A pox on both parties' houses.
Shame on Trump for weaponizing the presidency to a degree unseen by any of his predecessors - and none of it for the good of the country but only for his own personal aggrandizement. DJT's presidency is a toxic virus that is infecting the body politic to near death.
Shame on the House Democrats for sinking to such blind rancor and hatred of the Trump presidency since the day after the 2016 election. The Democrats pursued this fools errand of impeachment to their own detriment and to the country's by taking the low road instead of the high one. This will boomerang on them come Election Day 2020.
Shame on the Senate Republicans for taking a sham process and making it down right shambolic in their rush to judgement and to blindly acquit Trump. Any number of the Republicans could orchestrated a breaking of rank by voting for conviction yet still not have reached the 2/3 majority, thus sending a strong message on the Trump's non-criminal misdeeds. Senator Romney is the only member from the Republican side that comes out with any sense of honor.
I'm like many others in this country today - disgusted with our ALL of our elected leaders in Washington DC for pursuing their own partisan agendas and losing complete sight of their duty to serve the people.
7
I live in Vermont, not Alaska. But I was so incensed at Lisa Murkowski's comment: "The House failed in its responsibilities and the Senate — the Senate should be ashamed by the rank partisanship that has been on display here. So many in this chamber share my sadness for the present state of our institutions. It’s my hope that we’ve finally found bottom here.” that I asked her why she was so spineless and followed the sheep. Moi? We reached bottom on 11.8.16.
1
I live in Baja Iowa. Those of you who don’t have daily access to a semi-Trump style environment can’t imagine what your missing and good for you. Okay, so, “we’re better than this”, “this is not who we are”? Don’t be too sure.
3
If he tries it again, he should be impeached again, even a few months out from the election.
Why do republicans disrespect other points of view? The president bullies everyone, including his own party.
2
Can we pause and say that with Jeff Flake and now Mitt Romney, Mormonism has produced the most vocal, ethical, and moral leadership the Republican's have. Show me an evangelical "Christian" who has had any spine or moral courage vis-a-vis Trump. On the contrary, evangelicals have been complicit in Trump's wrongdoings and acquittal.
5
Acquitted, but certainly not exonerated.
Without question the charge of abuse of power regarding Trump’s direct actions to coerce the Ukrainian president to announce an investigation into the Bidens was made certain despite Trump’s lockdown on any testimony or documentation from within his administration.
Unquestionably the decision by the Democratic House to forego the dogged pursuit crucial witnesses and documents through the courts was a monumental error which failed to recognize the certain outcome once impeachment moved to the GOP majority in the Senate. It was in substantial measure a purely political Democratic move that gravely weakened their case.
The debacle of the impeachment starkly showcased the profound severity of the prevailing dysfunction of America’s deep and abiding political schism, something President Trump has sought manically to exacerbate.
There was an alternative to a purely partisan acquittal, Senate censure of Trump for his blatant abuse of power.
5
Indeed, international observers are shocked... Trump's acquittal is another nail in the coffin carrying the U.S. decaying 'glories'. As a contrast the coronavirus may be harmful today and China will pay the price but at the end it's essentially something destined to be overcome, and, who knows? may ultimately be recognized as an achievement in the future. Indecency however is a scourge lasting forever because History books register and analyze failures with luxury details.
3
Politics in Washington D.C. have completely reached a level of madness with the coronation of Trump as king "il Duce" and Republican members of Congress transformed into a college-type fraternity. Since the Republican orchestrated non-impeachment trial of Trump has ended as expected, it is now
time for Americans to demand leadership from Trump in addressing the human extinction level forces rapidly galloping toward us. These forces include the climate catastrophe,coupled with environmental collapse; increasing nuclear proliferation; the global slide toward increasing autocratic militarism ;and the use of disinformation as a weapon directed toward the people.
Political activities in Washington are interesting and of course we all should be aware of how they affect our families and the nation. The reality is, Trump, like all politicians will come and go. The nation will endure, continue to evolve and develop stronger safeguards against the insult of would be dictators.
The House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump and for good reason. He abused the power of the Presidency and continues to do so through his violation of the emonuments clause of the U.S. constitution, and who knows what else.
However, the forces racing toward us cannot wait and shame on us if we do not demand the national leadership needed at this critical point in time.
3
Senator Romney may have started something here: An anti-Trump movement within the Republican party. Time will tell, of course. Just a hunch now, but his moment on yesterday's roll call just may be the start of something. Or is he just a lone voice in the GOP wilderness?
2
53 to 47 is not an acquittal or exhoneration. It is more like a split vote. It is so obvious that the Senate Republicans acted unprofessionally and dishonestly to those of us outsite the US. Americans must be totally embarrassed by the unethical behaviour of these Senators. Corruption is like a cancer for a democracy. Only the American people can do the necessary surgery for a cure at this point.
3
Abusive kings are overthrown. Abusive presidents are removed from office. Let us never forget that Donald Trump was elected and swore to serve us, the people of the United States. When a president violates this oath and uses his office for his own personal benefit, as Donald Trump has done, he should be removed from office.
Senators, who sworn to uphold the constitutional mandate that the three branches of government are equally powerful and meant to act independently, and who agreed that this president was guilty of executive abuse but out of fear voted on political party lines to acquit him, are guilty as well.
3
Mitch McConnell's comments on Bill Clinton's impeachment:
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, now the Senate majority leader, was a senator. He voted "guilty" for both impeachment articles. He said the White House had tried to orchestrate a smear campaign against Republicans, and he asked the Senate floor, "Will we pursue the search for truth or will we dodge, weave and evade the truth?"
Source: Business Insider, Jan.31, 2020
3
Mitt Romney will be received well in history. He and John McCain will be remembered for being among the few who stood up against an authoritarian, corrupt, and vile president. Thank you, Sen. Romney, for demonstrating the character and courage your party so sadly lacks at this moment in time!
4
As social media, fantasy news and Boss Trump coalesce, Republicans are closer than ever to halting their slide down the wrong side of history.
Indeed, with their recent exoneration of Trump's criminal behavior, a corrupt Republican Congress finds itself in the position of being able to push the country backwards.
And how they love it.
Amid the clapping and stomping and bolt upright shouts of approval during “Don” Trump's State of The Union speech, one could sense a kind of criminal delirium spreading among Republicans.
And why not? Almost anything is now permissible.
We're in very dark times.
5
Acquittal was necessary if the Constitution was respected. And it was. Pelosi turned on herself and her people when she was forced to impeach Trump without bi-partisan support. It is desperate times indeed for the Democrat Party. They are rotting from the inside out. Can't wait for November election. I'm wearing my MAGA hat and thumping my chest.
“The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.” -- Fulton J. Sheen
10
It is important to remember that ultimately the decision to remove or retain the president will come down to the electorate. Explaining to voters why they should vote against Trump in November is just as important as the impeachment trial itself. Now is not the time to ostracize large swaths of voters, for they have legitimate issues with opinions, however ill shaped and misinformed those opinions might be. We, as registered voters, in the year 2020, are being presented with a decision that will not only shape the next four years, but the next forty. The data, science and facts on issues are clear, and I solemnly believe that it is the duty of each and every voter to express those facts in such a manner that can appeal to everyone. The direction the country has taken under the leadership of the Trump administration threatens not only national security and stability but also life itself. After such divided times, we must unify, we must understand that suffering knows no parties.
8
An old Italian proverb: What doesn't happen in a year, happens in a day.
Donald Trump has skated all of his life, avoiding any sense of accountability. A charmed life indeed, with the ultimate jackpot being the White House.
But his luck is going to run out, and soon. Die hard Republicans have fragile memories. Let me help you: Think back to November, 2018, the mid-term elections. Take a look at the legislative turnarounds across the nation with Dems taking back majority rule.
Look at the House of Representatives in DC. It's only the beginning my friends. Donald Trump will be a one-term president. And the Republican Congress that has enabled him to act like a monarch will go down as the most duplicitous, cowardly, power-hungry politicians in American history.
5
@Len in February 2016 did you predict that Donald Trump would "skate" to win the Presidency over his 16 Republican rivals and Hillary Clinton, including winning in your state of Pennsylvania? I didn't think so.
Here's another proverb, "He who has the knowledge doesn't predict. He who doesn't have the knowledge... predicts."
Not exactly. It ends with the power of the Senate diminished. This are much worse
@Colin
The power of the Senate is stacked against the people in support of the corporate powers. That does not change at all. That is why Trump was not impeached. Trump is the man serving the corporate elite and that elite has the power, not the government of the people by the people.
2
What are we to learn from this episode in American history? That lying, cheating, bullying, coverups, intimidation, name-calling--are all rewarded both among our representatives in government and a wide swath of the American people and that there is no reckoning for the destructive effects of this behavior? It will take a mighty change to recover from this blow and correct the course of our history.
4
I congratulate the House managers for doing a great job and proving their case, defending the power of Congress and legislative branch and the Constitution. I condemn the Trumpist Senators who designed a sham "trial" and cover-up of this obviously corrupt, ignorant, dishonest and abusive president. They failed the Senate, the Congress, their oath of office, their oath before the "trial", and the American people. The consequences for the next 9 months are unknown, but we can reasonably predict that Trump will grab more power, punish his "enemies" and seek more foreign interference to support his re-election. Why not? The Senate Trumpists have declared that Trump is the United States. Trump will do everything and anything to get re-elected. I ask the House and journalists to be vigilant against a rigged November election.
4
I keep thinking about all the times the US [and the 'west'] talk about 'regime change' in Asian [Iran, Afghanistan], African and even American [Venezuela] countries. Who will do a regime change in the US? The voters in November?
Actually Putin has already done a regime change - with tRump the puppet being played. ONLY the voters can now do a reversal.
3
I can't help but wonder if we, the people, are worthy of democracy? When will we evolve? Will we ever evolve?
Sorry U.S.A. I wonder if Canada isn't far behind you? I hoped the www would enlighten us. Maybe - sometime soon?
2
A “trial” without evidence is a cover-up and an “acquittal” without evidence is a conspiracy.
8
I declare Senator Mitt Romney the "winner" of this contest between right and wrong. He faced the beast and did not retreat.
5
Mitt's just a deeply principled American.
Only kidding.
It's transparent, cynical career manouvering.
Romney knows he'll now join Dubya and McCain in the hearts of liberals and will try and reap the maximum political, financial, and ego benefit.
7
It's up to the voters?
After House Democrats just proved that Trump cheats in elections? After several prominent Republican Senators have acknowledged that House Democrats proved Trump cheats in elections? Our Republican Senators refuse to protect our elections, yet expect *us* to settle the issue with an election? A cop out.
Did Biden perform badly in Iowa due to Trump's scheme to damage him with foreign interference? We'll never know -- just like we'll never know how many votes were influenced by Russian interference in 2016.
All we will ever know for sure is that Republicans have proven over the last few years that they will defend their position of power but NOT our rights when it comes to free and fair elections.
6
At odds is where we should be. For me and people like me, there's no other choice but to fight back against his policies and corrupt practices.
And to those who see what Trump did as just normal politics and all of us on the other side from the beginning just out to get him (gee, sounds an awful lot like what Republicans did to Obama), then let's get rid of the two term presidency. If a first term president, so he can be reelected, gets to strong-arm or solicit foreign governments for dirt on his opponent, then we'd better change to four and out.
1
I was wondering if there was any Republican I’d ever vote for. I finally found one. But I’d feel better if Mitt completely cut ties to a party that lauds what he finds so offensive.
2
It wasn't just Democrats and Mitt Romney who voted to convict Trump. So did two Independents-Sanders of Vermont and King of Maine.
3
Now that Senate Republicans have approved foreign intervention in our elections with the acquittal of Trump. In order to level the playing field in the next election...Democrats need to reach out to China, North Korea, India or any other country that wants to see Donald Trump defeated and solicit help (maybe offering favorable funding or trade in the future). This is the path where the Republicans want to leader country. VERY SAD!
The press is not being fair or honest by portraying this mess as two sides opposing each other.
The truth is that one side, republicans, have chosen to embrace deceit and propaganda and the other side has not changed much except for having moved right, at all. Not stating this fact is giving aid and assistance to the cheaters.
The republicans in Congress have not all been corrupted by Trump. They support him as they have because of the party's long term plans to hold control of the three branches for as long as possible. They intend to rewrite the rules for how things operate where they can. But most importantly to them and us they want to control the Judicial Branch which they are filling up with corrupt lifetime appointees as fast as they can.
3
Nancy Pelosi tore up a speech; Trump and the Republican Senate tore up the Constitution.
4
all that posturing, from schumer to pelosi.
was just to justify positions in power.
if it invigorates you to vote fine.
but how much, do the 'tax payers' have yet,
to pay again, for this?
just like the government shut down;
neither side has a fiscal care for the average citizen,
who has been LEFT out of the middle class.
i know, 30 years ago, it was a golden paved road.
you attented a good college and knew in general,
which field you wanted to study.
BAM. part time teller job 10 bucks starting health
benifits and 12 in 6 SIX months.
circa '90.
now professionals with degrees are competting for those same jobs;
and they don't even exist,
you know. the ones that had opportunity to mid level finance.
rest unsaid.
and sorry for the scatter.
but this 'impeachment' was a joke just as the government shut down, and now the new generation is left paying for it.
again.
3
We need more courageous people like Romney. He would have been a good president.
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time" (Maya Angelou)
Trump will continue to break the law, plus he has done more than just the two articles of impeachment brought by the house. It stands to reason more dirt will come out, and if my guess is correct Nancy has even more in the hopper to convict him. He will either get impeached twice, or the news will show even worse acts of his to the public.
He announced he will cut social security and Medicare and healthcare. Anyone voting for him after this, and that, is voting against their own survival. Especially since he is a climate denier, as is the corrupt GOP, and if we don't change that we will not survive - period.
VOTE BLUE - NO MATTER WHO
Especially in the senate and house....
6
It still matters, America and the world were watching.
3
There was a case for investigation but no case for impeachment. The facts just don’t support the charges.
Nancy Pelosi was right. Impeachment can only work if it has broad and bi partisan support. This has all the hallmarks of a partisan coup. Now the Democrats are left humiliated and Trump is on the front foot.
Learn you well, Democrats. Let this go and get focus on the election campaign, if you are to have any crumb of a chance to beat Trump in 2020.
2
I just think it is significant that BOTH parties voted in lock step in the House
Impeachment vote. Not one single Democrat voted to acquit on either charge in the Senate trial. Only one Republican voted to convict on one count. Doesn’t this almost 100% party line vote in both phases of the process validate Nancy Pelosi’s original analysis that impeachment should occur only if the process has bipartisan support and a national groundswell of poplar support???
2
I must say that I have never voted for Mitt Romney. I met him once. Most of his political ideas do not match mine. However, what he did yesterday would have certainly impressed a young senator named John F. Kennedy enough to include him in his book ‘Profiles in Courage’ in 1956. You see, ideally courage should be a common asset to humanity, but it is not. It will always have its adversaries. We should applaud it when we see it because in doing so we too may be inspired to expand our own conscience and do what is just and right, though possibly not popular. It may even build a bridge between those who thought themselves adversaries.
7
@Berkeleyalive
Where's the courage?
1. His seat is safe regardless of what Trump or the GOP may do to him.
2. He did not vote to convict on the obstruction charge making is seem like the Senate approves of the Executive refusing to obey legal requests for documents and testimony in spite of the SCOTUS having ruled on it during the Nixon admin.
3. He is thinking longer term than his fellow republicans, realizing the long term impact of openly taking such morally degenerate positions. He is not averse to it, after all he made his bones destroying millions of peoples lives to steal the money that was supporting them and their communities. What he is averse to is his degeneracy being a publicly proven fact.
2
Thank you Senator Romney for honoring the oath you took and voting your conscience which is what every person in Congress should be doing, too.
8
@Homer
He did not honor his oath as he only voted guilty on one charge. Both articles were proven.
His stand has allowed for an argument that the excesses and refusals to accept oversight by Congress are just fine by the Senate.
After the Mueller Report fizzled and Democratic hopes faded for Trump's ouster as a result of Russian collusion there was a momentary spark of life again when Robert Mueller personally agreed to publicly say something. After yesterday the only shred of remaining hope for Democrats could come from an announcement that maybe Mitt Romney will say something? Preferably this time not covertly recorded at a wealthy donor cocktail party about disregarding little people.
1
Clearly, in these times with this President and his enablers, we are seeing first hand how fragile democracy remains in that should it be threatened in any way, there is no real fall back position. It is a concept solely determined by those that wield power and it is hoped they wield that power with a moral compass and to do the right thing. In America, that has gone right out the window and this acquittal enables this President to wield power without accountability, hence, authoritarianism and fascism unleashed.
Clearly, 2020 will be a tipping point for America's future to determine which direction it is headed and unfortunately, there seems to be a significant group of Americans that are "just fine" with the way Trump is doing his job which can't bode well for a country that wishes to move ahead, the deep divisions are just not sustainable.
3
@Deus
Apparently legislators where fine with Bill Clinton' s behavior too, when they too did acquit him ...even if the facts in his case were true and prooved (perjury)
Why now Democrats seem to make a difference with Trump ?
"Impeachment forever" "permanent stain" and so on.....and Bill Clinton ?
Could be this taken as a proof of the deep hatred towards Trump ?
1
You won't beat Trump with articles like this one. Mr. Frandos writes that Trump tried to "pressure Ukraine to smear his political rivals." Who were these rivals? Could it be Warren, Sanders, or Buttigieg? How did he ask the Ukraine to smear them" He did ask them to investigate the demand to fire a prosecutor in 2015 by Biden when he was Vice President. It just happens to be the prosecutor was bringing criminal charges against on the company Hunter Biden worked for at $50,000 a month. He wanted to make sure the information he based the question on was valid. After all, it was Joe Biden himself who told the world, in 2018, what he had done during a televised panel. If what Joe had done was pure and innocent. then what was there to smear? He did not ask them to prosecute anyone, Not even Sanders, Warren or Buttigieg. This whole thing was motivated by revenge for Trump winning the election and the Democrats had no one they thought could beat him in 2020. In fact one of their number said they didn't want it to be left it to the citizens. They might actually elect him again. The process should only have taken two days. One to impeach and one to acquit. There would not have been on vote difference than occurred and brought an end to all of this futile exercise yesterday
6
The famous Greek sophist Protagoras claimed that “man is the measure of all things,” and democracy is founded on this notion. What it all comes down to, is the art of logos or persuasion. Logos has supreme power, but it is neutral. Logos can do great good: it can banish fear and grief, and foster joy and compassion. And even when deceptive, we can go away wiser, as happens with the fictions of tragedy. And make no mistake, the American people, and the world, have witnessed a tragedy. The question is, what wisdom will they take away from it?
1
When some anonymous YouTube self-proclaimed time-traveler said he came back from the future and that Trump would be reelected, I wrote him off as mere online entertainment. Now, I'm starting to believe him!
2
“ The possibility of impeachment has hung over Mr. Trump’s presidency virtually since it began.” And therein lies the rub-Democrats have been clamoring to try to remove Trump since the day he won, looking for any reason to impeach him, even before he would have had any opportunity to do anything actionable. My guess is that alone will convince independent voters to re-elect him in November. Once again democrats have shot themselves in the foot.
4
America needs a new flag in the Trump Regime era — one with melted stars, sagging stripes and a heavy border. It's more reflective of what we have become.
3
I’m more concerned about Trump supporters than I am about Trump— I trust in the law, and the truth will come out. But I never imagined that so many Americans could be so gullible and easily manipulated. Is it possible they really can’t see through this charlatan? Can so many really be so easily fooled?
9
Is this how the democracies work? Our representatives casting their votes sheepishly along party lines and unable to make a personal evaluation and decision of their own their constituents expect from them? This will be remembered as the greatest political farce ever seen. What a shame for our democracy!
4
Actually, if you’re able to take a BIG step back, yes! Democracies move slow and balance out power, so a crowd can just remove a president. Or, that a corrupt president can’t rule forever. This particular group of politicians (yes, the Dems) should be sued for hijacking the government for its own motivations of destroying their hated political rival. But, yes, as ugly as it is, it was democracy working. No coup. No gunfire. No kings.
1
@Turgut Dincer
Yes democracy work so as it worked for Bill Clinton's impeachment and and acquittal..
Exactly the same way.
What is not democratic is that the impeachment process in Trump's case was a partisan one from the very beginning and before..
It' s crazy that of all things the Democrats are crying "fault" !
1
I remain surprised that the significant number of Republican senators who have admitted to privately supporting impeachment but also fearing Trump's revenge, would not have met clandestinely and conspired to vote decisivel for conviction. Yes, it would have taken courage, and I suppose that hoping for courage in almost every Republican (except Sen. Romney) was an exercise in futility. Even with the weight of history upon them, they could not be Americans first.
The nation and the world will remember that their cowardice stabbed America in its heart on February 5th, 2020. Our country will likely die slowly, but it will die without extreme intervention, i.e. intense and ongoing political involvement from every American who is not a trumpist and for whom the idea of living in a fascist society is anathema. We have one chance to heal this mortal wound: elect every Democrat in every race on November 3rd. We can only correct the course of the ship of state if we have the power to do so. Will we have the wisdom to seize that power?
3
There are far more of us who've had our last bit of innocence corrupted by the actions of the Senate Republicans and Trump's shifty, oily defense team than Trump and his mindless minions suspect. We truly believed Congress would ultimately see the depravity of Trump and protect us from one more minute of his Presidency. They failed us.
I think that perhaps there is no rage to fear more than that of the long-suffering masses who have gone along monitoring their responses, who have perhaps erred in remaining largely silent, hoping and hoping that the ship of state, caught in a storm of seeming madness, will right itself, that the laws will hold and those expected and elected to uphold them will do so.
Beware this rage, Republicans; it is coming for all of you. Now, we are cynical, too. And revenge has become an ingredient in our fuel. You've broken our democracy and we want it back, and healed.
House Managers, we hope you can all get the rest you richly deserve and re-renter the fight knowing we have your backs.
5
The cited poll results are just flat out bizarre.
1
If all the weak Senators(R), that spoke of Trump's guilt while they deferred, were added to those that voted guilty, the verdict would be guilty.
