Then Sarah Palin could REALLY see Russia from her house.
6
If the Palin clan goes over to Russia along with Alaska, it might be worth considering.
5
Republicans are not so much defending Trump as they are defending their vision of what America should be, and what they have worked for since FDR - an oligarchy run by the few with a useful idiot as a figurehead. They do not believe in democracy, the rule of law, the Constitution, truth, or even voting rights, have nothing but contempt for anyone not in their class, and count on the apathy of Americans to let them have their way. Trump isn't the greatest threat to our nation, Republicans are. This impeachment "trial" shows perfectly their unwillingness to put country above their interests. Vote every one of them out.
20
I don't know about any bank robbers, but he's already pardoned several others just for being Republicans -- Joe Arpaio, Scooter Libby, Dinesh D'Souza...need I go on?
8
When, in the course of human events, ... you know the rest.
3
I'd like to see what Sara Palin thinks of that - since she can see Russia from her window...
Having lived in Spain 1961 and then 1976 thru 1970. under Fronco. Even with the democratic disorder of today. Hands down, I much prefer Franco respect for Spain than Donnie the want a be absolute supreme Dictator. Franco returned power to the crown sand although profiting he didn't rape the nation. With Donnie, he has great ambitions and they do not include a thing for America or you and I
4
err...Would Sarah Pailin go along with the deal?
Is Donald trump prepared to make Sarah Palin mad?
If Russia didn't take Alaska in the early nineteenth century the British would have taken Alaska and Alaska would have become part of Canada. I wonder how many Alaskans wish that the British had taken Alaska and they would have been Canadian.
1
It seems that it is not enough for trump to abuse his power, now he is abusing the trial and hearing process. This man has no boundaries.
5
Sell California to Canada, so I don't have to move!
1
Com on man, don't give him any ideas!
This column will likely make Mr. trump think that it would be a great idea to give Puerto Rico back to Spain.
trump dreams of a judicial process like China, where the entire process is a show designed to build political support, and the outcome is predetermined. If we are stupid enough to re-elect him next year, that is the kind of government we will get. Permanently.
7
What if Obama gave hundreds of millions of dollars to Iran ?
3
The very fact that fossils from Clinton's impeachment trial are still around for this one is an indictment of the failing American political system.
4
Make sure some Republican Senators went with the deal!
2
Sarah Palin and Vladi Putin. A match made in heaven. I love Alaska too much to give it to Putin but would give Palin to him in a heartbeat.
1
This country started going downhill years ago; most likely around the Vietnam war. The imbalance of power and wealth, the blatant lies and corruption and the total lack of compassion and respect for our fellow Americans, let alone non-US citizens, is nothing short of, shall I say, deplorable.
With the election of this man, the single worst POTUS in history, and the inevitable pass he will get on his unabashed destruction of laws and our Constitution, will be one of the last nails in the coffin of democracy. What is happening before our very eyes, in real-time, is the defeat of the United States of America.
This time.
This day
This moment.
These days will go down in history, alongside slavery, Post-Pearl Harbor concentration camps, Vietnam and the murders of JFK, MLK and RFK, as the worst in our history.
If this man is re-elected, our time as a nation is short lived, Like Rome and all other mighty empires, we will fall. It is not a matter of if, but when. The Republican party is doing what no foreign power, nuclear weapon or disease could do. And they are doing it in plain sight, without any guilt whatsoever.
I feel sad, truly sad for my kids and those who will come after us, long after we are dead and gone.
#TakeAmericaBack #VoteDemocrat
11
If Trump suspended the Constitution tomorrow and made himself Dictator for life, every Republican in the country would be supportive.
Trump has ripped the mask of the GOP and revealed the party for what it is/ bigoted white people deathly afraid to share power with people of color. As long as Trump continues degenerating minorities and advocating white nationalism, the bloated Christian bigots of the GOP will let him do whatever he wants.
7
Clinton was impeached because a bad friend gave a naive girl advice that would ruin her life.
6
Mr. Kristof, please let's not give Trump, McConnell and the Congressional Republicans any ideas. Given their inability to stand up to Trump or to support the Constitution (those few who even understand it), ceding back Alaska to Putin may seem like a good idea, particularly if they felt it would go Democrat in the next election.
2
What happens if the Democrats win the popular vote in 2020 and the electoral college votes along party lines, re-electing Trump?
What do we have then?
5
To this day, I remain baffled that Trump's behavior doesn't have his supporters in the streets calling for his removal.
ANY leader of a democracy recorded on the phone asking for a political favor at the risk of that country's national security, its reputation and standing should be denounced. Who cares what political party they belong to?
How is this ok to anyone?
.
13
"Republicans seem to think no republican president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal."
There, fixed that for you.
12
If trump wins this November, there will no longer a NYT or Washington Post. The FCC will revoke the broadcast license of CNN, MSNBC, PBS, CSPAN, NPR, and any media entity that criticizes the King or his Court. There will be only one Party, the Republican Party, since Democrats will be outlawed. This is where our beautiful, wonderful America is heading. May God help us all even those who will vote for trump!
4
“What If Trump Gave Alaska to Putin?”
Why would he want to when he could trade it to Denmark for Greenland?
6
Trump was happy to let Putin dissect the Ukraine why would Americans this Alaska was safe, America promised to preserve Ukraine independence if they gave up their nuclear weapons they inherited from the Soviet Union, They agreed and gave up their weapons of mass Destruction. Now Putin thumbs his nose at us and the Ukraine. Why should Iran believe us after the Trump's Ukrainian nonsense.
5
c/"Republicans seem to think no president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal."/"Republicans seem to think no Republican president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal."/
There, fixed it for you!
2
How do we know he hasn't?
1
Trump is the logical endgame of a corrupt Republican party that can be traced to Ronald Reagan. At one point in time the Republican party had giants such as Lowell Weiker who stood for what they believed and America. Today's Republican party is basically an RICO case populated by moral and mental midgets bent on gaslighting America for personal gain.
7
Headline on Mr. Kristof's email this morning:
"Are you watching the sham trial in Washington?"
My response:
Yes, I watched the sham impeachment hearings in Washington as well.
1
“What’s at stake in this trial is the basic idea that America’s leader is accountable for misconduct.”
Pu-lease.
Every President in my lifetime has been a war criminal.
Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama - very single one of them.
“Do we really think that there should be no checks on a rogue president”?
Apparently so.
George W. and Obama were so brazen in their lawlessness, it’s hard to imagine what Trump will do once he gets reelected.
Lying the country into an illegal war of aggression, torture, mass domestic surveillance, regime change coups in the ME, Africa and Latin America, Extrajudicial killings of American citizens - none of those warranted a serious investigation or impeachment.
But failing to continue our push for Cold War 2.0 with Russia in Ukraine ?
Now that’s unforgivable!
An outrage!
According to Raytheon’s darling Adam Schiff, the US is arming Ukraine so we don’t have to fight Russia here.
This is insane.
The Democrats are indeed a wholly owned subsidiary of the CIA/Military/Industrial Complex, having supplanted the Republicans in their traditional role.
They almost make Trump seem sane in comparison.
“That’s the kind of system that we rebelled against in 1776, no?”
That’s what I was told, but - whatever.
5
Why is Senator Johnson of WI allowed to vote? He was a part of the scheme?
2
@Sam Agreed. He’s my senator and I call him to say just that. Also, if you go to his website— he has a counter of how many minors taken at the border... of this, is he proud?
1
"Instead, Trump and his defenders are pursuing a line of defense that would create an imperial, unchecked presidency, because it’s not clear what would ever merit impeachment and removal by their standards."
No, they claim that lying under oath, like Bill Clinton did, is the only clearly impeachable offense--because a federal judge was removed via impeachment for perjury and no one is above the law. They now argue that if Bill Clinton, had instead, withheld foreign military aide in exchange for a political favor of smearing a rival Republican candidate that it would be okay and not impeachable. Really! They think we are that stupid. The White House press secretaries and Chief of Staff have also said their "only obligation to tell the truth about anything is when they are under oath". So even though they say Trump's offense are not impeachable, we can assume they are lying because they are not under oath.
3
This impeachment thing borders on treason. I'm 72 and have never seen such a long robust and economy in my whole life. Thanks Donald.
2
If Sarah Palin is part of the deal I'm all for it.
2
With the present, despot-worshiping cult in power, it's clear that republicans support unlimited presidential mayhem. As long as they keep their fake jobs, their taxpayer-funded health care, their perks and their pensions. They can hide away with private security when they retire, leaving behind a bankrupt nation to cannibalize what is left of itself. That's the evil soul of the republican religion.
5
Oh my.
And ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I am so sick of the GOP and this president.
It seems constitutional lawyers/scholars (and biblical scholars) so love the workings of their mind, that they never take a step back and realize that documentation is permeable because humans are fallable. The constitution isn't an impermeable barrier to fraudsters -- and a lawyer who keeps poking his thumb at it will at some point make a hole. And for what?
1
Don't give him any ideas.
2
Putin wants the Soviet Socialist States back. But he needs Trump's help.
1
Donald Trump could tweet out our nuclear launch codes and the Republican Party would still stand solidly behind him, led by Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy. These folks may say they find such action "disturbing" but they will find a way to justify Mr. Trump's actions. There is no Republican Party anymore as it has become a group of court jesters whose sole job is to keep their sovereign Donald Trump happy and in power. This national disgrace can end in November, 2020 but only if enough Americans vote to say enough of this garbage.
9
So a president cannot be investigated for criminal conduct while in office, per the DOJ. If you want to remove him, you must impeach!
However, a president cannot be impeached without committing a criminal act (which as noted above cannot be investigated).
Kafka is laughing in his grave.
11
They sold Alaska for a reason...now, California is a different story...
1
Trump could hand the keys to the White House and the nuclear codes over to Putin in a prime'time TV special and his supporters would applaud.
7
Why would Trump GIVE away Alaska. He'd try to sell it but Congress would still have to approve the sale. How much is the market value of a whole state rich in oil, minerals, limber and wildlife with a few million inhabitants? Could anyone really buy one today?
One can understand why Tsar Alexander 11 sold Alaska. If Siberia was too far from the center of Russian life - Alaska was practically the moon. No one is far from anyone today.
The Chinese were so close to Alaska and the New world yet they were too large to want any more territory. How easy it would have been for them to cross the 30 miles or so of the Bering Strait to reach it.
What if a president just uses taxpayer dollars to pay himself.
Oops-wait. He does that ever time he golfs.
7
I don't know if anyone has noticed, but Trump is working on giving Ukraine to Russia. The second investigation he wanted done was to prove that Ukraine was behind the interferance of our election. If he "proves" Ukraine did it, the sanctions come off Russia. He's been trying to get rid of the elections every since he became president.
6
Mr. Kristof makes many excellent points. However, what does it all mean? As long as we have a bunch of selfish politicians who care more about being reelected than about morality or the fate of our nation or whether a President tramples over the very principles on which this country was founded...……..it means nothing!!
When votes on issues before the Senate and House are split almost 100% along party lines, any hope of outcomes that reflect thought and wisdom are totally chimeric.
5
"What if Trump Gave Alaska to Putin?"
And what if Putin gave Trump a Moscow hotel?
3
The GOP wouldn't move the finger, they think he can do anything he wants, just like he said.
I wonder what would senator Lisa Murkowski do, be quiet...hard to tell anymore, and don't let me start on the rest of them and his legal team, Dershowitz and the rest!!!
What a horrific mess we're in, everyday he's in office is like slap in the face to all of us.
We're doomed to live in this scary nightmare limbo for the most part of 2020.
4
When listening to the GOP in congress with their pretzel logic on why trump should not have been impeached and should not be convicted one can come to no other conclusion than that they feel a president cannot be removed for ANY reason. At least a Republican president.
I have very mixed feelings about conviction. On the one hand, if he is removed (next to no chance of that) he'd go all scorched earth, maybe even encourage his disciples to pursue a "second amendment solution". And the GOP would make the next Dem president's life even worse than they did Obama's (they might do that regardless as paybacks for impeachment).
On the other, if he's not removed he'll likely see that as a green light to continue his pattern of lawlessness.
4
"Trump’s lawyers argue that removal from office would amount to '... subverting the will of the American people.'"
Of course, the will of the American people had Hillary Clinton winning by 3 million votes.
7
"Trump’s lawyers argue that removal from office would amount to 'nullifying an election and subverting the will of the American people.'”
It's worth noting again (and again and again, every time this ridiculous claim is made) that 1) the election is not nullified if Trump were to be removed; the elected Republican vice president, Mike Pence, would become president, not the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton; and 2) the will of the American people was, in fact, that Hillary Clinton be president, as she received the greatest number of votes, nearly 3 million more than Trump. Trump won the most electoral votes; he wasn't the choice of the American people.
Just sayin'.
5
Alaska, NEVER!
Texas, Alabama, West Virginia and Mississippi, DEAL!
4
Well, if Putin does take Alaska, Sarah Palin will be able to see Russia from her backyard.
105
@Tony Long
lets hope, eh?
2
Do you think Putin would take Texas instead?
2
“President Trump” is Dead !
Long Live King Donald I !
and g*d help us all
2
Borrowing from Mike Ongstad at The Hill:
So far, Trump hasn't arrested journalists, like his trustworthy twin, Putin.
So far, Trump hasn't jailed political enemies as "criminals," like his Philippine friend Rodrigo Duterte.
So far, Trump hasn't embraced the "reeducation" of targetted minorities like Xi Jinping.
So far, Trump hasn't pilfered the US Treasury, as Muammar Gaddafi drained Libya’s.
So far, Trump hasn’t overturned elections like Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey.
But according to Trump's lawyer's none of these tyrants would be guilty of abusing power in the U.S.
The goal of Nixon's infamous "enemies list" was to screw over political enemies with IRS tax audits and by extorting compliance with threats to revoke grants, federal contracts, etc.
Trump's done that; Plus, he's added U.S. support and aid to foreign governments in order to pry compliance and employ them as handy knuckle dusters, shivs & tasers against his political enemies.
7
Thank you, Nick, for this eloquent reminder that there is a reality that undercuts the Republican lies. In particular, your point that there is "an echo in the impeachment domain of the 16,241 false or misleading statements Trump made in his first three years in office." is spot-on. We've heard a couple of verifiable falsehoods from Trump's lawyers already.
Is there no penalty for lying in a trial on behalf of your defendant? Can they not be censored by some authority in the legal profession?
6
This impeachment trial is a sobering experience for me, a naturalized U.S. citizen.
I watched in awe the impeachment trial of President Clinton and thought to myself: "now this is what rule of law, check-and-balance is all about" even though I did not and do not support the Clinton impeachment.
Watching the current senate impeachment trial of Trump, I can no longer feel the sense of pride I did before. I did not choose this country because of its kangaroo courts -- those are a dime a dozen across the world; everywhere you can find "strong-man leaders", you'll find kangaroo courts.
To the GOP senators, and especially McConnell, I say "Have you no shame in selling out your principles and your country just to preserve your own power?"
America, from the deepest bottom of my heart, I cry for you.
191
Sure. Let’s obfuscate. What better else? So far the Democrats haven’t a case enough to justify a petty fine according to our laws, let alone impeachment. So let’s speed off to some imaginary scenarios to help frame this political hoax into the something of national urgency and survival that the actual evidence does not. If there is any real danger to the nation here, it lies in the potential precedence being established by this sham of a crisis—one whereby the house can create impeachable crimes to remove a duly elected president of whom they disapprove.
3
@ Amused
Since you raise the issue of setting precedents, I’ll ask you to consider the precedents Donald Trump is trying to set.
Are you okay with all future American presidents using Congressional appropriations and “volunteer” operatives to stir up foreign investigations of anyone who might become a political opponent?
4
@Amused: The most insane of all people never even question their own sanity.
1
Republicans seem okay with trump establishing the US as a banana republic. If they simply are too afraid to oppose anything trump decides, or require that the rule of law be followed, they are unneeded. They should leave or just phone it in, as they have revealed themselves not up to the task of governing.
5
Great article!
(Oh, and thanks, also, for thinking of the kangaroos.)
2
Anyone who listens to the Democrats' opening arguments, including video clips of testimony, can understand that Trump did wrong. Period.
That Republicans choose to pretend otherwise and that such well-known attorneys Alan Dershowitz are willing to twist constitutional law is very disheartening. At the same time, it also is a clear message to Americans that we are in deep trouble and must clear out corrupt Senators and Representatives in 2020, no matter the forgone conclusion of this trial.
6
I hate when presumptive acts are used to criticize people. trump did not give Alaska to Putin, so why make him and the GOP guilty of that?
But trump did give Ukraine to Putin -- can't we just focus on all the improper things trump has actually done?
It's time for the American's Bar Association (?) to do something to those lawyers who are trump's lawyers. Please tell them that they can not cook up the law according to their flavor as they go along. Tell them to try that cooking up the law scheme next time when they got a speeding ticket and will see what the judge will do.
3
Trump could sell Alaska and pocket the proceeds, and all the GOP senators, including Murkowski would hem and haw, and then vote to support the sale.
If Florida were to be given to Spain, it would be a good reason to move there. I suspect that Mar a Lago and Doral would have to relocate.
I thought Trump should be impeached the day he made his cabinet sit down around a table and swear fealty to him.
In front of the cameras.
At that point he and his cabinet broke their sworn oath to adhere to the Constitution. There was no difference between that and declaring him king. Clearly an impeachable offense.
2
Trump would be glad to hand over Alaska to Putin and in the deal he would include that they be given three top pieces of real estate free so that he can add three non profit making golf courses to his portfolio. After this impeachment hearing Trump can side step any semblance of propriety and add to his assets. And he will be able to fill up his Washington hotel every night with world dignitaries at an exorbitant rate and not have to pay all profit to the federal revenue stream. It's American every past president had done the same will be the republican refrain. Dooby doody doo.
According to the PBS Newshour, this Senate trial is so vital to the security of our traditional ally the Ukraine, so essential to American national security, that most Senators are already lounging around the antechamber rather than sitting in their seats listening intently to this shatteringly important testimony.
How about telling us about that, and do they get their electronic equipment back in the Senate Antechamber?
1
At least the Republicans are giving Elizabeth Warren the powers she will need to deal with the real problems.
I know, Whine Alert ahead.
WRONG headline. Correct headline:
Republicans seem to think no REPUBLICAN president's misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal.
1
Yes - this administration's blatant defiance of congress is the ultimate enactment of white male privilege.
1
Let's face it, folks. The GOP's current modus operandi is today is deny, deny, deny. "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," except about the Bidens, or the Clintons. Hey Donald Trump could shoot down democracy on Fifth Avenue, or in front his new tax-exempt home in Mar-a-Lago, and he says he could get away with it.
2
What if Trump Gave Alaska to Putin? I'm all for it..Include Kentucky, Wyoming, Idaho and a slew of states where 70% of the population voted for Trump. Putin can have them all
I agree that this impeachment is a sham perpetrated on the American public, but the Democrats are the perpetrators, not the Republicans. There has been an ongoing political coup that started before Donald Trump took office that continues to this day. I could make a reasoned argument, but it wouldn't matter to people that have found their criminal and are just looking for a crime to pin on him. Democrats are giving the same "justice" and due process to President Trump that they gave to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. This seditious impeachment sham was not carried out in secret but has been widely publicized for the last three years. Some Democrats ran for office in 2018 as being the best qualified to perpetrate the coup. How many seats did Democrats pick up in the 2018 midterms with the false accusations of the Russian Collusion Delusion? How many votes will they pick up in 2020 based on outright lies and false allegations? That is the real crime. If the Democrats aim to make the country ungovernable, they are well on their way. Their conduct is the very reason that thinking people want to protect their second amendment rights. It is probably a good time to start thinking about dividing the country. We will take all the red spots on the map, and you can have all the blue! Please try going outside your echo chamber so we can all be nice! I would rather be a sovereign nation instead of a U.N puppet. It is still Trump vs. the globalists. My money is on Trump.
