President Donald Trump - Formal Impeachment Inquiry Announced

begsbyOnaTrain wrote: »

My favourite part is how they don't see that the impeachment process/attempt will actually strengthen him.

If it would strengthen him, why doesn't he welcome it instead of raging about it?

If I was in his shoes, with the worst approval of all time and getting worse, and if someone told me that I could strengthen my position by being impeached, I'd have the Republicans draft the articles of impeachment myself.

This idea that impeachment strengthens Trump has clearly not been thought through.

SJW Lover

begsbyOnaTrain wrote: »

My favourite part is how they don't see that the impeachment process/attempt will actually strengthen him.

They might not but i doubt the same with the likes of Pelosi. It would not surprise me if this entire issue is an attempt by the Dems to get Biden out of the picture.

SJW Lover

mcmoustache wrote: »

If it would strengthen him, why doesn't he welcome it instead of raging about it?

He's entitled to be angry about this, the latest attempt to cut his presidency short. More inferences being drawn i see.

Why would he be angry about something that would strengthen him?

There's going to be a special today on Youtube about the Ukraine situation regarding Joe Biden, done by the Blaze. I have been intrigued enough by the promos to watch it when I can. I’ll have discount the over-the-top rhetoric and opinion of host Beck, but I’ve found in the past some of their factual investigative reporting can be top notch.

Let the ad hominem attacks begin.

My broken clock has been top-notch in terms of time-telling from time to time but if I needed to know the time, I wouldn't use the broken clock.

But, have fun with the youtube video and if you see anything juicy, post it here and we can check it out.

SJW Lover

mcmoustache wrote: »

Why would he be angry about something that would strengthen him?

Not mutually exclusive concepts at all.

notobtuse wrote: »

There's going to be a special today on Youtube about the Ukraine situation regarding Joe Biden, done by the Blaze. I have been intrigued enough by the promos to watch it when I can. I’ll have discount the over-the-top rhetoric and opinion of host Beck, but I’ve found in the past some of their factual investigative reporting can be top notch.

Let the ad hominem attacks begin.

You know its going to be breaking news because they sit on it long enough to promote their take on it.

begsbyOnaTrain wrote: »

My favourite part is how they don't see that the impeachment process/attempt will actually strengthen him.

The WH apparently doesn't see it either because they are figuring out a 'plea deal'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-officials-weigh-appeal-to-democrats-in-gop-districts-to-stop-impeachment-of-trump/2019/10/03/db21f9b4-e470-11e9-b7da-053c79b03db8_story.html

White House officials weigh appeal to Democrats in GOP districts to stop impeachment of Trump

By Rachael Bade and
Josh DawseyOctober 3 at 9:00 AM
White House officials intent on stopping the House from impeaching President Trump are considering appealing to moderate Democrats in Republican districts to stand with the president, a pursuit at odds with fresh political attacks from the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.

The nascent outreach campaign would target some of the 31 Democrats from congressional districts Trump won in 2016, many of whom ran on rebuilding infrastructure, improving trade deals and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, according to multiple officials familiar with the strategy.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk freely, said the appeal would be based on these Democrats’ 2018 election promises to work with the president — accompanied with a warning that impeachment would hamper possible legislative victories.

White House aides have been closely monitoring statements from these lawmakers to see how many fully back impeachment, whether they have put conditions on any vote, and whether they have offered tepid comments and might be convinced ahead of tough reelection bids.

The discussions underscore the nervousness among some in the White House about an impeachment vote that could jeopardize Trump’s hold on the presidency. For nearly three years, the White House paid little attention to Capitol Hill Democrats’ policy priorities, but over the next six weeks they plan to focus on them in hopes of preventing impeachment.

Democrats face intense pressure on what could be the most consequential vote of their political careers, with tough questions from constituents and Trump’s criticism that they are the “Do Nothing Democrats.” The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have launched $10 million in television and digital ads that bludgeon many of the same Democrats the White House is courting.

“Democrats are trying to undo the election regardless of facts. It’s nothing short of a coup and it must be stopped,” says one ad unveiled Wednesday. The ad comes days after another that called some Democrats “radicals.”

