experiment in honorable government.
189
You sound just like a Fox News sycophant in the Obama era...Much Ado about Nothing. In any case, I am sorry for your loss of General Soleimani, and I wish you tidings in your grieving process. America = Bad. Its enemies: quaint, well-meaning folks, yeah?
14
@Feldman
Not a Trump supporter, but by your line of reasoning you could include Obama and GWBush as being just as guilty as both engaged in decisions resulting in extra judicial executions ( largely by the same method) of suspected enemies.
Didn’t Robert McNamara state that the administration he served under could be considered war criminals for but not limited to the illegal bombing of Cambodia?
11
@Bolshevik Pamphleteer True. I am not exempting Obama, and clearly would indict Bush for war crimes. That said, I think we can agree that Obama did not have a string of outrageously lies from here to eternity. Still -- his drone work was reprehensible and should have been an issue, along with Libya.
31
What will Senators do when information becomes public further implicating Trump in his Ukrainian scheme, after having voted to acquit him without withheld witnesses and documents?
72
What is the missing word [female] in the text message? If an expletive, it should be indicated as such.
35
Wait, did the Ukrainian prosecutor call our ambassador a "fool" or a "female fool"? Why is "female" inserted in brackets?
29
For perspective: The United States can and does go to war with everyone but god forbid we pressure them...how unconscionable!
3
Prosecutors sent Trump's fixer, Michael Cohen, to jail. Rudy Giuliani seems to be filling the role quite nicely. How did a respected district attorney fall so hard, so fast?
32
And, just when we thought Nancy met her match(Mitch?), she was really laying a trap for the Republicans who wanted to sweep this under the carpet.
Great Job, Nancy!
93
Among many other things, it's amazing how easy it is to manipulate Trump.
50
I suspect that it is only a matter of time (probably very short time) until Trump throws Giuliani under the bus in an effort to protect himself.
However, you ultra-partisan Democrats should be very careful. You have behaved as though it is absolutely certain that Biden had no knowledge of or part in any corrupt arrangement with foreigners to pay Biden's son a lot of money to do next to nothing.
Because of that, not only Biden, but all Democrats will look really bad if eventually any evidence of corruption involving the Bidens emerges. You are playing with fire to have such absolute faith that the Bidens are squeaky clean. Remember that Biden is a professional politician. Very few of them of any party are absolutely squeaky clean.
5
The Republicans are terrified. They are terrified of the truth. Part of the reason Moscow Mitch doesn't want any real trial of Putin's Patsy is that if the evidence of Trump's malfeasance becomes more public, Mitch and his minions stand publicly disgraced as Trump's enablers--as they should be.
78
The criminals in this case are the Trump cabal, Moscow’s favorite Senator, McConnell, and the millions of parrots-with-no-sense supporting this decrepit construct.
How much more evidence do we need to process before we boot this rascal from the nation’s top office?
52
These leaked documents are far worse than I imagine, a sitting president treating the highest position in the country as a mob boss, sending his personal lawyer to establish a hit job on the highest sitting government female ambassador because she was doing her job of containing corruption which is the number one thing Drumpf is good at.
76
Note to self If I ever run for office or write a play about running for office never, ever have or invent using the Clinton people or Obama people on my team. And never use the sexist card because it undermines real victims of sexism. And never let or invent a character running for office not call out CNN for their right wing framing of questions to myself or the hero of my play. "How do you plan not to bankrupt the country with yourM4all plan..." And by the way self, calm down and remember that M4all actually saves the country a lot of money, cutting out the bloat and greed of insurance companies, but you cannot say the same for the bloat of the military industrial complex which only benefits a few at the top and the politician they pay off to keep us knee deep in war, and killing our young and innocents of all ages abroad. And hey self, be sure and expose just how MSM engorges itself on the status quo corruption at the expense of the rest of us and have a nice day, if you can self!
6
Observe and bear witness to Trump Republicans frantically hiding evidence from the American people.
55
It may be obvious to make the statement but, the fact is that Senor Trump honestly believes he did no wrong! His entire existence has been such that any & all 'rules' apply only to the 'others' and NOT to himself. (and senate gop plays right along) Utterly Fantastic & not in a good way. Vote to restore democracy 2020!
38
Yeah ok, we knew all this. Trump is already impeached over this. Move on. There is an election to win in November.
3
How many baseball fans are cheering the rightful punishment of the Astros for cheating and not demanding the same for the president?
49
My father says, 'See what happens when you have a circus with too many clowns.' He don't support Trump anymore either, just like me. I am sad for our country.
24
Isn't this treason? A foreign government seeking to help and undermine and remove an Ambassador to the benefit of Trump sounds like treason to me. Look up treason. It's true.
49
Wow, folks - did you read the linked "handwritten notes" link at the top of the article? This is incredible information -- how in the world did the NYT get access to these documents?
Reading the comments, I am concerned that folks may have been too busy crafting a polished statement for the ages and missed out on these incredible sources. Let's be silent in the echo chamber of the comments section for once and take this all in.
13
It's apparently too much to ask for a real trial and real judgment to take place.
21
Rudy Giuliani has publicly stated many times that part of his mission to Kiev on Trump’s behalf was to prompt the Ukraine government to investigate Joe Biden’s and Hunter Biden’s dealings with Burisma. In a May interview, Giuliani told the New York Times that, “We’re not meddling in an election, we’re meddling in an investigation, which we have a right to do.”
In a May 9 article based on the interview, the Times reported: “Mr. Giuliani said he plans to travel to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, in the coming days and wants to meet with the nation’s president-elect to urge him to pursue inquiries that allies of the White House contend could yield new information about two matters of intense interest to Mr. Trump. One is the origin of the special counsel’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The other is the involvement of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s son in a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch.”
The recently released documents and text messages merely confirm what Giuliani has publicly stated and the White House has publicly acknowledged.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/giuliani-ukraine-trump.html
12
Birds of a feather....Parnas, Hyde, Lutsenko and Trump- Hideous to the core. Their language and hate for Ms Yovanovitch sheds plenty light on the type of men they are. Sadly, this will be used by Trumpers as some kind of badge of honor. Next, fake revelations from GRU hacking of Burisma will likely be strategically released and Facebook will be a knowing and willing participant in this scheme. Clean out this garbage...Nov 3, 2020
37
All I see here is more proof of criminal activity against our nation, amplifying what we already know, factually and instinctively. I sadly suggest that anyone who isn't seeing the facts is either willfully ignorant or voluntarily deaf and/or blind. These revelations also tell us that there is much more that could be revealed and should be. We must scour the White House of Trump and the nation of trumpism and its most egregious practitioners. The opportunity is now; don't blow it, please.
30
In their rush to impeach the Democrats failed to consider the recall of Ambassador Yovanovich as a separate, impeachable abuse of power and actual crime of bribery as contemplated by the Constitution. It is clear that Parnas, Guiliani’s client” sought the recall in order to pry “dirt” from the Ukraine prosecutor. Guiliani’s letter to Zelensky puts him in the spotlight as a witness. Trump provided the corrupt “quid”: he recalled the Ambassador for no justifiable cause; the “quid”: Rudy’s pro bono (if incompetent) legal services, dirt on the Biden’s and $300,000 PAC contributions.
The Hyde emails are not reliable proof that in fact the Ambassador was being tailed. Hyde may have fabricated the story for his own purposes. But they do further establish Parnas’ intent and actions. Either Hyde is a bad actor in a terrifying conspiracy , or if he was making stuff up while texting from a bar (as he has said) he was unwittingly acting effective as an undercover FBI agent exposing Parnas’ motivation and
5
So, can we expect that Mr. Parnas will being doing an Epstein?
10
Speaker Pelosi could be President....
But she's too busy leading the country.
33
“And here you can’t even get rid of one [female] fool,” an apparent reference to Ms. Yovanovitch. He also inserted a frowning emoji.
The brackets suggest that a different word was used for "female." Why no clarifying explanation?
18
Dollars -to-Donuts, there are 62,000,000+ people out there who want to see the United States destroyed. And I know three of them, well.
8
No wonder the former Ambassador felt threatened. She was. High Crime.....all the president's men.
35
The previously undisclosed letter from Rudi Giuliani to Volodymyr Zelensky dated 10 May 10, 2019, before the Ukrainian president-elect took office, is damning.
Giuliani presented himself as Trump’s personal lawyer and requested a meeting with Zelensky “as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent”.
No wonder Trump has stonewalled congressional subpoeanas and didn’t want his aides to testify, fearing more damaging evidence that would further incriminate him.
Behind the scene Giuliani was pulling the strings – with the goal of hurting Joe Biden and getting Trump re-elected. But all the while he had his personal gains in focus – the pursuit of money and power.
25
Trump is running a criminal syndicate out of the Oval Office. Apparently a significant percentage of Americans — including GOP lawmakers and bureaucrats — are completely fine with this. Trump is a liar, a thug, a hardened criminal, and now it looks like he had Ambassador Yovanovitch trailed and perhaps targeted for assassination. What country are we living in? If Trump is not removed, we should all pack our bags and leave. America is in very sorry shape right now. If Trump wins again and continues his felonious marauding across the land, then America is done. Finished. And we will have deserved it. God help us with this monster at the helm.
36
This paper trail reads like the a bad script for a Mob Movie!
If Mitch & other republican leadership in the Senate don't offer look closely into this stupidity - we have a serious breach of trust on our hands we all should be concerned about!
17
Gee, seems like Dems and ‘progressives’ are wearing their ‘It’s Mueller Time’ tee shirts again in the hopes this will finally sink Trump. Hilarious...
2
"The Parnas documents also include a May 2019 letter from Mr. Giuliani requesting a meeting with Mr. Zelensky in which he said Mr. Trump had 'knowledge and consent' of his actions. It is the first document to be made public to say as much."
Down in the 9th paragraph? Kind of buried the lead here, didn't you, Times?
11
Joe Biden should offer to testify with Trump!
1
Some of these documents were shared last night by Rachel Maddow. They are among the most frightening to come out of this investigation. Just what did these thugs have in mind for Marie Yovanovitch? Harassment? Physical abuse? Kidnapping? Or even murder? No wonder she was called back to America for her security. If this is not a plan for criminal behavior on behalf of the president, I'm not sure just what is. It needs to be investigated. The Senate or the House needs these witnesses to testify under oath to just what action they had planned for the Ukraine Ambassador and just who was really calling the shots. Any Senator who sticks his or her head in the sand now, already knows just how damning testimony from these witnesses could be. It is time to hear the painful and damning truth from witnesses under oath.
36
Basically....
Guiliani to Parnas Text: I heard you paint houses...
23
Let's be clear here that while Pelosi is doing a masterful job managing the process to the end of convicting Trump and/or positioning the Democrats well for the 2020 elections, there never would have been impeachment hearings at all without the constant, unceasing, disrupting caterwauling of those on the "far left" -- not the mainstream corporate Democrats -- who have been fomenting for impeachment since day 1 of the Trump administration.
It is the instinctive democratic impulses of the Sanders/Warren wing of the democratic party which in the 2020 elections which, almost ironically, will have been responsible for the defeat of Republican extremism and the Trump criminal government machine.
10
It doesn't intensify pressure on Republicans to include witnesses, because their base does not care.
The only way to bring pressure on elected officials is via the electorate and unfortunately the electorate that supports these politicians has no interest in hearing about their bad decisions.
12
What are Republicans trying to hide ?
What type a fair trail doesn’t allow people with the most knowledge testify?
Trump deserves a fair trial - Part of a fair trial is presenting as much relevant information as possible, and having the jury come to an unbiased conclusion based on that evidence. It does not appear that Republicans want a fair trial
16
It becomes clearer why Trump has so opposed anyone talking or providing information. If the Trump strategy is to prevent Bolton, a loyal republican, from testifying then Trump is afraid that the senate could not ignore Bolton's testimony - and only Trump knows what Bolton knows.
16
Not only is it obvious that trump is guilty of what he’s been impeached for, he also will have something to look forward to once he no longer is the president. He’s looking forward to the possibility of being arrested and tried by the southern district of NY. They’re still looking into his finances. He’s still covering up his taxes for some reason. There’s a lot going on that can possibly wind him up in Federal prison.
17
The House did their investigation, and will send its articles of impeachment (aka indictments) to the Senate. The Senate will run a trial. Trials are searches for the truth based on accusations, not opportunities to clear an accused no matter what they may have done. Evidence turned up in the investigation is cross examined via witness and documentary testimony, including such that was not obtained during the investigation.
If the Senate votes for no witnesses or documents beyond what the House turned up, especially with all the stuff coming into the light since the impeachment concluded, then the Republican-controlled Senate is not searching for the truth. It is executing a cover-up of Trump crimes and abuses of power.
If the Senate calls only John Bolton, who cannot be expected to be truly neutral in his testimony, especially for a President that seems to be finally giving Bolton what he wanted all along in Iran, and no other testimony or documents, then the Republican-controlled Senate is not searching for the truth. It is executing a cover-up.
If the Senate doesn't make a faithful attempt to get Trump to testify, as Bill Clinton did when he was impeached, then they aren't really working off of the "Clinton model" - that would be a sham. Then, the Republican-controlled Senate is not searching for the truth. It is executing a cover-up.
If the Senate doesn't go after Espy, Mulvaney, Giuliani, and Pompeo, then Trump cannot be validly exonerated, even if he keeps his job.
12
Some Republican senator, particularly eager to curry Mr. Trump’s favor, is going to move to dismiss, the instant the mouthing of the oath is finished. And it will pass if the rest of the mob happens to vibrate along with him in that moment. Then once again we’ll have been shoved into accepting that, regarding Mr. Trump, the definition of “fact” is whatever he claims is a fact, corpus delecti and smoking gun notwithstanding. Following that, the Republicans in Congress and the consultants paid with all that money Mr. Trump has raised will have nine long months to ensure that the resulting public fury is distracted, dissipated and devalued. I believe the thinking of people like Mr. McConnell is: "there’s no need even to consider whether this constitutes an existential threat to our system of government; it’s just politics at their dirty best and, while yes we’ve torn open a huge national wound, wounds heal, memories fade and if a Democrat tries to pull these same shenanigans I’ll just find dirty tricks to play in the other direction.”
Meanwhile Republican campaign strategists surely are planning how to structure the questioning of Hunter Biden at trial in order to derive the greatest benefit. And no doubt Mr. Trump is thinking, “this is great - see, I didn’t even have to get the Ukrainian announcement; the trial will give me the same results.”
One thing I’m wondering: What happens to the Republican planning if someone other than Joe Biden turns out to be the nominee?
9
The President, Republicans and Fox News complained the House impeachment inquiry was a kangaroo court. To avoid a similar miscarriage of justice in the Senate, there will not be a trial at all, but a see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil acceptance of criminal behavior. Mitch McConnell will be able to expand his title of The Grim Reaper to also cover democracy and our system of justice.
7
Bringing the Bidens into the trial is Trump's way to frighten and bully; the trial isn't about whether the Bidens are guilty of corruption. even if they are. That evidence would presented in a separate trial. This is about whether or not Trump abused the power of office. We already know he's guilty. What we don't know 100% is whether he will be acquitted.
Most of us hold out a tiny bit of hope that there will be Republican Senators who have a shred of honor left in them - who put the honor of their country above their need for a job. It seems none want to go down in history as heroes. Go figure.
Honestly, even if Trump escapes justice again, I think the Republican control over our government is short term. After this, I think it will be decades before the Republican party will any hold sway. They are approaching the end of their reign of tyranny. Enjoy it while you can, GOP.
15
How about saying instead that Lutsenko was "trying" to help Giuliani's group to dig up dirt? So far that quest has been fruitless, beyond the information we already knew - Hunter got a well-paying seat on Burissma's board, perhaps because of his last name, and meanwhile Joe did nothing corrupt - on the contrary.
6
Mitch gets to call his witnesses, declares the Senate has heard enough, doesn't need more testimony, will hear no more testimony, calls for vote, Senate acquits.
Charlie Brown is done again.
Ignore the trial and deal with voter suppression.
Pummel every single Republican.
11
The Democrats had this information all along. The timing of its release is obvious. They are not so concerned with a “fair trial” in the Senate as they are determined to leak out information in drips and drabs through November. And really, it’s “nothing burger” information. If it was truly blockbuster they would have played it for all its worth during the House inquiry.
The moral high ground was relinquished with a party-line impeachment which not even one single Republican House member out of 197 could be convinced to support. The rest is flapping and quacking.
Why no mention of the text exchanges between Parnas and Robert F Hyde (former Marine, landscaper, deadbeat dad, now running for Congress, and posting scads of photos of himself with Trump and with various members of Trump's family). These text exchanges reveal that Hyde had someone tracking the movements of US Ambassador Yovanovich and was interested in paying someone to do something to her.
Why?
I cannot think of any legitimate reason for this and there are many terrifying (and illegal) reasons for this. Everyone concerned should be investigated.
15
Something smells if the Democrats are now wanting to provide new evidence -- after their vote has already been taken. Move on people.
1
Trump and the GOP enablers are practically announcing his guilt by not wanting witnesses and documents.
Can you all imagine being accused of something and then asking your attorney "can we please not have any witnesses or documents presented at the trial?" and then the jury and prosecutor presiding over the case says "sure".
9
“All 53 of us have reached an understanding very, very similar to the one that was achieved at the beginning of the Clinton impeachment trial,” Mr. McConnell said, referring to the 1999 trial of President Bill Clinton.
Sure, Mr. McConnell, however the vote in 1999 was a unanimous 100 to 0 - NOT a party line sham.
8
The GOP senators will close their eyes and ears and vote to exonerate Trump. They have no shame or decency or any allegiance to the constitution. How many documents or how true they are matters nothing to them.
8
We have to except that B means the Biden’s? That is stretching it in any court. Being the gas company is Burisma, B could easily mean that too. I am going to hate watching Schiff argue B means Biden.
Now the Russians hacked Burisma. And we are going to be asked to except that Trump ordered it, or asked the Russians to do it. It looks like what the Russian hackers do all the time though. Try to figure away to steal money by hacking companies.
The left will try to piece this all together. We will be getting the convoluted bubble graphs like we had in the Russian/Trump collusion reporting fiasco. Arrows pointing everywhere and getting nowhere.
1
Why doesn’t Bolton have a press conference on the steps of Congress during the “trial” in the Senate and layout the evidence that would lead to a Senate conviction of Trump, if it was delivered to the Senate during the trial. Then the people can vote in 2020 informed more fully.
8
We all know Trump is guilty, including the Republicans. The trial is simply the culmination of three years of horrendous policies and actions. The only difference is that he got caught in crimes and misdemeanors that would quality for impeachment.
He has done so much more and I am numb to this trial as the Republicans are now the focus as they try to avoid an obvious farce.
15
Trump will make it appear he has “fixed” the economy, China and Iran issues. He might even win a Nobel Prize. And the Dems are still talking about whether a woman can be president. Nikki Haley will be that woman in 2024. And I’m a lifelong left center Dem sick of my party’s fecklessness. HRC without CA lost the other 49 states by 1 million votes. She lost the election and Dems can’t figure that out.
If i were the government of Ukraine, I would try to obtain influence with the United States by hiring the close relative of a highly placed governmental figure. Do the new details you breathlessly report discuss this aspect of the situation?
1
Does anyone think Mitch McConnell and the Republicans are interested in the welfare of this nation?
Of course not! They only care about the Republican Party, plain and simple.
Let’s not forget that these very same Republicans are working hand in hand with Russia. They wish to destroy Democrats and the principles this nation was founded upon.
12
Chilling gangster behavior.
Are U.S. ambassadors provided security by members of our armed forces? Private security? Was any of this clandestine surveillance observed?
I think Ms. Yovanovitch is lucky she was not involved in a motor vehicle or other 'accident.'
15
‘Trump had “knowledge and consent” of [Giuliani’s] actions” — but AG Barr didn’t. The man the Senate confirmed to run investigations for the U.S. had not endorsed this one, either directly or through subordinates. Ergo, it was not done on behalf of the U.S. It was done on behalf of Trump the private person, which is whom Giuliani represents.
7
How is it barely (4) GOP Senators realize that trumpism is bad for their party and for their Nation? that their duty is to the Constitution not to a wannabe dictator? that the GOP will be better off if it handles this trial fairly and seriously instead of as a tribal ritual.
Mad mitch has given up on the Constitution -- but surely there are more than (4) Senators who understand their duty.
9
Soliciting foreign influence in not just our elections but the election for President is just why the mechanism for impeachment was put in the constitution. That the GOP in both houses are giving Donald a pass on this is one of the most historic crises of American history. Throw the bums out. All of the GOP and any office holder and public official that is apart of giving Donald a pass because without them Donald would just be another spoiled rich kid. As he is now he is a danger to the human race.
11
While MCConnell and his cronies plus Trump and his cronies there is no possibility of a fair trial. They have planned together how the Trial will work. How can that give any of us the idea that the Senate Trial will be fair? I wish Pelosi could wait a bit longer. It seems that there are new developments every day like Parnas and his evidence.
Between Trump once again lying about his reasons for assassination of the Iran General and his blundering way of going about our Foreign Diplomacy to have us become one of the most reviled Governments now, to his lying and trying to get the Ukraine to up end our 2020 election, how can any Republican think he should remain in the White House is beyond me.
We are now being looked at as the fool of the World Governments
8
How any rational person, having witnessed the events of the past three years, and knowing Trump's history could pass-up the opportunity to dump him is beyond me. One more year of this disaster is bad enough but imagine a second term. The nation will not endure it. The "vital signs" of Democracy are in the red zone and soon we'll be on life-support.
Please do your job and allow the truth to be revealed.
121
When is this Senate going to call out Mitch McConnell for the monster that he is? His job and his wife's job depend on keeping this con man in office. By law, he should recuse himself from this Senate"jury" and let this impeachment proceed, witnesses and documents to be seen and heard by the nation's citizens.
McConnell has to go for the rule of law and for oversight of the executive to be reinstated in this country as set down by the Constitution of the United States of America! We cannot rid ourselves of these illegitimate Republicans any longer if we wish to maintain good governance in America.
Trump is likely guilty as charged and the Senate must make this a fair and unimpeachable trial NOW!
69
Oh look, another “bombshell!”
Such a lucky coincidence that it’s come out just before the Senate trail, along with that “Area 1” thing.
7
Please explain what these notes mean and why they are inconsequential.
6
@JQGALT what I’ll never understand is why people such as yourself are not concerned about the double-dealing Kushner and Trump’s kids are up to. Unlike Hunter Biden, they are *ACTUALLY* members of the cabinet, privy to all kinds of information and still involved in private business.
18
@JQGALT
Maybe Ayn Rand can write you out of this box.
Me thinks not.
9
Gee, pretty coincidental that these "documents" suddenly popped up? Biden, who was VP when he made his billion dollar threat against Ukraine unless they fired the prosecutor who was investigating Burisma, the nat gas company that Hunter Biden was on their board of directors, was and still is a private citizen. He thinks that he can become a POTUS candidate to escape scrutiny for his well documented quid pro quo and Trump has no right to look into his blatant breaking of the law while VP? Running for president does not give one a get out of jail card.
6
@August Braun “Trump has no right to look into his blatant breaking of the law“ — the Attorney General does that. Trump has a right (as do you) to send tips to AG Barr, who then decides what to look into. Not to single-handedly coerce announcements of investigations.
4
The get out of jail card is reserved for a serving President. It’s an executive privilege, like flying on Marine One.
In office, you are exempt from answering for any crimes you have ever committed, or directed others to commit, either before or during your term. If the President does it, it’s not a crime- as AG Barr and look up the original quote from Nixon.
The Republican position is that no crimes or misdemeanors have been committed by Trump, that he has been perfect and done nothing wrong, because, by definition, a president can do no wrong and is allowed to do anything he wants. It’s somewhere in the Constitution they claim. Probably in that section making the president king you dreamed of after eating bad oysters.
How many Americans believe that malarkey?
The best defense is a strong offense, they say, like calling members of Congress names and other schoolyard tactics.
4
@August Braun Per the story, "Mr. Parnas, who is under federal indictment, has only recently been cleared to hand over the material to Congress." Not coincidental, just an unnecessary delay from an administration who clearly has plenty to hide.
11
There is nothing to suggest that “damaging information” exists. The desire was to manufacture dirt or announce an investigation that may or may not have ever happened. Yet journalists keep phrasing it this way. It is very stupid and it is precisely the sort of coverage Trump wishes for.
31
Let’s assume, for those fearful of facts, that Hunter Biden is guilty of whatever you invent/claim. That does not justify delaying Congressionally approved weapons for Ukraine until that is investigated, and not announcing the delay. As always, Vlad is aided.
6
@Heather -- I doubt that Trump "wishes for" any of this, and certainly not impeachment. There are too many Trump troubles to convert them into an asset. You should take a pause from Breitbart and the Sputnik news site.
5
We’ve seen photos of the handwritten notes on hotel stationery. If you avert your eyes it doesn’t exist. That’s a sad world in which to live.
6
The evidence of collusion between Trump and Putin just continues to pile up higher and higher; and yet Republicans just keep closing their eyes and minds to the obvious. How can this farce of see/hear/ speak no evil in regard to how Trump and his sick sycophants are undermining the very foundations of your democracy go on; until there is nothing left but King Trump. What a pathetic spectacle this has become.
54
Great journalism and perfect timing for impeachment hearings!!!
13
So where will we be as a country if, as seems likely, Trump is reelected in spite of the overwhelming evidence of his impeachable conduct? What a disgraceful electorate, to put someone so disrespectful of noble ideals in to begin with, and to then maintain him there, out of racist and sexist spite.
53
@Joe: you may as well call the electorate a basket of deplorables.
3
We get the government we deserve
2
Republican logic: if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's not a duck.
59
if the Senate takes seriously Mr. Trump’s absolutist position, the chamber will be establishing a startlingly dangerous precedent: that Congress lacks the constitutional authority to investigate effectively criminal wrongdoing within the highest levels of the executive branch, in this instance, allegations of bribery and misuse of government office for personal gain. This would be a disabling abdication of its rights and obligations as a separate branch of government. Future Congresses would quickly come to regret such an abrogation.
Standing up for the rule of law should not even require Republican senators to serve as profiles in courage. Mr. Trump’s claims are astonishingly weak — and are wrong on both substance and process.
On substance, the president does not get to decide unilaterally when executive privilege applies or its scope of application. Justice Warren Burger, in United States v. Nixon, a major precedent decided in 1974 during the height of the Watergate investigation, found that the president does enjoy a constitutional privilege to protect confidences within the executive branch. At the same time, however, he emphatically rejected President Richard Nixon’s claims then, like President Trump’s claims now, that executive privilege is self-defined and potentially unlimited in scope.
28
We knew he would be this kind of prez... we cried because we knew and here it is...
57
By all accounts, Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch was a great public servant who only wanted to serve the interests of America. Ambassadors are appointed by the president, so Trump could have removed her without cause at anytime. Instead, Trump had his cronies go out of their way to smear Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. In doing so Trump helped the disgraced former Ukrainian prosecutor Yuri Lutsenko get back at the US Ambassador in exchange for him to tell a fanciful story about Biden. It’s utterly disgusting that Trump uses the power of the presidency to destroy the careers of such dedicated public servants.
52
I don’t hear much about Trump’s saying Marie Yovanovitch was “going to go through some things” in his extortion of the Ukrainian President, a comment more thuggish than presidential. Remove this criminal already!
