Impeachment 3: The MF Has Been Impeached! The Trial Has Begun!

[GreyhoundFan]

"Freshman Democrats push for Amash as impeachment manager"

Spoiler

A private campaign is underway to draft Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial of President Trump, a bid to diversify House Democrats’ appeal to voters with a rare conservative voice.

A group of 30 freshman Democrats, led by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), has asked House leaders to consider the libertarian, who left the Republican Party earlier this year, for the small group tasked with arguing its case for removing Trump in the upper chamber, according to several Democratic officials.

The thinking, according to these people, is that Amash would reach conservative voters in a way Democrats can’t, potentially bolstering their case to the public. He also would provide Democrats cover from GOP accusations that they’re pursuing a partisan impeachment; Amash is one of the most conservative members of the House and a vocal Trump critic.

“To the extent that this can be bipartisan, it should, and I think including Representative Amash amongst the impeachment managers is a smart move both for the country, for the substance and for the optics,” Phillips said, adding that Amash brings an array of qualifications: He’s an attorney, a constitutionalist and “the first and only member of the Republican conference, when he was a Republican, to show courage,” Phillips added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would ultimately make the call and is expected to announce managers early this week, multiple Democrats said. Amash did not respond to a request for comment about whether he would accept such a position. But Phillips, who is in touch with Amash about the idea, said the lawmaker has agreed to consider it if asked.

The move would be unorthodox but not entirely unprecedented. Pelosi chose a five-member bipartisan group from the House Judiciary Committee to oversee the impeachment of a corrupt federal judge about a decade ago. Still, most Democrats predict that impeachment managers will hail from their own party and be steeped in the evidence gathered by the House Intelligence and Judiciary panels. Amash is not on either committee.

Additionally, tapping Amash would be something of a gamble for Pelosi. While most Democrats would fall in line with her strategy in the Senate, Amash would be something of a wild card, given his lack of loyalty to the Democratic Party.

However, Democrats supportive of the idea — a group that includes conservative Blue Dogs as well as liberal members — applaud Amash for his courage in standing up to Trump and his own party. While Amash was not part of the House investigative process, he’s a former lawyer known for his strict interpretations of the Constitution and is well-versed in the writings of the Founding Fathers.

Democrats also argue that Amash’s vastly different views on policy also make him a prime choice.

“There couldn’t be anyone perhaps in the entire U.S. House . . . whose general political views are as polar opposite from many of us in the Democratic Caucus, and that’s what makes it such a powerful statement: that on the issue of our responsibility to our Constitution, we are perfectly aligned,” said Phillips, who said he had an “epiphany” on the idea Friday night and has been shopping it around ever sense.

The push for Amash comes as Democrats have struggled to pick off even a single congressional Republican to support the impeachment of Trump. Past impeachments have been bipartisan, and even a handful of Democrats backed the impeachment of former president Bill Clinton.

Democrats have accused Republicans of selling out their country in the name of party loyalty; Republicans have said Democrats rushed the impeachment instead of building a bulletproof case.

Discussions about Amash are particularly timely given the news that Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a moderate Democrat from New Jersey, is expected to change parties, in part out of frustration with his own colleagues for pursuing what he calls a partisan and divisive impeachment based on “hearsay.” Republicans are already salivating at the prospect of holding up the soon-to-be former Democrat as a prime example that the party has overreached with impeachment and is repelling more moderate Americans.

Enter Amash, who has been a vocal critic of Trump on Twitter, using the platform over the past few months to argue that Trump has breached the public’s trust, engaged in unethical behavior and should be impeached.

On Friday, Amash jabbed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for saying he would coordinate with the White House to acquit Trump rather than remain impartial. He also lambasted Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) for telling CNN in an interview that “I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.”

“Senator Graham has chosen to violate his oath to support and defend the Constitution, his oath to do impartial justice in an impeachment trial, and his duty to represent all the people of his state, not just those who share his political views or desire a particular outcome,” Amash wrote.