4
I paused when reading why we rebelled in 1776. It was much more complex that that. Then I thought of how King George in 1754 gave the land west of the Appalachians to the Indians, which likely started it all.
@America's Favorite Country Doctor: Taxing the colonies to pay for their defense in the French and Indian War definitely alienated them from Parliament.
1
Let's be clear Mr. Kristof, this revision of law, logic, American principles and the American Constitution applies only to the trump party. Moscow Mitch was unequivocal about the party's relativism when he was asked if he would apply the same restriction to appointing Supreme Court justices as he applied to President Obama in his last year: of course not.
The trump party are absolute moral relativists. Unfortunately, we live in a culture where moral relativism is generally accepted in mainstream secular society, and is now thoroughly embraced by "conservative christians" as part of their "ends justifies the means" value system.
4
If Republicans can pretend the trial is fair and impartial and nothing this "administration" had done is harmful to the country and its citizens, then why aren't the rest of us pretending Clinton is President and following through on her policies?
What if Trump Gave Alaska to Putin?
If the Alaskans were allowed to vote on it, and a plurality were to agree, I am a for it
I am not one of ruled by the male territorial instinct, that like dogs marking their territory, need to "keep together the Union"
At all cost.
We look to Alaska for its oil and its wide open spaces. We plunder the oi, and we pollute the spaces. Russia falls far short on oil production i Siberia and there are 15 National Parks there to our nine in Alask.
As we despoil the Alaskan environment, oil spills cause horrific harm to the environment. By contrast, the Russians are into plutonium explosions, which do virtually no carbon damage.
So the answer to Mr. Kristof's question is that we will indeed do better by returning Alaska over to the Russians,
The comparison is somewhat inapt.
The question is not what would happen if Trump gave Alaska to Putin. It's whether he did so PURELY FOR PERSONAL BENEFIT.
If the senate voted to cede Alaska to Russia, and the president signed the bill, that might be fine. Weird, but not impeachable.
If Trump secretly signed an agreement bypassing congress ceding Alaska to Russia in exchange for getting a giant Trump tower built in Moscow, that would be OBVIOUSLY impeachable.
2
Never mind that the Electoral College already nullified an election....
2
@Andrew
"Nullified an election"?
Try reading the Constitution.
You might try following the wisdom of Maya Angelo: "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
1
I think it was reckless for Mr. Kristof to give Trump this idea about giving Alaska to Putin. I for one am glad that I do not live there anymore as now Trump probably will want to work out a deal with Putin along these lines in exchange for Putin letting Trump keep the lower 48. After all, Trump did think he could buy Greenland and where the heck did he get that idea?
3
@Agirlhasnoname I believe the idea came from Dershowitz.
This is a little off subject, but what if we sold Alaska to Canada? I mean look at a map already, where does it look like Alaska belongs? The USA could reduce its debt by selling off some assets, that's what firms do as they head into bankruptcy. The proceeds of the sale could be dedicated to Social Security solvency. Of course we should let actual Alaskans have a say in the deal, but they would at least get health insurance if they were Canadians. Just a thought.
3
What price would we sell it for? It has precious metals like Gold, sits on Oil reserves (black gold) and would serve as a cool summer holiday spot after after the lower 48 turn into a dust bowl according to the IPCC. What did they say Florida’s future was? Was it 6 feet under or 12?
1
If Trump did that the House of Representatives, I would imagine even the Senate would also go along with invoking the 25th amendment in having Trump removed from office! What's would be next?
Selling NY to Spain, do to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, having indicted him of a number of felony counts?
The impeachment is an annoyance, but it helps Trump more than anyone would have guessed.
Namely, Joe Biden is still the frontrunner, Democrats don't care, and their newspapers don't report about Hunter.
Everyone OTHER than the primary voters of Joe has been made aware of what Hunter got in Ukraine. Whatever dirt Trump didn't get from Ukraine on Hunter, he'll get many times around from the Senate in a few days. So during the general election, Joe will be hammered with Hunter's exploits, day in, day out.
As usual, Trump makes a personal sacrifice, the impeachment, for the common good, which is to have him reelected.
2
@novoad So, how is the impeachment a personal sacrifice for the common good? Did he have a choice in the matter that we somehow didn't know about? Whatever you feel about Hunter Biden, he accepted a position (albeit on favorable terms) as a private citizen. He has a right to do so. If there was any sort of quid pro quo on the part of the Bidens for this position, don't you think we would have heard about it (in all of it's gory details) by now? Assume what you want, but as we are confoundingly asking the question "is there any there there"- I'm pretty certain that in the case of the Bidens, there is no "there there."
3
Yes, November allows voters to define what type of country they want to live in. Will it be civility? Or cynicism?
2
Alaska, if it belongs to anyone, belongs to the indigenous peoples who lived here for thousands of years before the outsiders took over.
91
@Lucy
Indeed!! Neither the Americans nor the Russians knew much about Alaska beyond the first mile or so from the coast. And what about the farms established along the Russian River to supply food to the Czar's fur traders? Shouldn't northern California be part of Russia?
4
@Lucy - "belongs to the indigenous peoples who lived here for thousands of years before the outsiders took over."
That would be true for the rest of the continent too.
17
@Lucy did you think about the question and relevance posed by the article. I think or hope most people agree with you, including the author of the article.
3
Be realistic. What if he had the IRS audit journalists? What if Barr indicted Trumps enemies?What if Bezos was arrested? What if he closed certain media outlets because of National Security? What if the Russians change vote totals?
1
@rk How about this "what if"? In Egypt two years ago, their leader convinced their Congress that the next elections should be postponed - from 2020 to 2030. They agreed. China did something similar, too.
If President Trump did this, Congress would certainly be against, but what about the Senate? And the SCOTUS?
There is a third possibility.
This would be for the Senate to officially sanction Trump for the charges outlined in the impeachment articles, allow him to complete his term, but firmly judge him ineligible for re-election.
The RNC would then withdraw all support of the Trump re-election campaign and immediately identify a different Republican presidential candidate.
This would take enormous cohesion, courage, ethics, and responsibility, but it would be a credible way of asserting that -
(1) no American is above the rule of law,
(2) Presidents who abuse their power and position must face consequences
(3) a different person is better suited to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2020.
There are not just 2 possibilities - acquit or convict.
There really is a third possibility.
Are there any Republicans out there up to the task?
108
@organic farmer
I burst out laughing. Just good I wasn't eating anything at the time.
24
@organic farmer
You ask:
Are there any Republicans out there up to the task?
You correctly point out:
This would take enormous cohesion, courage, ethics, and responsibility.
It follows that the answer is:
No.
31
@organic farmer Hmm... has anyone else noticed that most of the signs say "Trump 2020", not "Trump / Pence 2020"? If more hard evidence comes out during impeachment, it could happen, though very unlikely.
I'm sure many non-Trumpian Republicans (if any are left) would be happy to see a Nikki Haley / Pence ticket or something similar.
3
Republicans don't think that "no president's misbehavior can ever be bad enough to warrant removal."
Republicans do think that no Republican president's misbehavior can ever be bad enough to warrant removal. If a Democratic president did what Trump has done, he or she would be impeached so fast that whiplash would result.
10
Voters want to see this end as quickly as possible so that the country can get down to serious issues being proposed by democrats like open borders, green new deal, curtailing ICE and police presence,
releasing tens of thousands of violent and career criminals while confiscating law abiding citizens guns.
4
@JAC You know, I think that impeachment trumps (pardon the pun) just about all of the other stuff you mentioned. We are talking about the future of our country. How can we be any good for anyone- or ourselves for that matter, if we become some kind of monarchical autocracy. The issues that you listed ARE serious, but wow- are we really about to say that our president can do ANYTHING?
No one has proposed open borders. Ever.
The Green New Deal is an effort to save our planet and, thus, the lives of untold billions (including you, your family, and all your descendants), as well as protecting our national security (due to enormous numbers of those fleeing from places that will soon be underwater).
ICE absolutely should be curtailed (hello, children in cages).
No one wants police presence to be curtailed, just that police would stop shooting first and lying about it after.
The only “criminals” anyone has proposed releasing are non-violent drug offenders and those convicted while innocent.
No one is trying to take your flipping guns.
2
Clinton's case was fairly simple. They only needed one piece of evidence, the dress. As far as witnesses, two, Monica to say he did it, and the DNA expert to say, "Yep, that Bill's". Bill on his side, just one, himself to say he didn't have sex with her. Only thing left was to take a vote. With Trump,the Democrats had weeks of hearings with a parade of witnesses against Trump. Did Trump have the right to ask the Ukrainian president to investigate what actually happened that caused the prosecutor to be fired. Biden had, in fact, told the world his side during a televised interview in 2018. He told him to fire the prosecutor within six hours or they wouldn't get the aid package we promised. Trump didn't ask anyone to prosecute Biden or anyone else. He asked in order to get the Ukrainian point of view. As far as the aid goes, we were about to give them a significant amount. Isn't it reasonable make sure just how corrupt they are. Isn't it reasonable to confirm what Biden said. The one person they had as a witness who asked Trump what he wanted them to do told us he said he didn't want anything. "Just do the right thing". So vote. We have all we need to know and we know exactly how the vote will be. Why waste any more of our taxpayer's money.
3
@Ron
Trying to save our democracy is not a waste of taxpayer money. What is a waste of tax payer money is building an ineffective symbolic wall on our southern border.
2
According to whomever measures these things, Ukraine cleaned itself up enough for Congress to allocate the money. The time to kick up a fuss is during the appropriations cycle, not after the fact. But it’s hard refuting GOP talking points.
2
@North Dakota The Democrats could have impeached the first day of hearings. Nothing said would have changed the vote to or to not impeach. The same for the Senate. Not one thing will change the final outcome by anything anyone says. It goes into the circular file. It is all political posturing and theatrics and a massive waste of money. Regardless of the need for the wall, there are a huge list of things we are wasting money on. Its politics.
I'm guessing they'd kick him out in a microsecond if he got caught in bed with a man.
Throughout this three years, I've come to wonder how one group of people's notions of right and wrong can be so dramatically different on these issues.
1
What Trump has already given to Putin is worth more than Alaska to him:
Damaging American democracy, badly
Weakening the US internationally
Normalizing attacking the press, propagating falsehoods, denying reality
Weakening the US allies in Europe
Supporting Putin's positions in Europe and Middle East
5
Alaska is a solid red state. Never gonna happen.
Now, Hawaii is a likely blue state that could be de-acquisitions with no pain to the GOP.
Perhaps that could reduce our national debt?
All this is, of course, unthinkable and abhorrent. Until Trump says otherwise.
The only thing GOP senators care about is their own reelection. Some of them think an investigation into the Bidens is a good idea. Some of them just want this sham impeachment trial, in their minds, over with as soon as possible. They want to go back to approving young conservative judges so future girls and women will lose access to safe, legal abortions.
Donald dreams of being a king.
5
Trump republican politicians in fera of Trump's tweets and his rabid cult will tolerate anything Trump does ,as long as they get tax cuts for the rich and powerful and support for a Christian theocracy riding herd over non-believers. Giving Alaska back to Putin may give ideas to Trump who is desperate to win the affections of Putin for some strange reason, perhaps Putin's help with his re-election would win him offer and end sanctions vs Putin's oligarchs who will fund the Trump family for decades ahead.
I don’t believe that many Republicans think that no misdeeds warrant presidential impeachment.
We just believe that an opposing political party, the mainstream media and the leftist elites unwillingness to accept the election of a man they don’t like is not grounds for impeachment.
There is a major difference between political acuity and a crime. As Josh Blackman writes in today’s Times “Trump Acts Like a Politician. That’s Not an Impeachable Offense”.
"it’s not clear what would ever merit impeachment and removal by their standards". Clear enough, the president being a Democrat.
2
If it's still housing the Palins, sell it to the lowest bidder.
As for the trial venue, it's time for media to start calling it The Trump Senate.
4
Mr. Kristoff is raising the absurd prospect of Trump giving away Alaska to make a point of how far would the Republicans might go before they would consider the President's behavior "impeachable" .
@Frank Heneghan Once again, Dershowitz's idea.
A pocket real estate transaction between Putin and Trump. Since it was apparently easy for Putin to spoon feed the Ukraine conspiracy theory to Trump, this should be a pushover.
3
Don’t worry—if elections are not suspended and a Democrat is ever elected we will see the Republican Congress discover abuse of power and all manner of other offenses that merit impeachment, removal, and probably capital punishment.
2
This has to be one of the best examples of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Period.
1
@JGaltTX Maybe we should just call it TDS. But. However much you like your meme, It just doesn't work in a rational world. Credit to you for taking a minute to read the New York Times, but have you listened to the case that is being made against Donald Trump? Really listened? Please let go of the fantasy that Donald J. Trump is on your side. He is not.
Trump should offer to restore the United States to Britain. That ought to do it.
1
Is your final sentence ("That's the kind of system that we rebelled against in 1776") a call to arms, Nicholas?
I could see the republican senate and house members going along, as they seem to have fully embraced the Russian way of governing through autocracy, if not outright dictatorship
Yes, Senate Republicans appear to be resigned to giving Trump a blank check on current and future abuses of power. His acquittal will set in motion a complete rigging of the 2020 presidential election. I am troubled by the conflict between the proclamations of McConnell, Graham, and several other GOP senators that they will vote to acquit Trump regardless of any damning evidence presented and their taking the oath to be impartial jurors in the trial. Imagine during selection of jurors a potential juror being interviewed asserts that he or she would acquit the defendant regardless of the evidence against him. What prosecutor would select such a potential juror? Why then, can a senator get away with violating the oath of impartiality when he's on record as saying he will not be impartial?
2
The impeachment "trial" exposes to the whole world, the "justice" of the U.S. Federal system as the bankrupt fraud it is. Were not the House managers aware of this important but surely unintended side effect? Apparently not.
Kristol can only come to the conclusion that we now live under a Presidential dictatorship, where even an adverse electoral result in November 2020 will be unilaterally declared "an attempt to overturn the will of the people". That is the only sane conclusion one can come to. The new habit of 24x7 bald faced lying is the announcement of the dictatorship of all those "drafting" behind Trump: "We don't care what you think, we're simply going to announce our deeds and act accordingly, as we roll out and impose our Roveian altenate reality".
So, liberals, what are you going to do about it? You could start by ENDING ALL cooperation with this lawless government. Stop funding it. With illegitimate government, force is in command, not consent.
Or you can look on the bright side. At least Sarah Palin will be able to see Russia from her back yard.
Moot point. Too late.
Trump, Graham, Midnight Moscow, the rest of them, they’ve already sold us out.
1
How about giving Texas back to Mexico? Then again, if 45 wins the Electoral College again, some of us may rethink our position on the British Empire.
I think it would be better to sell New York and New England to Canada.
We need witnesses and documents in Donald trump's impeachment trial; without them; it is a cover up.Declaring Trump innocent with no witnesses or documents will always leave a dark cloud of suspicion over Trump and Republicans. Thank you Ray Sipe
4
Mr. Kristof: The reason you can't have "abuse of power" as a standard for impeachment is that it is too subjective and vague a standard, and it would turn our system into a parliamentary one where a sufficient number of senators could vote to remove a President if they felt he or she had "abused" the office. It's dangerous because it would lead to an impeachment inquiry every time a president's opponents objected to a policy decision. Lincoln's suspension of habeas was arguably an abuse of office; so too was FDR's rounding up of Japanese Americans. Bush could have been impeached for the Iraq War; Obama should have been impeached for granting immigration status to groups without Congressional approval (indeed, the latter was a stunning 'grab' of power by Obama yet liberals did not object). There would be no end to impeachment inquires and the attempt to disclose confidential communications between a President and his closest advisers. Impeachment is only for 'high crimes and misdemeanors" not "maladministration."
35
@R.P. There is a very distinct difference in your examples and what's going on. And that difference is that Trump's actions are a subversion of Congress' authority and decisions for PERSONAL GAIN. Controversial policy is not the issue. It is a deliberate misuse of power for his personal gain as well as a deliberate rejection of the constitutional authority of Congress. In all of your examples, the aforementioned presidents were implementing policy that they believed was in the best interest of the country. Trump doesn't know what that even means.
781
@R.P. The charge against Trump is abuse of power for personal gain. In the examples you recite those Presidents acted in the interests of the United States. Trump used Congressionally authorized military assistance funds to bribe the Ukrainian government to announce an investigation of his political rival in order to smear him, and thus committed a violation of the public trust and his oath of office, and invited a foreign government's interference into our 2020 election.
402
@William Ostrander If "controversial policy is not the issue" then why do we keep hearing about how terrible it was for Ukraine not to have military aid, or how awful it was for Trump to want that ambassador fired? Or for that matter, how Trump was not following the advice of career diplomats?
28
And, we should add, France got a bad deal on the Louisiana Purchase.
The issue at the center: Is it true, as Mr. Trump says, that a President can do anything he wants?
My answer: Why do we even need to ask the question? Of course the President is constrained by the Constitution and our laws. A President is required to allow Congress' oversight, too.
Put in other words, is this President now to be called King Donald? The country is at stake.
4
The current Congressional GOP acts exactly like one of those rubber stamp legislatures found in dictatorships. If Trump gave Alaska to the Russians, they would get on TV and provide
lavish explanations as to why the act was "in the nation's best interest" and how it illustrated "the art of the deal".
11
"Republicans seem to think no president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal." True, but only if that president happens to be a republican.
15
@mark alan parker
Republicans were happy to remove a president who clearly broke the law with Nixon. It's why he resigned: 'You can't fire me, I quit!'
By contrast every single person acknowledges that Clinton lied under oath - not just a crime, but a felony. And he was acquitted. Exactly 0 democratic senators voted to convict.
However, I'm not mocking that. It's as it should have been. His impeachment was a sham and political circus, rather than a genuine need in removing somebody for unthinkable and grievous actions. Exact same thing is true in this case as well.
@Jaymes I would certainly not equate an affair (Clinton) with treasonous actions (Trump)...regardless, I think we can both agree that the partisan divide is now so ridiculous, that neither side wants to come close to compromise. A sad time in our history.
1
Mr. Kristof, with all due respect I will allow myself to point something out to you: I bet all of us who are reading your article here know that what you are saying is true. I would even venture that the McConnells of the world know it as well (if this president was a Democrat, I am convinced, he would have been out so fast a new scale to measure speed would have had to be invented).
They know but, and this is the issue, they do not care and, it seems, we keep acting as if exposing facts and giving explanations is going to make any difference to people who have shamelessly thrown away all conventions of decency and decorum. They do not play by the same rules. They make them up to serve their interests.
Republicans are not afraid of Trump's base. That is a whole ocean of hogwash. Things are going grrreat! for them under Trump: subterranean taxes, regulations being thrown out every day... For those in the base who are not, by far, benefiting from this, a daily dose of nativism, victimism, otherarization (if you allow me the term) of whoever is at hand if it serves the interests, and, voilá, it is done.
I am not saying that we need to act like them, but our democracy is in grave danger and those opposed to Trump and what has become of the Republican party keep bringing kale to what is, more so every day, a gun fight. We have no chance. We need to smart up. Our country is at stake.
11
@José I couldn't agree more, and that means we need to start using our voices.
