User-Supported News Commentary Hosted by Craig Crawford
Hello November
Republican senators enabling dictatorship will face the wrath.
Author: craigcrawford
Trail Mix Host. Lapsed journalist, author & retired pundit happily promoting nothing but the truth for Social Security checks.
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WASHINGTON — President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the former adviser, John R. Bolton.
looks like someone within the white house leaked that Bolton bombshell and that WH defense has known about what Bolton would say under oath since dec. 30th.
Disgruntled employee my ass. Isn’t it interesting that just about every person SFB hired then fired (or quit) are disgruntled incompetent ex-employee liars? One or two, I might buy it. All of them (except Jeff Sessions), nope.
Grammys – didn’t watch a minute of them. Caught a very short burst of something that wasn’t the least bit entertaining so I moved on. Read the list of winners today. There were maybe a dozen categories that had artists or music I had heard. Happy to see that Gary Clark Jr. won three, John Williams, Woodstock, Pete Seeger, (and don’t shot me) Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga, Keb Mo, Willie Nelson. I knew a few others but hadn’t heard the music so won’t comment. Gary Clark Jr. had two rock categories (song and performance), which is pretty good for a black blues influenced guitarist (won best contemporary Blues album). (BTW, saw him, Clapton and Jimmie Vaughn last year and Gary was the best on the stage – by a fair shot). Oddly enough, I did not even recognize the name of the Best Rock Album and Best Metal performance winners. Well, it appears that with the exceptionof a few bright spots here and there, I haven’t left the Grammys – the Grammys have left me (behind, probably).
So on to the impeachment. Hell yes Bolton needs to testify. Mulvaney, Pompeo and Ghouliani, too. And Lev & Igor, Perry and bring back Sondland. Do it in depositions if that’s what they want. They all have direct knowledge about the charges against the president and every one of them (except Sondland, Igor and Lev) were prevented from testifying by the orange clown driving the clown car. I also suspect that McGahn will be compelled to testify. If any of this happens, prepare the popcorn.
Yeah… the Grammies have passed me by too… but then… that’s the way it should be for us old farts.
Read (somewhere) they did a tribute to Kobe. Yeah… the Grammies honoring a basketball player… go figure. I’m sorry for the man’s family and those that knew him. But… Kobe this… and Kobe that… has gotten way over the top, IMO. Actually heard someone on a Boston news station say that everyone will remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of Kobe’s death. Yeah…. cuz a basketball player is obviously equivalent to the assassination of JFK or the 9/11 event (she said sarcastically).
Pogo thanks for the grammys run down. I think it is a problem of too much music and too little time. These days I let time sort out the 90% crap, so I’m always out of date. Speaking of noncrap, Gary Clark jr all you have to do is listen to his guitar and tell he is from Texas.
So I wonder if the Bolton leak had the Republican defense scrambling to rewrite todays presentation, or will the play deaf and just keep talking in the hope that nobody is listening besides Donald Trump.
I may tune in today
Jack
I did watch Grammys. Usher’s tribute to Prince was very good. Didn’t know most of the artists but still found it entertaining, or maybe I was that desperate for a news break. By the way it was held in the Lakers stadium, so they could hardly avoid a mention, and didn’t think they overdid it.
“Republican senators enabling dictatorship will face the wrath.” Craig, I sure hope so!
As for the repube senators: First he came for the ambassadors, but I not speak out because I was not an ambassador, etc.
He’ll turn on and throw anyone under the bus!
If you listen to my videos, you’re hipper than the Grammy nominating committee- Beck for “best alt album”? puh-leeze.
RR,
In defense of the loons, Kobe is/was arguably the best NBA player, ever, and a huge international celebrity, so it’s like if Brady died shockingly. Like CC says, also, the Staples center is the House That Kobe (and Shaq) Built.
Well, I was a Kobe fanboy. Great player – as a shooting guard/forward he was second only to Michael. That Lakers bunch was pretty awesome in the Kobe years – Kobe, Magic*, Shaq. Frustrating for fans of other teams, but still, pretty good stuff.
I know, I know, Magic retired in Spring 1996 and Kobe started with the Lakers in Fall 1996.
i’m very slightly frustrated that this point isn’t made enough: every Congressional Representative and Senator is also “duly-elected”, not just the President.
Bolton fallout: Trump let his lawyers (unwittingly?) tell lies to the Senate and the Chief Justice claiming no direct evidence of quid-pro-quo. That alone is impeachable.
I don’t follow basketball. The only thing I remember about Kobe was his rape trial. If that had happened during the Me Too movement, I doubt there would be such an outpouring of…oh, wait, he’s an athlete and that trumps everything.
I’m curious as to why the drip-drip-drip of information hasn’t woken up the GoOPerz. They must realize that the longer they stuck with Trumpsky, or at least hold silent, the more his stink will be on them. I would like at least one of them to be honest, step up to a mic and tell America he/she would like to side with truth and justice, but they just don’t have the balls.