I'm not a fan of Amash, but he has shown some cojones by standing up to the mango moron.

[GreyhoundFan]

I'm guessing she's going to be the mango moron's next press secretary:

 

[fraurosena]

 

[fraurosena]

 

[fraurosena]

 

[Howl]

Yeah, I'm beginning to think that would be best; basically no resolution.   If the Repubs get their way and it's over in a matter of days, it will sink in the news cycle like the Mueller Report and an already unhinged Trump will be totally unchained.  Totally un-fucking-chained.  Scary. 

 

[fraurosena]

Trump whines about ‘very ugly’ impeachment in self-pitying letter to Nancy Pelosi

Quote

President Donald Trump has sent a self-pitying letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in which he accused her of having “cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment!”

In his letter to Pelosi, the president also accused her of “offending the Founding Fathers” and attacked her for saying that she regularly prays for the president.

“It is a terrible thing you are doing, but you will have to live with it, not I!” the president fumed.

Later in the letter, the president bragged of his “Electoral College landslide (306-227)” in 2016 and said Pelosi had “developed a full-fledged case of… Trump derangement syndrome and sadly, you will never get over it!”

Here's a link to the letter. It's a real doozy. With exclamation marks!!11! And CAPITALISATIONS! And of course, it's accusing the Democrats of everything Trump and his coterie of trumplicans in the House are guilty of. Oh, and did you know that the word impeachment is ugly?

It's beyond belief that this abusive, accusatory and childish missive is an official letter from the highest office in the land. However, he underlines that fact himself, by signing off like this:

While I have no expectation that you will [stop the impeachment] I write this letter to you for the purpose of history and to put my thoughts on a permanent and indelible record.

One hundred years from now, when people look back at this affair, I want them to understand it, and learn from it, so that it can never happen to another President again.

 

[Becky]

I read the letter. Wow. Just...wow. 

[fraurosena]

Let the retaliation begin!

Ambassador Taylor is out by the new year.

Top Democrat excoriates Pompeo for ‘unceremoniously recalling’ top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine

Quote

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee accused Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday of “unceremoniously recalling” the acting ambassador to Ukraine, William B. Taylor Jr., a key witness in the House impeachment inquiry who criticized the White House’s decision to withhold aid to the country.

“I am extremely concerned that this suspect decision furthers the president’s inappropriate and unacceptable linking of U.S. policy to Ukraine to his personal and political benefit, and potentially your own,” Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey wrote in a letter to Pompeo.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Taylor, who was brought in to serve in Ukraine on a temporary basis following the ouster of the previous ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, has been criticized by the president as a “Never Trumper.” The White House also has attacked witnesses broadly as “radical unelected bureaucrats.”

On Tuesday, NBC News reported that Taylor is expected to hand over his job to his deputy on Jan. 1.

When secretaries of state visit foreign countries, they often schedule a meet-and-greet with the U.S. Embassy staff, raising the potential for an awkward interaction if Pompeo, the president’s staunchest defender, were to pose for pictures with Taylor, whom the president has harshly criticized.

Menendez said it would be a mistake to leave Taylor’s position vacant during an important visit by the secretary of state.

“You and the American people would benefit from his institutional knowledge and counsel during your expected interactions with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky’s administration,” Menendez wrote in the letter, which was released by his office. “Your joint appearances with the ambassador in Kyiv would also send a strong message of solidarity to our professional diplomatic service at a time when morale is historically low.”

Taylor, a career diplomat who has served under Republican and Democratic administrations, provided one of the most vivid and detailed accounts of an alleged quid pro quo between Trump and the Ukrainian government.

Recounting a series of texts, emails and phone conversations, Taylor told lawmakers of his concerns about a “nightmare” scenario in which the United States leveraged military aid to get Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden.

As those fears grew, he texted then-special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker and the ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, in September.