Democratic leaders dismissed the notion that the White House could win over moderates with policy promises. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said that her caucus is more than willing to work with the president while they continue investigating him. The inquiry is focused on a July 25 call in which Trump pressed the Ukrainian president for help in investigating a domestic political rival.

“Our democracy is not negotiable,” Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Wednesday in a statement. “It is sacred and certainly not to be traded at any price.”

Freshman Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), a Democrat from a Trump district who recently endorsed an impeachment inquiry, said Wednesday that she would “absolutely” be interested in working with the White House this fall on policy.

But when a reporter suggested the White House would want her to drop her support for proceedings to do that, she responded: “That’s not the way it works.”

“That’s not the way that our Constitution is written,” she said after a crowded session with constituents in East Lansing. “The president of the United States acknowledged openly that he went to a foreign leader and asked for dirt on an American. I cannot give up the rule of law in some trade. That is not something anyone should be trading away.”

[Seven freshman Democrats: These allegations are a threat to all we have sworn to protect]

The pressure was evident at town halls this week. In Upstate New York on Tuesday night, an attendee told freshman Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado that he was disappointed in the congressman’s support for an impeachment inquiry.

He challenged the lawmaker to “identify tonight the exact crimes that you think have been committed.”

When Delgado started to explain, several people in the crowd shouted at his mention of the whistleblower’s report on Trump’s summertime call with the Ukraine president. “Secondhand!” and “Hearsay!” they yelled.

“The statute makes it pretty clear that it is a crime to solicit anything of value from a foreign national when seeking office or for an electoral purposes,” Delgado said. “That is the letter of the law.”

Pelosi has encouraged Democrats in competitive districts to focus on policy, rather than Trump and impeachment, an approach she tried at her Wednesday news conference.

“Does anyone in this room care about the cost of prescription drugs and what it means for America’s working families?” she asked reporters eager to talk about impeachment.

The GOP ad campaign is unnerving to some Democrats. During a caucus call with Democratic leaders this past weekend, Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.), who flipped a GOP seat near Miami last year, asked Pelosi if leaders intended to give vulnerable Democrats cover from the attacks.

Pelosi urged them to focus on their prescription drug plan — and said outside groups may be stepping in to help.

On Wednesday, during another caucus call, Pelosi referred members to a tweet by a liberal outside group, House Majority Forward, announcing plans to support those members who “took a principled stand for an impeachment inquiry” and are “fighting for the kitchen table issues,” according to two people on the call. An official with the group confirmed that they would be running TV ads to help Democrats.

Adding to the pressure for Democrats are expectations for a full-blown investigation despite the Trump administration’s lack of cooperation. While several Democrats support the inquiry, some are unsure about voting to impeach Trump without more evidence.

Of the 235 House Democrats, 225 back an impeachment inquiry, but just 28 have said publicly they favor impeaching the president, according to a Washington Post analysis. Pelosi would need a majority of the House — 218 votes.

[Where House Democrats stand on impeaching Trump]

At the very least, these moderate Democrats are asking the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to do more to give them cover, according to multiple Democratic officials — a request a Democratic aide said the DCCC is working on.

“With the Republicans running ads in our Trump districts, it’s critical that the Democratic Campaign Congressional Committee steps up and fights back in our districts,” said one moderate Democrat in a Trump district, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly. “You can’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”

The White House hopes to cast Democrats as the party of impeachment. In the coming weeks, White House legislative affairs staffers, led by Eric Ueland, a longtime Senate aide who had a front-row seat to Clinton’s impeachment, will try to reach out to these Trump-district Democrats to try to get them to work with the White House on legislation.

The pitch, according to those familiar with the strategy, is that these vulnerable Democrats could secure some legislative accomplishments this fall, possibly even passage of a prescription drug bill. Impeachment, however, could ruin that effort.

Part of the argument is that a “political impeachment exercise” would imperil significant bipartisan legislation and will not end successfully, as Republicans control the Senate and convicting Trump in a trial requires a two-thirds vote, said one White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly .

This past Tuesday, Ueland invited Democratic staff from Pelosi’s office, as well those working for the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees, to talk with the White House about prescription drugs. U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer met Friday with Democratic lawmakers about trade.

Talk of cajoling Trump-district Democrats comes as the White House has grappled with questions of whether to establish a war room to defend him , just as President Clinton had in 1998. Trump has told aides he does not want anyone hired just to handle impeachment strategy because it would look like an overreaction, current and former aides said.

The result has been scattershot, with Trump taking the lead on his own defense through his favorite medium: Twitter.

During Pelosi’s remarks Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter to taunt the speaker: “Nancy Pelosi just said that she is interested in lowering prescription drug prices & working on the desperately needed USMCA. She is incapable of working on either. It is just camouflage for trying to win an election through impeachment. The Do Nothing Democrats are stuck in mud!”

Underscoring the challenges of Trump World’s mixed strategies, Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.), a longtime impeachment skeptic, decided to back impeachment on Wednesday night. Over the weekend, the freshman who won in a Trump district was targeted in an RNC ad.

“Max Rose promised he’d tackle problems facing our country. Rose broke his promise,” said one ad, citing prescription drug costs among the issues. “Rose votes with the radicals for endless investigations of President Trump.”

On the screen is a photo of Rose with those of the more liberal members of the Democratic caucus, including Pelosi and Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Instead of scaring Rose from backing an impeachment inquiry, the ad had the reverse effect.

“While the president of the United States might be willing to violate the Constitution to get reelected, I will not. . . . It is for that reason that I intend to fully support this impeachment inquiry and follow the facts,” Rose , an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, said at a town hall Wednesday night in Staten Island.

Mike DeBonis in East Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.

1800_Ladladlad

mcmoustache wrote: »

My broken clock has been top-notch in terms of time-telling from time to time but if I needed to know the time, I wouldn't use the broken clock.

But, have fun with the youtube video and if you see anything juicy, post it here and we can check it out.

Of course, you wouldn't use a broken clock. Even a broken clock is right two times a day.

mcmoustache wrote: »

My broken clock has been top-notch in terms of time-telling from time to time but if I needed to know the time, I wouldn't use the broken clock.

But, have fun with the youtube video and if you see anything juicy, post it here and we can check it out.

Apparently you live by the broken clock.

I can’t be sure but I believe the special has something to do with the reporting of award-winning investigative reporter John Solomon, who has now become the target of a brutal smear campaign by Democrats and their scribes in the mainstream media over the uncovering of evidence of DNC corruption in Ukraine.

Solomon has worked for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and the Associated Press, and has gone after corruption of both Republicans and Democrats. His recent investigations have show former Vice President Joe Biden used unethical practices to help his son. He also uncovered corruption during the Obama administration, involving key Democratic players like Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as the DNC used Ukraine to launch the Russia collusion probe in an effort to take down President Donald Trump.

I suggest you don’t watch it… wouldn’t want you to venture outside your comfort zone of MSNBC, The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN… you know... the Orange Man Bad crowd.

notobtuse wrote: »

Apparently you live by the broken clock.

I can’t be sure but I believe the special has something to do with the reporting of award-winning investigative reporter John Solomon, who has now become the target of a brutal smear campaign by Democrats and their scribes in the mainstream media over the uncovering of evidence of DNC corruption in Ukraine.

Solomon has worked for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and the Associated Press, and has gone after corruption of both Republicans and Democrats. His recent investigations have show former Vice President Joe Biden used unethical practices to help his son. He also uncovered corruption during the Obama administration, involving key Democratic players like Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as the DNC used Ukraine to launch the Russia collusion probe in an effort to take down President Donald Trump.

I suggest you don’t watch it… wouldn’t want you to venture outside your comfort zone of MSNBC, The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN… you know... the Orange Man Bad crowd.

You’re still hyping up a report you haven’t seen

Truthers did that with the Leroy Hulsey 9/11 study recently. That backfired on them. Just thinking about u

The NY Times reports that Representative Adam Schiff had advance knowledge of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump. It is also alleged his department helped to pen the leaker’s complaint. Seems awfully unethical to start an impeachment inquiry and investigation based on your own work that has no first hand knowledge of matters? But ethics never seems to be a determent to democrats who have been calling for Trumps impeachment since before he even took office.