12
The GOP should be reminded that the best way to take off a band aid is to rip if off quickly. It hurts but it’s over fast. It should approach Trump the same way. His guilt is apparent to a large, broad majority of Americans and there is no evidence that will change that.
I think the GOP detests Trump ; it actually fears Fox News which will outlast any president. The GOP should get rid of Trump as the first step in taking back its Party from Rupert Murdoch. Trump and Murdoch never underestimated the party’s cowardice.
29
@JL
The GoP FEARS and every Republican FEARS losing the unlimited stream of Koch/Adelson/Mercer money that flows into their campaign coffers and got them where they are today. Step out of line and that money will be stripped from you and given to someone else who will tow the line and you'll find yourself out of money, out of support, and out of luck with a well-funded primary challenger in the next election.
7
Prosecutors are not allowed to refuse to call witnesses and then instead demand defense attorneys call them.
2
First, Pelosi et al did try to call these guys. They refused. Therefore, you can legitimately claim that they could have called harder, but no that they didn’t try to call them.
Second, this just in: nobody voting in the Senate is prosecution or defense. They’re a sort of jury. Therefore, it’s a bit weird to see you insist that they’re prosecution and defense.
34
@Robert
Juries do not call witnesses.
3
The “defense” in this case, blocked all witnesses...not sure what your point is
8
Another Parnas operative named Robert F. Hyde described surveillance of ambassador Yovanovitch. Hyde is now running for a US House seat in Connecticut.
Hyde gave Parnas location updates over the course of a week. In one text, Hyde wrote: “She’s talked to three people. Her phone is off. Her computer is off.” He said she was under heavy security and “we have a person inside.”
Hyde at one point texted Parnas that ”they are willing to help if we/you would like a price,” and “guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money … is what I was told.”
That sure sounds like a plan to harm the US ambassador, and now the message, where she was told to come back to the US immediately for her safety, makes more sense. "She is going to go through some things," also comes to mind. No wonder the White House won't release documents, if they sound like this, they would be incriminating in the extreme.
52
Why aren't we starting procedures to impeach McConnell? He is indeed the greatest threat to democracy of our generation, and the one enabling our corrupt president to publicly proclaim that he is a victim. The level of hypocrisy is too much, but we cannot stand idle while a corrupt cabal is destroying our values and the future of our children. The founding fathers did not envision senators being above the law and staying in office for life. What needs to be done to remove McConnell right now?
37
@Dr.
There is no mechanism for impeachment of a senator. The senate, by a 2/3 vote, can expel a member, though I wouldn't bet the ranch on that happening.
18
I agree. I’ve been saying McConnell needs to be impeached as well as trump. Possibly even Lindsey Graham also. He has also verbally attacked the democrats, and admitted he has already made up his mind that trump is innocent. These senators cannot be jurors in a trial they already decided on. They’re obstructing justice by not allowing witnesses or evidence to be admitted to testify. I’ve seen enough court shows and movies to know a little. This trial is another case of “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!,” but in real life! The truth is, McConnell appears to be trying to take over our government! He’s the one making all the decisions regarding changing policy and bills. If he passes it to trump, it becomes a new law or bill. If he doesn’t, nothing gets done.
3
@Dr Better question - why do the folks in Kentucky keep reelecting him? Trump, McConnell, etc are bad people, scary to have in charge. But as long as the electorate refuses to see or care about that, we are sadly stuck.
7
Unfortunately this doesn't matter at all. The Republicans and Trumps supporters don't care. This is not new news. We know all this already. They simply do not care.
21
The Republicans should simply follow the template established by the Democrats.
The House Democrats obtained secret testimony, refused to call their own whistleblower, did not allow Republicans to call their witnesses, and released only cherry-picked testimony of their witnesses.
Yes, that is the definition of being very fair, transparent and impartial.
5
Yeah, shame that none of that’s true, ain’t it? That’s the very def of, well, lying.
48
By law, in the official federal law regulating whistle blowers, it is a serious crime to identify the whistleblower in the way you suggest. There is good reason for that law. In a similar way and reasoning, grand juries involve secret testimony.
13
@Dr. John
Investigations are NEVER fair, transparent, nor impartial. They seek evidence for the purpose of indictment or no indictment. A little legal background might help you in the future.
8
So Trump may have also removed Marie Yovanovitch in exchange for dirt on the Bidens?
One way this impeachment is vastly different from those of Nixon and Clinton is that the offenses that led to those impeachment proceedings did not involve their vice presidents. In contrast, there is evidence that Vice President Mike Pence was involved in Trump's attempt to coerce a foreign leader to help with his re-election campaign and Trump's obstruction of Congress's investigation of the attempted coercion. While the House only votes to charge the president, the Senate is, at least theoretically, considering removing him from office. In my opinion, the Senate and the public need evidence of the extent of Mike Pence's involvement, to determine whether Trump would be replaced by someone who would commit the same offenses if given the opportunity.
21
@CH
There was no impeachment of Nixon. There would have been, had he not resigned.
7
Pence’s tenure would be self-limited. It highly doubtful that he would be the party nominee in August. In addition to having the charisma of a dead fish, Pence is highly unpopular, even among Indiana Republicans. As it was, the Republicans barely held the statehouse in 2016. The Republican Party was relieved when he became the VP nominee.
6
I first read this headline as "Documents Provide New Details of Trump's Pleasure Campaign on Ukraine". My mistaken title would have been equally accurate. It's all an amusing game for him-- the game's goal being more control and bigger profits for Trump personally.
5
The messages involving Ambassador Yovanovitch are chilling. It makes you wonder just how far some connected to this administration would be willing to go to “assist” the boss.
42
@MDB There is a long history of "accidents" happening to people in Donald "She's going to go through some things" Trump's orbit. I have no doubt one was planned for Ambassador Yovanovitch.
9
Trump said to us all that we should trust Putin's word that he did not hack and influence the 2016 election and now he denies demanding Ukraine participate in our 2020 election through an investigation into Joe Biden. He has declare to the US public that we should just 'trust your word', a word tat has meant nothing up to now and contradicts all the evidence we have been allowed to see. We must demand proof of everything he says, something he has stonewalled showing to us. If you want us to trust you Mr. President you must give us reason to do so and allow testimony from those engaged with Ukraine. How can we ever trust you at all? Your word is a sham.
19
The republican party does not care about America. Just being in power. That's it. Not a man of integrity among them.
28
And that includes the women.
9
If Republicans keep behaving the way they have to obstruct both justice and their own obligations in the face of the clear facts, they will go down in infamy every bit as much as their Dear Leader. That said, it's also clear that most of them have no shame at all. Which makes me really want more investigation into who is paying them to sell their souls, and how.
24
Impeachment managers, please beware of Republican histrionics as you ceremonially walk the Articles across the Rotunda. Don't underestimate the power of the spectacle of fake protest!
13
If the Senate does not protect Senator/VP Biden, literally one of their own, from made-up charges using foreign created dirt, they can count on having themselves gone after in a similar fashion.
16
@Bailey T. Dog
You mean exactly like the way Democrats have gone after Trump?
Donald Trump better start giving some thought as to how he's going to avoid prison time seeing that each passing day only brings more and more incriminating news……….
He may learn, much to his dismay, that the "buck" actually does stop with him………….
19
Parnas. How laughably desperate that the impeachment scam comes down to Parnas. And how fortunate this sprang to life at this very moment, huh?
3
Interesting that you would discredit Parnas given that our genius president and his lackey Giuliani thought enough of him to retain his services. And if he has actual documents it really doesn’t matter how sleazy he might be. What are you going to say when Bolton testifies?
27
You had testimony from well-respected public servants and you scoffed at that. Who is desperate?
6
What is needed is for the Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts to summon up extraordinary courage to say to the Republicans that any attempt block from the trial any witness and Documents to the so called trial will make them accomplices to aiding and abetting presidential stonewalling and continued obstruction of Congress and justice. Otherwise, for the sake of preventing of the destruction of our Republic, it will be necessary for the Court to ANULL the results of the 2016 presidential election. There is mountain of evidence that Russian meddling has rendered highly questionable its validity. Ironically, the Court, by its intervention into the year 2000 election, has established precedence for doing so.
27
Now, THIS is something to ponder. It’s not something that’s immediately evident as a consequence of how things may unfold, but when you think about this comment, and considering all the issues brought to light by Trump’s tacit acceptance of Russian assistance in 2016, as proven by Mueller, it can indeed become viable path to conclusion as the three branches of government intertwine in the impeachment trial. The Supreme Court can certainly rule on an election outcome, as it has before. To assume they can not invalidate the 2016 election retroactively would be to deny their standing as a co-equal branch of government.
8
@Louis A. Carliner
The court itself in its Bush v. Gore decision said that the decision could not be used as precedent. Roberts could, but won't, act against that.
1
Now there’s a new link in the chain. Russia is now being investigated into whether they’ve hacked into Barisma! Gee, I wonder why they would do such a thing! Are they attempting another assisted trump win in the 2020 elections? This sure does seem to be following the 2016 pattern of them being involved in another of our elections!
3
The Senate trial must hear from direct fact witnesses to be legitimate. While McConnell does not want to turn the Senate process into a "circus", Cruz's suggestion strongly raises that possibility. Dem's witness requests of Bolton, Pompeo, Giugliani, maybe Parnas etc each have pertinent information to present,while the Bidens' potential info is intended to sully Joe Biden's character and to provide "justification" for Trump's actions. However, irrespective of any actions by Hunter Biden, Trump's request (demand) to Zelensky was of corrupt intent and therefore an impeachable act. If having the Bidens testify is the cost of getting to question Bolton, Pompeo et al under oath, then I believe the Dems should take this trade-off. VP Biden can strongly show that his comments regarding removal of Lutsenko were at the furtherance of US policy and not of personal gain. Hunter Biden can state that while his decision to accept the position on the Burisma Board was in retrospect a poor one, it had no corrupt intent and he did not participate in any corrupt acts. Based on prior investigation in Ukraine as reported in the press, the GOP does not have any evidence to refute such a statement.The best hope to obtain a Senate conviction of Trump is to have enough new information of his illegal/anti-Constitutional behavior presented to the US people to push GOP Senators to do their job.
13
What makes this a possible circus, is trump himself! He wants Pelosi and Schiff to be called for witness testimony! They have nothing to do with the crimes! How are they witnesses! The republicans in the house did nothing to prove innocence. All they did was blame the democrats for trumps misgivings! They bullied the witnesses that were called to testify in the hearings, which was a circus in and of itself! There was absolutely NO evidence shown to prove trumps innocence! “The call was perfect” does not prove innocence. The subject of the call is what brought the House to vote to impeach him. The republicans had nothing. Period. It will be the same in the senate trial. Which is why they will not release documents or witnesses. An obstruction case in the senate will be the next court show we’ll be watching, live!
4
@Bob Parker
Agree, but even with enough new information of tRump's illegal/anti-Constituional behavior, will enough Republican Senators vote to impeach? I will not hold my breath. The truth is before us but being held back from speaking out by tRump and his republican sycophants. All the Republicans are interested in is holding on to power at the expense of our democracy of the people, by the people and for the people. Come November 3, 2020 VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!
4
Can you imagine how history would’ve treated Senate Republicans, during the Nixon inquiries, if they were publicly telling America the “Tapes” were not relevant to the trial and wouldn’t be admitted to their potential trial for some type of made up, procedural error? Fast tracking a trial won’t stop more new information from coming to light, and will eventually expose Republicans, in the long run. Not a good look for history.
31
@Mark Scirocco - the Congress litigated Nixon and Clinton, the method to settle disputes between the two political branches, before an impeachment vote ever came up. This sideshow we are witnessing today, congress impeached and is now looking to backfill. It doesn't work that way.
2
Who knew that a reality TV host who once claimed that a sitting US President was not born in the United States would one day have so much power and rein over these seasoned GOP Senators?
36
Why aren't the whole bunch of them being taken into custody? This is just unbelievable.
22
@Maureen: there was no crime.
Ambassador Yovanovitch described her conversation with her State Dept. contact in Washington in which she was told to leave Kiev immediately because of concerns about her safety. Now we have evidence about the basis of those concerns and it appears that the Trump/Giuliani cabal is at the heart of it. What did the State Dept and Pompeo know and when did they know it. As Trump would say, we are on the brink of the greatest scandal in the history of our country.
41
If the world survives, they’ll be teaching it right alongside Teapot Dome. It will be on the Regents. Except, of course, as the Times recently reported, not in Texas and other Republican strongholds where rightwing indoctrination begins in childhood, if not in utero.
5
Isn't it ironic and the height of hypocrisy that Republicans think that making money, as Hunter Biden was doing, is a crime?
Trump's kids trade on his name and position all the time, right?
The guy they should be getting upset at for "making money" is Dennis Muilenburg, the ex-CEO of Boeing, who was just paid $62 million in "benefits" for running a great company into the ground.
33
Such ‘high drama’. Trump will deny deny deny, claim Rudy & co overreached and it will be he said/she said. We all know he did it. It just isn’t going to be proved to a high enough standard. Even if it was, then what, with votes along party lines? And then he’ll win a second term. Ergh...
6
Both the president and Mr. Giuliani have repeatedly underscored that Rudy is Trump’s private attorney. If Rudy is called to testify, he will claim attorney client privilege and clam up. It will then be up to the managers to prove Rudy was in fact operating not as an attorney but as Trump’s unconfirmed political operative, dabbling in spying and illegal adventures both foreign and domestic.
Is a disbarred Attorney still bound by attorney client privilege?
3
The head US Envoy to Ukraine, Bill Taylor testified that Trump himself wanted Kyiv to investigate the completely debunked election conspiracy theory: that a Democratic National Committee server was whisked away to Ukraine to hide the fact that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, not Russia.
Why was this so important to Trump? Because the sanctions on Russia and Putin’s billionaire gang members, can not be lifted until the reasons for the sanctions are denigrated by placing the blame on Ukraine.
Trump was demanding two things before he would release the $400 million in funds that Congress provided, and which are life and death to Ukraine.
The first was that Ukraine take the rap for Russia’s 2016 US election attack;
And second was that Ukraine had to put on a public show that they are investigating the Bidens.
Counter intelligence investigations of persons inside and outside of the U.S. government are going on right now. They surely include Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Bill Barr may be smothering the investigations, but they are never going to disappear.
And it is a safe bet that Russian sanction relief is the motive at the heart of those investigations. The American people can understand motive. It is time to connect Putin's quest for sanctions relief to his puppet.
26
If the Senate fails to convict in the face of such a landslide of evidence, as we all expect, it will show just how far we have fallen as a nation. It sickens me to see my country in the ditch with the flimsiest governments in the world.
36
Use your time and efforts to get the stay at home voters of 2016 to the polls.The time is here for the People to use their peaceful powers to rid us of this disastrous incompetent administration... all of them. Revolt with the vote!
3
If some Senate Republicans show some backbone and put the welfare of the country ahead of lockstep allegiance to party, the Senate just might get around the REAL Lucifer in all this...that being Mitch McConnell.
Then all can be laid out at a REAL impeachment trial and then we can get to the truth of all this. Let the chips then fall where they may!
If Republicans can’t see this, there won’t be a country much longer that any of us recognize. Perhaps one that eventually does away with Senators ( even Republican Senators) too!
13
McConnell Trump and the GOP's only hope is to stick together in the light of the surfacing confirmation of what the impeachment articles accusing Trump. Cover-up yes, like an ostrich covers it's head, the rest showing. They will ask for a quid pro quo of irrelevant witnesses to throw sand in everyone's eyes.
6
The impeachment trial isn’t about whether Trump did the things he is accused of. He did. It’s whether republicans are willing to assert that those actions are unacceptable in any president. If they don’t vote to convict, it is a green light to all future presidents to do the same thing. History is watching.
43
Here is something that baffles me.
The Democrats had their moment in the House. They impeached the President, which will remain in the history books, as Pelosi was boasting yesterday.
From here on, things are out of their control, as the quick end of Pelosi's standoff showed. Things are now going downhill for the Democrats. You would think that they would want this phase to go away as fast as possible.
Instead, they insist on witnesses, and a longer process.
Bolton is covered by executive privilege. He will be able to speak about his favorite pastime AFTER he quit the WH, but not about what he did WHILE in the WH. And in any case, what he is likely to say is that he told Trump that mentioning Biden on the phone was not wise, since the Democrats would jump on it. Which they did. That is not what a crime makes.
The testimony of Joe and Hunter and the whistleblower (remember you enter the witness protection AFTER you testify,) all of which are to appear in exchange, will be devastating for Joe as a candidate. That is why Trump wanted witnesses. Before he mysteriously changed his mind.
It starts to look like having witnesses is a Republican trap, something they always wanted. Into which the Democrats are heading, full speed, with glee.
5
It appears from other testimony that Bolton does have knowledge of a crime that directly links Trump to withholding $400-million military aid until Ukraine announces an investigation into Biden. The sworn testimony states that Bolton said...”I am not part of whatever drug deal Rudy and Mulvaney are cooking up”. It appears Bolton left the White House over this very crime to avoid being part of it.
10
@novoad-There is no executive privilege to obstruct justice or conceal a crime.
12
The democrats forte is stealing defeat from the jaws of victory. They should have let the Rs have the speedy trial they wanted and let them be seen for the sycophants they are while all the evidence tumbled out. I would never assume that Bolton pompeo and Mulvaney would tell the whole truth. No matter what the senate will never convict.
1
I’m what world would Republican Senators not require an investigation? This is a prime opportunity for Republicans to impeach Trump and move forward with Pence. Best excuse they can have in attempt to save their party.
10
"“There cannot be a full and fair trial in the Senate without the documents that President Trump is refusing to provide to Congress,” they said." Failure to allow all of those who need to testify or the failure to allow the submission of all relevant documents would be an eternal stain on the United States. The Republican senators need to realize that the Constitution and the related good government come before partisan politics.
9
... and right behind campaign donations and revolving door job opportunities. Let’s keep our priorities straight.
2
If only evidence mattered anymore. Upwards of 40% of the American public is content to look the other way.
26
This could all be their Good News that Armageddon and Rapture are right around the corner for them.
1
Speaker Nancy Pelosi clearly won her waiting game gambit. Despite Republican opinion writers and Trump sycophants to the contrary, her decision to delay sending the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate created enough time for fresh new damming evidence of Trump's high crimes and misdemeanors to emerge. Once again, the Leader is to be congratulated for her foresight.
27
What Trump’s defenders don’t seem to understand, or don’t want to understand, is that Giuliani, acting as Trump’s personal attorney, is effectively Trump. There is no valid distinction between the two. The agent is the principal. Under the rules of evidence, Giuliani’s words are not hearsay; they are the words of Trump. When Giuliani speaks, it is Trump speaking. When Giuliani acts, it is Trump acting. That’s how an agency relationship works.
20
Not exactly. Agency is a civil concept that requires the agent be under the general control of the principle. Giuliani was acting at the president’s behest but was running his own plan. This was more of a contract or attorney client relationship if related to a legal matter. But what Giuliani was doing was not really legal work as much as shadow diplomacy, and not likely covered by ACP or executive privilege.
3
If indeed there is additional evidence that comes out publicly, but not in the Senate hearings, then the American people will become the jury that removes him from office in November.
10
@Wolf201
Wolf, don't forget to remove the Republican Senators and Representatives who obstructed all along the way.
11
Why isn't this a criminal investigation? I understand Don is immune, but not others.
5
Honestly, it is time for an open call to anyone to submit sufficiently legally damaging information on McConnell, Barr, and their circle that will get them removed from office. If they and their crowd go, we have a chance of removing Trump. Go to the press first since the FBI and CIA have been co opted. Take back the country and future of the world.
10
I wonder if the the GOP will just fall back on this argument:
“The fundies have forgiven Trump. So it’s all good.”
I wish this were just sarcasm. But it would appear the GOP is selling such snake oil.
4
An Emergency Impeachment Defense Fund? Has Trump managed to find a way to monetize his own impeachment trial?
11
Yes! And if you act now, you will ALSO get this set of Ginzu grapefruit spoons with the presidential seal embossed on the high quality plastic handles, nestled in an elegant presentation case made of rare Corinthian leather!
5
When the whistle-blower report was filed, the GOP complained that this was based on "second-hand information" and was therefore invalid. Then witnesses with first-hand knowledge of the incident confirmed, under oath, every point made in the whistle-blower report.
I assume the GOP now wants to show that because the whistle-blower voted for Hillary (if that is even so), his complaint was somehow biased. The only problem is, every item in the complaint was independently verified, and the complaint is therefore moot. But it's all they've got. They are grasping at very slim reeds.
10
Here's what will happen:
- Trump gets exonerated by a biased jury.
- Trump uses his position as the innocently accused to undermine anyone opposed to him.
- Trump uses his position as the innocently accused to win in November(it's fairly uninteresting who he'll be running against).
- We get to enjoy 4 more wonderful years of corruption, war, 'scandals', tweets and a never-ending reality comedy show that is US politics.
No need for further reports from the US. :)
6
No mention whatsoever of Robert Hyde and his apparent desire to surveil and very possibly harm Yovanovich? That’s widely reported elsewhere including in the Washington Post’s article on this same evidence. It’s chilling part of the story that you have apparently decided is unnecessary.
10
I wouldn't be surprised if that's just a conspiracy theory made up by Russians.
The goal of the Democrats is NOT to remove Trump. They know that is impossible.
Their goal - just as it was with their use of Mueller to influence the 2018 elections - is to meddle as much possible in the 2020 election.
And to keep their big money NY and West Coast contributors happy.
Just keep in mind they are using our tax dollars to run this “free” portion of their 2020 DNC campaign.
2
@Dr. John ..."The goal of the Democrats is NOT to remove Trump. They know that is impossible."...Trump has clearly abused the office of president to promote his reelection. Just because his removal may be impossible is not an argument against doing the right thing. And if tax payer money is used, then it is Trump whose actions caused it to be necessary.
11
Who is going to point out to the likes of Ted Cruz that Hunter Biden can be guilty of all sorts of things and it won’t nullify Trump’s own wrong-doing? He still obstructed. He still abused his power.
13
People will justifiably criticize the senate republicans and their leadership for their role in Trumps abuse of authority, coverup of possible criminal conduct and this phony show trial of McConnells. For me I’m gonna do the unpopular thing and bring up the haphazard dog and pony show house democrats are running in their quest to impeach Trump. If its was not timed as a political calculation (which I don’t agree with) then the efforts to compel testimony should have been played out and the evidence now emerging included as part of the bills of impeachment. I’m not faulting speaker Pelosi so much as the other egos running the game at the House of Representatives. Democratic leadership has a long history of failing to get their act together and pulling in different directions at the same time. Republicans have been doing a much better job of staying on task and message as the coming senate “trial” will show. We are being poorly served by both parties in this crisis and history will not be kind to either nor to the that carnival barker of a president. There are no heroes here just different degrees of cupidity and stupidly that we as citizens have enabled. This will not end well for any of us.
1
How is it that partisan Democratic House “prosecutors” failed to call their now ever-so-critical witnesses?
1
Er they did...and Trump forbade them to testify.
12
The documents provided by Lev Parnas indicate no less than discussion of an assassination plot among Giuliani, Parnas, Hyde and likely Trump himself. It’s time for this to end. And the only way it ends is with the removal from office of Trump, followed by the criminal indictments of all involved.
11
Presidential candidates should not be immune to scrutiny. Let's be honest, everything to do with Hunter Biden does not pass the smell test. It's only natural to explore a potential corrupt link between Joe and Hunter.
Except for Trump, right? He can fire FBI directors and lie constantly and demand his team ignore congressional subpoenas in order to hide relevant information because he's entitled to it, right? Democrats have to follow the law. And they will.
7
@Don Q ...Ok. but that has nothing to do with Trump using tax payer money to extort the Ukrainian government. Trump should be removed for the abuse of his office.
3
I'm having deja vu of the crimes committed during my childhood - such as the bombing of the 16th street church in Birmingham or the murder of the three civil rights workers - where there was no doubt that the defendants were guilty but you knew they weren't going to be convicted. Is this when America was supposed to be so great?
11
It is up to the Senate, namely Mr McConnell, to grow a conscience and judge Trump for what he is or this Senate is going down in history as one exhibiting gross dereliction of duty based on exquisite fealty to a charlatan. What a shame for this nation. We are in grave danger from within.
22
I don’t understand how more evidence makes any difference. What happened is not in dispute. The issue is Republican senators not holding Trump accountable.
17
Did I miss where it says in this article that Giuliani’s associates were planning to assassinate the ambassador to Ukraine? Because those texts deserve some unpacking if that is not your analysis.
17
Indeed! By the way, half the country will look at those txt and notes as a positive for Trump. It’s not Rudy and his pals or Trump. It’s the American people.
1
When will former national security advisor John Bolton do the right thing and testify about the "drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney were cooking up"? John, go to the House and have a sitdown with the Intelligence and Judiciary Committee Chairmen. It's in our national security interest. It's your duty as a public servant of this country and it's long overdue. Brokering our national security for a book deal is lame and unpatriotic. Time to step up.
14
The Republican party is about to reveal who they really are. For many of us it has been obvious for decades. For the rest of Americans the only question is whether they will bother to listen and understand what is happening. If Trump supporters - approximately 40% of Americans an admittedly low approval rating but higher than it should be - either do not care enough about democracy to see the danger and threat or are so credulous by bias and prejudice they cannot see the danger and threat, democracy may be severely damaged in America or even lost for the foreseeable future. There is a lot at stake which makes the glibness and flippancy of Republicans, particularly McConnell, that much more depraved.
14
I wish that the USA cared about how Trump blatantly breaks the law, but I have my doubts. Please prove me wrong.
13
"New details emerged on Tuesday"
Yawn. We've been hearing that same line for 3 three years now. The only thing that's different this time is it didn't contain "blockbuster" in the text.
3
@tim k ...Trump is abusing the office of President. Yawn.
3
According to the documents, Mr. Giuliani's associates had a sitting Ambassador under surveillance.
Mr. Giuliani was and is the President's lawyer.
Did President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sign off on these activities with regard to Ambassador Yovanovitch?
Inquiring minds should want to know.
21
It is a shame that Senate Republicans who have taken an oath to uphold, protect and preserve the constitution will be the ones violating the constitution. They will do this knowing that an act of such will not hold them accountable and their constituents may not remove them from office.
As bad as the current occupant of the White House is it is the enablers (not just the Senators but especially we the voters) that will be identified in the history books of how irresponsible they were.
With regards to the current occupant of the White House no matter what the Senate does and no matter what he says - it is official and for the history books - Donald J Trump is an impeached President.
17
I’m ready for President Pence.
Then let America decide in November what happens next.
4
@Gian Piero Messi
There is sworn testimony indicating Pence was involved at some level. I an ready for President Pelosi when Pence steps down.
3
Seems to me that Trump is getting nervous.
11
We all wonder what is wrong with Republicans that they would want a lying, cheating, admitted scamming fraudster as President. But you really have to ask: What is wrong with Pence that his own party doesn't want him as President?
Evidence? Documents? I believe that Trump could sign a document in the Oval Office that stated explicitly what illegal act he committed or wanted committed, state he understands that it is illegal but that he can do it because he is President, and then tweet about doing it, and it wouldn't matter one bit. In fact it would be used by FOX, Barr, Graham, and The Faithful that he while he did that he did nothing wrong because, well, he can do no wrong.