“As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” Taylor said in a text that would be cited frequently during the impeachment hearings.

While Taylor has come under some criticism by the president’s supporters, Yovanovitch has remained a focus of their fire, with the president’s personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani claiming on Monday that she was guilty of “obstructing justice” and abetting “Ukrainian collusion.” Giuliani has said he had been trying to oust her since last year but has not provided evidence to back up those claims.

Yovanovitch said her anti-corruption efforts posed a financial threat to some in Ukraine whom she accused of working with Giuliani to oust her.

I'm afraid of what kind of retaliation awaits Masha Yovanovitch.

[fraurosena]

Pelosi’s reaction to a question about the letter:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"A moderate Democrat sold his soul to save his hide. He got what he deserved."

Spoiler

Democrats owe a debt of gratitude to Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the soon-to-be Republican of New Jersey.

A week ago, 10 House Democrats from Trump-friendly districts were searching for a way to avoid impeachment. Vice President Pence speculated that Democrats might fall short of the necessary number of votes. Reports indicated a half-dozen or more Democrats might defect.

But then Democrats learned the parable of Van Drew and the Finger in the Wind.

After the freshman Democratic lawmaker — who clearly feared a backlash by Trump voters in his Trump-friendly district — voted against the resolution formalizing an impeachment probe, his Democratic support collapsed. When Van Drew let it be known this weekend that he would become a Republican, Democrats leaked his polling showing why: Only 28 percent of Democrats in his district supported his re-nomination, while 58 percent opposed it. He faced near-certain defeat in a Democratic primary.

Now Van Drew is all alone, without most of his staff (who quit) and without a conscience. He has embraced a president he has voted against on racism, voting rights, prescription drugs, the environment, immigration, labor, gun control and foreign policy. To survive in the Republican primary he will face, he will have to completely reverse everything he stands for — he voted against Trump 93 percent of the time and will now have to support him pretty much 100 percent of the time — and even then it will be a slog. Van Drew sold his soul in an attempt to save his political hide, and he got what he deserved.

The other 30 House Democrats who, like Van Drew, are from districts Trump won, stared into that open grave and recoiled. Tuesday morning, Rep. Anthony Brindisi, from an upstate New York district Trump won by 15 points, became the latest to stand up for impeachment; only one, Collin Peterson, whose Minnesota district Trump won by 30 points, has so far indicated he opposes impeachment.

“President Trump is my president, too,” Brindisi told the Syracuse Post-Standard. “I always said I would work with him, but that I would put our country first and stand up for what I believe in.”

He added: “I know some people will be upset with me, but I was elected to do what was right, not what’s good for me politically.”

Brindisi, in his principled stand, followed Monday announcements by Joe Cunningham (S.C.), Ben McAdams (Utah), Andy Kim (N.J.), Abigail Spanberger (Va.), Elaine Luria (Va.) and Elissa Slotkin (Mich.).

Wrote Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, in the Detroit Free Press, that it may be that “the vote I’ll be casting this week will mark the end of my short political career.” But, she added, “There are some decisions in life that have to be made based on what you know in your bones is right. And this is one of those times.”

I applaud their acts of conscience. But the Van Drew case shows that their decisions are also the right move politically. The vote to impeach may well cost vulnerable Democrats support from moderates and conservatives, but voting against impeachment would cause them to lose much more support among the Democratic activists, donors and voters they need for election.

No doubt some Republicans, if allowed to follow their conscience, would also vote to impeach Trump. But they are prevented from doing what’s right because of their fear that Trump’s wrath, and harassment by the MAGA crowd, will end their careers and influence. They have no choice to do as Trump says — always. I suspect this contributes to the disillusionment that has led to a mass exodus of Republicans. Of the 241 Republicans in the House when Trump was elected, 104 are gone — lost, retired or moved on — or will not be on the ballot next year, the Cook Political Report calculates. That’s 43 percent of the party gone over four years.

