I agree with Jeanne, we have to think about setting a precedent that you can do what he has done and get away with it. I want to replace him, but that's not going to happen if we don't impeach- of course the senate wont kick him our but that isn't the important part. It's more important that we stand on the right side of history and impeaching in the house will get the truth out. People need the full story and impeachment is the only way to get it out. I will not and never have chosen to live in fear; doing so, like Kerry and Clinton would compromise our integrity. History did not forget that error and won't forget this one.
My concern is that we're not getting anywhere with the current investigations because of the WH / AJ's obstructions. I support the impeachment inquiry because I think it's critical that the public become educated to what is in the report. I can't see any other way of achieving that purpose. The more people know the truth, the more I believe they will support impeachment. Although the Senate would never impeach, the people will at least know more about T than they do now. And besides: most people would rather watch the movie (live testimony) than read the book. In my view Mueller was a little too subtle in his comments yesterday.
I was struck by a statement made by an older woman who attended Amash's town hall. She remarked that she didn't know any of this about ConDon, and up until that town hall, believed that he did nothing wrong. She added that she only listens to the conservative news channels.
Here's a good link to a lawfare blog about impeachment inquiry: https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-powers-does-formal-impeachment-inquiry-give-house .
I admit that my head spun around a bit when I read the above blog. But I still strongly believe that the Dems need to be bold and begin the inquiry.
I agree the dems MUST go for impeachment. Astrologically, the best time is if they begin formal proceedings in July, then 6 months later the eclipses come around again, that's about the time frame of an impeachment. Clinton's impeachment took 5 months. I called my congresswoman today to relay my urging for Pelosi to begin impeachment this year.
I agree, Jeanne. It’s time to impeach Trump. Even if the Republican Senators refuse to convict him, the very process of impeachment will educate the American public...and that’s clearly what is needed now, especially since the vast majority of citizens are not reading the Mueller report. A lengthy, public investigation during the impeachment process can turn public sentiment and make it even more difficult for the GOP Senate to protect him. Look at history: a majority of Americans were against impeaching Nixon until the revelations turned the tide of public opinion against him.
Also, Saibh, I follow Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, too, and have supported her daily podcast through Patreon for several years. Elizabeth is an intuitive, a sharp legal mind and a fierce warrior in the Resistance. And I love the lawfareblog, deetoo.
I saw Elijah Cummings on the news (last Friday I think) and he was saying that they are making good progress on the investigations in the House, and if they begin impeachment all of that stops. Mainly, it's the stuff with finances. They recently had a judge rule FOR Deutschebank giving congress the bank records. I'm not sure how much longer the WH can continue to fight that legally. And NY state passed something that lets them share Trumps state tax records with congress.
Trump has been so furious about trying to hide his financials. And now we know Mueller didn't look at that stuff. If Pelosi can get her hands on it, it may well reveal illegal/damaging info that can be used not only to really help impeachment but perhaps even to get him to resign rather than have it made public.
*IF* they're waiting on something like that, and it's very short term, then the wait is good. But I don't know the details on where those things are at, or how likely they are to generate results soon. If he can just obfuscate until 2020 then yes, they should just impeach.
There were at one point lots of predictions on here about Trump's resigning. I still hold out hope for that. But they'll have to get his balls in an absolute vise before he'll do it.
Agree with you all. What a great community you are. Getting the financials would be great and might bring more people over to the side of impeachment but not if there is much delay.
Meanwhile Twitter is stalling and blocking. The momentum to impeach is now and the rethugs know that. I have no thought that the senate will remove him. They won’t. That isn’t the reason to impeach. The House simply needs to do their duty. They need to do the right thing. Mueller’s speech handed the Bar (pun intended) to them.
I completely agree with getting him the hell out of the white house, but first, they only have one shot at it and hes not getting removed by this senate. Also, if you do manage to get him out of office this term, there is nothing stating he cannot run in 2020 and get re-elected. If they do decide to impeach, their best strategic move is to let the impeachment run thru the campaign and the trial in the senate in the new senate term(if he get reelected). This way, if he does get removed he is gone for good and cant take a 3rd term. If they do it too soon, they run the risk of removing him only to have him back in 2020.
My congressman just responded to my letter demanding that the House begin an impeachment inquiry. My head is spinning from his spin. It was a very lengthy letter stating that ConDon “has carried out fundamental attacks on the rule of law and the system of governance established by the United States Constitution,” citing the Mueller report and how Congress should consider levying fines against and imprisoning incalcitrant witnesses who obstruct justice. He then got into the impeachment issue (which was the sole point of my letter). He stated that impeachment should be carried out in a “methodical and fact-based manner” – here comes the spin -- adding that during Watergate, it took two and a half years after the initial break in and five months after the Special Prosecutor indicted seven members of the Nixon Administration for the Judiciary Committee to vote on articles of impeachment against Nixon. Four paragraphs later, he ends with this:
“That is the task before us - which becomes more pressing by the day - to carry out an investigation into this President that is so compelling and so overwhelming that Congress is able to reassert its prerogative and rightfully condemn and punish Presidential actions that are in violation of the law and Constitution.”
So in other words – it’s NOT compelling or overwhelming enough for him? Is he friggin serious?!? I think I should ask him that in another letter.
Thanks for letting me rant a bit. Too bad I’m not a drinking woman.
I had one of the network news stations on today and found something interesting. They were using polling data showing how in favor/ opposed the country was regarding impeaching the president and compared it to polls regarding Bill Clinton around the same time in the process for him and how the country felt about impeachment then. They were actually VERY similar and NOT in flavor of impeachment.
HOWEVER, and this just boggles the mind, the data regarding the public's opinion on impeaching Trump was an ENTIRE month old. End of April data. GOOD GRIEF!! That is an eternity right now.
So, if that is the most recent data being offered, that might also play a factor on why they are not moving on impeachment yet. New data may show changed perceptions and should then make Pelosi more inclined to start the process. The country as a whole did not want to impeach Clinton even though they felt he broke the law per that old data. I don't think she wants a repeat of that situation.
Another thing to consider, just how is this data collected now compared to back in Clinton's time? The younger generation doesn't really use land lines and I don't often get polling calls on my cell phone. When I get them, usually around an election, it is usually on my land line.
I don't want him impeached so much as I want him wounded (politically). Death by a thousand cuts. An inquiry that, as MAS 1581 says, lasts a long time. Pelosi is a terrible spokesperson (as are most dems), but I do trust her. I think she's waiting for the financial stuff, from Deutsche Bank, and perhaps for some of the NY state investigations to bear fruit. Starting an inquiry too quickly and they'll be calls to wrap it up already. I think the best strategy is to keep it in the headlines as long as possible.