What if? Well, if Trump gave military secrets he should be removed from office. If he was given bags of cash a la Agnew in the White House in return for tax cuts he should be moved from office. If Mueller found he colluded with Russia he should be removed from office. But there is strong evidence that he wanted a foreign power to investigate dirt on Biden and strong evidence the DNC (in the grip of Hilary Clinton) paid Fusion GPS to get an English spy to get dirt on trump's doing in Russian hotels. Neither should be grounds for impeachment. That's politics. Just because you hate Trump is not grounds for impeachment. Elections are for that and we have one next November.
2
@alan brown: The Steele Dossier was commissioned and paid for by a Republican. It got shopped to Hillary after its sponsor dropped out. But little points of fact obviously don't matter to you any more than to Trump.
12
Wrong! Utterly and completely wrong. Fusion GPS is an American company, not foreign. So Hillary did not ask a foreign company or government for help. Fusion GPS hired the British employee without Hillary’s knowledge. Also, Mueller did, in fact, find that Trump and company colluded with the Russians on many occasions. For some reason Mueller decided that it did not rise to the level of criminal conspiracy. But there was collusion. So, I’d have to say that, based on your comment, Trump should have been impeached.
@Steve Bolger No facts matter. Dirty politics such as I described with Fusion GPS applies to Hilary and Republicans and neither would constitute impeachable offenses. It didn't just get "shopped to Hilary". The DNC Paid money to the spy for his Russian investigation on dirt in Russia.
This will likely be the last impeachment of a President for decades. The Republicans are writing the playbook for how to render a Presidential impeachment useless.
Trump and future Presidents now know that there are virtually no circumstances that would result in removal from office, unless of course the opposing party so dominates the House and Senate that they have the votes to impeach and convict the President themselves.
Republicans are happy now, but they might not be in the future if/when a president from the Democratic party is in office and commits acts that are an abuse of power, and Republicans find themselves virtually powerless to do anything about it, due to the precedent they are setting today.
2
@Robert I disagree. Similar to the travesty that occurred with Obama’s nominated replacement to SCOTUS, Merrill Garland. You can bet the senate would confirm a replacement for Ruth Ginsburg before the general election instead of holding the decision for the next administration. If the GOP gains both house and senate under a democratic President you can bet they would impeach in a hot minute if the same sequence of events were to unfold (I.e. abuse of Presidential power for PERSONAL gain) with a democratic President.
6
@Robert
If Hillary has won, I am absolutely sure that issue would have been investigated to death by the GOP. Whataboutism is not a defense.
Trump’s lawyers argue that removal from office would amount to “nullifying an election and subverting the will of the American people.”
Trump’s lawyers have inadvertently but accurately described their client’s installation in the White House.
6
The GOP only likes Donald Trump acting like a king because he embodies the their values of white supremacy, war on science, war on facts, war on woman, war on the environment, and pro the .1 percent.
If America has progressive president who acts like a king, but with a progressive agenda and on behalf of all Americans, watch how they will want to go back to representative government.
6
"Republicans seem to think no president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal." So not true. Given what has happened, the next Democrat President who has a Republican House, will surely be impeached.
1
Trump supporters do not care if Putin co-leads with Trump in running the country as long as it is legal to discriminate against women minorities and gays. Everyone has to convert to a Christian and Christian prayers are mandated in every school and every sporting activities and the government has the right to control a woman's body.
As long as trump and Putin mandate the above issues they don't care about any illegal activities committed by Trump & Putin.
4
Nikki Haley got a position on Boeing board and is making money off of it. Nikki has no manufacturing or engineering experience she was hired for her access to the white house.
11
And that is different from others in what way?
Your example: Nikki Haley: served 6 years of governor of South Carolina then 2 years as ambassador to the UN. Now member of Boeing's board of directors.
My example: "The current crop of corporate directors who once served as members of Congress is evenly split between 31 Democrats and 33 Republicans, according to the Bloomberg data. The former GOP members last year averaged $382,535 in board compensation while the Democrats averaged $330,194." https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/10/18/These-Ex-Congress-Members-Are-Making-Big-Bucks-Corporate-Boards
1
@Azalea Lover the point is she doesn't have any experience to be on that board she was added for access. This happens all the time and not illegal and the same applies to Hunter not illegal to be added to a board with no experience.
@lisa
Can we get the Canadians to investigate her?
I wonder, for how many GOP senators is this trial the first time they are listening to anything but Foxworld and the Trumpiverse echo chamber?
Are they paying attention?
Will the rhetorical bombast of Trump's lawyers sweep away all new knowledge and any fragile budding awareness they may have of the enormity of Trump's corruption and the solemnity of their oath.
1
@pi
GOP Senators are not stupid.
They are not uninformed.
Do not assume that everyone uses their intelligence and education for the common good. Many, throughout history, have used it to get rich and to comfort the powerful.
Much of what they say in public is strictly for their easily manipulated base. They learned long ago to not run on "we want the US to be an oligarchy controlled by a couple very rich families'.
@Jerseytime
Senators have very busy days. Perhaps, they make media selections which serve their bent or speak the language of their base Fox) and their backers (WSJ.)
Actually, I think the Calvinism informing some historical GOP ideology actually does privilege the privileged as their wealth is seen as god's will or gods blessing on the deserved. Under the 'up by your bootstraps' mythology, the oligarchy is judged more industrious and smarter than the rest, and again more deserving. So actually a reasoned argument can be made they are running on a 'trickle down' mindset that 'the rich are better for us than the socialists.'
But yes, many of the oligarchy have gone to top schools, without any evidence of absorbing more than a veneer of liberal arts virtues. The Bush and Buckley families for instance.
he would give em Puerto Rico too. he hates them
4
The GOP is a cult.
5
A new low.
Just silly.
1
@dick west After reading that silly headline, I could not continue. I only read Margaret Renkl anyway and occasionally Thomas Edsall in the op-eds. The rest of them are usually a waste of time.
1
If you oppose impeachment and would prefer to wait and vote Trump out of office, consider that Hitler was duly elected into office and rather then risk being removed by elections, he got rid of elections. And Parliament to boot.
8
There is an interesting theory here. In a companion editorial by Professor Josh Blackman, he declared that that elected officials almost always take into account how their actions will impact their next election. So, while it is unlikely Trump would give Alaska away (natural resource deposits are too rich), imagine how much he would love to hand over Puerto Rico to whomever might want the territory.
Undoubtedly the base would love it.
7
Vote people.
Forgawdsakes, vote.
-C
3
Maybe I've been too much of an alarmist, decrying the waning of our international alliances while the president expresses love for dictators. Maybe we were over friendly with our allies and it's time to embrace those we once (quite recently) knew as enemies. Maybe by showing deference to Putin and submitting ourselves to Russian oversight we'll finally have a chance of getting a functional One World Government up on its feet.
MAGA
Maybe, Obama ramping up drone strikes as a norm, handing billions of dollars to Iran, withdrawal of troops from Iraq, not talking action against Syrian chemical weapons, etc
@Albert Ross: I doubt you can get a functional Senate to ratify a treaty.
The strategy seems to be less about any realistic chance of removing Trump from office and more about getting a majority in the Senate. There will be very clever ad's in Maine and in other potentially vulnerable Republican seats for those G.O.P. Senators who vote not to hear witnesses and/or vote not to convict.
But, alas, those clever ad's may not be enough without Trump also really screwing up something between now and the election. Puerto Rico did not do it. Even a disaster in Alaska won't do it. No, a disaster in the lower 48 and/or a military screw up overseas might be the only things that will convince people to wake up.
It is very difficult to appeal to the best in voters when so many voters are just, plain ignorant. Alas, a poll would likely show at least 40% would seriously consider an offer to share Alaska with Putin.
2
@Chris: The Democrats can't win a filibuster proof majority in 2020 and the judiciary has been mined with quack judges. Put a fork in the US. It is done.
Well, if the US Senate lets down the Constitution and the American people and the US Supreme Court follows, there is one great safety mechanism that we can fall back on. We the people will get to decide what kind of country we want to live in. We the people can and must vote. It may very well be up to us to save this country from the tyranny of Trump and McConnell if we really want to, we can change our country's future.
5
@Linda
With voter suppression , foreign influence
both at dangerous levels, a fair election becomes more aspirational than being a given.
4
The founders intentionally made the constitutional definition of impeachment vague (Treason, Bribery, or other High Crime or Misdemeanor) and the bar for removal quite high (2/3 of Senate). This means that the check on a "Rogue President" rests with the voters, ideally every 4 years. Removal via impeachment is intended to be used as an emergency brake when a super majority of the voters (The Senators are after all elected to represent the views of their constituents) decide that the country can't wait for an election. What this means is that removal by impeachment is not possible unless a substantial number of those who voted the President into office are convinced that he needs to be removed. This is the Job of the House impeachment inquiry. In the cases of both Clinton and Trump they didn't even try. Ergo Trump will be acquitted just like Clinton was.
@I want another option
An election should not be the only option when a tyrant interferes in the election process.
4
@RjW
There is. Convince enough of the country the President needs to be removed that 2/3 of the Senate views voting for removal as inline with their constituents' position. Mathematically this means that you have to change the minds of a substantial number of people who voted the President into Office. With both Clinton and Trump the House didn't even try.
1
It’s well and good that the senate must listen to reason. The example of giving Alaska to Putin is an apt one. If a tiny core of loyalty to country and constitution remains inside the hearts of Republican senators, they will call for a non binding secret vote to ascertain if enough of them have been convinced by the arguments brought forward by House managers.
If so, they can discuss privately how they might move forward on the removal of Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America.
2
I often see reference to overturning an election and undoing the will of the American people. How are you measuring the will of the American people? Trump lost to Clinton in the popular vote in 2016. The will of the country was for Clinton. The electoral college result is what gave Trump the Presidency. If impeachment were put to a popular vote then President Trump would become the the first President to be convicted and removed from office. The electoral college system, which is not in the constitution, is outdated and no longer needed. The electoral college process no longer reflects the will of the American People and should be abolished in favor of the popular vote. It is just common sense. The second highest bidder in an auction doesn't win the lot, why should an election be any different?
8
@Your Average Voter: Not to mention the dirty trick with Anthony Weiner's computer the week before the election, probably cooked up in Rudy Giuliani's skunk works. That put Trump over the line.
We should remember Benjamin Franklin's retort to one of his colleague's at the Constitutional Convention who was against the adoption of the Impeachment Clause. Franklin asserted that the individual who should be most supportive of the Impeachment Clause was the President who was being impeached since assassination would be the only other removal alternative.
7
Lisa Murkowski will look all serious, hem and haw that it may she has some concerns. And, then acquiesce. It will be all very civil with some appearance of having a backbone.
4
Memo to Susan Collins: You reelection chance are slim to none.
Slim even if you vote for Impeachment
None if you vote against it
11
As a Minnesotan, I'm open to Trump selling my state to the Canadians. We can offer our northern friends a nice package: 15,000 lakes, the Twin Cities, healthiest seniors, one of the lowest infant and mother mortality rates in the country, our children score above average in school and we currently give 2:1 in taxes to the U.S. federal government. How about we give that instead to Ottawa and in return, get universal health care, affordable college, longer maternity leaves, smarter gun laws and wide-open spaces. Pretty please?
791
@KT -- Sounds like a bad deal. Speaking as a Canadian, you're only offering us what we already have and asking us to fork over what you don't have. We'll consider it, provided you finance your territory yourselves, but you'd have to give up your guns. There's no second amendment in Canada. The lakes are not that attractive. Ontario has 250,000. You do produce good hockey players, however. That's the principal attraction from our point of view.
111
@KT -- Sounds like a bad deal. Speaking as a Canadian, you're only offering us what we already have and asking us to fork over what you don't have. We'll consider it, provided you finance your territory yourselves, but you'd have to give up your guns. There's no second amendment in Canada. The lakes are not that attractive. Ontario has 250,000. You do produce good hockey players, however. That's the principal attraction from our point of view.
5
@KT
As a Michigander, I'd love for my state to be sold to Canada for all the reasons you mention.
69
Do they get to keep Sarah Palin?
8
The USAs 'democracy' is so diminished I'm not sure it can be referred to or defined as a democracy.
Its failed on too many levels to list which is why this corrupt, under-educated, unhinged, amoral POTUS gained power. This pathetic man represents the ongoing demise of the USA.
Surely informed Americans saw this coming or was it too horrible to imagine?
3
@punch We saw it coming. A lot of us saw it clearly. It's been coming since the 1990s, with Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and the rise of Fox News.
We see it, but we can't stop it. It is more horrible than you think, to be Cassandra.
1
President Trump could trade Alaska for Greenland!
2
Never fear, Mr Kristof. Sarah Palin, who keeps a close eye on Russia from her kitchen window, will sound off like Paul Revere on a snowmobile the moment it makes a move on Alaska.
3
How can Trump give Alaska to Putin twice?
Wasn't Alaska part of the package when Trump and his fellow Russian-Republicans gave Putin the U.S.A.?
5
If Trump was President at the beginning of WW2 he'd have a Swiss bank account being filled with German Marks and today they'd be speaking German in Paris.
2
The question is —
What if Trump gave the USA to Putin?
The GOP will be alright with it of course.
They even have a shirt at the ready —
“I would rather be Russian than a democrat.”
4
Dershowitz makes an excellent point. I recommend that the residents living in the soon-to-become Alaska Oblast start learning Russian soon.
Spassibo!
2
Hey- don't give him any ideas!!
"Alaska to Russia"? Please don't give him ideas.
1
This is just nonsense.
I could not believe the title or the text.
Geeze!
2
Trump can give all of his motel 8 to to Putin
Have Sarah Palin now that her husband walked out on her to be director of hospitality.
Her arrogance ineptitude would work well in delusional new Trump Moscow world
Everything this trump administration does is crooked so anything he does selling off parts of America to pad his pockets would be normal in his world
In the theme park called Trump World, up is down and down is up. Therefore, if Individual #1, Donald John Trump, is acquitted by the Republicans in the Senate, then he is guilty as charged... and THAT should be the headline: Trump Found Guilty!
Can we make them take Sarah Palin as part of the deal?
I think we should offer to trade McConnell and Trump for Putin and two oligarchs to be named later.
If Trump threatened to give Alaska to Vladimir Putin, Lisa Murkowski might finally get off the fence.
1
What if Obama's State Department arranged to put the world's largest uranium mines (in Kazakhstan) into the hands of Vladimir Putin? Why are we talking hypotheticals when we could be discussing reality?
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html
2
@BlackJack Trotting out that oldie but goodie? I'll see your NYT and raise you a Politifacts:
https://www.politifact.com/facebook-fact-checks/statements/2019/oct/28/facebook-posts/fact-checking-hillary-clintons-ties-russia/
At almost 300 pounds of grease, wearing Hong Kong made extra long ties, to hopefully one day soon hang himself; one cannot believe how poor and desperate are these elected GOP senators who are incessantly obstructing justice with him. Sad.
3
"Knowing that John Bolton as national security adviser referred to the Ukraine mess as a “drug deal,”...
I suppose Democrats would value Bolton's referring to the Iraq War as a "good oil deal".
"Do we really think that there should be no checks on a rogue president as he handed Alaska over to Putin "
Trump is not so stupid as to give Alaska to Putin, but the very idea of posing such a stupid question as an example of impeachment worthy action or whatever is irrelevant.
Immediately after Trump took the oath of office, the Washington Post published a story headlined, “The Campaign to Impeach President Trump Has Begun.”
I view this impeachment circus as an attempted coup, despite seeing Trump as a sleazy, lying racist.
I see this impeachment as more of a danger to democracy than Trump.
Had there been any serious attempt to hold the GWBush administration accountable for the unprovoked war on Iraq based on CIA lies resulting in more than a million deaths of Iraqi men. women and children, and a wrecked country, The Cradle of Civilization turned to toxic rubble...
now that deserved someone being held accountable!
Whatever Trump did is likely business as usual in Washington.
Needed to cleanse Washington is a new "Church Committee" that that investigates abuses by the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
I lived in Alaska for nearly thirty years and know a few things about its history even though I could not see it, even when I climbed the top of my roof.
What Russians did to the natives of Alaska was not harasho! (good in Russian). They enslaved the women and children and forced men to hunt for furs which they sold to Europe and China for huge profits. When they depleted the animals and losses mounted, when Alaska turned to be a bad deal (in Trump parlance), they sold it. Clever Americans bought it. It was deemed a bad deal (deal again!), Seward's foley!
Well, it wasn't a foley! Which is why I ask Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan to vote for witnesses and convicting Putin's stooge from making a horrible deal.
Dear American voters, keep Alaska American and keep your sanity, by either removing or voting this bankrupt president out of the most important office in the world! Better still, lock him up or ship him to Putin's Siberia!
1
It’s kinda fun to imagine the Russians might choose to retake Alaska.
Have they heard of Sarah Palin?
How low you going with this America, ultimately, for this president, how low will you go?
1
Do they have to take Sarah Palin?
thank you for the cropped photo so I don't have to see trumps doughy nasty face
1
Heck, he's already handed much of US governance the the Saudis.
1
A new President.
A new Attorney General.
2021 -- Trump goes to Prison.
1
“No President’s behavior?” Seriously? If she had won and pulled a small fraction of what this guy has pulled, republicans would have impeached her, removed her, and hanged her on the steps of the capital. Within the first month of her presidency! Like any good cult would have done.
Maybe we can make a deal with Putin. We keep Alaska; you can have Trump!
Obama let Putin take Crimea, instead of providing the Ukrainians weapons to protect themselves, he gave them blankets to cry on.
1
Would Putin have to take Palin along with the deal?
1
William Barr was profiled by the NYT magazine recently, uncovering a Federalist Society adhering, ultra right wing adherent who believes in the absolute power of this President. And as an Opus Dei member, a Pope. Adherence to rigid ideology used to be the purview of communists. But, as with all ideologies and idol worshipping, the idol does much harm. Remember Stalin?
I think that the Republican hacks all realize that what they are saying is complete nonsense and is hypocritical in the extreme. After all, none are completely stupid and they have staff who probably are allowed to speak to them. But slinging mud at the Democrats and their process is all they have. So sling they will. The big question is do the American voters realize this is a charade and will they remember in November?
1
I'm going out on a limb and say that, for the right price, the Modern Republican Party would be OK with returning Alaska to Russia , or Florida to Spain. But you'd better not give those Mexicans Arizona!
.....sure, Clinton had a stained dress to face nationally. Trump is soiling the Constitution, sowing discord intentionally, and working against citizens and our environment in damning and damaging ways.
He is an ignorant man, whose only power is power. Left on his own, he would whimper at his own shadow - the foulest kind of person, a bully, a cheat, a disgrace, propped up by pseudo evangelicals and corrupt sycophants interested only in the intersection of wealth and power.
As this kangaroo court unfolds, there is one thing for Trump and his lap dogs to remember - though they won't see us, or any other witnesses, in their gilded chamber, we are all witnesses to their disgraceful treating of our laws, our once shared values, and the breaking of the moral compass a democracy like ours needs to flourish.
1
Well, was gonna say Sarah Palin would be pis... um, upset, but then again, I can easily imagine she's got one of those "trump" "I'd rather be a Russian than a Democrat" t-shirts. Because of course she does.
1
My goodness. Giving Alaska back to Russia and maybe Texas back to Mexico. Not a bad idea, frankly. Ridding ourselves of four senators who do not seem particularly loyal to the notion of democracy would be a bonus.
As to what would be impeachable you these republicans? Being a Democrat.
1
. . . or return the Southwest to Mexico.
Trump should be deported to Russia's Putin. Minus USA passport and his citizenship. he proved he doesn't deserve either one.
I would have liked better the example of giving back to Mexico the territories of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Utah.
Republican bank robbers? Small change considering that he’s already pardoning war criminals who then join his rallies and show up at Mar-a-Lago.