Democrats, for the moment, have the luxury of not having to choose between what’s right and what’s expedient. This is one of those times when a clean conscience is the best politics.

 

[thoughtful]

5 hours ago, fraurosena said:

It's a real doozy. With exclamation marks!!11! And CAPITALISATIONS!

Trump, Jill Rodrigues - basically the same person.

[Dandruff]

55 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

Trump, Jill Rodrigues - basically the same person.

Trump is like Jill in orange, with bigger balls.  I think there might be a bit of Bro Gary mixed in there too...the writing. 

[fraurosena]

Some more news about the letter:

Can’t say I’m surprised to see Stephen Miller’s name as one of the co-authors.

What they didn’t realize though, is that...

However, the WH says Trump is just trolling Pelosi. As if that somehow makes it better.

Of course, Trump is quite delusional about it all.
 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by fraurosena
Added WH reaction

[Dandruff]

35 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

However, the WH says Trump is just trolling Pelosi. As if that somehow makes it better.

The toddler approach.  Why doesn't he just call in witnesses to help clear his...oh wait.

[K'Z'K]

Back when Rashida Tlaib was running for office, she promised to "impeach the motherfucker". I think that when it happens, we should honor Rep. Tlaib's words by changing the thread title to "Motherfucker Impeached".

[GreyhoundFan]

"‘Dump Trump!’ Protesters across the nation rally for impeachment"

Spoiler

DETROIT — Demonstrators in big cities and small towns from coast to coast rallied Tuesday for President Trump's impeachment, celebrating the historic step the House is expected to take Wednesday while bemoaning that the push to oust him is almost certain to die in the Senate.

Protesters in the dark of a snowy New England evening chanted “Dump Trump,” while those marching in the warmth of southern Florida brandished signs reading “Impeach Putin’s Puppet.” In Republican-dominated Kansas, they repeated a mantra: “Country over party.” In Texas, they fretted that despite the House’s vote, Trump will get away with it all.

Organizers said that there were more than 600 protests nationwide — from Hawaii to Maine — with the goal of demonstrating “to our lawmakers that their constituents are behind them to defend the Constitution.”

In many places, the rallies functioned less as a chance to vent about Trump’s Ukraine dealings — the matter for which he faces impeachment — than as an opportunity for collective catharsis over the entire track record of a president disapproved of by slightly more than half the country.

In New York’s Times Square, a crowd estimated in the thousands demonstrated, marching through the streets bearing a giant banner emblazoned with a clause from the Constitution that deals with impeachment. But most rallies drew dozens or, at most, hundreds. Their relatively modest scale reflected the difficulty Trump’s opponents face in mobilizing voters to eject the president when the chances of doing that before the 2020 election appear vanishingly small.

“Tomorrow, we will impeach Donald Trump!” organizer Jessica Prozinski announced to cheers as a crowd of 125 bundled together against the freezing cold here in downtown Detroit.

But she warned that that would hardly be the end of Trumpism, or of Trump himself, forecasting a “long and bumpy” path ahead.

Speaking with a bullhorn — and competing with music blaring from a nearby office tower — Prozinski, 44, made quick mention of “the whole Ukrainian phone call thing,” while emphasizing “Trump’s real crimes against humanity.”

Among them: “stealing babies from their mothers’ arms,” “putting a sexual predator on the Supreme Court,” and “praising neo-Nazis.”

At the mention of each alleged offense, the crowd issued its verdict: “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!”

Many said their objections to Trump were so voluminous it was difficult to know where to start.

“There’s so much,” said Tenisha Speight, a 40-year-old accountant, who said Tuesday’s protest was her first. “I don’t believe in him. I don’t like how he’s transforming America, and I want him out of office.”

The Detroit protest was one of about 20 planned in Michigan. Many were sparsely attended and might look especially small compared to the rally Trump plans on Wednesday at an arena in Battle Creek, where about 10,000 are expected.