12
Hard to believe that goofballs like Cruz are still raising the idea of Hunter Biden testifying as though there would be some action that would justify Trump's behavior. If there were really an illegal scheme going on, why didn't Trump have the Justice Department looks into it? Sessions would have had no reason to protect the Bidens. But the reality is, nothing did happen, and there was nothing to investigate. Bad Board members are chosen for various dumb reasons all the time - just recall Theranos which had some very big names on the Board, and was a total scam. Don't see anyone calling for an investigation of them.
11
"All 53 of us have reached an understanding very, very similar to the one that was achieved at the beginning of the Clinton impeachment trial,” Mr. McConnell said..."
What he doesn't say, and the NYT should, is that in the Clinton case all 100 Senators reached the agreement. That makes it VERY dissimilar!
13
McConnell's notion of "impartial justice" is the equivalent of having a jury discuss an impending court trial with the defendant. Both parties agree on blocking the key eyewitnesses from testifying and then announce before the trial even starts that the jury and suspect are perfectly aligned on how it all will go.
7
I'm sure, I'm not the only one asking the question: why can't the Bidens come clean? And where was Joe's brain, not seeing the bad optics and the potential political damage for himself (regardless of his presidential ambitions), when he allowed, no, openly supported his son to take the directorship on that never-before-heard-of 'Ukrainian gas company'?
Seriously.
2
I am a grandmother.
“When I grow up”, I want to be like Nancy Pelosi.
I hope my 13 year old granddaughter wants to be like Nancy Pelosi too!!
25
Trump lies, presents no evidence in his favour, prevents witnesses from testifying, withholds vital information and will now finally be exonerated by a self-proclaimed biased jury. It never ceases to amaze me how much corruption Americans are willing to put up with. Trump lies, presents no evidence in his favour, prevents witnesses from testifying, withholds vital information and will now finally be exonerated by a self-proclaimed biased jury. It never ceases to amaze me how much corruption Americans are willing to put up with.
It's also sad to witness the complete erosion of the importance of truth. It doesn't matter how many witnesses and facts you throw at him, nobody cares. If that isn't the definition of a corrupt state, what is?
23
McConnell can and has buried lots of things, such as the Merritt Garland nomination, and he has gotten away with it. But the steadily increasing stink eminating from his current obstruction of justice is going to bury him and his cohorts under the weight an outrage rarely seen in America.
He deserves everything that is going to fall on him.
30
Since the partisan Democrats in the House were unable to identify a crime (with their own witnesses testifying their was no crime) why are they demanding the Senate find one?
4
"Unable to identify the crime"? You obviously didn't watch the hearings.
43
@Dr. John right. They identified several crimes, not “a crime”!
7
The left and the mainstream press (including this paper) don't realize that this is already over and they have lost. It's amusing to read things like this article and these comments that refuse to believe it IS over though.
3
@Jordan
So you approve the overthrow of The Constitution balance of powers and Rule of Law?
15
If they limited debate in the Senate to those members who had independent judgements, based on their very own independent judgment and analysis, the trial would last 1 minute. I'm afraid the viewing audience will be treated to the same party talking point speeches that we heard in the House hearings. I'm starting to tune all of them out.
3
I recently received a notice from the county seat. I’ve been randomly selected to report for jury duty.
I’m a retired senior citizen, nobody of any importance. However, if I am assigned to serve on a jury, I intend to take my duties very seriously indeed.
How is it possible that United States Senators might do otherwise in the same situation? Equal justice under the law is one of the foundation stones upon which our democracy rests. Every loyal citizen must play his part to insure that justice prevails. Even U.S. Senators. Even when the president is the defendant.
75
@Tom W
Jury duty. along with voting, is a citizen’s most solemn duty.
All elected officials are also citizens.
So Senators have their Oath of Office and their duty as citizens, when it comes to this trial.
And failure to take such duties seriously is an abomination.
7
@Tom W Even Mr. Obama reported for jury duty. I doubt Trump would.
9
Here’s the thing about jury duty...about five years I was the jury foreman on a trial. It was a terrible case involving sexual abuse. The evidence was overwhelming. But two jurors just simply refused to find guilt. I think that either one of them alone would have seen the truth, but they bolstered each other’s viewpoints. I used to wonder about justice for wrongly accused defendants, but now I also wonder about justice for victims. I don’t trust the system.
2
I have to apologise. I'm an Australian and I don't really understand these things. This doesn't mean I'm naive in terms of understanding politics and vested interests holding sway over rational decision making. It happens all the time in our democracies around the world. But there doesn't appear to be a lot of thought given about the damage to future politicians longevity here. Its all short term thinking to presumably hopefully give the GOP Senate majority a bit more oxygen to keep them alive until the end of 2024. But what happens after that? I suppose a lot of them won't really care because they'll be retired or retiring at that stage from what seems to me to be a hopelessly and forever compromised political party. And Trump? Well he'll be gone by then after inflicting 4 more years of dangerous incompetency upon not just the US but also the world. I never thought things could get this bad in my lifetime.
47
@David
Unfortunately, there is all too little long term thinking in the US these days. Unless this changes I fear we are doomed society.
2
I have never seen such overwhelming evidence in support of the removal of a man who has ironically made us now need need someone to "Make America Great Again!" In the 2016 Democratic convention it was asked "when was America not great?" While that statement was true then, the devastating answer is "NOW!" Unfortunately, I have been writing comments to these articles over the past weeks as I felt doing so was at least cathartic, however recently I have started writing or responding to another article and have stopped as the stress I felt was worse. I opened with stating happily that we have this overwhelming evidence in support of removing this person but as I think about this republican party who I never supported but I was never fearful of as they now blindly follow this wanna be dictator, a man I am sure they never wanted back in 2016 to be their nominee and now have become Trump junkies getting off on their little fixes of instant gratification, forgetting perhaps that in country years we are still infants and don't think we can't be damaged beyond repair. There is no higher power who has mandated that America has to remain the best country on earth forever. We are living proof of that right now and despite the overwhelming evidence that exists to remove the leader of this blight I just don't believe it will happen. I have lived through Nixon and Reagan and republican majority houses and senate but was never afraid of what we were becoming. Now I am!
49
Mitch McConnell has demonstrated that nothing - not the Constitution, the American people, US democracy, or maintenance of strategic alliances - will be allowed to take priority over his agenda, which is to maintain his power and deliver for his paymasters. So the Senate impeachment trial will have the same performative quality as the Kavanaugh hearing, less even the substance of a Dr. Ford. John Roberts will provide the same earnest judiciousness that brought us unlimited corporate campaign expenditures, unrestrained gerrymandering and the crippling of the Voting Rights Act. And the American public won't look up from their phones, Netflix subscriptions or online shopping long enough to notice.
46
To everyone- this whole issue is partisan - Democrats vs Republicans- just like the Clinton impeachment. Trump’s not going anywhere - the Senate will never vote him out - never.
The media can continue chasing this story -but it’s going nowhere. Most of America doesn’t care - they’ll still vote along party lines. The Democrats better line up their best candidate soon - he or she will need all the votes they can get. Everyone I’ve spoken to will be voting just like they did in 2016. Trump’s got strong support throughout the Country - don’t kid yourselves. Crook or not - he’s going to be in the ballot in November. Get ready.
11
@LFK, and what is the mark or stain of the Clinton Administration? Let’s look at Trump’s: renegotiate NAFTA; forced China to address IP and opened China’s markets for foreign sale and investment; England, France and Germany are stepping up on the Iran Nuclear accord and we are not bound to it; unemployed is the lowest it has been in decades; NK was brought to the negotiating table; ISIS was crushed, etc...
2
You overlook an important point... No matter what “good” a president thinks he does (and he may do some good) he/she can’t commit felonies, emasculates the government he/she has sworn to defend, enrich him/herself, lie, and sell out the country while doing so.
The ends does not always justify the means.
7
Calling Hunter Biden as a witness, is a silly distraction, showing the GOP doesn't take the process seriously. Even were Hunter Biden to corroborate all the silly claims against him, none of it would exonerate the president. Trump's actions were inappropriate and impeachable, no matter how corrupt Hunter may have been.
61
The articles of impeachment barely scratch the surface of the crimes Donald Trump has committed. If this law states he cannot be tried again for the same crime, the door is still open to address the myriad of crimes, including violation of emolument laws, freedom of worship, racism,....
25
Only one of those things you listed is an actual crime, and no ex-president would ever be prosecuted for violating the emoluments clause. And the "trial" in the senate is not a judicial proceeding, so double jeopardy wouldn't apply anyway.
There are plenty of crimes to prosecute Trump for after he leaves office, as long as he loses in November. A second term would run out the clock on the statutes of limitations, so we need him defeated to see any justice.
8
There is no reason, besides public disapproval, for not impeaching Trump again on the same charges. Double jeopardy is defined in the Constitution as being “to be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb...”. The only punishment offered up by the Constitution for impeachment is to be removed from office and, perhaps, “... disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States...”. It then states, “... but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law”.
So right there, in the text of the last paragraph of Article I, Section 3, which covers the Senate, the Constitution specifically states that someone impeached by the House, and convicted in the Senate, can be subject to criminal prosecution for the exact same offenses that were in the Articles of Impeachment.
2
This trial is similar to the Republican "yellow cake" debacle that led to ten years of unnecessary war to defend a weak, exposed president at any cost including their integrity. I don't believe there is one Republican in the Senate who doesn't know that Trump is guilty of corrupting an election, abuse of power, and obstruction, and that the Bidens, especially Hunter Biden, are a side show to deflect from Trump's impeachable and impeached offenses. Not having a trial with witnesses and testimony is tantamount to saying that President is now King, and the Republicans his water-boys. Good luck with that when the shoe is on the other foot, or the next war vote comes up. For shame.
47
Worth repeating: Republicans, this may be your last chance to return the country to safe footing and remove Donald Trump. Please consider: Trump puts the U.S. at risk for war and parents must worry that sons registered for the Selective Service can be called up; another $1 trillion added to deficit as a recession approaches (5 months of lower manufacturing output and other troubling signs); hits to taxpayers and businesses due to Trump tariffs; rolling back the ACA denying more vulnerable Americans affordable healthcare including those with pre-existing conditions; cutting SNAP benefits; denial of climate change and continued gutting of the EPA and environmental protection regulations; pardoning of war criminals and others, shredding human rights, America's prestige and the rule of law; hollowing out of the U.S. diplomatic core, civil servant experts; denial of foreign influence in U.S. elections/far-reaching cybersecurity threats; etc. And on it goes. How much more can you take? Can America survive? Please do your constitutional duty.
21
It’s not just Republicans who have to pledge to be impartial. And since Democrats have conducted this affair in a 100% partisan manner, promising impartiality will be quite the challenge for them.
3
@Dr. John What's so partisan about calling out the use of a foreign government in an attempt to influence an election? What's so partisan about a charge of obstruction of Congress when a president orders the only witnesses, who were insiders, to refuse even Congress' subpoenas to testify? What's so partisan about that?
43
How do you figure?
6
@Dr. John Republicans apparently did not check out Trump's scuzzy criminal career. If any one of the dozens of scandals boiling around Trump, were actions a Democratic President had taken, you would be calling for their heads.
10
Doesn't the fact that Russian hackers targeted the company that Bidens son worked at in the Ukraine ... at this time (2020 election campaign)...and using the same approach as when they hacked the DNC (2016 campaign)... seem a bit too much of a coincidence? Surely an uncompromised President should request an investigation into Russian interference into US elections.
1087
@Ben An uncompromised president, yes.
94
@Ben You are operating under the impression that the American People and Republicans actually care about having an uncompromised POTUS. Have you been paying attention to the last 3 years?
The impeachment trial will be an exercise in going through the motions for GOP senators, as they already have their minds made up. The political calculus that it will be more costly to stand up to Trump and Co. instead of decency has already been done.
78
@Ben
Wasn't Mueller all about Russian interference? Did you not get enough of it then? And if Russia hacks Burisma's employee emails, how on earth can you want our President to have that investigated?
6
There has been plenty of information publicly available to establish the fact that Trump has used his office to engage in criminal activity and a criminal cover-up. He has lied every step of the way, offered no evidence in his own defense, has actively blocked witnesses from testifying, prevented the release of information that can shed light on the matter, and is now begging his cronies for a speedy dismissal. He is a crook and unfortunately it looks like his supporters will gladly besmirch the reputation of the Senate and SCOTUS just to keep him in office a bit longer.
984
@Elinor
And besmirch the entire legacy of this country, including all the war dead...for one utterly irredeemable game show host.
I thought when HRC called most of his supporters a 'bucket of deplorables' it was in bad taste. Now it looks like sage wisdom. The only people left on his side are the deplorables and they are driving us off a cliff
189
@Elinor The real question is how much longer can Republicans in the Congress. and especially now in the Senate, continue to support this corrupt and incompetent president and expect to not suffer for their illogical behavior in November? Why are they supporting Donald Trump? How many of them have already been treated like door mats by Trump when he was campaigning for the nomination in 2016? Loyalty to Trump will be the downfall of many in Congress as it has been for so many who were once part of his so-called administration.
50
@HereToday
Anyone that didn't know Baskets of Deplorables was accurate at the time it was uttered is a fool. there was never a redeeming quality nor a chance of improving.Like looking at a dead skunk in the middle of the road and thinking it will smell better with time.
51
How can Senators, who have already stated that they are not impartial, take an oath swearing to be impartial jurors? What will Roberts do when Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell are sworn in?
25
The calling of witnesses and the introduction of new documents will NOT make this a fair trial. Anyone who has served on jury duty knows that when a juror expresses bias for or against a defendant, he/she is summarily excused. At least two senate "jurors" have already stated that they are biased: Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham. McConnell is especially significant since he is in charge of setting trial procedures. We must also assume that many other Republicans in the senate have prejudged this case. These senators have not been disqualified, however.
So let's not delude ourselves into thinking this trial will be anything but a necessary formality that will lead to acquittal. It is NOT a fair trial.
31
Since Republicans say blackmail and fraud are okay as long as it's to their benefit, Trump will be fine.
26
Where is Romney? I’m waiting for him to stand up and be vocal about this. He knows Trump and McConnell are wrong. Time to show his backbone.
25
@JJ - Time to show his backbone.
We saw none while he was our Governor. You won't see any either.
3
Please reopen Alkatraz to hold the entire Trump administration and every congressional Republican. Life sentences with no pardon or parole would be justified.
21
The Trump Party in the Senate will simply ignore any evidence and will and will obey their Sovereign's orders to acquit him. It doesn't matter what evidence is presented. This jury has been bought and paid for long ago!
21
Trump maintains that his actions in Ukraine were just politics as usual. These notes do nothing to change that.
You still need a prosecutor prepared to indict the president. Mueller made that virtually impossible. Unless the Senate trial explores exactly how Mueller and Barr created this new constitutional shield against impeachment and removal from office, it doesn't seem likely that the political theatrics of the trial will change the public's mind.
In the meantime, the net effect of Mueller's and Barr's creation is that Trump has expanded the relatively new concept of executive privilege into something that basically overrides the Congress's power of impeachment and removal.
11
Mueller, himself a traditional Republican, made the mistake of thinking there were other Republicans with integrity. Clearly, there are not, with the surprising possible exception of Amash.
3
It will end as much to do about nothing. The Senate will not vote for impeachment.
5
@George
And let it be on the record what the President did, and that Republicans didn’t mind.
42
@LFK Exactly! That stain will become the signature of Trump's presidency and that of his enablers, the Republican Party. That's good enough for me. An impeachment wouldn't change much and might even be damaging to the Democratic Party, so I welcome McConnell's usual recalcitrance to Democrat's initiatives since the Obama years.Thanks Mitch!
8
@LFK Exactly! That stain will become the signature of Trump's presidency and that of his enablers, the Republican Party. That's good enough for me. An impeachment wouldn't change much and might even be damaging to the Democratic Party, so I welcome McConnell's usual recalcitrance to Democrat's initiatives since the Obama years.
I'll break out the wine while you cut the cheese. Thanks Mitch!
1
All available evidence is that Biden was carrying out official policy in combatting corruption yet journalists continue to write things like a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor “helping to unearth damaging information on Biden,” when it seems the prosecutor’s real aim was to make false claims about Biden just as he did with respect to Marie Yovanovitch.
Unless they have such damaging info to report, journalists need to stop being so sloppy. It’s plain that all Trump cared about was an “announcement” of a Biden investigation - the actual truth didn’t matter - and careless journalism just furthers the smear.
56
@JT Excellent point. That prosecutor was charged with various violations of Ukraine law, from bribery to public drunkeness. He has withdrawn his claims against the Bidens in his last public interview, been all over the map previously. Ambitious, disappointed, morally flexible, unreliable to say the least.
No wonder Yovanovitch was worried.
3
The evidence is all there. Even before the trial.
This sham trial is going to go beyond history as being the worst.
Be so proud in history, with your legacy, Republicans.
21
Thank God there is a Speaker of the House with integrity, determination, and energy. Her name is Nancy and she is shining in her moment. We can't let Trump get away with all of his unconstitutional actions.
Trump quote: "Article 2 says I can do anything that I want..."
Constitutional scholar he's not.
31
Oh, has Pelosi moved past the very strange delay period, is the impeachment FIASCO on again? I lost interest after the Mueller FIASCO. Yawn, another nail in the Dem 2020 presidential election--exact opposite of the Dem's intentions. #clueless!
3
The Democrats' "intentions" are to honor their oaths of office. Pelosi reluctantly started impeachment because Trump's crime was blatant and indisputable. But after years of republican and presidential perfidy, I understand how seeing elected representatives doing their jobs honestly may be unfamiliar.
3
It took three trials to finally bring Gotti to Justice. Let the charade begin. Most people know that Trump is a master criminal. The question is whether he can be caught. He has already admitted to fraud in two cases in five years, had eight of his personally hand picked working underlings convicted as felons, and fended off the rape and molestation charges of at least 32 women. And we still have not seen his tax returns or a final verdict on the emoluments cases. Trump is a national disgrace to the United States and to humanity.
45
@John Tapley I will agree that many people view Trump as a criminal, but calling him a master is akin to calling Inspector Clouseau a master detective. What both accomplish is due to sheer bumbling luck, not skill.
15
And a pure, driving force of self-preservation.
2
Like her or not, Madam Speaker always has a plan.
Always.
20
Democrats are like the boy who kept crying wolf. Nobody is listening anymore. How many 1,000’s of made up narratives have come & gone? In order for their to be a crime, there needs to be a victim. No one from Ukraine has come forward to say anything has happened. Procedures matter people. On the flip side I bet we can get 1,000’s of witness’s from foreign countries to come forward to describe pay for play schemes including the Biden’s, Clinton’s, Pelosi’s, Bush’s, Romney’s, Kerry’s, Feinstein, etc etc. Do you really want to keep going there? This will be the Democrats demise.
3
@Joseph
Disagree.
In order for there to be a crime, there must be criminal INTENT.
Just as attemping to shoot someone, but missing your shot is a crime, the president attempting to blackmail the head of of a foreign state to gain electoral advantage is a crime. The fact that the attempt was discovered and thwarted does nothing to lessen the criminal nature of Mr. Trump’s intentions.
35
I see the disconnect here. The reason Democrats keep "crying wolf" is that a pack of wolves keep committing crimes in the White House and covering them up in the senate.
8
Procedures matter?! You should tell that to the Republicans!
3
The Republican President and Evangelicals’ Chosen Dear Leader pled guilty to stealing over 2 million dollars from a charity meant to help combat veterans. Similarly a few years back the Republican President admitted defrauding students at Trump University and was forced to settle for 25 million.
My question to Trump Supporters in this comments section is, what exactly are you defending in this disgraceful huckster? An individual who cheats and steals from Vets and students? Of course he’s lying in this matter and no amount of legal hairsplitting will strengthen your defense of him.
47
They want the Republicans to force everyone to convert to Christianity because they think that's the solution to the nation's problems.
2
A great election strategy for Democrats would be to not choose a candidate who made $1 billion for her or his Foundation or children from foreigners the candidates were in charge of.
These days, such things tend to surface quite easily.
It takes a few attempts to learn. Think Hillary and Joe, who is Hillary bis.
1
@novoad
Obviously they need a candidate who establishes a charity to benefit himself and his family and openly and flagrantly violates the law, gets caught, and admits to it.
The money "made" for the Clinton Foundation actually went to helping people. The money in the Trump foundation was used fraudulently to benefit, surprise, Trump.
6
Why was Trump mentioned in the headline? The article provides no evidence that Trump had anything to do with what was discussed in the documents. Totally misleading and unprofessional.
2
@2observe2b
Of course. He is always innocent. The willful naïveté shown by Republicans is laughable, yet very tragic.
21
Not to mention the notes state that Giuliani was acting in his capacity as Trump’s personal lawyer.
4
@2observe2b
Right. All these government level things were being done between Giuliani/Parnas and Zelensky/Lutsenko were being done as personal favors for Rudy, a good pal, who just happened to be Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer. They had nothing to do with Donald Trump. No. Of course not. Not even the issues regarding a US Ambassador.
But if you are right, that means that Trump is Giuliani's pawn, water boy, as he ordered Trump to Yovanovitch. Is that what you really want?
4
Readers should go back to the document "The Consititional Grounds for Presidential Impeachment" from 1974. Many here have criticized the current process on the basis of due process and the inherently political nature of impeachment. They have stated that the President has done no criminal activity. If that is so, let the public have access to all the witnesses under formal examination.
I can only wish that critics in 2020 would look at reality, starting with the clauses in the Constitution on impeachment. It is political. It is based on a level of outrage, that if enough people think an officer of government has crossed a line on behavior, there is a process for removal. Howling, mocking or tweeting at impeachment does not make it go away, nor does stonewalling the process. Nixon did not pick locks in the Watergate building offices, but he bore responsibility for creating plans and benefitting from information derived from a stupid burglary. It is likewise Trump's responsibility if minions like Giuliani and Parnas have represented his interests in illegal activity.
26
Great photograph, Erin Schaff!
4
The lack of a handshake in the debate is interesting.
But the fact that the agent of the personal attorney of Donald Trump received an offer to hit one of our own Ukraine diplomats, who was being removed in the service of receiving personal campaign benefits, seems worthy of more attention by all media today.
“They are willing to help if we/you would like a price,”
15
Senators have to take a oath to be a "fair " juror. And some have even confirmed that they will not even read the documents from the House charges?
They should not be allowed to vote, because that makes a sham out of the oath!
Does this not constitute Perjury & can they be indicted for that act?
If not, why not?
11
This is not Democracy’s finest hour! Imagine, countries all over the world are watching this Impeachment process and wondering what happened to the United States commitment to the law and to our Constitution.We have stood for law and now we are approaching a trial of Trump’s behavior and there is controversy that the Senate will not cooperate and that Republicans are planning to make a mockery of the proceedings.They can make their case legally without trying to turn this solemn event into another chapter of the Trump chaos saga.
6
Of course a lawyer investigates intensively to find proof exonerating his client. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with that.
Let the proof be shown and let the Senators and the public decide.
2
Ugh, this is still going on? The Democrats had ample opportunity to drag this out in the House and chose to rush the process. Much like RussiaGate, there isn't hard evidence of any actual criminal activity, just innuendo and maybes. Come on Dems, get back to the business of fast-tracking Trump's judges in the Senate (thank you Sen. Schumer for working with Mitch McConnell to get this done) and assuring he get actually more money for his military and, more importantly, he gets the chances to use that military because Pelosi struck down the amendments to his NDAA proposed by Reps. Hill,Gabbard and Ro Khanna that would have required him to consult congress before initiating a military conflict with Iran. So come on Democrats, there "bipartisanship" still to be done out there, err, I mean caving to the Republicans as your donors pay you to do.
1
With more and more brought to light by the hands of God trying to protect his children from the enemy (GOP), it could be that they acquit him and then more comes to light that shows just how much they not only covered for their master but for themselves as well being that they are accomplices. And maybe, just maybe, the people in this country might be so indignant that they decide to change so many seats Blue that we'll witness a tsunami. Good will prevail over evil.
12
From the looks of it, Trump violated the Title of Nobility Clause. Impeachment passed the House. Great! Now it’s the Senates turn to look at the 2 articles of impeachment, Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. They will determine if the articles are just hot air or if they really hold water.
However, Nancy Pelosi’s new evidence for impeachment reminds me of the scene in the Grinch when the Grinch wins the Holiday Cheermeister Award. They stuff his face with so much food he starts to refuse, but can’t, then he takes the food with abandon, gets sick and gives up.
Nanci Pelosi already awarded the Senate with the Holiday Cheermeister Award. Let them eat the food you gave them. If you keep trying to stuff their face with more food, it makes the trial in the House look like a farce.
Oh but there’s more! And more! And more! And more! Open your mouth and eat these tasty articles.
1
The last time our senators worked 6 days a week was probably Clinton’s impeachment.
8
Think if Paul Ryan was still leader of the House!
See why votes count?
12
Through out history its always play one side against the other in the world. And even in a countries currant politics. As we seen today America and Russia. If you dont agree with o ne than you have the other. Many third world nations went through this as well we seen. If at times you dont agree with the USA you. Had England and visa Versa. Now its USA and Russa. Well most of eroupe is in a partnership with Russia and we are playing good guy and bad guy now. It seems the same as the centuries go by that its just the same as it always was . And now we Have all industry going to China to where all parts failed in the economics of believing they control the world. And we're have all industries that cant survive with out them.Will it be a down world spiral to the future. Thousands of years ago most happened to the ancient civilizations. Maybe the greed and glounty Iam sure did it. We should look at all people as neighbors and friends rather a problem. Most of all we should look at the cause of the issues. Maybe the. Nephilim or Anunnaki do exist as thousands of years of stories claim. Turmoil of the times.
Meanwhile the nation is riveted, awaiting the next sighting of Harry, Meghan and Archie...
What a world.
6
Trump and his disinformation machine is going to tar and feather Biden with Burisma and It’s going to be Hillary 2.0 - if Joe gets the nomination. Legal or not Biden’s son had zero business taking on that Ukrainian money gig and yes it reflects poorly on Joe- the perception of impropriety is obvious. Biden is also way past his prime and his appearance at the debate tonight clearly demonstrated that.
5
"Mr. Lutsenko, who was helping him (Gialini) unearth damaging information about he Bidens." Not so! There is quite apparently no damaging information about the Bidens. Rather, than "unearth" damaging information, how about fabricate damaging information. After all, in the real world, facts are facts.
18
Anyone else catch the aroma of 'cooked goose' on the breeze?
1
Nice timing by the House Intelligence Committee to release the Parnas documents the evening before the Articles of Impeachment are handed over to the Senate.
9
The new evidence includes a May, 2019 letter to Zelensky from Giuliani stating that he was working on behalf of our president and wanted him to investigate Biden.
It also shows that our ambassador was being surveiled!
31
Throughout history, peoples have been seduced by a charismatic leader into creating a personality cult, and a dictatorship. But I don’t know of any that involved the gross incompetence of Trump and his gang. What is the GOP thinking? Trump will implode, declare presidential bankruptcy, maybe even abscond with AF-1 on a one way flight to Moscow. What then Mitch? Where do you think you’re gonna go Lindsey?
18
The United States ambassador to the Ukraine was rushed home due to a safety threat emanating from the President of the United States. Let that sink in.