Dershowitz is Republicans’ most “useful idiot.” A lifelong Democrat, he enjoys defending Trump for the sake of gratifying his ego – just to show how good he is at bending the Constitution. This includes the idea that Trump let Putin retake Alaska, which he said wouldn’t be an impeachable offence.
The US under the GOP and Trump could follow India’s path, if left unchecked.
Once celebrated as the world’s largest democracy, India has in recent years given way to a violent, intolerant, illiberal autocracy under Narendra Modi and his right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP.
Since taking office, Modi and the ruling party had ditched secularism as enshrined in India’s constitution and asserted dominance over the whole country, ignoring its ethnic, cultural, religious diversities.
Republicans and their religious backers remind of Hindu zealots, breeding a culture of bigotry and purging anyone who doesn’t fit into their mold.
They turn a blind eye to Trump’s moral turpitude and unfitness for office, knowing how he cheated his way into the White House in 2016. And they don’t mind that he does it again in November.
2
At least then Sarah Palin really would be able to see Russia when standing on her porch.
Three-way swap! Putin gets Alaska from us, we get Greenland from Denmark, and Denmark gets the Baltics! Who's the master deal maker now?
Let's put Hunter Biden on as a witness and see where it goes from there...
1
@Liberal hypocrites
It can easily turn into a nightmare for Republicans. Guess how many well-connected Republicans with "interest" in oil and gas have been "calling" him while he was on that company's board?
“When someone tells you who he is , listen “, to paraphrase Maya Angelou. McConnell and his band of Vichy Senators are shouting at us. They exist to reduce the tax burden on the wealthy , fees the military-industrial complex and gun manufacturers and deliver a form of Christian fascism to the masses. Wearing a flag pin on their lapels is a hollow symbol if their respect for the US constitution and democratic principles of government
Does Kristof really believe "Republicans seem to think no president's misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal" or is that just sensationalist clickbait?
I'm a Republican
Johnson and his administration at his direction lied to the public and the congress about Vietnam and by the time he left office 20,000 Americans had been killed. That crosses my bar for "high crime" Impeach and convict.
Nixon was the biggest liar in liar town. Ever. His crimes? Too many to list. Impeach and convict.
I wouldn't impeach Carter but I would fire him for incompetence.
Oliver North took the fall for Reagan
Clinton lied about extramarital sex. Several times. If I was married to Hillary I'd lie, so would you. High crime? Ridiculous. No impeachment but seeing the look on his face when they asked him about the cigar made the entire farce worth it!
Bush/Iraq War - either gullible or stupid. If stupidity were a high crime most members of the Capitol Hill Clown Convention would be at risk.
Trumps phone call? Innocent is not a word associated with Hunter Biden. I wouldn't vote too impeach.
Kristof is wrong.
2
No, God's dealmaker would get a Moscow hotel for Alaska and make Sara Palin the Mrs. Trump. Well, people are saying.
How many Republican coups d'etat are Americans going to put up with before revolting against the Republican One-Party-Rule system ?
They stole the 2000 Presidential Election in broad daylight with Jeb's and the Supreme Court's law-breaking help, which helped them further rig the Supreme Court from 2001 - 2009.
They rigged the House via gerrymander the last ten years.
The Senate is simply a nationwide gerrymander that guarantees disproportionate over-representation to Republistan.
They ramped up voter suppression laws for 2016 and co-conspired with Wikileaks and Kremlin operatives to steal the 2016 Presidential Election and rig the Supreme Court and federal judiciary into Corporate America's and Grand Old Power's corner office.
And now Trump is rigging the 2020 Presidential Election in broad daylight.
And the Republican Senate, America's most corrupt federal body after Donald, keeps the corrupt hits coming as they rig this impeachment trial into something Vladimir Putin can be proud of.
Let's face it, the Republican Party is a massive criminal political syndicate and they couldn't care less about the rule of law, the Constitution or the republic.
If you like One-Party-Rule, you'll love China, Russia...and Republistan.
Hand in your American flags, Republicans....democracy and representative government have passed away in the United States.
Heckuva job, GOP !
6
Alaska is a Republican state. Lindsey Graham would certainly vote to impeach a president who gave Alaska to Putin.
American parents shouldn’t be surprised when their children laugh out loud during civics classes. Checks and balances...nonsense! Government for the people by the people...nonsense! Land of the free, home of the brave...nonsense! Profiles in Courage...what a load of nonsense!
All of these inspired concepts are utter nonsense in the Trump-McConnell universe. Wake up America, you’re being hijacked by a gang of thugs who are turning your country into a doormat for a former KGB agent.
3
As a Canadian boy, living in Memphis Tenn, moving there just two weeks after the MLK assassination just down the road, I witnessed many ‘perturbations’. I would say the most instructive time to me was in Grade 4, during the Nixon - Humphry 68 campaign. I saw how people of each side hated each other and detested that they had an opinion, all played out by adults through their Grade 4 children! At 9 years, I was not impressed. The further ‘perturbation’ that teuly amazed me was the white attitude towards blacks. The use pf the N word was voluminous and casual and hateful. Our golf clubs did not allow balcks or jews to become members. I don’t know if it holds, buy my course, Chickisaw Country Club’s current website isvery sparse and uninviting.
So what? Well, I picked up and moved my self at 14, telling my parents that, despite having 2 great friends, I could no longer live there.
I made my decision early andmade it with my feet, never looking back. My time living in the US allowed me to predict, with astinishment from my peers, that Trump had a very good chqnce of winning. He is hate and hate is everywhere in the US.
Now, despite what my US relations think, Canada is far from perfect. Yet we have apologized and begun make reparations to Natives that were treated poorly and the same for South Asians turned away. From my experience, this place, Canada, now, is a far better place than the USA. Maybe not for shopping, or hustling, but maybe for placing a “home sweet home” sign.
1
“You’re thoughts, comrades?”
BRILLIANT
Wow! Trump is selling Alaska to the Russians! This embarrassing article proves the Democrats realize Trump will be re-elected and have completely unraveled.
1
Two important post election words if trump doesn’t go full on military junta after this faux trial debacle.
Constitutional Conventions!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah Palin would finally be correct as she would be able to see Russia from her house.
It's horrific that we have to take junk that Trump spews from his mouth seriously. His status as president forces this on us. I avoided his idiocy when he was a TV personality but now we are forced to debate the merits of what he says. Let's get this straight: Trump is not worthy of the presidency and nothing he says is worth debate. It is all trash. The GOP defends him at its peril.
1
I suppose according to Republicans the only impeachable offense (and then only maybe possibly) would be if Trump actually shot somebody on Fifth Avenue.
@new york newbie
Did you know that Ernest Hemingway came to Toronto, and worked for Toronto Star, after returning from Europe, because the Fed's were monitoring his every move?
@new york newbie why do you think it would be impeachable? they would make up another distraction story like they did with Hunter.
Yes. What the sophists were accused of doing in Ancient Greece, much more than taking money for giving knowledge as teachers, was creating lessons that were ingratiating to those whom they taught. Instead of rigorous inquiry, sophists said things to please their followers. Socrates criticized the sophists' use of language. Instead of a means of communication toward an unknown truth, the language of the sophists sounded nice, was pleasing to the ear, but covered up their ignorance. Trump's lawyers are corrupt fools who know how to use officious, embellished language to lie.
"Instead, Trump and his defenders are pursuing a line of defense that would create an imperial, unchecked presidency." Yep, that's their plan: white supremacist dictatorship. That's it. It's not that complicated. Once you wrap your mind around that, everything they do becomes clear and comprehensible. Democracy is fine as long as blacks don't vote. Rather than allow that, out with democracy. While you areat it, it's also nice if you can use their racism to keep down the white poor. This time, instead of seceding, the Confederates are grasping to BE the government. And they're winning, unfortunately.
Ambassador Gordon Sondland should be the only witness called because only he gave conflicting testimony doing the impeachment inquiry. And Sondland is the only person involved directly in discussions between U.S. delegates and President Zelensky’s staff who testified he perceived a quid pro quo.
Yesterday, Rep. Adam Schiff highlighted Sondland testimony in his opening argument. But the defense team noted in its trial memorandum: “House Democrats’ case rests almost entirely on: (i) statements from Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland that he had come to believe (before talking to the President) that the aid and a meeting were “likely” linked to investigations; and (ii) hearsay and speculation from others echoing Sondland second- or third-hand. But Sondland admitted that he was only “presuming” a link. He stated unequivocally that he has no evidence “other than his won presumption” that President Trump was tying aid to investigations.” Similarly, as for a link between a meeting and investigations, Sondland admitted that he was speculating about that as well, based on hearsay. When Asked if “the President [told him] personally about any preconditions for anything”—i.e., for aid or a meeting—Sondland responded, “No.”
2
@William Case Mulvaney said on national TV the president did it and get over it. So why don't we call Mulvaney, Bolton and Pompeo. Why are you afraid of the truth?
1
"Do we really think that there should be no checks on a rogue president as he handed Alaska over to Putin — or Florida to Spain, while we’re at it"
It's not in the president's power to hand over Alaska to Putin.
What if Congress voted to hand over California to Mexico?
Would the POTUS be abusing his/her power if he/she refused to execute the law?
Let's get back to the charge of treason against Trump. That accusation was flying all over these comment pages a couple of years ago. He should be tried for that. Go ahead, please, please, please do that.
@Jp congress makes the law not Potus.
Go read the Mueller report plenty of treason but you know Barr can't indict a president.
Ignoring reality is the hallmark of a dictatorship. I hereby submit that our country is already a dictatorship. Our Senate is proving it every day.
The biggest predictor of voting Trump wasn’t race, or income, or rural/urban, or gender, or education. The strongest correlation was with authoritarian personality type.
Yes, Mr Bruni, what you describe is exactly what Trump supporters want.
Stop trying to convince them based on values they don’t share, like democracy or patriotism or fairness or equality under the law or human decency. To quote Orwell - if you want a vision of what the Republican Party desires, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.
1
Hey, I don't want to be given back to RUSSIA.
Abuse of Power, although subjective, is actually the point of all of this impeachment. One person is not the king or queen, we live in a democracy, and we have checks and balances.
Yes, Senators can get together with the House and make a decision to get rid of a President. Think about how hard it is to get that many "politicians" who are most likely Very "full of themselves" to agree to IMPEACH. Not gonna happen unless it is BAD.
GADDS... I so hate this gas lighting... we can't do it this time cause that will mean that in the future this wild crazy scenario "COULD" happen... Deal with that scenario if it ever happens... we are talking about NOW.....focus on NOW.
So I shouldn't go out of my house and put out the fire on my lawn, cause I might breath in some fumes and get asthma? instead I should just hope it goes out on its own and doesn't catch my car on fire, and then burn my house down?
Our Senators, and House were elected by each state, they are there to do the will of the people, they are supposed to be smart enough to make intelligent decisions, we have elected them to make these subjective decisions. I will grant, they don't always do that, but the point is that the people saying Abuse of Power isn't a reason to remove a president is ridiculous..
If you abuse power, than you need to have that power taken away... PERIOD.
If mr. Trump is exonerated and re-elected, perhaps the New Yorkers should consider to re-negociate the Treaty of Breda of 1667.
You would only ever " pusha line of defense that would create an imperial, unchecked presidency," if you think you would benefit personally from association with and surrender to the mob boss you have sides with -- that's how mob bosses operate, by intimidation of the weak, like Senate Republicans.
After reading this column I can only think in clichés. For the Republican leadership: Be careful what you wish for; you may get it. Then if a president is a Democrat, what will you do? And to Mr Kristoff: From your mouth to God's ears. The Alaska simile is perfect.
I turned into a news junkie for the House investigation; there was new stuff to learn every day. This "trial" has broken me of my addiction: it's the SOS before an oath-taking opponent that cares not for their oaths. It's just too sad.
TLMischler,
Upon starting your argument, I was convinced that you were describing
“Identity Politics” and the left; it cuts both ways.
While you are fair to kangaroos, you are unfair to England of George III: It had a Parliament under Lord North with far greater integrity than the current US Senate under Mitch McConnell.
1
Mr. Kristof,
Please send a copy of your column today to Josh Blackman, who also has an op-ed in today's NYT. He needs to read it before he tries to teach Constitutional law to any more college students. "He does not know whereof he speaks." You do. Thank you.
To summarize Trump's "Divine Right of Kings" defense to the articles of impeachment:
On Abuse of Power: Yeah, I did it. Perfecty. Get over it.
On Obstruction of Congress: Tough. Article II powers beat Article I powers. Because math. Or something. Get over that too.
Trump will be acquitted by the utterly corrupt post-democracy Senate Repubican majority but I hope the majority of Americans NEVER get over this attack on our constitution, NEVER forgive those who have enabled it, and ALWAYS vote with this betrayal in mind.
So you voted for Trump over Clinton and only get your news from FOX.I understand. How do you feel about how he treats people since he came down the escalator at Trump tower? First, it was the Mexicans he attacked. It does not take an MD to detect his almost complete lack of impulse control. Does he really believe all those lies he tells? And other than a few family members who does he get his advice from? The loss of cabinet members and intelligent advisors show that the plain double front doors should be replaced by a revolving door. Better clinicians than me say he has all the signs and symptoms of malignant narcissistic personality disorder. And his actions since he has taken office demonstrate he is dangerous, very dangerous. He must be removed from power as soon as possible.
I hope a copy of this was hand delivered to each Senators’s office!
@cynical skeptic. I, too, have wondered whether trump has dirt on Republicans. In particular, the National Enquirer (AMI) vault comes to mind. I would not be surprised to find that they’ve been operating as an extortion racket with regard to politicians. After all, David Pecker has been friends with trump for decades.
The sound of history is silken slippers coming down the stairs, and hobnail boots going up.
If nothing a President does is illegal, what is to stop this President from banning all news outlets except Fox News?
Regardless of our right to free speech, wouldn't the President now have the right to ban news outlets he deems fake?
Do his "2nd Amendment" rights supercede our First Amendment rights now??
Dershowitz is not always right because he is a professor in Harvard. He was wrong when he defended Claus von Bulow, OJ simpson, Mike Tyson and Jeffrey Epstein. Now he is wrong again defending Trump. The rumors about the friendship of him with Epstein is very ugly and foggy. Putin is our king maker and he made Trump our president. How much Trump wants to pay his debt to Trump? May be Alaska or may be more. Trump is ready to sell America to win his reelection.
Maybe we can make a deal with Putin. We keep Alaska; you can have Trump.
Good analogy. You might add the return of the American West to Mexico, which the United States took over in 1848 pursuant to the cooked-up Mexican-American War. Hope this Trump chapter of our history is over soon.
Such a good article! Thank you for your patriotism!
The GAO concluded that the guy with the orange grill violated the Impoundment Control Act by withholding congressionally approved aid to Ukraine. See 2 U.S.C. 681 et seq. Then there's 52 U.S.C. 30121 which prohibits solicitation of foreign aid or interference in a US election. Which brings to mind, "do us a favor . . . ."
Does Kristof consider the GWBush's unprovoked Iraq War based on CIA lies, resulting in more than a million deaths of Iraqi men. women and children, and a wrecked country, The Cradle of Civilization turned to toxic rubble... worthy of impeachment???
Was GWBush approving the use of torture worthy of impeachment???
How about impeachment for Obama's assassinating American citizens???
Or should Reagan have been impeached for secretly selling weapons to the Iranian regime to fund illegal wars in Central America???
The system is corrupt from top to bottom and impeachment is applied selectively and for seemingly partisan reasons, which further erodes the American people’s trust in government. All impeachment is going to do is allow politicians like Adam Schiff to fundraise and grandstand, force Warren and Sanders off the campaign trail shortly before Iowa votes [Kristof probably likes that], and strengthen Trump’s hand when he’s inevitably acquitted while firing up his base. We have elections for a reason and this trial is a circus and it undermines democracy.
I am looking forward to the report on the CIA/FBI role in undermining the Trump candidacy and presidency.
A new "Church Committee" to investigate the CIA and FBI would help to ensure that the US has a more respectable democracy.
Or Guam and Hawaii to China
The Republicans are hypocrites and intellectually dishonest. If A Democratic president did what Trump did, refuse to release congressionally appropriated money to shake down a foreign country for personal gain, and said what Trump said, Article II allows him to do what he wants to do, the Republicans would impeach him in 5 minutes
In defense of drug deals, even drug dealers have more integrity than this sham establishment-controlled Senate and bribed, corrupt administration.
Kangaroos or the bait of ceding Alaskan aside.
In 1776 the South didn’t even want to break from England. They liked the cozy plutocracies England allowed them to build. Now, the South controls the Republican party, so why should they lift an eyelid for democracy. In the end, Trump is making chumps of them, too — especially McConnell — who so casually give over their integrity and loyalty to a wholly unscrupulous man who would, given time, turn on them, too.
“If there’s any doubt, call witnesses,”
Both sides have religion, and religion has no doubt.
My fellow Americans, how does it feel to live in a Banana Republic?
Condolences from Old Europe.
1
It'd be easier and more economical just to give Putin "Put-in-Bay", Ohio.
Don't give him any ideas.
The whole world is watching America. Where are you going with this? The bottom of the barrel?
The aspiring fascist dictator uses a tried and true playbook:
Demonize the “other”
Lie, lie, lie
Attack the press
Undermine the judiciary
Target political opponents
Operate outside official channels
Put himself above the law
Corrupt the military
Trump has done all these things. During this impeachment and the lead up to it he has certainly targeted a political opponent, operated outside official channels, undermined the judiciary, and put himself above the law.
Maybe McConnell and the rest of Trump’s Republican lackeys want a dictator.
They should be careful what they want.
Good question!
if it gets rid of palin, i'd be all for that.
1
Can we throw in the entire Palin family to sweeten the deal?
or Ouisconsin back to (New) France?
Perhaps President Trump's supporters would even tolerate returning Alaska to Russia. However, if he offered to return Texas to Mexico, they would vote to remove him from office!
Why on earth would Trump give Alaska to the Russians?
This is a mind-bending assumption. How did we get here?
Get real! Canada has first dibs on Alaska. Remember how petulantly pathetic Justin Trudeau was when President Trump dismissed Trudeau's proposal to buy Alaska for building the world's largest golf course. Beautiful! Trudeau haughtily even canceled his impending state visit with Trump. So there!
Nobody treats Canada that way. Nobody!
1
There are no Republicans any more. Soon there will not be a United States of America anymore.The Trumpist"s will vote to clear trump from any wrong doing. Then with nothing stopping them they will make him King Donal the 1st of America, long may he reign! All senate trumpist" are traitors but that does not matter they have all sold their souls to their king. This country is doomed and we let them do it.
Return Manhattan to the Dutch.
1
Last week Mary Louise Kelly from NPR interviewed Alan Dershowitz and asked him this:
KELLY: To focus on this one, though, is this actually a trial as that concept is commonly understood? Will it be a legitimate trial if there are no witnesses?
DERSHOWITZ: Previous impeachments have had no witnesses. Clinton - there were no witnesses there.
That from Dershowitz is a blatant lie. This from Politfact- TITLE: “Yes, every past impeachment trial included witnesses. Baldwin hits mark with Trump-related claim”
https://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2020/jan/21/tammy-baldwin/Trump-every-other-senate-impeachment-had-witnesses/
Do yourself a favor and read the entire article, but here’s their ruling:
“Baldwin (U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Democrat from Wisconsin) said every impeachment trial in Senate history has included witnesses. The research backs up her claim, though there are a few things to note. The Clinton impeachment involved video depositions, not live witnesses. And four people impeached by the House didn’t have a full trial in the Senate. But the 15 people who faced a full trial in the Senate all saw witnesses called. We rate this claim True.”
Are there consequences for senators that are actively trying to cover up corrupt behavior? At this point and time one has to questions how deeply some of these people are involved by how fiercely they are defending a president who wont hesitate to throw his own people under the bus to save his own rear.