Huh? Ken Starr is complaining “the Senate has been called as the high Court of impeachment all to frequently”. This from the architect of Bill Clinton’s bogus impeachment?
Starr not only hasn’t defended Trump, he hasn’t yet mentioned him, instead delivering an incoherent word salad that any Law Review editor would reject.
Starr is addressing the Republican Senators and their concerns- Schiff and the House Impeachment managers, by contrast, made their case tothe American people, with powerpoint slides, so that a 3-year old could understand it.
Republicans may get a acquittal, but the electorate will remember.
So, either Trump is being accused of a crime and the due process rights that the Constitution doesn’t even afford his office are “being violated” OR statutory crimes aren’t necessary to compel impeachment and removal.
Only in a Republican-controlled Senate can one have it both ways, i suppose.
3rd attempt at trying to get this to post. keep getting shut down as if someone somewhere doesn’t like what chris is saying and saying it on faux news at that.
“It seems to me that it’s going to be awfully hard for those Republican senators in the middle, maybe even some more senators than that, to now vote against witnesses … I suspect you’re going to find there are a lot of Republicans in that Senate lunch happening right now who are furious at the White House, saying: ‘Why didn’t you give us a heads up on this? We were [saying] no witnesses, nothing to see here, and you knew because the [book] transcript was submitted some time ago, you knew [Bolton] was going to basically incriminate you, so you put an egg on our face,'” said Wallace.
Well, Starr did have experience in both legal and academic worlds, both of which would have provided SFB with a reason to hire him – since didn’t he ignore the football sex scandal that turned out to be much more widespread than just that program while at Baylor (that would appeal to SFB) after going after Clinton for lying about diddling Monica? Taking opposite positions in those two instances makes him seem a perfect member of SFB’s defense.
Bink… I think the tributes by the basketball people and teams has been wonderful. But I assure you that if Brady died in a plane crash and a reporter likened his death to that of JFK, I’d say WTF!
Basic take away so far, The Democratic managers and the Presidents defenders are speaking to 2 different audiences and neither cares if the Senators are listening. Democrats are talking to the voters. Republicans know “Dear Leader” is listening. If I were a Republican senator at this point I would be tempted to suggest just removal from office is a too mild a punishment.
Jack
Trump lawyers should just shut up and let everyone go home. They’re insulting the Senate with lies, empty rhetoric, and just plain silliness. This is what happens when you have a guilty client and can’t enter an insanity plea.
This is unbelievable. Trump attorney Jane Raskin trying to elevate Giuliani for defending Trump “relentlessly, vigorously and publicly.” Says he is “everything Clarence Darrow said a defense lawyer must be: outrageous, irreverent, blasphemous, a rogue, a renegade.”
I have new respect for trial judges, from level to the federal bench, who ferociously control lying lawyers. With Roberts we sadly have a judge with no trial experience who is allowing Trump’s team to pile on the lies.
Watching useless John Roberts blend into the walls you can tell he has absolutely no experience as a trial judge. Or these these lying Trump lawyers would be in jail for contempt of court.
Trump counsel Phil Philbin rewrites Constitution: “House Democrats can’t say that just because they have the sole power of impeachment [under the Constitution] that it’s the paramount power and no other branch plays any role.” Sorry bud, but “sole power” is self evident.
DJIA drops 1.6% over fears about corona virus. (Is that a bad drop? I don’t keep up) Note to parents – keep your kids from licking their Chinese made toys.
Can’t believe a fraud like Pam Bondi is persuading senators, including Republicans, who respect Biden. He has many friends there, and they’ve never heard of her.
Such a hoot. GOP controlled House when news reported Hunter Biden got that job. They could have investigated. Senate still could. DOJ could have investigated. This only came up when Trump saw Joe beating him in the polls.
Although the entire of my information of the weekend and today regarding SFB getting license to kill is of this forum, I shall take what I read here with a sense of humour. It is difficult to avoid this stuff, I am fighting a eating issue, weight issue and resulting blood pressure issue because of the stress of living in these United States during this time of distress. To help myself I am avoiding all this stuff, along with the constant non-Democrat, Russian loving socialist, is beating the drawers off of real Democrats.
It is mid-winter, late January, and the stupid trees are setting to break bud. Various bulbs are sending leaves up. And, the temperature of the Chesapeake Bay is up a bit from normal. Not good.
Well, sure sounds like they’re prosecuting Biden rather than defending the Trumpster, doesn’t it? It’s all irrelevant to the issue at hand.
Amazing how they suddenly are loving the MSM including WaPo and NYT.
What about the Princess and her self enrichment due to daddy Trump?
And how can we believe all the weedy stuff they’re talking about? I don’t trust a thing the repubes say without vetting.
And that woman, who probably appeals to the fool, talking “perception of”. Ha!
A Trump show run by a fool who’s not an attorney but getting attorneys to mouth what he wants (puppets) to present a distraction, again. They’ve sold their pathetic souls in the hopes of getting paid. He won’t even pay them. They’ll have to sue him. LOL…
Are the repube senators smart enough to ignore this? Are they ethical enough to vote legally? Do they see that what these fool attorneys are saying about the Biden’s is a projection of what he himself did and does? Do they have ethics?