Impeachment without removal is analogous to indictment and then being found innocent. There is no shame in it unless you are convicted. Please stop saying that trump will remain impeached forever even though he was acquitted. It’s like OJs prosecutors saying “ well, at least we indicted him”
4
trump looks really ill in that picture.
I don't think he is going to live much longer.
GOD speed!
We’ve become a country of liars. Moderate, wise voices are now the extreme minority; indulgence in every variety of unconsidered invective is the norm. We don’t disagree with our opponents, we hate them, loathe them. Everyone indulges in assuming the absolute worst out of everyone else.
Trump is unfit for office, but the “Russia investigation” was shameful, followed by this ridiculous impeachment. There is a level here: censure, chastisement, etc. But it clearly did not meet the bar for overturning the results of an election in any world. Precedent instances were barely brought up.
Rocking our institutions is an indulgence. They will break.
The race to the bottom to get low watt voters riled up on either side could come with an extremely heavy price tag.
Mitt Romney's remarkable speech was the saving grace of the GOP senate's kangaroo trial. He showed intelligence, rational thought, conscience and character. All of those capacities have been drained from the other Republicans.
Yet the head of Utah's GOP foolishly blamed Romney's "hatred of Trump" for his decision. I often hear Trump fanatics claim the rest of us just hate him -- as if Trump were a beautiful, inspiring and ethical statesman of whom we are all jealous. In reality, our disdain is a healthy reaction to an immoral, unethical, criminal narcissist who is taking our country down.
7
The impeachment was a shame from the get-go. Thats why Constitutional Scholars like Dershowitz and Turley stepped forward and delineated all of the reasons why it was not Constitutional and dangerous to attempt to remove a sitting President for a phone call along party lines.
Of course I realize most of the thousands of Liberals who read this paper know more than they do.
5
Romney is just a sour grapes sore loser. Barry O dusted him in 2012 and then Trump declined to appoint him a Secretary of State.
He will slink his carpet bagging rear end off to a new state after Utahans wise up to his childish petulance.
15
It will be up to the voters in November to do what the cowardly Republicans refused to do, defend the Constitution and our republic.
1227
@Philip K I hope you are right. Unfortunately, my trust is American electorate has been shaken to the core--never could I have imagined in my most nightmarish dream that third world type identity politics and norms could ever be imported to a mature democracy.
118
How can we do that, when the electoral college can be fixed through gerrymandering and “re-districting” tactics?
86
@Philip K
The electoral college will see that the voters do not get to decide. Remember Hillary? She won, oh, no the electoral college won. And will do so again. Banana republic.
33
Romney made a fool of himself by crossing not party lines, but crossing the tectonic partisan divide, in which there are no good or bad sides, both are at fault, and neither is interested in anything else but themselves.
The whole thing has been a sham aimed at overthrowing Trump, the ultimate attempt crowning 3+ years of vicious hourly (!) campaign to disgorge him. I am glad it is over. And I hope DT wins since he certainly did not deserve such unprecedented onslaught of hatred by the Dems and their crazily loyal dogs, media.
174
@ss
Romney is a hero of the Republic, as is Justin Amash. It is better to serve justice than to service your party.
597
@ss
Wow. This is "crazily loyal" itself.
Trump clearly abused the presidency for self-gain. And then he instructed his admin not to cooperate. Sorry but most of this country is not a fan of lawlessness.
565
@ss I'm sad about some of your words. Given that this was on party lines, your fellow citizens seem to feel it was legitimate. One side thinks it's unwarranted and the other does not. That's not to say that because people disagree with you you're wrong, but more to say that the people who disagree with you are at least as reasonable (or else we are degraded to some exaggerated extreme we are told to hate). So where is the sham? What lines in the constitution have been obstructed by the Democrats? Is it the politics that are annoying? The same practices are employed on the other side too.
I feel like we've devolved together in this polarized system - it's all about convenience and perception. I wish I had an answer but in your support of Trump and the hate I'm sure you receive in return, I beg that you don't respond with hate.
92
Let’s not forget how brave Doug Jones was.
That was quite a courageous vote and an inspiring speech.
Thank you Senator Jones!
9
Expect in the coming year Trump being committed to what is most important to him..getting even with those who have in his twisted mind ..wronged him and he will have full support of the Justice Department under Billy Barr who may be the only one in this administration that is even more corrupt and guilty of cover-ups than the Chosen One himself. Two senators have already began an investigation into Hunter Biden and Barr has already forbidden the FBI to take up any actions or investigations into 2020 election interference. Expect him to launch a full-scale investigation into Hunter Biden and Joe Biden and whatever front runner emerges from the Democratic Party. They have a sinister plan that they think will make them victorious in 2020 or they wouldn't have showcased their complete lack of morals during these impeachment hearings. It took years for 1930s Germany to fall into complete fascist rule but it's has happened in our country in only two year three years. These are dark times for democracy.
28
@biglefty
Yes, it is. People here never went through war in living memory, in our streets the way so much of the world has. They see the fraud. We’re in a weak and complacent state (collectively) and enemies clearly understand. Trump will go off the rails again. That’s as sure as sunrise but next time might be too late.
4
Trump holds up “ fake news “ to show off his acquittal at National Prayer Breakfast.
Praise be he.
1
The people will have to hold him accountable, all the crooks in DC never will. These people have no morals and are concerned with lining their own pockets with the ill gotten gain.
9
It truly is a sad day when elected Republicans sold their souls to toe the party line too afraid to speak up for their constituents who voted them into public office. Bravo to Mitt Romney, the only one who had the courage to speak out for what is right.
15
Much to my chagrin, I watched and listened to our elected representatives explain their votes for the acquittal of the President. It was a travesty.
Bless Mitt Romney for speaking truth to money and power. What has happened to decency in America?
What has happened to trust and ethics and courage? I shudder for the future of our democracy.
16
Romney and Doug Jones are the hero's in my mind and particularly Romney. His standing up for truth will be more than a footnote in history books.
16
End result is the GOP has re-enforced their demand that the laws will be applied to everyone else, BUT their [rich, commrad] Republicans members.
6
This country is in extremely grave condition, and will remain in hospice until November, when I expect the final nail to be driven into the coffin of this once great nation. The protections that the Founding Fathers set up for us have failed, thanks to a two bit con man and a cult. RIP United States of America 1776-2020.
13
Over? Not likely. The Senators wanted more evidence from the House, so the House needs to subpoena Bolton, Mulvaney, and more.
5
The GOP falsely states (and repeats, ad nauseam) that impeaching trump* would be equivalent to tearing up the ballots of the 2016 election.
Well, isn't that what Jeff Van Drew did when he changed parties for the impeachment vote? What about the voters who put him in office thinking they were voting for a Democrat? Didn't he invalidate their ballots?
6
Romney said on Feb 5, 2020:
"In the last several weeks I’ve received numerous calls and texts. Many demanded in their words that I stand with the team. I can assure you that thought has been very much on my mind. You see, I support a great deal of what the president has done. I’ve voted with him 80 percent of the time. But my promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and political biases aside. Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me, for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke and the censure of my own conscience. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong. So the verdict is ours to render under our Constitution. The people will judge us for how well and faithfully we fulfill our duty. The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did." ---- "YES, HE DID"
9
A hypothetical question: would the Republicans still acquit the President if the Russians attacked Ukraine because the Russians knew the Ukrainians lacked the military equipment including anti tank Javelins to defend themselves?
5
There is one difference the impeachment made on the way out vs on the way in.... Donald Trumps increasing poll numbers
6
Some of us value honor, integrity, competence and wisdom over money, corruption and the hypocritical defense of ill gained and used power.
Any sane person knows trump is insane, corrupt, and lies and abuses his powers every day.
Too bad only one republican had a bit of courage, honesty and decency on one day at least.
Anyone wondering how democracy is or can be lost is seeing it before their eyes. Who knows if we'll survive long term.
Those of us with some integrity and decency have to try to do what's necessary. Hope enough join in.
9
Democracy fails when one side is so convinced that the other is evil, that they do anything or say anything to demean them. The lack of empathy and ability to accept that there just might be another side, and well-meaning motive or another way to skin the cat, destroys democracies. These forces have come from the right and the left.
Lets get one thing cleared. HE WAS IMPEACHED! He was not taken out of office. No matter how he wants to spin it. HE WAS IMPEACHED! Maybe after his next impeachment he will be removed from office.
11
That will be expunged. Further that me phony impeachment that just was, was so corrupt as to be irrelevant.
I thought Pelosi said she "prays for the President".
When the Republicans pick up the House in the 2020 election they will then control all branches of government. The Republicans have vowed to "Expunge" the whole impeachment like it never even happened. This is hilarious, you cant make this stuff up!
4
The outcome appeared partisan but boils down to “the Constitution versus the King,” not what the framers intended.
4
OJ was acquitted as well - and we all know he was guilty. It seems when our "judicial" system fails - it fails completely. Shame on these Republican jurors who put themselves ahead of our once great nation.
11
Well done Senator Mitt Romney. I applaud and commend you for your clear conscience on your decision to vote to remove Donald John Trump from the Oval Office.
Your vote serves as the only example amongst your Republican colleagues in the Senate, and to the American people, exactly the duties and responsibilities of a duly elected United States Senator during an impeachment trial. Regardless of your own political party affiliation, you adhered to your conviction of the presented arguments and facts, that Trump is guilty for the crimes committed.
The nature of politics involves teams, and all current Republicans of Congress have deservingly earned an ‘F’ on the impeachment proceedings and trial. It is political suicide no matter which way the Republicans voted in both chambers. The result of the swift impeachment trial without any witnesses, is a complete disservice to all Americans. Past, present, and future. Too bad there was not another team player to join Senator Mitt Romney with the courage to uphold their sworn oaths. He stands alone with an “F++.”
I felt the Democrats did a superior job overall in their collection, work-up, and the presentation of facts; compared to Republicans, in the GOP’s attempt to remove President William Jefferson Clinton from the Oval Office for abuse of Executive Branch powers.
Senator Mitt Romney is not the Democrats secret weapon. Democrats, disenchanted Republicans, and Independents may have a secret weapon to share should they ask for it.
5
In an alternate universe near you, one to three clicks away from CNN or MSNBC, Trump is the victim here. (And Biden is the most corrupt politician ever. Or was it Hillary? Who's running again? Russia! We need your help!)
At the end of the day he will live with the stain of impeachment forever. A narcissists worst nightmare. He can crow all he wants. IMPEACHED!!!
16
@D.E.R. Not so fast. If Republicans pick up the House in the next election they can vote to "Expunge" his impeachment leaving his record crystal clean. They have already vowed to do it.
4
@D.E.R.
And he will crow his reelection was helped by the Democrats and the Times coverage.
2
@D.E.R. Yup, to listen to some repubs locally yesterday who said impeachment has been removed, i pointed out that he is impeached forever, he was just not given any punishment for it, they will never understand this. So sad that basic civics isnt even in their minds, this is the end result of the GOP having slowly cut public education for their own greed and gain.
6
Come November I'll wager the court of public opinion, manifested in the privacy of voting booths, will bring justice to the Republican party. Given the weight of evidence, their craven behavior will get its just due.
10
The hyper partisan impeachment power struggle battle just consolidated the division further and has hardly united the country. That said it is the independents that will now be the ones that will tilt the scales of baskets of the deplorables and the disgusting. Once again in Nov. 2020 it will be an election to elect the lesser of the 2 evils. The choice is for the independents because there is not going to be movement from one basket to another.
2
Romney was the only member of the Republican party who had the courage to stand up for what he believes is right. This president has no moral compass, so it's refreshing to see the GOP has at least one person left who isn't completely self-serving.
5
Yet another great Doug Mills photograph of the bone spurs president pretending to stand tall beside members of the assigned Marine sentries. Such fakery on full display.
Please remember to vote in our next Presidential election. Our nation and history depend on it.
10
Many of the republican senators offered the lame excuse "this is not impeachable conduct". They never explained what IS impeachable in their view. Bravo Senator Romney, this is your finest hour, your clear eyed reasoning should be heard by your fellow republican senators that cowered at the threat of a twitter storm from an IMPEACHED Trump.
5
Senate Republicans were never going to convict Trump, because they are politically beholden to him and unwilling to risk losing power in order to defend democracy. The utmost heights of irresponsibility and foregoing their oath to defend the Constitution. The malfeasance of our GOP Senators is unmitigated abuse of sworn duty to the Nation.
3
It was supposed to be a trial, but the GOP did not even pretend to try to try the case.
5
February 5 2020.
President Trump acquitted after a sham trial.
A day that will live in infamy.
2
Why Democrat didn’t investigate the financial crimes of Trump? Trump has lot to hide about his finance as he sold many flat to Russian oligarchs.
1
@Naser Those are still under investigation by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York where he used to reside.
2
He was cleared as leader of HIS PARTY not the country He has not in his entire time endeavoured to be the leader of our entire country
So claiming this mantle mow is as false as his ‘ acquittal’
Besides the * is permanent
2
So many comments here about how history will remember these GOP Senators who failed to vote their conscience. Do you really believe these Senators are focused on their legacy? Politicians are not thinking about the very distant future.... they are focused on now (and what it means to go against their President), and on the foreseeable future, especially if they are up for re-election. Democrats must immediately move on to Censure and take advantage of this formal condemnation. They must not fall into complacency, but continue to condemn this President at every opportunity.
5
Senator Mitt Romney made an impassioned plea in justifying his vote for impeachment. In so doing he has invited consequences. Those among his Party colleagues will be measurable and with cause as he proclaimed his religious faith and in so doing elevated himself above them and above politics.
The consequences within his faith and covenant with God will be immeasurable for he has broken the third commandment. Faith that is genuine is quiet and serene as its depth lies beneath the surface. Mr. Romney’s holier than thou proclamation and manner of distinguishing rightness from Party line was not born of faith but vanity. His stance and posturing are now recorded in history, however his final accounting is now problematic.
2
And what about all those conservatives who acquitted trump...and openly claim to be faithful servants? Have you heard of the Pharisees? Your argument is weak and misdirected. Romney displayed courage while speaking his heart as well as the truth. We all should do the same.
6
I agree with you Will.
Grant, you need to go back and read the Ten Commandments. Trump has broken 9 out of 10, giving him a break on killing someone. But anyone who claims he could "shoot anyone on 5th Ave and get away with" is even questionable on having that thought.
2
@Grant
Grant, please read the oath. For your convenience I have copied and pasted it for you. Please note the very last sentence of the oath as this is what Senator Romney is telling us he takes seriously. He was not talking about his personal religion, he was referring to god.
The solemn oath prescribed by law has been: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
No – impeachment did not end where it started. It ended with Republicans victorious and Democrats defeated, embarrassed and lost. Those who hope that the tide will turn in the next election only have to look back at 2018: Republicans increased their majority in the Senate and stayed in control of the White House, Senate and the Supreme Court. I have no confidence whatsoever in this Democratic Party and I am extremely frustrated that no party exists that can represent me.
4
Your comment really had a twist at the end. I was convinced it was going to end with ‘long live the king!’
Maybe consider doing everything you can to assure Democrats win in 2020. We’ve allowed the goalposts to move so far to the right that we are shockingly close to a grim future.
3
@Themis
I notice you avoided mentioning the midterm results where the Dems overwhelmingly won the House.
@Brian All I can do is offer one vote and a couple hundred dollars to my candidate. It is not enough.
I think we have seen how justice works in the Senate, not very good, a trial without witnesses or physical evidence, is not a trial, at least not a trial that most Americans would recognize. I think in the future every American going to court on any serious charge(s) as a defendant, should be able to ask for the SENATE/TRUMP version, with no witnesses no physical evidence, just a quick acquittal, think of all the tax payer dollars that would be saved. Okay, only in our wildest dreams would that ever happen. Trump is guilty as sin of the charges, but all the Republicans could do instead of presenting facts or documents to defend trump was argue about the House process, and after he was Impeached, and it moved over to the Senate for trial, McConnell decided again not to fight and disprove the charges by not allowing witnesses or documents, again not any shape or form of a real trial. In the end they started telling us okay trumps actions were wrong, but we don't thinks is cause to remove him. I wonder if that's why they didn't want witnesses or documents to make there decision easier to acquit, hear no more evil. McConnell seems to have a pattern about using election years not to take action or do there appointed jobs, which is what he did when he wouldn't allow Obama his Supreme Court nomination to be heard. Vote trump out November4,2020.
2
Is it possible that no Democratic Senator with legal training saw that there was no legal basis to vote to convict a sitting president; is it possible that only one Republican Senator with legal training saw that there was a legal basis to vote to convict a sitting president.
Perhaps democracy is not the best form of government Mr. Churchill.
4
The American people are not capable of democracy.
1
The phrase "Republican integrity" is an oxymoron and acquittal does not mean innocent.
It was always clear that the Republicans would not vote to convict Trump.
However, one is left wondering what on earth Pelosi was thinking when she chose not to force compliance with subpoenas from Bolton and others through the courts or the Sergeant At Arms.
Are Democrats not yet tired of their decade of losing ?
Does Pelosi even understand what has been lost ?
Trump will now consider himself to be liberated from any Congressional oversight.
2
You may not want to second-guess Nancy Pelosi. She absolutely knew that the Senate would not vote to convect this monster and that subpoenas would be fruitless. She has an end game that we probably don't understand.
4
A typical MO for criminals: test the limits of the law, to find out how to go around it- so what we’ve seen here is Trump testing how much he can get away with. In the modern world, overt crimes are committed by gradually committing smaller covert ones. That is the most dangerous and frightening outcome of this impeachment, because now that he’s able to cheat, we’re going to see a lot more of it until November. There is now no guarantee that even that election will be honest and fair. Look at the Iowa caucus results- so easy to interfere with, when unseen forces control the process, especially corrupted unseen forces.
3
Every guilty but unrepentant accused claims he is hated. How else could he explain being accused of such an act? And the more egregious the act, the greater must the claimed hatred be. But justifiably inflamed passions are not hatred.
People who commit egregious acts often do so as part of a pattern of offenses, offenses that inflame the passions of the harmed and the sympathetic public. The inflamed passions that result have a cause: the egregious acts. The claim of hatred is just an attempt to divert attention from that cause.
1
I still can't get over that Romney said he supported 80 percent of what Trump does...how can a so-called "Christian" even say that.
4
What stands out is the lost opportunity for Republicans. The president was never going to be removed from office. That should have given some Republican senators the protection to vote to convict.....If the president had been acquitted in a squeaker, McConnell might have clawed back his party.
Then the message could have been that while he still holds office, Republicans will not necessarily back the president when he misbehaves. Perhaps that was the message Senator Collins dreamed about.
Lock step loyalty to the man, not the ideals is the alarming result. The senate just made him a dictator.
1
Happy that Senator Romney voted to convict the Occupant on the first count.
However, what prevented him to vote for the second count, obstruction of justice?
Not good enough, Senator Romney.
2
and of course Trump called Romney what he himself has been accused of "grabbing".
1
It should never have come to that.
The goal of the Democrats and Liberals was to remove the president in chains and void the 2016 elections.
If the Democrats had won, it would have meant your vote means nothing as the losing party has the right to void your vote and remove the legally elected winner. That's the precedent this was going to set.
The president should be chosen by the people, following legal guide lines for election, not shoved down our throats and removed at will by the opposing party.
The Trump people will crow victory from here until January at the re-election swear in. The Democrats will crow victory because they won on principle, they showed him.
And the DC show goes on as usual. Too bad the DNC wants to have a Washington as usual president in Biden.
Bloomberg is starting to look mighty nice by now.
2
@AutumnLeaf
“ If the Democrats had won, it would have meant your vote means nothing...”
That could be said of every impeachment of an elected person. Impeachment exists for a reason.
3
The people chose Clinton by three million votes.
4
No matter the Senate outcome, Donald Trump will go down in history as a U.S. President that was impeached!
7
As far as I can tell the GOP is deceased and changed into the Trumplican party. Because there certainly isn't anything grand or honorable about them and their leader. Only one Republican left in the Senate, Mitt Romney.
12
Romney did not merely rebuke Trump...he stripped the POT (Party of Trump) of all pretenses. From their “religious freedom, evangelical” hypocrisy to their “hear and see no evil” blindness to the high crimes of President Evil. Dummy Trump Jr, threatened to eject Mitt from the Republican Party. From the what? Mitt is already the last man standing in that extinct party.
9
@Asher Fried We have to label them from now on as the POT. They should wear it like a scarlet letter and forever be reminded of when the ex-Republican Party sold its soul an this country's democracy out to a con man and became the POT. We must all now refer to them as the POT, always.
NY continues to give Trump a free platform by dutifully quoting his lying Tweets... wise up, press!
4
Those who still believe that this is not a coup d’etat are in plain denial.
8
One thing is Trump being a pathological liar and narcissist – another and even more concerning fact is revealed here:
“The latest Gallup poll, released on Tuesday, showed that 49 percent of Americans approved of his job performance — the highest figure since he took office three years ago.”
I simply cannot wrap my head around this frightening number: 49 percent!
49 percent of the Americans approve Trump and his actions. Something far more pathogenic and contagious than the Corona virus has infected the Americans.
49 percent!
12
@EuropeDenmark
It blows my mind too. I think most foreigners agree.
3
@EuropeDenmark It is because of a vast ignorance of the way things (government, economy, society) work in the real world. Most of these 49% do not understand that Trump does not only NOT deserve credit for the 'great' economy but his policies are actually threatening our entire system including the economy in the very near future. They live vicariously through his toddler-like tantrums and sophomoric insults. They know they could not act that way but they love watching him stick it to the 'others' - the academics, the minorities, the meek, and the charitable.
5
We win. You lose. Get used to it!
7
@Pjlit Good grief. How old are you? And nobody won anything. here. Democracy and the Constitution, in fact, are now grievously wounded, if not fatally. Four more. years of Trump and a McConnell majority should be the death knell. You call that a win.
7
What a sad day!! The Republicans traded the Country's democracy for money and power, They went against their pledge to protect America. It is time to VOTE THME OUT!!
8
Revolt with your vote!!! Save what is left of our democracy.
1
Finally!
Now we can get back to more important matters.
7
The Democrats’ palace coup has ended in a debacle.