Michigan was among the traditionally Democratic states that Trump claimed in 2016 and that Democrats probably will have to flip back into their column if they hope to win in 2020. It is also home to a pair of freshman Democratic congresswomen in swing districts who wavered on impeachment nearly until the end but ultimately came out for it.

One of them, Elissa Slotkin, acknowledged Monday at a rowdy town hall with her constituents that she might lose her seat as a result.

Tuesday’s rallies were focused outside the offices of House members who will be voting on Wednesday and senators who, assuming the House approves impeachment for just the third time in American history, will serve as jurors in Trump’s impeachment trial starting in January.

Tuesday’s protests were called by an array of liberal groups, including political advocacy organizations, environmental defenders and labor unions.

The protests were collectively dubbed the “Nobody is Above the Law” demonstrations, and they were coordinated by MoveOn.org, a group that got its start 21 years ago urging Republicans to end their pursuit of President Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

Surveys show that Trump’s impeachment is far more popular than Clinton’s ever was. But the country remains entrenched in rival camps, with about half favoring it and half opposing it. Public hearings this fall barely moved the needle.

Organizers had hoped that Tuesday’s protests might end a demonstration drought that has characterized much of Trump’s presidency. The early months of his administration were marked by frequent street action — for women’s rights, for science, against the travel ban.

But in contrast with many other parts of the globe — Hong Kong, Iraq, Chile and others have been scenes of history-making protests in recent months — U.S. streets have been quiet in the past two years.

Trump on Tuesday decried the impeachment process in a six-page-letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying “more due process was accorded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials.”

“History will judge you harshly as you proceed with this impeachment charade,” Trump wrote.

But there was little sympathy for the president’s plight among those who took to the streets.

“Merry Impeachment,” read the sign Pat Barnes cradled as she rallied in West Palm Beach, Fla., not far from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

But Barnes, who also sported a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer sweater and flashing Christmas lights around her neck, was quick to put a damper on her own festivities. If the House came bearing an early Christmas gift, she believes the Senate will deliver a lump of coal in the new year.

“I think if the senators voted with their conscience instead of with their party, they would remove him from office,” Barnes said.

Retirees Gayle and Don Fox brought their two dogs to the protest. The couple said that it was their second time protesting Trump and his policies but that this time felt more urgent.

“If they don’t impeach him, we’re going to have to riot in the streets,” Gayle Fox said. “If he gets away with everything he’s done, what about the next president?”

The pro-impeachment demonstration was met by a small counterprotest of Trump supporters.

“If they think they’re going to get him out of office,” said Bob Burd, a retired municipal employee gripping a large U.S. flag that flapped gently in the warm breeze, “they’re in for a big surprise.”

On a cold night in Kansas, where an early snowstorm had left the red state blanketed in white, about 400 pro-impeachment demonstrators lined an intersection in Overland Park, waving signs, exhorting drivers to honk their horns and generally showing support for Democrats in Washington working to impeach the president.

Al Frisby, the chairman of MoveOn for Johnson County and an organizer, said he was pleased by the turnout; the snow from a Sunday storm still stood about six inches deep and the mercury was set to plummet to 15 degrees.

“But I’m depressed,” Frisby said. “This is a sad and solemn occasion and I don’t like it. But we have to do it.”

The perceived lawlessness of the president's administration was a consistent theme among protesters in Portland, Maine, where more than 300 people bundled in coats and scarves gathered amid a snowstorm.

“This guy really said he can do whatever he wants?” said Lorraine Christensen, 72, referring to Trump’s famous statement that he could shoot someone on New York’s Fifth Avenue without losing support. “That’s reason enough” for his removal, she said.

In the affluent Texas community of West Plano, about 100 people rallied for Trump’s ouster.