The United States has lost the right to call themselves defender of the free world. The US democracy is only a little better than the "democracy" in china. There is no open discourse and everyone just follows party line regardless of how corrupt or stupid it is. As a result, the current government acts against the American people instead of for them. This statement currently holds true for both parties.
We’d at least be rid of the Palin clan... so there’s that.
Nick, why do you op-edists always have to so specifically hypothesize or selectively anecdotalize…
My AI bot just finished a deep analysis of a Trump giveaway of each of the 50 states – for clarity, Trump won’t even admit to owning Puerto Rico in the 1st place – to Putin…
Using proposed giveaways to Denmark and Iran as controls…
To unlock the whole report, it’ll cost you the going amount for a sign-on bonus to you-know-who’s campaign staff…
Oh – just leave it in front of the bus station…
We’re watching continually – and’ll recognize you immediately...
Some highlights:
> By a 6:1 margin, Californians would turn their attention to removing Putin from the presidency. When informed that he was already removing himself, they said they would persist, because: “like all despots, he’s continually doing the right thing for the wrong reason”
Incidentally, they opposed consanguinity with Copenhagen 11:1 – fearing that the film industry would flee LA for Qaqortoq, for everything from Michael Moore climate-change docs, to profitable gender-benders.
Even without the annexation, rumored that Scorsese has begun work on his next project – “The Danish Man” – on location in Nuuk, after being offered ice sheet-sized tax breaks
> By a 3:1 margin, Vermonters protested that they would rather be given away to Canada – but were surprisingly open to giving away Bernie Sanders to Russia, so he could run for president as a centrist
[rest behind paywall]
Why we Putin want Alaska when he virtually has the entire US being handed to him on a Trump platter.
Nicholas,
Alaska returned to Russia? Florida returned to Spain?
Lets not be too hasty in dismissing these ideas, in fact lets ponder Texas back to Mexico.... couldn't hurt!!
How do we know he hasn't already ceded Alaska to Russia? Mike Pompeo would have immediately hidden the evidence on a top secret server as he has with most all Trump's conversations with Putin, MBS, the current Ukrainian president and who knows who else.
Don't worry; President Trump would never give Alaska back to Russia. But if he gave California back to whomever would take it, we would stand up and applaud!
1
It's all about the diminishing power and control held by white men. And before losing that power and control, they'd just as soon burn it all down so there's nothing to lose.
Mr. Kristof,
Didn't Obama "give" Crimea to Putin?
Did Obama get impeached?
Did Obama trade US missile defense for post-election flexibility with Putin?
Did Obama get impeached?
Did Obama use the IRS to harrass conservative non-profits?
Did Obama brag about being good at killing with drones?
Did Obama admittedly and repeatedly lie about keeping your doctor?
Did Obama "order" DACA after repeatedly admitting that he didn't have authority to do so?
Did Obama brag about having a phone and a pen because he "couldn't wait" for Congress?
No. He was not impeached.
He's been canonized.
1
Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham are two of president Trump's most depraved and craven protectors. Their names will deservedly be among the most reviled in American history for all time. That doesn't seem to bother them.
2
"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot Somebody, and would not lose Votes".. He did,he hasn't and he won't (only the 'Somebody' was our Democracy).
If Sarah goes too, I'm in.
Rumor has it that many in Washington know who the "whistleblower" is...how has the soon to be published Bannon book (tell all? maybe) not found it's way into the hands of the Republican jurors.
Then it would be baked Alaska.
1
Do think he can? or just a joke??
The author left out returning Texas and the rest of the south west to MEXICO. Maybe they should have built a wall to keep out "invaders". Shareholding ones who were in clear violation of Mexican law at that.
My takeaway from the hearing and all leading up to it is that the GOP wants total control at any and all costs. They mock the idea of a democracy and spit on the hallowed paper on which our Constitution is written. To what end? A total power grab for White Power, Male Domination and a return to their vision of an era long gone, where dark skinned people “know their place”, women are homemakers and subservient acting as “eye candy” for their husbands, abortion is outlawed and once again women will die via the coat hanger, and yes, we will see the rivers aflame yet again. These along with so many issues will consume and turn our eyes to a distant, mouldering past. Meanwhile, the rest of the planet will march on.
Trump wants to give everything to Putin if he could.
Through Fox News, aka as Pravda west and Trump as his plant in the WH., Putin has a great say in our gov't now.
Trump has a love affair with Putin, since Trump wants to be a wanna be dictator like him and Putin is the one of the few persons, institutions that will lend money to Trump's house of cards empire.
1
I see the pro-Trump bots and far worse are bumrushing the comments, trying to make things seem hopeless.
So many have endured far worse than Trump and kept fighting. If—and it’s a big if—any of those arguing for giving up are real people, shame on you. What a shabby set of phony claims from the lazy, the childish, the ignorant, the faithless.
Bots, I can understand. They’re paid. The others...no.
I am praying for this evil time to pass. PLEASE dear Senators do your jobs. You swore to protect the Constitution not to cover up for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Please don't give him any ideas. He's already bent over backwards for Putin.
Well, could he get them to take the Palins?
Why not go with the full degree of the Senate complicity. Get the murder over with and see them clear him!
If a Democrat President does anything remotely similar in the future, Repubs will change their tune so fast, our heads will spin. It’s what they do....because they are shameless.
What if the President pardons a war criminal before leaving office?
Oops he did just that.
1
Would Sarah Palin be part of the deal?
Despite Clinton’s admitted commission of perjury, regarding his sexual encounters with a White House intern, the Senate refused to remove him from office in his Senate impeachment trial. Additionally, Dershowitz has previously gone on the record declaring that the abuse of power by a sitting President IS constitutionally sufficient for his conviction and his removal from office in an impeachment trial. I suspect that House Managers will preemptively make that Trump trial lawyer “eat his own words” now that he disingenuously, flagrantly states that the violation of a federal statute is a sine qua non for conviction and removal from office. The professorial sycophant is in store for a highly public humiliation, exposed as a mere Trump toady, just like the rest of his cult supporters.
Sarah Palin would be living in Russia and expanding her valuable international experience.
Well, maybe just let him have Wasilla.
1
I remember thinking Clinton’s impeachment was absolutely ridiculous. I didn’t care then or now about his dalliances because that behavior is typical of men and this was obviously consensual. In the grand scheme it didn’t matter. Yet good old Ken Starr just hung in like a bulldog. Trump’s a whole different animal. Far worse extramarital garbage, but no problem! Then obvious abuse of power....oh, nothing to see here! Our entire country and others are being abused by this bully, but the Trump automatons just blindly continue following.
I would move to a country that is neither Russia, nor America.
37
@Zoe
Delta is ready when you are.
1
To make this analogy relevant the president would return Alaska in exchange for an investigation into a political rival.
1
@esther Probably would negotiate to put a Trump Tower in Anchorage.
I truly believe that once Moscow Mitch delivers, on his promise to find private bone spurs “innocent” and the republicans steal yet another “election “ through perfidy and gerrymandering, this experiment in democracy will be declared a failure.
It is time to start planning the Second Republic, where America will be a true republic, where the people will actually get to elect leaders and a government that will support, defend and elevate all Americans. We can either accomplish this civilly or through revolution. I pick civilly while the republicans, and many democrats, are opting for a violent revolution, which will come sooner than they are expecting.
1
There is sure to be a bright side to all things, right?
At least we would have two fewer Republican senators if Trump gave Alaska to Putin. Florida? No chance there yet because Trump can still squeeze that last dollar from the public trough with all his trips to Mar-a-Lago. After reelection, I do expect him to pawn Florida off on the Spanish before he leaves office, what with the rising seas. Of course, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott will defend the action. Rick Scott knows making money is the American way, especially if you can run a company that can defraud the government, leave the company holding the bag, keep your wealth, and become governor and senator in the bargain. Rubio? Well, there is at least an ancestral Spanish connection somewhere back there. Anyway, you can't live under water, can you? Two more Republican senators down!
Here is where it starts to get tricky. Once Florida is gone with the waves, Trump will realize the royalties for The Wall go to Pink Floyd or their assigns, so he might as well make something out of selling the Southwest to Mexico. Since it will likely all be Blue anyway, Republican will let it go.
But even Trump can go too far for Republicans. Just wait until he decides to give the rest of the ravaged country back to Native Americans. They will rise up in righteous indignation about that one. Right? After all, they have standards and a moral responsibility to do the right thing, right? Their directional adjective says so, right?
Republicans have no reasonable choice but to present the world as black and white: good Republicans, bad Democrats, all under absolute monarch Donald John Trump.
If they did anything else, they would be inviting their supporters to think, and that's dangerous to them; if enough voters think and participate, Republican double-standards and disregard for civil rights and the rule of law can't stay hidden any more.
Republicans would lose elections after that.
2
GOP would gladly give Alaska to the Russians, as long as it directly benefits them. That is the fundamental problem with our democracy, elected officials are self-serving and not serving the public interest.
No account explains the inflated salary Hunter Biden was being paid while he was working for Burisma Holdings. If Trump asked publicly for this investigation I can't see how anybody could say he did anything illegal. Instead, he illegally withheld military aid until this happened This is a definition of abuse of power, power he in reality didn't legally have. Whether this abusive behavior is impeachable is a judgment call. However, to gain power Trump bribed two women to not report old affairs. Bribery is impeachable, but This bribery took place to get into office. Trump has been borderline illegal his entire adult life. Its about time he isn't given the benefit of the doubt.
Bottom line: This so-called president shall be removed from office, one way or another.
There are many things that Pres. Donald Trump should be impeach not only the two articles' impeachment but there's many more reasons. Some asking why we live in the divided country my question.Cannot make a wright but what the Republican senator's mouth is saying about impeachment President Trump has done nothing wrong.
Supreme Court justices John Robert told the Republicans senators stopped going on breaks and appearing on Fox News Sen. Blackwell that's the joke of today Republican senators , normal Americans working on the jobs have to work they cannot go on break any time of the day from their jobs. Republicans There's no wrong what Pres. Donald Trump has done, if you overlook the laws yes he hasn't done wrong but he has broken the law on political financing laws.
He's broken the law not permitting witnesses executive privilege in the house of representatives trial that believes occlusion Pres. Donald Trump is hiding something. All-American asked himself to look at the facts.
1. Bribing foreign leader to seek incriminating evidence on Joe Biden son.
2. Stopping witnesses to testify in the House of Representatives blocking the American people from the truth.
3. Hiding his taxes from the American people, financed by the Russians.
4. Going to close doors from the American people to talk to one of our adversaries Russian/Putin.
5. Pres. Donald Trump a tax break 265 million paid by the middle class.
1
Just as in every GOP controlled welfare state, when this current policy fails [again] the Democrats will be left to clean up the mess with the GOP blaming them for their creation.
I would encourage all Democratic candidates to ask Ukraine, etc. for any dirt they might have on Trump. Why not, I thought it was illegal and treasonous, it turns out to be just fine.
Republicans are renowned for the selectiveness of their outrage, the malleability of their positions, the frequency of their hypocrisy, their dearth of morals / ethics and their willingness to say one thing and do another.
Just because "Republicans seem to think no president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal" this week doesn't mean they won't have diametrically opposed views when a Democrat occupies the Oval Office. To the contrary, the almost certainly will.
Republicans are partisans first and patriots second (if at all).
Every single GOP representative in Congress has violated their oath of office.
1
What I see is the lawmakers from states that are intentionally disenfranchising voters : openly, notoriously and without regard to the constitutional rights of their constituents once more intentionally subverting the legal rights of their constituents to have a fair trial of the President arising from High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Those who are lawyers in the legislatures of their states and who are senators should be disbarred for their failure to follow their oath of office.
This will be the last impeachment in history of USA if republicans get their way. What is the motivation, greed seems to be the obvious reason, Mitch McConnell wife is a conflict of interest that should be made more obvious to the american people so that we start talking about the corruption in the Republican Party.
Republicans are very clear about what merits impeachment and removal from office: the President has to be a Democrat. Otherwise the President has total immunity.
As usual, you've got it reversed. Rushed House "Inquiry" along partisan lines, strong-arm tactics to try to dictate senate procedures, and a "case" lacking merit and bipartisan support - let alone actual witnesses. Even you must see this as "Mueller II." We don't like his behavior, he doesn't play ball, he's a narcissist (all true by the way). Just give us unlimited time and resources and we'll prove our case, or as one Democrat famously put it, "If we don't impeach him, he'll be re-elected!"
Kristoff asks, perhaps in jest, "Or suppose Trump fawned over Vladimir Putin to the point of returning Alaska to Russia?" If Murkowski has the temerity to uphold her oath and vote for conviction, watch Giuliani show up in Moscow with Trump's offer to swap Alaska for the rights to a Trump resort on a Crimean beach.
1
I live in Alaska. Please keep us but get rid of Trump before he destroys this country. I implore my senators to do the right thing and stick with the facts not with a fictitious president.
1
The Potus and Republicans sure are acting guilty. If they are innocent they would welcome witnesses and testimony.
I'm so old, I remember Kristof writing a column that we should give Trump a chance. Good times.
I don’t think trump would ever give Alaska back to the Russians. But then again on second thought. But then again on third thought, all the minerals in now unprotected land since he ripped apart EPA restrictions. There’s most likely lots of precious metals where mining was not permitted. Closing Denali National Park is most likely on his agenda.
Ken Burns. Allied the National Parks America’s best idea. Now trump is thinking the same. All that land untouched until his administration.
And Dershowitz on Martha’s Vinyard...its time for him to move.
I'm appreciating Kristof more and more. This is one of the best distillations of what is at stake in the impeachment.
1
Why would he give away a red state? If he sells California to Putin, we Trump supporters will most certainly support it. In fact, it would fund the wall, and we would then thank Californians for their contribution.
1
Republicans, including their senators, are as a group showing us their lack of principle. They have to have an incentive or a threat dangled in front of them to even bother to behave as badly as they are. Their folly is to believe that there will be a payoff in exchange for their fealty.
Trump has donated our national insecurity to the whims of Putin's interest. So, Alaska might just become a little lagniappe to add scheme. God save the nation!
Russians infiltrated the final vote tally in 2016, otherwise we wouldn't be engaged in this torturous impeachment process.
God give the senate Republicans enough spine to agree to documents and witnesses, otherwise our next election will be in jeopardy as well.
Forget handing Alaska over to Russia. I just heard (Sen Schumer on MSNBC) the president is talking about cutting Social Security after the elections. Maybe that cut will be one more diversion of money to his Wall? What’s his next national emergency- diverting money to pay down his tax-cut debt? A rogue elephant, for sure.
Seriously, save your breath; sound, logical, historical arguments are falling on deaf ears.
"Republicans seem to think no president’s misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal."
WRONG Nick, Republicans think no REPUBLICAN President's misbehavior could ever be bad "enough" to warrant removal.
I am more worried about the idea that the President could shoot a man on 5th Ave and get away with it ... because I think he did just shoot a man outside an airport and was applauded.
1
The behavior of Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham is unbelievably corrupt, if not to say criminally incongruous, in view of the fact that at the Clinton trial both advocated the use of witnesses.
When will finally someone of the Republican party rise and scream: “Stop this charade, this President is guilty and we all know it.”
1
If he gave Alaska to Putin? "Let Trump be Trump" they would say. If he abolished the Congress and made himself Emporer? "He has the support of Senate and his base. He's a master deal maker". There are no limits to the delusional thinking of a gutted Republican party hellbent on minority rule.
Resistance mongers like Nick live for the what ifs. They always assume the worst and then believe that to be the truth. They act as if it were the truth. Move on.
The author is blaming Senate republicans for House Democrats shoddy work. When the House Democrats decided not to litigate their own supeanas, as was done in the Nixon and Clinton cases, they dropped the ball. Why, the Democrats took this short cut is not asked or explained here.
1
Perhaps Trump either before he is convicted in the Senate
or loses the 2020 Election can buy Greenland before the
Chinese do.
1
None of it matters. Christian cultural warriors have turned the Republican Party in to a single issue party - abortion. As long as he keeps doing things that keep the dream of making abortion illegal again alive, but never quite delivering it, the pronouncement from the pulpit will be that whatever he did wrong, however otherwise evil or corrupt, he is fighting for “us”, so he is forgiven.
If Trump defeats the current impeachment attempt - as it would seem likely - I believe the it would be a pyrrhic victory for not only him but for his Republican enablers. It will be truly, as with the Greek king Pyrrhus' victory over the Romans, a triumph nearly as bad as a defeat. His supporters in the Senate might receive a short term gain, but this will be more than balanced with long term blame.
2
The country finds itself where it stands today because in 2016 Republicans set sail on a pirate ship. One way off is to walk the plank or go never-Trump and cut oneself off from the perks of the Republican ecosystem. Another way is to open the impeachment trial to evidence and witnesses in hopes of finding exculpatory evidence or convincing the 2020 electorate that Trump's actions "did not rise to the level requiring removal." McConnell and crew know this second option could lead to a voter tsunami, so they're all in with "an imperial, unchecked presidency."
We bought it, why can't we sell it? To the highest bidder, of course, probably the Chinese, not the Russians. It might pay off a considerable chunk of the national debt. But seriously, if Trump is exonerated, at least the Democrats have acted like a baseball pitcher pushing a batter back from the plate. Maybe even Trump will be more careful going forward. Hard to tell.
No REPUBLICAN president. A democrat can be impeached for anything they choose. Previously, the Senate had more sense and basic integrity not to convict, but I would not doubt that under Mitch McConnell they days of the most basic, fundamental integrity of any Republican in the Senate are now over.
Where is honesty hiding? Has truth faded from reality? Will integrity return?
We are to the point where this is about much more than politics. We each need to ask what direction we think our Country should head. A society where there no bounds on the actions of our leaders, or one where none of us are above the law?
2
Republicans have forgotten that government is separate from politics. Politics is how you get into power but government is the service and duty owed to the people once power is granted.
It is time we separate these two concepts. We should demand good government. If we do not get it, we should reject the politicians who fail us. Those who use government as a political tool are corrupt; they should be called out and impeached.
2
What if Trump Gave Alaska to Putin?
I've been wondering what would it take for the Republicans to not support Trump. I don't think it would be giving Alaska to Putin. I think Trump could easily spin that. Especially if he was able to make some money personally on the deal.
I think to find something that Republicans would find as unforgivable would include what they are most against:
1. Endorsing Government-paid abortions
2. Endorsing separation of church and state
3. Allowing "dreamers" to become citizens
4. Showing a kindness to a LGBT person
5. Standing for universal background checks for gun purchases
6. A tax increase on the wealthy and corporations
Short of any of these which he won't be doing Trump could do anything and as "the chosen" he will be followed no matter what.
2
While there is plenty to worry about with Trump and the Republican House Reps and Senators and the way they seek to preserve their power, my biggest worry for the future of our democracy is the segment of our population that thinks the President's behavior is acceptable and will vote for him in the next election - with full knowledge of everything he has done. I am not sure many of these people would invite a family member with this type of behavior over for dinner, but will vote for Trump. I really don't understand. What a disconnect!
5
Vetting of Federal executive and judicial appointees and treaties negotiated with foreign governments are critical functions that are profoundly corrupted by unequal representation in the liberty to enslave US Senate. There is no rational basis for relative influence in these national and international functions to depend on where one lives.
The founders also gave us the 2nd Amendment, in case such circumstances arise again.
The threat of a liberal revolution is 0. We're understood to be anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment, anti-violence. No one is marching in the streets, no one is threatening a general strike.
We're all too cozy in our apartments streaming limitless content to even protest. Even if Trump is impeached, sadly, the American spirit was vanquished long ago.