The articles of impeachment brought by the House Dems were so weak anyone not blinded by the partisan fog knew that conviction of impeachment was a dead letter to begin with.
The anti-Russia campaign assumed hysterical dimensions, comparable only to the McCarthyite rants of the 1950s and the anti-Communist conspiracy mongering of the John Birch Society. The Dems turned unsubstantiated claims that Russia spent a few hundred thousand dollars on social media advertisements—a tiny fraction of the billions spent by corporations and the rich on the presidential campaigns—into lurid allegations of a “Russian plot” against America, in which Trump served as the puppet of Putin.
The Dems failed to use their power in the House to make their case to the American People. They played it for show, not as a professional exercise of their constitutional authority.
The Dems don’t fight for Us, and they don’t even fight for themselves, they only fight to maintain their graft flow.
Trump will utilize his acquittal to press forward with his antidemocratic and authoritarian measures.
According to a new Gallup poll Trump’s approval ratings have been rising from 39 percent last fall to 49 percent by the end of the impeachment process—”the highest level of his presidency so far and at least three points higher than Obama could claim in early February of his reelection year.”
Now a gangster president got a free pass.
Thanks, Democrats, for nothing.
12
To put it bluntly, half of the American public and all but one U.S. Senator have been gaslighted.
8
Comments here from Dems lauding Romney is comical.
You guys HATED him when he ran for President (remember his comments about voters?)
And now he's your hero?
Comical. But also a sure sign of how desperate the Dems are to win in November.
The Dems will lose. Again. And they know it, just like they knew our President was never going to be impeached from the start.
15
Correct.
We also know that Russia will help Trump cheat again.
1
Mitt Romney: the last Republican in Congress. Power, not the law, the facts, morality, nor civic norms, matter to Mr. Emoluments & his Trumpublican grifters. Trumpublicans dishonor the Constitution, the rule of law, & have abandoned republican principles. Gaslighting & thuggery are all part of Trumpublicans tools of the trade.
An historic Blue Wave that retakes Congress is our civic & moral responsibility.
Until then investigate thoroughly, & impeach repeatedly.
A quote comes to mind, which may or may not be attributed to Winston Churchill:
"Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…after they have exhausted all other possibilities."
Let's hope this will be true in November.
7
I wonder if all those who previously commented that it would be a bipartisan trial with Democrats joining Republicans in acquitting Trump will now say they got it wrong?
The Republican party needs to discard the Elephant as their symbol as they have clearly forgotten what it is to be a patriot and the values supposedly held, but now we now that it was always expediency hiding behind those pachyderm flanks.
I recommend the three monkeys that hear, see, and speak no evil (evil being defined as what goes on in their own party). If that is too cliche than a nice old fashioned silhouette of "I *see* nothing!" Sgt. Schultz in helmet would be good.
5
The silent majority within the Republican party who are aghast at Trump's conduct are even more shocked by their senators who did what they thought their Republican constituents wanted them to do. Republican conservatives are not as dishonest as the president and are more courageous than their congressional representatives. This chapter, where they are expected to defend lies, violations of the oath of office, and conscience, is a big deal. The conflict between Republican and Democrat pales in comparison with the crisis and chafe within the Republican trouser.
4
@Max Shapiro
Trump has not been acquitted. Not in the Press, not in the national conscience, and not in the feelings of betrayal that will not rest among the Republican silent majority, until justice has been done.
1
The world knows Trump is guilty. How will the Republicans handle that? Every US foreign strategy from now on is tainted by the president corrupt actions.
5
Republican senators, with the exception of a courageous Mitt Romney, found Donald Trump to be above the law. Trump gambled with taxpayer dollars in an effort to secure his re-election, and Republicans said that's OK. A few in the GOP labeled his actions "inappropriate," but Trump doesn't even get a slap on the wrist in the form of censure.
If everyone accused of a crime received the same kind of “justice” that Donald Trump got, our prisons would be empty.
7
The US is now a weaker country, but only if you consider democracy, integrity, techies, freedom, free markets, honestly, important but fortunately for trump and his oligarchs, they do not value those things and for them the white house officially being open for bribes and human life being expendable for money is a step forward.
5
I seem to remember when Obama was president, he got a lot of criticism from fellow Democrats and they never got any serious flack for it. But in this GOP if you do not agree with Trump you will be punished. GOP has become a cult of Trump.
7
The Democrats won. Pelosi managed to con Democrat voters into actually paying attention to and falsely believing that Trump could actually be convicted and falsely believing that the Democrat’s were somehow victims of Trump when all the while they perpetrating a sham process to get this free attention. This was a colossal waste of taxpayer money while Democrats accomplished zero for their constituents, but got a lot of valuable advertising and video footage for future political ads to maintain their cushy jobs.
9
It's not that simple. The Republicans blocked witnesses, so there was not trial, just the appearance of one. They broke our democracy in the process. So please don't make this about voting along party lines. This was a major, major blow to our form of government and the blame lays squarely on the shoulders of Republican senators who refuse to do anything against Donald Trump, because they are weak and scared. This was a horrible way of showing the world how we just came closer to becoming a dictatorship. I am sickened by what McConnell and his little toadies did. I am sickened that no witnesses were called, that Marsha Blackburn went on Fox news during the trial. I am sickened at the hysterics of Lindsay Graham, and the phony piety of Susan Collins. These people don't deserve to hold public office. Stop making this a he said, she said situation. The Republicans are holding our country hostage. Believe it.
11
The election this fall will settle nothing, regardless of who wins.
5
Is any one naive enough to believe this divide will end come this November? Regardless of the results, the division and discord will remain. If/when trump wins, he will simply plow forward more rapidly....and potentially / eventually advocate for a 3rd term (ala what Bloomberg did in NYC). If he doesn’t push for a 3rd term, the republicans looking to replace him will continue the trump show because they will need to secure his base and will bow to him in an attempt to win his endorsement. And of course in either scenario, the Dems will strongly resist.
If the Dems pull off a dysfunctional miracle, trump and team will somehow claim fraud. They may attempt legal machinations, etc. to contest the results. And if/when he leaves the office, he will never go quietly. He wasn’t quiet prior to 2015, and he won’t be quiet in defeat. And of course he will still have his Twitter army to push his vitriol. And yes, the media will continue to give him oxygen because they too love the distraction and chasing of shiny objects. November 2020 will not end the mess currently facing this experiment called America. It will take several election cycles to hopefully change the trajectory and/or conversation.
8
@Athinking50
Trump pushing for a third term is on the same level as Dems wanting to abolish the electoral college, remove the 2-Senator per state limit, and pack the Supreme Court. Preposterous.
1
I am not advocating for any of those “solutions”. But to deny that trump would float the idea (assuming he wins), is preposterously naive. Especially based on everything he has done to date. And what he believes he can do as president. Heck, if he loses, whose to say he won’t want to run again in 2024.
It’s always been up to the voters to decide and that’s how it should be. That’s how a democracy works.
4
@John
To a point. But that doesn’t render the impeachment power impotent.
1
The final verdict will not be rendered with the election. The result will not undue what was done.
2
Senator Romney (R- Utah) displayed integrity, courage, intelligence and concern for the majority of American citizens when he voted to convict this incumbent. As an Independent, it showed me there is at least one Republican in the senate who is not a sell out.
12
Need we be reminded that Trump took the word of a foreign leader, Vladimir Putin, over those of his own intelligence community? I fail to see how Republics, regardless of their domestic policies, are able to rally behind a leader who publicly declares his allegiance to another country's leader.
16
Romney is a hero. He will go down in history, like McCain, as someone who could stand up for what he believed in, and that's one of the best things a person can do.
7
I've worked menial, dreary, low-paying jobs in my past and worked my way up to a senior executive position.
I would choose to go back to the day of those low-paying jobs if the choice to do so hinged on my living in a nation and under a system that voted and chose based on what is right and wrong for our nation and not what is in it for me.
Right and wrong was never in doubt about what Trump did. Simple as A, B, C. And nothing in this world will change that.
13
@Ed bravo, you’ve captured the essence of justice as fairness, a John Rawls guiding principle that was embraced by MLK, and if you listened carefully to Bernie’s response to Trump's last State of the Confederacy speech, it was integrated very strongly in Bernie’s messaging as well. Our society is judged by how well it treats the unfortunate members of it, not by how well it rewards the fortunate.
2
More than anything this was a sad day for the Senate and most definitely the Republican party. What the Republican Senators have proved is their own irrelevancy. Polls are now running our democracy. Forget about leadership!
It is leadership of the people (not the party) that the general public is craving (including Trump nation). Hence the rabid nature of support for such candidates (e.g. Trump & Sanders) that use histrionics to demonstrate support of the people. Don't blame the populi as there are few others who will actually lead on principle vs what polls "say."
Here's one way to save the nation some money: dissolve the senate and their supporting staff! We can just govern by polls. (Just like on "reality tv.")
2
Around the world the democratic tide has receded in recent years. More parties and leaders are coming to power who have little time for liberal democratic values. As a result, more abuses of power are taking place. Freedoms are being curbed. Checks and balances on governments are being eroded.
3
The USA has its first Latin America president and senate. This is a dangerous route for a country
9
Romney is looking at 2024 run.
3
@loma Give me s break. Mitt Romney would poll at well under 1% in a Republican Primary Presidential run. Mitt Romney would have the same chance as Michelle Obama in winning the Republican Presidential Nomination.
1
The Impeachment Battle Ends With Republicans Ignoring The Constitution.
14
The GOP Senators will not be remembered well, true enough.
But they all are planning to laugh their way to the bank, and that lessens their private guilt.
Let's all agree to put a hiccup in their collective rejoicing by throwing the bums (and their House compatriots) out of office in November.
15
The fact that Romney’s decision was so difficult for him and was such a huge personal risk for him is a further sign the Republican Party is absolutely, utterly bankrupt. That is very appropriate under this president.
21
It’s been bankrupt since Nixon, Reagan, Bush 1, Dubya...
I don't know that I've ever seen so many trying to invest drama and uncertainty into an event that unfolded according to plan about as smoothly as the sun rising or the tide coming in.
9
As a Democrat of conscience in a time that often lacks the courage to speak truth, I am touched by Senator Romney and his selfless stand. Listening to his Senate comments yesterday made me very sad for the Republican future. It may be time for the Republicans of New Hampshire to stand shoulder to shoulder with this man of deep conscience - and write in Romney as a courageous protest vote in the upcoming NH Republican primary against the indecency of this President. I'm sure it may not amount to much, but it might give the rest of the country some hope that we can restore the good natured political debate that still might be possible. Stand tall New Hampshire.
15
What crossed my mind when Mr. Romney spoke in the Senate chamber was what does he know that we don't? His stunning performance and heroic stance was very much in the tradition of American leadership. Very.... Presidential. In sharp contrast to DT. Like maybe there is something DT has done or may do that is so grevious that even the GOP and it's corporate donars are going to seriously question. And their answer to DT's action? Mr. Romney. He ran for President before. Of course it's a short run to November. Bloomberg knows that too. So does Romney. Yes, Romney may genuinely feel he needs to honor his oath of office. It doesn't hurt that he seemed awfully appealing to voters as well if he were to make another run for President against DT.
6
It’s not the Republican Party anymore...it’s the POT(Party of Trump). Trump will probably win this November but it will not be because of the Democrats. Russian and Ukraine will probably help him or other countries like China but republicans don’t care how they win just so long as they win. I will not be surprise when Trump wins in 2024 after Trump changes the constitution.
7
@James The Constitution says nothing about Presidential term limits. All presidents limited themselves to 2 terms until FDR went for 4. After that, the Republican Party changed things in the late 1940’s so that 2 terms was the max. Ironically, Eisenhower, who was elected in ‘52, would have easily been elected to a third term in 1960: He left office after 2 terms with one of the highest approval ratings in history.
1
I would just like to say Thank you to all the Democrats. Trump’s approval rating has gone up 10 pts during this whole process, and everyone knew the outcome before it began. The Democrat Party is divided and doesn't have a viable candidate. Video footage of this circus will be in Trump’s re-election campaign videos. Now Dem’s are talking impeachment 2.0. Seriously, I don’t know if your party can withstand much more political suicide.
10
@JOSEPH
One poll wasn't it? I thought it was 4 points. Anyway it can change fast.
1
@JOSEPH Periscope up Joseph! Take another look brother. No doubt many rural friends are stuck in a football state of mind and forgetting this isn't about teams at all, regardless of who wins and who is up and down. Decency lost yesterday, but that has been the norm for a while. However, stunning, magnificent heroes emerged and inspired millions: Pelosi, Schiff, Senima, Jones, Manchin and super nova of brilliance, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah! Leaders one and all.
3
@JOSEPH Agreed.
1
The United States of America has an outdated constitution. Far too much power has been concentrated to the hands of the president.
5
When Mitt ran for President, I judged him too harshly. He has proved his judgement and secured his moral standing. I would vote for him for President.
8
Yes the president has been acquitted! So what have we learned? Trump was paranoid early in his presidency and continues to this day. Wouldn’t you be? He was investigated harassed and accused moments after his inauguration. The FBI and the FISA court which we now know was corrupt. Then Russia. Then Ukraine. And the Democrats saying publicly he needed to be impeached as they could not beat him in 2020. All backed up by a supine media that has been proven to be 90% or more against him, including the New York Times. And because of all this,It has made him stronger politically and I think everyone knows that he will be reelected.
9
Your premise is that Trump is an honest broker which is pure nonsense. According to most accounts he has not only consistently lied during his presidency he has also broken the law with the Ukraine debacle. If not for the complicit republicans in the Senate he would be gone.
3
So, America, the only question left is exactly how low will Republicans go?
When is a crime bad enough for them?
What abuse is too much to tolerate?
Trump's actions were proven.
Trump's quid pro quo was proven.
But for Mitch McConnell and the GOP, it was only a little bad.
Nothing to see here.
Doesn't matter that Trump cheats.
Doesn't matter when Trump colludes with foreign governments.
Doesn't matter when Trump threatens American citizens.
Nope, for Mitch McConnell and Republicans, there is no value which can't be corrupted, nothing is more important than Trump.
Republicans have pledged fealty to Trump.
The Constitution means nothing to them.
Their Oaths of Office just words.
Republicans are a threat to America.
Domestic terrorists working from within to weaken our government.
Vote out every member of the GOP possible.
Vote Democratic this year.
Every election, every office, every seat.
Early vote, absentee ballot, take someone with you to the polls.
Our Democracy is at stake.
Republicans are happy with a king.
Are you?
Vote.
10
Thank you, Mitt Romney. I have often criticized you in the past but your vote to convict and your impassioned speech laid bare the flimsy nature of the Republicans’ justification for acquittal. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and the whole lot who blew hot air about Trump’s wrongdoing not rising to the level of impeachment were revealed as spineless cowards. These so-called moderates will continue to be held hostage to Trump and his propaganda machine. We can never again trust any of them to vote their conscience.
5
The only party with a shred of dignity a bit of honor left, are the democrats. These republicans lead by McConnell will do anything to hold their power. This is not what the framers envisioned. A trial with no witness allowed to testify no documents and a jury pool who before the trial began all say they would acquit. This sounds like a trial from Russia. What have the republicans become? The time for real term limits has come ,no more life long politicians who will do anything to keep their job. I am anticipating a giant blue wave is November. I will laugh heartedly at the shameful republicans when We The People send them packing.
5
Congress has wasted my money and I would like to apply for a refund. since that is totally impossible my only consolation is to know that the Democratic Party has sealed it’s fate in this coming election to not occupy the White House.
14
@Rob
The Senate wasted money by doing nothing but approve judges while bills they should have been debating and acting on have sat dormant. Even before the trial.
The President has wasted 1.5 Trillion in his give away to the rich (costing me more than an extra $4000 a year now in income taxes) by ballooning the deficit. You consolation will be when you are left without Social Security and Medicare that you have paid into.
There's waste for sure - funny how you don't see it all.
13
You should also ask for the refund from all those Benghazi hearings.
3
Seriously? The headline is ridiculous. This is the messaging problem--why not lead with the truth? "Senate Republicans abscond their duty and vote to NOT check the President" or something that states the real truth of this matter. Urgh.
16
Strange that the NYT decided to describe Romney’s vote as a “defection,” which has negative connotations. It was a vote of conviction and conscience, terms the other Republicans have abandoned, or never possessed in their souls in the first place.
21
What a disaster for the Dems They knew the outcome and yet kept pushing the impeachment.. backfired horribly. They have just given the man they hate most the biggest gift ever to win this next election.
13
Also, the liberal media ended the same way. Angry, Arithmetically poor, frustrated by Trump's success....
12
You can hold Mitt Romney in high regard all you want.
Just remember that when he's out front leading the Senate's initiative to reform ObamaCare this summer.
4
A more accurate headline would have been “Republicans block conviction”
14
Agreed! It truly is a terrible headline, a classic example of “bothsiderism” defined as a false narrative where there is a difference of opinion, not of facts. This impeachment had facts, the Republicans chose to ignore them.
1
Mr. Romney’s statement was well reasoned, well written, and heartfelt. It was quite beautiful. He has my respect and my thanks.
16
“What he did was wrong.”
It felt _good_ to hear that from a Republican. Shame on the rest.
15
Trump's acquittal stinks.
Should Trump go on to win the 2020 election, just wait until he once again puts his hand on the bible and swears to uphold the Constitution - at least the inauguration will be an open air event.
But for now, here's the really spectacular thing about the 2020 campaign: It is taking place on an elephant so big, so huge, it can no longer be contained by a room or a building and has simply become the landscape itself, which nobody on either side, neither Republicans or Democrats is talking about: the National Deficit.
3
The Democrats' hoax fell flat again. Is there a plan C to thwart the will of We the People? Many liberals I know, with the exception of the highly uneducated radical left who were raised in NYC, understand that Democrats are propagandists and completely partisan. I have also talked with thousands of people in NYC who agree that the media is completely and totally biased and almost always does the bidding of the Democratic Party. Democrats only succeeded by giving themselves a black eye and invigorating Trump's base. America has seen what you have done with our vote and how much you hate the will of the People. Trump is going to wreck you in 2020.
13
@Joshua Folds "we the people," as in the electorate? or the majority? there is a huge difference. "We the people..." Clarify.
1
Since New York is completely blue, I doubt you’ve talked to thousands of Democrats who agree with you. Your spin. And New York is continuing to vote against Trump. It has only energized Democrats.
3 issues that led to Trump’s acquittal:
1. 49% approval ratings, the highest in his presidency. Senators aren’t going to vote against the wishes of their constituents.
2. The politicization of this process. House Democrats chose to rush an impeachment vote rather than going to the judicial branch to get a ruling on witnesses. Zero Republican votes, the opposite of bipartisan. Should have been censure, which would have gotten bipartisan support.
3. Trump’s effectiveness: record stock market, 50-year low unemployment, 75% reduction of illegal crossings on the southern border, China trade deal after decades of other president’s unsuccessful efforts, NATO paying its share of defense, changing attitudes at the UN, isolating Iran’s rogue regime, introducing an Israel-Palestine peace plan, passing a better N. American trade deal, etc.
12
Trump has learned his lesson and he will now act Presidential.
Ha, he is now emboldened more than ever and will continue to wreak havoc, sell the people out and destroy our country.
11
It shows you how far Republicans have fallen when you consider the two Republican Presidential nominees before Trump have been hounded and harassed for daring to cross “the leader.”
4
Unable to realise the consequences of acquitting the tainted and corrupt president, Trump, than Senate Republicans have staged a coup against the US constitution and killed the very concept and the dignity of justice.
6
By overreaching themselves in the effort to destroy Trump, the media, including the NYT, and the Democrats have turned Trump in an underdog and the there is nothing the public loves more than an underdog beating the system. This is the fabric of the American psyche and every Hollywood blockbuster is based on this plot.
All charges against Trump and his allies have been greatly exaggerated and people saw through these desperate and lowly hit jobs, and the entire thing backfired, and ended up helping Trump.
The Dems sbould have focused on a positive message to improve everyone's lives, not on nonstop negativity and perks for select interest groups (such as illegal immigrants, inmates rights to vote, and transgenders).
14
So, Romney, it's now your time to run for President.
2
The bottom line -- when all is said and done -- is that Trump will go down in U.S. history as the absolute worst president to have ever served...at least in modern history. And what makes it so much more disturbing is the simple fact that he lied and cheated his way into the White House and had the gall to openly solicit Russia's assistance to steal the election!...And now, he's about to try the same gambit again for what he hopes will be a second term.
The bottom line is that we mustn't let him get away with it. We must continue to expose him for the total fraud that he is -- a pathological liar who has no conscience whatsoever.
And to make matters worse, for once I will take him at his word that he means to bring an end to Obamacare and also cut Social Security. These two threats alone should be sufficient to end his political career once and for all.
12
Well, wondering who Trump will bargain with next to make sure he’s elected.
Face it, through all this - if the Biden’s had done anything wrong Donald Trump would have found a way to expose it.
The Trumps will rule. How does that feel, people?
2
What a waste of time. The country did not deserve a one-sided partisan attempt to unseat the President, especially on the heals of the wasteful Mueller “probe”. The speaker of the house showed herself to be a skillful politician but an unwise leader, with the President’s election chances significantly enhanced. Taken with the chaotic Iowa voting tabulation this week, the Democrats seem incompetent, petty and devoid of any reasonable forethought and the ability to get anything done.
11
Mitt Romney is wrong. He will not be just one of 50 Senators who will not be remembered by history.
He will be remembered as well he should as the only Republican that recognized the truth of the situation and voted guilty. ALL those other Republics knew well what trump is/was up to. Many of them even admitted as much.
They would have been deaf and blind (and that is an insult to the deaf and blind) not to know that trump was/is guilty. Collins said she hoped Trump has learned something from this experience and he has. He has learned that truly he can commit murder and get away with it. He will not moderate his behavior; it will only get worse.
Mitt will be remembered as a man, who in spite of the negative repercussions voted his conscience, his faith, his country and his family. More courage than any of the Republican Senators. More concerned about right than his political future. Too bad more Republicans cannot put what is right and instead choose Money, Power, Greed, the holy trinity of the party. Those Republicans also as the cowards they are chose personal selfish interest before the interest of the country.