If the GoOPervz have knowledge of illegal activity by either or both of the Bidens, then they should press charges. It does not, however, exonerate Trumpsky engaging with foreign states to help him politically. He called for Rusher’s help, publicly, and, he tried to use US funds to leverage help from Ukraine. Plus, the on-going obstruction of justice. It will be sooooo much worse if he isn’t removed now. He’s like the “affluenza” kid who got away with killing folks because, they claimed, he was spoiled and didn’t know right from wrong. His behavior did not improve by not holding him responsible. Neither will Trumpsky’s behavior change. Why would it? He admits to nothing. He lives in his own world. He must be removed. If any Senators don’t cotton up to that fact now, they will be removed the next time they are up for election.
Starr and Philbin sounded like professors giving a lecture. Boring. They spoke well above the understanding level of the basket of deplorables, and it was all irrelevant, also.
Trump lawyers are talking to themselves as their case implodes. As the pitifully discredited landowner said in Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”: “I’ll have you know we are mentioned in the encyclopedia.”
If the WH says you, Senators, are either with Trumpsky or he’ll have your heads, just remember… The reverse of that is position is that either you’re with the AMERICAN people and the US Constitution, or, you’re for a wanna-be dick-tater. Remember, you’re out in the sunlight where we can see ya!
Ms. BB – East Bumfuck is west of DC, higher than DC, and we’ve got the same thing going on, of course not that water temp in the Chesapeake, but the rest. Good hard freeze and it will be a relatively colorless Spring.
All these semantic questions about the WH “legal team”, their lack of appreciation for irony, and who they are performing for (among all the other excellent comments). Let me put it in what I hope is concise verbiage – They do not give a shit about any of that.
And my mother was right about orange and yellow not going together. Looks kinda clownish.
Ray is just. Fucking. Lying. Full stop. The second article of impeachment was, wait for it, obstruction of justice.
Now Dershowitz. It should be entertaining if not we’ll found in the law.
Beyond a reasonable doubt? Bull. Shit. That is the standard of proof in criminal trials, which require a unanimous vote by the jurors hearing the case. This could take a while. That must be 75 pages. Drink, please.
Dersh argued that abuse of power WAS a basis for impeachment and a criminal act was not required. He’s recently tried to explain that away, ludicrously.
Bink, you noticed. Based upon Dersh’s argument, common law crimes are and are not a basis for impeachment. And now he’s arguing that criminal-like actions are impeachable – which is manifestly not in the Constitution -and that an action must be a crime to be impeachable. The term pretzel comes to mind.
Dersh has wandered off the path. His history lesson is unavailing. He is now arguing that Blackstone is authoritative on the issue of what crimes are impeachable – and has wandered into the unintelligible. Now he’s going to tell us how we are too stupid to understand Hamilton’s words as being contrary to their apparent meaning… ok here it is …”My switch in attitude…” Feel free to fill in your own ending.
First reference to Bolton by defense team, Dershowitz asserts the “quid-pro-quo” in Bolton manuscript “would not constitute an impeachable offense.” Dershowitz talking in circles, offers no support for saying Bolton “revelations” not impeachable, only says “that is clear from the history, that is clear from the language of the Constitution.”
Poobah, that is his argument. He said he’s read all the relevant history to come to his conclusions, which of course are correct because he says so, because he’s read all the relevant history to come to his conclusions. Sounds a bit circular. Oh, and he’s read articles of those who disagree with him, and they have not refuted his arguments, which he has only laid out in detail tonite. That would indeed be a good trick.
18 USCS prec § 201 (b) This bribery statute includes :
“Any person demanding bribery for the discharge of public duty.”
Ergo, the assertion that trump did not break a US statute is erroneous.
At the end of the day Trump team’s argument is: Even if the president illegally held up congressionally mandated funds to benefit his reelection it’s not impeachable.
I particularly liked Dersh’s hypotheticals. They had nothing to do with the issues before the Senate, but they were interesting. If he’d asked a class of 30 to summarize his arguments he’d get 30 different contradictory answers. My answer would be something like “??? Anything you want. You argued every position and were not particularly persuasive on any one of them. “
Well, At least we know what the term emeritus means at Harvard Law, or at least what it appears to mean – Too fucking old and addled to continue to put this shit over on 23 year olds any longer.
In a tweet trump denied claims he’d told bolton that aid to Ukraine was tied to an investigation of the Bidens. CNN legal analyst Carrie Cordero says could weaken trump’s executive privilege defense.
It looks like the dumb perv stuck his little toadstool in another light socket.
I maintain that not one of those who want trump removed by the Senate will vote for him. Also, some who oppose his removal by the Senate will vote against him. At this point, I don’t think a 60/40 landslide, with Dems gaining 5 senators, is unreasonable.
I’m dying to know how trump will handle his coming disaster.
