WATCH LIVE: House Impeachment Inquiry Hearing - Volker & Morrison Testimony
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Nunes basically just pounding the same BS over and over again: The Repubs view Trump as a God-Emperor who has unlimited power whose actions cannot be questioned, a position that they will immediately drop the moment a Democrat raises his hand to take the oath of office.
I expect the Democrats to confront Volker regarding other discrepancies between his testimony and the testimony of other witnesses.
This is a sign that Volker’s memory may have improved more generally. https://t.co/jn865ooCGk— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 19, 2019
Weird how Volker’s testimony and memory suddenly improve when testifying under oath in public.
OR. Imagine…someone being secretly asked — in a very cheery tone — to write a check to a political campaign and BAM! Their problems will all go away.
The check isn’t written but the problem still ends — for now
And the defense argues that no crime was committed.
I. MAG. INE.— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) November 19, 2019
Kurt Volker is describing a cogent Ukraine policy that was repeatedly undermined by Trump himself by, among other things, questioning Ukraine’s right to Crimea and of course withholding the military aid.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 19, 2019
Sure thing! Wait right there, don’t do anything until I get back to you.
[hits block button] pic.twitter.com/F3MXE2BZtq— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
Someone should remind Rudy to get out from under the bus. Volker just rode over him repeatedly…. blaming him explicitly for Trump’s poor understanding of the situaiton there, and furthering an agenda that harmed Ukraine and benefited *checks notes* Russia.
Y’all, having read Volker’s earlier testimony, whether this is a change in content or tone or just the power of hearing it versus reading it, this is substantially more harsh and indicting than I took from his prior testimony.
Translation: Volker brought the lumber today.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) November 19, 2019
At first I misread the headline as Van Morrison testimony.
re: #7 Eclectic Cyborg
At first I misread the headline as Van Morrison testimony.
Expect a tweet shortly calling out the Brown Eyed Girl as being an unAmerican Never Trumper..
U.S. reaffirms commitment to Singapore deal after N.K. rejects talks https://t.co/4MUgwgOvB7
— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) November 19, 2019
— The Korea Times (@koreatimescokr) November 19, 2019
Esper refuses to speculate on U.S. troops withdrawal from S. Korea https://t.co/4GBqPzlol1
— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) November 19, 2019
My first question would be why the fuck was anyone talking to Rudy in the first place? He had no clearance; he held no position—he was just a private, personal mouthpiece for the yam.
Whoa! https://t.co/t8ebaXAqAR
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) November 19, 2019
re: #10 BeachDem
My first question would be why the fuck was anyone talking to Rudy in the first place? He had no clearance; he held no position—he was just a private, personal mouthpiece for the yam.
applause!
re: #10 BeachDem
My first question would be why the fuck was anyone talking to Rudy in the first place? He had no clearance; he held no position—he was just a private, personal mouthpiece for the yam.
Well, presidential special advisers without a lot of official pull, but a lot of unofficial influence, being used for diplomatic stuff is not something new. Harry Hopkins communicating with Churchill and Stalin during WW2 is probably the best known historical case. And Hopkins was no longer in the Cabinet after Sept. 1940.
“In retrospect, I should have seen that connection differently… and if I had, I would have raised my own objections.”
Well, gosh, if I had known the fellas in the ski mask were robbing the bank, I would have never volunteered to drive them home.
My bullshit meter is smoking.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) November 19, 2019
re: #10 BeachDem
Question asked and answered, BD:
My first question would be why the fuck was anyone talking to Rudy in the first place? He had no clearance; he held no position—he was just a private, personal mouthpiece for the yam.
re: #14 Targetpractice
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So Volker is going to try riding the fence and please neither side as a result.
For a seasoned career diplomat, he sure missed a lot of important stuff going on right under his nose.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
re: #13 FFL (GOP Delenda Est)
Well, presidential special advisors without a lot of pull being used for diplomatic stuff is not something new. Harry Hopkins communicating with Churchill and Stalin during WW2 is probably the best known historical case. And Hopkins was no longer in the Cabinet after Sept. 1940.
Yeah but it’s odd. His title is President’s personal lawyer. I don’t know how far if at all Nixon’s personal attorney was involved in the Watergate Scandal. Rudy is bad news.
re: #13 FFL (GOP Delenda Est)
Well, presidential special advisors without a lot of pull being used for diplomatic stuff is not something new. Harry Hopkins communicating with Churchill and Stalin during WW2 is probably the best known historical case. And Hopkins was no longer in the Cabinet after Sept. 1940.
But, but we’re talking about RUDY sticking his nose in where it definitely didn’t belong and stepping over actual diplomats.
re: #16 FFL (GOP Delenda Est)
So Volker is going to try riding the fence and please neither side as a result.
That’s what it looks like. It should be noted that both men in this hearing were witnesses that the Repubs requested, not ones that the Dem majority chose. I suspect this is not going to go the way they expected…
re: #10 BeachDem
My first question would be why the fuck was anyone talking to Rudy in the first place? He had no clearance; he held no position—he was just a private, personal mouthpiece for the yam.
Presidents frequently use folks outside State Dept to do diplomacy - aka back channels.
Typically, they’re knowledgeable and skilled, but here, the only qualification was graft and corruption and self-interest in profiting from the situation.
Trump doesn’t care about competency and skill, only loyalty to Trump.
re: #19 BeachDem
But, but we’re talking about RUDY sticking his nose in where it definitely didn’t belong and stepping over actual diplomats.
Ala leading the smear campaign against the Ambassador. There’s going to be a lot of disillusioned State department lifers after this mess. I seriously hope the Dem candidates are looking for a State Department Secretary because that’s going to be a very important job.
But even with his sudden crimenesia, Volker is definitely not helping the GOP effort to defend the dear leader.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
I think I’ve figured out why Gym Jordan, Devin Nunes, Lindsay Graham and others are willing to go over the cliff for Trump.
The ascension of Trump represents a massive achievement for the white power movement in this country. If Trump goes down, that movement takes a significant blow. Since they don’t want to lose their privilege and power, these assholes will do whatever is necessary to maintain it, even to the point of making absurd statements in addition to mercilessly kissing Trumps ass.
re: #23 Charles Johnson
“Crimenesia”!
Stealing immediately.
re: #23 Charles Johnson
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if this was a murder case, volker right now is like the defense pushing for a witness who then testifies, “yup i totally saw that guy do it.”
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 19, 2019
re: #21 lawhawk
Presidents frequently use folks outside State Dept to do diplomacy - aka back channels.
Typically, they’re knowledgeable and skilled, but here, the only qualification was graft and corruption and self-interest in profiting from the situation.
Trump doesn’t care about competency and skill, only loyalty to Trump.