As a Democrat, I am proud of Mitt and feel he would make an outstanding and moral president.
7
So it's OK for the house dems to IMPEACH strictly on party lines , without letting the accused to confront his accusers; but the senate voted to 'acquit" was strictly a party line vote.
I guess we'll hear from the dems from now to kingdom come, that they were not allowed witnesses to testify. We'll also be told NOT to look at the houses lopsided attempt to look like grownups and not hear or allow the snowflakes they called witness to be confronted by the accused.
But hey, whose keeping track. We'll how well this all turns out in a few months.
10
FYI, Trump wanted to testify, and could have, Democrats would have been happy to confront him- his lawyers blocked it because they knew he’d lie and get into more trouble.
I realized something yesterday as the acquittal vote came in. The Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate had very different agendas with the Impeachment process. The Republicans wanted very much to win like in a football game or a financial transaction. Since this was the goal, it didn't matter if the president had done any wrong, they just had to win no matter what. The Democrats on the other hand were not trying to win. They were trying to save our democracy and constitution. They hoped that with the facts reason would set in and some Republican colleagues would join them in this effort. Sadly, as we have all learned during the Impeachment, the Republicans except for one in no way were trying to save anything. They just wanted to win at all costs to the country.
12
You just said it. Dems have been trying to save our democracy since the regrettable 2016 election.
1
Day by day, this democracy is eroding. The laws favor corporations and the wealthy. The president is not held accountable for using the oval office and foreign policy for his own benefit. The country is either numb or in support of this unlawful behavior. To add insult to injury, now Trump gives the medal of freedom to a hater; this foreshadows a dim future for our country.
9
Starting with the Clinton impeachment, an increasingly polarized America converted impeachment - a tool of last resort - into a vote of no confidence, to be used whenever the House is controlled by an other party than the office of the President .
It is not to the advantage of America.
4
Mitt Romney made my day. Finally a Republican patriot. Bravo, you should be receiving the Medal of Honor and celebrated not berated by our False President. Please note how the followers and his enablers continued with the practice of blatantly stealing the People's money for their ill gained celebration.
6
The republican senators argument comes down to this, 'the potus can do whatever he wants and the congress has to ignore any questions of legality or the country's interests'. Obviously these republican senators are being frightened or paid off to take such a crazy and extreme position. Interesting how at the end of the day their lack of integrity and courage really does matter. We see on a daily basis how this serious spiritual rot spreads like a viral disease from potus to administration to party, and unchecked on to the other branches of government.
6
Why exactly were none of the articles of impeachment related to specific crimes?
Trump is a criminal, in the legal sense is the word. There is enough legitimate grounds for removal from office, that Democrats should have completely ignored concerns about precedent. If anything, Republicans repeatedly demonstrate that precedent is largely irrelevant, and can be ignored at will when it suits the circumstances.
1
Only Romney had enough spine to convict Trump. All the other republicans are spineless and did not convict out of fear. The evidence was clear. I don't know how other people see it the other way. This is not a vindication for Trump, despite what he says. Let's vote him out in November.
7
What a waste of government resources after so many hours of effort and tax dollars to get rid of the sitting president.
The only winner of this whole fiasco is the press and news media. They have plenty of subjects to write and report. And the whole thing doesn't do any good to the society as a whole.
Do the people gain anything from this?
6
@Usok They learned there are still people who will fight for your freedom.
“If right doesn’t matter, if right doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter how good the Constitution is. It doesn’t matter how brilliant the framers were. Doesn’t matter how good or bad our advocacy in this trial is.” If right doesn’t matter, we’re lost.” -- Adam Schiff
8
There cannot be a real acquittal because there was not a real trial.
7
In the 20th century, some war criminals and financial criminals were punished for their crimes. A dangerous precedent was set in the 21st century by letting Bush Jr., Cheney, Rumsfeld and a slew of sleazy, predatory bankers off the hook for looting this country and invading and destroying other countries. The US basically became a rogue state. So now, anything goes, and criminals run the US government. I wonder at what point the people will have to take justice into their own hands, since we certainly cannot expect justice from the government.
6
Trump won yesterday.
Pelosi should have gone with her gut feeling and should never have gone forward with this charade.
If anything he emerges even stronger. The economy is booming and his re-election is all but assured given the current crop of Dem candidates.
10
Trump energized the Democrats yesterday. The majority of the country knows it was a Republican coverup, and pronouncements by Trump supporters don’t change that.
How America can now call itself the greatest democracy after this? The triumph of lies that will mark the country forever.
3
Our American divided limited different power constitutional republic of united states was convicted of callous, cruel, cynical hypocrisy by the vote in the Senate on the Trump impeachment.
Whether or not the Constitution of our republic has been condemned beyond all hopeful remedy by the failure of the next President of the United States to fulfill their solemn sworn oath preserve, protect and defend that sacred document is in doubt.
Trump's not guilty verdict exposes the anti-democratic nature of the Senate where a half million in Wyoming have as many Senators as 39.5 million Californians.
While what passes for courage in the Senate is the junior Mormon Senator from Utah doing what King Solomon didn't do and cutting the impeachment vote abuse of power and obstruction of justice in half is exalted.
1
Well, only Buttigieg or Bloomberg are a chance of unseating him now. But why is there no action by NYT or other outlets on the legitimate question of why Hunter Biden was appointed at a ridiculously generous salary to that Ukrainian company? There may be nothing in it of course, but it is a reasonable question.
5
$350 million extortion, one dollar for every man, woman and child, > $1 billion to run a presidential election, ~ $1 trillion each for defense and budget deficit, annually. $400 for an emergency? Nah, can’t afford that. People say pitchforks are going to do well in the not so distant future.
1
Yesterday was the day that the Republic officially ended and the Monarchy began.
1
I refuse to cast a vote for ANY Republican, in ANY local, state, or federal election, until this man is gone. And I will never support anyone who was gutless enough to allow him to skate away from these charges.
4
Donald Trump has brought us great harm not only abusing the powers of his office, but by using his personal power to attract so many people to him as he spewed hate as he at the same time repelled so many others. He has divided us to the core. It was apt that Trump made our Medal of Freedom his personal gift to Rush Limbaugh who paved the way for so many years to sow the hate and divisiveness we are now beset with.
3
Trump was indicted and the jury was hung. Every Republican will be hung out to dry as soon as it suits the needs of the man they wanted to hang around, rather than hang separately from Trump. The Republican Senate became entwined in Trump's noose for themselves; they will pay either the voters or Trump when they no longer suit his purpose.
There is a mind set in the U.S. that has played a role in every aspect of American life for a long time. It has very much set the stage for what's just happened in the Senate; the high value given to winning - not playing, but winning, at all costs.
Having lived here half of my life now (I'm 62), what has struck me is that in the Netherlands kids are brought up with the notion of competition for fun. Adults too make up a society that promotes excelling and competing, but sharing and fending for the weakest are also totally normal and (generally) taken for granted. Right matters. Rules matter. And not winning at all costs.
I think most Europeans, at least the ones who are still bothering to watch what's going on in the U.S. are astounded by what they are seeing happen under this president's rise to power and his take over of 'Romney's' Republican party.
Each new absurdity becomes normal and like the frog in the hot water who doesn't jump, who's jumping any more?
Lol: 'Trump in 2024, 2028, Trump forever'... this morning's tweet, the morning after acquittal. Is it too weird to be true? Huh-uh.
I'm counting on ethics that we were taught to believe in, honesty and integrity. Boy Scouts stuff (Andy Griffith stuff). I'm still counting on those ethics to propel Pete or Joe or Amy, Elizabeth or Bernie - to an honest and worthy win in November.
3
I worry that our comments are surprise, surprise. Our democracy is failing. We have lying, and strategic cheating, coverups and all we say Is this is the road to dictatorship. What are we going to do about it? Shouldn’t we rise-up? Where is the organized campaign against this? Where are the lawn signs across the nation, bumper stickers, rage, walkouts, and demonstrations. Instead it’s, oh this is bad, let’s go to our jobs and carry on with “life as usual”, while it gets worse and worse.
3
Is anyone else disturbed at what the actions of this President has taken this country through this past four years in partnership with his allies? We are not a better country as a result of him in this office. Our allies don't trust us, he has taken a party, the Republican party that he adopted and literally used them in this scheme to destroy our democracy and this vote now shows they follow his lead to stay in office not to serve the American people. Everything you hope a President would not do in office he has done. What has he done to make this a better country, or a better world? Vote in 2020 our nation deserves a President who will serve the American people not his own interests.
2
Trump clearly believes that he did absolutely nothing wrong in his dealings with Ukraine, and the Senate has gone along with it. I do not believe that this outcome would have happened in any other western democracy. For certain, in the UK, actions like those of Trump would have resulted in voluntary resignation or at worst a motion of no confidence in Parliament. The world can see clearly that the US is now the party and image of Trump. Good luck with that.
1
We knew this was going to happen, so where is the surprise? The only surprise was Romney's non partisan vote, a vote of integrity. In any case, the Democrat's plan was to amplify Bolton's account once his book comes out. Bring the witnesses to the public forum.
Finally, Trump, feeling overconfident of his power and crowing about his popularity, will continue doing mischief-- until he won't. Until suddenly the paper tiger collapses. It will happen. Keep in mind that old Chinese saying: "If you sit by the river long enough, you'll see the body of your enemy float by." Patience, you will see the body with orange hair float by.
3
Obviously defeating Trump in November is important but it is now clear that the Democrats gaining control of the Senate is much more important, apparently even more so than the House of Representatives when it comes to the weighty duty of impeachment.
Among others, tasks of the next Congress should include eliminating the Electoral College, defining further what qualifies as impeachable actions and clearing the back log of legislation held back my the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.
2
antibiotic resistant infection
2
Even a nominally democratic country would allow witnesses to give a perception of justice, before, a predetermined verdict.
19
If the Democrats didn’t have a case when they voted in Congress, then on what basis did all but two of them vote to impeach?
2
Thank you, Mitt Romney! You demonstrated once and for all that so-called conservative Christians only care about tribe - not about faith, and that they are ready to ignore the third commandment whenever it suits them.
9
Your country is in considerable peril. You don’t withhold money from a foreign country to damage your opponents in upcoming elections. That’s not how honourable people or democracies work. Race to the bottom from my point of view.
25
Yes, Tim. The majority is very concerned. The minority have a stranglehold on our democracy. The majority did not vote for this president and these republican senators are in office with less votes than Democrats must obtain for the same seats. My entire life Republicans have used ruthless tactics to win and those tactics jeopardize our democracy.
4
So Trump can relax for the time being knowing he can fix the political system to keep-up appearances. But his self-admiring image has been seriously damaged; every move he makes will be treated with suspicion. Trump seems too predictable in his nefarious actions. Cats only have nine lives
The democrats have an open goal in November but must not play by Trump rules by slinging mud and cheap insults. The world expects some sanity which is in short supply with Trump acting in a most peculiar fashion. So we spectators watch with trepidation and fear for his next phone call to Kiev to order more Biden-fried chickens. Service not included?
4
Having watched much of the impeachment process i've come to realize it left much to be desired. There needs to be a overhaul on how this should be done not so as to easily remove a sitting president, rather that its very clear on how this is to be done. The whole process just seem to drag and stagger to getting to the point. We're so starved at preserving tradition and whatnot but forget how our system, was supposedly based upon reason and if you leave the reasoning out, then we're just another failed republic soon to be forgotten.
5
Mitt Romney's anguished, forthright speech kindled in me a spark of optimism that this nation can restore itself. Among other things, he etched in sharp relief the cowardice of his fellow Republican senators. I salute him.
19
No one is surprised. This has been a partisan hack all along. The democrats used their majority in the house to impeach Trump along party lines and the republicans use their majority to acquit him along party lines. Fair is fair. Nothing to see here.
8
I am irked by your title for this article as calling this affront to our democracy a victory for anyone is maddening. “A Loss to American Democracy” would be better fitting as the prospect of future abuse of power and lawless misrule by future presidents of either party should be daunting to all your readers. I rue the day when we as private citizens fall under a governmental search light and feel the machinations of government turned against us for whatever reason. That our senators have turned their back on their constitutional duties to protect us from such a day is the true tragedy here.
15
In addition to the courage and decency it demonstrates, what's important about Romney's vote is that Trump will spend a lot of time and energy fuming and sputtering so this 'victory' is tarnished, or worse. As an 'issue' it will continue to worm it's way into the campaign for monthes.
The fact that there were no witnesses already made this look like the sort of thing which happens in 3rd world or even communist countries.
Actually, looking at today's republican party, that's not much of a stretch.
8
As an interested obsever from the UK I am puzzled as to why there is ubiquitous outrage that President Trump has been acquitted . I watched most of the proceedings as the House built its case for impeachment .
If one ignores all the if , buts , maybe's, could be's, assumptions , guesses , hearesays , etc. the whole case seems to be based on a phone call between president Trump and President Zelinsky during which , it is alleged , Trump told Zelinsky that military aid would be witheld unless Zelinsky announced an enquiry into Hunter Biden and corruption .
The facts are.
1. The transcript of the call was released and no such thing was said.
2. Zelinsky , and his staff , have stated no such demand was made.
3. No announcement into Biden was made.
4. A short while later the aid was released.
Based on these facts how could the impeachment case even have been brought let alone a guilty verdict expected.
13
@Robert lund
Thanks for your excellent comment !
6
@Robert lund . Congratulations. We have a winner of the Logic Award. P.s.: Good luck with Brexit. Trump will announce a bi-lateral trade agreement with Great Britain soon.
3
There was no transcript. There was only an abbreviated summary.
6
Trials have witnesses, documents, testimonies. McConnell knows that Trump did was wrong and illegal. He said on Fox that he is working with the defense team and he will not be impartial in both charges against Trump. American people were denied of the due process.
11
You are aware that an impeachment trial is not the same as a civil or criminal trial? The Democrats had a duty to fully investigate before impeaching. If they needed more witnesses (they obviously did, since the case they presented provided no basis for removal), they should have fought that in the courts until they got their witnesses, or the courts made clear why the Democrats’ demands for ever more witnesses was illegal.
3
A friend who once served on the National Republican Senatorial Committee explained to me the difference between Republicans and Democrats this way. The principle quality that Republicans look for in their candidates and office holders is that they be easy to influence and manipulate. Democrats, on the other hand, look for candidates that are passionate about issues.
The House and Senate proceedings concerning the impeachment of president Trump and the castigation of Mr. Romney by the president and his Republican colleagues brought that all into focus.
9
By ripping up Trump's State of the Union address Nancy Pelosi gave permission for the next Republican House Speaker to do the same thing to the next Democratic President. Hey, turnabout is fair play. Here's something else to think about--Impeachment used to be almost unthinkable. Eventually the House and Senate learned to work with a President they disliked or didn't agree with. Not anymore. Impeachment is now the new normal to get rid of an irksome president lawmakers of an opposing political party disapprove of. Who cares what the voters think or want? Elections are a nuisance.
7
@sharon5101
Last I checked the House and Senate were elected, too. And, if we are being honest, more closely reflect the will of the people than the Electoral College-dependent President.
1
Fair Play? You seem to forget about the GOP yelling out “Liar” during President Obama’s State of the Union address. The Dems have not responded in kind, though your ‘fair play’ statement implies that they have every right. And, given the number of lies, half-truths, and misleading statements uttered by Felonious Maximus, quite a few Dems could have left with strained vocal cords had they responded each time.
3
So which Democrat will be losing to President Trump in November? That is really the only question left.
Only person who had a more miserable performance than Pelosi yesterday was Joe Biden.
Another reason to smile on Acquittal Day. Vote for America--Vote Republican.
6
Read this Dems:
If Mr. Trump’s standing among the public has been hurt by the trial, it is not yet evident. To the contrary, the latest Gallup poll, released on Tuesday, showed that 49 percent of Americans approved of his job performance — the highest figure since he took office three years ago. The same survey showed that Republicans’ image has improved markedly, with 51 percent viewing them favorably compared with 43 percent in September.
So dear Dems: if you want to win in November stop crying that the Russians stole the election (they didn't) or that Trump abused his power (he did, just like many other US Presidents before him). Start attacking his policies, come with better solutions for the divide rich/poor and city/suburbia and start energizing voters the way Trump does. Only then we have a slight chance to get rid of this terrible swamp-creature.
8
I'm sorry, but I just keep thinking, Donald Trump? This is the guy every Republican is willing to go the wall for? Not, another Eisenhower, but "Apprentice" reality TV host, Donald "Come on out to the motel near the airport, and I'll sell you a book on 'How to be a Winner'" Trump. That guy? I mean, it really boggles the mind. Particularly when you consider the fact that five of the last six people he's backed politically - have lost. Well, it shows a lot about the modern GOP's taste, style, and vision. Doesn't it?
22
It was a totally unnecessary Impeachment with outcome known in advance. It will only help Trump in his re-election. I am glad it is over quickly. It is now for voters to decide whether they want Trump as the President for four more years.
I am also disappointed about lack of civility shown by President Trump and Speaker Pelosi during the State of Union Address. What kind example their immature behaviour showed to young Americans and the whole World.
7
Trump is the only US president to ever have a member of his own party vote for his removal. The next time there may be more. Because we of course all know this isn’t the last time he tries to rig an election. He can’t help it. It’s his thing. Sad that Romney is such an outlier now. What happened to Ben Sasse? Anyways, Trump is not known to make people better. But Mitt Romney has risen to the challenge. For the love of God, Will anyone follow?
6
Romney regurgitated the Democratic talking points, wrapped them up in his brand of spirituality, and made a pariah of himself in many ways.
In 2018, when he ran for Senate in Utah, he asked for and received, Trump’s endorsement. This, after a litany of hateful descriptions of Trump from his speech in 2016, which came after he asked for and received, Trump’s endorsement in 2012. He promised to support Trump and Utah’s gave him their vote. He then penned his famous Op-Ed, as he took office in 2019, telling Trump and Utahn’s, he was his own man (at least for now). Then this.
It comes as no surprise. Romney is not very honorable. He’s actually kind of weird. We wish him luck.
6
Romney is a little like Comey, but definitely not as sleazy. Maybe Romney has come to see the light. What is really sleazy is Trump's government and his GOP enablers. But the Bush Jr. regime was just as sleazy as Trump's. Not sure when people will wake up and see just how horrible the GOP is, and how much destruction they have wreaked on the world and on this country. Obama's weakness and compromises didn't help; not one predatory banker was punished, and he sold out to Monsanto and the health insurance industry. I guess that's why he survived. But compromisers are enablers, too.
Read your piece on what random tourists who were at the Washington Mall felt about the impeachment. A big majority were pro Trump even though most said that things should be less political and we should try to get along. Still with Trump but expressed some unease about the country's mood. One of the common refrains was what Trump did what "just politics". When Lyndon Johnson as legislator or president said to a congressman or senator. If you vote for this bill I think I can get more money for hospitals in your district, that's politics. Now if he said that I could write you a check it would be a crime. When Trump says to an ally who is in a shooting war with one of our adversaries that unless he creates a sham investigation on a prime political opponent, I am going to hold up the weapons that have been legally approved for shipment. that's not "politics", that's extortion, bribery, and an impeachable offense. ,
7
@Milliband
Your last sentence has just been disproven...
@Wondering In the opinion of millions of fair minded Americans who are not part of the Trump cult its actually been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Your statement is sort of like saying that it was disproved that OJ Simpson was a murderer because he got acquitted.
1
Truth means nothing in America. Separation of powers is non-existent. The out of date laws creates a two-party system that inevitably devolves into an increasingly more polarized political environment which in turn fosters cheating and corruption. But it is at least entertaining to watch for the rest of us. Keep at it! :D
3
Stock market up 483 points closing well above 29K. 50 year low unemployment among minorities. The contest for the Democrats is now who will be the one to lose to President Trump.
Pelosi with her temper tantrum.
Only person who had a more miserable performance than Pelosi yesterday was Joe Biden.
Numerous reasons to smile on Acquittal Day. Vote for America--Vote Republican.
7
I find it hard to believe that there are many who call Trump the leader of the Republican party. How can that be when he is totally beholden to Mitch McConnell who through dubious and questionable means saved his bacon. How is Trump the leader of the free world. What world is that? The one that laughs in his face? One can only hope that the actions of Republicans in the Senate will have far reaching effects on the future of their party.
3
The President won the vote.
Any other opinions against the vote would be an opinion on the shortcomings of democracy or the American political structure.
Short of that, Trump won the vote. Period.
1
"Acquitted" means absolved of guilt. Not found guilty.
He's been Impeached. That isn't synonymous with acquitted.
Greeting to all from Germany, where I watched the whole trial and process. I was really fascinated by the self-winding argumentation of the Rep. senators not to follow the basic principles. "...yeah he did something wrong, but it was for the sake of the national security, he has the power to do so...". Gosh, that is so praise-the-king-like that it is close to be funny, when it wasn't really serious.
Will there be an outcry by them when the next President - either Rep or Dem - goes even further? Are they aware that there will a politcal backfire in a mid-term future? That it will be hard for them to argue of "un-constitutional behaviour" when they allowed it as precedent in former times. Has the US to adapt a century old constitution for modern times (language, definitions etc.) to be prepared for the future? In local highly respected news papers some comment remark, that when DJT will win a second term, his son DJT jr. will be prepared to follow him and - e voilá - you begin starting a family dynasty. And history told us a lot, that this is not everytime the best for a country.
5
We thankfully have term limits for the president, it's time to put the same term limits on judges, senators and members of Congress.
2
@Dr Carsten Weber Have you also watched the argument presented by Pam Bondi? It is nothing that you described, and very compelling. You can watch it on YouTube, packaged by PBS's NewsHour.
Romney for President, running as an Independent. Stick it to Trump and you might just win.
2
Here's to the new world of impeaching the president, every term, from here out.
Please show me a president (or any other lawmaker for that matter, federal or local) who has not and does not use their office for an advantage over a challenger.
If Pelosi was serious about the thing, perhaps the house should have built a rock solid case.
4
Each and every senator who voted against the two articles has entered the wrong side of history and will forever be remembered in written word, although sadly not in the minds of many of their constituents. I have lost respect for the Senate as an institution and for McConnell.