5
@Thomas: The punctuation of the second amendment is confusing, but it references the dependency of the unarmed on the regulation of the armed for the sake of their own liberty, and does not supercede any of the Article I Section 8 powers of Congress to regulate how states regulate militias. I think the second amendment was written to require Congress to use these powers.
1
@Steve Bolger
I think if the 2nd Amendment required Congress to do anything, it would say so specifically, as the 1st Amendment does.
Regardless of modern legal interpretation and the technological development of weaponry since it was written, I do believe that at its core, the founders intended this nation's power to rest with its citizens.
Whether by ballot or bullet, the power is supposed to lie with the people. Our situation grows more hopeless by the day.
The left simply doesn't have the will to fight for our vision of America the way the right does. This is our tragedy.
To be honest, I really don't see the point of participating in national elections any more if Trump is acquitted. If the Congress lets a President ignore the will of Congress (like they already did with the Border national emergency...remember that? The emergency we don't hear about any more?), using taxpayer money as a bribe to get political dirt on whomever he wants, and then obstructs the discovery of the truth of the affair by withholding documents and disallowing his staff to testify...then...why are we even here?
Don't come at me with the argument that votes matter, because clearly they do not. Don't claim we're a Democracy, that we live by this high standards, that the Constitution is our guide, because we're not, we don't, and it's not.
These dishonorable people took an oath to serve the people of the USA and defend and protect the constitution. They are not doing that. Two days ago, they swore an oath to be impartial jurors and today Rand Paul says 45 Republicans are ready to dismiss the impeachment cases before hearing any of the evidence.
What does the constitution say about people who break their oath to defend it? Or who break oaths taken? If oaths of office mean nothing, what are we even doing here?
470
@AW
It's defined as crazy-continuing to do the same thing (voting) but expecting a different result.
27
Helping Trump get re-elected by encouraging discouragement, it would seem.
How lazy. Or, how...Trumpbot.
23
@AW We could start with where it started --- the other candidate who got 3 million more votes than the current Occupant yet we still ended up with El Presidente Grande. Democracy? Really?
25
It is not enough to impeach Trump out of office. He will become a hero with imitators for a generation running for president. It is not enough to beat him in November. Imitators will abound.
Unfortunately, he needs to win in November, and get a second term. He will be post-failed-impeachment, he will win in a landslide (given the candidates we have), and he will no longer need to please anyone since he won't run again.
In short, we will have Trump unleashed!!!!
Hopefully, he will wreak enough havoc that he will forever besmirch his brand and his brand of politics. Hopefully, it will teach future generations that this should never happen again.
If we're lucky, the country will survive and the GOP will not.
Gloomy outlook? It's probably a best-case scenario, given that impeachment and an election have almost no chance of succeeding.
82
@Everyman2000
You don't seem to understand the threat for the 2020 election. Russia has spent four years hacking into every local election office with the full blessing of Trump and McConnell. Russia knows that it will never get another chance to defeat this country and they will not quit while they are so close. Barr will fix the laws to make it all come together. There is almost no chance that Trump will lose the coming election. Just remember, who is going to count the votes? That will be the people the Russians have planted years ago. They are ready to disallow any votes that seem to be going the other way. When the Fox is in the hen house you should not bet on the chickens.
16
@Everyman2000
That is a disaster. The world may not survive. Our democracy certainly will not. Think more positive thoughts.
14
@Everyman2000 4 more years is a looooong time. Lots can happen. Not the least of which might be trump's death in office - of natural causes - and the next veep might not be pence. It might be someone far worse. And that's going some.
6
It is really astonishing how completely Trump took over the Republican party. I always assumed politicians, of both stripes, had large ego's, large enough for them to undergo a political campaign. Yet these Republican Senators are surrendering themselves and their egos to Trump. It makes no sense that egotistical men and women would fall so completely under Trump's spell. It goes beyond Trump getting them judges and tax cuts for the rich, and even, cruel immigration policies. Trump may well give away Alaska, or S Korea or Germany or Ukraine to Putin, or cut Social Security and Medicare, and Congressional Republicans will just sit there enthrall to Trump.
113
Joe -
It may well be that Trump is not the master of the Republican Senators, but rather the BIG donors that make it possible for them to have a good lifestyle. When someone with enough money to hand over $10 million to a group of P.A.C.s that support Senators, they probably want something in return. And they probably don’t care if the money they gave goes for actual campaigning or fancy trips or cars or homes in the D.C. area or.... As long as the legislation continues to flow their way, they could care less.
19
Joe Smith, I have come to the conclusion that a seat in congress must be quite the gravy train for these Republicans—all of them claiming to be such good Christians—to be so willing to sell their souls in service to their corporate and Wall Street overlords, and in worship of the Almighty Dollar.
29
@Joe Smith I have reading the comments of readers and wish that I could add my feelings and opinion against this man in the white house throwing America "under the bus" trying to control my anger. I believe this gentlemen put my feelings in his comments well. I hope at some point during the trial that those Republican senators remember who put them in office. Minnie, a senior watching!
10
McConnell states publicly that he is not an impartial juror. And yet the first order of business in this "trial" was for all the senators to take an oath of impartiality.
How can this be anything other than a farce?
1385
@Blue Moon Yes, it's difficult even to put "McConnell" and "impartial" in the same sentence!
233
@Blue Moon
By publicly and frequently stating that he is not impartial McConnell (and Lindsay Graham) have unquestionably demonstrated that they will be unable to comply with the oath all Senators took at the trial's beginning. Therefore they must recuse themselves from the trial. There can be no other resolution consistent with justice.
126
@William Kelly
“Must”? No, there is no mechanism to force that. The system is failing yet another stress test.
48
Senate Republicans show contempt for Congress by not asking to see the documents that were collected in response to a House request. Those documents will clearly show whether or not these are baseless accusations. Witnesses may not even be necessary!
The thing that jumps out from the trial in the Senate is that it is presided over by the Chief Justice Roberts. And, they passed a vote rejecting a call for Witnesses and documents. So what kind of a trial is this? And, the C.J. said nothing. He is legitimizing a farce. Fulfilling a Constitutional duty yes - but to legitimize a farce?
Look, I understand his role is more of a referee than a Judge. He can at the minimum make a comment about the farce. Nudging the Senators gently about a trial without witnesses is not a real trial. I don't expect him to play the role of a radical and denounce the trial and walkout; but at least just as he admonished the opposing parties about observing decorum, he can at least gently admonish the Senators about the farcical trial. There had been no I-trials without witnesses and documents in the history of the Republic.
538
@SteveA Of course, in your analogy the lower court was refused most of the evidence, obstructed by, the defendant. Then the defendant called for a summary judgment due to lack of evidence
127
@SteveA Actually, the House is more like the grand jury. They prepared charges for the trial in the Senate.
61
Actually steve, it is a trial. The constitution makes that clear. Further, your analogy of appeals court is not only inaccurate, it is also explicitly rejected by trumps legal team.
22
Why would Mr. Kristof assume that Mitch McConnell and his allies and, above all, their major contributors, wouldn't want a Chinese-style government in the United States, with the Republican Party in place of the Chinese Communist Party? With the exception that the last word would belong to major business owners, not to ruling party officials.
I think one of the points here is that there is no damage estimate given for the delay in the aid appropriation to Ukraine. Was the aid actually held up as to a schedule for ordering or delivering of weapons? One estimate I heard was that none of the equipment could have been delivered before the beginning of the following year and there has been no delay in that. One wonders what is true and what is not.
“....that would create an imperial, unchecked presidency, because it’s not clear what would ever merit impeachment and removal by their standards.”
That is exactly the goal. The GOP has dug it’s hole deeper than anyone could imagine. This sham run by McConnell, so brazen in his flagrant disregard for his oath and duty, will not end in Trumps removal.
If after this airing of dirty laundry the citizens do not vote out Trump, McConnell and every other Republican, thereby taking back the senate and White House we are DONE as a Republic built on democracy. It’s that serious.
Trump does want to be King, heck he believes he is King and Republicans are willingly enabling.
1
Kind of reminds me of the case where the kid killed his parents and then threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan.
1
Alaska to Russia? Florida to Spain? Gee, Mr. Kristoff, I thought Trump gave away all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and Guam and the Virgin Islands and the other territories to Putin for a few billion dollars in Trump’s personal bank account.
2
The only conclusion I can come to in regards to the Republicans is that they know the 2020 fix is in, that Russia will make sure all Republicans and Trump remain in office for life and that they all know it so their 'loyalty' remains with Trump.
They know something we don't know.
Why aren't we in the streets until he's gone? Why don't we organize a 'Don't Pay Your Taxes Until He's Gone'? Nah, it's just easier to let fascism and dictatorship come. Where's my remote? I need to watch another useless Netflix show and forget about it! (snark).
1
What is absurd about this idea is that Trump is seen as giving away Alaska to Putin. But those who have memories might remember that he once considered buying Greenland. Trump wants to INCREASE US territory and not decrease it.
But hey, this is the NYT and anything against Trump, no matter how ridiculous, will be believed simply because it is "against Trump."
I do not think that Trump deserves four more years. Many of the Democratic candidates would make better presidents. But the irrationality of the New York Times, and that of Nicholas is so great that they could end up helping Trump.
People are drunk on Trump hatred and drunk people rarely make good moves.
1
We live in bizzaro world.
Feel free. Maybe thats how we pay down the national debt.
Trump would exchange Alaska for Greenland in a heartbeat- if Putin could procure it by any means.
The more this drags on it looks increasingly like a cabal of old white men trying to restore the US to a "whites only" vision they seem to have of the "good ole days" that in fact never were.
Quoting bnyc from these comments, "...Why even bother to vote, or learn about other countries? Why not assume we're the best of everything, when clearly we've been declining for years in most categories--for example, health care, upward mobility, educational excellence, and on and on..."
Our only hope is that we all vote in November and that we all encourage all eligible voters to do so: all races, all religions, all creeds...
Diversity has been America's strength since the beginning. We should all embrace it as it is fundamental to our continued success as a republic of free people.
1
What if Trump gave Alaska to Putin? Sounds fair to me. After all, Putin threw him the election.
1
When you think about it, Putin's Russia is a Republican utopia. It is owned and run by oligarchs, it's authoritarian, it's mostly white and has a state religion. Its economy is based on oil. It's anti-gay and has a foolproof system for dealing with 'fake news.' If Muslim-dominated republics rebel, Putin knows how to take care of them.
If Trump let Putin takeover Alaska, most of our Republican brothers and sisters would move there. That would make the citizens of the other 49 States very happy.
If Sarah Palin, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Donald Young, the mosquitos, the earthquakes, the climate change and the oil spill problems went with Alaska to Putin this might be the basis for a deal that would make America great again.
Sarah would be able to 'see Russia from her house' and she would be wondering 'what is Putin thinking'.
1
Why bother pointing out the hypocrisy of McConnell and Graham or anyone or all of the Republicans in Congress? Yes they justified and demanded the impeachment and trial of Clinton. Yes they demanded evidence and witnesses. Now they dismiss evidence and witnesses. Now they don't even want a trial. Yes, they are hypocrites of the first order. But that's nothing new.
Republicans have shown their full colors for quite a few decades. Their disloyalty to the American experiment began long before the Clinton impeachment, before Clinton's inauguration, before the voodoo I-get-mine-not-you economics of Ronald Reagan. It started in the late 1940's with the divorce of Dixiecrats from the Democratic Party and their marriage to the Republican Party. That's what killed Lincoln's Party and made it a party of white self preservation, a party of party first, party over country.
That's why the middle class is now the minikin class. That's why Reagan sold weapons to Iran to finance a secret illegal war. That's why Clinton was impeached...why W. Bush was appointed president by a Republican Supreme Court...why Bush could invade Iraq as opposition was labeled unpatriotic, why Obama was blamed for Bush's Great Recession and not given credit for saving our economy from a Great Depression...why his recovery efforts were impeded by McConnell et al..why the Garland nomination was blocked...why a smaller number of ideologues now dictate to the nation, policies opposed by the vast majority of people.
Ironically, President Trump’s impeachment is all about nullifying an election, i.e., the next one: his!
Why not, he already gave him the country.
When this sham trial ends, it will be day one of a new America. We now have one political party that has announced its criminality--there is nothing the GOP won't do to stay in power, including colluding with America's enemies.
The left has been far too soft for far too long. If we want the old America back--you know, the one with the rule of law--we're going to have to fight. Not on Twitter, no in the comments section, but in the streets. Bad times are coming.
McConnell is taking this approach because he knows that between tax cuts for the rich, gerrymandering, abortion and other dumb voter baiting, voter suppression and court packing, there's little risk that Democrats will ever regain power. If Trump is re-elected in 2020, it's all over for our democracy. Even if Democrats win, there are decades of damage to deal with, not the least of which is federal courts now packed with right wing idealogues.
1
What if Trump gives Nigeria to China?
While he is tweeting and leading hate rallies the rest of the world is getting on with business without the US.
McConnell’s stonewalling witnesses is his abject way of admitting that the GOP has no method of protecting Trump’s office without this chicanery.
1
The headline perfectly, and perhaps unwittingly, exemplifies the Times coverage and Trump. Fake. It's all what if. What he actually has done in office may be not be what you wish for but his acts are not illegal and who is to say whether it will or will not be lead to a better or worse outcome for the country. To imply that every act taken by Obama or any other President, Democrat or Republican, was somehow perfect and honorable is ridiculous. Trump is over the top but his critics top his theatrics with ease.
When this trial is done, House should start working on emoluments and all his finances, and all his other high crimes and misdemeanors...oh, yes, his crimes against humanity too.
Dictatorship! America wake-up!
McConnell is a henchman doing the dirty work for Trump which grossly obscures the reality fact that America is now a dictatorship.
The news media, TV and journalists, have a duty to stop pandering to the American dictatorship by playing the game of being impartial as they describe the rigged process as a neutral news story. A dictatorship should be called for what it is, and not bury that fact. America needs the media to sound the clarion call that we are now a dictatorship.
While watching video of Lord Trump asking for foreign help in an election Republicans have been seen laughing and smiling. It is, they say, ridiculous. There is no Batman to stop the Joker in real life. If there were a hologram of Lord Trump killing younglings the Republicans would continue the imperial march toward an evil empire. They have made it clear they despise democracy and will hold onto power at all costs. It all seems like a B movie that could never actually happen but here we are.
What? Has he not done that yet? They must have not asked for it, yet.
Let's re-elect him and find out.
1
If the Senate trial fails to remove this very sick man, and a rigged election (whether by Putin or the Electoral College) re-elects him, decent Americans will know what we did, and what we should do.
That actually would be good, then make Puerto Rico a state or D.C.
Trump wanted to buy Greenland, not sell Alaska. Wonder if you can impeach him for that?
The Democrats could easily cite other abuses of power by Trump that make American security and institutional strength less safe. What was yanking Pentagon budget funds to pay for his stupid wall? What are his routine spillings of classified information to adversaries and the general public? What is his use of pardons to convicted criminals, including a sadistic killer, not because of any judicial error but because of political ideology and pressure from a preferred propaganda outlet? Just because he has the power does not mean he should use it. Abuse means stepping over a line intentionally and expecting it to be considered business as usual. That is what's at stake here. Trump and his criminal gang have no moral qualms and certainly no love for democracy and judicious application of power in American interests---only personal ones.
1
Lisa Murkowski would vote for it.
Or Manhattan back to the Dutch? Count me in.
What would the Republicans find impeachable?
Being a Democrat.
1
1867 USA purchased. Why did Russia sale? Today the fast growing US National Debt which was started with the "The Supply Side and Trickle Down" mantra of Reagan Republicans, is growing about $1.2Tr/yr and may reach close to $2Tr/yr in one decade.
Now think how does these Supply-side Republicans, who has never balanced their budget, are planning to pay off the huge debt?
Sale part of the salable prime property to Russia, Japan or China. It happened before and it can happen again. White settlers purchased USA from the native Indians by giving them booze and bids. Now some other culture will buy the part of USA from the same White settlers!!!
What if he’s already weakened us and sold us out to his boss, Putin, his friend and lover, Kim and MBS and the House of Saud. Oh, wait, he already has. After the dust settles the GOP will have decades to live in shame.
"A long train of abuses and usurpations”.
Yes - that is the true criteria.
How many slanderous statements and how many libelous tweets that assassinate peoples character and careers does it take to become impeachable?
1
You need to amend your sub headline: Republicans seem to think no Republican president's misbehavior could ever be bad enough to warrant removal. Considering that many of these same people were prepared to impeach President Hillary Clinton as soon as she took office...
1
Why hasn't Trump given Alaska to Putiin? -
probably because he didn't think of it.
1
The real question is: "What if Donald Trump gave Alaska to Putin -- in return for massive cyber-assistance in winning the 2020 election?"
“Republican bank robbers?” Aren’t they the ones who benefited from the 2017 tax cuts?!?
Mr. Kristof has lost his marbles.
Trump actually, out here in the real world, did suggest buying Greenland. This is, for those of us with at least some tenuous grasp of reality, ,,,, a very smart strategic move.
Why Denmark gets to "own" Greenland has always been a mystery to me. And besides, we bought that nice caribean paradise from Denmark 100 years ago. USVI?
Greenland, much like Far Western Siberia, is a very important defensive outpost for both USA and Russia, as the Artic Sea Lanes become more important with Climate Change.
Sorry, kids......much like legendary King Canute,,,,,,you're not going to stop the Tides.
Dear Nicholas Kristof,
Thank you for that perspective!
yeah yeah yeah.
You know what has me really worried?
OUR COMING ELECTIONS. These Republicans are acting as though there will be no consequences.
You know where else I saw similar behavior? IN Venezuela. It doesn't ever get reported here, but Putin has had his dirty hands on Venezuela for two decades. All via Cuba.
The parallels between what happened there in the early 00s and what is happening here are incredibly close and similar. You know one of the things we most notices back then? The way people were behaving as though they had complete protection. SO many questionable elections later, I can tell you that they knew something we didn't. It had nothing to do with popular opinion either and everything to do with hacked systems.
Most Venezuelans of means have now left. Don't tell me that 5M people leave everyone they know, love and cherished and go into certain poverty and reduced stations in foreign countries BECAUSE THEIR VOTES COUNTED.
Here is praying that 2020 proves my fears wrong.
Trump's defense reminds me of the case where the kid killed his parents and then threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan.
The whole Republican Party is complicit, because they all *need* the election-cheating help the Russians are bringing. Vote them out.
You'd think with everything Trump is accused of there wouldn't be a need to invent outrages to illustrate his lack of moral character. This seems ridiculous to me. Here you have a man accused of nearly every malfeasance possible for his office, and yet still his chief critics go to the well of exaggeration to rail against him. Are trump's uncountable crimes so pedestrian we must rely on the imaginary and rhetorical ones to stoke public ire?
I frequently share Mr Kristof's pieces and comment on his balance and integrity of thought.
This is by far the very worst of his columns on all accounts. My words have nothing to do with the occupant of the Oval Office --- the words are about sharing the different points of view with loyal readers expecting more than what today offered
The ability of New York Times opinion writers to weave convoluted conspiracy theories to disparage President Trump has spiraled out of control. Democrats, liberals and progressives will latch onto, and actually promote, the most far out wacky scenarios as long as they eventually include anti-Trump rhetoric. You people need to take a deep breath, look around, and recognize that these are the best of economic times in America, and a lot of the good is attributable to the Trump administration. Stock markets at record highs. Record low unemployment. Record high black and Hispanic employment. 500,000 manufacturing jobs created. Wages rising. Food stamp and welfare rolls dropping every month. If you want to reverse the good to bad, just elect any of your far left presidential candidates who will be reaching into your wallet to as soon as their inaugural speech is finished.