What I wonder is- does Rudy know less about cyber security or Eastern European affairs, the latter btw Colonel Vindman has a related MFA from Harvard in.
re: #20 Targetpractice
That’s what it looks like. It should be noted that both men in this hearing were witnesses that the Repubs requested, not ones that the Dem majority chose. I suspect this is not going to go the way they expected…
And Volker’s approach is pretty much saying “I’m incompetent. I should have realized what was going on.” rather than admitting he saw criminal acts occurring and opted to ignore them.
Morrison said this in closed door testimony — that Sondland “bragged that he could call the President whenever he wanted.”
What a million dollar inaugural committee donation gets you… pic.twitter.com/xtU59XC0kz— Andrew Prokop (@awprokop) November 19, 2019
re: #28 FFL (GOP Delenda Est)
And Volker’s approach is pretty much saying “I’m incompetent. I should have realized what was going on.” rather than admitting he saw criminal acts occurring and opted to ignore them.
are you or are you not a ‘never Trumper’!!! Say it! Say it!!!! ARHGhghghgh
re: #24 Eclectic Cyborg
I think I’ve figured out why Gym Jordan, Devin Nunes, Lindsay Graham and others are willing to go over the cliff for Trump.
The ascension of Trump represents a massive achievement for the white power movement in this country. If Trump goes down, that movement takes a significant blow. Since they don’t want to lose their privilege and power, these assholes will do whatever is necessary to maintain it, even to the point of making absurd statements in addition to mercilessly kissing Trumps ass.
I think the sad truth is the GOP youth few they may be is embracing Trumpism. If you recall history, the new right of the 60’s had the youth right’s support while the older Republicans were more mixed ideologically.
re: #27 HappyWarrior
What I wonder is- does Rudy know less about cyber security or Eastern European affairs, the latter btw Colonel Vindman has a related MFA from Harvard in.
Rudy has paltry knowledge of cyber security (something I think he put on his resume because it sounded cool), and even less about Eastern European Affairs, other than meeting up with a bunch of thugs like Igor and Lev to slip into the Russian underworld (and probably Brighton Beach drinking establishments).
Volker out here proving the adage that you get what you pay for
— Jason McGlothlen (@goddamnedfrank) November 19, 2019
These were witnesses the Repubs on the committee figured would be favorable to their position, if for no other reason than to push them to say they saw nothing wrong in Trump’s “perfect” call or his hold on the funds. Instead, both men seem poised to say they did not directly witness the QPQ, but they saw shit that (in hindsight) they felt was wrong.
re: #33 goddamnedfrank
I’d say this is what happens when you don’t have a clue what the guy is going to testify to. No one for the GOP appears to know the first thing about witness prep and how to cross examine witnesses, because all the GOPers have done so far is grandstand and bloviate, and the witnesses do not support Trump’s case that nothing illegal was done. If anything it reveals more crimes and more people involved.
re: #32 lawhawk
Rudy has paltry knowledge of cyber security (something I think he put on his resume because it sounded cool), and even less about Eastern European Affairs, other than meeting up with a bunch of thugs like Igor and Lev to slip into the Russian underworld (and probably Brighton Beach drinking establishments).
Would agree. This is actually a part of the world I studied a bit in college. Obviously not to the extent of Vindman but it’s clear to me that expertise isn’t thought of as a priority for this administration. Kissing Trump’s ass is.
It’s a volkerwagen.
— lawhawk (@lawhawk) November 19, 2019
re: #35 lawhawk
I’d say this is what happens when you don’t have a clue what the guy is going to testify to. No one for the GOP appears to know the first thing about witness prep and how to cross examine witnesses, because all the GOPers have done so far is grandstand and bloviate, and the witnesses do not support Trump’s case that nothing illegal was done. If anything it reveals more crimes and more people involved.
Eh, it’s all just political this stuff happens both sides INQUISITION!!!!
re: #36 HappyWarrior
I took a couple of classes on Russia and post Soviet Union breakup. Most of my studies were on ME politics and diplomacy in 20th Century, so understanding Soviet/Russian interests in the ME were integral. Rudy had connections that would enable him to get experience and knowledge in this area, but it looks like he was more interested in other things…
Prefaced with the Republicans are full of shit, things would be much simpler and cleaner if Hunter Biden had stayed the fuck away from Burisma.
re: #39 lawhawk
I took a couple of classes on Russia and post Soviet Union breakup. Most of my studies were on ME politics and diplomacy in 20th Century, so understanding Soviet/Russian interests in the ME were integral. Rudy had connections that would enable him to get experience and knowledge in this area, but it looks like he was more interested in other things…
Yeah he has connections that most would not. It’s just such a stupid foreign policy this administration has. Not even misguided. It’s plain old stupid. And yeah understanding Russia/USSR’s history and place in ME geopolitics is very important. What frustrates me about the new isolationism we’ve seen emerge is The who me ignorant about the world around us? Remember Herman Cain’s Uz-beki-beki-stan? Sure that was Cain but that’s how Trump operates.
re: #40 BeachDem
Prefaced with the Republicans are full of shit, things would be much simpler and cleaner if Hunter Biden had stayed the fuck away from Burisma.
Absolutely.
I love it when Republicans plans blow up in their faces.
The first question from Repubs might as well be “Why aren’t you saying the things we brought you here to say!?”
One interesting thing I got of the Putin biography I recently finished was Bush changing his mind on Putin overtime. We rightfully should criticize the soul remark but I’ll give W credit, he actually did call Putin out on his shit unlike Trump who really thinks Putin likes him.
re: #40 BeachDem
Prefaced with the Republicans are full of shit, things would be much simpler and cleaner if Hunter Biden had stayed the fuck away from Burisma.
yes and no
if he didnt, we’d be in the middle of some other moronic issue saying ‘things would be much simple and cleaner if …….so and so did xxx or did not do yyyy”
note also - h biden goes to work for burisma in 2014. 3+ years before j biden decides to run
re: #41 HappyWarrior
Trump doesn’t have a policy or worldview outside what he thinks he can profit from personally and directly. Inasmuch as there’s a coherent view, I think it’s a white nationalist take that is increasingly isolationist, which means attacking our allies and partners, and withdrawing from international organizations go hand in hand.
It also gets fed from the right’s sustained conspiratorial worldview that globalists (aka Joos) and foreigners are having too much say in the US. With the likes of Sessions, Miller, and white nationalists in key positions, this is advancing the white nationalist agenda as well. (Sessions had Miller as key adviser and pushed a white nationalist agenda).
re: #41 HappyWarrior
Yeah he has connections that most would not. It’s just such a stupid foreign policy this administration has. Not even misguided. It’s plain old stupid. And yeah understanding Russia/USSR’s history and place in ME geopolitics is very important. What frustrates me about the new isolationism we’ve seen emerge is The who me ignorant about the world around us? Remember Herman Cain’s Uz-beki-beki-stan? Sure that was Cain but that’s how Trump operates.
if this admin wanted to pursue this foreign policy, and they thought it was a good idea, there is no reason they shouldnt have done it normally and through channels
there’s a reason they did it on the sly
re: #44 Targetpractice
The first question from Repubs might as well be “Why aren’t you saying the things we brought you here to say!?”