1. Bankruptcy with the claim that he can’t possibly live on less than $1M!LL!ON/mo
2. Claim he’s too feeble to do time. House (& golf course) arrest ?
3. Defect : a. russia/crimea/abkazia b. saudi Arabia c. Israel d. Brazil e. commie China f. no Korea
4. Suicide : a. pills b. bullet (on live tv ?) c. warm bath and razor d. rope/belt in a closet e. Overdose on Big Macs f. swandive from trump tower g. try to start global thermonuclear war against commie China, Iran and NATO.
5. Start a new career, greeting at walmart.
6. Refuse leave the WH and die in a siege/gunfight. “You’ll never take me alive, G-men !”
As the disaster looms, will the rippers run from trump ? Will they blame Moscow mitch ? Will William Weld win a few primaries ? Will rippers form a circular firing squad ? Will pence, rubio, haley or cruz rise to oppose the MegaPerv ?
Before the cock crows thrice, will mitch, mccarthy, lindseygraham and jjordan crucify their Messiah ?
Or will they all go down like redcoats, falling dead on the field in neat rows ?
Oh gosh, I can’t wait to see how it all ends. I can’t wait to see Mr Bink turn triple verbal backflips w/2 1/2 twists into a split/landing, in celebration of the end of trumperie.
NYTimes
WASHINGTON — President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the former adviser, John R. Bolton.
[continues]
looks like someone within the white house leaked that Bolton bombshell and that WH defense has known about what Bolton would say under oath since dec. 30th.
questions need to be asked of goper senators of what and when did they also know about the Bolton version.
Disgruntled employee my ass. Isn’t it interesting that just about every person SFB hired then fired (or quit) are disgruntled incompetent ex-employee liars? One or two, I might buy it. All of them (except Jeff Sessions), nope.
Grammys – didn’t watch a minute of them. Caught a very short burst of something that wasn’t the least bit entertaining so I moved on. Read the list of winners today. There were maybe a dozen categories that had artists or music I had heard. Happy to see that Gary Clark Jr. won three, John Williams, Woodstock, Pete Seeger, (and don’t shot me) Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga, Keb Mo, Willie Nelson. I knew a few others but hadn’t heard the music so won’t comment. Gary Clark Jr. had two rock categories (song and performance), which is pretty good for a black blues influenced guitarist (won best contemporary Blues album). (BTW, saw him, Clapton and Jimmie Vaughn last year and Gary was the best on the stage – by a fair shot). Oddly enough, I did not even recognize the name of the Best Rock Album and Best Metal performance winners. Well, it appears that with the exceptionof a few bright spots here and there, I haven’t left the Grammys – the Grammys have left me (behind, probably).
So on to the impeachment. Hell yes Bolton needs to testify. Mulvaney, Pompeo and Ghouliani, too. And Lev & Igor, Perry and bring back Sondland. Do it in depositions if that’s what they want. They all have direct knowledge about the charges against the president and every one of them (except Sondland, Igor and Lev) were prevented from testifying by the orange clown driving the clown car. I also suspect that McGahn will be compelled to testify. If any of this happens, prepare the popcorn.
Yeah… the Grammies have passed me by too… but then… that’s the way it should be for us old farts.
Read (somewhere) they did a tribute to Kobe. Yeah… the Grammies honoring a basketball player… go figure. I’m sorry for the man’s family and those that knew him. But… Kobe this… and Kobe that… has gotten way over the top, IMO. Actually heard someone on a Boston news station say that everyone will remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of Kobe’s death. Yeah…. cuz a basketball player is obviously equivalent to the assassination of JFK or the 9/11 event (she said sarcastically).
Pogo thanks for the grammys run down. I think it is a problem of too much music and too little time. These days I let time sort out the 90% crap, so I’m always out of date. Speaking of noncrap, Gary Clark jr all you have to do is listen to his guitar and tell he is from Texas.
So I wonder if the Bolton leak had the Republican defense scrambling to rewrite todays presentation, or will the play deaf and just keep talking in the hope that nobody is listening besides Donald Trump.
I may tune in today
Jack
I did watch Grammys. Usher’s tribute to Prince was very good. Didn’t know most of the artists but still found it entertaining, or maybe I was that desperate for a news break. By the way it was held in the Lakers stadium, so they could hardly avoid a mention, and didn’t think they overdid it.
“Republican senators enabling dictatorship will face the wrath.” Craig, I sure hope so!
As for the repube senators: First he came for the ambassadors, but I not speak out because I was not an ambassador, etc.
He’ll turn on and throw anyone under the bus!
Grammys ? Didn’t Elvis win any ?
I think the Grammy Awards show belongs on radio.
Btw, how will we know when a Pogo post is Official or Shadow ?
Or, is that to be a Central Pogo Agency security secret ?
If you listen to my videos, you’re hipper than the Grammy nominating committee- Beck for “best alt album”? puh-leeze.