48
This entire situation shows that Mitch McConnell and the Republicans care more for their own power than they do for the Constitution of the United States, the rule of law or honesty and integrity. A true patriot would want to know if the President of the US put his own personal political interests over the national security of the US. The answer is the Republicans are not patriots. They are amoral and deplorable.
21
In the final analysis. it looks like trump has been outsmarted by a woman. If he is only sleeping 4 hours a night now, it will get worse.
10
This Senate doesn't hear the American people. Most people would like to see impartial justice, but what we'll see is Mitch McConnell handicapped by Republican partisanship and his own self-preservation.
Honor and oath are cast aside.
16
One again, Madam Speaker knew what she was doing. Patience has its rewards, and clear evidence of collusion was hers. John Adams wrote in a letter to his brilliant wife, Abigail, "I think you shine as a stateswoman . . . . " Nancy Pelosi shines as a stateswoman, and we should be grateful that we have her.
36
Why NOT "include witness Testimony", and "additional Documents" as evidence in the forthcoming Impeachment Hearings ??? Why does McConnell want to block any and ALL of this evidence from seeing the Light of Day ? Why is he so afraid of the very real, and clearly apparent Truth?
What do Trump and Company have to hide, anyway ??
Obviously ... more than anyone can sweep under a rug.
18
This looks as bad if not worse than Watergate.
27
It doesn’t matter. The “trial” is fixed. Minds are made up. Trump can only be defeated in the ballot box.
4
The new documents illustrate the execution of a criminal enterprise to threatening the safety and security of a U.S. Ambassador - who is at the foundation a U.S. government employee. The threats come from the President and cronies he's hired: Giuliani, Lev Parnas, Hyde, and others. Aligning the dates and contents of some of these documents with events described by witnesses to the Impeachment hearings fills out a terrible story that should have already led to Trump's resignation. If you don't think this entire Ukrainian enterprise is an unlawful or unconstitutional activity by a President, read these news stories and substitute "Obama" or "Clinton" every time you see the word "Trump." Do you feel the outrage rising in you now? Focus on the actions and let your moral center speak: He must be held accountable for the wrong he has committed and the wrongs he has paid others to do. These documents are sickening for what they illuminate in the corruption of the American and Ukrainian governments.
21
@Rosemary Galette The article mentions no contact with the ambassador and thus no threat.
To say this is Political Kabuki Theater is to insult Kabuki Theater. This is a a Purely political exercise in futility. The Dems dig up a Partisan whistle blower and no facts, a napkin? Really, this is evidence? The only goal is to mame the President and try to win a few independents. Russia, hoax, this is worse. There is more damaging evidence against Joe Biden and nobody cares. Very sad. Oh, Can wait to ask Putin who to vote for next year.
2
What is historic is that the speaker will be handing over the articles the very same day the President signs the best trade deal ever with China. Since September the main stream media has spent over 800 minutes reporting on impeachment and only 11minutes reporting on the best economy in our lifetime. Watching the roar of the crowd at the LSU game when the President walked out is how America really feels about Trump. The media is totally disconnected from reality.
1
@P McGrath
"Watching the roar of the crowd at the LSU game when the President walked out is how America really feels about Trump. "
Absolutely wrong. It's how football fans from S. Carolina and Louisiana feel about Trump. He carried those states with a comfortable margin. Imagine a UCLA/Stanford/USC/Univ of Washington/Univ. of Oregon football crowd. Trump would not show up there would he.
10
The truth will eventually come out despite Republican extreme efforts at cover-up. Heads will roll, and Trump will go down in infamy.
13
Remember who DID testify: a small number of people, few of them major 'players' .... That is why when the bigger fish in the pond squawk Trump's goose will surely be cooked ... And he knows it, which is why he's pushing for quick trial.
Being re elected is his major concern because he believes that as president he is shielded from all the previous charges mounting up...
Won't happen Donnie; In Jan 2021 as a private citizen you'll be in a world of hurt and your little fairy tale life will become dark and painful. I hope we can spread the fun around to Jared and the others.
21
We needed more evidence? Give me a break. As they say in Sweden, "It's like putting whipped cream on the mashed potatoes".
10
I'm not seeing the problem here. There's no evidence from this article that Giuliani or anyone else was asking the Ukraine to fabricate fake evidence against the Bidens. They were looking for real evidence of real wrong doing. Why shouldn't they? Are the Bidens immune? If the search for bad facts about the Bidens turned up nothing, then great, the Bidens aren't as dirty as it appeared. But Guiliani didn't do anything wrong.
3
@Douglas In 2017 The Republicans DID investigate the Bidens and found no wrong doing. All this fuss and feathers now is just a distraction
16
@John Lusk That is why the Democrats should have no problem with Giuliani digging deeper.
1
Our government is so broken. Listening to Boeing employees disparaging FAA regulators as clowns. Then people die in the defective Boeing airliner that wasn’t properly vetted for safety issues. And the CEO walks away with $62 million. Watching millions of teenagers get hooked on nicotine with all the health consequences that come with it as the government sat back and did nothing to regulate this dangerous drug. Just as it did during the Opiod epidemic. Then watching the Democratic candidates wasting millions of dollars trying to get elected. While our roads, and schools crumble. When millions of children go hungry everyday. And nothing is done to change this broken system. Watching the President clearly violate the law when inviting a foreign government- twice - first Russia and now Ukraine- to help him get elected. And the elected Republican Senators do nothing. When do citizens of the United States decide that our government no longer has any legitimacy?
10
@LM "When do citizens of the United States decide that our government no longer has any legitimacy?"
According to evidence to be presented, 17 minutes after inauguration in 2017 the Democratic impeach Trump movement started. No evidence was needed...
1
From the top of the article, "intensifying demands on Senate Republicans on the eve of a historic impeachment trial to include witness testimony and additional documents in the proceeding."
Do you remember Trump said, during his 2016 campaign, that he could 'stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue, shoot someone dead, and not lose support'?
And, now, too, all our elected Republican representatives believe themselves to be as infallible as their unelected (installed by Putin) leader.
Trump's sociopathy (and McConnell's--credit where credit is due) has infested the entire administration. Well, Steven Miller also brought an abundance of madness to the job, as apparently did Bill Barr. Jim Jordan. Mark Meadows. John Ratcliffe. Obviously, there are many.
I'm not using the psychiatric label "sociopath" carelessly. Trump and minions are self-centered and greedy in the extreme; utterly shameless, lacking any self-consciousness as they lie, cheat and steal; and, show no human empathy for their constituencies. Is there a more perfect example of sociopathy, save perhaps in, e.g., North Korea, Syria, or Russia?
My point: Republicans are inured to social pressure. Whatever demands exist for justice, impartiality, or intelligence, Republicans will do what they want with no regard for propriety.
20
Biden can do the senate majority leader a favor and offer to appear if Pence will testify. I don't think Pence will lie, and he heard the President, first hand, break many laws.
1
And just imagine that the Trump administration is still considering to have for one attorney; Rudy Giuliani as a member of their impeachment defense team here on in.
That could be as big a joke, if not greater, than Trump and his administration have been for a presidency in U.S. history.
8
No evidence has emerged leading AWAY from Trump's guilt in his plan to fabricate "evidence" against the Bidens.
It remains a shocking story, uglier than Watergate and Iran-Contra. A nightmare for our country.
15
@David Henry "fabricate "evidence" against the Bidens"
That is why ALL the evidence against the Bidens should be front and center. To let the Senate and the public figure out whether it's real.
1
With these new Ukraine documents and what they can imagine and expect John Bolton to say—
And the recent frightening escalation with Iran and lying regarding the Trump-ordered assassination—
I think more and more senators are thinking the sooner Trump is removed the better, the safer.
[He's not going to win any re-election, and the Republicans still have ultra-conservative and religious-right Pence for the remainder of the term of office.]
15
@srwdm I wouldn't bet on that. Literally.
The odds in Britain for Trump's reelection grew from 40% last April to 60% now.
A trial in which over half the jurors have decided to acquit the accused before opening remarks, is not a trial, it is a coverup.
A trial in which the accused decides whether witnesses will be called (make no mistake, Trump is playing the tune to which McConnell and his minions are dancing) is not a trial, it is a penny dreadful vaudeville show about Republican utter disdain for justice.
Trump is guilty of the crimes he is charged with. They are serious crimes against the rule of law, against the Constitution, against the very foundation of our republic.
The House has produced credible evidence of his guilt. To which McConnell and his minions are determined to convince the American people that what they have seen, what they have heard, what they know to be factually true, is just a political partisan election game on the part of Democrats.
McConnell is guilty of putting political partisanship ahead of justice, ahead of country, ahead of common morality. The trial McConnell is planning will not even measure up to the definition of a charade. In a charade of a trial at least there is an attempt to present a respectable appearance of justice being carried out. But what McConnell is planning is nothing short of pure miscarriage of justice.
McConnell is counting on spineless Republicans (in the Senate as well as in the voting booth), evangelical MAGAts across America and the Fox Noise Machine to approve and applaud his farce acquittal of Trump. Rational adults will not.
23
This would seem to be a significant development. It is worthy of a second impeachment investigation in the House.
15
I'm reading the letters from people. Are they watching the same things I am watching? They seem to think Trump is innocent and that Pelosi is barking up the wrong tree. I am beginning to think I live in an alternate universe. Sorry, but I think Trump is wrong and guilty. When I long for the days of Richard Nixon I know things are bad. At least he did some good. If I remember correctly.
20
Senator McConnell, and his Republican co-conspirator's in the Senate, are invalidating the American concept that no one is above the law. They are openly protecting Mr. Trump from the legal consequences of his transgressions for partisan purposes.
Republicans now barely make any efforts to disguise this affront to the Constitution. They also make a mockery of their oath to defend the Constitution. They have made the calculation that their conservative supporters don't care. Perhaps they are correct.
13
Ms. Pelosi,
Quit messing around and subpoena Bolton et al., in the house. There is almost no way they will ever testify in the senate, and going forward, even if it takes years, they must be compelled to testify.
9
I have nothing but praise for Adam Schiff, former Federal prosecutor, who was on his game, many times extemporaneously during the Intelligence Committee hearings. I am sure he will do a fine job presenting the case to the "jurors" in the Senate whether or not the Democrats get all of the witnesses a normal trial would present for a plaintiff/prosecution.
Also a nod of praise for Eric Swalwell, a younger former Federal prosecutor who has done a very able and articulate job responding to press questions while Schiff has been busy with his lawyering tasks. I am sure he will be on the House prosecutorial team as a skilled back-up for Adam Schiff.
Hopefully, Pelosi will pick one or two other former prosecutors from the House membership to be on the prosecutorial team rather than the rainbow coalition of non-lawyers who she stuck on the Judiciary Committee for political purposes.
And please don't criticise Jerry Nadler for not being as polished a prosecutor as Schiff and Swalwell. Jerry didn't work as a prosecutor, or as a civil trial lawyer, when he got out of law school. He's a smart man and he will be very helpful to the "lead talkers" of prosecutorial team even if he doesn't do any questioning.
16
Moscow Mitch does not trouble himself with evidence such as documents or witnesses.
25
Will the GOP Senators follow the path that Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham want them to take, obstructing justice and abetting Trump's crimes? Or will they be true to their oaths of office, and conduct a fair trial, complete with subpoenaing major witnesses (Mulvaney, Pompeo, Bolton) and the large body of evidence the White House is illegally withholding?
15
I’m looking forward to watching Adam Schiff being interrogated as a witness. Plus bring the popcorn for when the whistle blower testifies. Must see TV.
3
@TJ
Have a nice dream. Neither Mr. Schiff nor the whistle blower are on trial. This is Trump's impeachment trial.
11
@Shim
They are essential witnesses, and the decision is up to McConnell. If there are witnesses, they will be subpoenaed. The defendant has the right to bring any witnesses involved that he thinks fit.
Trump asked Zelensky to clean up the corruption of the Bidens. This corruption needs to be established and corroborated with witnesses and documents.
Especially the testimony of the procurator fired by Joe in that memorable $1bn video quid pro quo, procurator from whom there is now sworn testimony that he was working on Hunter and his company.
This all in order to show that Trump's request, although it could be and was misinterpreted, was really fully justified.
Pelosi has thrown Biden under the bus, in a big way.
Expect a lot of fireworks. And an outcome, for the Democrats, like the one of Mueller's testimony, only worse...
3
@novoad Please get your facts straight - Trump didn't want anything cleaned up - he just wanted Zelensky to state on TV that he was opening an investigation - he didn't care about corruption.
The prosecutor who was fired was fired with the approval and consent of the Obama administration and our European allies because HE was corrupt. Subsequent investigations into Hunter Biden showed no wrongdoing.
10
As the article notes Trump's, "efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political opponents, then stonewall the House inquiry into his actions."
Even if Trump people fancifully dispute the pressuring of Ukraine's president to investigate Biden (fanciful because Donald himself admitted on the WH lawn for all to hear) how can anybody dispute the stonewalling? That is far beyond dispute since he has announced it and openly blocked witnesses appearing for all to hear. How is claiming he stonewalled any kind of hoax? It is ridiculous to call it a hoax. But since when has that stopped Trump and his cronies from insulting everybody's intelligence?
66% of Americans want to hear Bolton's testimony.
18
These documents are not new (or news).
They were known to the House Intelligence Committee for some time . They were released tonight by House Democrats on the verge of the House vote as a part of a political stunt staged to promote the Democrats position on how the Senate should conduct its trial.
This article is misinformative, as it and it’s headline gives the impression that these are new and additional findings that demonstrate the need to call additional witnesses.
In fact, what it shows is that Senator McConnell is right. The Senate trial would be reduced to a sham by Democratic theatrics and duplicity.
God save us from these people.
6
Ahem...
What about the contents of said documents?
As an American, are you not horrified? Some crimes surely must rise above party politics.
8
The House Intelligence Committee should immediately depose Lev Parnas. Rather than waiting for the Senate trial, the implications of these documents have to be understood, before anything else happens. If the deposition is fruitful forward it and/or hearing transcripts to the Senate for consideration during the trial. And if we’re lucky and he’s a good witness, he can also testify at the trial.
8
No testimony will change the fact that no significant interruption in aid occurred and no investigation into Burisma took place. And that Zelensky did not know about the short suspension during the call.
As to the Bidens and the whistleblower on stand, all that comes out in brutal interrogations will be new to the public.
And that investigation into Burisma will now take place. In the US Senate, in front of all.
3
In other words, she waited until she had the Republican votes necessary to call witnesses. She has them now. This time, Mitch McConnell is defeated.
5
Every day, Nancy Pelosi looks smarter and smarter. There is no template for anything Pelosi has done over the last month. She recognized and weaponized her power to withhold the Articles. She defended the delay on neutral grounds of fairness and common sense in the picking of House Managers. Pelosi was relentlessly on message. I thought she projected enormous power and confidence. And her timing was superb.
I believe there will be witnesses. Thank you, Madam Speaker, for making the Constitution work thus far in this impeachment and trial.
20
We now know that Ms. Pelosi may have had an ace up her sleeve in terms of changing the political calculus.
The released documents show that former Ambassador Yovanovitch was being surveilled by among others, Robert Hyde (currently running for congress) and other associates of Rudy Giuliani. Ms. Yovanovitch testified to Congress that she was told by the Director General of the Foreign Service, Carol Perez, that she needed to “come home immediately … on the next plane” for her security. Just tonight, Ms. Yovanovitch called for an investigation into the disturbing notion that she was being surveilled.
The obvious assumption is that Ms. Yovanovitch was at risk of physically attack. While charges of a "quid pro quo" may not be enough to lower Trump's approval rating, these charges, if verified, would crater Trump's support.
19
Yes!
Can we stop, all of us, on all sides, for a second and let it sink in that a sitting American Ambassador appears to have had a hit called in on her by Americans?
This is unconscionable, outrageous, a genuine horror. May the Senate, please, drop the politics and seek the restoration of justice and American dignity?
16
'Crater Trump's support'? There's nothing to indicate that his copperbottomed 40 per cent will budge whatever comes out. Let's just hope that the Democrats don't elect a candidate who'll make that number tick up a few clicks, because the US and the world is in for a very bumpy ride.
3
Mitch McConnell in wanting a Senate trial dismissed prior to its start, depicts in part also why just one day after special counsel Robert Mueller on July 24th warned Americans during public testimony of Russia still actively attempting to interfere in U.S. elections; that McConnell had then blocked twice within just one week, the passing of two House Democrats' Election Security Bills. That led to tv's Joe Scarborough first appropriately then referring to him as "Moscow Mitch," to McConnell's great dislike.
Then ironically on that same following July 25th day after Mueller issued warning of election interference possibly occurring again in 2020, Trump made his infamous, and far below "perfect" phone call to Ukraine's recently elected president Zelensky.
And so here's the ultimate trouble Trump and his Republican party are in today, with McConnell not cooperating with House Democrats on both occasions, and in need of obvious help in both instances for Trump to maintain his Emperor type means.
13
Throughout the House impeachment hearings, Republicans repeatedly said the Democrats offered only second-hand accounting of events. (This was caused by the administration directing subpoenaed personnel to ignore their subpoenas, making first-hand testimony impossible). Now, in the Senate trial, first-hand testimony can be heard and the majority of Americans want to hear it. Why now are Republican politicians
opposing this opportunity when they ridiculed the lack of it earlier?
13
Former mayor was rather popular among the people during the foregone decades. I wonder whether this still is the case.
1
How are we going to get the Senators who disqualified themselves by declaring the verdict they are supposed to vote for and refusal to consider evidence recused from the trial. There must be at least 10 of them who publicly made these declarations including McConnell and Graham who made a point of it without being asked to say he would not even consider the evidence.
7
Hunter Biden should agree to testify just to throw light on the empty vessel the GOP is carrying. Let him have a Lawyer present. Then every time the Republicans ask him a question irrelevant to Donald's crime he can object. Point to the fact that this isn't about Hunter and he's completely unrelated to this crime.
26
@Jenifer Wishful thinking.
The suggestion of Trump to Zelensky was all about Hunter Biden. How justified was it? That will be the crucial part of the trial.
2
The person who is continuing to be confident here is McConnell. He is claiming that the fifty three Republicans will all be together. What happens if some of them decide to vote with the Democrats?
12
I still cannot wrap my head around why Rebublicans want to call Joe and Hunter Bidens as witnesses.
Witnesses to what? Distraction?
Trump violated the Constitution by eliciting help (and blackmailing) a foreign power.
It is not too hard to understand.
107
@Pat
If the law is against you argue the facts.
If the facts are against you argue the law
If the law and the facts are against you yell and pound on the table.
6
@Pat "why Republicans want to call Joe and Hunter Bidens as witnesses"
Because their testimony will show that Trump asking Zelensky to clean up their corruption was justified.
3
Yes, of course. The Republicans have become so adept at corruption, this is what they do. They know Joe and Hunter Biden have absolutely nothing to do with the case against Trump. They want to create the appearance of something terrible to draw attention away from Trump’s corrupt and illegal actions. They have nothing else to talk about.
And, although irrelevant to the case at hand, the Bidens did create an appearance problem and they made it easy for corrupt Republicans to seize on this and use it to distract and fool ill-informed people. It is revolting, all of it.
8
During the House hearings, Sen. McConnell not only wanted witnesses, he wanted particular witnesses. Now, in a Senate trial, he doesn't want any witnesses.
The Constitution specifies that jurors in a Presidential impeachment trial be unbiased. That is obviously impossible when the jurors are Democratic and Republican Senators. Nevertheless, it strains credulity to think this trial will be fair when Sen. McConnell states that he will work "hand in glove" with the President and the President's lawyers.
In my opinion, the following 3 items:
1) Trump's requesting of a "favor" from Zhelensky,
2) His withholding of Congressionally approved aid to Ukraine, and
3) his aides' (in particular Giuliani) making clear to the Ukranians that there would be no aid until the Ukranians announced that Biden Sr. and Biden Jr. were bgoth investigated,
together make an impeachable offense.
35
@Aram Hollman "this trial will be fair when Sen. McConnell states that he will work "hand in glove" with the President"
In the impeachment Schiff worked hand in glove with Nanci Pelosi. So it is fair.
@novoad Nancy Pelosi wasn’t impeached and Schiff is not the Majority Leader of the House that has the sole power to try all impeachments.
4
If the Impeached 45th president wants to prove both his latest claim of innocence, and that he's no big coward as he has been for 6 decades, dating back to "bone spurring" his way out of fighting in Vietnam for this country; then he should simply testify himself in his Senate trial. That, for once again acting as "Individual One,"for having directed in attempt yet another crime, though unsuccessfully, for his political and financial benefits.
36
I can say that murder is legal and proper but that doesn't make it legal. Your beliefs are not relevant, the law and the constitution is. All anyone is asking is that Trump's actions are sincerely measured against the law and the constitution.
"Evidence" of what? Trump did nothing wrong or illegal. So all that suddenly discovered paperwork is not an evidence of anything but just that – more paperwork. It means nothing and will change nothing. Get it over with already and let people decide who they want to be a President in November 2020.
7
if he is so sure about his innocence, why does it not proof and testimony to dispel any doubt? Seems very simple to me.
8
@David
The people decided who they wanted in Congress and the Congress found President Trump guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
6
Actually he did do wrong. It’s not worth the trouble. We have given him plenty of rope.
His conduct is beyond entertaining. His struggle to explain the Iranian assassination is priceless. After several ludicrous failed explanations he says he doesn’t need one.
And his minions go along. I am a cynical contempt addict and this reinforced my euphoria. So please don’t remove him.
What an adventure!
Full disclosure I do not believe this country is worth saving as we are the greatest threat to world peace. That’s not Trump’s doing. It goes back years.
2
The rel question is whether at least twenty Republican senators have a conscience.
33
Sadly the answer is surely NO.
2
Did the Democrats here consider that the no witness stand of Republicans could be a careful ploy? Trump sure wanted witnesses at first, after all.
If there are witnesses, the White House people will have executive privilege. They will only be able to speak about, say, what they did for lunch. Unless that lunch was job related.
The Republicans will subpoena Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, the whistleblower, and Schiff's staff who interacted with the whistleblower. None are covered by executive privilege.
The Bidens are needed to prove that the request of Trump was justified. The last two, to show that the impeachment was based on partisanship.
Their testimony will boost Trump among independents, and will be devastating to Biden, and to the House members who voted for impeachment.
How do you make Democrats WANT to call all these witnesses? By pretending that you don't.
PS Too bad that only in England you can bet on detailed elections outcomes. The odds for Trump winning in November are now between 5/6 which means 6/(5+6) = 55% and 4/6 which means 6/(6+4) = 60%.
2
@novoad Trump is down by double digits in 48 states and was only elected due to GOP voter suppression of millions of votes. He lost the PV by 3M votes. 58% of voters said they would not vote for him under any circumstances. The midterms were just the beginning.
8
So the new evidence increases "pressure" on Republicans?
Oh, please. As if evidence made one iota of difference.
22
Withholding documentary evidence = guilt.
Preventing witnesses from testifying = guilt.
Wanting a trial's dismissal even prior to it beginning = guilt.
Each of the above = a cover up of that guilt.
Apparently, The Constitution needs some modifying once again, since when James Madison back in his day had suggested "Impeachment" to lawmakers as a means to oust a lawless and runaway president, he never expected one plus his administration to act to the authoritarian level that Emperor Trump and his administration has performed.
47
Totally inappropriate to transfer single charges to the Senate at this time. The enormity of Trump's crimes and economic treasons has only been scratched. The Court will rule on Trump's taxes and charges derived from the Mueller's investigation have not be digested, time to dig in and protect America from a Manchurian President. Simple, the Speaker needs to announce that McConnell's rule about letting the Voters decide, when he refused to accept a Supreme Court appointment. Turn over the expanded Articles of Impeachment after the election. Trump can be Impeached after he loses the election.
13
@Timit
The crimeless Mueller probe was started in a criminal way. When the criminal probe of John Durham and Bill Barr will be finished, expect a massive boost for Trump.
I wonder whether Mitch would feel motivated to call some witnesses if a few tens of thousands of protesters were shouting outside the Capitol.
63
The president's congressional liaison states that they have been ready for this for a long time. Excuse me sir but are you sure you are ready for Lev Parnas?
Get back to us on that Please!
22
This is what gangsterism looks like.
The GOP mobster family takes care of its own and this is all headed by a very aggressive mobster boss.
I can only conclude that since there appears to be no unbiased due process in this ongoing tale, American Democracy is dead.
31
What a coincidence!!!
Eureka...look Nancy..we just found 365 pages of eyewitness testimony less than 24 hours before the Impeachment Articles are passed down..and our voters are too dumb to notice how obvious we are.
4
@Erica Smythe That's called politics. Nancy got as much out of it as she could. Not bad.
5
@Erica Smythe
Sorry you feel that way. I guess we're too busy examining the contents and the substance of the testimony to be all that bothered about the calendar.
Anyway, thanks for providing that very brief timeline. In return, we'll let you know what the testimony alleges. Because "we're too dumb to notice how obvious" they are. And you're too smart to read anything longer than a calendar date.
8
The federal judge in the case charging Lev Parnas released these documents today. They were not previously available earlier.
6
Will we survive this assault on our democracy? Will the GOP led by McConnell and McCarthy succeed in shredding the U.S. Constitution? Will we wake up to the imminent danger Trump, Barr and Pompeo pose to the ideals espoused in our finest document? Each new day brings further damning evidence without any Republican outcry, without any Republican insistence that Bolton, McGahn and Mulvaney testify, to name but three. McCain today would look at Graham with total revulsion, and rightfully so.
38
Hyde’s response to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey: Question - “Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?” Answer - “Jim Jordan”. That answer says it all about this guy’s total incompetence to be a US Congressman!
42
I'm still waiting for the Whistleblower to testify.
Obama sent several whistleblowers to prison for their whistle blowing, even though they exposed serious issues with the government.
This guy needs to be unmasked..and testify in front of the Senate.
I'm sure he's witness #1 if the D's insist on bringing in Bolton..who's trolling D's to subpoena him.
Bolton is not going to roll...never. He's been the enemy of the Left for 30+ years. You think you love him because he has dirt when, in fact, he'll do a Corey Lewandowski move like Corey did in front of Gerald Nadler.
Ooops.
1
@Erica Smythe
Please, please stop with the “Obama did this” and “Obama did that.” Obama served as President for eight years. It’s over. You can’t undo it.
As for hearing from the Whistleblower — what possible good could that do you or your superhero now?
Imagine this scenario:
Loud, angry voices come from the house next door to you. You hear what may be gun shots. You call 911. The police arrive. In short order, a person is carried out on a stretcher, another is in handcuffs and being carted away by the cops. Three more people, looking shocked and saddened, emerge.
A couple of days later, you learn that the handcuffed individual is guilty of the shooting. Initially, he confessed, but then recanted. It doesn’t matter, though, since the other three people in the house at the time identify Mr. Handcuffs as the culprit. The victim is alive, and talking, but is afraid of the perp, so that testimony is valueless, at this point.
Days pass, the trial starts, and the defense team calls you. They want to try and prove you lied to 911. You never heard anything, according to them. Does your testimony matter at all? I think not. But it might make you a potential target for Mr. Handcuffs’ friends.
6
the dems will never stop investigating. there will always be new evidence. what a joke.