Ethics? We don't need no stinkin' ethics!

Thepoet85

The only person who alleged him help pen the complaint was Trump, and he has yet to prove any evidence of this, not that it would be a deterrent to Republicans, who will do anything to save their ship from sinking.

notobtuse wrote: »

The NY Times reports that Representative Adam Schiff had advance knowledge of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump. It is also alleged his department helped to pen the leaker’s complaint. Seems awfully unethical to start an impeachment inquiry and investigation based on your own work that has no first hand knowledge of matters? But ethics never seems to be a determent to democrats who have been calling for Trumps impeachment since before he even took office.

Ethics? We don't need no stinkin' ethics!

This was covered yesterday and whoever told you those things has been lying to you. Check yesterday evening's posts.

notobtuse wrote: »

The NY Times reports that Representative Adam Schiff had advance knowledge of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump. It is also alleged his department helped to pen the leaker’s complaint. Seems awfully unethical to start an impeachment inquiry and investigation based on your own work that has no first hand knowledge of matters? But ethics never seems to be a determent to democrats who have been calling for Trumps impeachment since before he even took office.

Ethics? We don't need no stinkin' ethics!

You didn't post a link; so far I haven't seen anyone besides Trump allege that Schiff wrote it.

But as well as that let's talk about the House Intelligence Committee having advance knowledge of the whistleblower complaint:

Making a Protected Disclosure may be as informal as a conversation with your direct supervisor to a formal submission to an IG Hotline, or even a disclosure to an intelligence committee of Congress. Regardless of who you make your disclosure to, they all share the common element of reporting wrongdoing to an authorized recipient while safeguarding sensitive national security information.

https://www.dni.gov/ICIG-Whistleblower/process-how.html

See also Page 4, bullet 6 on the following federal training document: https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/icotr/Whistleblower.PDF

Billy Mays

I like it when notobtuse slates the New York Times as fake news when it reports negative stories about Trump then cites it when it reports a negative story about Adam Schiff

Outlaw Pete

mcmoustache wrote: »

Calling it a coup is just mindlessly parroting the words of a man who is clearly unwell.

Yeah, cause nobody referred to what has been going on since 2016 as an attempted coup before Trump did :rolleyes:

For heaven sake there are books on Amazon about the sorry saga with 'Coup' in the title and even a documentary. Lindsey Graham has called it a bureaucratic coup. There's a good article on TheHill about how it's an attempted coup, all be it a bloodless one.

As to who was the first, my guess would be Jessie Watters on Fox back in 2017 as that was the first time I can recall it be referred to as such:

https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/942202461871157248

If anything though, Trump is parroting others, not the other way around.

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Yeah, cause nobody referred to what has been going on since 2016 as an attempted coup before Trump did :rolleyes:

It's the Commander in Chief making those remarks. You don't find that to be significant, or even dangerous? For the leader of the United States to shout COUP when Article I powers are being invoked and proclaiming this is "WAR"? ?

Wow! A member of the mainstream media saying something looks fishy that a Democrat did? Mark this day on the calendar. I think I’m having a heart episode… Where’s my nitroglycerine?

Must be a broken clock.

NBC’s Today acknowledges that Hunter Biden’s decision to piggyback on his dad’s state visit to China in 2013 to work on his own business deal smells fishy. Hunter’s presence on the VP’s Air Force Two flight didn’t seem unusual, until it was discovered he was negotiating with bankers in China for his own profit. There is no avoiding the conclusion that Hunter Biden used Joe Biden’s official trip to China for his personal enrichment.

