Impeachment Inquiry 2: Now It's Official!

[fraurosena]

Swalwell is asking about how well Sondland and Trump know eachother. I like that he's calling attention to the fact that Sondland payed a million dollars to Trump's inauguration and then got his ambassadorship.

Ha, he get's Sondland to admit that it is wrong to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent, withholding aid and a meeting.

Hurd's turn. He's also asking about the donation to the inaugural. The point being? Hurd has such weird questions, they mostly help the dem argument instead of the trumplicans. Is he really that dumb, or just playing dumb? 

 

This is not that surprising though. They were taken aback by Sondland's opening statement. They needed to huddle to see how they can best react. 

[Smash!]

But the GOP managed to make the Democrats look bad. Not what I hoped for to be honest [emoji20] The more they have to run on Faux, the less likely it is to get 45 impeached.

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

1 hour ago, Smash! said:

But the GOP managed to make the Democrats look bad. Not what I hoped for to be honest The more they have to run on Faux, the less likely it is to get 45 impeached.

How?  

[fraurosena]

Castro is asking questions now. He's asking about Mick Mulvaney. I like how the dems are going about this. First ask about Giuliani, now Mulvaney. It won't surprise me if the next dem will ask about Pompeo or Bolton.

Castro is now playing the Mulvaney interview where he admits to the quid pro quo, which automatically puts it into the official record. 

@Smash! I don't think the trumplicans made the dems look bad at all. They're attempting to, but it's not really working. A part of that is because they are constantly attacking the dems, so when they actually have a smidgin of a point, it disappears in all the noise. They're crying wolf so often, and it's biting them in the ass.

Ratcliffe is now attempting to join the woe is Trump, and yields back really quickly. 

Heck's turn. Foreign interference in elections is a threat? Sondland agrees. He's pointing out that Sondland should have known that what he was doing for Trump was wrong.

[GreyhoundFan]

Does Gym go to Adderall parties with the Tangerine Toddler? Hespeakslikehehastohit100000000wordsin30seconds. I'm so done with his screaming, arm waving, and head-shaking.

[fraurosena]

Oh no, not Gym again! 

Thankfully, his volume is toned down a bit. I'm not sure what he's trying to imply. He's simply relating how many meetings there had been, and pointing out that withholding aid was not mentioned in any one of them. He's saying that when Zelenskyy met with Sen. Murphy (D) he could have mentioned that he was being pressured. (As if that would ever happen).

This is more deflection and distraction.

Oh, and there was never an announcement. No quid pro quo. No direct evidence. There is no quid quo pro. They got the money, it all worked out. 

And he yields. Thank Rufus.

 

[fraurosena]

Welch is questioning now. He's saying that there was a concerted effort between Sondland and all his colleagues to get the meeting realized and the aid released. He gets Sondland to agree that he was working at Trump's direction, and that there was indeed a quid pro quo: no meeting unless there was (an announcement) of an investigation He gets Sondland to agree that it was wrong of Trump to ask for investigations in the July 25th phone call into his political rival.

Maloney: the president asked you about investigations, who was going to benefit from investigating the Bidens? Sondland is prevaricating in his answer. Maloney gets angry when Sondland says he resents the way of questioning. Maloney tells him that this is Sondland's third attempt at telling the truth, he points out the revision, and now the doozy of a statement from this morning, the many things he doesn't recall. It took a lot to get Sondland to this point. 

Demings: Points to May 7th meeting with Zelenskyy on how to deal with Trump and Giuliani, but Sondland doesn't recall. She points to May 23rd meeting, which Sondland does remember because of Taylor's testimony. They were trying to assure president Zelenskyy. She points to a May 6th interview Trump had on Fox in which he mentions Hunter Biden and Burisma. She mentions other interviews and reports of Trump talking about Hunter Biden and Burisma, but Sondland doesn't remember any of them. She asks Sondland what prompted Trump to say 'no quid pro quo' after Sondland asked him what Trump wanted from Ukraine, and she points out that it's strange that this is the first thing Trump says after such a question, and not list the things he wants. She asks about the July 26th call between Sondland and Trump. 

Krisnamoorthi: Asks about the 'no quid pro quo' conversation on September 29th, which happens to be the day on which the Congressional investigations started. Sondland can't rule out causation. He asks now why Pence wasn't at Zelenskyy's inauguration (mentioning William's statement). Sondland doesn't know why, he has no idea. [...] Krisnamoorthi points out that the president wanted the investigations. He says that Trump and his trumplicans are throwing him under the bus. He's now the single, lone amigo. 

Nunes closing remarks. Of course, Dem Conspiracy Theory!!!! Blahblahblahblah... Testimony today was far from compelling, held no evidence, and Dem Conspiracy Theory!!! Trump said: I want nothing, there is no quid pro quo. No evidence for bribery, no quid pro quo. Dem Conspiracy Theory!!! Nothing we have heard today implies the president committed an impeachable act. Who is the whistleblower, full extent of Ukraines interference in 2016 election, what did Hunter Biden do? The end.

Schiff: this is a seminal moment in our investigation. Testimony troubling and significant. 

I'll post a link to his closing statement later. I'm too tired to keep up with him.

[JMarie]

Adam Schiff is summarizing Sondland's statements. Sondland looks UNCOMFORTABLE!

[Smash!]

How?  