5
@Chris, There will always be new evidence because of all the coverup. If Trump allowed his staff to speak the truth and release all the records as requested from the beginning the evidence would all be out there. It wouldn’t be coming in slowly, bit by bit. It would be there for all to see, good, bad or indifferent. This situation might already be resolved.
As American citizens and voters in our Republic, we deserve to know how the taxes collected from us are spent and why. If there is no problem with Trump’s procedures and rationale, then have John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney and his deputies, and Secretary Pompeo explain it under oath, in public, for all of us to see. Let us see the tax returns that Trump promised 4 years ago and prove that he does not owe any favors to Putin or Saudi Arabia. Trump can exonerate himself. He was never innocent until proven guilty, he has always been someone who needs to prove himself worthy of the office he holds. Every single day, not just on Election Day.
We can sort out the issues with Hunter Biden, later. He is not in office right now, nor is his father.
6
If the Dems are always presenting new evidence, why is it a joke? It may be because there’s an avalanche of .... new evidence.
2
I suppose it will stop when the criminal(s) in office stop breaking every law and precedent
4
Did you hear it? Did you hear it? I think I just heard the shoe drop. What timing!!! And, you can't make this stuff up. It's nice to have this information show up now, but it would have been better if this had been shown during the actual House impeachment. But, better late than never. Paging No 1, Mr Giuliani is paging No 1.
20
Now let's all watch the Republicans and Fox tell us that there is nothing to this, it doesn't involve Rudy or Trump or anybody. Nothing to see here. Nothingburger. Rush to judgement. Pick your phony talking point.
We've reached the point under the Trump administration where there is no law and order. No matter how much hard evidence there is, no one does anything to any Trump person. Our country is in real trouble and we'd better do something about it.
76
Every American should be furious that this administration’s minions were tracking the movements of a US Ambassador. I look forward to the Senate trial.
63
Brilliant timing by Speaker Pelosi. Much more evidence has come out during the delay putting increased pressure on Republicans to allow witnesses and documents. The public has also had time to weigh the existing evidence and is mostly in favor of a REAL trial which means witnesses.
Senate Republicans (and all R's) will now be set back no matter what they do!
If 4 or more R's vote for witnesses, the testimony will make their eventual, inevitable exoneration of Trump look even more wrong.
If less than 4 R's vote for witnesses, the sham trial will count against R's when they run in 2020.
This will help the Senate to flip to Dems. If Dems also hold on to the House, they can be a check (complete obstruction) on Trump if, God forbid, he is able to steal yet another election.
Who knows? If witnesses are called and the testimony (or depositions) are bad enough maybe Trump will be removed!
Republicans: Remove this dangerous, lawless, illegitimate, impeached "president"!!
47
What makes you think that the Democratic House, utilizing a dirt digging documented handed over by Clinton and the Democratic Party. i.e. the Steele Dossier, justifies their viloation of private citizen's Constitution Rights? The Democratic House Committee, lied to the FISA Court, a Felony, when they omitted the request basis was from a political dirt digging research project from H., C. & D., P. Obstruction of Congress differs from the objection to the Democratic House controlled efforts to continuing dirt digging mission. Biden withheld Congressional approval funds and brags about it. That may be unethical, yet not a crime until Congress could not let go of the loss of the Presidential election. The only mis-justice will be not bringing up charges against the Committee for abuse of power in the FISA Court. Let the Senate the way the Senate want to o and stop the House Democratic from believing they were elected King.
@William
VP Joe Biden had absolutely NOTHING to do with Trump extorting the president of Ukraine to interfere in a US election for his own benefit! Typical of Trump and R's it's a compete attempt to distract and to smear without any evidence whatsoever against VP Biden. It's a total distraction. Completely irrelevant!
Besides, Biden was carrying out US (and internationally-approved) policy in Ukraine. He was fighting corruption for real (not just lying about it like Trump and Giuliani.) Biden was not advancing his own PERSONAL or POLITICAL interests. Biden was not extorting anybody to get a foreign government to interfere in a US election!
BTW, the Steele Dossier came AFTER the decision to investigate, so it was not the reason for the investigation. The Dossier is a collection of PRELIMINARY intelligence findings, not a single document, and has been proven to be MOSTLY TRUE! Some of what's in the dossier has not been PROVEN, but neither has is been proven false! And nobody ever claimed (including its author) that it was 100% verifiably accurate. But is was mostly accurate -- sad for Trump and his crooked associates.
2
With a Republican-controlled Senate, a guilty verdict in the president's impeachment trial is highly unlikely. But any trial with witnesses and documentation, even if dismissed after a few days, will tarnish an already very troubled and ignoble presidency. Impeachment, the US House of Representatives process of declaring Articles of Impeachment, has already taken place and is irrevocable. The voters will have the final say on the president's record of accomplishment, or lack thereof, this November.
20
Why are the Republicans so proud of Nixon's cover-up?
Don't they realize they are then dishonorable and disreputable in the eyes of decent people--and just liars in the eyes of the little children?
27
I can not help but think Giuliani's Passport and God help us may Trump's ought to be seized. Just what things was Yovanovitch going to go through?
FOLLOW THE MONEY!
62
We are all missing an important point, here. The biggest question is not will or won’t Trump lose his job. The larger concern is will our Democracy and Constitution still have relevance?
Will a majority of our Senators have enough respect for the division of powers to allow for a fair and transparent trial? Or will they kowtow to the Executive Branch and end the trial before it begins?
If they choose the first option, then this “great American experiment” will continue. If it’s option B, or some sort of truncated exercise, we can expect and accept that our government is no longer a great Republic but a banana republic.
In the end, it’s really about those 100 people and one Chief Justice of the United States.
74
This. I’ve felt for the last 10 years or so that I may witness the fall of America as we know (knew) it today. I can’t tell if that moment is at hand or if it has already passed. As an outsider, it is sad to see how far America has fallen. What was once THE model for a free and fair democratic country is a joke of incompetence and corruption. I pray the Senator’s conscience ways heavily on them in the days to come and a turn in the tide for America.
3
Without providing the witnesses and evidence that republicans are withholding, there can be no valid trial. Moscow Mitch has already stated he will take his direction from the white house (which takes its direction from the Kremlin) and has no intention of being impartial. Such is the sham that republicans in the Senate are perpetrating on the duped American people. In one flagrant distraction, they scream and shout for Joe Biden and his son to testify at trump's impeachment trial-- but the Bidens have nothing to do with trump's attempt to extort Ukraine's President Zelensky and obstruct Congress about it-- the two crimes that comprise the articles of impeachment. If republicans are appalled that the Bidens are garden-variety nepotists and therefore, somehow are implicated in trump's crimes (a non-sequitur if ever there was one) then they better put trump's kids and kushy out in the cold ASAP. Tsarists have no place in American politics. Oh, wait. The trump crime family ARE tsarists.
35
The House procedure is over. New "evidence" is irrelevant. The Senate will dismiss. The Courts can do nothing.
3
Why? That’s just an arbitrary assertion without basis in the law or Constitution. Of course, that’s what the unethical Republicans will do. In a sane world, we’d hear from witnesses and see documents that Trump suppressed.
18
@Matt, new evidence is relevant to us all, as citizens and tax payers in this country. I want to know why and how the money I pay in taxes are being spent. Is it being used to bribe another country’s leader? How much is spent at our president’s private properties? Why aren’t all Senators and Congresspersons who voted to send money to defend Democracy in the Ukraine concerned that Trump disrespected their votes and the law by withholding those funds?
Regardless of whether Mr Trump is removed from office, I want our government to be as transparent as he promised, don’t you?
5
Not true. They can impeach him all over again on new evidence of which we all know there will be plenty of.
3
Let's hope the democrats and republicans uphold their oaths of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution. If they do not they also will be able to be impeached for obstruction of justice. Roberts seems to be a moral, upright man that will preside without prejudice. Time to start draining the swamp with trump being the one obstructing the floodgates.
7
I fear the whole notion of a “trial” is a bait-and-switch. What constitutes a trial? I think the Chief Justice will be nothing more than a paper weight neutered by the people in control of the process and directed “hand in glove” by Trump’s legal team. I think the most likely positive outcome is some form of self-sabotage by Trump’s ego.
1
“We’ve been ready for a long time,” Eric Ueland, Mr. Trump’s congressional liaison, told reporters in the Capitol after huddling with Senate Republicans over lunch.
Americans, from both sides of the table, should be disgusted that McConnell and Republican Senators are working with Trump, as admitted by McConnel himself, to prove Trump's innocence.
They are sending a message to everyone, our children, our allies around the world, that our court system, oaths, truth and justice mean NOTHING...
That all those heroic Americans, who have, and still, sacrifice life and limb to defend our Constitution, our Laws, our Democracy are irrelevant, their sacrifice meaningless... These are millions of Vets who these weak Republicans only pretend to support ...
Republicans; have a fair and open trial. Research the EVIDENCE, listen to WITNESSES. If Trump is innocent, great. Then it was a witch hunt and he'll ride his re-election on that result..
But, Republican Senators, this is not about Trump at this moment, this is about you, the oath you took when you were first sworn in and the oath you will take when this trail begins.
Your honor is at stake.
Your legacy.
Your ability to look at your families, eye to eye, and say that, "Yes, I believe in my oath and my country, first."
35
Either way Senate Republicans vote, for witnesses or against, it will hurt them! YES!
If 4 or more R's vote with Dems for witnesses, the testimony will make their eventual, inevitable exoneration of Trump look even more wrong.
If R's vote against witnesses (less than 4 in favor) then R's will be seen as holding a sham trial.
Looking forward to Dems retaking the Senate (and holding control of the House) so that even if Trump manages to steal the election (again!) he won't be able to do anything except by executive order.
18
In regards to the “tranche of documents”, the text exchanges between Parnas and the GOP candidate for Congress are just jaw dropping. It appears they were surveilling Ambassador Yavanovich with overtones of taking her out with hired help in Ukraine. When Yavanovich was recalled with the urgency of potentially her life being in danger, her testimony now makes sense -it was unclear at the time of the hearing.
It is clear that Trump knows Parnas and that Trump’s little minions are his hit men, he being the Mafia Crime Boss.
Every senator should ask for witnesses to testify at the senate impeachment trial as this mafia boss needs to be removed from office and thrown in jail.
The US is under siege from within by this crime boss and his surrogate GOP supporters. The criminality that swirls around this president is blatant and clear.
98
A nice photo of Planet Earth's most powerful woman.
22
Looking ahead to the end of the impeachment trial, I think it’s safe to predict that before Trump leaves office he will be issuing a blanket pardon absolving himself and everyone who ever got within earshot of him in the White House of responsibility for their crimes.
Ivanka and Jared and Don Jr. and Giuliani and Pence and Pompeo and Manfort and Flynn will be on the list, along with his barber and the guy who shreds up the loose papers in the Oval Office.
For all I know, there may even be one in there for Melania,
This guy kept busy.
16
We know Trump is profoundly immoral according to the Evangelicals. That makes his supporters mentally ,morally and ethically challenged. If they still support him with this new evidence.
20
Given the McConnell controlled Senate will, with base immorality, not hold the President liable for his misdeeds, and given that as time goes by more and more evidence of Trump's illegal behavior will surface, can a second impeachment hearing take place in the House with new articles of impeachment?
8
‘New Information has just been uncovered’ reeks of manufactured information. The majority of voters already think that Trump is being railroaded. All this does is accentuate that impression.
3
@William
Didn't even read the article or take a moment to actually see what was released and why, did you?
I'm always amazed at Trump's supporters instant ability to dismiss everything and anything - and that it comes with a conspiracy, colour me shocked.
27
@William So if Trump is innocent why not release his documents? Allow people to respond to subpoenas? Testify? Oh that’s right....he won’’t ..”reeks” of guilt doesn’t it?
25
@William Perhaps the majority of voters in your household think that Trump is being railroaded. A lot of other people all around the Country are a tiny bit curious how all these diplomat folks with impeccable records of integrity are saying that Trump wanted the Ukrainians to announce an investigation into the Bidens or several hundred million in defense aid would not be paid and, in fact, the money was only paid after the story went public.
I suppose you can claim that all the career diplomats are liars and Trump is telling the truth but, er, his record of telling the truth is less than stellar no matter how much you believe God wants him to be President.
21
Lemme see if I understand the Republican/McConnell argument. The process in the House was rushed through and did not contain enough evidence. Therefore, the process in the Senate should be rushed through and not pursue any evidence from witnesses. Yeah, makes sense.
Trump banned certain key people from testifying before the House, therefor putting them in the position to either delay indefinitely waiting for court rulings or moving forward with available evidence. Therefore, because Trump prohibited people with key information from testifying, it is all a sham, a political circus? Yeah, right.
We shall not likely survive this period of (not) grand American history with our brains intact.
A fair and honest process would acquit Trump but, no, we can't have that! Must acquit based on what Trump says should be presented and that only.
15
Yes, impeachment is a great democratic exercise. I'm with McConnell and Trump, let's dismiss this impeachment trial immediately in the US senate. First, all Trump has to do the same action as that other corrupt Republican president Nixon did-Resign Now.
18
I never thought that this impeachment episode is likely to be remember mostly for the GOP resisting or refusing to call witnesses to a trial. I cannot think of any excuse that could be offered to spin this one away from the UN-American thought that it is. Trials without witnesses are appropriate for totaltarian regimes.
23
Even though I believe the Republicans have effectively destroyed our democracy, the one glimmer of light here is that by some miracle a few of the amoral GOP senators have enough self-awareness to cause witnesses who so far have been complicit in the cover up to testify under oath.
15
It appears the White House and Republicans in Congress are continuing to engage in a cover-up, at least from a perspective of the Democrats. But in the right wing alternate universe the impeachment proceedings were nothing but a witch hunt so there is nothing to cover up. In a country with two conflicting views of reality impeachment of the president has little meaning. The people who wrote the constitution never dreamed that Americans would create a fictional political reality on a large scale and therefore the Constitution lacks answers on what to do about a president who commits impeachable offensives in this circumstance.
11
There is only one reason why the Republicans are trying to prevent witnesses testifying in Trump's impeachment trial - and that reason is because the Republicans have none.
The Democrats have a slew of witnesses that can testify under oath that Trump did the acts for which he is being impeached, but the Republicans do not have one witness who can say that Trump did not do those things, because he has admitted to them publicly, claiming that there was 'nothing wrong' with what he did.
Judges and juries are called 'fact finders' upon which the law should be applied - but in this case there is no conflict as to the facts, because numerous witnesses have confirmed the facts under oath, and Trump admits to them all - and his supporters claim that there's nothing wrong with wanting to gather opposition evidence against a political opponent, because Trump's public statements have painted them all into the corner.
This impeachment is not a matter of conflicting facts: it's a matter of law to determine whether or not the admitted facts are sufficient to support conviction - and that's why Trump wants to turn it into a debate led by his team of very loud voices shouting out talking points about their leader.
1258
@Gene Grossman
No witness described seeing or hearing the President commit a criminal act. No witness described seeing or hearing the President state that was going to withhold aid from the Ukraine for the purpose of forcing the government to help him win re-election. People testified to what they inferred, assumed, or heard second or third hand.
That is a fact.
Basically lots of people talked, but there were no actual witnesses who witnessed anything relevant to the key allegations. In such a situation, there is no need for the defense to consider presenting any witnesses. The prosecution has no case.
8
@Gene Grossman If you read the Constitution, there's actually a section in there that deals with Executive Privilege and the Legislative Branch's rights to challenge such assertion of Privilege through the courts.
Nancy did this..yes?
Otherwise passing impeachment without having gone through due process seems patently affair to the person you're impeaching...yes?
9
Lt Colonel Vindman listened in on the phone call.
223
It is quite strange to see here the desire of having witnesses, but only on one side, like in the House. That will not be the case in the Senate. Moreover the White House staff will have executive privilege, while the other witnesses will not.
If there are witnesses, then Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, the whistleblower and the staff of Adam Schiff who interacted with the whistleblower will be the main subpoenaed defense witnesses. They will establish the deep corruption of the Bidens, the partisanship of the whistleblower and the lying by Adam Schiff during the proceedings. That will be the central theme of the defense and of the whole trial.
Since the point of the whole process is swaying the public before the elections, the judicial outcome being clear, the defense will try to make the Democrats regret that they started all this. And may end up shoring the image of Trump as a careful steward of public funds, protecting them from corruption.
2
RepublicanS could have testified. They either ignored subpoenas or were told by trump not to. Innocent people testify. By the way, the Biden have nothing to do with trumps extortion attempt. That's on trump.
20
@Suanne Dittmeier The Bidens will be the star witnesses. The defense will be that Trump's request to stem corruption was more than justified by their actions.
Democrats in the House did not allow the Bidens as witnesses. Republicans in the Senate certainly will subpoena them both.
Is this an admission that partisan impeachment had inadequate evidence to support crimes and that continuing the witch hunt has , mysteriously landed some evidence.
4
Come on - it's laughable to believe this "evidence" of a hotel stationary.
And it's hardly a smoking gun of Nixon.
The House rushed to shamimpeachment to meet a political calendar.
The House in Clinton took almost 3 times as long to complete its Impeachment inquiry.
They deposed, issued subpoenas and fought thru the courts to get all evidence.
Here in shamimpeachment, it was all to wrap it up before Christmas so Democrat nomination calendar will not be affected.
No courts will allow evidence to be submitted to jury that was not first revealed to defense.
I forget the name of the protocol where prosecution has an obligation to have defense test all evidence.
This rush to produce "evidence" only shows what we Republicans are saying - this is shamimpeachment.
2
@Neil "prosecution has an obligation to have defense test all evidence."
I think you mean "to allow the defense to see the evidence.
5
@Neil. Sounding a little nervous and I guess you are ok with stalking an ambassador....by an American citizen no less. Can’t wait for the rest of the info. Thousands of pages still to go through.
9
@Neil - Your mistake is in assuming that impeachment in anyway works the same as courts do. The only rules are that the House and Senate can make up the rules.
If the framers wanted impeachment to work the same as a court, they could have made it clear that a sitting president can be indicted and Muller would have already done that leading to a court trial.
5
The President is impeached. Will the Senate do their Constitutional duty or will they do the President a favor?
25
It's all Kelly's fault. Why didn't he have Trump just manage his golf courses or build some hotels during his tenure. He even said he wanted to do that in N. Korea--all foreign aid immediately shifted to building golf courses in N. Korea with our so-called (his words) President in charge every step of the way. That this guy was allowed to get anywhere near actual foreign policy is a joke and a travesty.
9
@loveman0 -Its all David Letterman's fault for having Trump on his show in the first place. That led to Trump getting some name recognition and his first movie gig. That led to more movie gigs which led to the Apprentice which led to the White House.
What was Letterman thinking? He could have booked Charro and her flamenco guitar but no, he went with a New York hotel builder and here we are.
5
These documents are disgusting and damning to Trump. They were following and watching the ambassador? And there was an offer to do something more for a price? How is Trump still in office? He should be removed tnt.
100
The hardest thing to fathom here is that DJT is continuing the same behavior that got him into trouble, even at this moment. When a regular person is caught breaking the law, that person goes to jail until trial, or is restrained in some way (out on bail, etc) to help make sure that this person doesn't do it again before the trial.
DJT is unrestrained and has no concern that he broke the law and was caught and was impeached.
How do you convict a jewel thief for stealing last month, when they've done it 10 times since then?
70
Sounds as though there was a criminal conspiracy to target Ambassador Yovanovich, who, according to Trump, was going to go "through some things." Senate Republicans OK with that?
194
It appears that Lev Parnas was tracking the former US ambassador to the Ukraine possibly to harm her? Please remember she was told by the State Department to get on the next plane to the United States! If Trump was the mastermind, he is toast!!!
83
Best form of impeachment would be defeating him in 2020.
21
@Nima
Too little too late. The country cannot survive another year of this mafia crime boss. A war will be started, martial law will be invoked, and the emperor won’t give up the throne.
9
It astounds me that Mr. Giuliani has not been charged along with his "associates." He still continues to engage in back-channel operations at the request of a man facing impeachment! Meanwhile it's over to you Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Mitt, Senator Lee and others to defend the Constitution and the rule of law. When your name is called, your reputation/legacy will be on the line. Do your jobs!
84
Surely he is expecting a pardon if Trump loses the election.
Imminence catches up with his eminence.
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a Wednesday vote to name House prosecutors and send the articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump to the Senate to begin the trial.”
4
Predictable? (Move by the Democrats) ;)
3
Predictable (corruption by trump)
54
And this is the bunch that Joe Biden thinks he can work with as President.
33
What choice would he have without a majority in the Senate? Sit in the Oval and pout ?
3
Setting the trap!
Nothing prohibits the House to continue investigations. What if many Republicans fall in line with Trump and McConnell on no documents-no witnesses..and then in a week or month compelling evidence comes to light which is so overwhelming that no sane person would not believe Trump tried to sway the 2020 election in re; Ukraine.
Then those Republicans mentioned above would be in line from their voters to receive voter "blowback"..meaning casting a no vote in upcoming senatorial voting next November..thereby losing the Senate.
So, beware Republican senators because this trap is being set...for you and for Trump!
28
You said "sane people".
9
Maybe Trump will show up and testify at the senate trial after all. I think he had subpoenas envy.
61
@The Great Brain
You may be correct, but I thought Trump took care of that little problem when he had Soleimani assassinated.
2
The international criminal activities of the president and his party will be brought to justice or this democracy will fail
35
Didn't the discovery part already pass?
Will they carry on 'discovering' until 2024?
What a horrible travesty of justice.
6
Should we just ignore new stuff that comes up?
23
Witnesses were called in both the Clinton and Johnson Senate trials. Republicans have no shame or sense of hypocrisy.
7
@AutumnLeaf all these Trump arguments go something like this. All the witnesses in the House had no direct knowledge of what happened (even though they did). All the witnesses that truly know what happened work for me. I won't let them testify. The Democrats have no witnesses that can prove their case against me so, the case should be dismissed. And they all lived happily ever after. The end
6
Look, the Republican Senatorial caucus is never going to vote to impeach the President and leave Mike Pence to run against the Democrats. Capeesh?
6
“If all goes according to plan, the trial... for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, charges that stemmed from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political opponents, then stonewall the House inquiry into his actions.”
You’re missing the word, “alleged,” @fter the word, “his,” and before the word, “efforts.”
9
Not really. He admitted it on live TV.
35
My question is how much authority/power does Chief Justice Roberts have as the presiding judge to keep Trump's impeachment trial from going off in all directions, becoming plagued with fallacious and specious arguments, getting off topic and deflecting attention from the charges against Trump to other people (i.e., Bidens)--in other words, turning the trial into a Republican circus?
15
@PB "how much authority/power does Chief Justice Roberts have as the presiding judge to keep Trump's impeachment trial from going off in all directions"
None. The defense of Trump is precisely the criminality of the Bidens. In Ukraine and China. That will be front and center.
1
The problem is not a lack of evidence, but a lack of will, morals, and values in the Senate.
Mitch McConnell will go down in history as the epitome of a dishonorable, cynical, and rudderless politician during America's second "gilded age". As for Trump, he'll go down in history as the contemporary Ferdinand Ward - but with a darker, more racist and arguably treasonous side.
73
@Norman-
I am going to disagree: McConnell isn’t rudderless! He is a completely guided missile system, with coordinates set to blow up anything he or his corporate cronies determine isn’t in his own best interest. Including but not limited to our Constitution. Cynical. Yes. Dishonorable? Certainly.
39
Trump is a corrupt amoral criminal and still has the hard support of 40% of voters...this is as sign that moral clarity is breaking down in the United States, this more than anything will be the lasting legacy of Donald J. Trump, without question the worst and most dangerous President in the history of your country.
139
@doug mac donald
Even now he is having a Rambo Rally and receiving lots of applause . Those supporters are challenged mentally ,morally and ethically. They need to loose there voting rights. Lock them all up also.
7
@doug mac donald Has broken down.
3
If the Senate Republicans behave like the Congressional Democrats during the Impeachment hearings they will find ways to limit the witnesses called.
It seems that what comes around goes around with these politicians.
I suggest the politicians let the people decide on whether they want Trump to remain president in November.
3
Dual NZ / US citizen here:
The contrasts between the rule of law and reasonable majority/minority political rule between these two nations is jaw dropping.
What a scam the Republicans are running.
74
Hyde? Hoo boy. The man is out of his depth in a mud puddle. This is going to get bizarre and quickly so. Grab your popcorn. He has less filter than either Trump or Giuliani.
21
The known evidence of Trump's guilt is clear and convincing, and getting stronger by the day. But I think the Democrats are too focused on their quest for testimony. Their position would be stronger if they argued that the evidence to convict already appears to be overwhelming, and that they invite Mr. Trump to call witnesses from his administration who could testify, if it were true, that Trump wasn't actually involved in the corruption that he so clearly appears to be. If the President's defenders can't or won't do that, then he should be removed from office based on the known, and uncontroverted, evidence.
21
What is becoming increasingly clear is that Lev Parnas, along with other actors in this drama, have information/evidence that directly implicates the RNC and specific GOP members, esp in terms of illegally receiving foreign campaign funding. Those charges were, after all, the basis for Parnas and co. getting arrested last year.
That means that there are most likely some GOP senators who are, in effect, sitting in judgement of their own deeds -- a legal situation that is obviously untenable.
So shouldn't there be a call to recuse for all senators who feel they may be directly or indirectly implicated in the case at hand?
And, of course, a vote from for no-witnesses by such senators would have to be taken as an act of obstructing justice.
63
I keep asking myself when everyone in America is going to wake up and understand that EVERYTHING Trump says about his dealings is probably an untruth (and, if he does putter something truthful, it is likely a random, unintentional, accident). Put aside his policies. His character alone makes him unfit to hold any elected office.
38
It should be “utter” not “putter”.
2
When I see photos of Mitch McConnell speaking, I sometimes think of this recent comment, made in Parliament by British MP Ken Clarke, about Boris Johnson:“I do think the Prime Minister — with the greatest respect — has a tremendous skill in keeping a straight face whilst being so disingenuous.”
35
"Our members feel we have an obligation to listen to the charges, said Mitch Mc Connell." And a gold star goes to Mitch Mc Connell for momentarily pretending not to be a total Trump sycophant with that statement.
25
@Kristin
Because the house impeachment hearing was totally fair and non partisan.
1
Those text messages are shocking, even in the context of what has already gone on with this administration. It's not totally conclusive, but these messages strongly suggest that Parnas, with at least Giuliani's knowledge, was having a US ambassador followed and surveilled.
This is the sort of thing that would happen in some B-movie conspiracy thriller and would have discerning viewers grumbling about how the plot was too unrealistic.
30
I believe the original two indictments hold water. The additional information may yield further indictments or, plainly, strengthen the case against trump. Who could have imagined a president getting away with withholding viable, crucial witnesses from congress and or the senate. Before him we’d have said this was preposterous, now it seems like the norm. Terrible state we are in as a nation, presumably, with laws.
21
"The American people will fully understand the Senate’s move to begin the trial without witnesses and documents as a pure political cover-up,” she said. “Leader McConnell and the president are afraid of more facts coming to light.”
With this new information as described, Speaker Pelosi, please continue with other charges that would show evidence of his additional impeachable offensives.
Convict on these new offenses and keep the Sen. from KY
on his toes!
16
One hundred ways of saying the same thing does not qualify as new.
4
I’m, the Parma’s docs just became available. What’s not new here?