@paul
You obviously didn't read the article beyond the headline. The headline refers to this paragraph, which is in the body of the op-ed piece you didn't bother to read:
"As it happens, Alaska isn’t my example, but that of Alan Dershowitz, the president’s lawyer. “Assume Putin decides to ‘retake’ Alaska, the way he ‘retook’ Crimea,” Dershowitz wrote in a 2018 book. “Assume further that a president allows him to do it, because he believed that Russia has a legitimate claim to ‘its’ original territory.” Even that would not merit impeachment and removal by Dershowitz’s standards."
You need to take a deep breath, stop reacting to headlines and actually take the time to read the op-ed before commenting on it.
2
@paul lucky you, your one of the people Currently doing well in the US. However, half the US population wouldn’t be able to come up with $400.00 for an emergency. Half the population. So the booming stock market clearly isn’t something doing them any good. Food stamps and welfare rolls are dropping, because the programs are being shrunk. Many people are working 2 or more jobs to keep a roof over their heads, but know they will lose everything if they suffer a health crisis. If this situation represents “the best economic times for America”, I would submit, these really aren’t good times at all, and the country needs to do better. The republicans are doing nothing to improve the lives of the average American.
I don't think that Trump would give Alaska to Putin.
However, for the right money paid directly to him.....?
Sssssh! He's still trying to buy Greenland.
Trump’s Alaska trade could work but Putin would need to take Putin to get Democratic support.
Apparently the republicans would all agree that making a gift of Alaska to Russia would be a wonderful thing. Perfect!
Trump's defense reminds me of the case where the kid killed his parents and then threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan.
Hasn't he handed over Alaska already? j/k Republicans wouldn't let him do that. They haven't yet had the opportunity to fully exploit our great national old growth forest. There are still 300 year old trees to fell and oil to pump, that we don't need.
But he's already handed over Europe and the Middle East to Putin.
Honest to God, Nick is right: we are, at this moment, not one bit better than China, worse, actually, for the sanctimonious hypocrisy exhibited the the GOP, Trump's lawyers (a shameless spectacle), and the pro-Trump propaganda machine. Lindsay Graham: unspeakable.
The lies, the character assassination, the empty arguments, the parroting of the President by his minions--is this America?
Seldom before have I been so embarrassed for my country.
@G. O. If trump pulls off re-election, we will really have something to be embarrassed by....
I think a republican president would only give away blue states, not Alaska or Florida.
Given Charlottesville, given Richmond, far more likely than the loss of Alaska is the resurgence of the McVeigh types and the Bundy types should Republicans lose the next Presidential election.
If polls suggest the Democrats will win, do not expect Trump to refrain from hyperbole. Imagine “Do everything in your power to resist the illegal takeover of your government”. Imagine incitement to riot.
In the past, Republican senators would have responded to criticism of such speech by saying “Trump was just acting out. He doesn’t really mean it.”
Now they would say, ‘Yeah, it’s not right, but it doesn’t rise to the level of an impeachable offense.”
It would depend on what we got in return silly, and Trump would be the first to tell you. What if Putin gave up all his nuclear weapons and removed Russian troops from Ukraine and gave the Crimea back to the Crimeans? Wouldn't that make America great again? He's working on a similar deal with China where we exchange our nuclear weapons for KJU on a plate and the promise to always buy American beef and leave Taiwan alone. The Generals have told Trump he can't ever use Nukes so they are really useless.
This trial IS a sham. Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi
Should take their lapdogs home and let the voters decide the 2020 election. Extreme partisanship and hatred exhibited by the democrats against all things trump will only hurt them in the end. I do not want 43 democrat senators invalidating the vote of 63+ million Americans.
2
@Pvbeachbum
I suspect that you would have a huge problem with Trump being defeated at the polls (which he was in 2016, actually), and would start screeching about "voter fraud" at the top of your lungs. And the "extreme partisanship and hatred" exhibited by Trump and his supporters toward their fellow citizens is on full display at every Bund rally that Trump hosts on the taxpayer dime and every open-carry "2nd Amendment rights" rally. You're not doing yourselves any favors, either.
I don't want crazy, corrupt people in the White House. And I'm tired of being held hostage by angry, ill-informed and willfully ignorant people.
The Republicans simply have no regard for democracy, justice or the rule of law.
Trump is the worst American who has ever lived, but McConnell is not far behind.
1
America has lost all credibility domestically and internationally during this Administration. The impeachment and removal of Trump would restore much needed sanity, stability and show the world the Democratic system functions. This appears to be lost on the Republicans, there are legitimate reason world leaders are filmed laughing at his inept, crude egotistical behavior.
1
America has lost all credibility domestically and internationally during this Administration. The impeachment and removal of Trump would restore much needed sanity, stability and show the world the Democratic system functions. This appears to be lost on the Republicans, there are legitimate reason world leaders are filmed laughing at his inept, crude egotistical behavior.
All Trump has to do is resort to brazen lies, bad mouth Alaska for a week, call it a disgrace and a drain of American resources that no American president before him was ready to address. Then say he has negotiated a beautiful deal with Russia, that will force Russia to take back Alaska.
I'm watching, and write poems about what I see:
A No Vote Will Not Serve
Twenty lashes rim clouds
droop down over the sun’s eye
no light,
no witness
SC snores.
Lash the flag to the mast
not to blow
away
this sunless day.
Outside
sitting on crazed January concrete
lashed by rain and snow
huddled masses, under space blankets
or newsprint
live homeless lives.
The jurors
trained circus aerialists
and elephants in the room
who parade a straight line
will see only
the lashing tail
rump of the animal ahead
as they watch
through binoculars gilded
and genuflect
to sidewalk phlegm
coughed up as an asthmatic
hostile power politician
colder than ice
who lashes out
snows spittle
crackling lies.
1
RE: " our grand Senate under Mitch McConnell simply becomes an American analogue of China’s rubber-stamp National People’s Congress."
I want to thank Mr. Kristof for saying what I've been saying right along regarding turning our Congress into a rubber stamp for the supreme leader. I think the latest is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/us/politics/trump.html#commentsContainer&permid=104729156:104729156
RE: "That’s the kind of system that we rebelled against in 1776, no?"
Yes, it was. And now, just as then, the same people philosophically speaking who were against the Revolution then are still against it. People say they are still fighting the Civil War, but in truth the Tories are still fighting the Revolution. They are still fighting to preserve the monarchy or aristocracy. They were and are the Tories as I've said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/opinion/john-roberts-supreme-court.html#commentsContainer&permid=102951570:102951869
2
It is the mature adult who can say he/she has made a mistake, or he/she has learned through education. Those who can do, those who can't become politicians and live off the others in society. The good ones are just betters actors in the play. No insult intended towards Broadway or Hollywood.
2
We made Trump president and keep electing his enablers. We got the government that could have been foreseen.
If there is an Oil Lobby, is it too outlandish to say there is now a Russia Lobby? Paul Ryan laughed when he was caught on tape hearing Trump is "owned by Russia." Mitch McConnell received donations from a Russian oligarch. Craig Unger reports in "House of Trump, House of Putin" about Trump's longstanding ties to Russia's underworld. The new book about the Steele Dossier, "Crime in Progress," purports to show these connections as well, in addition to Russian loans through Deutsche Bank. Perhaps the Oil Lobby is widening its tent to non-American oil and gas interests as they all have a stake in extending the fossil fuel era.
4
As ususal, the Democrats controlling the House declined to fight and failed to enforce their subpoena power. So former administration officials are writing books, giving speeches and appearing on TV - to monetize their knowledge about Trump - but they decline to provide any information to Congress. Our government is a joke.
Congress has been walking away from their powers for decades and handing to the executive branch. Our paid representatives spend their days shilling for money for their next election, while accomplishing nothing for the vast majority of our citizens other than the wealthy and corporations.
2
When I think of all of the millions of hours American children have sat in American history classes, my own kids included. But none of those facts, lessons, or history matter at all. How quaint of us to think that ideas and ideals created some foundation for our society. Our democracy has crumpled like a deflating balloon. Please note that the crew in Davos accept Trump now because he is the future and their profits depend on him. Resistance is futile.
3
McConnell, Graham, and the rest of the good ole boys are experienced in sham trials, with the judge and smirking jury both rigged. The country is about to experience what the blacks in the South have be enduring forever.
7
I could see the guy in the White House giving Putin Alaska. He has no idea what an Alaska is the same way he has no knowledge of Hawaii being a state of these United States. Anything to make Vlad happy.
5
The difference between the opposition in the Sixties and Seventies and the opposition now is that back then, we took to the streets (in many ways), essentially eschewing electoral politics. Change would be made by guaranteeing there would be no business as usual if we were not listened to. Pressure was put on many and varied loci of power, figuring that with sufficient pain, they would put pressure on elected officials.
Today, the opposition exists mostly online and is wrapped up in the never-ending soap opera of Trump, feeding into his beloved narrative that everything is about him. Play his game, and you lose.
Don't just berate, create.
Skip the electronic sheets. Hit the streets.
31
Justice Roberts lost me when he proclaimed “They are addressing the world’s greatest deliberative body.” He jests at such a solemn time in our nation's most perilous moment.
111
@PAN
Roberts is biased towards the Republican side.
This new republican party sprang from the Tea Party, and they were blatantly out to undermine and retake the government. It is really no different now. They want total control, no nonsense about working together. They want government small enough to be completely under their control. They want power at any cost, the ends justify the means. Whatever this is it has nothing whatever to do with democracy and should be resisted at every turn or else we become something we don't want to be, an authoritarian country.
84
That’s the kind of system that we rebelled against in 1776, no?
But now we have King Trump, enthroned by a minority of voters, to bestow blessings on his supporters, and scorn on all others.
That was then, this is now.
34
The Trump "legal" team accuses the Democrats of destroying the presidency. Actually, it is the Trump team's rhetoric, along with that of Lindsey Graham (2020 version), that is extremely destructive to this country and our democracy.
205
Rather than Alaska, let's just offer the Russians Alan Dershowitz
11
Yes, and throw in the entire Trump clan along with the sycophants like McConnell and Graham!
Trump would only sell Alaska if he and his Trump family were to benefit financially.
Otherwise, he is more likely into buying countries with our money if he and his Trump family were to benefit financially.
67
@Anne
Putin would certainly pay Trump directly for Alaska and might also build him a large mansion there. Since Putin will not have an extradition treaty Trump can retire directly to Alaska after his reign is over and enjoy the rest of his life as a VIP. As bad as this might seem it is not a bad idea. The trick is to find someone who wants to buy Mississippi.
19
@Anne they don’t need a Trump Tower in Sitka. Maybe a Holiday Inn Express, but no Trump Tower.
1
@Anne He won't sell Alaska, he will trade it for Greenland.
What are you talking about? Hunter and Kerry Jr got $1B for a hedge fund from the Chinese, and the Obama Admin was didn't say PEEP while all of America's IP was stolen.
All I know is that within 2 years of President Sanders term - Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schummer will have him impeached. She is worth $300M, and he is WallSt BBF - do you think they will put up with a Socialist? And by then - they will have the process down pat.
1
I would prefer that trump give all of the red states to Putin.
4
You, it might not be a total loss if the Ruskies got Alaska, so long Lisa Murkowski and Sarah Palin are included in the deal.
2
Trump has not, by his own words and actions of himself and others, nullified an election and subverted the will of the people?
This is not about what Democrats have done to Trump. It is about what he has done against the people.
Trump has never abandoned his oath, to do unto others before they do unto you. Turn Soviet corrupted Ukraine against your opponent. Ukraine up the White House with all the yes men. Get yourself impeached. Then depend on Omerta.
Trump deserves the Tony (Soprano) Award.
1
Is Sarah Palin part of the Deal ???
6
Please don't suggest Trump give Alaska back to Russia.
If that idea appears on Fox & Friends, he might do it.
7
Nick, it's all over. The Republic is dead, assassinated by the Republicans. One might as well move to Guatemala.
3
16241 are NOT false or misleading statements..... they are LIES!
5
Make sure Sarah Palin is included.
6
This trial reminds me of the Rodney King trial of 1991. The defense strategy was to demonstrate that every individual blow struck by every officer was withing department guidelines. And it worked.
But the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The same is true of the Trump "presidency." Republicans want to show that every individual action of Trump was either completely legitimate or else so close to it that the difference is negligible. All sane people know that Trump's entire "presidency" and the campaign before it is built on lie after lie, and the damning aspect of it is not each individual lie but the nonstop flow of them morning to night ad infinitum.
Pelosi's strategy of limiting the scope of impeachment to the Ukraine affair seemed like a sound one, and it may have been the only one that could have succeeded in the House. However there is a great risk that these few, specific actions of the "president" will not appear to be so out of bounds as to warrant his removal. Just as in the King trial, by closing our eyes to the whole of the horror of Trump, out of an unwillingness or inability to grasp that whole and hold it in our minds at once, the criminal or criminals will likely go free.
1
Oh my, still stuck on Russia? Sadly delusional...
1
I see nothing but Lefties on here giving their comments about Trump this and that, so here's a Libertarian view.
Trump is the best President in US History. He is the only President to survive a coup and a Deep State that is working with Democrats to stop him. Yes, stop him. Because that is what this is all about. He beat Hillary and you lefties hate that. It's hard to accept that Trump represents a majority of states as designed to prevent what lefties want and that is mob rule. The USA is a Constitutional Democratic Republic NOT a Democracy.
Trump wont be removed from office because the Democrat House Impeachment is a joke. Trump will be reelected in 2020 by an even larger Electoral College win than 2016 and the GOP will gain more seats in the US Senate. Because all of this involves politics and the Lefties are not as good as Trump with politics. He knows exactly what you people think and he runs his administration against it.
Then Census 2020 will take House seats away from Blue state and give them to Red states.
Prepare yourselves Lefties because its gonna be a bumpy Trump second term.
I know this upsets many of you because you cannot accept the truth. Most non-Lefties dont even chime into to these echo chambers because any dissent is immediately ushered off to the gulags.
The Democrat Party is the Party of slavery, segregation, the KKK, and war and always has been. Libertarians oppose both major parties in the USA so take this as advice.
@loveconstitution1789 A "Libertarian" view. Get real. A Trump supporter is a Trump supporter, regardless of your party label, which essentially makes you a Republican now. The whole libertarian claim is so overused on social media these days as a means to portray one's self as in the middle and deserving of credibility. Sorry, doesn't work that way. Your rhetoric is disgusting as well.
1
@loveconstitution1789
"Libertarians" are Republicans who like to use drugs, collect firearms and engage in sexually promiscuity (as do most Republicans). They also think that the unreadable writing and bizarre fantasies of Ayn Rand should be the basis of American public policy. For just those reasons alone, they can't be taken seriously. Your "advice" is specious nonsense and will not be taken.
Trump is a rotten lemon and yet priceless lemonade can be made out of his insane behavior. The problem with Trump is that he has two personalities. One is brilliant, projected by his well educated mind and the other is insane projected by his miseducated brain. If only America could realize not only what is wrong with Trump but also that Trump is the symptom in chief of what is wrong with America.
We have cutting edge mind education along with a messed up brain education. Emotional health (EH) is a function of the brain and as brain education is messed up, EH is messed up causing all this mess in society.
We need EH testing and a manual for EH that will make America into an EH superpower.
Trump is the symbol in chief of what is wrong with America and it shows what our #1 priority must be. We need to create a full blown new subject for brain education.
We need to establish EH universities, hospitals and departments.
Will NY Times please take this up as their own cause. You are the biggest group of activists and you have the power to transform our lemon in chief into the most priceless lemonade ever.
1
Giving Alaska to Putin makes a clever rhetorical point and, besides, would get rid of Sarah Palin.
3
The Republicans want Trump to remain in the Oval Office. Period. Full stop. Even if he did shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, they would keep him as President. Why? POWER.
As long as Trump remains in the White House, as long as Mitch McConnell remains Senate Majority Leader, and as long as the conservatives hold the majority on the Supreme Court, the Republicans have a stranglehold on the federal government. And they intend to keep it that way.
Republicans no longer believe in the "pendulum of power" in American politics, swinging back-and-forth between conservative and liberal, Republican and Democrat, according to the ever-changing beliefs and demographics of the electorate. The Republicans want a PERMANENT hold on power.
They have declared Democrats to be enemies of the people. And those enemies must be destroyed. Not defeated. Not knocked out of power for two, four, or six years. Destroyed. Wiped out. Never to challenge Republican ever again. The GOP believe that they are RIGHT. Anyone who disagrees with the GOP is in ERROR, and "error has no rights."
It begins with Trump--a puppet ruler if there ever was one. Mitch McConnell really rules this nation. Trump is just the "useful idiot" the Republicans have deployed to distract the voting public. So he must be protected at all costs.
(Bleep) the electorate. Power is all that matters. Republicans RULE! And God help this nation.
2
Trump is not really the one on trial here. The insufferable sycophants called Republicans are. They are willing to tromp all over our Constitution in defense of a sick, pathological criminal who disgraces our highest office. They defend nothing less than a physical freak who wears a manufactured hair do he dyes blond with skin he also dyes that glows orange, making himself into a real life 73 year old clown. They defend a man that freely brags about sexual assault and is rightly suspected of monetary crimes like tax evasion and money laundering for the Russian mob.
Not one of these quivering, quaking cowards is worthy of holding a federal office. Not one! We, as jury, must render our verdict with the harshest punishment possible that we have at our disposal. And that is the defeat and removal of every one of these vile cowards until we send their entire Party into the dustbin of history never to rear their ugly heads again.
2
Assert Republican hypocrisy while ignoring Democratic hypocrisy typical partisan column.
Is Sarah Palin included ???
1
What if Trump Gave Alaska To Putin? Isn't it obvious? Mitch McConnell and the GOP would call it a "nothing burger".
"The Law Is Dead! Long Live King Corruption!!!"
2
Mr Kristof, don't give him any ideas! Maybe Texas to Mexico?
3
Question. Is there anyway he can not only give Alaska to Russia but what about All the other red states too? Get them all out.
They want to serve a dictator, go with a real one!
3
Please stop giving "them" any more ideas . . Mr. Kristof
2
Much vacuous talk. You city birds might consider listening to the flinty independent self-reliant folk of Alaska before manufacturing such fancies. I am sure you find it amusing amongst yourselves, and it does provide employment for many - but you are sadly out of touch. And proud of it.
If Alaskans are so self-reliant, why is it that they receive close to twice the national average in per capita welfare benefits? I don't begrudge my tax dollars that go towards supporting those Alaskans who need it, but don't condescend to tell us about your flinty self-reliance.
1
During the 2016 campaign trail I recall TRUMP stating that he 'liked stupid people'. I scratched my head at the time thinking he just insulted his base. Clinton called them deplorable now TRUMP just called them stupid. It's obvious today why he does. Sad, very sad.
1
I don't often find your articles humorous, but today, you have the best one-liner: "Your thoughts, Comrades."
Humor aside, perhaps there are some politicians reading your article. Most mysterious to me is the fabulous flip-flopping Dershowitz. His presence in this case is completely without humor and inexplicable. And, btw, my spellcheck tried to correct Dershowitz to be howitzer........
2
Trump would Putin Russia Alaska?
Give Alaska to Russia? If this is the worst thing that happens during the Trump "presidency", we'll all be extremely lucky.
We have a "president" who says the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. We have a "president" who advocates prison for independent journalists. We have a "president" who has shoved thousands of Hispanic infants and children into cages, on U.S. soil, with no plans of ever returning them to their families. We have a "president" who is an avowed racist, and would do anything he possibly could to rid this country of anyone who isn't white and Christian. He has told us that the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. And hate crimes against brown skinned Americans have skyrocketed these past three years.