Because they claim to have the facts. And they (seemingly?) got Sondland to agree that the CNN headline which said that Sondland claimed that there is no quid pro quo (?) is wrong. They chalk it up to the bad democrats while they are always rights. I had the feeling that with this, the committee won't get to convince one of the Repugs to vote on the impeachment and that is the goal right?
But maybe I'm wrong, it's been a long almost seven hours where I on and off watched it.
But Sean Patrick Maloney got to say Sondland that the President would profit of an investigation into Burisma meaning the Bidens [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

[fraurosena]

Here's the link to Pompeo's statement that I promised earlier:

 

[SassyPants]

Thanks for everyone’s comments. I had appointments and was away from the hearings for a couple of hours. 

If Trump didn’t offer a bribe in exchange for dirt on the Biden, and was only trying to ferret out corruption, how come once the whistleblower came forward and the aid money released,  all the apparent inquiry into the Biden corruption ended? Is Trump still working on this corruption through the proper US governmental channels, vs a foreign government?  Damn I wish someone would ask one of these people that question. 

[fraurosena]

Trump's talking points today. In sharpie, of course.

Screenshot:

Trump's tweets echo the same:

Note that this quote of his to Sondland took place during a conversation on September 9. The very day the Congressional investigations into the withholding of aid to Ukraine were announced. 

[SassyPants]

Interesting that Trump is the first person who said “no quid pro quo”..he knew it was coming, someone had tipped him off. Also, doesn’t it seems as if Rudy G is the person being set up to take the fall here? Trump put a known entity between himself and the criminal deed-

8 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Trump's talking points today. In sharpie, of course.

Screenshot:

Trump's tweets echo the same:

Note that this quote of his to Sondland took place during a conversation on September 9. The very day the Congressional investigations into the withholding of aid to Ukraine were announced. 

Exactly. Trump was putting the gear in place that would  fuel his innocence.

[apple1]

All caps except for the letter i.

He still can't spell.

I would be embarrassed to show up in public with notes written like that. Maybe wear your glasses, Mr. Trump.

[fraurosena]

2 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

Interesting that Trump is the first person who said “no quid pro quo”..he knew it was coming, someone had tipped him off. Also, doesn’t it seems as if Rudy G is the person being set up to take the fall here? Trump put a known entity between himself and the criminal deed-

Exactly. Trump was putting the gear in place that would  fuel his innocence.

This is why Schiff's closing statement today was so important. He pointed out that Trump isn't the type of person to be pulled around by the nose by anybody. Not Giuliani, not Sondland, not Pompeo, not Bolton. No, Trump himself was calling the shots.

2 minutes ago, apple1 said:

All caps except for the letter i.

And the letter e.

So weird. ZeLiNSKY

(It should be Zelenskyy)

[fraurosena]

 

[church_of_dog]

46 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

 

So weird. ZeLiNSKY

(It should be Zelenskyy)

Actually it's worse than that -- he wrote it ZELLINSKY with 2 Ls ?

[fraurosena]

Will they though?

 

[SassyPants]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

Interesting that Trump is the first person who said “no quid pro quo”..he knew it was coming, someone had tipped him off. Also, doesn’t it seems as if Rudy G is the person being set up to take the fall here? Trump put a known entity between himself and the criminal deed-

Exactly. Trump was putting the gear in place that would  fuel his innocence.

Quoting myself here as I just connected the dots that Trump’s grumpy “no quid pro quo and that he only wanted President Z to do his job, the right thing” occurred shortly after the whistleblower came forward. Trump was angry because he had been caught, had to release the aid funding and didn’t get what he wanted from the Ukrainians re Biden.

5 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Will they though?

 

Nope. At this point, they will not. They are holding strong for their base.  Too bad the people who need to be watching these proceedings aren’t interested in being informed. People like my parents who are Trumpsters, and as bad luck would have it, I will be traveling with for the next 2 weeks. God help me.  

[fraurosena]

I don't think Rep Krishnamoorthi likes Stefanik much.

 

[Smash!]

@allthegoodnamesrgone I just watched the commentary on CNN after Sondlands testimony. What I meant being bad for the dems is that the GOP called Sondland out on not directly hearing it from 45 that Ukraine had to announce an investigation into Burisma/Biden in order to get a meeting with 45. But as one of the correspondents pointed out is that when someone comes in with a wet umbrella you know it's raining without having to go outside and check it by yourself. So the republicans point is moot.

[nokidsmom]

1 hour ago, JMarie said:

Adam Schiff is summarizing Sondland's statements. Sondland looks UNCOMFORTABLE!

And when Schiff mentioned going over the "highlights", I noticed the "oh shit" look on Sondland's face.  Wow.  

[fraurosena]

6 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

Nope. At this point, they will not. They are holding strong for their base.  Too bad the people who need to be watching these proceedings aren’t interested in being informed. People like my parents who are Trumpsters, and as bad luck would have it, I will be traveling with for the next 2 weeks. God help me.  

I wish Rufus' sweet blessings give you patience in the coming weeks then! 

Speaking of being uninformed:

 

[Smash!]

One of my favourite exchanges. 

https://twitter.com/repseanmaloney/status/1197254948586741766?s=21

For all of you who have family members, friends or acquaintances with a fierce love for Trump to deal with: Show them this thread. He makes some great points from the view of a conservative who supports impeachment (but pleaaaase no Pence as president ?) https://twitter.com/bryangividen/status/1197196374787448832?s=21

Edited November 20, 2019 by Smash!

[thoughtful]

I am taking all of this seriously, honest, but I can't help the way my mind works. I was just out running errands. As usual, I had a list.

Then I got home and saw the picture of Trump's notes to himself -- and here I thought I was absent-minded!

I now really want someone to sell shopping lists on which the first two items are "I WANT SOMETHING! I WANT SOMETHING!" in Trump's handwriting.