3:2 you’re not wrong
re: #44 Targetpractice
The first question from Repubs might as well be “Why aren’t you saying the things we brought you here to say!?”
So, Witness, you agree with us then that this whole thing is an Inquisition!?!?!?
re: #45 HappyWarrior
One interesting thing I got of the Putin biography I recently finished was Bush changing his mind on Putin overtime. We rightfully should criticize the soul remark but I’ll give W credit, he actually did call Putin out on his shit unlike Trump who really thinks Putin likes him.
I think the soul remark wasn’t much more than Bush saying something nice about Putin at the beginning of both of their presidencies. It was also before Putin went all in on being an oligarch, I think.
re: #48 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
They’re a bunch of reactionary know nothing hacks who don’t care about competency?
re: #43 Eclectic Cyborg
I love it when Republicans plans blow up in their faces.
It’s like Chris Matthews doing an hour long fart in GOP faces!
re: #46 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
yes and no
if he didnt, we’d be in the middle of some other moronic issue saying ‘things would be much simple and cleaner if …….so and so did xxx or did not do yyyy”
note also - h biden goes to work for burisma in 2014. 3+ years before j biden decides to run
His father was VP at the time; Burisma was already pretty sketchy; Hunter had no relevant experience. I still think not a good look.
re: #52 lawhawk
They’re a bunch of reactionary know nothing hacks who don’t care about competency?
well if youre gonna nit pick….
Devin Nunes keeps saying that America’s civil servants “didn’t like Trump’s Ukraine policy.”
Uh…. *what* Ukraine policy?
Trump, per witnesses, “didn’t give a shit about Ukraine.”— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) November 19, 2019
re: #51 KGxvi
I think the soul remark wasn’t much more than Bush saying something nice about Putin at the beginning of both of their presidencies. It was also before Putin went all in on being an oligarch, I think.
Well yes and no imo. I think Putin did charm Bush initially. But yes this was early on. Well before Litvinenko got poisoned and the Orange Revolution.
re: #46 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
yes and no
if he didnt, we’d be in the middle of some other moronic issue saying ‘things would be much simple and cleaner if …….so and so did xxx or did not do yyyy”
note also - h biden goes to work for burisma in 2014. 3+ years before j biden decides to run
Hunter Biden had developed a career in venture capital and the practice of law. There’s been no real argument that he wasn’t qualified to sit on the board of directors for Burisma. And no, having no experience in oil/gas doesn’t count, major corporations often appoint people with no experience in their industry so that they can get outsider perspectives, pierce the epistemic bubble and whatnot.
Exactly right.
Both corrupt and corrupting. https://t.co/6HtYHTlaEb— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 19, 2019
“Talk to Rudy” is code for ix-nay on the ime-cray alk-tay.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
Well, if Hunter hadn’t been at Burisma we wouldn’t witness these hearings now… so it’s all good ;)
re: #25 cat-tikvah
Didn’t “Crimenesia” used to be part of Ukraine??
It’s sounding more and more like Volker and Morrison’s job here today is try to rehabilitate Trump’s image by suggesting that their roles in this whole thing was to keep him from doing stupid shit. That they were, if not responsible, then at least involved in the effort to prevent Trump’s extortion from succeeding.
re: #61 Nyet
Well, if Hunter hadn’t been at Burisma we wouldn’t witness these hearings now… so it’s all good ;)
Well, when you put it that way…btw, good to see you back.
re: #64 Targetpractice
It’s sounding more and more like Volker and Morrison’s job here today is try to rehabilitate Trump’s image by suggesting that their roles in this whole thing was to keep him from doing stupid shit. That they were, if not responsible, then at least involved in the effort to prevent Trump’s extortion from succeeding.
So the mythical “grown ups in the room”?
re: #58 KGxvi
Hunter Biden had developed a career in venture capital and the practice of law. There’s been no real argument that he wasn’t qualified to sit on the board of directors for Burisma. And no, having no experience in oil/gas doesn’t count, major corporations often appoint people with no experience in their industry so that they can get outsider perspectives, pierce the epistemic bubble and whatnot.
that is my feeling about corporate governance as well - esp the last line.
sometimes the best people to run a company are those who dont have any idea how to do the work / how it works. never worked in it, no preconceived notions.
in general, if we knew what issue created now that the opposition would be using in the future we could avoid it, now.
the problem with that is, as i said, they’d just pick another one from whatever is available then, and try and turn it into something it never was or was meant to be.
this admin especially has a hell of a nerve resting on the laurels of ‘even the appearance of impropriety’
re: #66 KGxvi
So the mythical “grown ups in the room”?
Pretty much. That they tried to be a screening force against Rudy’s influence but failed.
re: #68 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
that is my feeling about corporate governance as well - esp the last line.
sometimes the best people to run a company are those who dont have any idea how to do the work / how it works. never worked in it, no preconceived notions.in general, if we knew what issue created now that the opposition would be using in the future we could avoid it, now.
the problem with that is, as i said, they’d just pick another one from whatever is available then, and try and turn it into something it never was or was meant to be.
this admin especially has a hell of a nerve resting on the laurels of ‘even the appearance of impropriety’
Cough Javanka.
re: #56 Targetpractice
Devin Nunes keeps saying that America’s civil servants “didn’t like Trump’s Ukraine policy.”
Which is what? Trying to get Ukraine to investigate Drump’s political enemies who are American citizens.
re: #54 BeachDem
His father was VP at the time; Burisma was already pretty sketchy; Hunter had no relevant experience. I still think not a good look.
And still only relevant if you’re deciding that you don’t need to convict Trump because someone else did something too.
re: #56 Targetpractice
Doing nothing is still a choice.
re: #68 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
that is my feeling about corporate governance as well - esp the last line.
sometimes the best people to run a company are those who dont have any idea how to do the work / how it works. never worked in it, no preconceived notions.in general, if we knew what issue created now that the opposition would be using in the future we could avoid it, now.
the problem with that is, as i said, they’d just pick another one from whatever is available then, and try and turn it into something it never was or was meant to be.
this admin especially has a hell of a nerve resting on the laurels of ‘even the appearance of impropriety’
Hunter Biden was also a lawyer, and likely picked to help deal with corporate governance issues. And he’d sat on the board of Amtrak, so he had experience with semi-public businesses.
