Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

This Republican just wants the Dems to do whatever they intend to do. If they want to try and toss Trump out of office, then get on with it. Bring the evidence, file the charges, and present it to the people and the Senate. Get on with the process.

Do I think these hearings should be open to the public? Sure, why not? Why do they need to be conducted in secret? Aren't the Dems at their "best" when cameras are whirring, and microphones are under their chins? This could be the opportunity for them to go down in history by showing their superior rhetorical skills. They could show how fair they are in presenting evidence, and how thorough they are in going about this 'very serious moment in American history'. Kamala Harris says that Trump has already convicted himself. Adam Schiff says there is clear evidence that Trump is guilty. What more do you need? Present the 'clear evidence' and get on with it.

Never thought I'd miss the days of Tip O'Neill and Barry Goldwater.

The hearings will eventually be public. Right now they are doing some depositions in private, which is perfectly reasonable to me. The more public they are the less serious they tend to become and are just people on both sides grandstanding.

If it gets to the point of a Senate trial, that's the appropriate time for Trump to 'confront' or challenge his accusers. Not during individual depositions.

Originally I wanted the Dems to hold a vote and call Trump's bluff but I've changed my mind. There's absolutely no guarantee that Trump will suddenly respect the process and order everyone to turn all evidence over to Schiff if that vote is held. I strongly suspect he'll just come up with another excuse to defy the Committees and most House Republicans will back him up.

[froot loops]

Tossing him out of office won't stop Trumpism. 40 percent of the US absolutely adore him and his toxic crap. That's not changing.

[WingsFan]

While everyone was attacking Warren last night, I thought it was a big night for Buttigieg. His K'O of Beto was the highlight of the night.

[Dr. Strangelove]

[froot loops]

Another guy involved in the Trump/Giuliani Ukraine scandal nabbed at the airport trying to get out of Dodge.

[Dr. Strangelove]

All the Republicans who came out and defended Trump's Turkey position, and claimed that he hadn't really given Erdogan a green light to invade, just got burned by him in one long, meandering answer.

[Ghengis Jon]

"....And the Kurds are much safer now....."


So says very stable genius.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Trump says the PKK is a bigger terror threat than ISIS. Wow. Doubling down on his original position and just spouting Turkish propaganda now.

[Ghengis Jon]

And now for something completely different - restaurants and espionage.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/16/770368584/eat-drink-and-be-wary-ex-cia-agent-reveals-how-eateries-are-key-to-spycraft

[lineygoblue]

There's absolutely no guarantee that Trump will suddenly respect the process and order everyone to turn all evidence over to Schiff if that vote is held.

But there lies the rub for me. Adam Schiff and other prominent Dems (Nadler) all say that the proof is already in place. Kamala Harris and many others have already convicted Trump based on what they seem to know about the case. Why do they need any more evidence? Why does Trump have to give them anything? If the proof exists, show it, indict the man, and get on with it.

This is where this case differs from the Nixon impeachment. Nixon flat-out broke the law. The evidence was there for all of America to see. The House didn't have to send out hundreds of subpoenas demanding more evidence. It was there. They voted to impeach. Even Nixon's allies had to conclude that Nixon broke the law, and deserved to be removed from office. And most Republicans would have voted to do so. Hence, the visit to the White House from Senator Goldwater and his colleagues.

So, if evidence has already been exposed that Trump similarly violated the law, and his crimes rise to the level of removal from office, why is more evidence needed? Take what you got, and go indict the man. Get on with it.

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Dems SUSPECT that he violated the law, but they can't prove it. So, they want Trump to help them do their jobs, and convict himself. Even the smartest Dem wouldn't convict themselves. We have constitutional protections that do not allow for conviction of one's self. Even Donald Trump has constitutional protections, like him or not.

Just get on with it, or fricking drop it, and let the people decide next November. Elections are the great equalizer.

[Dr. Strangelove]

[CGVT]

Doesn't matter. The rubes won't believe any of it anyway.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Things Trump has told the press in just the past hour

* Obama is corrupt and helped corrupt the 2016 election against Trump
* Lindsey Graham should stick to judiciary and investigating Comey/McCabe/Peter Strzok (and leave foreign policy up to TRUMP)
* The PKK is more of a terrorist threat than ISIS.
* Google cost Trump many millions of votes through bias
* Accuses Italy of maybe having helped corrupt the election against Trump while standing next to the Italian PM

[lineygoblue]

And that's fine with me. I don't dispute your numbers. If Trump is guilty of crimes that warrant his removal from office, I say remove him from office.

President Pence it is. And if the Dems do enough finagling, they can make it President Pelosi.

If the evidence is that strong against Trump, they should be able to wrap up their hearings by the end of the year, take a vote on Articles of Impeachment right before the holiday recess, and send it to the Senate first thing in January.

Get it done before the primary season begins.

[Ghengis Jon]

These things take time. The Impeachment Inquiry for Nixon started in October and the House vote wasn't until the next February. The GOP didn't have a problem with the process then. But back then, the majority of the GOP actually cared about the nation, unlike today.


Maybe will do the right thing and resign, sparing the nation further division and create an opening for healing. Naaah.