We have a "president" who is a known felon, who uses the Justice Department as his own personal legal office, and who knows that his base does not care what crimes he commits. And, we have his sixty million rabid, AK-47 toting worshippers, who will do literally anything he asks of them. And this is why he will stay in power indefinitely. He will leave at a time of his choosing, and not a day before.
My spouse's family are Holocaust survivors. My family survived the Armenian Genocide. Our family will be extremely thankful if Trump and his jackbooted thugs don't put us into an internment camp.
Give away Alaska? Are you kidding me? Some of us have a whole lot more to worry about from this "president" than his continued kowtowing to Putin.
Give Alaska to Russia? If this is the worst thing that happens during the Trump "presidency", we'll all be extremely lucky.
We have a "president" who says the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. We have a "president" who advocates prison for independent journalists. We have a "president" who has shoved thousands of Hispanic infants and children into cages, on U.S. soil, with no plans of ever returning them to their families. We have a "president" who is an avowed racist, and would do anything he possibly could to rid this country of anyone who isn't white and Christian. And hate crimes against brown skinned Americans have skyrocketed these past three years.
We have a "president" who is a known felon, who uses the Justice Department as his own personal legal office, and who knows that his base does not care what crimes he commits. And, we have his sixty million rabid, AK-47 toting worshippers, who will do literally anything he asks of them. And this is why he will stay in power indefinitely. He will leave at a time of his choosing, and not a day before.
My spouse's family are Holocaust survivors. My family survived the Armenian Genocide. Our family will be extremely thankful if Trump and his jackbooted thugs don't put us into an internment camp. Give away Alaska? Are you kidding me? Some of us have a whole lot more to worry about from this "president" than his continued kowtowing to Putin.
1
I'm okay with giving Texas back to Mexico...
1
Handing Alaska over to the Russians wouldn’t be treason?
1
The only conclusion to be drawn from this American tragedy: A lawless president can't be brought to justice if he refuses to cooperate.
2
More fun than a barrel of former Trump appointees: Associated Press fact check.
https://apnews.com/APFactCheck
Don't put ideas in his head !
Trump would give Alaska to Putin in a heart beat if he thought he could have one of his gold towers in Moscow.
1
The Republicans are total hypocrites! We need to hear the witnesses!
Yet I wouldn’t be surprised if the Trump team engaged in secret contacts and surreptitious messages, and had advance knowledge of Russia’s efforts to attack the American political process. And that would be a momentous scandal.
Nicholas Kristof March 9, 2017
If true that would be an impeachable offense except it wasn't true. Ah well...
8
@MLH Yep, but Kristof's point is about lack of surprise. He wasn't saying it was true or not but Trump's behaviour around Putin is so weird it makes one wonder.
You could argue Kristof is being disingenuous but only he knows.
3
@MLH Trump's team has plenty, plenty of contacts with the Russians. The real story has yet to be told.
3
@MLH Ahhh....but we don't know for sure that wasn't true. Mueller himself said th he degree of obstruction was such he could not determine there was a conspiracy. And there were something like 10 examples of obstruction.
A crime. You cherry pick your facts.
But after watching just a bit of FOX last night where it was derisively repeated over and over that the Mueller report exonerated Trump I can see how you might be mistaken.
More on FOX....they broadcast much of last night in a split screen with the Democrats in video only. And the host and guests talking away!! They don't want their viewers to hear the facts!
1
Any president should be untouchable, given the outrageous circumstances under which the the Democrats have conducted themselves.....declaring that the intended impeachment of President Trump began hours after he was elected.
2
Republican senators absolutely do not want to remove a Republican President from office in an election year. But if they weren’t paying attention to Democratic impeachment proceedings in the House, they almost certainly are now.
Trump, Fox Noise, and his various enablers had repeatedly and grossly mischaracterized the findings, but Adam Schiff and crew are doing a masterful job of laying out the timeline and presenting the mountain of evidence obtained so far. And, of course, Trump looks guilty as sin even though the specific culpability of his senior enablers is somewhat less clear.
More evidence isn’t really needed to find Trump guilty, but it does threaten folks like Pompeo, Pence, Mulvaney, and Perry. And the reputational hit to the Republican Party is not insignificant the longer this process plays out.
My prediction is that the Republican majority will avoid additional witnesses or documents, and instead they will try to find a way to censure Trump and then move on. Only if Trump insists on a full exoneration does he risk having to produce more evidence. I think there will be more than enough pressure to force a stark choice on the president. Either back off and accept a slap on the hand or risk even more damage to everyone. Or in effect that’s what I predict Republicans will try. I just don’t know what congressional Democrats would be able to do in response.
1
We shouldn't wait for him to give away New York. We should secede first!
In my dreams .....
Yes.
He won't do any such thing as give Alaska to Putin and your speculation tells me how MUCH you are living in the land of fantasy. And why on earth would Putin even want Alaska?
Democrats have gone totally bananas.
2
Why stop at Alaska? Trump has already delivered the Republican Party to Putin, with GOP senators now parroting Russian propaganda that it was really those sneaky Ukrainians who interfered in the 2016 election. And he himself, if not a Russian mole, is certainly a "useful idiot" for Putin.
2
Return the territory of Texas through California to Mexico!
1
"What if the NYT had rational headlines?"
1
@Independent Observer "What if people read more than just the headlines?"
Florida to Spain immediately. Please
What if the NYT changed its name to the NY Inquirer? Would this better reflect the paper's current trend towards sensationalism? Inquiring minds want to know.
1
Kristof has lost his mind, if he still had one. What if Russia gave Crimea to America? About as bloody likely. This is sheer raving.
1
"All roads lead to putin" -. N. Pelosi- Dec. 7, 2019
2
one can expect the nytimes to publish a headline like on this editorial, and the viewers that it targets will buy it. Vote Bernie!!!!!!!
1
your imagination is as amusing as your leaps of logic
2
The willful blindness of the Republicans in Congress is nothing short of stupefying. Thanks to Nick Kristof for spelling this out so clearly. And thanks to Adam Schiff for presenting such a cogent, dispassionate and accessible timeline of damning facts at the impeachment trial last night.
2
Unfortunately, we are in the other echo chamber. The compartment is not of our making but those of the Republicans who no longer seem to accept logical discourse or evidence as a means to truth. Their truth is revealed to them as power. One friend of mine who is a Trump apologist stated to me, he is Trump is the only bulwark against evil. She did not say but her likely definition of evil is likely to be abortion, since she is a one-issue voter, everything else be damned.
Trump is only the symptom. What we're witnessing now is the demise of this democracy.
You cant fix stupid.
1
Give him California or New York. Really put the screws to him!!!!
1
"That’s the kind of system that we rebelled against in 1776, no?"
Not to put too fine a point on it, but all that fell apart when the Justice Department enacted a policy of not indicting a sitting president. Immediately, that established a privileged place for whoever occupies the office of POTUS.
1
Good points Mr. Kristof. It could come down to impeach now, and get back to equal branches of government. Or let this slippery slope continue, kick the can down the road, until we are in full-fledged monarchy and another 1776 style revolution is needed. I vote for the more peaceful approach. Impeach now.
3
America is currently entering its terminal decline. All great powers do at some point. Its like the last 10 minutes in a game of Monopoly where 2 people have all the money and property and are fighting it out. All the other players have left the game.
5
If this "rubber-stamp" farce goes as predicted, the following statements will no longer be true in our supposedly exceptional nation:
1. - No person is above the law, not even the President.
2. - We are a nation of laws, not men.
The resulting acceptance of openly corrupt leadership at the highest levels of our government will put us in the same company as: Russia, China, Venezuela, Yemen and many more. This will make Trump one of our most consequential presidents, in a most negative and adverse way possible. A course correction (if we want one) will take decades.
3
How about Texas to Mexico?
When words no longer have meaning, we are far down the road to 1984. I have been listening to the Senate impeachment trial. So far, the Democrats have facts, logic, clips, and arguments based on the law and constitutional principles. The Republicans have bluster, no facts, illogic, and senseless statements about partisanship (alleged against Democrats but not themselves). They say they have heard nothing new, but vote to not allow new evidence or witnesses. They completely obliterate the difference between the personal advantage of the person who happens to hold the office of President and the good of the country that that person represents. And you can be sure that when there is a Democratic president in 2021, they will take the completely opposite view.
3
@engaged observer Or California? A lot more Democractic voters there, which means Trump would have a better chance at getting re-elected.
"What if Trump Gave Alaska to Putin?"
Judging based on what we have heard from many Republican senators in the last few weeks, that would be just fine.
Why? Well .....there is a very "republican explanation" for that. As Joash Blackman, a strong defender of Mr. Trump, puts it:
"Trump acts like a politician. That’s not an impeachable offense. Receiving a 'political benefit' does not transform an otherwise legal action into an abuse of power."
So, to put it simply, as long as Trump acts like a politician, everything goes. By the way, in 2016 election, "I am not a politician" was one of Mr. Trump's labels with which he proudly "branded" himself.
3
It's time for Americans to get to the streets and protest in large numbers to let Trump and the Republican Party know that their illegal actions are unacceptable. As long as no one protests loudly, it appears there is no public groundswell against their fake Senate trial with no witnesses and no new evidence. The public has to make it clear that it is outraged by the President's and the Republican Party's actions. By not protesting, it appears that the general public is acquiescing to being politically robbed. Protesting with posts on Facebook is meaningless. We must take to the streets in large numbers.
3
You are absolutely right. The problem these days is people let off steam on social media and think they’ve accomplished something. But they are invisible compared to being on the streets.
2
The expression is whether a certain individual, when faced with a dilemma, can "walk and chew gum." For some time Nancy Pelosi argued against Impeachment of Trump because "it would be too divisive (in an election year)." However, with overwhelming evidence of Trump's requiring Ukraine's President Zelensky to announce political investigations into the Bidens, Ukraine interference into the 2016 Election (debunked), while Trump withheld promised security assistance, all to benefit Trump in the 2020 Election, Nancy Pelosi reconsidered and called for Impeachment. Pelosi decided Congressional candidates in the 2020 could run for office and Impeach at the same time.
Mitch McConnell is called the Senate Majority leader - a misnomer, it seems, since he is playing to a constituency of one--behind the Resolute desk.
5
A partisan vote back in the 1990's is not the same as what we are experiencing now. Many Democrats voted against Clinton in his impeachment process. Without inserting Democrat or Republican, just ask yourself how you feel about the principle of foreign interference in our elections. If asking for foreign interference in an election is not impeachable, what is?"
5
I wish Dems would stop calling for witnesses and documents. "Witnesses and documents" finds a corollary in the Kavanaugh hearing when Dems called for an investigation. Dems got it. A sham investigation that gave cover to Republican Senators to vote for Kavanaugh. Instead, stop calling for witnesses and let the American public see that this is a kangeroo court proceeding. Then run on that in 2020. Senate control by the Dems is within reach while Trump's conviction is not.
2
As much as I love Alaska, I think it's fair to say that we wouldn't be having this problem right now if they were handed over.. But, let's not give them to Russia.. Let's hand 'em to Canada.
Everybody wins: Alaska gets more of that sweet "Socialism" they claim to hate but actually use more than most states.. We get rid of two reliable GOP Senate seats that have sent the US further down that bridge to nowhere we call "the race to the bottom." Canada gets control over more of its contiguous geography. And, of course, Russia gets nothing --- which is a win for Russian humor.
7
But will there be any ice left for hockey or fishing?
Alaska might recover some of its 35 year brain drain if this happened.
"We all recognize that a president has the right to pardon criminals, but suppose he pardoned hackers in exchange for 'investigating' the Bidens? Or what if Trump announced that he would pardon every Republican bank robber?"
Let's not forget that at one of his rallies, Trump directed his followers to lay hands on protestors and physically remove them from the hall. He then publicly promised to pay the legal bills of any of his followers who might be arrested for doing so.
I'm disgusted by Trump, but not angry at him, as he's always been this way. I'll reserve my anger for McConnell, who knows better.
2
Anyone who claims that Bill Clinton was impeached for a consensual affair is met with "He was impeached for lying under oath." The current president has defied congressional subpoenas. He has done that, even a Republican can't deny it. Isn't that exactly analogous to President Clinton's impeachible offense? There's your crime.
1
Requesting an investigation on behalf of the President is not impeachable even if politically motivated. Sleazy at least. Holding back money allocated by Congress is extortion to get the favor and also a violation of the Impoundment Act of 1974 making it a Federal Crime. Extortion with a Federal Crime IS Impeachable.
1
Maybe Trump should return the 13 original colonies to the UK! We coastal elites, freed from being tethered to the red states, reunited with a constitutional monarchy in which there’s no electoral college, where a no confidence vote in Parliament triggers a new election! Not to mention national health care, inexpensive college, and afternoon tea. What a brilliant idea.
4
The president would never allow Mr. Putin to retake Alaska because he believed that Russia has a legitimate claim to ‘its’ original territory. The president is unburdened by any pesky knowledge of history. But he would allow Mr, Putin to retake Alaska for a hand-written promise of a Trump Tower Moscow.
1
It’s not an out of control ruler it’s a Republican Party that has lost all sense of what makes america great.
It’s a SAD when the party of lincoln and Eisenhower and Regan becomes trump lackeys.
Shhhh! As we just saw with Trump's assassination of General Soleimani, he can choose the most radical of the options presented to him. Putin would love Alaska, for a variety of strategic reasons. The infant terrible Trump should not be allowed to hear of such a notion, because he just might embrace it.
I've visited 49 of the 50 states - all except Alaska. I suppose I should hurry, while it's still American.
1
1. Don't give him any ideas.
2. For all we know, he's already made that promise in secret.
1
Lining up and comparing the arguments in Trump's case with arguments made in Clinton's and Nixon's cases, or even those in a drunk judge's case, or trying to get the Republican senators to focus, focus, focus on the constitutional and legal issues at stake, or even making a cogent case for the dissolution of our democracy misses the point entirely.
None of this has any bearing on what motivates the Republicans in the senate. There is but one single issue for them, and it drives everything, including their apparent disregard for the shredding of the Constitution. And that single thing is this: President Trump's poll numbers with Republican voters.
That's it. Trying to understand the hypocrisy and cowardice in the senate outside of this simple calculus does nothing but drive one into trying to untangle a twisted fishing line knot, when there is nothing to untangle.
It is guaranteed that if Trump's poll numbers begin to sink, his enablers in the senate will, one by one, get up off their knees, each proclaiming a new found sense of patriotism and loyalty to the Constitution.
It is also guaranteed that if Trump's numbers do not change, neither will those senators' positions --- on their knees, heads bowed, eyes closed.
1
Wait, I thought there were still anti sodomy laws in those red states.
We are witnessing a great American tragedy, perhaps the last, since our Constitution is being shredded.
While I am appalled by this president's behavior and policies, I also feel deep sadness for those who will eventually learn, as President Kennedy warned in his Inaugural Address, "those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside".
This president has shown us throughout his life that he has no loyalty to any idea or any person other than himself. If he is left unchecked, the coal miners, the farmers, the Evangelicals, the climate change deniers will in time lose their usefulness and will be left only with an enormous national debt and an uninhabitable planet.
If this president is not in Putin's pocket, as Mr. Kristof implies, he is possessed of the same cruel, ruthless attitude toward humankind.
While observing citizen and congressional Republicans blindly following this bullying con artist, I have often thought of these words of Martin Niemoller:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
1
Republicans love Trump's policies.
It does not matter what they are.
Nicholas,
A number of your readers, as well as a number of my conservative friends, are going, Naaaah, to your argument that Trump could give away Alaska.
First, that's the point. If he's not impeached and removed, he'll do increasingly extreme things. He's already demonstrated that. Has anyone noticed that this is what he is alleged to have done with the Russians? Conspired with a foreign power to rig an election in his favor. Republicans were doing cartwheels when it was "proven" by Mueller that he didn't do that. But now, they're saying, 'Yeah, he did it. get over it.'
Second, and most importantly, you didn't say it - HIS OWN LAWYER, Alan Dershowitz, said it. He's admitting HE COULD do it.
Will he? No. Because comrades Murkowski and Sullivan, generally vote with him. But in his mind, he could.
Look. This isn't rocket science. The GOP Playbook is basically this: "If it's good for rich conservative Americans (preferably rich, white males), then there are few-to-no rules. Economics is life; life is war; all's fair in war. If it's good for progressive Americans, then we have a different, much higher standard you'll need to achieve to get through the eye of that needle. The GOP is a coalition between rich leaders and those silly enough to follow us. Those silly enough to follow us deserve any mistreatment they get. We'll simply tell them to be quiet and wait for their reward after they die."
I fully realize how cynical this is, and fully acknowledge that many, if not most, Republicans aren't this blatant about their credo. But, we know from psychology how adept the human mind is at rationalization. And, rationalization is the sugar-coating on this bitter pill.
Today before the entire world Trump admitted to obstruction by bragging (yes bragging) that he is withholding documents: “Honestly, we have all the material. They don’t have the material.”
Yet the American Senate refuses to even pretend to hold a fair hearing.
America, it was nice knowing you.
You know exactly what Trump is thinking: "In 1776 nobody lived here." His grasp of history is the same as his grasp of reality, tenuous to nonexistent.
A couple of years ago I posted a comment to the effect of what happens if Trump agrees to hand Alaska back to Russia in exchange for a Trump Moscow Tower Project and all the copies of tapes of Trump cavorting with Russian prostitutes.
At the time, I thought I was joking, but I now believe that Mitch McConnell and his fellow GOP senators refusal for witnesses, documents and phone records, along with unanimous Republican senators' acquittal will pave the way for Trump and Putin to do all sorts of once unimaginable deal(s) without any fear of Senate backlash.
"see no evidence and hear no witnesses."
How does a Justice of the Supreme Court let a sham trial like this continue in the United States of America?
Hey, Nick, lighten up, will ya? The Dow is at an all-time high. A lot of people have not just one job, but three of them. Credit card companies are fat and happy. Somewhere down the road we’ll have Waffle Houses in National Parks. With so much winning, who needs the tired ol’ Constitution?
1
President Trump used his remarkable business acumen to negotiate a phenomenal deal, one that ensures the long-term prosperity of the American people. Are you saying you'd rather have Russia as an enemy than a friend? Do you have any idea how much it cost to run Alaska every year? This is just another example of the left hating Trump so much they attack anything he does.
Too easy.
From my vantage point, between Alaska and USA, I fear that your current or future president could be empowered by the pending impeachment trial to bring an unwelcome rapprochement of Russia to Canada. Some call it the power of a king. Others call it the authority of a dictator.
1
We can give Florida back to Spain? That sounds worth pursuing. Do you think they would take it off our hands?
2
Oh, give me a break. Trump couldn't "Give Alaska to Putin" without extensive Congressional approval. That's vastly different than what is accused of doing in Ukraine which broke no laws.
1
@Grace
Extortion is against the law.
Congressional Republicans be fine with Trump pardoning GOP bank robbers. Republican bank robbers are who they see every day when they look in their mirrors.
He wouldn’t give it away, but he’d make sure Vlad got a good price.
1
A thought just dawned on me. If four republicans Senators voted with the democrats for witnesses, I think Trump might resign to save the republicans the embarrassment of hearing the truth! Maybe wishful thinking on my part, and true for any sane president, but maybe not so for this sub-par evil genius. I hope it is tested at least!
It’s facile to selectively focus on Lindsey Graham’s hypocrisy relative to his stance during the Clinton impeachment. Somewhere there is a parallel column that only focuses on Schumer’s notable flip-flops. zzzzzzzzzz.
That partisans will be partisans is predictable, and it’s boring to act as though you just discovered that.
Public opinion is harder to impugn, and it runs contrary to this columnist’s too-easy argument.
1