Now, whether he’d have these positions if he wasn’t the son of a Senator/VP and friends with the step-son of another Senator (one of his business partners was Kerry’s step-son), is a whole other question. But of course, if he had these jobs and wasn’t the son of Joe Biden, we wouldn’t have these conversations at all because he’d just be some dude.
The long and short of it seems to be that Volker and Morrison are trying desperately to suggest that there were legitimate reasons for everything that happened, but although none of it seemed to add up, they went along with it because they felt things would work out.
All this stuff in the impeachment hearings is lost on the Trumpers. At least the Trumpers in my various social media timelines.
Here is the problem: Fox News averages around three million viewers for their nightly shows. How many people are watching that PBS livestream and really following the arguments?
re: #70 HappyWarrior
Cough Javanka.
emoluments, trump properties, other obviously in-capable appointees, ad nauseum
These two men are the very picture of the “Just following orders” mindset: Just do what you’re told, don’t question those orders, and when shit goes sideways insist that your obedience to your orders was the important thing.
re: #72 Belafon
And still only relevant if you’re deciding that you don’t need to convict Trump because someone else did something too.
Not at all what I’m trying to say—I don’t think Hunter Biden did anything wrong, but in retrospect, I hate that it gives the assholes any oxygen/talking points at all.
re: #78 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
All this stuff in the impeachment hearings is lost on the Trumpers. At least the Trumpers in my various social media timelines.
Here is the problem: Fox News averages around three million viewers for their nightly shows. How many people are watching that PBS livestream and really following the arguments?
The Trumpers don’t matter. What matters is the effect these impeachment hearings have on swing voters.
re: #75 KGxvi
Hunter Biden was also a lawyer, and likely picked to help deal with corporate governance issues. And he’d sat on the board of Amtrak, so he had experience with semi-public businesses.
Now, whether he’d have these positions if he wasn’t the son of a Senator/VP and friends with the step-son of another Senator (one of his business partners was Kerry’s step-son), is a whole other question. But of course, if he had these jobs and wasn’t the son of Joe Biden, we wouldn’t have these conversations at all because he’d just be some dude.
when you get that high, almost everybody is ‘somebody’
re: #80 Targetpractice
These two men are the very picture of the “Just following orders” mindset: Just do what you’re told, don’t question those orders, and when shit goes sideways insist that your obedience to your orders was the important thing.
And none of what they’re testifying to is saying that the extortion/bribery did not happen, and that it was done without Trump’s direct knowledge and controlling hand. So the GOP still has nothing.
re: #81 BeachDem
Not at all what I’m trying to say—I don’t think Hunter Biden did anything wrong, but in retrospect, I hate that it gives the assholes any oxygen/talking points at all.
It’s impossible for a politician to be so clean that right wingers will be denied their talking points.
After all, according to the Fox News crowd Obama committed dozens of impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors.
re: #76 Targetpractice
The long and short of it seems to be that Volker and Morrison are trying desperately to suggest that there were legitimate reasons for everything that happened, but although none of it seemed to add up, they went along with it because they felt things would work out.
theyre still painting a bad picture
theres them being the official above board face of foreign policy and rudy + sondland + whoever as sending unofficial secondary messages and not representative of official FP anyway
re: #54 BeachDem
His father was VP at the time; Burisma was already pretty sketchy; Hunter had no relevant experience. I still think not a good look.
I’d say Hunter Biden was a bet by Burisma that didn’t pay off - his son’s position on the board notwithstanding, VP Biden pushed for the replacement of the ‘Prosecutor’ who had quashed the investigation into Burisma. That’s pretty much the opposite of what Burisma would have hoped for.
re: #85 EPR-radar
It’s impossible for a politician to be so clean that right wingers will be denied their talking points.
After all, according to the Fox News crowd Obama committed dozens of impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors.
URANIUM 1 ONE!
Sorry, is the closed captioning on C-Span right? Did Nunes just make a comment about the TV ratings being down?
Nunes is such a low grade douche. He’s not even good at zingers and sound bytes.
Farmer 007 and Gym Jordan are an interesting choice as point squids for the Banana Republicans. Probably because they’re the most cultish and have no idea of consequences of attaching their careers to Tang the Terrible.
re: #78 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
All this stuff in the impeachment hearings is lost on the Trumpers. At least the Trumpers in my various social media timelines.
Here is the problem: Fox News averages around three million viewers for their nightly shows. How many people are watching that PBS livestream and really following the arguments?
Keep in mind that the streams are not the only media covering this.
On Friday, I went out to run some errands during the testimony. News radio was all over it. The hearings devoured non-commercial air time.
Now think of people sitting in their cars listening to news radio. They’re not getting it first hand, but it’s not like news radio is ignoring it - at least in NYC, it was the exact opposite.
re: #85 EPR-radar
It’s impossible for a politician to be so clean that right wingers will be denied their talking points.
After all, according to the Fox News crowd Obama committed dozens of impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors.
OK—you all have convinced me—I was grasping at a (plastic Trump) straw. I’ll go sit quietly in a corner (as if)
re: #89 KGxvi
Sorry, is the closed captioning on C-Span right? Did Nunes just make a comment about the TV ratings being down?
Yep, speaking directly to the yam.
re: #89 KGxvi
Sorry, is the closed captioning on C-Span right? Did Nunes just make a comment about the TV ratings being down?
Ayep. These are the GOP’s star witnesses…and Nunes is trying to cushion the blow of their failing to deliver the goods by spinning low ratings as a “bad thing.”
Note to self: always send a “I’m not in the loop” text when on a three-way chain where someone writes down the criminal conspiracy.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) November 19, 2019
re: #82 EPR-radar
The Trumpers don’t matter. What matters is the effect these impeachment hearings have on swing voters.
True. The Red Hats are gone, and they’re not coming back. That’s a fact.
The pro-impeachment numbers went way up after two days of hearings. A poll I saw said that a full 21% of people who responded gave their answers based on the hearings.
PS/ In other words, *all* those people telling Trump tales about Ukraine are *themselves* corrupt people associated with the country… and Trump *knew that*.
Repeat: he *knew that*.
It’s insane.— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) November 19, 2019
re: #89 KGxvi
Sorry, is the closed captioning on C-Span right? Did Nunes just make a comment about the TV ratings being down?
Which TV ratings about what?
It seems that, after a bumbling effort to portray themselves as totally out of the loop to Goldman, Volker and Morrison are now readily trying to present themselves as the “adults in the room” under questioning from Castor.
re: #81 BeachDem
Not at all what I’m trying to say—I don’t think Hunter Biden did anything wrong, but in retrospect, I hate that it gives the assholes any oxygen/talking points at all.
you’re not wrong and i understand what youre saying
clintons email server was set up in 2009.
yeah she maybe figured she’d run for prez one day.
at the time, they thought the issue out and were comfortable with what they were doing and why.
but who knew what it would be turned into in what; 2015 - roughly 6 years later.