6
@Ann Recchie
Thank you for this list! This is exactly what I have been planning to do once the primaries are over and we know who is running. I would add that it would also be a good idea to support incumbent Democrats, such as Doug Jones, who are running in conservative areas. Please send them contributions and, just as important, send them verbal support. They all have websites. It doesn’t take long to send an email.
3
An impetus to an enboldened Trump. I think there is also some struggle in the heart of gop senators. To be or not to be. One of the reason they chose to acquit him is just the big task to remove him and select a new one. It has simple quality with the reason the couple refuse to divorce sometime. Acquit him? He does have no fitness. The economic resilience which Trump had touted in several scenes, I always think, is a cyclical effect of time and a natural simultaneous thing with the tenure of Trump.
3
Let's not forget one thing. Donald Trump was impeached, and that is in the history books! And that in itself is an indictment. He may have been acquitted in a sham trial in the Senate, but he was, and always will be, a U.S. President that was impeached!
25
The real champion is Mitt Romney! God bless him for having the courage and guts to stand up against the GOP. I pray and hope our country can get back on track cause our current President doesn’t deserve to be here any much longer.
23
Watch Jim Carrey thank Colbert for being a light in the darkness of evil Trump days. Look out for the rocks! Don’t hit the rocks!
4
The democratic party now have two jobs to pull of.
1. Choose a preidential candidate that is electable.
2. Register voters in an unpresidented volume.
Trump and his supercorrupted friends and family are messing up everything. They are litteraly destroying our world. The american people got us into this mess, now the ameircan people have to fix this.
21
Three wonderful words Trump heard yesterday.
"Yes, he did."
---- Mitt Romney 2/5/2020, --- "The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did."
22
How is a trial from which all witnesses are excluded a vindication or victory for Trump or his corrupt party?
29
This man that the electoral college made president is delusional. His criminal acts are not vindicated.
The majority in America can sweep out Mr Trump from the office he has soiled, in the upcoming election.
How do I explain to my son how Mr Trump remains in office for the time being.
16
You describe and explain, as best that you can, over time, in
the same way that you do:
Slavery.
Women not given the right to vote when men were.
The Electoral College, and the myth of one person, one vote.
The ongoing salary inequality between various groups and subgroups.
The ongoing existence of poverty and its implications and outcomes.
That some people can’t find jobs.
That some people are foodless, and hungry.
That some people, in this rich country, don’t have their own bed to sleep in; their own place to live in.
That some people need to choose between food and medicines.
That some people, in this fought-for democracy, choose not to vote.
The ever-present harmful process of people successfully choosing to BE
willfully blind about... Willfully deaf to... Willfully uncaring about...
Willfully ignorant of...
That trust is good to develop. Carefully.
That respect for others, and feeling respect by them, is good to create.
That expressing care for another, and feeling cared for, is good to develop.
That being nice to one another, and helping one another, when needed,
builds friendships.
That being, expressing, and receiving “compassion,” a big word, is a “gift”
which brings with it joyful feelings for all who are involved and contribute.
That having “off” hours,or days, given all of the complicated and complex people, situations, outcomes which happen, expected or not,
and much more, is part of being alive.
That failure is a gift for learning;an opportunity to make changes.
1
Don Jr., the expert, has re emerged, with harsh criticism of Romney. I preferred it when they were under the gag order pending outcome of the trial. It was a nice break.
16
If I had a choice as to whether Don Jr, or Hunter Biden were my kid, I’m going with Hunter every time.
1
I checked and at no time did the NY Times report on the Senate vote that acquitted Bill Clinton as a VICTORY for Bill Clinton.
But this newspaper naturally picks up on the right wing talking points to characterize Trump's acquittal as a "Victory" even though Trump received fewer votes for acquittal on Article 1 than Clinton received. And while Clinton's Senate acquittal was truly bipartisan, Trump's acquittal was members of his own party voting to cover up for their President.
But Trump and his Republicans have their talking points -- they want the media to call it a Trump victory and this newspaper clearly would rather use Republican talking points than stand up for the truth.
Mitt Romney stood for democracy today. This newspaper's reporters are standing for the same old right wing propaganda that is so dangerous to democracy. Shame on you.
24
1. He was not acquitted. He was not tried. This was a sham.
2. "....largely along party lines.." ? !! What are you talking about...largely. This misleading heading infers, more than ONE Republican voted against Trump. This is not the case.
3. We have one more shot at this...the election. It is, the end all- due
15
The headline should be "Death of Democracy in America".
18
Stupid minimalist impeachment! They should have thrown the book at him like any prosecutor would have done. 25 counts, easy. I lost half of my hair watching them waste the opportunity that they had. Two petty counts! Like throwing softballs at a team that only plays hard ball. I wrote my congressman five or six emails screaming about this.
Time for Nancy Pelosi to go. Let some of the kids who have some fire in their gut take over. And finally -- time to vote!
7
Bravo, Mr. Romney. It is reassuring to know that one man had the courage to vote his convictions, not his self-interest. He defines the term, public servant. We need more elected officials like him.
22
I did not expect to be applauding Romney after all these years. It's a pity he had to be a shill for the cancerous portion of the Republican party to win the nomination in 2012. He apparently would have made a reasonable president.
15
Would it be an act of kindness for me to prefer your headline as reading Acquitted by Republican Senators. Given the nature of POTUS 45's tenure I see this division as entirely in keeping with his attainment.
9
This is yet another gross miscarriage of justice perpetrated by, and in favour of, the Republican Party. I can only pray that the people stand up and wholly reject their corruption and cowardice.
We will remember come November.
17
pretty sad that the looney left is consoling itself with Mitt Romney...
9
Even sadder that the ordinary Right has sunk to a level at which it is self-soothing with a Mike Pence sock puppet.
17
Te amazing thing about Trump and the GOP is they will tell you something you know for certain is the opposite. They are shameless liars and they acquitted themselves incredibly poorly in the last 24 hours. Can't think of any of them I would want to work with or even dine with.
Now, if the @GOP does not get blown out in November and Trump gets reelected - a horror I don't even want to consider, the Republic will take an even darker turn into something none of us will recognize.
11
Exercise in predictable futility over. Planet is burning. Please put it out.
8
The positives:
It unfolded in a peaceful manner.
The procedures followed the rule of law.
The people can reach their own conclusions and vote.
The negatives:
The partisan divide.
A government that appears corrupt.
A president that appears incompetent.
This is America. The worst government, except for every other government,.
4
The rule of law has witnesses who testify at trials. The rule of law died in Scamerica when Bush Jr. and his cronies got away with war crimes and the bankers looted the country and were bailed out for their crimes. People in the 20th century were sometimes punished for their crimes; in the 21st century, anything goes.
2
So many countries have better governments than we do. Don’t kid yourself.
1
I would leave out your last sentence.
The US has the worst government of any First World democracy.
1
Partisan acquittal ensures ongoing investigations and Trump in trouble in November.
7
The Senator from the great state of Moscow Senator Vladimir Putin votes to acquit President Trump on all charges.
15
Hi kids, just thinking if you're following the current madness, then please stay tuned. Now if you're caught red handed what are the first words that usually come out of a persons mouth? Ummmmmmmm? right? If you're trying to stop a person from making a big mistake you usually call to them by saying what? Ayyyy!!!! right? Trump take out the um, put in the "A" and you now see the trap? you're welcome.
Pathetic. We must vote Trump, McConnell, & the rest out in November!
14
I would really like to see Melania Trump visit the medical schools and the schools for retarded children. And other places where people are misfortunate. There are a lot of places where people really suffer. It's not all about being in the right place.
For instance, Place Mats in the White House. Give us your all and we will support you, First Lady. If your support people who don't have jobs or people who are struggling just to make a living.
@2B or not 2B I have spent most of my life teaching and working with special needs children, with those less fortunate and have been a CASA since I have retired, and one thing I know for sure, all children, especially, those with special needs, know who really cares about them and who pretends to care about them. I honestly cannot imagine Malaria or Donald Trump around children with special needs, less fortunate, or sick people. He is not John Kennedy, and she is not Princesses Dianna.
2
Good for Romney!
It is clear the GOP vote is about people willing to compromise principles in order to protect themselves and achieve the outcome they want. Ends justify the means”
This is how all strongmen come into power and stay there.
At the same time the Democrats seem totally incoherent and at a loss to speak to the enormous number of people who have bought into Trump,
4
More to the point, your headline should read "Senate Republicans Acquit Trump". It's accurate, and employs active voice to make clear which persons took the action, and are thus responsible.
9
The Senate is now the world's most debilitated body.
BTW, Trump was not acquitted of 2 articles of impeachment in the Senate. He was acquitted by the GOP and they are now complicit
in Trump's scandal.
12
Calling this acquittal is absurd. This was a sham. It would not be tolerated for the jury to work with the defendant in any other trial in this country. And then for that jury to not allow any witnesses or documents. Let’s not dignify this show trial by pretending it was anything but a GOP cover up.
12
I read the word Shame in many of the comments...This was all completely created by The Democrats and they alone OWN this whole Investigation of Trump that started the moment he announced he was running for President, I read the L.A. Times/N.Y.Times/ B.B.C./ W.S.J. EVERYDAY and you Do not get the Whole picture Whatsoever without Fox News, or OAN one american news,or being Friends with as many Senators and Congressmen and politicians on Facebook , as a Independent Voter who does want the Truth,Fact, and knows enough about History to know it more times than not gets rewritten to fit the writers wishes....This IMPEACHMENT SHOULD OF NEVER HAPPENED!
8
Neither should have your English, but do us kommies komplain?
20
Senators are extremely powerful; their power is immense at home and abroad and command a great deal of respect. And yet they act like nerds at a high school, too afraid to stand up to the bully in the White House.
It’s a truly sad day when only 1 all powerful Senator has the courage to stand up for what’s right while the rest just stand there and do nothing.
Let’s make America Righteous Again.
6
Let's put the same term limits on the Senate, Congress and Suckpreme Court that we put on the president.
1
Romney is a leader, not a follower as Trump’s groupies are.
One ray of hope and validation on an otherwise miserable day.
13
Everyone knew what the outcome would be... because the Republicans are now zombies and they have the numbers.
Let's focus on what we need which is record numbers to take the Senate and white House.
7
I’m a moderate democrat. However, after hearing Romney speak today, I’d switch and vote for him if he ran. Character counts, he’s got it, and the White House needs it. And maybe we need a good Republican to bring the nation together.
17
Partisan impeachment ensures trump re-election.
15
I want to move to Utah, where I can vote for a patriotic, ethical Republican Senator again.
14
Evan McMcMullen or Mitt Romney. Yup, agree.
3
Shouldn't the headline read,
Senate Cover-Up Free's Trump to Cheat Again
28
Conscience, constitution and country over party, Romney will go down history as our hero.
13
The sad part is, what Romney did—and he was right—shouldn’t be special.
31
Everything was on party lines the whole thing was a joke
7
Ha, ha, ha.
Marines having to salute the likes of Donald John Trump.
Marines.
Ha, ha, ha. Hilarious.
I believe that this country is good enough to realize that this is wrong.
Your results may differ.
5
Trump was "not found guilty" in a sham. Romney is all that remains of the Republican party, a party of one good man. Sad!
15
@Timit: Trump was acquitted, but many Republican senators found him guilty as charged, and Romney voted his conscience.
I am positive that if even one Democrat had voted to acquit Trump, the NY Times headline would be "Trump gets bipartisan support for conviction".
However, since it was the Democrats who got bipartisan support and Trump did not, the NY Times continues to mislead by using the misleading headline "near party-line vote".
The real headline should be that 52 Republicans ignored evidence to cover up for Trump while only one Republican had the integrity to vote based on the undisputed evidence of Trump's wrongdoing.
'It's just a partisan divide" the NYT keeps telling its readers, when the ONLY divide is between those who recognize truth and those who don't. Unfortunately, I am starting to believe that most NYT reporters are in the 2nd group.
13
A few hopefully more positive thoughts:
1) The Democrats stuck together, even the vulnerable Joe Manchin and Doug Jones. A good sign for the 2020 elections.
2) The House investigation is continuing.
3) Trump got “acquitted” but Romney is dominating the news cycle as a hero- that’s got to be infuriating for Trump’s ego.
26
Romney gets the headlines because he will be our next president. He had demonstrated in Ma. that can work with a Democratic legislature, brought us Romney Care and identified Russia as an adversary.
He’s not divisive. He’ll bring us together.
6
@Reva Cooper
It's going to eat away at him in myriad ways that only those consigned to one or another of the seven circles of hell could possibly appreciate.
2
@Reva Cooper Re your comment #3 - you got that exactly right!
Before there is an “acquittal”, there first must be a “trial”. I am not entirely sure how to describe what we all just collectively experienced, but without “witnesses” it was not remotely approaching what anyone would call a “trial”. And it doesn’t help when over half the jurors are convinced that crossing the defendant will cost them their “jobs”.
17
It's a real shame that there was only one honest Republican senator in the Republican dominated Senate. The only positive, printable comment I can make would be that the trial forced the rest of the Republicans into the light. Remember this moment when you vote in November!
Your choice would be a vote for Democracy as opposed to more lies, deception, and an 'every man for himself' attitude.
10
Romney had the courage and integrity to vote his conscience and honor his oath to the country and to stay true to his faith. The rest of the Republican Senate will be remembered for their cowardice. If they remain mute while Romney is attacked by Trump and his followers these Senators should be voted out of office.
10
NOT TRUE. DT was impeached, just not removed from office.
9
@Sage
that's what acquittal means
2
The outcome was known to every realistic person, including Nancy Pelosi. The process was just a charade to spellbind political junkies. I completely stayed away from all the hearings, the house vote, and the senate vote. The final outcome was good enough for me to read - in this newspaper. Look, how much time I saved!
6
As always the everyday working Americans are the real losers, who are constantly duped and manipulated by politics and the media sowing confusion and distrust. Money controls politics and all this facade about impeachment and trials is nothing but a bunch of smoke and mirrors - it will only continue. Wonder what the future holds for most of us? Get ready for more of the political circus while you get poorer by the day. Remember, "read my lips"?
7
Terrible headline. It should read "Trump Not Convicted Because There Was No Trial." That would be far more accurate. Hard to acquit someone when the trial was not allowed by the defendant to have witnesses and documents. Don't mislead the public -- there is enough fake news spewed 24/7 by various outlets. Change your banner to read " Trump Still Impeached but Not Convicted Because Republican Senators Wouldn't Hold a Trial." There -- I've fixed it for you.
15
you should have a category where people can indicate they disagree.
4
Trump pleaded: "Where's my Roy Cohn!?"
Roy Cohn, who has been described by people who knew him as “a snake,” “a scoundrel” and “a new strain of son of a 8itch,” is the subject of a new documentary. It’s an occasion to once again look at Cohn and ask how much of him and his “savage,” “abrasive” and “amoral” behavior is visible in the behavior of the current president. Trump, as has been well-established, learned so much from the truculent, unrepentant Cohn about how to get what he wants, and he pines for Cohn and his notorious capabilities still.
Roy Cohn was also the Attorney for McCarthy in the 1950's, another disgraced Republican who was confronted with, "-have you no shame Sir?"
Trump got his Roy Cohn, he actually got 52 of them - 52 Senate Republicans...
9
Trump/GOP in bed with Russians... money laundering!
Indicted Lev Parnas/Igor Fruman face felonies over their efforts to defraud the U.S. Federal Election Commission.
Parnas made 20 identical contributions of $661.90 to:
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA
North Carolina Republican Party
New Jersey Republican State Committee
South Carolina Republican Party
Tennessee Republican Party
Connecticut Republican Party
Wyoming Republican Party
Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania
California Republican Party
Republican Party of Wisconsin
New York Republican Federal Campaign Committee
Republican Party of Virginia
North Dakota Republican Party
Mississippi Republican Party
West Republican Party of Louisiana
Illinois Republican Party
Kansas Republican Party
Parnas donated $2,700 to:
Trump
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif)
Pete Sessions (R-Texas)
Parnas also donated to electoral organizations:
VP Pence‘s Great America Committee $5,000
GOP’s “Protect the House” fundraising committee $11,000 National Republican Congressional Committee$3,800
Republican National Committee received $33,400
Trump Victory PAC received $50,000
Fruman donated to the GOP but doubly maxed-out to then-governor and eventual Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in May 2018. On the same day, Fruman donated $15,000 to the Rick Scott Victory Fund PAC. He later made two separate $2,700 contributions to Rep. Joseph Wilson (R-S.C.) in June 2018–one for the primary election; one for the general election.
9
Stupid, cowardly Republicans. They have no national pride, no back bone, no conscience. It’s all about power and money for Republicans. Barely one made it through “eye of the needle” in the vote today...as Christ once said.
11
Why is this a bold headline as if it is even news? Did anybody think he wouldn’t be acquitted in this rigged “trial?” Nice going NYTs. It shoulda been page 6.
10
I'm astonished. I thought surely with the strength of their convictions alone (in the face of overwhelming evidence running to the contrary of the premise of those convictions) would be enough to sway the harshly practical and expedient perspective of the opposition... but, deities save us, somehow things went awry!
2
It was only expected.
The lesson of the entire drama is, do whatever you want, bend laws as much as you can, if you have enough numbers in Senate, you would stand acquitted.
This is not real victory. Voters are more powerful than the Senators. It would be interesting to see how Trump is treated in the coming elections.
4
So is this a sign that America is heading to a single party system? Is that the end game? Has the U.S. ever had a single party control all three?
Suppose nothing changes in November. Trump gets re-elected, Democrats make no headway in the Senate and shortly thereafter they install a couple more S.C. Justices. Republicans take full control and cut social services, build walls, and continue building a strong military. Then what?
3
Donald Trump, ever the showman, will now perform for the nation, flexing his newfound powers, showing all of us how powerful he is now that he is unbound by the chains of law. Be afraid all who defy him, as he now possesses the power of the Presidency, the Senate, and the DOJ.
1
How Putin’s oligarchs funneled millions into GOP campaigns [DallasMoriningNews]
--As Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team probes deeper into potential collusion between Trump officials and representatives of the Russian government, investigators are taking a closer look at political contributions made by U.S. citizens with close ties to Russia.
--Buried in the campaign finance reports available to the public are some troubling connections between a group of wealthy donors with ties to Russia and their political contributions to President Donald Trump and a number of top Republican leaders…In 2015-16 Blavatnik's political contributions soared and made a hard right turn as he pumped $6.35 million into GOP political action committees, with millions of dollars going to top Republican leaders including Sens. Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham.
--In 2017, donations continued, with $41,000 going to Republican candidates, along with $1 million to McConnell's Senate Leadership Fund..
6
The people who let Trump get away with this are are sellouts. The reason self-interested businesspeople and their representatives should not be in government at all is because they don't believe in public service, and democracy depends upon quality, selfless leadership. Great leadership can come from business as well as anywhere else, but sellouts tear democracy down, as Putin well knows.
1
Actually, the Founders did not trust that leadership would be selfless.
That’s why they built a system of checks and balances into the Constitution.
Unfortunately, they were not psychics and could not foresee eventualities that would subvert that system.
1
Acquitted? No, that is the wrong word. It is not acquittal when the jury says, as Senator Lamar and many other Republican Senators did, "The man did what was accused but we will find him not guilty anyways". The word for that is nullification. The Senate nullified in the impeachment trial.
6
Did you actually expect anything else........
Don't get me wrong. It had to be done. Someone had to stand up and say this is wrong and we are willing to publicly say so, but I don't think anyone, House Managers included had any illusions that the outcome would be anything other than it is.
You want change? Vote 2020 - get your family to vote 2020, get your friends to vote 2020. The government had their chance to fix this and failed - now it's up to us.
6
Trump is just so awful. I emphatically reject him as my president. I just read that Sen Graham thinks the only way the accusations will be "permanently" over is if he wins re-election. How about if he doesn't and he is convicted. Then it would be over. That is what is going to happen. To the Republican Senators also, except Mitt Romney. How about a Biden-Romney ticket?
1
Our short nightmare is over - to paraphrase President Ford.
I am a Republican who had supported Nixon removal, but had not supported Clinton removal over a twardy sex scandal.
But here we are - with 3rd impeachment - resulting in an acquittal.
Our POTUS is a precedent setting man - first, a non politician, first person who even himself believed he could not win - won, first person to govern with tweets and you name it - shattering all kinds of things we think a POTUS should be.
Yet, he has set an excellent precedent.
He is the first POTUS to tell future Houses what even Madame speaker and Sen Schumer and Nadler said - an Impeachment must be bipartisan.
So, that's a good thing.
As to Sen Romney - I fail to understand how he wanted more witnesses to provide more evidence to judge articles.
Yet, he now says information was sufficient.
I worked on his campaign, he is a fine man and by his own admission very religious.
But mentioning religion during his justification cheapened his religion.
He was to be a POTUS one day as we all hoped. You would think - as Dershowitz said about putting yourself in someone's shoes - Sen Romney would say - wait a minute, will they have impeached me too?
And that too over one lousy telephone call that amounted to nothing.
I reject calls from some in our party to expel him. It is not for any party to expel.
I only hope that when it comes to the next Democrat being impeached, Romney has the same convictions.
4
This is the third impeachment in the history of America, all three with much ado but little to show. Maybe impeachment should be abandoned and the American president should be treated like any other citizen, subject to civil and criminal law suits.
1
History will be kind to Mitt Romney for he stood up what is right.
7
Russian Operative Said ‘We Made America Great’ After Trump’s Win [Bloomberg]
Kremlin-directed operatives opened champagne when Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, according to a communication disclosed in a new Senate Intelligence Committee report outlining Russia’s sweeping social media efforts to help him win. “We uncorked a tiny bottle of champagne ... took one gulp each and looked into each other’s eyes .... We uttered almost in unison: ‘We made America great,’” one operative at the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency said in the message obtained by the Republican-led committee.
5
After Romney's moving and articulate speech based on his own conscience and commitment to the constitution, every other Republican should hang their heads in shame. Senator Romney, many, many Utahns are proud of you today. You are our hero.
10
Now that impeachment is over, what are Trump supporters going to whine about? Because they have to whine about *something* or they’d have no reason to get up in the morning.