9
Cancel the vote. Recall and reinvestigate in the House.
Do not rely on the Senate to consider new evidence. I
9
It reads like a plan for a mob hit. I am terrified and disgusted.
62
So what's the excuse du jour mr president? Maria Jovanovich was an immenent threat to the USA.
22
This is a group of thugs! Why are congresspeople propping up these criminals?
44
@Susan Why are voters propping up these congresspeople?
2
Regrettable that it won’t make any difference.
6
I love how people say Nancy Pelosi lost by holding the indictment. Really?
25
The important thing is to not have any of this interfere with the Senate's upcoming holiday weekend.
16
Love your sarcasm! : )
New evidence at the eleventh hour only reinforces the notion that this was rushed. This could be a reason to hit the pause button and allow the House to build a tighter case.
8
The new evidence revealed tonight via the Parnas documents is stunning. It not only connects all the dots in terms of the President being directly involved with Parnas & Giuliani but implies a much more sinister plot relative to Yovanovich.
I hope this knocks some sense into the senate to pay attention to the evidence and witnesses relative to Ukraine in the impeachment trial. We have a serious problem on our hands.
64
It can be argued that why would Trump seek foreign interference in our elections when the Russians do it without even being prompted?
8
It seems the recently revealed hacking attempts, by Russia, parallel The Donald’s interests. All are connected somehow. The speed of the investigation may have been too fast but it’s revealing.
11
The trial for Trump's removal from office will likely be just as fair as the confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh.
You remember how that went. In the earlier case of Clarence Thomas the evidence for sexual harassment had been much stronger. Several incidents were reported, some from when Thomas was already a judge.
The accusation against Kavanaugh stemmed from a single event that might have occurred in high school 35 years ago.
In an actual trial, the charge of attempted rape would not have been considered because it was beyond the statute of limitations.
The reason for a statute of limitations is that often nobody can remember any details of what happened after so much time has elapsed. And sure enough, there was essentially no evidence of the event itself except the memories of the accuser and accused.
Democrats could have said: The evidence was insufficient to convict. But they said instead, "Kavanaugh is unfit to serve."
Voting was along party lines. Now Democratic activists stand up with placards whenever Kavanaugh speaks and shame him as a rapist.
Yes, Trump referred to Warren as Pocahontas and had other unseemly names for his political opponents.
But Democrats engaged in an even worse politics of personal destruction.
Democrats played into Trump's hands. Did they not realize that they might need Republicans to help remove Trump from office?
Democrats should follow the admonition: Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
5
Madam Speaker you should not sent the articles to the Senate following the reception of a lot of information provided by Giuliani associates and without having listen to his testimony...!
5
Got a magazine in the mail today with Nancy Pelosi's photo on the cover - HER GAMBLE, Why Nancy Pelosi went all in against Trump.
GROW UP AMERICAN MEDIA (you're a big part of the problem)
She is protecting the constitution. This is not a soap opera. I repeat this not a soap opera.
91
First, I want to apologize for underestimating the moral fiber and ethical courage Speaker Pelosi.
Secondly, I pray for the souls of Leader McConnell and President Trump and more importantly for the Soul of America and its vital role in leading the world into a condition of the relationship of which Buddha, Jesus, and Mohamed would together approve. This would be a place where respect, kindness, compassion, and above all Truth and Love would be the guiding principles of Justice and Peace.
Is this possible? I do not wish that one person be assigned the life of a Jacob Marley or an unrepentant Scrooge.
The Man Who Invented Christmas was indeed lightyears beyond most of the so-called moralists.
Let us judge no one, forgive everyone and ask God his forgiveness and in so doing ask that Love fill our hearts from this day forward and lead us into a world each can say with utter conviction "this is the world I choose for my children and for every generation to come."
May God Bless (and for those who do not believe in this word, "may the Intelligent Energy Bestow"); every one of US.
6
Is it time to light Trump up, with the Truth?
8
What Are They Afraid Of? The truth? They fear the truth.
12
This, too, will be a sham and a scam that the GOP will use to villify those who would uphold the Constitution even as they leverage it as a way to bank funds to aid them in stealing yet another election later this year.
8
Another reason to let career politicians retire - her approach is really getting old - please let someone else lead!
5
I don't think the framers of the constitution ever considered, when including the power of impeachment in that august document, that a corrupt president would be protected by a Senate that happened to be controlled by the same party.
35
Why aren't we sending missiles to Russia instead of Iran? Russia is still trying to undermine our democracy. Every day. And they just got caught again today.
9
When faced with difficult issues, it always becomes, "what" is right and not "who" is right. The first is principle related and the second is politically related.
6
How many Trump Tweets in the next week? Should be an easy 250. The more nervous he gets, the more he tweets.
15
@northeastsoccermum 250? Try a thousand.
7
If the trial is not proper, then I want a lawsuit brought against the Senate Majority Leader. Straight to the Supreme court.
20
If the trial is not proper, it will be because the chief justice of the Supreme Court is complicit.
12
The vile-GOP-packed stolen Court would treat that case with as much respect as the Senate would the trial.
6
I'm sure the speaker wanted much more from this term than to serve as a foil for Trump! Nancy Pelosi has lost her battle with this president. Did anybody watch the LSU game last night and hear the chants of "USA" that greeted the president? He has a 97% approval rating with Republicans, and he's cultivated a roaring American economy that shows no signs of slowing! I also noticed that Nancy switched from a mantra of "this is a prayerful time for the country" to a more spiteful tune: "this president will always have impeachment on his record." At this point, impeachment will only serve to further highlight Trump's resilience in the history books.
7
You do understand that there were basically only Louisiana and South Carolina folks at the football game? Half of them think that Trump was chosen by God. Hello...
36
@Mark
You are such a poor soul and hater of brilliant women. I am so glad that Trump has a 97% approval rating it is apparent many white people enjoy Trump's racism and corruption. Its Trumps administration that disgrace the uniform of the military ie Mr. Flynn and he pardons a murderous Navy Seal. It is sad that so many white people are foolish enough to believe in a con manppreciate Trumps racism and stupidity.
Louisiana one of the most bigoted states in the country, yes Trump had the ignorant yelling USA because they were told to. How do I know that because I know people who were at the game.
I listened to the Heisman trophy winner state that his town of Athens were suffering people working three jobs , no health care and now food stamps are going to be taken away from them. This town is fading right in front of our eyes , GOP wont help them Children are in cages at the border because a SS guard said so.
Trump is a traitor to this country he stepped on the Constitution ,committed a crime , now we know that under his direction Rudi allowed people to stalk the Ambassador for Ukraine.
Trump is the Washington ugly swamp and his hands are tainted with the blood of the young people who died on that Boeing flight which was shot down
IMPEACHMENT highlight Trumps resilience in the history books ,CORRUPT, AMORAL white man who ever held the office of the presidency and how he was surrounded by complete traitors to the country.
16
@Mark
Impeachment has already become little more than an asterisk next to Trump's name. If anything this will be a case study on an impeachment that succeeded but failed.
2
Hmmmm, what is this for? “Emergency 2020 Impeachment Defense Fund.” Maybe to pay for Facebook and Twitter ads?
3
Russian geopolitical dominance is Trumps largest achievement. The GOP is ok with that.
12
The Democrats are making a few correctable mistakes:
a) Reading the articles for six hours a day for four consecutive days
is going to lead to most people "Zoning Out".
b) Representative Schiff should not be one of the managers.
The die Hard Supporters of Trump will claim he knew and met
with the Whistle Blower because the Whistle Blower knew
one of Schiff's assistants, and thus Schiff conspired with the WB
'get Trump'.
Whether that is true or not does not matter in this age of
Media overhype.
Do the Democrats want the WB called as a witness and forced
to admit that he knew a staff member of Schiff and met with him before he turned in his complaint...?
2
Speaker Pelosi brilliantly waited to send articles of impeachment just long enough for more damning evidence to emerge and for four Republican Senators to signal they would insist on votes to call for witnesses and evidence. Trump won’t be indicted and removed from office, but the record will forever show that he betrayed his oath of office and the constitution.
25
IT must be scared. he acts like his in charge, deep inside that mind, he knows he's doomed if Bolton takes the stand.. Sorry IT. vote him out. lock him up.
9
Love her or hate her, Nancy Pelosi is the most brilliant and accomplished Speaker in a century, at least.
36
I respectfully disagree with your interpretation of Pelosi’s body language in the photograph. Sure, she’s glancing away from the camera, but her eyes are wide open, lips pursed in a knowing smile. Her posture is undeniably assured. And look at her right hand, fingers extended and spread apart with the passion and strength of a prima ballerina in her prime. Speaker Pelosi is a meticulous tactician and master legislator. History is on her side.
22
@jaco
Fear? what in the world are you looking at.. Her face is beaming, she is fighting for our democracy. She is brilliant
I look at Trump and I see a envious old pathetic man in over his criminal head and the entire world sees the same picture to.
Corruption and amoral character surrounded by traitors all in a very bad movie except it is our lives
20
How can McConnell say that the Senators will take sworn oaths to render impartial justice when he has already publicly stated he won't be impartial?
Surely he isn't so stupid as to open himself up to perjury and contempt charges leading to his own impeachment - along with other Senators?
Maybe he feels he is totally immune after being in Trump's service for so long, and all the protection he has given Trump.
Has he been promised a pardon if he does perjure himself - I assume it will be a federal offence? Is he gambling on Trump getting acquitted so this will happen?
If that's the case, all we can hope for is Trump to be removed, and McConnell not get his pardon - although it is very highly likely that he has the same deal with Pence.
Either way, McConnell may see himself as untouchable. The only way he won't be is if Trump gets removed and Pence throws him under the bus - Trump won't, he'll reward his favourites and most loyal with pardons.
9
@Tony
I agree Pence should be impeached - he is as corrupt and self serving as the rest. He can hide behind his religion, but he can't hide who he really is. He is in as deep and is as complicit as the rest
If I'm right, after Pence, that would make Secretary of State Pompeo next after that, who should also be impeached.
The corruption goes rather deep, the only way is to cut off the head of the snake and then vote them out in November.
But Pence would be POTUS for long enough to implement (or try to) some of his evangelical ways of thinking - and there seem to be enough behind that cause to make it happen.
America really is at a cross roads - I'm glad I'm not there to be directly affected, but whatever happens to America affects the rest of the world in some way - you're not a tiny, irrelevant nation at the bottom of the world.
I predict that by the time the impeachment trial is over, and no matter how it is conducted, Mitch McConnell will be disgraced. He has had chance after chance to make up for what he did to Obama and Merrick Garland, and he might have bought back some good will by showing some leadership during a time of national crisis. Instead, he has shown himself to be as patently self-interested as the president is, showing loyalty only to himself and his party. I hope the people of Kentucky kick him out unceremoniously next November and replace him with a fresh face ready to work for all of the people of our country. Karma really is a bummer, Mitch.
43
Why do both articles of impeachment have to be sent at the same time? Send one and see how the spinless Republicans act. Then send the other one. Have them vote twice in public and very clearly - on two articles. Both of them together isn't as powerful as two separate votes. Hold their yellow feet to the fire twice.
13
The House has plenty of material for more articles.
I honestly can't remember the last time I felt that I saw actual justice happen in high-profile American court cases. My expectations are that this will be a circus in one way or another.
9
Witnesses aren’t needed for the key fact: Trump acted through the lawyer representing Trump’s private interests (Giuliani), not the lawyer confirmed by the Senate to represent United States’ interests (AG Barr). Pursuing private interests through government levers (withholding aid/meetings) is abuse of power.
20
THIS I BELIEVE . . .
--That only someone like Donald Trump who has close associations with organized crime can clean up corruption!
--That Russia wants only what's best for America and is willing to work in hand-in-glove with our president toward the best possible outcome!
--That someone who lies consistently like Donald Trump is more honest than someone who tells the truth just to maintain an honest image!
--That Christianity must be protected by someone like Donald Trump who can walk on the dark side, consort with criminals and porn stars, and treat migrant children with the utmost cruelty to discourage their naive attempts to gain freedom and survival at our expense! Who is more Christian? The man who goes to church or the man who controls church?
--That treason, bribery, fraud and graft do not "rise" to impeachable offenses.
--That Republicans are not fair, decent, or honest people, but neither is life. Get over it!
16
As a member of the boomer generation, I do not really care any more about who our president is. Sure, I loved (and still do) Barrack Obama. But, I am coming to realize that perhaps a president like that is a once in a lifetime occurrence, and the rest are just ordinary at best, and lying inept jerks given the current low end of the spectrum.
It's young folks who need to step up and take control over their futures. Our generation took to the streets against Vietnam, Nixon/Agnew, and the memorable Democratic Convention in Chicago. Our generation has eaten it's share of pepper spray and immersed ourselves in clouds of teargas.
Tweeting anxieties from the local cafe is not social activism. Boycotting some business, or snubbing an employer over their alignment with your values is not going to get the job done.
You may already realize that your lives are on the line, along with any plans you may have for starting a family. The perils young adults currently face are unfolding much slower than they did for us. A low draft number and a flight to Asia was a pretty quick transition to reality compared to the decomposition of our planet and the unraveling of domestic and international norms.
Lots of Americans have died for the opportunities many have taken for granted. Like those famous words from the movie Saving Private Ryan, if you value America, 'earn it'!
13
Let the games start. We already know he is guilty but will not be convicted. That is the nature of the process prescribed by the Constitution. At least he will always have that asterisk, that footnote - will be cursed by the historical context of being impeached. He deserves it fully.
9
Impeachment cases have all been losers. The Andrew Johnson impeachment was nakedly
political. The Clinton impeachment was a big to do about not much. The Trump impeachment makes a mountain out of a mole hill. When removal is truly essential, the handwriting is on the wall, as with Nixon.
5
@michjas
Trump is a criminal and his crimes makes Nixon look like a boy scout. He is con man and a hater of democracy and the American people.
Trump needs to go and go now. If people cant believe that he is nothing more than a swamp crook these folks need to go back to school and realize that FOX news like Facebook is not their friend.
The handwriting is on the wall not in invisible ink. If you think , if you care about your family communities then you write to your representative and demand that they follow your instructions and vote to remove this in your sight cancer to the American people
5
Trying to bribe a foreign nation to do you a personal, political favor using taxpayer funds is not a molehill.
1
Nancy should send Article #2 on obstruction, and keep article #1.
8
@lf
Don't characterize the sending....
The "half-baked" that McConnell is talking about really is his intentional obstructing this Impeachment Trial from being fair and just.
McConnell's collusion with the White House has proved already how it will be impossible to conduct la fair and open trial.
How is Chief Justice Roberts going to handle the fact that McConnell and the White House has been meeting to plan strategy for the Impeachment Trial?
While I understand that an Impeachment Trial is not the same as a Court trial, would not the same rules apply regarding an unbiased Jury? So far McConnell, Graham and others have said they have already made up their minds.
I hope Roberts proves that when he said that he is neutral in Supreme Court matters he follows his rhetoric in the Senate trial.
11
Sorely needed four or five profiles in courage to vote in favor of allowing the four witnesses with knowledge of relevant facts to appear. Perhaps taking the oath administered by the Chief Justice proves transfromative for a handful of GOP Senators. Enshrining Trump's behavior as acceptable and unimpeachable places him above the law. A precedent for others to follow.
11
Impeachment was a parliamentary process first used in England in 1376 and abandoned in 1806. Impeachment makes absolutely no sense in a modern democracy.
Trust the Republicans with Bill Clinton and now the Democrats with Donald Trump to dust off this dusty, archaic, obsolete procedure and give it new life as a purely political weapon that has nothing to do with justice.
Lots of sound and fury going on, but what does it signify? Nothing.
4
@John Smithson
What would you judge to be significant John?
5
@John Smithson I'd be willing to give up impeachment if we were able to subpoena, arrest and convict a sitting president for breaking the law.
I don't care if a trial takes his mind off important matters. We have a VP doing nothing who can sit in for him while he's tied up in court. In fact, it would be good practice in case the president was convicted and hauled off to jail.
Currently impeachment is our only remedy for a terrible presidency such as this one. And it's not all just sound and fury. We have an inept, incompetent, uncouth and corrupt president trying to run the country while he enriches himself and holds meetings in private with Russians. And that's just for starters.
16
@John Smithson
Wow ,you certainly must live in David Nunes district, absolutely startling your comments, and not in a good way.
6
This president has blocked subpoenas, witnesses, and anything that may resemble his cooperating with the laws of our republic. Once he digs his heels in, nothing (with the support of GOP members of Congress), not our laws, not our Constitution, not a smidgen of truth will be permitted to surface if he doesn't want it to. Is this going to be a precedent in future trials? If I get a subpoena must I comply?
If he will not allow further witnesses or supporting documentation, maybe he would agree to testify on his own behalf? Now wouldn't that be something!
11
@bea durand :
Not as amazing as winning the next election with a minority again.
1
The House impeachment has repeatedly been compared to an indictment process, which does not require prosecutors to call all their witnesses nor present all documentary evidence before the grand jury. For Republicans to suggest that unless the oral or documentary evidence was disclosed in the House proceeding it cannot be presented in the Senate trial is absurd. Coverup McConnell continues to fully engage in his artless and obvious subterfuge. Roberts should allow none of his nonsense.
9
Now maybe the Republican tactic of shrieking about no witnesses in the house hearings who were in direct contact with the President (other than Ambassador Sondland and his trusty I Phone) will be mitigated by Republicans agreeing that hearing from witnesses who were in direct contact with Trump is indeed essential. Ignoring the nasty fact that our dear leader has blocked all documents and testimony and surprise !!! that is why the House had no 'direct' witnesses, the Senate has a chance to set this right. Big maybe, but maybe. Let's hear from key players like Bolton, Pompeo, Mulvaney and other OMB and security officials. Let's not bludgeon the tired trope of Hunter Biden or the Whistleblower. Rudy Giuliani might be an entertaining hand-grenade but probably incapable of not lying under oath.
5
@Sally Peabody
None of their witnesses in the House, no witnesses at all in the Senate. Seems pretty fair. Ask any Evangelical Christian.
1
29 countries in the world allow for Impeachment. But the list does not include Canada, Australia, the UK, or New Zealand. The concept of impeachment makes no sense in the modern world in a modern democratic stage. If a senior political figure has broken the law - we have a ton of different ways to bring him or her to justice. We don't need an impeachment. If what Trump did was against the law - then he should have been charged and tried by the FBI. He wasn't - as in their minds, he did not break the law.
The difficulty with impeachment - is that there are no specific laws that were broken. They were just made up. Pelosi should have referred this to the FBI - who would then have launched an investigation if they believed in the prosecution.
Now we just have political theatre. It also sets an awful precedent.
8
The countries you mention are all parliamentary democracies that can remove the prime minister with a vote of no confidence at any time. The US does not have that option. And since the FBI and Justice Dept work for the president, they can be ordered not to investigate the president. That leaves impeachment as the only option.
26
My goodness, but this is ridiculous.
8
Randy, well said. If you look back through history and around the world, impeachment has only been useful as abuse. To mix justice with politics. And those two things are, and should recognized as, immiscible.
2
Finally, finally there will be a judge overseeing these proceedings. And while the GOP senators may not care how they are viewed by history and the citizens of this country, I am hopeful that Justice Roberts has higher personal and professional standards. And that he will run a controlled and dignified hearing, consistent with both his judicial duties and the law, devoid of nonsense, and worthy of the position he holds. His standards HAVE to be higher.
9
@Michael C Roberts will hardly be a “judge”; more a referee.
1
Michael C, the role of the chief justice is to preside, not oversee. Salmon Chase took a fairly prominent role in the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, but that may be because he was as much a politician as a judge. William Rehnquist took a much more modest role in the impeachment of Bill Clinton, acting more as an advisor. Expect John Roberts to be more Rehnquist than Chase.
2
@Michael C
More like a Master of Ceremonies. And Justice Roberts standards are whateverTrump tells him.
3
Let's think about this.
One article of impeachment is obstruction of Congress. This charge has been applied because of Trump's unequivocal declaration, on the record before cameras and microphone and in an official letter from the Justice Department to the House of Representatives, to ignore all subpoenas. It is because of Trump's subsequent, repeated stonewalling of Congressional demands for documentation and witness testimony.
On that offense Trump is blatantly, unequivocally, provably guilty of violating the constitutional oversight powers of Congress.
But somehow Senate Republicans are going to prohibit witnesses and supporting documentation on this charge. In doing so, the Senators will also be guilty, ironically, of violating (abdicating, actually) the constitutional oversight powers of Congress. Or am I missing something??
Trump's Republican cronies are about to officially appoint him "The Leader"...above the law, with power unrestricted. There are already dark days ahead.
52
entity.z, the Constitution does NOT give Congress the power to oversee the Executive. If you think it does, perhaps you could point me to language to support your thinking.
5
@John Smithson:
The separation of powers is enshrined in the Constitution, Articles 1, 2 and 3. Implicit in the power of the Congress to impeach the Executive is the power to investigate the reasons for impeaching the Executive.
Furthermore, the Executive has no constitutional power to obstruct the constitutional activities of Congress, which include impeaching the Executive.
And furthermore still, contempt of court is a crime in all jurisdictions nationwide. Contempt of Congress is the same principle writ large.
Legal basis aside, there is no person in the entire country, of any class or any privilege, that can blatantly defy legal investigations and court orders and avoid swift fines and imprisonment. YOU try it.
Maybe you think that a legally immune, dictatorial Donald Trump is a good thing...?Maybe, you don't really care about democracy, or justice.
12
@entity.z
Democrats are behaving as though the Executive Office has no powers of its own, especially in the area of Foreign Policy.
One wonders what Constitution they are reading.
2
Why on earth should Senate Republicans give anything to the Democrats? The Democrats recklessly proceeded with a hasty, hyper-partisan, poorly-researched and even more poorly presented House impeachment. The Republicans should do everything in their power to denigrate, belittle and besmirch this sham effort by the Democrats.
13
Funny, the GOP never defended what trump did, they had a problem with the process. Problem is that is the process that they created. Defending their sham of a president by arguing about the process only makes them look petty. If the trial turns out to be a sham, even your reliable red state will go blue in the next election.
25
@SR What did Trump do? Worst case is he asked a foreign entity to investigate corruption by a former American vice president and, the point of contention, a current presidential contender for the Democratic nomination. If you're telling me that running for the presidency means that no one can investigate your very questionable behavior, then sign me up. I am now running for president of the United States!! How dare you question anything about me!
3
@SinNombre :
The sham is the GOP supporting the refusal for key witnesses to testify and key documents to be kept hidden.
6
Several U.S. Senate Democrats campaigning for the Presidency will be sidelined from their campaigns during the Senate Impeachment trial, possibly for several weeks to a month or more... As some suggest that Speaker Pelosi slowed the process down in part to favor Joe Biden's Campaign is too preposterous to consider...
5
@Lady from Dubuque
With Bernie and Liz both getting kneecapped by a leaked 'private conversation' and Amy inescapably being hit by fallout of the 'unelectable female' meme, and all three of them confined to Wash. DC for a trial just ahead of the First Primary, it's looking good for Corporate Joe and his probable VP (ex) Mayor Pete. I guess it was nice of Nancy to wait until after tonight's debate . . . .
1
@irene
Yes! Quite plausible! Political theater to an absurd level. Way beyond egg breaking to make an omelet. Thanks and good night, Irene!
1
Too bad - another Democratic cave. No deal from President McConnell (sic), just insults and a promise to violate his constitutional duty to uphold the integrity of the impeachment process by making an oath to cooperate with the faux-president as a lapdog cooperates with, well, a lap.
She should have waited for more evidence to come in, and wait until September, just before the election, to send the articles over to remind voters how venal both the real president (McConnell) and the fake president are.
Is that playing politics with impeachment? You bet it is. Impeachment is at heart a political act - politicians impeach and politicians act as judge and jury. Was the Clinton impeachment political? Duh. And who plays politics best? Hint: it's not Democrats.
Having the trial this early in the election year is exactly what Republicans want - to give voters a chance to decide it's not really all that important. Once again, the Democrats give the Republicans exactly what they want. Once again, the conman hits his mark.
3
Pelosi is large and in charge.
Anyone else can go fish.
She engineered the 2018 midterm wins that won the House and brought power and respect back for the Democratic Party. Where would we be now without her?
Just get out of Nancy's way and let her work.
Nobody else is in sight to get it done.
Plus she can dismiss Trump with a simple look. Booyah!
4
McConnell and his republican minions, in full daylight, have been working closely with Trump to assure him he won't be impeached and have assured the trial will be a farce.
McConnell has stated the trial will be fair.
He's an irredeemable liar.
But the majority of the American public doesn't care. Trump actually could kill someone on the street and no one would care.
The reasons for impeachment are just. They are not opportunism.
If we, the people, don't draw a line now and show Trump, McConnell and cronies, this line, this line you don't cross, the country and generations to come are lost.
7
Can anyone tell me what Speaker Pelosi has gained in stalling the delivery of the articles of impeachment to the Senate?
5
@Ann P
She gained time to allow more info to come out, thereby helping sway Senate Republicans to vote for witnesses in the trial.....
13
for one thing, speaker pelosi saved us citizens and her fellow legislators from being so distracted by the closed edge of war with Iran that Trump suspiciously caused once he was impeached by the House.
7
@Ann P
That’s an easy one, Ann. The answer is absolutely nothing... Except, perhaps, millions of votes for Trump...
8
Since Trump's preferred strategy of avoiding a Senate trial by persuading senators to dismiss the impeachment charges has failed, he does have one other option for avoiding becoming the third President in history to undergo a Senate impeachment trial.
Resign.
48
Richard Waugaman, M.D., I think Donald Trump is enjoying this. He knows he will not be kicked out of office. Let the Democrats parade over to the Senate with their articles of impeachment and see what that gets them. He'll mock them mercilessly up until the time when they lose, and then double down on the mocking. What fun!
4
The strategy for both sides should be quite clear. Pelosi needs to try and lose this, quickly. The Democrats have no chance of winning this fight. On the flip side of the coin, the GOP needs to avoid giving her an out. The longer this drags on, the worse the Democrats’ position gets. Pelosi made a serious miscalculation when she decided to hold off sending the articles of impeachment.
6
@FreedomisPriceless :
For me, winning has nothing to do with it. It is defending the Rule of Law, or not. I expect Texans to think this is just some football game.
6
Let’s hope Trump or those who pull his strings or tow his line don’t again attack another country or carelessly bring us to the brink of war or some other dire crisis in order to distract and deflect from the Impeachment Trial or to essentially coerce the Senate into acquitting.
8
Former mayor Guiliani has said that the bipartisan opposition to the partisan impeachment could be made null and void by the supreme court before a senate trial.
1
The United States Constitution provides that an official can be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. That phrase comes (apparently) from English parliamentary procedure, where impeachment was practiced for centuries (since 1376) by the time our Constitution was adopted in 1789.
Trouble is, by the time we adopted impeachment the British were abandoning it. The last time anyone was impeached in Britain was in 1806. The procedure is now considered obsolete.
There's good reason for making impeachment obsolete here as well, and we are seeing those reasons play out in Donald Trump's case. In impeachment, the legislature must act as the executive (to impeach) and as the judiciary (to hold a trial).
But to have the legislature act as the executive -- to prosecute -- means that the legislature can create new crimes to charge the president with. Just like a bill of attainder or ex post facto law, that is a no-no. But that happened here.