H biden went on the board in 2014. i wonder why no one, and i mean no one was questioning joe biden about it in 2015 2016. i mean that was the campaign season. oh, he wasnt running.
but who knew then that this would be an issue in what? 2019 - roughly 5 years later.
something is happening today.
quite benign. not even on anyone’s radar, because today it’s a non issue.
in 2023 and 2024 a democrat running for prez is gonna get pummeled with it.
can anyone identify it now and fix/correct/stop it?
i dont see how.
because in 2023 they’ll just pick something else.
re: #91 makeitstop
All I can say is that Trumpers in my timeline really seem to have liked that recent Barr speech at the Federalist goons, where Barr claims it is the radical left undermining the rule of law.
So that tells me all I will need to know about these folk in my timelines.
re: #101 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
you’re not wrong and i understand what youre saying
clintons email server was set up in 2009.
yeah she maybe figured she’d run for prez one day.
at the time, they thought the issue out and were comfortable with what they were doing and why.
but who knew what it would be turned into in what; 2015 - roughly 6 years later.H biden went on the board in 2014. i wonder why no one, and i mean no one was questioning joe biden about it in 2015 2016. i mean that was the campaign season. oh, he wasnt running.
but who knew then that this would be an issue in what? 2019 - roughly 5 years later.something is happening today.
quite benign. not even on anyone’s radar, because today it’s a non issue.
in 2023 and 2024 a democrat running for prez is gonna get pummeled with it.
can anyone identify it now and fix/correct/stop it?i dont see how.
because in 2023 they’ll just pick something else.
If D presidential candidates were grown in vats like Federalist society judges, then there would be no background events for the right to make issues out of. Which itself would become an issue, of course.
Meanwhile, putting these hard-right judicial ciphers into lifetime judicial appointments is just R business as usual.
The reason Trump is so popular with his fans is because his ugliness is exactly what they want to express.
Trump hasn’t deluded them.
Trump has freed them to be who they are.
re: #102 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
All I can say is that Trumpers in my timeline really seem to have liked that recent Barr speech at the Federalist goons, where Barr claims it is the radical left undermining the rule of law.
So that tells me all I will need to know about these folk in my timelines.
I’ve written them off. Entirely. Even long-time friends and family members.
They’re gone. They’re not going to listen to reason. Lost cause. Convince the ones who are not yet convinced.
re: #103 EPR-radar
If D presidential candidates were grown in vats like Federalist society judges, then there would be no background events for the right to make issues out of. Which itself would become an issue, of course.
Meanwhile, putting these hard-right judicial ciphers into lifetime judicial appointments is just R business as usual.
exactly - that would be the why didnt you do anything attack instead of the why did you do X attack
This is just so sad. Castor’s marching orders today seem to be to try to get these two witnesses to argue that Trump’s actions were reasonable, but both men only seem interested in defending themselves from potential criminal charges by playing dumb.
GOP mouthpiece Steve Castor currently attempting to bore everyone into submission. https://t.co/O0R1jtiEFS pic.twitter.com/xc63B3DRn2
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
Yo, Rudy…
“Ukrainian gas executive cooperating in federal criminal investigation of Giuliani”https://t.co/vPhCOruJrb
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) November 19, 2019
re: #11 gocart mozart
Jesus. It’s going to take the US decades to undo all the damage that radioactive yam has inflicted.
re: #111 Romantic Heretic
Jesus. It’s going to take the US decades to undo all the damage that radioactive yam has inflicted.
If not longer, especially with regards to the judiciary.
re: #13 FFL (GOP Delenda Est)
Hopkins wasn’t a raving maniac serving an ignorant narcissist.
What is remarkable here is that these are two witnesses Republicans believed would help Trump.
Thus far, each has managed to insulate themselves from liability while in no meaningful way helping Trump.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) November 19, 2019
And Giuliani is illegally working pro bono. Can’t work for free for Trump’s campaign and can’t work for free for the fed govt. Please, some prosecutor, any prosecutor follow the $ around Giuliani. Someone is paying him, just not the entities that are required to. https://t.co/7AMrLmC4J5
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) November 19, 2019
Banana Republicans would better off boring everyone with Castor than Farmer 007 and Gym Jabrone clowning.
But they’re not that smart.
re: #105 makeitstop
I can’t write them off, because there are too many of them.
Yesterday on Twitter I responded to a tweet where people were dumping on Mayor Pete for years ago having gone to speak to a Tea Party group in IN. The twitter folk were quite damning of that, but the clip they extracted sounded pretty neutral to me, in regards to what Pete was saying. Not only that, but I give Pete credit for wanting to talk to people who otherwise disagree with him
I’ll repeat this claim: Trump got more votes than any other Republican in history.
We have to accept reality.
Many of our fellow Americans really have backwards views on many things. We can’t escape that.
Trump became President on the smallest of margins, winning a few states by merely thousands of votes.
Flipping just 1% of the Trumpers, even if the rest will never change, can steer the course of future elections.
My understanding was that Ukraine made the decision to work with the west rather than with Russia. Burisima, as part of that move, knew it had major problems. It brought in a series of credible international advisors to fix it. Among them, the President of Poland and Hunter Biden.
Here’s what the wiki article says about Hunter Biden’s role with Burisima:
Burisma Holdings
In the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, Mykola Zlochevsky faced a money laundering investigation,[30][31] and his company Burisma Holdings, the largest natural gas producer in Ukraine,[2] assembled a “high-profile international board” in response.[32][31] Biden, then an attorney with Boies Schiller Flexner, was hired to help Burisma with corporate governance best practices, and a consulting firm in which Biden is a partner was also retained by Burisma.[33][34][35] Chris Heinz, John Kerry’s stepson, opposed his partners Devon Archer and Hunter Biden joining the board in 2014 due to the reputational risk.[31] Among those who joined the board of directors in April 2014 were Biden, Archer and former Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski.[36] Biden served on the board of Burisma until his term expired in April 2019,[37] receiving compensation of up to $50,000 per month in some months
And:
After attending Georgetown University Law Center for one year, he transferred to Yale Law School, graduating in 1996.
#DevinNunesIsAnIdiot is trending right now.
re: #101 DangerMan (misuser of the sarc tag)
Someone last night on Lawrence O’Donnell was pointing out that the entire point of the Biden/Burisma/investigation/announcement thing was to have something like Hillary’s Emails to beat on constantly through the campaign. The whole idea is to find something you can make sound shady and then pound on it throughout the campaign.
Have a couple Useful Idiot reporters like Eric Lichtblau and Ken Vogel write “The complete absence of any evidence of wrongdoing only raised more questions” pieces in the NYT, and you’re good to go!