RR,
In defense of the loons, Kobe is/was arguably the best NBA player, ever, and a huge international celebrity, so it’s like if Brady died shockingly. Like CC says, also, the Staples center is the House That Kobe (and Shaq) Built.
The Shadow knows.
Also a sex offender
…case was dismissed, accuser wouldn’t testify.
Well, I was a Kobe fanboy. Great player – as a shooting guard/forward he was second only to Michael. That Lakers bunch was pretty awesome in the Kobe years – Kobe, Magic*, Shaq. Frustrating for fans of other teams, but still, pretty good stuff.
I know, I know, Magic retired in Spring 1996 and Kobe started with the Lakers in Fall 1996.
i’m very slightly frustrated that this point isn’t made enough: every Congressional Representative and Senator is also “duly-elected”, not just the President.
Big question now: Did WH conceal from McConnell the Bolton manuscript they’ve had since December?
GOP senators and Trump lawyers ought to furious WH had Bolton manuscript in late December but weren’t told.
ok, here go the Agents of Darkness! *puts barf-bag next to desk*
So, already it seems that the defense presentation will just be like watching FoxNews opinion programming.
Bolton fallout: Trump let his lawyers (unwittingly?) tell lies to the Senate and the Chief Justice claiming no direct evidence of quid-pro-quo. That alone is impeachable.
I don’t follow basketball. The only thing I remember about Kobe was his rape trial. If that had happened during the Me Too movement, I doubt there would be such an outpouring of…oh, wait, he’s an athlete and that trumps everything.
I’m curious as to why the drip-drip-drip of information hasn’t woken up the GoOPerz. They must realize that the longer they stuck with Trumpsky, or at least hold silent, the more his stink will be on them. I would like at least one of them to be honest, step up to a mic and tell America he/she would like to side with truth and justice, but they just don’t have the balls.
Huh? Ken Starr is complaining “the Senate has been called as the high Court of impeachment all to frequently”. This from the architect of Bill Clinton’s bogus impeachment?
zzzzzz
Ken Starr leading off Trump case, thinks adultery is impeachable but not treason.
Bink, worth paying attention to Trump’s idiot lawyers. Better than binging on Three Stooges.
Ken Starr might as well be speaking to his belly button. He hasn’t said anything that makes sense.
A monotone, slanted history lesson is the best defense against real, demonstrable abuses of power? Lol, good luck with that, GOP.
Always thought Ken Starr a soft spoken lunatic, proving it now.
ken is keen for impeaching only a president who tells one lie under oath, but never one who lies unceasingly otherwise.
Starr not only hasn’t defended Trump, he hasn’t yet mentioned him, instead delivering an incoherent word salad that any Law Review editor would reject.
omg, he just emphasized this is a legal proceeding, not an academic one, then immediately quoted an academic.
We can excuse Trump for not understanding anything Ken Starr has said. No one could. He sounds like someone in a straight jacket hearing voices.
I thought Alan Dershowitz would be driving the clown car today but Ken Starr put on a Fez hat and stole the show.
Starr is addressing the Republican Senators and their concerns- Schiff and the House Impeachment managers, by contrast, made their case to the American people, with powerpoint slides, so that a 3-year old could understand it.
Republicans may get a acquittal, but the electorate will remember.
So, either Trump is being accused of a crime and the due process rights that the Constitution doesn’t even afford his office are “being violated” OR statutory crimes aren’t necessary to compel impeachment and removal.
Only in a Republican-controlled Senate can one have it both ways, i suppose.
Sekulow shows Pelosi distributing pens at impeachment signing. “Think about that!” OK Jay we’re thinking about how it shows you have no case.
So, here’s the Republican defense, so far, as i, as a layperson, understand it:
Trump didn’t commit a crime, but even if he did, it’s not a codified crime, and even if it was, it wouldn’t be a crime because he did it.
…might possibly be the best example of “circular logic” i’ve ever witnessed.
Ok, trying to shut-up, now. ‘t’would be futile to refute literal nonsense, all day. ✌️
3rd attempt at trying to get this to post. keep getting shut down as if someone somewhere doesn’t like what chris is saying and saying it on faux news at that.
Chris Wallace today on fox:
“It seems to me that it’s going to be awfully hard for those Republican senators in the middle, maybe even some more senators than that, to now vote against witnesses … I suspect you’re going to find there are a lot of Republicans in that Senate lunch happening right now who are furious at the White House, saying: ‘Why didn’t you give us a heads up on this? We were [saying] no witnesses, nothing to see here, and you knew because the [book] transcript was submitted some time ago, you knew [Bolton] was going to basically incriminate you, so you put an egg on our face,'” said Wallace.
.
Well, Starr did have experience in both legal and academic worlds, both of which would have provided SFB with a reason to hire him – since didn’t he ignore the football sex scandal that turned out to be much more widespread than just that program while at Baylor (that would appeal to SFB) after going after Clinton for lying about diddling Monica? Taking opposite positions in those two instances makes him seem a perfect member of SFB’s defense.
I guess I should watch some of the gop show.