6
How do you see the Republicans being the whiners??
4
Let me get this straight, the argument Republicans have is that what Trump did trying to meddle in the election was wrong, but we should let the election decide his fate. That's like saying we'll decide if your illness should be treated depending on whether you die.
7
@Joe
Exactly. It's like saying, "Bill Clinton committed perjury and obstruction of justice by lying during a deposition, and we have it on video, but we're going to acquit him in the Senate anyway."
Oh, wait -- that actually happened.
1
Russia’s State TV Calls Trump Their ‘Agent’ [TheDailyBeast]
--Sometimes a picture doesn’t have to be worth a thousand words. Just a few will do. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov returned home from his visit with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last week, Russian state media were gloating over the spectacle. TV channel Rossiya 1 aired a segment entitled “Puppet Master and ‘Agent’—How to Understand Lavrov’s Meeting With Trump.”
--Vesti Nedeli, a Sunday news show on the same network, pointed out that it was Trump, personally, who asked Lavrov to pose standing near as Trump sat at his desk. It’s almost the literal image of a power behind the throne.
7
Sorry, New York Times. Your headline should actually read: "TRUMP ADMITTED" - to the crimes against the Constitution, our democracy, and the rule of law for which he was justly impeached.
Let us work toward that glorious day when he and his co-conspirators will be admitted to federal prison. SDNY attorneys, are you listening?
3
I guess I’m just old. I remember well in 1972 how many Republicans in the House, Senate and even in Nixons cabinet, stood up for our Constitution. Today, only Mitt Romney showed true courage.
In the future, probably after i’m dead, the NYT will print Mitts obituary. I know the headline will be how he stood alone for our nation when all others failed.
6
I want an America run by a clean federal government — most, not all, Americans do too. Above all our president must be squeaky clean even when we may not all agree with his policies.
A small number of elected representatives may occasionally act unethically or criminally, but we still expect those miscreants to feel the sting of justice.
Disturbingly, Romney’s emasculated fellow senators voted to obey the president and ignore facts. They also ignored the total refusal of the White House to comply with subpoenas. Instead they voted today like eunuchs enlisted to obey Trump. They voted like sycophants in a banana republic. America demands and deserves better.
4
I think that the Trump supporters ought to just "come out" and admit that they want to be ruled under authoritarian rule, that the constitution and what the founding fathers laid out for a new nation... they don't support it now and maybe they never did. The Trump supporters have gone so far as to declare Trump either the new Jesus or King Cyrus. So stop this Tea Party, torch and pitch fork stand for the constitution... be the Russian you've always wanted to be.
Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China establishes himself as a lifetime ruler.
Vladimir Putin, Russian President is following in suit with Xi and is setting himself up as a lifetime ruler.
Trump Keeps Alluding to Extending His Presidency. Does He Mean It? [Fortune]
While at a luncheon for Republican donors at Mar-A-Lago, the President remarked that Xi Jinping being able to hold the position of China’s president for life is a step that Trump hopes America will someday follow. According to the Associated Press and CNN, the President said, “He’s now president for life. President for life. And he’s great. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll give that a shot someday.” The comments reportedly came after China’s Communist party voted last week to change their constitution to allow Jinping to stay in power beyond the standard two-term limit.
11
The Republicans can do their victory dance, but the country lost big by this sham trial. The shame is not in acquitting the President but hiding the truth and allowing the executive branch to deny documents and testimony to the Congress.
12
Somebody please tell Stephen Colbert that clearly - now we know, "...No... doing illegal acts is not breaking the law. Astonishingly.
All this may serve as a template for further 'illegal acts' that at this point your president hasn't had the time to think up.... give him a few more days to put on his 'thinking hat' think up more stuff to hurt his political rivals - who knows what evil lurks? Bring on more crimes and misdemeanours and let's see how your "chief" parlays them in his own interest.
These are dangerous times for you 'down there' in the 'bowels' (Warshington) of the US. Someone tell me please....How is all this going to end? and - can it even have an end?
2
The day will come when a democrat is POTUS and I’d sure like him or her to use the AG to open up investigations of republican senators and ask other countries to investigate any republican that has investment in that country. Should be interesting to see how the republicans react. Let me guess...outrage lol
2
Don’t hold your breath.
Obama had the opportunity to investigate the G W Bush administration for their extensive war crimes and took a pass.
The US is an oligarchy represented by both major parties. The Democrats are marginally more humane than the Republicans, but neither party represents or is controlled by working people.
2
In a criminal trial the jury determines guilt and then the punishment is decided. A vote of "not guilty" is an acquittal.
Comments by senators that they couldn’t vote for removal even though the President committed wrongdoing means that votes of "not guilty" do not actually mean "not guilty."
Can we really call that an acquittal?
6
Will Mr. Trump now set out to find the "real killers" of Ron & Nicole?
3
From the Great White North:
Unless you Americans find the courage that your forefathers had during WW2 to restore a balance in your government, you are about to become the new axis of evil..North Korea, Russia, China and yourselves, the USA. The problem for you with your 300 million guns is, many of them will be turned on yourselves. Millions of your uneducated or ideologues would prefer civil war over discourse. We Canadians would prefer peaceful solutions over what appears to be a suicid,ia
10
We should al stop the debate: the United States is dead. It has no soul and it has no laws. Guns rule. Death is America’s god, with money as its son. Suicides will rise. The “economy” will soar for the slaver corporations for a little while longer before it all implodes. And thus how democracies die. Those of us who can should work towards the dissolution of the Union since its Constitution has been declared null and void.
4
History doesn’t repeat itself it rhymes for those that think there has to be a complete repeat of history. There are inevitable truths to our actions in life...build your life on a foundation of lies and it will collapse.
When republicans chanted 4 more years why didn’t the democrats chant lock him up?
4
Yeah, but he's still guilty!
2
God bless Mitt Romney. History is on his side.
2
Poor pitiful Mitt! I’m afraid this finally confirms for many voters just exactly why he didn’t succeed in winning the presidency...
5
He used the Casey Anthony method. Cluster B bravado is a brilliant smokescreen to get away with all sorts of bad behavior. Might makes right the majority of the time. It's a boring spectacle to the portion of the population familiar with cluster B interpersonal tactics.
2
In November, Mike will get it done!
1
How can a set back for the the Constitutional Rule of Law in this country be deemed a "Victory" for Trump when it was preordained by those shameful senators who chose to subvert the very basis of our democracy in obeisance to a would-be autocrat who represents the very worst of America? It is a "victory" for no one.
7
What did you expect?
Democrats have spent months and millions accomplishing absolutely nothing. I hope the Democrats don't continue on with these brain dead crusades to destroy President Trump.
I shudder when I think of what Democrats might try in the future.
I certainly hope no Democrat involved in these 2 fiascos is reelected.
7
Thank you for adding absolutely nothing to the discussion.
10
Just because the discussion was not in the direction you would like, it doesn’t mean that nothing was added. Anyone who thought that Trump is going to be impeached, still doesn’t know why they lost the last election
8
@Tom,
Trump was impeached.
Then he was sprung by a sham trial in which the jury was bought and sold.
1
I am a Democrat who never voted for Mitt Romney, either when he ran for Governor in Massachusetts, or when he ran for POTUS in 2012. Generally, I do not agree with his political views.
That said, I take my hat off to Sen. Mitt Romney for his principled position on his oath under the US Constitution and on the first Article of Impeachment against Donald John Trump. Thank you, Sen. Romney. And kudos to Sen. Doug Jones, Democrat of Alabama.
Both Romney and Jones stated their positions eloquently, and they clearly understand that the evidence shows that Trump violated the law by asking for political assistance from a foreign national, and tried to us $391 million in taxpayer dollars as a cudgel.
Sens. Romney and Jones each deserve a chapter in volume II of President John F. Kennedy's book "profiles in Courage."
As for Romney's niece, Ronna Romney McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee, it is apparent that she (and all of the Republicans in both Houses of Congress other than Sen. Romney) are besotted with the KoolAid that the leader of the Cult of Trump is serving up at the White House. Their position in history is assured, under "Those who are unprincipled."
11
Why the half page font? Its no surprise. The Republicans, all along have said that they favor criminal acts over rule of law. This should be halfway down the page in "oh no kidding font."
7
We all know that the public was not trustworthy in a country like Germany, and you know, Japan which was (and still is in a sense) a monarchy but required a sort of mutual agreement for making decision. So an important party of participants for democracy other than the public must be a majority of politicians whose wisdom and integrity is never questioned. The above two countries failed at a critical juncture. The US I have never imagined would fail has failed today. This could be a critical moment for the world.
5
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
H. L. Mencken
4
I will vote Romney for president 2020.
1
Although I didn’t vote for Mitt Romney in 2012 and voted for Obama, I have a bit of a newfound respect for Mitt Romney for having the courage to not go along with the herd, and choosing to uphold the oath of his office to be an impartial juror who’s interested solely in the facts and the truth. He was also one of the few Senators in his party who was willing to hear from witnesses. He’s actually the first US Senator in US History to vote to remove a President of his own party in Impeachment proceedings. Thanks for taking your constitutional duty as a Senator seriously. It serves this country well and other Senators should try to emulate your example
6
From here on out it only gets worse for you Liberals.
Mondale-Ferraro Is Coming.
6
Reality will be WWIII and the next Great Depression for all the conservatives if Trump gets re-elected!
3
Tough talk from Trump’s illiterate base is so, so intimidating.
5
Why the big headline, NYT? We all knew that was going to happen.
4
Senator Byrd was the last republican senator who had a shred of ethics.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?111861-1/senator-robert-byrd-history-senate
@sandcanyongal
Robert Byrd was a DEMOCRAT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Byrd
4
What an irony:
Mitt Romney helps—not Susan Collins, Martha McSally and Cory Gardner—but Joe Manchin, Doug Jones and Kyrsten Sinema.
When what seemed different was really the same...was really American.
Amidst the slurs and the negativity, we have been leaderless for so long...it feels like...a blessed rebirth.
Today was when “Thank you, Lord!” took on added meaning...and strengthened faith among us all...regardless of our individual Faith.
Where Mutt Romney stood for the moment, seeking the highest, became holy ground.
2
Thomas Paine has always been my favorite founder by a mile; he's the one his fellow rebels pointed to as being the life's blood of the revolution. It was his words that galvanized a nation. His words were a call to arms.
So tonight, as freezing rains falls, I read again and found comfort in his words:
“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”--Thomas Paine
There's a benefit in knowing exactly who the winter patriots are. Also, the traitors, whose names are going in the history books. A greater bunch of cowards has never before been assembled under one roof.
What's laughable is that some think this is over. The ball is now in the public court. And millions of us have no intention of dropping it or letting any of those who cast a vote to uphold criminality off the hook.
It's time we earned our freedom, by protecting it.
21
God Bless Speaker Pelosi! She did the right thing!
God Bless Mitt Romney! He shed light on the ugly evil truth of Trump’s crimes and showed that Republicans have one weak shimmering hope of redemption some day.
9
A big font headline perfect for one angry dude.
Amoral tech company bros are complicit in helping Mr. Trump spread the forthcoming post-impeachment digital rage.
Blame them more, not him. They’re happy to host his bleak disinformation vid calling Romney a “Democrat secret asset.” -_-
4
Disgusting. The right-wingers unite behind the biggest crook in WH history. They might as well have taken dumps on the Constitution on live TV.
12
Minor point, but I am surprised by the enormous font used for the headline. Was this truly big news?
4
It may not have come as a surprise, of course, but a lot rested on the outcome of this trial. So yes, I think this was big news.
1
Mitt Romney...The Mormon who ran for president and said during a national debate that he would fix college debt by opening up the coal mines for college graduates to work, and that the best way to do business way the way Communist China did it.
That's your hero democrats. A communist who loves coal mines. I stand alone and slow clap for your progressive ideals.
3
Sorry, Romney is not a Communist. Nor is he perfect. But he has integrity, which is more than can be said for the man currently in the White House. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and vote for what you believe is morally right, amidst the vindictive hisses $ boos of those of your own party who are voting largely out of fear of being singled out.
7
@Lorelei
Romney was a vulture capitalist at Bain Capital. That is hardly a communist.
I have the impression you do not know what you are talking about.
4
Appalling failure of democracy in favor of simple partisanism.
“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron.”
-H.L. Mencken, 1920
7
The truth will out.
Trump and his minions will be shown for what they are.
Spineless liars
7
What’s with the giant font? This isn’t news.
5
Like father, like son. Don Jr. Is an idiot. A profile in courage is Senator Romney (R-Utah) and I am a Democrat. Kudos Sir!
7
Mitt Romney is a National Hero to late.
PBS NewsHour had Kellyanne Conway, of the Bowling Green Massacre fame, on as a legitimate guest tonight.
History's most practiced liar on the News Hour, which I have been watching since it first aired in 1975.
I am checking out.
Get rid of the Office of President if you want this nation to survive.
MB
4
Mr. Fandos,
Thanks for this nice wrap up of the Senate trial. You, along with some of your co journalists, have provided us with some very informative articles over these impeachment months and you should know that I, and the all the people I've forwarded your columns to, are very appreciative.
While the GOP could not be convinced to convict despite overwhelming evidence presented, and with plenty of evidence and witnesses put into the deep freeze, I believe that the majority of citizens have been convinced and thoroughly repulsed. ...and, the Senate majority, by their conduct, has shown us the gaping holes in our system that must be fixed.
One of the changes that should be made is that I now think the voters, immediately after the Senate Trial, should be the ultimate jurors (the third rail) in any impeachment proceeding that does not reach consensus in both Chambers.
Senator Romney should be content with casting that lone (R) vote to convict. If the majority had followed his lead, the Country would know the Constitution was sound and that our government could not be controlled by the puppet of foreign interests.
...and, after reading the latest NYT revelations about Trump's backers, Deutsche Bank, and their shady dealings all over the world, we should be very worried that Planet Earth is run by "(GOD)fathers".
I'm ready for Senator Warren's anti corruption administration.
8
Romney’s description of Trump in the 2016 presidential nomination is perfect: “Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud! His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University.”
14
Trump must be thrilled with the size of the NYT headline, since size is all important to him. Of secondary importance must certainly be that he was acquitted by his enablers and that he will never earn the respect of the real Americans who still value truth, honesty, integrity and a decent command of the English language.
7
Sham trial. No witnesses? Why did they even call it a "trial". Of course Trump gets off because no Republican has the integrity to stand tall. They're all on the Trump-train. Disgusting what our government has come to. Vote Trump out!!
5
That’s not completely true, as there was one Republican (though only one!) who had the dignity to stand tall: Mitt Romney.
1
Heaadline says voting "largely on party lines", articles states one single solitary person changed parties. that is "largely?" No wonder The Gray Lady gets hit with fake news comments.
2
“Largely” means “almost entirely”. What is your problem with that? I take it you’d rather the NYT dealt in utter falsehoods like Fox News?
1
"Vindication Day -- For President Trump, the Constitution & the Rule of Law!"
"Now, there must be accountability for this unprecedented abuse of power by the House leadership that targets not only Pres. Trump, but the Constitution, and our right to self-government."* ...Tom Fitton, President, Judicial Watch
* See: "Vindication Day -- For President Trump, the Constitution & the Rule of Law" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg-5WYz5Kfk Vindication Day -- For President Trump, the Constitution & the Rule of Law!"
1
Presenting Trump as being in favor of either the rule of law or the Constitution is ridiculous. He has demonstrated his utter disdain for both.
3
It’s not an “abuse of power” for the House to use the power with which it is invested by the Constitution.
It is an abuse of power for the Republicans in the Senate to refuse to review witnesses and relevant documents before rendering a verdict.
And Trump almost every day abuses his power, with childishly uncivil behavior that would ground a high school student and land him in detention forever.
Does America belong to the world or to its citizens?
Trump says the nation belongs to its citizens. The Democrats say that America is an idea that belongs to the world- and access to an idea can never be restricted.
Under Trump America is less generous to the world. Under the Democrats America would be open to the world but uncaring towards its citizens.
Trump is not a good President but the alternative, open borders, is worse. Trump is a buffoon but the alternative, take everyone with a pulse or you are a 'racist', is worse.
3
Why do you think that it’s either Trump or open borders? Under President Obama we had more deportations than under any previous president in history.
5
He is a disgrace to the office and the Republican Senators are a disgrace to the country. Not that they care.
6
Democracy is the attempt of the many to reverse the natural cycle of power. In order for it to operate, those who break laws are treated equally regardless of social class or proximity to power. The Republican kabuki, with it's first act in Congress and it's final choerographed act in the Senate show that the GOP has no interest in democracy. Today we saw a political party with a blatant disregard of law and the constitution allow itself to become supplicants for criminality. So much for the "Party of Law and Order". Illegality has now become the badge of honor for the GOP and their stain is on us.
8
I agree, except for the comparison of the GOP to kabuki.
The main theme of kabuki, above all else, is the upholding of honor.
Republicans are the opposite.
1
“Public opinion polls suggest that even though a growing number of Americans agreed that the president most likely abused his office and acted improperly, more than a slight majority never agreed that he should be removed from office.”
That begs the question, assuming they voted for him once, will they hesitate to vote for him a second time?
And now, Republicans can go ahead and confirm five more of Trump's judicial nominations next week--five more to the 187 already confirmed. And they can continue to try to away women's rights. And continue to put corporate interests over the health of our planet...
Why don't Republican senators admit why they really acquitted Trump.
4
I think the House rushed through the process if they wanted to see a guilty verdict. How did they end up begging Republicans to investigate?
1
They did not “beg the Republicans to investigate.”
It is normal for a trial to examine witnesses and documents.
As usual, the Republicans cheated, subverting the trial pricess by refusing to let the public see those things.
This played out exactly how Pelosi and her ilk originally thought it would. The result is an acquittal (in the mind of many) and the Dems are seen by even more as ineffective posturing blowhards - something more usually associated with Trump voters and their "wall". But hey - at least the moral thing was done right.
Beat Trump. If something doesn't help do that - then drop it. Beat Trump, beat Trump, beat Trump. Oh take the senate too.
2
The Democrats are not seen as ineffectual, but as principled.
There is no dishonor in losing, but in refusing to take a stand and fight.
I don’t understand the concept of “being so close to an election” as reason for inaction. This was the Republican excuse with Garland and it is now the excuse for failing to impeach. Every time this sort of action is taken, American voters are disenfranchised. It’s reprehensible and contrary to the Constitution. There is nothing in its text that says it applies only when there’s lots of time left in a term. Republicans claim they want Judges that respect the Constitution. Clearly, that is not true.
7
'He is the first senator ever to vote to remove a president of his own party.'
And the toll it took on him, he will not get over.
I always admired him for the Romneycare health care he brought to his state, but turned away from him over the "binders of women" - now I think I could let that go, after watching him struggle while telling the world why he voted agains the current president.
Because I am on the "side of science', I do not share his religious views; but now I respect him for standing up alone and bravely preserving his honour, and his father's too.
This is a time of infamy; Donald Trump appears to be the epitome of the Republican party - he and they disgust me ....And - I think I hear Abe Lincoln rolling over in his grave.
7
@Elizabeth Barry, Canada
"I always admired him for the Romneycare health care he brought to his state, but turned away from him over the "binders of women""
You turned away from Romney because he was considering many women for cabinet and other high level positions?!
That's just plain dumb.
1
@GMooG No; it was because he called them - binders full of women.... Of course I now realize - maybe a slip of the tongue - he just said it badly that day. and I have not heard people say "binders full of men".
1
As I see it, the Republicans of the Senate (minus Romney) need a new pledge of allegiance. May I suggest:
"I pledge allegiance to myself and the interests that keep me in office. And to Putin’s puppet, his Royal Highness. One liar,
above the law, illegitimate, risking liberty and
justice for all."
11
You can’t beat Donald Trump by constantly projecting resentment towards the man. Hate is one of the most powerful human emotions. It paralyzes one’s ability to think rationally and strategically. The notion that in a deeply divide country, Democrats would be able to convince 20 Republicans senator to convict Trump was deeply misguided. Tough sell considering elections are months away, the economy is booming and the guy appears to be winning on trade, national security, NATO etc. Impeachment helped Trump in the end, and may have very well given a crucial victory.
If I had all Democrats in one room, I would advise them against further investigations and urge them to resist the temptation of trashing trash the man. The day will come when Americans will want the President to be more presidential and they may call on a Democrat. Today is not the day.
4
He got away with it.
4
Mitt Romney:
The meaning of Awe
Thank you.
6
Declaration of Independence, Meet the guys whom are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Wake up people. Even if you're a racist I don't care at this point. What makes sense? That corruption is like cancer or compound interest. It compounds, grows and at some point gives you something you didn't expect. This Presidency is more like cancer. It's eating away at the American Good. When you buy in, you end up with the same issues only greater because now you're a part of the problem, not the solution. If you see the kid with his hand in the cookie jar and crumbs on his mouth, yet he keeps saying I don't know what cookies you're talking about. It's probably a good bet you can't trust him with the cookies. In this case you Trust him with our lives, money, and future stakes in what is a game of chance. If he's your lucky card, I hope you understand no one's playing cards at this table.
All of us tonight in Utah and elsewhere are deeply proud of Senator Romney and his choice to do the right thing, -- then let the consequence follow. His fellow Republican senators that wholesalely declined to treat the President's actions as not serious enough to merit dismissal or censure will now have to live with their collective decision today and throughout the remainder of their lives. The parallels of what occurred today to other times in history where decent people got caught up in the cult of personality of a leader and refused to contain him or her, which then led them all down steep paths of eventual destruction are many. This is a sad day for our country and democracy.
16
Romney is a bitter presidential loser sell out who still can’t believe that he lost and Trump won
5
No, Romney is a man who cares about morality, integrity, and the Cobstitution.
8
Here is what Americans CAN DO! The following is a list of GOP Senators running for reelection. Send a dollar or send 5 dollars - whatever moves you, to their opponents, and let these assclowns know that we are not going to ignore their dereliction of duty for their own self-interest.