NUNES: “Mr. Volker, did the president ever hand you a large sack of money with a big green dollar sign on it and then ask you to, quote, ‘Use this for all the bribes?’”
VOLKER: …no…
NUNES: NOT GUILTY YOUR HONOR! https://t.co/iSAeMy92sU— Brad Reed (@bwreed) November 19, 2019
Volker comes across to me as a weasely liar. And Castor is putting me to sleep.
Very legal and very cool?
I’d love to hear General Kellogg come testify under oath and say that if President Obama said “I’d like to ask you for a favor, though” about the investigation of Trump or any other rival, to a foreign govt, that he would have no concerns. https://t.co/xn1mRP7jwn— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) November 19, 2019
re: #121 Blind Frog Belly White
Someone last night on Lawrence O’Donnell was pointing out that the entire point of the Biden/Burisma/investigation/announcement thing was to have something like Hillary’s Emails to beat on constantly through the campaign. The whole idea is to find something you can make sound shady and then pound on it throughout the campaign.
Have a couple Useful Idiot reporters like Eric Lichtblau and Ken Vogel write “The complete absence of any evidence of wrongdoing only raised more questions” pieces in the NYT, and you’re good to go!
100%
it’s a tactic
and imo no way to anticipate what the next cudgel will be and thus prevent or innoculate yourself, because it can literally be anything left standing
Morrison trying to spin the movement of the July 25th call to the classified server as an “administrative error.” How odd that this “error” has not only gone uncorrected, but also that the VP’s office position (as noted this morning) is that the call is “classified.”
re: #45 HappyWarrior
One interesting thing I got of the Putin biography I recently finished was Bush changing his mind on Putin overtime. We rightfully should criticize the soul remark but I’ll give W credit, he actually did call Putin out on his shit unlike Trump who really thinks Putin likes him.
Which is a truly staggeringly childish approach to international relations. My mind is legit boggled that a POTUS would even mention it publicly, much less allow even the appearance that it had any effect on US policy. Just one of so many obvious indications that he is unfit for the office. Those elected office-holders who support him should hide their faces for shame until the end of time.
re: #43 Eclectic Cyborg
I’m not sure their actions are cogent enough to be called ‘plans’.
Castor tries to walk Morrison into airing “concerns” about Vindman from others, immediately gets shut down by Morrison’s counsel.
It feels like Castor has been yapping for three hours—can’t believe it’s been less than 45 minutes. Guess I should make a fresh pot of coffee.
re: #108 Targetpractice
This is just so sad. Castor’s marching orders today seem to be to try to get these two witnesses to argue that Trump’s actions were reasonable, but both men only seem interested in defending themselves from potential criminal charges by playing dumb.
Sow lickspittles, harvest cowards.
Castor spends the last bit of his time to get Morrison and Volker to indirectly attack Vindman and Taylor respectively.
We must be nearing the end of Castor’s block of time.
As I have thought after each of the first three of these, I am left half-thinking Castor is terrible at this and half-thinking that being boring and irrelevant might actually be his goal - and if so, he is spectacular at it.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) November 19, 2019
Nunes’ crack about television ratings gave away the game.
Where does Nunes get his ratings info? https://t.co/N9AXi3vjer
— Lawrence O’Donnell (@Lawrence) November 19, 2019
Evening Lizardim. What have I missed?
re: #135 Quoth the raven, Covfefe.
Evening Lizardim. What have I missed?
The Repub’s star witnesses engaging in a whole lot of CYA.
With regard to ratings…I’ve heard these hearings on a ton of car radios every day they have been held. Let’s not forget streaming as well.
hey, put down the impeachment for 5 minutes:
thegreatpoolpondconversion - 191117 edition ——————————>
The GOP clearly has a new strategy: they’ll call semi-friendly witnesses, subject them to interminable incoherent questioning about minute details by Steve Castor, and bore everyone in the world to death.
Those diabolical fiends.— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
re: #122 Targetpractice
[Embedded content]
Nunes: Did my client ever explicitly say this the words “armed” and “robbery” while brandishing a weapon and demanding everyone’s wallets?
Volker: No. He did not.
Nunes: I rest my case your honor.
“Shit, sweetheart, he was supposed to be our great witness but he just crapped the bed for us. He gave the Democrats everything they want. It’s fucking Nunes, man, he doesn’t know shit for shit. He’s Trump’s Flavor Flav but he doesn’t know— whoop sorry gotta go.” pic.twitter.com/A2CqTf1hFp
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 19, 2019
Mark Meadows continuing to drone the No Biggie defense.
Basically Volker and Morrison are doing nothing to help Trump’s case because while they say they didn’t see anything wrong, they also say that’s because they willfully ignored shit that didn’t add up in order to assume a much rosier picture of events than was unfolding.
re: #137 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance
With regard to ratings…I’ve heard these hearings on a ton of car radios every day they have been held. Let’s not forget streaming as well.
I got asked about it at the diner I went to for lunch. “Hey, anybody watching the hearings? How’s it going today?” At a place where the usual conversation topics are traffic, weather and subway delays.
re: #102 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
Read that speech. Barr basically said that elected legislatures do not represent the people and ‘Kings’ do. He blamed the American Revolution on Parliament.
It was the typical false history that the authoritarians and barbarians masquerading as conservatives put together to justify their evil policies.
Made me gag it did.
re: #104 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
The reason Trump is so popular with his fans is because his ugliness is exactly what they want to express.
Trump hasn’t deluded them.
Trump has freed them to be who they are.
As one magat put it, “He talks the way I feel!”
quite the chyron pic.twitter.com/Ib9ATYekrQ
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) November 19, 2019
Amid all the noise, items of note: these guys really don’t think much of Rudy Giuliani. They pretty much shut down the dumbass conspiracy theories the GOP’s floating, and in a tepid way confirmed the other witness statements.
And these were GOP witnesses, lol.— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
re: #145 Romantic Heretic
It’s hard to believe we have an Attorney General opposed to the fundamental idea of America.
re: #148 Charles Johnson
[Embedded content]
And one more, actually…
We have heard from two kinds of witnesses:
1) Ones who were in on it
2) Witnesses
The one who were in on it all serve up a wholly contradictory couplet of a) adamant support for the Ukraine aid; and b) complete incuriousness when it was delayed— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) November 19, 2019
re: #142 jaunte
Mark Meadows continuing to drone the No Biggie defense.
TBF, for a party long steeped in corruption, it’s kind of an article of faith.
Pretty slick how Volker got away with coming in and saying, “You know how I said I didn’t know anything about a Biden investigation? Well, my bad, I was wrong, I actually did know.”