Bink… I think the tributes by the basketball people and teams has been wonderful. But I assure you that if Brady died in a plane crash and a reporter likened his death to that of JFK, I’d say WTF!
going to turn my tv on now…
Basic take away so far, The Democratic managers and the Presidents defenders are speaking to 2 different audiences and neither cares if the Senators are listening. Democrats are talking to the voters. Republicans know “Dear Leader” is listening. If I were a Republican senator at this point I would be tempted to suggest just removal from office is a too mild a punishment.
Jack
one more
Trump lawyers should just shut up and let everyone go home. They’re insulting the Senate with lies, empty rhetoric, and just plain silliness. This is what happens when you have a guilty client and can’t enter an insanity plea.
This is unbelievable. Trump attorney Jane Raskin trying to elevate Giuliani for defending Trump “relentlessly, vigorously and publicly.” Says he is “everything Clarence Darrow said a defense lawyer must be: outrageous, irreverent, blasphemous, a rogue, a renegade.”
“Turns out, Rudy was spot on.”
lol here comes the “i know you are but what am i/i’m rubber you’re glue” defense
This stunning glorification of Giuliani to the Senate today raises question what’s he got on Trump, they’re worried about something.
Thrust of Trump lawyer Patrick Philbin’s argument now is impeachment makes Congress too powerful. Uh, don’t think that’s a problem these days.
I have new respect for trial judges, from level to the federal bench, who ferociously control lying lawyers. With Roberts we sadly have a judge with no trial experience who is allowing Trump’s team to pile on the lies.
Watching useless John Roberts blend into the walls you can tell he has absolutely no experience as a trial judge. Or these these lying Trump lawyers would be in jail for contempt of court.
Trump counsel Phil Philbin rewrites Constitution: “House Democrats can’t say that just because they have the sole power of impeachment [under the Constitution] that it’s the paramount power and no other branch plays any role.” Sorry bud, but “sole power” is self evident.
Philbin, paraphrased: “Theoretical, future risks outweigh clear and present dangers.”
Something like plain language…
Yes, please, let’s make guilt-by-association a condemnable offense.
*cough cough Lev Parnas cough cough*
(…can’t shut-up, sorry, nonsense too outrageous)
This is rich. Trump counsel Pam Bondi now lying to Senate about “Biden corruption”. This is the former Florida AG who shut down probe of fraudulent Trump University after getting his campaign donations.. https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/10/politics/pam-bondi-donald-trump-donation/index.html
Funny Pam Bondi not mentioning she was making twice as much per month as Hunter from Qatar for no apparent reason. “Bondi registered in July under FARA — Foreign Agents Registration Act — as a part-time, $115,000-per-month lobbyist for Qatar.” https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20191111/cerabino-keeping-america-and-qatar-great-floridarsquos-bondi-is-slave-to-task
Apparently the term “feet of clay” is not one Bondi is familiar with.
Is Bondi mounting a defense of Devin Nunes associate Viktor Shokin or of Trump?
DJIA drops 1.6% over fears about corona virus. (Is that a bad drop? I don’t keep up) Note to parents – keep your kids from licking their Chinese made toys.
Can’t believe a fraud like Pam Bondi is persuading senators, including Republicans, who respect Biden. He has many friends there, and they’ve never heard of her.
This bogus Trump team seems more aimed at pleasing him, not the senators.
Did this guy just seriously suggest Hunter Biden had business conflicts of interest and should divest of them?
Such a hoot. GOP controlled House when news reported Hunter Biden got that job. They could have investigated. Senate still could. DOJ could have investigated. This only came up when Trump saw Joe beating him in the polls.
Ha, OK Trump lawyers, nepotism in government is a bad thing. Let’s go there.
Although the entire of my information of the weekend and today regarding SFB getting license to kill is of this forum, I shall take what I read here with a sense of humour. It is difficult to avoid this stuff, I am fighting a eating issue, weight issue and resulting blood pressure issue because of the stress of living in these United States during this time of distress. To help myself I am avoiding all this stuff, along with the constant non-Democrat, Russian loving socialist, is beating the drawers off of real Democrats.
It is mid-winter, late January, and the stupid trees are setting to break bud. Various bulbs are sending leaves up. And, the temperature of the Chesapeake Bay is up a bit from normal. Not good.
Well, sure sounds like they’re prosecuting Biden rather than defending the Trumpster, doesn’t it? It’s all irrelevant to the issue at hand.
Amazing how they suddenly are loving the MSM including WaPo and NYT.
What about the Princess and her self enrichment due to daddy Trump?
And how can we believe all the weedy stuff they’re talking about? I don’t trust a thing the repubes say without vetting.
And that woman, who probably appeals to the fool, talking “perception of”. Ha!
A Trump show run by a fool who’s not an attorney but getting attorneys to mouth what he wants (puppets) to present a distraction, again. They’ve sold their pathetic souls in the hopes of getting paid. He won’t even pay them. They’ll have to sue him. LOL…
Such a cynical and deliberately misleading presentation by whomever this liar is.