Republicans up for reelection in 2020:
Alaska: Dan Sullivan (Intent unknown) Current age: 53
Arizona: Martha McSally (Running) Current age: 52
Arkansas: Tom Cotton (Running) Current age: 40
Colorado: Cory Gardner (Running) Current age: 43
Georgia: David Perdue (Running) Current age: 68
Idaho: John Risch (Intent unknown) Current age: 74
Iowa: Joni Ernst (Running) Current age: 47
Kansas: Pat Roberts (Retiring) Current age: 81
Kentucky: Mitch McConnell (Running) Current age: 75
Louisiana: Bill Cassidy (Intent unknown) Current age: 60
Maine: Susan Collins (Running) Current age: 66
Mississippi: Cindy Hyde-Smith (Intent unknown) Current age: 59
Montana: Steve Daines (Intent unknown) Current age: 55
Nebraska: Ben Sasse (Intent unknown) Current age: 45
North Carolina: Thom Tillis (Running) Current age: 57
Oklahoma: Jim Inhofe (Intent unknown) Current age: 83
South Carolina: Lindsey Graham (Running) Current age: 63
South Dakota: Mike Rounds (Intent unknown) Current age: 63
Tennessee: Lamar Alexander (Retiring) Current age: 77
Texas: John Cornyn (Running) Current age: 65
West Virginia: Shelley Moore Capito (Intent unknown) Current age: 64
Wyoming: Mike Enzi (Intent unknown) Current age: 73
13
Mitt Romney has more guts in his little finger than Ted Cruz and all of his his other spineless colleagues put together.
13
Too little too late
Mittens wore daddy jeans and carried that ridiculous work bucket in 2012. He came through like a dad true to his words and self and carried that bucket to work honorably today.
6
“The president vindicated...” shame on the NYT for using these words. My heart is broken and sad with Fandos writing those three words.
10
Democrats villified Romney in 2012. Obama mocked Romney's assertion that our greatest geopolitical rival was Russia (which the Democrats would later claim determined the 2016 election).
Now Democrats and most of the NYT commentiat canonize Romney.
Trump won. Hillary lost.
Next
5
Trump won, we all lost.
Does anyone dispute he is a pathological liar? No, the problem is that not enough people care to stop him, not enough people have the foresight to see what allowing the “leader of the free world” to cheat and diminish our standing will do to our nation over time. We were not ten years ago respected as the shining light of freedom and democracy, now he and his lapdogs have reduced us to laughing stock among our allies and worse adversaries.
I call apron each of us to fight for principal, reason, truth and justice otherwise we are no longer an America worth the sacrifice of the generations before us!
3
It's pretty clear, to me at least, that Trump and Republican party is heading towards a massive defeat in Non election. They will lose Senate majority and the house majority will probably grow for the Dems. A powerful lobby within GOP will work tirelessly to defeat Trump and his most militant surrogates in the party and during election.
Now the question is will the victorious Democrats change the laws in a way to uphold truth and justice in the country than playing the same politics of status-quo and promote "elitism". The signals are not that great at this time. An influential section of Democratic establishment seem to be tactically downplaying, if not sabotaging, Progressive campaign in general and Sanders campaign in particular. They are promoting Biden and few such status-quo politicians even though Iowa caucus result indicate that those status-quo Dem presidential contenders are not much liked by the voters.
3
“There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville
What is old, is new again.
5
The jury was rigged and it was a mistrial. It needs to go back to the house. They need to subpoena the witnesses this time getting a court order if they have to. Let it take 4 years, 10 years or however long but every little detail needs to come out and laws changed.Trump and the GOP have discredited themselves for ever. History will view them all as criminals. We must not stop till every republican is evicted from power in legislatures, courts, house, senate and the oval office. Republicans are a criminal and lawless lot. Scammers, fraudsters, cheats, tax evaders, horribly corrupt, that's who trump and the republicans are.
3
Why make the homepage title "TRUMP ACQUITTED"? It implies that he is somehow a winner and vindicated in all this. He is not. He is a disgrace to the office of the presidency and only one of three U.S. presidents to be impeached. Why not make the title more accurate like "While Not Performing their Constitutional Duties, All Republicans Save One Sycophantically Vote to Acquit a Corrupt Trump"
I understand it sounds over the top, but that is actually along the lines of what a responsible media outlet should print.
11
@Evan Davidson
It's a factual statement. He was acquitted.
1
@GMooG It's factual only in the most absolute literal sense. There is also a huge difference between "Trump Acquitted" and "TRUMP ACQUITTED" on the homepage of the Times.
1
Did you really have to use a jumbo headline? Sort of turned my stomach. But then again, so did the Republican uniform cowardice.
14
Waiting for Limbaugh to claim Romney was born in Kenya.
10
Why are we thanking Mitt Romney?
Thank you Nancy Pelosi!
Thank you Adam Schiff!
Thank you Jerrold Nadler!
Thank you Chuck Schumer!
Thank you whistleblower!
Thank you Lt. Col. Vindman!
Thank you Fiona Hill!
Thank you Bill Taylor!
Thank you Marie Yovanovitch!
Thank you Jennifer Williams!...
15
Because only Romney was bucking the tide of his own party. He was standing alone and took a huge risk with his vote. I admire that. And you should too.
3
Godspeed, Republicans! The paddle with which you stir the grotesque soup of radical, racist Trumpism remains firmly in grasp.
9
Not surprising that there are still Democrats hell bent on continuing to investigate the President. My read is that they are getting something on the side from the Trump campaign to keep up the good work.
2
Just like Giuliani. Good prosecutors chase crooks until they go to jail. Trump is a gangster!
2
Lamar Alexander and other Republicans have acknowledged Trump's wrongdoing with respect to Ukraine.
With no clear standard as to what impeachable offenses are, they concluded this was not one, especially with an election in 10 months.
With that position, witnesses would be redundant, as Trump's wrongdoing is acknowledged.
In my opinion, reasonable minds can disagree on this point, especially since we live in a democracy (the marketplace of ideas... remember, where different opinions can be expressed, without villification)?
It strikes me as odd that professed liberals are SO INTOLERANT AND CONTEMPTUOUS of people who have different views.
Strike 1- Mueller report;
Strike 2- House case (with kudos to Adam Schiff, for a TRULY hurculean performance that will go down in history as an example of masterful legal advocacy);
Strike 3- Senate won't help the House make it's alleged case (I sure wouldn't- they submitted their case with the evidence they chose to include. Too bad if, after the fact, they wanted to include more witnesses, even while, at the same time, claiming assurance they have more than proven their case).
It remains to be seen if voters will vote to have Trump removed via the 2020 election.This is a democracy. The voters will make the call in November. My prediction is Trump will win.
Witnesses would not have been redundant, as they would have exposed Trump’s wrongdong to the wider public — which is what the Republicans voted to prevent.
Romney should the Democrat nominee.
4
What Trump’s apologists In the Republican Party and across the country fail to acknowledge is how deeply Trump subordinated the resources of government to his private ends. This was a scheme that incontestably brought in officials and drew on resources from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the Office of Management and Budget, in addition to White House staff. And they were directed to work with a non-governmental individual who just happens to be Trump’s personal attorney. This was not a bad phone call, this was a profound misdirection of government for private political ends. The Republican Party has forever shamed itself. Any hope for our country’s constitutional government hangs in the balance of the public understanding this. Should I have any optimism that we will?
8
Over 60 years ago, Fred Trump was at his wits end over what to do with his miscreant son. No fancy boarding school would enroll his son and Fred had enough money to shift any scales of equality or fairness.
4
If corporations are people, Mitt Romney is the best corporation in the United States.
4
He wasn’t acquitted. There wasn’t a trial. There was no witness testimony and senators acting as “jurors”, stated on the record that they wouldn’t be impartial, yet took an oath they would be. None of them paid any attention.
I hope my fellow citizens in jurisdictions that voted these GOP senators in, vote them out. They are not doing their duty to their constituents. They swore themselves to the RNC, not to you. But yet it isn’t a party over country thing. This is a selfish act in order to ensure campaign money and a smear-free campaign. It’s like a cult, think outside of the cult’s ideology and you’re banished! Look at what Mitt Romney is now getting from his fellow GOP. Such a shame our country was lost in less than 4 years to a con who has now been given a rubber stamp AND get out of jail free card.
6
Independent Romney Presidential run siphoning off just enough silently trump loathing rust belt Republican votes (maybe presently self loathing relishing an opportunity to regain personal dignity) ideally toppling trump’s reelection bid.
5
Aquital is not equal to not guilty.
4
Um, it is. Chief Justice Roberts declared him “Not Guilty.”
3
@dh
umm, that's exactly what it means.
Legally, acquital is the same as not guilty.
But we all know that the GOP senators acquitted him despite his being guilty.
The republicans sold their soul to the devil well before trump arrived on the scene...he is just the most recent embodiment of the evil that conservatives extol. Nothing new under the sun. Things will balance out in due time. It’s the classic scenario of good vs evil...good always wins.
1
I'm waiting for the next scandal. I imagine it will be a whopper since Trump knows now that he cannot be checked. Pity that emigration is so darn difficult.
3
Acquitted.....or Abetted?
7
A favorite word of Trump’s is “disgrace”.
Like many of his favorite, simplistic words and phrases, he repeats it endlessly in hopes of sounding erudite. He is beyond laughable. Anyone, anything and everything that does not serve his personal or political needs is labeled “a disgrace”.
He knows well what “disgrace” looks like as he sees it each and every time he looks in a mirror.
He sees it each time he looks around his Cabinet table at the unqualified “hacks” whose hubris is off the chart, beginning with Pompeo - himself an embarrassment to the West Point code of “Duty, Honor, Country”.
And he saw it in spades during the impeachment trial as GOP Senators cowered in fear of this soulless, infantile and vindictive excuse for a “leader” - one whom (former?) Senator Susan Collins pathetically said has “learned from this.” Delusion is contagious, Senator.
7
Your constitution save you from a president who think he is a king.
But, when too many of you WANT a king, it can't save you about it.
And people of you who want a king are mostly in little states in the mid of your country ("hearthland"),... and the only big problem is:
You american say everytime: ONE MAN ONE CALL
But in the little states, a call is more worth than a call in california, NY, and so on.
Your Electoral College system is killing your democracy!
6
Sadly, this is true.
Hey leftys, any of you notice Trump's approval numbers? All time high--backfire! He's a shoe-in come November, and you can thank never-ending unethical attacks by the wacko Dem "leadership", they put your party in the faith of all people, Schiff?--just wow!
5
Trump still does not have majority support. And he never has. But knock yourself out.
BTW, it’s “lefties.” Why do so many Trump supporters fail at basic literacy? I think I just answered my own question.
11
@Chris Wite - Don’t criticize us. You have Donald Trump, a man who can’t spell “hamburger”, looked at an eclipse of the sun without sunglasses, trashed a teenage climate activist on Twitter, is still ranting about Sen. John McCain even thought the poor man’s been dead for a year and a half now, and claims windmills cause cancer. The Republican Party is not exactly riding high on the intellectual and stability scales these days, you know.
11
@Lindsay K I don’t recall mentioning anything about intellectual stability? I specifically mentioned Trump‘s approval ratings, and these days that is the problem with the lefty’s , they don’t want to discuss specifics such as the economy etc. they can’t win the argument so they go off on irrelevant tangents. The fact is the day the impeachment fiasco ended Trump‘s approval ratings are at all time highs, the exact opposite objective of the collusion/impeachment charades, like I said, backfire!
1
The biggest impact of this impeachment mess is that by trying to impeach Trump and having failed the Democrats have given Trump's sizzle wings like never before. Debates ensure victory to the one who has the better sizzle. Remember the Kennedy - Nixon debates. Kennedy's better sizzle won over Nixon's better steak.
Having given Trump's sizzle such a huge boost the Democrats have ensured that Biden will now fall further behind as it is very clear that Biden's sizzle will never be able to match and win against the impeachment victory powered Trump's sizzle.
If Biden is out of the picture it will make a big opening for Bloomberg. All the other Democratic candidates do not have an across the board appeal as Bloomberg, they are all divided. Bloomberg has the money, the clout, the history of excelling at everything he does and the time to win the Democratic ticket.
The failed impeachment will after all prove good for the Democrats and the country as it makes it more likely that it will be Bloomberg running against Trump. Bloomberg will more than match Trump toe to toe, and Bloomberg's sizzle will out sizzle Trump's emotionally challenged and fake sizzle. Bloomberg's steak is already a far bigger winner. He is the only one who is sure to win both the sizzle and the steak!
If Biden wins he is more than likely to lose the sizzle contest which means losing more than half the debate already. A Bloomberg victory will mean that the best possible leader will succeed, which we need.
Congress fulfilled it's duty to the Constitution. Did you expect this House now or in the future to idly stand by and watch? NO. It did what it had to do. And high school students will read in the history books that the Senate acquitted a trial without witnesses or more evidence that was offered which the House could not previously obtain. And the Republicans dispensed justice along party lines.
4
Trump acquitted? By whom? His own party. Democrats were accused of being partisan. It seems the shoe is on the other foot. It is the Republicans who have been partisan. If Trump remains in office for nine more months, he will face the voters, more than his own party. A reminder to all, which Republicans seem to sweep under the rug, is that Trump did not obtain the presidency by the popular vote, but by the electoral college. Enough voters need to emerge in the next election to prevent a recurrence.
2
While I wouldn't want him for president, Romney has shown himself to be a man not without integrity.
3
Let us not forget Watergate. Two intrepid young journalists worked with a patriot from within the administration who knew the truth. Trump's administration includes patriots who are repulsed by his behavior. This story and others to come will eventually expose the truths about him, and the spineless Republican enablers will be faced with those truths. How will they respond then?
2
The outcome of the trial was never in doubt - McConnell bragged about exonerating Trump before it even began. But going through the legal process of impeaching him and having a trial was absolutely essential for our democracy. The House Democrats did an excellent job presenting the evidence to not just the Senate, but to all of us citizens. The culpability of Trump and the entire Republican party is clearer than ever. The stink of this cover-up will come back and haunt Republicans for the rest of their political careers. Democrats should hold their heads up high. And kudos to Nancy for giving Trump’s speech the reaction it deserved.
6
The combined power of a current majority in senate and Fox News only emboldens republicans to maintain their power and look the other way while it corrupts them. Republicans are very consistent voters. Democrats need more consistency in voting in order to regain and retain a balanced government.
Everyone said Dershowitz made a faux pas when he essentially said the President could do nearly anything to get re-elected because it was in the public interest, but his comments are correct. Thanks to the wise professor for succinctly showing us the fallacy of the impeachment articles and process.
1
Honestly, this whole thing is just good comedy. You just have to frame it in the right way. The roof is on fire, the roof is on fire, well you know the rest. Dance party time!
Dear Mitt Romney--please remember this advice from Rudyard Kipling:
"IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you..."
You chose right over ambition. What is astonishing is that NONE of the other members of your party, particularly those others who preach their religious beliefs but don't act on them, had the guts to join you. John McCain and Barry Goldwater are twirling in their graves.
--from a long time Independent voter who says "A pox on political parties"
1
The Democrats did this to themselves.
Trumped up charges with no real substantive evidence, a massive population of lemmings willing to swallow their hollow arguments and ignore simple documented facts (Example: Even Vindman agrees that the transcript contains no material errors or omissions, and it proves that Trump was simply paving the way for DOJ liason with Ukraine officials), and a media happy to garner mouse clicks while the place burns to the ground.
Couldn't happen to a better bunch.
1
@Objectivist If you can't face the facts, make up your own. Brilliantly done, sir.
2
ACH,
What do you expect from a goof who obviously takes Ayn Rand seriously?
1
@ACH
Baloney.
Vindman's validation of the transcript is on the record for even you to read, and the transcript clearly shows that my assertion about paving the way for DOJ is accurate.
Vindman wanted to get 3 additional phrases added to it but was unsuccessful, yet he still stated flatly that the transcript contains no material errors or omissions.
Good luck debunking stuff that is on the record.
If you choose to interpret Trump's action as related to the 2020 campaign then you are just kidding yourself. As Iowa proved, Biden doesn't need Trump to lose an election. He can do that all by himself.
This was all a misdirection campaign in order to deflect attention away from Biden.
Durham will take care of that.
Romney understands that Republicans’ greatest threat from Trump is the fear of his blather, not his disfavor.
1
Didn't Romney once assault an individual in prep school for being gay. Didn't he strap his dog to the top of his car for a road trip.
Didn't he once call 47% of the population lazy (guess which 47%) while he was running for president (underlying a basic inability to do electoral math) and didn't he toady up to Trump for a job after Trump was elected.
Yes we should feel great that he is the carrying the flag for democratic party decency and statesmanship.
No, not at all. But he did do a good thing.
Thank you Mitt Romney for standing up for American values and knowing the difference between what is right and wrong. I only wish the other Senators in your party had the courage to do that...especially those that were so taunted and disgraced by Mr. Trump during their run for the presidency in 2016. I honestly could not live with myself if I, as a Republcan, had stated, not guilty. Today will be written about in the history books and your name will be written as the only Republican Senator to say "No" to a pathological liar, bully and disgrace to the office of the Executive Branch that engaged in criminal activity. Sleep knowing you did the right thing and millions applaud you for that which you did today in the U.S. Senate.
3
The man of the hour is Mitt Romney. I was convinced that John McCain would be the last honorable Republican for a long time. Romney proved me wrong. His display of exceptional courage will be remembered throughout American history.
To reward honor, duty to country and political courage - displayed against a backdrop of hyper-partisanship and an extraordinarily powerful presidency - I propose that the Democratic Party, out of respect, not challenge Senator Romney's re-election. By all means, let independent candidates challenge Romney. But the Democratic Party can make an exception for these highly exceptional times.
9
Mitch McConnell declared acquittal of Mr. Trump, well before commencement of the impeachment trial. McConnell also knew there would be no Witnesses being called. He was confident of his thinking and approach, because of his party majority in the Senate. It would have been a different story if the Republicans did not have a majority in the Senate.
5
A new nickname for Mitt "One term Romney."
3
@BHN I dont think so. Utah is a Mormon majority state, and I think both Mormons and non-Mormons will respect and appreciate that Mitt stood up for decency in public life.
4
Better out of the Senate with dignity that in it in shame.
10
@BHN
You are so wrong. His #s in Utah are hi and climbing.
1
Thus our republic begins to decline, not with great conflict but with indifference. It was the belief in all of us that held us together and it is mistrust towards all that is dissolving our bonds.
11
Today a part of America’s soul died because Republican senators in Congress chose their love of power over their love of the Constitution and the rule of law.
If those Americans who do know right from wrong want to invest their energy’s something worthwhile they should invest in getting rid of Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators who are up for reelection. The stench they have created with their hypocrisy and dishonesty is just as odious as Donald Trump’s .
16
Senator Romney has a spine...that’s a very critically endangered species among Republicans.
21
History will be unkind to the senators who did not vote to convict. The histrionics on the political right in America are verging on fascism, and this is a flashpoint moment that will define them. You might try tomato juice. It works on the skunk smell, at least.
13
Let’s see: 52 people drive through a red traffic light. The one who stops his car (which is what everyone is supposed to do) is a hero. How far we’ve come!
I appreciate Romney’s courage, but how corrupt has the whole system become that we are only surprised anymore by the person who acts according to what should be the norm!
16
@Sh
Sure bud. Remind me how Clinton's trial went. He lied during a deposition, on videotape. Perjury and obstruction ON VIDEO! Yet a Dem Senate acquitted him. OJ redux!
I'm sure you were just as outraged about that, right?
The headline is in a giant font, as if the outcome of this Republican senate charade was a surprise.
2
This is absolute rubbish. Congress called 17 witnesses, none of whom could offer any substantive evidence of anything, never mind any wrongdoing by the President.
The session with the 4 constitutional 'scholars' was one of the most unbelievably bizarre things I have ever seen....and one of them even warned the Congressional Democrats that what they were doing was dangerous and unconstitutional.
The world knows that these Democrats, like communists/socialists everywhere do not accept democracy except when it works in their favour and treat ordinary voters and citizens as an inconvenient barrier to their imposing their tyrannical ideology.
They have been plotting to impeach the President since he announced his candidacy because they are sore whining losers......and furthermore they know that without this sham, quasi-legal chicanery they are going to be wiped out in a free election in November.
They accuse the President and the Republicans of cheating.....but it is they who have to cheat in order to avoid the verdict of the people. That verdict will be the end of this anti democratic, anti American cabal that is ruining so many cities and communities .
8
Republicans acquit Trump of all charges?
Color me surprised, surprised, surprised.
4
The "trial" was reminiscent of the ones of the Jim Crow era. No witnesses, no proof, just a bunch of whites watching a show.
18
@Frank Lopez
No witnesses? What were Vindman, Taylor, and Yovanovitch? Those are witnesses, genius
1
True to his faith, Sen. Romney stood before congress, in absentia, and condemned trump. The only republican with conscience, backbone, and plain old honesty. A 21st century example of Profiles in Courage.
The only man of faith in congress true to it. All of the evangelical community could and should take note of how Christianity is suppose to work.
13
You don’t think that Romney did what we did without the Republicans thinking that it would put a slight check on Trump’s ego. They certainly want to ride Trump’s coattails, but certainly not Godzilla’s tail if Trump got a complete party line sweep. The math seems to add up that Romney had the Republican heads’ blessings, well, at least behind closed doors.
Only person who had a more miserable performance than Pelosi yesterday was Joe Biden. Another reason to smile on Acquittal Day. Vote for America--Vote Republican.
5
Why are you reactionaries so angry? Your imposter president got away with it.
2
Man, this guy could "could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn't lose any voters" or Senate Republican voters included. Maybe his tax returns will land him where he belongs.
8
Not a surprising result. Pelosi and her supporters are also to blame for not starting the inquiry before September while wasting the prior six months saying curiously backward statements like the American public is not yet ready for impeachment and if trump is impeached he might ask for a recount if the democrats win the 2020 election and we (Democrats) weren’t elected to impeach a president and let the public decide in the 2020 elections (whether to remove Trump). These and other similar statements by Pelosi show how weak a leader she is and why Americans like myself who have been lifelong Democrats are no longer proud of this affiliation that is misrepresented by weak leaders. Probably the most troubling concern is that Pelosi did not push for bringing an article of impeachment concerning emoluments violations which trump has committed since he was inaugurated and has left a large volume of evidence proving this violation. Failing to bring an emoluments violation is a major failure because it gives Trump a License to continue to use the presidency to make billions for himself and his family. It also discourages voters from voting democratic because Pelosi Waited too long to advocate for an impeachment inquiry then chose not to subpoena key witnesses when the impeachment trial was happening in the House.