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) November 19, 2019
Impeachment update from the DC federal courthouse 🚨
Citing evidence from the Roger Stone trial that Trump may have lied to Mueller, House just requested an expedited ruling on their request for the court to force fmr White House counsel Don McGahn to testify. @CourthouseNews pic.twitter.com/s2BARPDaPS— Megan Mineiro (@MMineiro_CNS) November 19, 2019
I check the daily fail during this stuff to see the rag’s interpretation.
They are always pro-trump for the masses.
This headline was a surprise.
Red hats are like, wha??
Ukraine envoy Volker WALKS BACK his closed door testimony and says ‘he’s now learned’ there WAS link between US aid and Biden probe - and that Giuliani’s ‘conspiracy theories’ about ex-VP were ‘not credible’
re: #147 makeitstop
The problem with that scroll is that the phrase “Biden probe” makes it sound as if “Biden probe” is a real thing, like a regular investigation by some law enforcement or oversight committee.
There is no “Biden probe”.
Instead, what there is ought to be called a “Biden gimmick”.
re: #155 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
The problem with that scroll is that the phrase “Biden probe” makes it sound as if “Biden probe” is a real thing, like a regular investigation by some law enforcement or oversight committee.
There is no “Biden probe”.
Instead, what there is ought to be called a “Biden gimmick”.
and this is how they make a non-thing into a thing
Big news from @David_Philipps: Eddie Gallagher is expected to be notified that the Navy intends to oust him from the SEALs, Going Against Trump, Officials Say: https://t.co/dHVViA7jHC
— Julie Bloom (@Julesm_b) November 19, 2019
re: #148 Charles Johnson
Some of these people are beginning to clue in that they’re weren’t working for real operators, just dumb guys in over their heads who exuded enough empty confidence to fool them.
re: #158 The Ghost of a Flea
Some of these people are beginning to clue in that they’re weren’t working for real operators, just dumb guys in over their heads who exuded enough empty confidence to fool them.
^^^^
this
Schiff does something for the first time, opens second round of 15 minutes and hands off to Goldman. Cross-examination now in play as Volker’s time in the barrel gets bumpy.
Just when you think Republicans can’t get any fucking stupider…
Sharing my full letter on the the sentencing of Patrick W. Carlineo, a man convicted of threatening my life.
We must apply a system of compassion to criminal justice.
Who are we as a nation if we respond to threats of political retribution with retribution ourselves? pic.twitter.com/s96jjh8AlD— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) November 19, 2019
re: #162 Joe Bacon 🌹
Just when you think Republicans can’t get any fucking stupider…
shhhh.
dont help them
This is gonna get interesting, because I doubt Castor in any way prepared for the possibility that Schiff would add an additional 15 minutes to the clock.
re: #165 Targetpractice
“I tell you everything three times.”
re: #165 Targetpractice
This is gonna get interesting, because I doubt Castor in any way prepared for the possibility that Schiff would add an additional 15 minutes to the clock.
Does cow boy have the option of running his mouth for the 15 minutes or is it lawyers only?
I love this…
Volker revised his testimony to acknowledge that he now knows that there had been an illicit quid pro quo all along.
Goldman is making him now play back every call, meeting and discussion to acknowledge he now knows the real topic had been the corrupt ask.— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) November 19, 2019
Nunes now whining that Schiff added 15 minutes to clock.
And cow boy presents himself as Repubsplainer extraordinaire. What an asshole.
Slow talking and whining will fill up that 15 minutes.
re: #158 The Ghost of a Flea
We do need to sort out who were just outright rubes, versus lower-tier grifters who thought they were getting in on the ground floor of a big grift….
That was just sad. Nunes tried to pass off his own fuck-up by saying that Volker and Morrison are Dem witnesses.
Nunes is angry that time was extended by 15 minutes for both sides, because he doesn’t have any questions or useful way to fill the time beyond repeating a few slogans he already used.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) November 19, 2019
re: #175 Dread Pirate
[Embedded content]
And no time to Uber to the Whitehouse for further instructions…
re: #173 The Ghost of a Flea
We do need to sort out who were just outright rubes, versus lower-tier grifters who thought they were getting in on the ground floor of a big grift….
I believe they all wanted in on the grift. And they all bought in in the belief that they’d never get caught.
I always find myself thinking back to the first days of the administration, and how damn cocky they all were. Like they were untouchable.
Castor now grasping at straws after Goldman kicked the legs out of the Repub’s efforts to use Volker and Morrison to throw up squid ink.
South Korea fleeing us (because of Trump) to align with China is, long term, the day’s most important news story. SK is our key ally in providing a military presence to contain Chinese hegemony. Look at the map. Look at spread of influence. Dominoes falling, by allies’ choice. pic.twitter.com/GLKDuWWUL2
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 19, 2019
Thanks Republicans!
Yeah,
Can we talk about how the current shock that Never Trumpers are being labelled traitorous and disloyal was ever so slightly hinted at by the way that post-9/11 anyone the questioned the executive branch’s decisions was helping the terroriss.
I realize I should probably just commit and make a page, but it’s not like Trump and Trumpism are without precedent. The exact opposite: this is the new formula of the same ingredients.
The final Impeachment Bill will have to have more articles than just this “quid pro quo” issue. Think about it for a minute. “Quid pro quo” (trading something of value for some other item of value) has been the SOP of politics for years. It’s the old “you vote for funding my project and I’ll vote funding for yours”. Been around for ever.
I think this is one reason many politicians (Rep & Dem) think that what trump was doing was not really that bad. Historically, quid pro quo has been a standard and acceptable practice in all, Federal, State, County, and City bodies for what seems like forever.
All the other illegal and unethical practices trump has accomplished need to be incorporated into the Impeachment Bill.
Volker came in trying to walk a fine line about just what he knew and Goldman just exposed it as total BS. I hope Gordon Sondland is watching from his hotel room and thinking about how tomorrow is going to go if he doesn’t come clean.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) November 19, 2019
You can see here on the letter that @DevinNunes sent to @RepAdamSchiff listing witnesses they wanted that Volker is clearly someone Republicans wanted to have appear. Despite what Nunes is now saying. https://t.co/uH8WbXl96D pic.twitter.com/mnrvStc9Cd
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 19, 2019
Ya think, Mags??
People close to the Trump administration say Sondland is the hearing they’re most concerned about ahead of time. Sondland testifies tomorrow.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 19, 2019
Something to bear in mind now that we’ve moved over to the 5 minute round-robin stage: Any Dem on the committee can yield their time to either Schiff or Goldman.
re: #181 Cheechako
The final Impeachment Bill will have to have more articles than just this “quid pro quo” issue. Think about it for a minute. “Quid pro quo” (trading something of value for some other item of value) has been the SOP of politics for years. It’s the old “you vote for funding my project and I’ll vote funding for yours”. Been around for ever.