“He broke the law,” said Jessica Romeroll, 47, as she held a sign aloft and shouted at passing cars. “It’s scary how he asked a foreign nation to investigate a private citizen. And it’s upsetting how our congressmen won’t hold him accountable.”

Some protesters walked through the crowd making sure everyone was registered to vote. Others talked about how they called and sent letters to their congressmen every day.

But underneath it all was a worry that none of it will be enough.

“If he gets away with what he is doing, he is going to continue to behave like he has,” said Tegan Greaver, 33. “And our future leaders will think they have free rein to act like kings.”

As the sun set in Santa Barbara, Calif., on a cool impeachment eve, Nancy Stuyt, an abstract artist, got down on her knees, magic marker in hand and a square of white poster board on the walkway in front of her.

There was nothing abstract about the message she wrote out in red and blue, as the light around her faded to gray: “Fight for Our Rights. Impeach Him.”

“I marched in the 1960s for women’s rights; I grew up in the South so know what that was like,” said Stuyt, a 68-year-old who has lived in this coastal city for the past 3½ decades. “Donald Trump is taking apart everything we fought for.”

She was among about 300 people who gathered Tuesday night at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse to make their angry, hopeful position known.

“Impeach and Remove,” one sign read, prompting honks of support from drivers heading down Anacapa Street at the end of the workday.

“This kind of rally is helpful to those of us who have been depressed by this president,” said Myra Paige, 66, a retired synagogue office manager and an event organizer with the nonprofit Indivisible Santa Barbara. “Camaraderie helps.”

 

[smittykins]

16 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Trump whines about ‘very ugly’ impeachment in self-pitying letter to Nancy Pelosi

Here's a link to the letter. It's a real doozy. With exclamation marks!!11! And CAPITALISATIONS! And of course, it's accusing the Democrats of everything Trump and his coterie of trumplicans in the House are guilty of. Oh, and did you know that the word impeachment is ugly?

It's beyond belief that this abusive, accusatory and childish missive is an official letter from the highest office in the land. However, he underlines that fact himself, by signing off like this:

While I have no expectation that you will [stop the impeachment] I write this letter to you for the purpose of history and to put my thoughts on a permanent and indelible record.

One hundred years from now, when people look back at this affair, I want them to understand it, and learn from it, so that it can never happen to another President again.

 

He totally didn’t write that, though.  Too many bigly words.

(As an aside, apparently my spellcheck recognizes “bigly.” )

ETA: Stephen Colbert’s takedown of the letter:

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by smittykins

[GreyhoundFan]

 

[GreyhoundFan]

The WaPo has a live updates thread here.

Unsurprisingly, Rs started the day by making a motion to adjourn the house. That didn't pass. McCarthy called Dems, "socialists". So, it will be the normal crap. There are up to six hours of debate, so it's going to be a long day.

[fraurosena]

Phew, back from some serious Christmas shopping. Did I miss anything?

So there won't be any trumplican shenanigans?

 

 

 

[Destiny]

4 hours ago, K'Z'K said:

Back when Rashida Tlaib was running for office, she promised to "impeach the motherfucker". I think that when it happens, we should honor Rep. Tlaib's words by changing the thread title to "Motherfucker Impeached".

Excellent idea. 

[fraurosena]

Trump must be really rattled if he's asking for prayers...

He's (re)tweeting up a storm of course. It's the only outlet he's got for the anxiety that is eating him up inside. Impeachment = rejection... And he hates nothing more than to be rejected.

[fraurosena]

Pelosi spoke eloquently about the oath to protect the Constitution and the Republic. And now, Collins is on the attack against the Dems. No substance, no facts, just attacks. Oh, and of course, a raised voice. 

[scoutsadie]

19 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Pelosi spoke eloquently about the oath to protect the Constitution and the Republic. And now, Collins is on the attack against the Dems. No substance, no facts, just attacks. Oh, and of course, a raised voice. 

I would like to punch Rep. Collins in both his clock and his calendar.