2
Romney and Jones showed themselves to put principle over party. Romney is in a safe seat, and is not likely to pay much of a price, other than being attacked by Trump and the President's sycophant colleagues. But still, I don't want to diminish what he did. Senator Jones, in contrast, put everything on the line to do what he believed was right. This is to be contrasted with phonies like Senator Susan Collins, who likes to position herself as a thoughtful moderate, until it's time to vote; and then votes with the corrupt President.
21
At 4:33 p.m. 2/5/20 a new king was anointed to run the country that was once a democratic republic. We now live in a banana republic monarchy.
11
He was not acquitted. He was not convicted, aided and abetted by his criminal confederates. There's a difference.
11
@Me
No, actually, there is no difference. Not convicting is acquittal.
Dear Senator Romney,
Thank you.
Thank you for voting your conscience. As a liberal Democrat, I applaud you for your vote to remove President Trump for his clear, unabashed abuse of power. While I hold many political positions in contrast to yours, I admire you for taking a stand on impeachment that is based, not on politics, but on your convictions. That is a virtue in exceedingly short supply today.
I expect you will face repercussions for your vote. But as I'm sure you know, history will look beyond those immediacies. History will recognize the abuses that have taken place, not just by the President, but also by a complicit Senate. Thank you for standing against such complicity.
26
A class act in the senate by Romney, especially coming after his comment on characterization of poor people as free loaders during his bid for presidency, His courageous act will have people’s support and the nation is grateful.
9
I wonder what kinds of thoughts are going through the Republicans’ heads that allow them to justify their egregious behavior. I’m sure if they said them out loud, they’d be horrified to hear themselves.
6
Romney is a hero for choosing to abide by his oath to make an impartial verdict on Trump's impeachment trial.
Speaking of his oath, faith, and allegiance to the truth (in the sight of God) rather than the "team" moved me greatly.
It is a glimmer of hope that the greed and cowardice of his fellow Republic senators might not be able to destroy our democratic republic.
9
The headline should really have really read:
"GOP-Controlled Senate Refused to Hear Evidence or Call Witnesses, Lets Trump Get Away with Corruption & Abuse of Power. Another Death for Democracy."
9
Romney’s revenge for the Secretary of State snub. If anyone thinks his words were “heroic” there is the “47%rs” and “binders full of women” who could have an opinion.
6
Trump wasn’t acquitted. He was abetted.
4
Maybe Mitt Romney can switch parties and run as an independent.
2
Secret ballots would solve a lot of problems. What is it with this old boy’s club and all the fragile minds in it?
7
A man's character is his fate.
- Heraclitus of Ephesus
4
Shameful and cowardly on the part of Republican Senators except for Romney. Mitt Romney deserves the Medal of Freedom more than Rush Limbaugh.
It's a sad day indeed when a President can be acquitted due not to the belief that he is innocent but the fear of the Republican Senators of Trump's wrath.
Those cowardly Senators who are up for reelection (the likes of McConnell, Collins, Graham, etc.) need to lose their elections in November.
6
The release of the video taking down Senator Romney for his vote is proof of just what a vindictive, crazy person you have sitting in the President’s seat.
8
We are now in an autocracy, We will never be the same and there is sadness all around us. How many more Mitt Romneys will it take to lift this country out of the quagmire the Orange Toad has led America into? Go Dems! Win in November and clean the swamp out of all these heartless and spineless Republicans.
10
The coup is complete! Mitch McConnell and his band of dishonest, greedy, and gutless sycophants have over-thrown our Constitution and American democracy and handed it to
a dysfunctional and ignorant White Nationalist. Corruption prevails! Tyranny reigns! Putin gloats as Liberty and Justice weep! America and its institutions have lost all credibility and trustworthiness. The "shining beacon" has been extinguished, substituted for a scepter of maligned autocracy: for an unscrupulous demagogue who would be King.
Reject the cover-up and fight back!
7
It is past time to declare a civil war against the oligarchy of the United States of America. They are nothing but liars, thieves, and warmongers. They are nothing but corrupt. It is our sworn duty as citizens of this Republic to stand up and overthrow Trump and his enablers in the Senate. We will have justice and we will see these pretenders to their deserved ends. God bless the Revolution!
4
Four more years!
3
@Thomas - Of what? And don’t tell me “winning” or “greatness”, because we haven’t had any of that.
4
February 5, 2020. The Day Democracy died in the United States of America.
3
We knew this was coming, no surprise there.
What I NEVER would have guessed was that alongside Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, John Steinbeck, and Ansel Adams, to name just a few --- would be Rush Limbaugh?!!
Trump dumbs down everything he touches. Nauseating.
15
During the impeachment trial U.S. Senate chaplain, Barry Black, issued to lawmakers a warning: “[I] remind our senators that they alone are accountable to You for their conduct,” he said. “Lord, help them to remember that they can’t ignore You and get away with it.”
In short: “You'll never get away with it. Uou will be judged.”
Indeed they will. Either in this lifetime or the next.
Maybe both.
3
How many times in history is evil and cowardly behavior so easily discerned? Trump held a mirror up to America's face and the Senate and the record exposes clearly where everyone stands. It's not like there was subterfuge. Maybe America has not had enough of the Donald? In space travel, (Astronaut Chris) Hadfield said, "there is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." We are about to find out what New York and New Jersey and Deutchebank have experienced:
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/former-deutsche-bank-executive-who-oversaw-trumps-loans-dies-by-suicide/
1
It’s very likely this acquittal will give Trump Carte Blanche to do whatever he wants before the election. To make sure he is protected, William Barr just announced this:
“No future counter-intel investigations into presidential campaigns without my approval”
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/bill-barr-no-future-counter-intel-investigations-into-presidential-campaigns-without-my-approval/
This means that Trump is clear to cheat with foreign governments anyway he wants and not one FBI or CIA or NSA or anyone can stop him.
5
What go his supporters see in this guy? His fellow GOP politicians detest him but are cowed into submission.But what does the punter see? What do they like about him?
- his draft dodging?
- his caging of children- tough guy and strong leader that he is? His separating kids from their families while losing track of where the parents are?
- adultery while his wife is in a vulnerable post natal state?
- paying off the porn actress while the guy who followed his direction is in jail?-
- selling out the US to a communist dictator?
What is so great about him?
5
It’s easy: Trump is a cretin. His followers identify with that. Understandably.
1
@Cousin Greg
Aaaah, yes, the Hillary Clinton "deplorable" excuse.
How'd that work out?
I can't wait for Trump to leave office so that NY state can put him in prison.
7
Well, at least folks can't complain that the NYT does not balance their reporting, with a headline that big and bold stating "TRUMP ACQUITTED".
I must be candid, that's not the headline I was hoping for.
4
Congrats to our President on another victory! Democrats can cry crocodile tear.... TRUMP 2020 !!!!!
So many silly comments....as if the outcome of the impeachment effort wasn’t already assured over a month ago.
2
Why do we want cowards running the country? Trump cowardly got a bogus 4-F for bone spurs and the rest of his party suddenly has similar bogus issues with their honor and bravery to support their country.
4
One of the more disappointing, but unfortunately unsurprising, aspects of this is how a seemingly vast majority of Americans educate themselves by watching, listening to sound bites from their preferred media outlet (Fox, MSNBC, etc) instead of taking even 15-30 minutes to do a little independent reading or research. So many comments I hear or read are just paraphrases of some media pundit’s opinion. Our laziness in not developing independent or nuanced thought has heavily contributed to the partisan divide.
(And so many complain about how the Government works and have seemingly no idea about its processes.)
4
Every president has done something bad, and Trump has done more than most, but in my mind the offense he was impeached for wasnt a huge deal.Impeachment is only meant to be used in the most rare and most egregious high crimes. We have never successfully impeached a president, and I'm glad we havent.
As long as there is the peaceful transition of power impeachment should be a last resort. Vote him out. I plan to do exactly that in November.
4
@Jacqueline
Thank you for your voice of calm evaluation and of sanity.
@Jacqueline
"We have never successfully impeached a president, and I'm glad we havent."
Trump is an ever present danger and should have been impeached.
I hope the House continues to investigate and, if more egregious stuff is discovered, I hope they impeach him again. If it keeps the country in knots, then, so be it. When there is a minority of people who will not think, read and only get their news from blurbs, who are ruling over the majority, then the "stuff" will have to keep hitting the fan.
This conduct cannot be tolerated.
1
Weirdest. Trial. Ever.
The smoking gun was on the table from the very beginning. I don't know anyone, not even a Trump supporter, who didn't believe from the word "go" that Trump did everything the whistleblower said he did, and then did everything he could to cover it up. The facts were never really in doubt, even Republicans admitted. And yet we all knew that there was never any chance he'd be removed.
What kind of "trial" doesn't allow testimony, or evidence? What kind of justice can you have when the president's lawyers argue, with a straight face, that if a president feels that what he is doing will help his re-election, and his re-election would be good for the country, then NOTHING he does can be illegal?
So now the Constitution is irrevocably harmed. The balance of power is a thing of the past. Future presidents, accused of wrongdoing, will follow the Trump playbook, refuse to cooperate with investigations, ignore subpeonas, and then claim that everything they did must be legal because the president anything the president does is legal if he says so.
God help us.
10
I would like to hear from James Rische (Idaho), Marco Rubio (Florida), Susan Collins (Maine), Roy Blount (Missouri), Tom Cotton (Arkansas), John Cornyn (Texas),and Ben Sasse (Nebraska) explaining their votes on impeachment.
I would particularly like to hear them discuss the Senate Intelligence Committee Reports on Russia (Vol 1 and 2), detailing Russian interference in the 2016 election. I am also interested in the Senate Intelligence Committee Report on the Ukraine. (Still unreleased, as far as I know.)
Did they all buy into the Trump/Giuliani/Parnas narrative that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 election? That the Bidens were corrupt? That it wouldn't matter if military aid to the Ukraine was withheld? What happened to their thought processes?
Why no votes (except Collins) calling for witnesses -- and why no votes for either account of impeachment?
Is Senate Intelligence yet another oxymoron?
9
Mitt Romney is the only republican put aside his personal interests and political ambitions aside and decided to vote against Trump. He has the basic decency as an American and he really love his country. He will be remembered by other young American political leaders in the future. He tried to save the basic values of American democracy. He should declare his candidacy as a republican challenger to Trump, the guy trying to destroy our democracy.
2
Mitt Romney's decision was particularly courageous because he knew that ridicule and shaming and shouting would ensue. Few people anywhere these days are sufficiently brave to become lightning rods.
I believe some other Republicans voted Not Guilty because they were terrified of incurring the wrath of Trump and his family and supporters, many of whom apparently never fact check. For instance Trump has NOT tried to protect existing conditions.
For families struggling along with minimum wage jobs and kids to support, no pre-existing condition coverage would be awful. Why would anyone support that? I know it would be hard in this household.
That's separate from impeachment, of course, but I'm curious about why this man has support of some people who are being or might be hurt by his policies. Why?
3
@HotGumption - They’re ill-informed. That is different from being flat-out stupid, which is a whole other thing. Ill-informed people may not have the education, the opportunity, the time, or the wherewithal to be informed of the issues that directly impact them via policy. Poor people are stretched thin. The last thing many of them have time to do at the end of a day that maybe involves two jobs and figuring out how to keep the lights on and their kids fed is to catch up on the news or peruse the policy decisions of a sitting president. So when they do vote, they vote against their own self-interest because they’re not going into the voting booth armed with a knowledge of how their interests are going to be served. What Republicans got right is that they understood how to appeal to a certain type of lower-income voter: pretend they’re you’re friend, they understand you, the other party is too “elite” and thinks you’re an idiot, etc. Some version of this has been on display as far back as George W. Bush, who was characterized as a guy you could have a beer with. Really, who cared? But people who don’t have time to ask the necessary questions are instead asking the familiar one, that being: is this person like me? Could he, theoretically anyway, be my friend? We trust our friends to do what’s best for us and with us, but politicians aren’t our friends. They’re people interviewing for a job and, if they do it wrong, could potentially ruin your life and that of your family, too.
1
@Lindsay K
No one said they were stupid. But as a formerly poor single mother working two jobs I kept myself well informed throughout because I valued my life. I made time even when there was no time left over.
1
@HotGumption - That's great that you did that. I have a lot of admiration for that, I really do. I have no doubt it took effort and time that your probably didn't have back then, but you did what was in your best interest by keeping yourself informed.
Unfortunately, not every struggling voter is going to do what you did. Some simply don't have the opportunity, and others won't make the time. Hence, when those people go to vote, they vote against their own self-interest, and they vote in politicians who make their lives worse. It's a vicious cycle. I wish all struggling voters could do what you did because I think we'd have a definite sea change at the voting booth if that happened. Hopefully more of them will do so. The November election may be one of the most important ones in our lifetimes. Everyone, everyone, everyone needs to be informed and vote accordingly.
so I guess we all can do whatever we want. there are no rules or laws to follow.
thank you republican senators.
6
Most Americans are appalled by Congress's reluctance to incarcerate subjects who failed to comply with a Congressional subpoena, and the Republicans and Courts failing to obey the law or enforce subpoenaed documents and subjects to testify before Chief Justice John Roberts, the Impotent.
2
While all the opportunists kept quite a Bush Dynasty can't be seen or heard, this fellow, Romney, stood out to save Republican Party. Likely in his lifetime he will be the President.
Hats of to you, Senator.
1
With a booming economy it will be difficult to beat Trump at the ballot box. All he has to do is not go crazy on twitter and just talk about his achievements on the economy, trade deals, and criminal justice reform. Trump has done much more than Obama on criminal justice reform. Biden played a big part in making our the nation the incarceration capital of the world.
@dave,
Trump added 3 trillion dollars to the deficit. So no, the economy is not booming.
9
@dave
Much more than Obama on criminal justice reform? Are you kidding?
With gridlock in Congress Obama used executive orders to be proactive on many CJ issues.
He was far more diligent than DT.
4
Trump signed a bi-partisan bill that reformed criminal justice. That was his main contribution. Signing a bill. He took credit for what was done by Congress. The bi-partisan action by an otherwise divided Congress was amazing.
Is there one single person out there who thought that he wouldn't get acquitted ? That not one single Democrat thought Trump wasn't guilty and only one Republican thought that he was, tells me that sometime is seriously wrong with our system of government. The majority party, whoever it is, shouldn't decide right and wrong, legal or illegal.
2
Bravo Senator Romney, I also applaud Senators Manchin and 'our' Senator Kristen Smythe of Arizona, who voted to convict Mr. Trump, denying him the bipartisan acquittal he coveted. They voted their conscience! They will survive!
3
Romney has the popular support and protection of the people as a national hero.
signed - a progressive democrat
7
People keep saying, "It will be up to the voters now," but it really won't. The Republicans have gerrymandered and electioneered and litigated and stonewalled their way out of any possibility of electoral consequences. We had systems of checks and balances in many parts of federal and state governments, but they have continually, systematically, destroyed them all. There are no peaceful options left.
7
Hearing Romney’s reasoned argument reminded me of Simon in “The Lord of the Flies” who tried to warn his fellow boys about their own vicious natures. I fear that Romney, the lone Republican who tried to stand in the way of the inherent evil consuming his GOP colleagues, will meet a fate, at least politically, similar to Simon’s.
2
It’s time to abolish political parties. The important business of governing our country has been reduced to a team sport...complete with winners and losers and cheerleaders on the sidelines. They even have assigned colors and mascots.
Who is not exhausted by the malfeasance of BOTH parties?While Democrats and Republicans play ‘King of the Hill’ and ‘Monopoly’, ad nauseam, with OUR MONEY...the American citizenry suffers.
Abolish dueling political parties. They do NOT serve the best interests of our citizenry.
2
We Democrats can not back away from this. Use it to generate enthusiasm for throwing him out of office, along with all of the senators who voted to acquit. Target senators who are in states where house seats flipped.
2
Tomorrow is another day to get back up and fight the good fight to ensure that Trump is not re-elected.
Partisans will gnaw on the bones of the impeachment and acquittal to their dying days, but such behavior is useless.
Contribute, campaign and vote.
4
I speak for a lot of American's, we are thoroughly disgusting with politics in Washington DC, right down to local government.
Government is now lawless only with laws that work for the well connected. Tons of loopholes that lawyers can spin endlessly.
The depressing fact that Trump can actually win 4 more years is beyond belief.
10
You go, Senator Romney! It's true that he may not belong in a national party that lacks a spine. But the voters of Utah will decide that issue, just like the spineless republicans like Rubio claim should happen in lieu of a president's removal from office, no matter how unfit he is or how dangerous his continued tenure becomes.
3
Mitt Romney puts country above party because of his oath in the name of God? Finally, a Republican-Christian who actually has
Christian values. It's about time!
8
Five months of testimony comes down to two men and two contrasting points of view:
’Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a member of President Donald Trump's defense team, alarmed Democrats and many legal scholars with his argument in the first day of questions and answers in the Senate impeachment trial that presidents cannot be removed from office for an action they believe could help get them reelected. ‘ The Presidents lawyer basically made a case for a dictatorship. They are some of the most loathsome words ever spoken in the United States Senate where freedom itself has been protected through war and economic crises , protected always protected ... freedom itself . The very idea that men will always be free. Protected .
Then there is what Mitt Romney did and said today . Today Mitt Romney stood up for that freedom. The torch of freedom was almost out, today he rekindled it.
9
When I read that a Republican was still capable to preserve his integrity and decency, for a moment I thought that I needed new reading glasses.
1
Narcissists hate to be ignored. (If only for a little while, Trump could be ignored, and made to go away). Then real issues affecting the US and an increasingly fragile natural world might become priorities, things that need good minds to solve.
Trump is enjoying the attention and wasting everyone's time. Including mine, in writing this letter to the Times.
1
While the motives of Trump were never proven (and the crime, either), the Dems who keep shaming GOPs and calling out Romney’s courage, still evoke Trump’s Russian collusion and that he’ll “continue” to abuse his office. These indisciplined claims expose the Dem motives, and which are clear and consistent hate of Trump bent on his removal. Schiff and Nadler don’t own justice or objectivity. Their behavior is more clearly shameful.
Well it looks like the anti-hoax crowd prevailed while the reality deniers have been denied their delusional due.
3
I suppose that now we’ll see Mitt Romney’s head on a pike, just as DJT is reported to have promised. Our republic has devolved into a brawl, with the public being the fois gras force fed on Fox News propaganda. What was so valiantly defended by our forebears is now being squandered by sycophants and toadies who so willingly throw it all away for a vulgarian. A sad day indeed.
2
I hope that America's youth do not forget or forgive today's shameful behavior by the Republicans. Let this be the beginning of the end for the grand old party.
6
Thank you Senator Romney! God Bless America!
4
Trump won as predicted, when the spineless republican senate finally had their say.
The GOP and Trump must really hate America and the US Constitution .
Because at the end of the day it’s all about party power. This sham of a trial was a blatant move to trash the lower democratic house and for the republican led senate to officially ‘crown’ Trump as their King which they succeeded.
His base however , is in for shock when lying Trump rips away their social security and slashes medicare . In addition to removing Obamacare from the American landscape.
Then America will finally wake up and see Trump for what he is ...A snake oil salesman.
4
Trump Acquitted by Complicit Spineless Republican Majority in Senate. No witnesses or evidence in faux trial. America is NOT 'great again'.
1
Sadly, that Trump still considers the charges against him to be a hoax makes it all too clear that he does not know how this American government is supposed to function. And putting aside his demonstrably sociopathic personalty, his grasp of diplomacy is an embarrassment to the country.
Is it too much to ask that we deserve a president who possesses honesty, grace, intelligence?
3
I blame Democrats for 40-50 years of obtuse, misguided, ineffectual, spineless inaction and naïveté. Where was their fight? They have done nothing for decades. Fiddling while McConnell and company lit one match after another and burned the nation to the ground. Why did Democrats not enforce subpoenas? Why did they make no demands? Why did they allow this sham trial? Where is their fight? These septuagenarians and octogenarians have spent decades in Congress and nothing but failure to show for it.
And with this latest failure to check Republican corruption and Trump’s high crimes, we see the final nail in the coffin of our democratic republic. The United States of America has become corrupted beyond repair. Thanks to Mitch McConnell and Citizens United (among myriad other treasonous acts) we now live in a second-world (heading to third world) kleptocracy with Putin and the GOP puppeteering an insanely malignant POTUS dictator wannabe whose itchy finger hovers hungrily over the red button of all democratic institutions and freedoms.
Beware the safety of your drinking water and food, your free and fair elections, safe roads and building. Say goodbye to quality healthcare and all social services, workplace and consumer protections. Forget about free press or freedom of speech. Get ready for neo-McCarthyism in this new gilded age. Despair is all we have now.
1
Trump brought this on himself with loose lips. Then he aggravated it all with even more extravagant discussion. I can give one very good piece of advice I live by; Engage brain before mouth.
1
Is Biden going to make Mitt Romney his VP?
Biden will call a healing step for America.
God save us from the demagoguery of the Republicans. The nation is lost the Constitution is shredded and useless.
2
Oh please. He wasn't "acquitted". He was bowed down to. His boots were licked. That's all that happened here. Oh, except that several dozen Senators committed an act of treason. (The definition of which is the act of betraying one's country.)
6
"TRUMP ACQUITTED"
Not exactly the headline I was hoping for.
2
Pelosi knew this was going to fail and still went ahead with it. This goes against the first rule of politics, don’t fight a battle that you can’t win. At the same time Trump’s approval numbers have risen. Very foolish.
1
Latest News: Trump acquitted in impeachment trial. Great holiday in the Kremlin/Moscow.
Now Putin will be able to capture Ukraine, the Baltic states and Belarus, without fear that the US will intervene in this.
White GOP supremacists with their Pyrrhic victory brought the world one step closer to World War III
3
He is guilty as sin and guilty of sins
3