I think this is one reason many politicians (Rep & Dem) think that what trump was doing was not really that bad. Historically, quid pro quo has been a standard and acceptable practice in all, Federal, State, County, and City bodies for what seems like forever.
All the other illegal and unethical practices trump has accomplished need to be incorporated into the Impeachment Bill.
the issue is not that they quidded or pro-ed or quo-ed
this issue is what they quid pro quo’ed
You cannot. https://t.co/RnI3PX8bGA
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) November 19, 2019
still waiting for someone to mention that yes, the javelin missiles were supplied under Trump, made a big difference, and that because of that, holding up the money allowing Ukraine to buy javelin missiles would have been devastating.
Turner trying to act as though Volker didn’t just get pantsed by both Goldman and Schiff successively as an unreliable witness.
re: #182 jaunte
Nunes has nothing left in his brain
today.
re: #181 Cheechako
The final Impeachment Bill will have to have more articles than just this “quid pro quo” issue. Think about it for a minute. “Quid pro quo” (trading something of value for some other item of value) has been the SOP of politics for years. It’s the old “you vote for funding my project and I’ll vote funding for yours”. Been around for ever.
I think this is one reason many politicians (Rep & Dem) think that what trump was doing was not really that bad. Historically, quid pro quo has been a standard and acceptable practice in all, Federal, State, County, and City bodies for what seems like forever.
All the other illegal and unethical practices trump has accomplished need to be incorporated into the Impeachment Bill.
Quid pro quo itself isn’t the issue. It’s using it in international relations and diplomacy in exchange for something intended solely for Trump’s personal gain in regards to a domestic political opponent.
re: #190 Targetpractice
Turner trying to act as though Volker didn’t just get pantsed by both Goldman and Schiff successively as an unreliable witness.
it doesnt matter what the ukrainians “understood”
Nunes is such a complete believer in Last Thursdayism that he’s converted it into last 30 minute-ism in that whatever he said or did more than 30 minutes previously is obviously fictional and put there by Satan to confuse the truth.
///
Turner knows the ins and outs of getting somethin’ for somethin’
In both 2008 and 2010 Turner was listed as one of the “most corrupt members of Congress” by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington for “enrichment of self, family, or friends” and “solicitation of gifts”.
re: #181 Cheechako
The final Impeachment Bill will have to have more articles than just this “quid pro quo” issue. Think about it for a minute. “Quid pro quo” (trading something of value for some other item of value) has been the SOP of politics for years. It’s the old “you vote for funding my project and I’ll vote funding for yours”. Been around for ever.
I think this is one reason many politicians (Rep & Dem) think that what trump was doing was not really that bad. Historically, quid pro quo has been a standard and acceptable practice in all, Federal, State, County, and City bodies for what seems like forever.
All the other illegal and unethical practices trump has accomplished need to be incorporated into the Impeachment Bill.
I disagree with the premise of that statement.
I think it’s abundantly clear that both Dem and Rep politicians DO think that what Trump did was really that bad. I think politicians of both stripes spend their time carefully AVOIDING doing anything as blatantly corrupt as Trump did, and that they recognize it as A Bad Thing.
I think the Republicans feel they simply have no choice but to minimize it because otherwise they’ll be ripped to shreds by the Trumpkin base.
re: #197 Blind Frog Belly White
I disagree with the premise of that statement.
I think it’s abundantly clear that both Dem and Rep politicians DO think that what Trump did was really that bad. I think politicians of both stripes spend their time carefully AVOIDING doing anything as blatantly corrupt as Trump did, and that they recognize it as A Bad Thing.
I think the Republicans feel they simply have no choice but to minimize it because otherwise they’ll be ripped to shreds by the Trumpkin base.
A president does not have the authority to withhold funds from anyone or anything, is that correct?
Pence told @costareports in early Oct. that he had “no objection” to release transcripts of his own calls with Zelensky. Despite a new Trump-Zelensky call having been released since then, OVP has maintained it is still working with WH Counsel on release. https://t.co/tLeCfYJWSL https://t.co/Bc47VHNYpY
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) November 19, 2019
re: #199 Ace Rothstein
A president does not have the authority to withhold funds from anyone or anything, is that correct?
emptywheel/Marcy has been pushing this point. In testimony this afternoon, one of the witnesses said that agencies can put a hold of up to 45 days. But there was no reason given and they blew through the 45 days.
re: #197 Blind Frog Belly White
I disagree with the premise of that statement.
I think it’s abundantly clear that both Dem and Rep politicians DO think that what Trump did was really that bad. I think politicians of both stripes spend their time carefully AVOIDING doing anything as blatantly corrupt as Trump did, and that they recognize it as A Bad Thing.
I think the Republicans feel they simply have no choice but to minimize it because otherwise they’ll be ripped to shreds by the Trumpkin base.
I guess what I’m trying to point out is that the concept of “horse trading” items in politics has been ongoing forever. Only now the values of what is being traded has gone international.
Several years ago our AK Rep (Don Young) got caught horse trading funds for a highway intersection in Florida Don Young, representative for Florida? in exchange for campaign funds. Just another illegal quid pro quo. So what happened? He was censored and re leaved of all committee chairmanships. Stupid Alaskans continue to reelect him. He should have been sent to jail instead of back to congress
It’s become too easy to justify quid pro quo as an acceptable practice.
Trump just upped the game to the international arena.
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Why Did More Than 1,000 People Die After Police Subdued Them With Force That Isn’t Meant to Kill? An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that, over a decade, more than 1,000 people died after police subdued them through physical holds, stun guns, body blows and other force not intended to be lethal. More: Why ... Cheechako
3 weeks ago
Views: 501 • Comments: 1 • Rating: 5- A Closer Look at the Eastman State Bar DecisionTaking a few minutes away from work things to read through the Eastman decision. As I'm sure many of you know, Eastman was my law school con law professor. I knew him pretty well because I was also running in ...KGxvi
3 weeks ago
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Abortions Outside Medical System Increased Sharply After Roe Fell, Study Finds The number of women using abortion pills to end their pregnancies on their own without the direct involvement of a U.S.-based medical provider rose sharply in the months after the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right to abortion, according ... Cheechako
4 weeks ago
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Detroit Local Powers First EV Charging Road in North America The road, about a mile from Local 58's hall, uses rubber-coated copper inductive-charging coils buried under the asphalt that transfer power to a receiver pad attached to a car's underbelly, much like how a phone can be charged wirelessly. ...
Backwoods Sleuth
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Texas County at Center of Border Fight Is Overwhelmed by Migrant Deaths EAGLE PASS, Tex. - The undertaker lighted a cigarette and held it between his latex-gloved fingers as he stood over the bloated body bag lying in the bed of his battered pickup truck. The woman had been fished out ... Cheechako
3 days ago
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