Some interesting reading from the 'Never-Trump' National Review…

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/one-or-two-more-thoughts-about-hunter-bidens-employment-history/

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/09/hunter-biden-comprehensive-timeline/?fbclid=IwAR01VfbNUMM1PEMF1UhQuMPQFiKVWlQClsb793vPh885CTkgBK8R7x2CL6o

Billy Mays wrote: »

I like it when notobtuse slates the New York Times as fake news when it reports negative stories about Trump then cites it when it reports a negative story about Adam Schiff

The only sources most of you, with blinders on, would ever entertain an article as valid would be from liberal anti-Trump media entities like the NY Times.

Billy Mays

notobtuse wrote: »

The only sources most of you, with blinders on, would ever entertain an article as valid would be from liberal anti-Trump media entities like the NY Times.

I don't read the NY Times bro

I base my opinions on Trump on the reams of sh!te that come out of his mouth and his twitter feed which can easily be checked to see whether they're true or not

12,000 plus and counting at this stage

notobtuse wrote: »

Wow! A member of the mainstream media saying something looks fishy that a Democrat did? Mark this day on the calendar. I think I’m having a heart episode… Where’s my nitroglycerine?

Must be a broken clock.

NBC’s Today acknowledges that Hunter Biden’s decision to piggyback on his dad’s state visit to China in 2013 to work on his own business deal smells fishy. Hunter’s presence on the VP’s Air Force Two flight didn’t seem unusual, until it was discovered he was negotiating with bankers in China for his own profit. There is no avoiding the conclusion that Hunter Biden used Joe Biden’s official trip to China for his personal enrichment.

Some interesting reading from the 'Never-Trump' National Review…

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/one-or-two-more-thoughts-about-hunter-bidens-employment-history/

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/09/hunter-biden-comprehensive-timeline/?fbclid=IwAR01VfbNUMM1PEMF1UhQuMPQFiKVWlQClsb793vPh885CTkgBK8R7x2CL6o

Biden isn't under investigation for that. Trump wasn't even trying to say he was investigating that. What is the relevance to impeachment?

Clearly this means all the business dealings of the Trump children are on the table: Eric, Jr., Ivanka, Jared, etc. who have themselves boarded Air Forces I/II for international business of their personal gain.

begsbyOnaTrain

Overheal wrote: »

Biden isn't under investigation for that. Trump wasn't even trying to say he was investigating that. What is the relevance to impeachment?

Clearly this means all the business dealings of the Trump children are on the table: Eric, Jr., Ivanka, Jared, etc.

Wait, when were they not?! The media has been dealing all manor of stories about all of their business dealings for years now :pac:

begsbyOnaTrain wrote: »

Wait, when were they not?! The media has been dealing all manor of stories about all of their business dealings for years now :pac:

Can you link to a federal investigation on the matter? I can't.

Overheal wrote: »

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179502966606352386

The Nickelback Defense

That's where we're at now America

We failed

Tweet served a takedown notice this morning

https://www.snopes.com/ap/2019/10/03/trump-tweet-of-nickelback-video-aimed-at-biden-removed/?fbclid=IwAR1gH4_PaczPUxZ9EcoWMd9yKisjEb11hyw0f0c3BIEaNC51ammnkrXsOh0

:pac:

Veritas Libertas

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Yeah, cause nobody referred to what has been going on since 2016 as an attempted coup before Trump did :rolleyes:

Could reasonable people disagree on calling this a coup? I believe so. The dems were out for blood even before this scandal and as of yet no "smoking-gun tape".

Veritas Libertas wrote: »

Could reasonable people disagree on calling this a coup? I believe so. The dems were out for blood even before this scandal and as of yet no "smoking-gun tape".

The exact same is true/was true of a president Hillary though. Same issue, flipped coin. Does this mean evidence and incriminating acts should be ignored on both sides? Either investigation would have been politically motivated to much the same degrees.

The President controls the trade war with China - whether to impose new tariffs or ease existing ones

Having China investigate his presumptive 2020 opponent is clear personal gain

https://twitter.com/owillis/status/1179768742101897217?s=20

edit: How do you not know?

https://twitter.com/owillis/status/1179770475704193025?s=20

And theres the direct pressure and mention of Chinese trade advantages over the US!

https://twitter.com/owillis/status/1179769530668716034?s=20

Trump: 'investigate this now or we will keep attacking your trade advantage!'