Are the repube senators smart enough to ignore this? Are they ethical enough to vote legally? Do they see that what these fool attorneys are saying about the Biden’s is a projection of what he himself did and does? Do they have ethics?
President Trump’s children ARE on an oligarch’s payroll: Trump’s (subsidized by YOUR taxes).
If the GoOPervz have knowledge of illegal activity by either or both of the Bidens, then they should press charges. It does not, however, exonerate Trumpsky engaging with foreign states to help him politically. He called for Rusher’s help, publicly, and, he tried to use US funds to leverage help from Ukraine. Plus, the on-going obstruction of justice. It will be sooooo much worse if he isn’t removed now. He’s like the “affluenza” kid who got away with killing folks because, they claimed, he was spoiled and didn’t know right from wrong. His behavior did not improve by not holding him responsible. Neither will Trumpsky’s behavior change. Why would it? He admits to nothing. He lives in his own world. He must be removed. If any Senators don’t cotton up to that fact now, they will be removed the next time they are up for election.
Starr and Philbin sounded like professors giving a lecture. Boring. They spoke well above the understanding level of the basket of deplorables, and it was all irrelevant, also.
What time is Dershowitz’s performance?
Trump lawyers are talking to themselves as their case implodes. As the pitifully discredited landowner said in Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”: “I’ll have you know we are mentioned in the encyclopedia.”
“Can the electorate see through the smoke and mirrors?”
…is the question.
Damnit, my phone is about to die. Pick up the slack, America.
omg they’re impeaching Obama
ok, fine, i agree- Obama is guilty of the same impeachable offenses that Trump is.
Ha-ha! Craig, That was the perfect quote.
If the WH says you, Senators, are either with Trumpsky or he’ll have your heads, just remember… The reverse of that is position is that either you’re with the AMERICAN people and the US Constitution, or, you’re for a wanna-be dick-tater. Remember, you’re out in the sunlight where we can see ya!
Ms. BB – East Bumfuck is west of DC, higher than DC, and we’ve got the same thing going on, of course not that water temp in the Chesapeake, but the rest. Good hard freeze and it will be a relatively colorless Spring.
All these semantic questions about the WH “legal team”, their lack of appreciation for irony, and who they are performing for (among all the other excellent comments). Let me put it in what I hope is concise verbiage – They do not give a shit about any of that.
And my mother was right about orange and yellow not going together. Looks kinda clownish.
Watch Pam Bondi try to defend her anti-gay record:
Andy did a nice job of hemming in that little, blonde weasel.
pam bondi the attractive version of the condom and the person most likely to be sleeping with fatass the golfing president
Defending treason – – Trump lawyer Robert Ray: “Russia is not our enemy.”
Trump is our enemy. Donald John Trump, traitor-in-chief and enemy of the people.
Ray is just. Fucking. Lying. Full stop. The second article of impeachment was, wait for it, obstruction of justice.
Now Dershowitz. It should be entertaining if not we’ll found in the law.
That guy had me audibly laughing: ”dismiss charges, because Space Force and pens”.
Beyond a reasonable doubt? Bull. Shit. That is the standard of proof in criminal trials, which require a unanimous vote by the jurors hearing the case. This could take a while. That must be 75 pages. Drink, please.
Dersh argued that abuse of power WAS a basis for impeachment and a criminal act was not required. He’s recently tried to explain that away, ludicrously.
“…founders wouldn’t have accepted vague terms” -Dershowitz
*founders write vague terms into Constitution*
Bink, you noticed. Based upon Dersh’s argument, common law crimes are and are not a basis for impeachment. And now he’s arguing that criminal-like actions are impeachable – which is manifestly not in the Constitution -and that an action must be a crime to be impeachable. The term pretzel comes to mind.
”The term pretzel comes to mind.”
The term “pretzel” describes my mind listening to Dershowitz’s arguments.
Both charges were enumerated, dumbass.
House impeachment managers spent 23 hours enumerating them.
Hey, if the GOP Senators and Trump want to run on the platform that Trump wasn’t charged specifically enough, i’m fine with that🤷♂️
.
Dersh has wandered off the path. His history lesson is unavailing. He is now arguing that Blackstone is authoritative on the issue of what crimes are impeachable – and has wandered into the unintelligible. Now he’s going to tell us how we are too stupid to understand Hamilton’s words as being contrary to their apparent meaning… ok here it is …”My switch in attitude…” Feel free to fill in your own ending.
Constitutional protections for citizens accused of a crime don’t apply to the office of the President🙄
Impeachment doesn’t deprive Trump of “life, liberty, or property”. These are ridiculous arguments and just talking points for Trump sycophants.
First reference to Bolton by defense team, Dershowitz asserts the “quid-pro-quo” in Bolton manuscript “would not constitute an impeachable offense.” Dershowitz talking in circles, offers no support for saying Bolton “revelations” not impeachable, only says “that is clear from the history, that is clear from the language of the Constitution.”