Similarly, to have the legislature act as the judiciary (as judge and jury) means that very partial and partisan politicians are supposed to be impartial. That's impossible.
The impeachment and trial of Andrew Johnson in the 1860s should have been the end of the process. Instead the Republicans dusted it off to impeach Bill Clinton, and then the Democrats returned the favor to impeach Donald Trump. Shame on them both.
6
You are really confused and erroneous and you are trying to substitute your personal preferences for what the Constitution clearly says, rather as if you were trying to contort the cilase to reach your partisan conclusions. Good luck with that.
12
Pelosi’s spectacle of holding the Impeachment articles has left the impression with many that this is indeed a political and partisan fight instead of a constitutional crises.
9
@John Should she do nothing? Should no one do anything? Will that avoid a "constitutional crisis"?
15
Many citizens are quite grateful to Speaker Pelosi for waiting, as it allowed the nation and our actual leaders to focus on averting a potentially catastrophic war with Iran thanks to Trump’s (et al) blundering and dangerous and suspicious timing of the attack on (admittedly horrible) Iranian general.
Just saying....
13
Sorry Cynic, how did "the nation and our actual leaders" do anything to avert a potentially catastrophic war with Iran? Seems to me they did nothing, and yet there was no war. Could it be that Donald Trump was the one who was right on this?
4
I eagerly await the comments that will be posted here once the Senate trial gets underway. Gone will be the days when the highly partisan Democratic controlled House sets the rules and leaks only the information that they think will harm Trump. Beginning will be the days when the highly partisan Republican controlled Senate sets the rules and leaks only the information they think will help Trump. There will be great wailing and gnashing of teeth. What will be lost in this echo chamber of Trump-hating liberalism, however, is that this entire spectacle- from start to finish - has been purely partisan politics. Nothing more and nothing less. Raw politics. Not justice. Not honorable. Not necessary.
11
OK. Good to know that you will be fine with it when the next Democratic President pressures foreign governments to dig up dirt on his Republican rivals. Because that’s what you are saying, if you aren’t being partisan.
20
Ugh. I really did mean “his or her rivals.” Implicit bias showing!
2
@William I eagerly await the day when William has a fully considered opinion rather than a reflex.
11
The dems are now saying they will use video clips from their witnesses at the impeachment hearings as well as use videos of trumps comments. No fair since trump wasn’t allowed to bring in his own witnesses nor were his WH counsel allowed to question the dems witnesses. But more important we’ve already been tortured by having to listen to days and hours of endless hearings. Enough is enough! We do not have to hear repetitive testimony from second and third hand sources. Acquit him and let the voters decide the next president in November.
11
No one is being forced to listen.
11
Question: Are the four dem. Senators campaigning to displace Trump and fill the Oval Office required to recuse themselves from voting to remove Trump from office?
If not, should they recuse themselves in order to avoid any whiff of unfairness?
5
@maybemd
The answer to both is No.
Why did you ask? You already knew the answer.
4
@kenneth
I asked because it seems a bit stinky to be able to vote on whether or not your possible future opponent should be removed from office before the election.
Same concerns that lie behind why the founders decided the VPOTUS should not preside at a presidential Senate removal hearing, replacing the VPOTUS with the US Supreme Justice.
Why doesn't McConnell understand the process? In an impeachment, the House acts as a Grand Jury, to see if charges should be brought. The Senate acts as a typical courtroom, with judge (Chief Justice), jury (Senators), and lawyers. The Senate is not "re-trying" the case.
In what courtroom in this country are witnesses barred from testifying if the prosecutor or defense want them to testify? McConnell just wants this to be swept under the rug, as usual. I guess in his mind only Democrats commit crimes.
12
Bill Smith, the chief justice is not a judge and the senators are not jurors.
4
@Bill Smith
No, the Chief Justice does *not* act as a trial judge, and the Senators do *not* act as common law jurors. In the case of an impeachment, the Senate is the courtroom and the Senators, unlike trial court jurors, are the judges of both the facts *and* the law. This principle is well settled. In fact it was in the Clinton case, that it was expressly pointed out that it was wrong to refer to the Senators as jurors, and that ruling was made at the request Clinton’s defense team. And quite frankly the function of the Chief Justice is to do little more than observe, his role being largely symbolic...
5
Marcus Aurelius, well said. In fact, the most momentous moment in William Rehnquist's presiding over the Senate trial (in his robe inspired by a Gilbert and Sullivan musical) was to tell the senators that they were, as you say, judges rather than jurors.
3
The beauty of our transparent system is that within a day after the trial ends, we, the public, will know which Senators -- if any -- violated their sacred oath to both God and man.
Here's the promise they must take: ”I solemnly swear (or affirm) that in all things appertaining to the trial of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God.”
They will also personally sign a document confirming their promise.
Mitch McConnell has already told us he will act in violation of the oath. Let's see if he -- right hand raised -- chokes on the words.
20
Trump asking for a quick dismissal shows how uninformed and/or dictatorial his view is. Nancy' Pelosi's stated intention of taking her time to allow more documents to emerge has worked pretty well.
What she didn't say, which has turned out to be even more powerful, is it provided a few additional weeks for Trump to demonstrate, thru his continually worsening behavior, that he is unfit for any position in our government.
His cartoons of Pelosi and Schumer are brilliant proof.
Great way to spend his time on our dime.
18
The question facing the American people is what to do about the concept of Impeachment going forward. The Democrats have established the principal that whenever the President does something that is political - that the House can impeach him, if they so wish. This precedent means that going forward - whenever the House of Rep is controlled by a different party that the President - that they will likely Impeach. To suggest that Trump did anything worse than Biden - is simply nonsense. They were both political - and both inappropriate.
So if the next President is a Democrat - and the GOP wins the House -it is almost a certainty that the President will be impeached. Fortunately, the vote in the Senate has to be 2/3 to find the President guilty - so we are nowhere close to seeing that happen. But clearly - the word Impeachment - is now a proxy for a political attack. It now means nothing.
8
Trump isn’t impeached for doing “something political.” Everything he does is political. He is being impeached for abusing his presidential power in a way not seen before.
18
@Randy
Impeachment now means nothing. Very true. That will be democrats' legacy.
2
The jury foreman has pledged to coordinate closely with the defendant, and has stated publicly that he disagrees with the finding of the grand jury. So I'd ask him, now that you're obliterating THIS process, what alternative process would you turn to should the time come when even you would acknowledge a rogue presidency (which I assume could only involve an incumbent from the other party). Or are you too shallow a plotter to worry about precedent and principle?
5
@Jonathan I think his answer would be that the time will never come because it's the defendant who makes the rules.
1
Nancy Pelosi gambled and lost on the impeachment delay with McConnell. - CNN
Pelosi played a long game with McConnell. Mens - Rea; she didn't really want McConnell to fold by delaying, she knew he wouldn't move. She got him to come out and nail his flag, a clean white sheet, to his mast for all to see.
Pelosi led McConnell to the cover up and provided him with enough sheets for everyone in his senate caucus.
4
Let's get this nonsense over with and get to the 202 presidential elections.
2
Foreshadowing at its finest.
Legal Experts Say Attorney General's Ties to Russia Are Troubling [newsweek]
--Barr’s public financial disclosure report, he admits to working for the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he was counsel from March 2017 until he was confirmed as attorney general in February 2019, represented Russia’s Alfa Bank. (Barr earned more than $1 million at Kirkland) and for a company whose co-founders allegedly have long-standing business ties to Russia. What’s more, he received dividends [$5,001 to $15,000 in dividends] from Vector Group, a holding company with deep financial ties to Russia.
--Mitch McConnell reportedly linked to Putin, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Russian companies [DailyKos]
--McConnell is benefiting from his ties to Putin... McConnell’s recent vote to lift Russian sanctions.
YouTube: Wife Of Lobbyist For Russian Plant In KY Got Boost From Mitch McConnell
--Lindsey Graham Received Campaign Donations From Firm Tied To Russian Oligarch [MavenRoundTable]
--Sen. Graham rcvd $800,000 from a Ukrainian oligarch with ties to Putin's.
--“Unlike the Western leadership...“Soviet leaders’ consciences are perfectly clear, which allows them to use brute force with utter serenity both to preserve their power at home and to extend it abroad.” This is what sparked a love-fest for Putin’s tactics from Republicans immediately following his invasion of Ukraine. “That’s what you call a leader” said Rudy Giuliani[Torture, Russia, and Conservative Dictator-Envy ...Chait]
8
Ah... Newsweek. Ok.
3
Maybe if you fact check the info, it may reveal truth that isn’t palatable to the 45 base which now includes the GOP. Unless of course you find fox to be THE go-to for all things 45. Not that they’re biased or anything.....
2
Apparently it would still be possible for the House to call Bolton to testify before they send the articles to the Senate. And he has now said he would testify if subpoenaed. So why doesn't the house just call him to testify, instead of crossing their fingers that the Senate will do it's job and call him??
2
CP, of course Nancy Pelosi and her minions have thought of doing that. It's not as simple as you think. For one thing, Donald Trump could claim executive privilege with regard to John Bolton's testimony, and send the issue to the courts. And the House would have to reopen its hearings.
At this point I think Nancy Pelosi just wants to get this thing over with. She knows she hasn't got the goods, and there are no more goods to get. Time to move on.
2
@John Smithson ahh the old nothing to see here move along. Except that Bolton's lawyer already said he had important information that has not yet come to light about first person meetings on these issues. Which is why Trump and the GOP doesn't want him or the others to testify. If you are innocent you have nothing to hide in letting people speak, and in fact would want the facts to come to light to clear your name.
Sure he can claim executive privilege and I'm sure he will, even though Bolton has information he thinks is important and wants to testify. And when Trump does he will look guiltier than ever.
You can't have a legitimate trial and intentionally choose not to hear from key witnesses. During the Clinton investigation they were able to talk to everyone they wanted to, no witnesses were blocked, and even Clinton testified, hence him being charge with lying under oath.
I don't supposed Trump will do us the honor of addressing these serious charges, honoring our constitutional process, and being willing to be testify and answer questions.
2
I wonder how the new revelation that Russia hacked Burisma plays into all of this. Gee....I wonder who ordered Russia to yet again interfere in our elections? Here’s a hint: DJT
Trump’s time over the barrel is coming soon. He will fall and when he does, it will be epic.
11
The constant repetition of "Pelosi lost this one to McConnell" should be overshadowed by the triple-win she's scored over Trump by holding the articles over the holidays:
1. smoked out Bolton
2. kept Trump and the neo-Cohns in the dark about the House managers until the last moment - not much time to make up names and lies
3. gave Trump a month to do something impulsive, and even more stupid - and he did — Iran.
Moscow Mitch may gloat, but Trump should be terrified.
32
@MCV207
...and she made sure that most likely this won't be wrapped up until 45 is supposed to speak at the State of Union address.
is the impeachment necessary ?
2
@Joseph The impeachment is necessary under the terms of the Constitution. McConnell and the Republicans, however, will abdicate their constitutional duty to hold a fair trial and that is how it will end.
The important point is that this presidency will bear a stain throughout the future as testimony to Trump's corrupt nature and the lack of integrity among Republicans to uphold the constitution in a clear case of, "Party over country."
8
@Joseph Are elections necessary ? No, but it's what we do in the name of democracy.
2
The republicans in the senate have already revealed their corruption and stated what their verdict will be
12
Bring it on, for the Constitution and democracy, Democrats!
7
I so wish they would work on a health plan and prescription drug prices rather than wasting all this time and money on this...
18
@Frank
This is why he needs to be impeached. Do you think that Trump cares about your health care plan? As long as he has the Republicans wrapped around his finger, then there will be no health plan or fair pricing. We need someone who actually cares about us to be in charge.
15
There are over 400 bills passed by the Democratic house sitting on Mitch McConnell’s desk. Don’t give us this absurdity
47
They did - it's called the Affordable Care Act. Don't you wish the Republicans had worked on improving that first step, over all the years they controlled both chambers of the Legislature - including two where they held the Executive and Judiciary too - rather than just throwing hundreds of Molotov cocktails at it?
6
I would love to see Trump removed, but let us look at the timing. Both Warren and Sanders will be stuck in Washington attending the impeachment hearings and will not be in Iowa campaigning. Hmmmm, is this a strategic move by the DNC to run Biden? Sadly, I am not too optimistic about any of this. I fear the Democratic Party is just setting itself up for a repeat of 2016.
11
I like Bernie, but I’m sick of how his biggest fans always claim he’s the victim of some conspiracy. At some point he has to be responsible for his own success or failure. Or is that something that Bernie’s biggest fans don’t believe in, as Republicans would have us believe?
5
@Ben I like Bernie too, but I thought we were talking here about Trump.
2
@kenneth: The original post was designed to make it look like Pelosi and the Democratic Party intentionally scheduled the impeachment trial to hurt Bernie and Warren, who are senators, in order to help Biden. Given the history of Trump supporters trying to use divisions between Bernie supporters and the Democratic “establishment” in order to reduce overall Democratic turnout , I thought it was worth pointing out the original poster’s ulterior motives.
2
It appears there may be some Republican Senators with integrity after all, so a full trial may be on the way. Maybe John Roberts has also had enough of the unqualified and dishonest President and is ready to take a stand.
Trump is in a panic as we speak - key witnesses from his own top advisory staff will now have to choose between perjury and imprisonment, or truth and a landslide defeat in November.
Even Moscow Mitch McConnell may not be able to save him now.
21
@Frank Roseavelt: Wildly optimistic, but hey, that's good!
5
Why even bother having a Senate impeachment trial when we already know that the senate GOP leadership - McConnell, Lindsey Graham, to name but a few, are working closely with the White House to preclude all witnesses and documents supporting the articles of impeachment and have publicly declared they have no intention of conducting the trial as impartial jurors? Might as well have Vladimir Putin presiding over the sham of a trial.
Better to have no Senate trial at all than one which makes a complete mockery of justice and the Constitution.
4
No, have the trial, get all the oath-breakers like McConnell on the record. And the few, the happy few, who still believe in integrity, get them on the record too.
6
@JEV It's a judgement call, but I think it would be better to have the trial, and make them all go on record.
3
@bud The House carried out their Constitutional duty as best they could given that they were severely limited and hampered by a lawless White House which refused to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry and wouldn’t allow key witnesses to testify. Hence the article of impeachment for Obstruction of Congress.
Thank goodness there were principled and patriotic witnesses who defied the White House and came forward to testify and corroborate the whistleblower’s accounts of Donald Trump’s high crimes and misdemeanors.
1
The only true thing this trial will prove is that Republican senators will allow this corrupt president to fly above the law.
At least they'll be on record. What we as Americans do with that will be the real story.
20
If the Founding Fathers had known about modern psychology, they would have insisted that all presidents undergo a psychological examination. This alone would have spared us the ravages of the Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump Administrations. It's an incontrovertible fact, that Donald "it doesn't really matter" Trump is a certifiable sociopath.
8
It's a sad day for democracy and our Constitution when the very concept enshrined in our founding document of "due process" may be denied in the impending impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump. The president is being charged with "high crimes" in violation of the Constitution that merit his impeachment. But, the Republican-controlled Senate seems more than willing to join him committing similar high crimes by not allowing due process in order to acquit him. If both the president and the Senate are willing to push aside the Constitution, do we really have its guarantee of "the rule of law" or have we entered the dark era like the Roman Republic of the autocratic rule of Trump?
1668
@Paul Wortman : Whether we've entered the " dark era like the Roman Republic" will be decided during the impeachment trial and in November. If those events don't clip his wings, the answer is "yes", especially if he Senate sticks to party lines in the trial, and if he wins big in the election.
87
@Paul Wortman
I agree, mostly, except that this is a political and not a criminal proceeding and therefore "due" process is not a mitigating factor.
23
@Paul Wortman
You have it exactly backwards. The Constitution guarantees due process to the accused, not the accusers.
43
After the impeachment trial, there will be more evidence revealed, showing Trump's guilt. Evidence that is now available, but intentionally hidden. How that will play out between now and the elections, should be of major concern to McConnell and the Republicans.
1873
@Walter Ingram
Need one ask how that will play out? When the entire regressive reactionary republican caucus is ignoring the available evidence for the most spurious reasons, no one will care about the "new" evidence when it appears.
81
@Walter Ingram
I agree with your main point, but don't think every bit of information that might emerge falls under the category of "intentionally hidden" (though surely much does). There's also information that got spread throughout the bureaucracies before the people involved were even aware of the uses to which it might one day be put. It sits in the minds of these people, its worth only gradually becoming—perhaps with the aid of journalists who are shaking the bushes—understood. And once understood, some of it makes its way into the public discourse. Bureaucratic secrets are not easily kept.
But to your main point—some of the smarter Republicans may have calculated that the sooner the revelations of additional information occupy the public discourse, the less harmful they will be to the party by the time of the election. This is why I think that when the Senate votes on the question of witnesses, there will be at least a few more in favor beyond those who have already signaled possible support. (And then we will suffer the spectacle of those Senators happily drinking in praise for their "moral courage," when in reality they're just adhering to Trump's often effective playbook: admit early, and often.)
One way or another, if (!!) the election is (relatively) untampered with, I think there will be enough citizens disillusioned with Trump, or, especially in the case of younger people, motivated to vote against him, that the Dems will win handily.
57
@RSF I thought that in '16. But the 'fake news' baloney seems unbelievably like a wall that works.
53
If there are witnesses and subpoenas for documents, this trial could be far more consequential than even the most skeptical of us predict. Imagine testimony or irrefutable proof of flat-out felonies, which is entirely possible; the pressure on Senators will be intense, even ones from the safest of seats.
1186
@Steven McConnell will never allow that
25
@Steven I don’t understand what these witnesses will say....that the President said what he says he said....??? This is simply a matter of if you think what he did disqualified him from office; he didn’t break any law and most Dems are not accusing him of breaking a law. It was a judgement call that quite honestly doesn’t seem totally unreasonable. Anyone who knows Hunter Biden’s background and then hears that he is making tens of thousands a month on a Ukraine Board would be immediately suspicious if Joe’s connection to this. To ask for the country involved to look into it before we hand over funds isn’t crazzzzy. Right or wrong, I don’t know, doesn’t immediately strike me as wrong. Illegal? Certainly not. But I am fairly certain you believed Trump should have be impeached long before the Ukraine call.
3
@Sean He most certainly did break a law. The law he broke is in the US ode of law, 52;30121. It is part of the campaign finance law that says it shall be unlawful to solicit anything of value from a foreign national in relation to a political campaign.
134
I continue to have this purely fantasy scenario in which Chief Justice Roberts chides, lectures, schools, and then directs the GOP members of the Senate to convict on the basis of overwhelmingly evidence, both older and the newest, which results in the escorting of Trump from the Oval Office...which will then be completely fumigated and disinfected...as a symbol and as a practicality.
8
Parliamentary procedure question: what is specifically needed to occur transmit the articles to the Senate? I was under the impression that it was the Speaker's prerogative. Is another vote really needed? If so, does this mean they could theoretically end up in perpetual limbo where the articles are approved but the vote to transfer fails? Can anyone make a School House Rock cartoon for this?
1
Jeff, the vote is simply to name the managers and do other housekeeping tasks. Nancy Pelosi easily has the votes to do that.
2
It is all rather simple, the speaker needed time to poison public opinion against the Senate before she released the articles. The Senate is now guilty of not calling witnesses, something the House Democrats refused to even pursue. Another American institution destroyed to advance this impeachment nonsense. Well done Speaker. Shameful.
8
@Mkm The House did’nt call witnesses ?
5
@Mkm
I missed the part where the speaker put a gun to McConnell's head and made him say that "I'm coordinating with the White House counsel. There will be no difference between the president's position and our position as to how to handle this, to the extent that we can."
6
Gotta hand it to Pelosi on this one. I woulda held the articles past the primaries so Collins and Gardner wouldn’t get primaried out by some far right nationalist that wouldn’t care even less than them about ethics.
But she had an even more compelling strategy; Pelosi waited until after she managed to scare up Roy Blunt’s support of a trial and then out came Senators Lamar and Mitt to boot, to where Collins and Murkowski’s refusal to trial got played! Ouch! Kiss their seats goodbye.
Plus Nancy timed the House vote right after the Democratic debates (which contain three US Senators), which would send the articles into Senate debate right before the Iowa, New Hampshire and Texas primaries.
Whats best if all is that when the emails come out during the trial that prove Trump willingly broke the law Moscow Mitch is going to get shamed in his own Senate race for playing politics while Kentucky wants what he denies; Obamacare and legalized weed from the MORE Act heading his way like a smoking train... “Choo! Choo!! Run Mitch, Run!”
3
The “gonzo” comment (ala H. S. Thompson) is much appreciated!
Coming this fall on Netflix: ‘Lock Him Up....and Throwaway the Key’
30
The people will get the final vote in November. That was always going to be the case.
1
@John
How can we count on fair elections anymore?
4
Yes. The people of the electoral college. Not the people of the United States. When our last two GOP presidents were initially elected with a minority of votes, you can no longer claim that the people have the final say in choosing the president.
3
I do not think it has sunk into Trump's world that HE is the defendant here. HE is not the one that will call the shots. Additionally, like it or not McConnell, you will be taking an oath to create an environment without bias and provide a fair trail. If you sway from that position you put yourself in jeopardy. So what's it going to be? Work hand in glove with Trump? Which is unlawful. Or do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. Think carefully, your absurd allegiance to this President may well be your downfall.
The truth will prevail. Why are Republicans so fearful? Hmmmm
1
McConnell “do the right thing?” Need I remind you the Holidays are over and there is no Santa Claus?
3
I would like to see Justin Amash named as one of the managers.
The congressman is a former Republican now Independent who voted for both impeachment articles.
5
YES!!! This! I’ve been saying that for weeks. I just said the exact same thing to my wife two or three days ago when we were listening to NPR in the car. Amash needs to be one of the managers to derail the accusations of partisanship. He was a freedom caucus member driven out of the Republican Party because he refused to kowtow to Trump. That’s cultish partisanship.
2
Listening to NPR in the car makes me sound like such a stereotype. It’s not all I listen to. I do like music.
Don't be duped into thinking this impeachment is about the Bidens. It is not; it is about the actions of the person sitting in the Oval Office who badly needs to turn the spotlight on someone else, anyone will do . But the Bidens are especially convenient because Joe Biden, well liked with long Washington experience, is running for President against that crooked know nothing bellicose fella in the now dingy white house.
4
Once again, Pelosi has played the cards she was delt to maximum effect. Any small bit of due process we see in the Senate is the fruit of her delay. And every day the trial was stalled, yet more evidence of Trump’s scheme has found its way to the press.
We are most unlikely to see justice. But the American public will see the prideful treasonous display of Republican Senators as they provide cover to the criminal in the White House, as Chief “Justice” Roberts looks on approvingly as the checks and balances touted in the Constitution crash and burn.
4
Kudos, Speaker Pelosi. The House impeached Trump on a sparsity of evidence, because the White House, in violation of the Constitution, unlawfully withheld witness testimony and documents. That in itself was a major obstruction of justice and the right of Congress to hear.
Now, Republicans in the Senate are taking the tact that the White House took in announcing that there will be no witness testimony or documents produced in the Senate trial.
What is pertinent is the correct definition of a trial. In juris prudence, a trial consists of witnesses and documents to achieve justice. McConnell, an adversary of justice, claims that opening statements constitutes a trial and can be acted upon to reach a verdict. But, he said the opposite during the Clinton trial. Further, witness testimony in the Clinton trial was taken by video depositions and presented in evidence. Normally trials demand that jurors should not conclude that opening statements constitute evidence. Sadly, the evidence withheld in the House proceedings will never come to light in the Senate, making the Senate trial a Republican lynching.
Where is our democracy? It has been swept away by constant lying, particularly by our President -- And has been assisted by the majority in the Senate in the so-called trial about to begin.
6
Acquittal by the Senate just means that the Senate thought the crime was not severe enough to warrant removal from office.
Sorry, Trump*, but that is no exoneration.
8
In the context of all this, I think the State of the Union address should not occur. The President can forward remarks to Congress to fulfill the constitutional obligation. He can tweet his remarks. He does not deserve the national audience, especially during election season. Let his trial go forth without the threat that he will perform a victory dance in the House, should he prevail in the Senate.
2
No, let him give the State of the Union, slurred paranoid speech and all. Then I’ll watch it on the Colbert show.
3
If the United States had a British-style parliamentary system, Donald Trump would have been ousted long ago. If the U.S. House of Representatives were like the British House of Commons, Trump would have lost his power after the November 2018 election, when the Democrats picked up 40 seats in the House of Representatives and took control of the chamber.
4
@RSC And yet Boris Johnson is the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
6
And if this was a benevolent dictatorship, I would reign with kindness, compassion, and would ride a tall white horse across the country, giving favors to the less fortunate, and public spankings to the miscreants. My reign would long be the stuff of legend.
But, we aren’t, so the point is moot.
@Angelus. If you're asking us to stop seeking cultural, scientific, and general human enlightenment, we will not accede, ascribe, acquiesce, or abrogate.
'I still cling to hope
And I believe in love
And that's faith enough for me
And that's faith enough for me' - Neil Elwood Peart
1
Nancy Pelosi held up the trial to force McConnell to agree in advance that witnesses must be summoned. She failed and the trial will now require 4 Democratic Senators to not campaign in Iowa for the duration of the trial. Great timing, Nancy. My judgment, and of course I could be wrong, is that both parties want no witnesses. Trump doesn't want Mulvaney or Bolten and Democrats don't want Joe or Hunter Biden. They will find a way to finesse this with wording so vulnerable Senators can say I voted for witnesses but there will be no witnesses. Trump has been investigated and tried in the media for three years and he's still there. If Democrats want to get rid of him they'll have to do it the old fashioned way: at the ballot box where every American has a say, not just the NYT, WAPO and the New Yorker with their colleagues at CNN and MSNBC.
3
I'm so confused as to Pelosi's strategy here. Don't go to court to compel key witnesses to testify and then whine and delay when the Republican-controlled Senate won't do it either? The Republican strategy seems pretty obvious: the White House can claim transparency and openness now that it's clear that the Senate will never allow us to hear from crucial individuals like Bolton and Mulvaney.
2
There was one reason, and one reason only, for delaying the delivery: to make sure the two senators running well, who just happen to be progressives, have to get off the campaign trail this month running up to the primaries.
What else could possibly be the reason? Mitch McConnell was going to compromise? You can't seriously believe that. Pelosi had zero leverage: zero. None. There was absolutely zero chance the Republicans were going to do anything other than what they're doing. Everyone on earth, including my cat, Grendel, understood that then and understands that now.
So...why did she bother? I have given my (unoriginal) answer. If you have a better one, bring it.
3
Ok, I will give it a try. The votes to impeach were held on Wednesday December 18. Congress was scheduled to be in a 2 week recess for the holidays. There is no way the trial could have commenced until after the new year.
6
Why is this taking so long? The impeachment proceedings were over a month ago. Now Democrats are finally choosing what to send and who will deliver it to the Senate? What happened to the urgency of getting rid of Trump?
6
@Mark McKay To cause additional mental stress on the opponent. Same reason that defending football coaches call time outs before field goals.
After decades of committing dozens of serious crimes in front of the whole world, many while in office, Trump is impeached for two? I have a bad feeling that the US system of justice no longer functions as intended, that collapse of our government may result. Judging by his past acts, imagine what perfection Trump does next. I got the FEAR.