Poobah, that is his argument. He said he’s read all the relevant history to come to his conclusions, which of course are correct because he says so, because he’s read all the relevant history to come to his conclusions. Sounds a bit circular. Oh, and he’s read articles of those who disagree with him, and they have not refuted his arguments, which he has only laid out in detail tonite. That would indeed be a good trick.
“People said mean things about me because i’m always right, therefore reject impeachment” -paraphrased Dershowitz
Charges would be more specific if, drumroll please, Trump didn’t obstruct Congress.
Glad Dershowitz is so happy to have the feather of addressing an impeachment trial in his cap.
Cipollone is an arrogant, condescending prick. Ever fucking hear of Benghazi, asshat? And that waste of energy didn’t even involve a president.
18 USCS prec § 201 (b) This bribery statute includes :
“Any person demanding bribery for the discharge of public duty.”
Ergo, the assertion that trump did not break a US statute is erroneous.
Dershowitz made more sense when he defended wife killer Claus Von Bulow.
“Imagine all the good we could do if we all just ignored the President’s dangerous and criminal behavior”
…some Orwellian bullshit, right there.
Ok, pardon my over-participation.
At the end of the day Trump team’s argument is: Even if the president illegally held up congressionally mandated funds to benefit his reelection it’s not impeachable.
Summaries of some defenses made, today:
”You’re too dumb to understand impeachment arguments” -Starr
”Theoretical future rusks outweigh clear and present dangers” -Philbin
”Rudy is the good kind of scumbag” -Raskin
”My son is on Space Force (totally not nepotism) and Pelosi handed out too many pens” -Unknown
”I, alone, can interpret the impeachment clause” -Dershowitz
“Democrats are mean and we could accomplish more if we let Trump do whatever he wants“ -Cippoline
“Hunter Biden accepting private employment is equivalent to Trump leveraging U.S. Military resources for personal benefit.” -Bondi, i think
“We should have impeached Obama on these same charges” -early-evening speaker
“dick-tater” YES!
Anderson nailed that woman! The one who probably appeals to the fool.
Fortunately, the team did a shitty job! YES!
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/01/27/president-trump-tweet-john-bolton-book-reaction-sot-vpx.cnn
Dershowitz defense: Even if the glove fits you must acquit.
I particularly liked Dersh’s hypotheticals. They had nothing to do with the issues before the Senate, but they were interesting. If he’d asked a class of 30 to summarize his arguments he’d get 30 different contradictory answers. My answer would be something like “??? Anything you want. You argued every position and were not particularly persuasive on any one of them. “
“Dershowitz defense: Even if the glove fits you must acquit.” Good one Craig!!
Well, At least we know what the term emeritus means at Harvard Law, or at least what it appears to mean – Too fucking old and addled to continue to put this shit over on 23 year olds any longer.
In a tweet trump denied claims he’d told bolton that aid to Ukraine was tied to an investigation of the Bidens. CNN legal analyst Carrie Cordero says could weaken trump’s executive privilege defense.
It looks like the dumb perv stuck his little toadstool in another light socket.
No matter, Bolton can testify whenever he wants..
Unless trumputin bump him off first.
Maddow : According to fox poll more people want trump removed than voted for him
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/26/trump-impeachment-fox-news-poll/4581020002/
Gen Pop : 50% for, 44% against; Indies : 53% for, 34% against.
I maintain that not one of those who want trump removed by the Senate will vote for him. Also, some who oppose his removal by the Senate will vote against him. At this point, I don’t think a 60/40 landslide, with Dems gaining 5 senators, is unreasonable.
Caveat : tomorrow is a lifetime or two away.
I’m dying to know how trump will handle his coming disaster.
1. Bankruptcy with the claim that he can’t possibly live on less than $1M!LL!ON/mo
2. Claim he’s too feeble to do time. House (& golf course) arrest ?
3. Defect : a. russia/crimea/abkazia b. saudi Arabia c. Israel d. Brazil e. commie China f. no Korea
4. Suicide : a. pills b. bullet (on live tv ?) c. warm bath and razor d. rope/belt in a closet e. Overdose on Big Macs f. swandive from trump tower g. try to start global thermonuclear war against commie China, Iran and NATO.
5. Start a new career, greeting at walmart.
6. Refuse leave the WH and die in a siege/gunfight. “You’ll never take me alive, G-men !”
My money would be on 3.a. russia
As the disaster looms, will the rippers run from trump ? Will they blame Moscow mitch ? Will William Weld win a few primaries ? Will rippers form a circular firing squad ? Will pence, rubio, haley or cruz rise to oppose the MegaPerv ?
Before the cock crows thrice, will mitch, mccarthy, lindseygraham and jjordan crucify their Messiah ?
Or will they all go down like redcoats, falling dead on the field in neat rows ?
Oh gosh, I can’t wait to see how it all ends. I can’t wait to see Mr Bink turn triple verbal backflips w/2 1/2 twists into a split/landing, in celebration of the end of trumperie.
Reminder: The end of trump is not the end of trumpdom.
NEW THREAD