2
@Hector
I got the FEVER.
1
Vince Lombardi once said that winning wasn't everything. It was the only thing. But to the best of my knowledge he never approved cheating in order to gain a victory. Every day, McConnell dances on the head of a pin to proclaim the Senate is delivering on its obligation to do "impartial justice." Given that he and his sheep in the GOP caucus believe calling no witnesses serves to deliver impartial justice, I would love then to hear his definition of "partial justice."
Perhaps that is what Trump will be able to proclaim when all is said and done here. He can claim that he won partial victory in the Senate.
Somewhere, Vince Lombardi weeps.
4
At this point I support Democratic attempts to keep Trump in check. Go ahead and impeach him...but please don't drive him from office. He's doing too good of a job. I would not want Trump running untethered, but when properly leashed he can be a very good boy. Democrats clearly do not have the competence to run this country. But they can play the role of keeping Trump within the boundaries and helping him live up to his full potential.
The question isn't one of guilt or innocence. Everyone basically agrees that Trump did what he did. Trump even released a transcript. The debate is about whether his actions rise to the level of being impeachable. Improper, yes. But not impeachable in my view.
4
@DRS "Trump even released a transcript" No, he didn't--he released an excerpted memorandum, but calls it a transcript to intentionally confuse that point for people who aren't really paying attention. If you had read it you'd know that the document itself clearly states, right on the first page, that it is NOT a transcript.
And if showing an open willingness, and then making an actual attempt, to cheat on an election isn't an impeachable offense in your view, what is?
3
"Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, chastised the House for what he called a “half-baked” case and said it was not the job of the senators to fill out the factual record. He argued aggressively against the Senate calling new witnesses and evidence, as Democrats have demanded is necessary for a fair trial."
And what exactly us the role of Chief Justice Roberts in this? Can he override McConnell's edict?
1
Are y'all going to do some substantive reporting on the fact that McConnell has explicitly stated (on national television) that he is colluding with the White House and does not intend to be an impartial juror, thus violating the oath of impartiality that he will be required to take, thus requiring his recusal? This isn't a side note. This is a central issue in the trial. How is this not front page news as the trial moves forward? Are we so inured to this administration's and the Republican's trampling on the constitution that we're giving this a pass?
6
Absolutely Agree! If the senators are the Court and the Jurors they must not have any contact with the accused. Since McConnell is conspiring with the accused to “fix” the verdict, McConnell and any other senators who are conspiring with the accused, must be excused from the trial. The accused is having impermissible ex parte contact with the Court (senator McConnell et al.) And — of course — McConnell and others have already admitted they are not impartial. We will find out whether Justice Roberts has the intestinal fortitude to excuse for “cause” McConnell, Graham and other co-conspirators.
1
All the Republicans in the Senate take bribes. I suggest that left-wing tycoons offer ten million tax-free dollars to every senator who votes to convict Trump, payable only if the vote to convict reaches the two-thirds necessary. Isn't this how our government really works?
5
It looks to me like McConnell have the choice of shooting himself in the right foot or the left foot. He can create short farce of a "trial" and acquit Trump - angering voters enough that all his vulnerable GOP senators risk not winning (losing the GOP senate majority). Alternatively he can acquit Trump after a real trial with witnesses etc. risking those same seats either because said Senators voted to convict and got primaried out, or because they in spite of the evidence voted not to convict. It looks like the vulnerable senators have decided for McConnell - and we will eventually get something that they can defend as a real trial.
3
WaPo had a great oped from Katyal and Conway why Pelosi shouldn't send both inquiries. Only one and keep the other with the house, reopen the case and have Bolton subpoena'ed.
I really hope that Schiff considers it with Pelosi.
4
The GOP will do what the polls indicate they should do. If calling witnesses enhances their reelection prospects, they will call witness. If rubber-stamping this inconsistent, mendacious administration enhances their reelection prospects, they will rubber-stamp.
I am not naive enough to believe that Democrat's are pure as the driven snow, but the sheer thirst for power - at all costs - is much more descriptive of the GOP.
4
The idea of sending over one article now and waiting for the Supreme Court ruling on subpoena compliance before sending over the second article seems to satisfy a lot of needs.
2
She is so deft.
McConnell is an intransigent, but Pelosi got the crucial crumbles around the edges. Not enough votes for dismissal, Mitch? And you won't end up with the power-play you thought you had, because give Donald enough time, and he will manage to demonstrate why he is a danger to democracy and the world. He just did.
4
Maggie Haberman reports that Trump's legal "impeachment team" is taking shape. A "team"? Are you kidding me? Trump doesn't need a "team" of lawyers to represent him in a proceeding before jurors, all of whom have already been bought off. This is a no-brainer. Even as bad an attorney as Rudy Guiliani could defend Trump at his upcoming Senate "trial."
2
This works out great for Biden. Warren Sanders and Klobuchar off the trail and in the trial. It clearly will hurt them in Iowa. Maybe New Hampshire. Coincidence?
4
@Buster Dee
Disagree. Every time Biden has an opportunity to speak, while people are paying attention to him, he says something asinine and hurts his campaign. Having the impeachment trial during the primary campaign is actually a gift to Bernie, Warren & Klobuchar.
Only Grendel the cat knows for sure!
@Larry D
Grendel, from literature?
Since when does the defendant himself dictate to the rules of Senate Impeachment trial.
McConnell should be recused for publicly stating he will do what this impeached president wants instead of holding an impartial trial as required by the U.S. Constitution.
Will John Roberts allow McConnell to blatantly defy the Constitution?
1
I get so confused. For weeks Democrats said complaining about the process was just deflecting from the facts. Now they complain about the process and say they don't have enough facts. They now need new witnesses to bolster their apparently weak case for their partisan impeachment. I hope we do get witnesses. Once the links between the whistleblower, Schiff and Joe Biden are laid out, this whole impeachment charade goes up in flames.
5
Why are the witnesses not being subpoenaed? Mitch McConnel's obstructionist tactics are coming to an end. People can see the first for the trees here. His harm to the nation and the Republican party must be obvious enough to all to get rid of his ire. He can no longer justify the divisive tactics that are always outside of the norms Constitutional law but not "illegal" as we proceed forward with a president claiming that he "has nothing to hide".
“Still uncertain is precisely when the House managers will ceremonially walk the articles of impeachment from the House chamber to the Senate.”
And then you know, there is ANOTHER ceremony scheduled that could put this off, so don’t hold your breath...
The. Most. Important. Thing. On. Planet. Earth, according to the Speaker...and I will bet dollars to donuts it doesn’t happen this week, possibly ever.
1
The moment has arrived for any Republican senator to show if he or she has the courage and guts to put their country's interests first. History and the world are watching. We will soon find out what certain people are made of and what they stand for.
2
This trial will be partial with Democratic senators impeaching and Republican senators not impeaching. President Trump will not be impeached because the Republicans control the senate. This is really just a formality and a waste of time and money. Americans knew the final outcome and a senate trial was unnecessary. I guess if it made the Democrats happy it was worth it. There is the people’s business that is not being done and Americans will not be very happy while this charade has derailed the work they should have been doing. Who is at fault? The Democrats of course. They started this whole fiasco. President Trump will be the benefactor of re-election in 2020.
3
@KMW: The House has already impeached. The Senate must shortly conduct a trial. It probably doesn't understand this any better than you do.
7
@KMW
The House continued doing other parts of the people's business even as they investigated and impeached. They have passed hundreds of laws addressing all of the major problems the people want and need solved.
In the mean time the Senate - where nobody have been allowed to be "delayed/distracted" by investigating illegal acts of the President and his administration - has not taken up any new legislation. Indeed its leader has proudly declared that he will not allow any of the legislation passed by the house to come up for debate, nor develop his own counter-proposals.
5
@KMW
Ah, yes. Silly Democrats off on a quixotic quest for Truth and Justice in Trump’s soiled and corrupt America, where lies and coverups are flouted as holy virtues blessed by the “Christian” God.
Sure, a President manipulating the leader of another country by withholding aid and support in opposing the attacks of a common enemy, for the purpose of gaining foreign assistance in this President’s re-election campaign— totally ok.
The hypocrisy demanded in claiming to be a follower of Jesus while supporting this crooked, cruel, and evil man, is stunning.
7
We know the president can fight. We still haven’t seen his taxes!
8
@Two Americas
We know he can stall.
2
What are the Dems worried about? The record developed by the house proves beyond all doubt that the President is guilty of the charges specified in the Articles. We know this to be true because Pelosi, a Master Legislator don’t ya know, has told us so. Further witnesses and documents would be superfluous and only serve to delay inevitable damnation.
4
Mitch & fellow enablers leave out the factual reality. If trump is innocent why not prove it to all his supporters & adversaries. Mitch says the case is weak, so why not prove it, Mitch. Fear that the truth and nothing but the truth will emerge is potent. Mitch needs to be booted out of the senate, he has brought disgrace & disharmony to the office he holds.
15
This impeachment farce is too boring to pay attention to. It is so partisan it is juvenile. It is hard to believe they can do this with a straight face. How can the public put up with it?
12
If you think you speak for the public, have another look around.
9
It appears you would rather have Russia decide who is POTUS. Start paying attention and you will become aware of the con we are living through through the last 3 years.
4
Let's see if just 4 Republicans have the guts to stand by their oath of office and do the RIGHT thing...call for witnesses as we have in every other impeachment trial.
8
Trump is vehemently accusing the Biden's of nepotism? Ha!
It vaguely reminds me of the endless Hillary Clinton investigations that eventually turned up nothing but went a long way to undermining her credibility when it counted. Trump won a skewed electoral college because of all the false flags.
I wish Comey would apologize. His blunderbuss cost us the best path forward. The Russians, the bots, Fox fakers, etc. made a dent but Comey was the icing on the cake and hasn't had the humanity to admit it since.
8
@Anne: James Comey was probably set up by Rudy Giuliani's FBI buddies with Anthony Weiner's loaded computer. The bumbling boy scout is so naive one wonders how he ever got mixed up in law enforcement.
3
I'm mystified as to the purpose of the trial. Nancy Pelost has her reasons. None of us will really know what they are, but I believe the Ukraine scandal was a no-win problem for the Democrats from the start.
6
How was it a “no-win?” He was impeached, wasn’t he? If the Senate would commit to a fair trial, and provide the evidence requested (what’s there to hide if it’s not incriminating?), and witnesses, trump would undoubtedly be removed from office. What McConnell is promising is basically a fixed trial. McConnell has already announced he will not provide a fair trial. Can he really cite the oath without “working with the White House”? Oath: After the jurors are selected, they are required to take a solemn oath (or to affirm) that they will "well and truly try the matters in issue and a true verdict render according to the evidence and the law." When jurors take this oath, they become a judge of all questions of fact and are duty bound to act fairly and impartially in considering them. He’ll have to perjure himself in order to do so. If they have the power to block witnesses and evidence, they probably should be charged with obstruction. Guess what, that’s grounds for THEIR impeachment as well as trumps! Now THAT would be a huge “win-win” in my book!
5
Here’s a pressing question:
Why in the world didn’t William Barr or Trump’s National security director inform the ‘gang of eight’ about the Russian GRU hacking of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, which is the same company that is involved in the impeachment inquiry?
What do they know?
8
Does Speaker Pelosi have the 4 Republican votes she needs to call witnesses in the Senate Impeachment Trial of President Trump? Or is this a case of counting G.O.P. chickens from some bad eggs in her basket? Granted impeachment is forever, but removing a President from office trumps impeachment in spades. From Nancy Pelosi's lips to God's Ear this and next week.
2
Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. She also has the power to have subpoenas to get the evidence and witnesses she needs. The democrats need to subpoena all of them!
1
"The truth" is the operative term here. It's something Trump has dodged, ignored, discarded and spat upon his entire life. I don't expect any of his sycophants in the Senate to say anything even approaching the truth, but when they hear it from Democrat Managers, perhaps it will sink in just what a lawless, reckless, awful mess of a president Trump truly is.
4
McConnell: "there is no need for the judge and the jury to reopen the investigation"
Who ever heard of a trial in which the judge and jury don't hear from the witnesses?
With no cross-examination of the witnesses?
Even though there may have been a preliminary hearing with witnesses.
McConnell believes that a number of witnesses would provide testimony damaging to Trump. Otherwise he'd be happy to hear from John Bolton and others.
84
As usual, McConnell is 100% partisan and illogical. Trump bars any and all witnesses and other evidence in the House, which prevents the House from considering the testimony of certain witnesses with first hand knowledge. McConnell then tries to bootstrap Trump’s obstruction into an argument that the case is “weak” and no witnesses should be called. Pretty ridiculous circular argument.
49
@EJS: Heads Trump wins, Tails Trump wins. It all reduces to Catch-22.
7
McConnell has declared that he is "coordinating his strategy with the defendant". That is illegal. He should be recused as a juror. He should himself be impeached for openly flaunting his oath of office.
298
@Jason
Senators cannot be impeached.
However, in the event that our wishes are not fulfilled and Amy McGrath doesn't whip him in November, the Senate can expel McConnell. As a consolation prize, that will do.
8
January 14, 2019
Let's not make this exercise into a civil war!
This is about probable cause in the matter of the action of America's first citizen as President. The facts on record via transcripts and supporting collaborative witnesses are in the immediate package to the Senate -and with this evidence there must be the decency to call further circumstantial testimonies to all the fullness of giving the Senate its performance and deliver to the honorable procedure with verdict to the highest of law in action for the America we live for, and believe that our justice must prevail for all that are call before the law in action rightly and purposefully to live whole and true to virtues as citizens empowered to the nation's character on record - as in this case of truth.
1
@Joseph John Amato
If nothing else, you win the prize for the longest run-on sentence.
7
What, pray tell, is the Trump defense. I’m expecting attacks against various Democrats, the usual. The Trump Administration has no defense.
15
The republicans are hoping their denouncement of democrats will suffice as a defense. It didn’t work during the House hearings, it’s not going to work in the senate either. Regrettably for the republicans, the democrats can get the evidence and witnesses they need. I also wonder if they can recall the witnesses from the house hearings. Most were “there.” Others could be considered “hear-say.”
By forbidding testimony of his former aids, Trump is " … fighting for future Presidents and the Office of the President."
Mr. McConnell is going along with that nonsense.
But wait. There's much more nonsense.
McConnell accuses the Democrats of having a weak case because there were no first hand witnesses. Never mind that they were not allowed to testify, and even if they could testify McConnell wouldn't allow it.
But “If the existing case is strong, there is no need for the judge and the jury to reopen the investigation,” he said.
It all makes your head hurt.
As if this circus couldn't be topped, Republicans want to hijack the trial by introducing wild conspiracy theories thought to be helpful to Trump's reelection campaign.
Is this REALLY happening in the United States of America?
Yes.
37
Everybody wants to know what Judge Judy has to say about the Trump impeachment trial. This is a trial where even the jurors publicly collude.
3
During the 100% Dem controlled event so far all Trump metrics are UP since Oct. 1st. Favorability, Job Approval, GOP backing and fund raising thru the roof. Trump raised $150M in 4Q19 vs. Bernie $35M. And Bernie is bragging about his number.
Gee I wonder what the GOP controlled senate trial will do for Trump?
Dems never, never ever, learn. Even babies change when they fail. But not Democrats.
7
So if the president commits a high crime, as defined by our Founding Fathers, everyone should pretend he did not. What a great idea. Believe it or not, some people actually believe the Constitution should be adhered to. Some even took an oath stating that. Some even believed in the oath they were stating.
5
Thank you for that objective, dispassionate, nonpartisan insight.
2
It just amazes me that a president who lies as often as this one does can get an approval rating above 4. Makes you wonder why we ever even bothered insisting on honesty and integrity in a president in the first place, doesn't? What a waste of time.
5
I thought it was an emergency and the constitution and the sfate of the country was at stake? Guess not.
13
You DID see him bring us to the brink of war, did you not? Have you seen what he's done to the Navy?
This IS an emergency. This "president" needs to be removed from office as soon as possible.
3
I’ll believe it when I see it.
1
“And if you or anyone within the sound of our voices have been falsely accused of a crime, with no proof, and no evidence, for more than three years, you’d want every witness to come forward too, and say this man did nothing wrong.” - Hogan Gidley, "White House Spokesman"
Yes. And we are still waiting for that to happen, Trump cult. When is that going to happen, Trump cult? Because so far, all the witnesses that HAVE come forward have made it pretty clear that impeachment was richly deserved. Or should I say "bigly" deserved?
11
President Trump, show us your tax returns.
9
Is this "urgent" yet?
8
"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."
"All right, Mr. McConnell, I'm ready for your trial."
Nancy Pelosi made us wait for a month but now she says she's ready. Finally ready to send over to the Senate her articles of impeachment that don't even purport to name a crime. She thinks she is doing something that history will remember as momentous. In that, she's just as delusional as Norma Desmond.
19
@John Smithson
Norma Desmond. Spot on.
7
Obviously AACNY is a man. “Norma Desmond! Spot on! She’s OLD, right?”
1
What an epic waste of time. The senate will not have 67 votes to remove the president. This has been nothing but a partisan side show demonstrating the left's pure hatred of the president.
26
@Tamar: Trump expects respect for being crazy. It can't end well.
3
@Tamar — No, it is the House of Representatives doing its sworn duty to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
That’s the same oath that Trump and the Senate took, you may remember.
22
@Tamar oh there'll be demonstration all right. Of Trump's corruption and obstruction, via witness and documentary evidence that Nancy Pelosi has enabled by outfoxing McConnell. When the GOP Senate votes after that evidence, each vote cast for acquittal will amount to a resignation at the next election. And each GOP Senator will be aware of that as they cast their ballots.
It's a shame it's taken so long, but I'll be glad when November sees us rid ourselves not just of Trump, but of the traitorous rot and hubris in the GOP Senate majority.
3
If there are witnesses - you know the Republicans are going to call Joe (whose incoherent) and Hunter (who has sever substance abuse issues), along with the DNC operatives that we working with the Ukraine Embassy. Can you imagine Joe mumbling his way through an interrogation, while Bernie, Warren and the rest of the crew look on.
I am in awe at how deficient Democratic Politicians are that they are be worked over by Trump. If Hillary's organization is indicative,it looks like the Democratic leadership is surrounded by sycophants, and are not told negative info.
If this thing does not work out - the NYT should start turning their guns on the Democratic leadership.
17
@Tom: The Democratic Party always plays too safe, but it is easier to live with than a high-roller like Trump.
2
Why wait till Wednesday? Oh wait it can't interfere with the Dem debate. No politics here, lol.
19
@James ... and all other republicans, I have two words for you- Merrick Garland. I've had enough of the other side pretending they don't play politics! Of course Nancy held up the process until the last Dem debate could occur. I respect her for playing Moscow Mitch's game and doing it better.
7
If Pelosi was a smart tactician she would just rip up those articles of impeachment. There is nothing here and she knows it. This is her last chance to stay out of the history books as the leader of a fake partisan hit job. Anyone here believing there is any/more evidence to this I feel truly sorrowful for. This has been the saddest political day of my long life.
25
How kind of you to worry about Nancy’s reputation in the history books. And how sincere!
13
@RS: Both Senate apportionment and the Electoral College will go into meltdown if this trial is bungled.
2
@RS
Yeah. Sad! Heartbreaking to see our elected representatives acting all political.
2
This impeachment farce is going nowhere! If you want to get rid of Trump do it at the polls in Nov. or do the Dems know that won't happen? I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop when Barr/Durham drop it this Sept./Oct. This is also another worry for the Dems!
20
So are we back to this is an URGENT matter of national security? I can't keep up with all the trial balloons the democrats are floating.
18
Trump just switched his position from wanting a complete and thorough trial to asking for an immediate dismissal. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but this latest reversal indicates Trump is running scared. He knows what the direct fact witnesses know and how they can implicate him.
It's looking like the Senate will have enough votes to compel witness testimony. That's probably what has shaken Trump. The Republicans will counter with demanding that Joe and Hunter Biden testify. Great! They know nothing of these matters. Trump will claim that he believed that they were breaking laws in cahoots with Ukraine which led to his state of mind to withhold their aid.
OK, so now a defendant can tell a jury that I believed that person X was a child molester because I read this unproven, bogus conspiracy theory online, so I beat him up. The defendant is still guilty of assault.
Trump has an even poorer excuse. He has the entire weight of the US intelligence services who concluded that no laws were broken by the Bidens and he still claims the conspiracy theory gave him justification for his actions.
Looking forward to a real trial.
1750
Bruce Rozenblit, you say that "he has the entire weight of the US intelligence services who concluded that no laws were broken by the Bidens".
Where did you get that idea. That's fake news.
12
@John Smithson
No, it's not fake news.
121
@Bruce Rozenblit Unfortunately most Americans interested in this matter are getting their information, and prompts, from social media. I am appalled by the email forwards I receive from friends who are Republican. The disinformation, distortions, complete fabrications, distractions, and unprincipled mockery we see on Fox are magnified tenfold. Network and cable news. with their semblance of fairness, is quaint in comparison.
102
I thought there was an immediate need for impeachment or was this an attempt to shield Joe Biden and his son from being subpoenaed before the Iowa primaries begin. HMMMM??
18
Under no circumstances should this coming trial be allowed to become a referendum on Joe Biden as trump and McConnell would devoutly wish it to be. It is Trump and his bribing a country to become involved in our elections that is the issue. We need witnesses, but if Joe Biden is called by the republican senate Joe will become the scapegoat and trump will have had his ultimate wish to get off the hook and through innuendo darken joe's prospects as the Democratic candidate.
715
@just Robert
In other words, just railroad Trump’s conviction.
Got it.
17
@just Robert" "He did it first!" has always motivated Trump. We are gathered here to share the humiliation of Barack Obama.
18
@just Robert Maybe they should have thought of that before they opened this can of worms. Now that the can is open who knows what will crawl out. Or do you only want part of the truth as opposed to the whole truth?
18
I would vote for Pelosi for President in a heartbeat.
878
@Molly Bloom YES!!!!
18
@Molly Bloom We should have given her a decent Senate in the last election. It will be too late for her to run by the time both houses of Congress are out of the hands of Russian traitors.
25
@Molly Bloom Impeach Trump and then Pence and Pelosi becomes President, immediately.
38
McConnell has never once failed to make the most partisan, self-serving decision possible, so it's up to a few Republicans to try to make this whole thing meaningful. The Susan Collins types like to play their "moderate card" for show and political favor, but my guess is the majority of voters in this country come out feeling shortchanged once again.
7
@Mford
Susan Collins is all talk and nothing else. People in Maine are tired of her.
3
While this drama goes forward, consider how chief executives are removed in other democracies. One vote of no confidence in the legislature and the leader is gone, replaced by his/her counterpart from the opposition. Our Constitution is not always the best plan for government.
3
@Jay S
In case you haven't noticed, our constitution is in shambles with Trump and the GOP ignoring every aspect of it.
5
We’ve also had much more stable governments than a lot of parliamentary countries. Pros and cons.
Given that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already vowed not to hold a fair Impeachment trial in the Senate, House Democrats should transmit only one of the two Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.
That way, it will force Sen. McConnell to reveal his hand, giving the People the chance to see just how corruptly Senate Republicans are acting.
I would suggest sending the second of the two Articles, Obstruction of Congress, not because the first, Abuse of Power, is less severe, but because President Trump's obstruction is so flagrant, making it the easier Article to prove.
4
Republicans who enable a sham trial do so at their peril. Sometimes silence is the loudest noise of all, and absent evidence will loom large over the proceedings. The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but they do turn.
7
What is the penalty for McConnell and Graham for swearing a false oath of impartiality? Will they claim that they changed their minds since publicly stating that they have already decided on the trial outcome after consulting with the defendant?
6
After nearly three years of partisan fishing expeditions, the House rushed to finish articles of impeachment before the holidays, noting a "clear and present danger" level of urgency. Then Pelosi inexplicably held those articles while making demands about how the Senate should do its work. Now she still wants the Senate to do the work that the House should have done. Executive privilege doesn't apply to the House alone, and the same issue will arise if Dems attempt to call Bolton or others.
What a waste of elected leadership.
5
@Locals4Me
The waste of elected leadership is Trump and the GOP.
4
I don't think this is quite the slam dunk for the Republicans many here assume it is. No, I'm not naive, but there are rules and Justice Roberts does have the right to intervene if he thinks a complete sham is taking place. Did anyone read the Politico article on Elizabeth MacDonough the parliamentarian that will be assisting Roberts? It was fascinating and informative. Also remember we, the American people, have a lot of power here. We can let our senators know we will vote them out of office if they obstruct justice and acquit Trump in a sham trial. Pelosi accomplished what she wanted in holding the articles for a time. An overwhelming majority of Americans want witnesses and new evidence to be allowed – including 56% of Independents. Sure, ideally the courts would have accelerated all the other matters surrounding Trump's misconduct: emoluments violations, financial entanglements with foreign nationals (Russia etc.), tax evasion, and the sexual misconduct charges. But they didn't, those matters are still pending. There is plenty of evidence to remove Trump from office. Call/write your senators. Let them know you're paying attention and want witnesses to testify.
11
I am a fan of new energetic talent coming into the house labeled (ugh) as "The Squad." But laughed when they tried to de-seat Nancy Pelosi. Her experience, talent and most of all respect isn't something just for the asking.
5
John Bolton has made it clear that he is very pleased that Trump took out General Suleimani. He has been fixated on regime change in Iran for years.
If he is now called as a witness, will he help or hurt Trump?
Maybe I’m being paranoid, but the timing of this particular assassination worries me for many reasons. Am now wary of Bolton’s testimony.
7
I sure do hope Speaker Pelosi selects Justin Amash as one of the managers. That would be symbolically powerful, as well as historic.
2
@Claudia
To Never Trumpers it would be a symbol,not sure about powerful though and he is far too low on the Totem Pole to get the spot when there are so many, so eager to prosecute these Articles. Not going to happen so nothing historic about it.
The GOP will conduct a “fair” trial, “hear” the evidence, “listen” to the arguments, and quickly vote not to convict.
The question is what the voters decide.
2
The House Speaker was smart to have this meeting in private. She wants to keep Senate Republicans on guard with no clear information on when or how she will attack. Too bad her fellow politicians can't follow her lead and keep their mouths shut. Representative Pelosi should find out who these people were and censure them if they are Representatives or fire them if they are aides. Freedom of speech does not include release of sensitive or classified information just to be the first brat on the block to upset the apple cart even though many of its apples are subprime. The political process is broken and these leaks are not helping it.
2
This will be another laid egg for the Democrats. Biden will lose more out of this than President Trump but that will be a good outcome. Warren or Sanders truly reflect what the Democrats have become so the voters should have a choice between either President Trump or Warren or Sanders. Biden is a smoke screen to attempt to hide what the Democrats have become. Warren, Sanders, AOC--they are the Democrats and to be fair at least they are honest about where they want the country to go--doubt they will win but at least they are not hiding what they are.
4
Pelosi timed the delay to keep Warren and Sanders off the campaign trail and leave it wide open for Biden. Very clever of her.
2
Who is the witness Trump wants to call who will say Trump did not do it? I mean, he wants to call Hunter Biden, who is not going to say that. He blocks everyone who theoretically might say that (but won’t if they are telling the truth). Trump is just looking at calling witnesses Republican Senators can yell at - not anyone who can exonerate Trump.
4