The Impeachment of President Donald J Trump

[PDH]

Apparently Trump is asking the NRA for money for his legal defence in exchange of blocking gun control legistlation.

The NRA won't do that unless the Russians let them.

[Razgovory]

The latest talking point from the Idiot Party is that it's not a real whistleblower complaint it's "hearsay."  Of course a whistleblower complaint can be based on information learned from others.  "Hearsay" is a set of rules governing how and in what form evidence is admitted into court, it's not an insult or attack on credibility.

I saw plenty of conservatives arguing "Hearsay" during the Greitens thing.  What became immediately apparent that they didn't know what hearsay was.  They seems to think that it was "He said, she said".  I'm not a lawyer, but I still understand what hearsay is and where it is allowed and where it is not. Or at least the basics of that.

[viper37]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-told-russian-officials-in-2017-he-wasnt-concerned-about-moscows-interference-in-us-election/2019/09/27/b20a8bc8-e159-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html

[DGuller]

I wonder if there is going to be a tipping point inside GOP.  The fact that they protect Trump out of cowardice rather than genuine derangement actually means that this protection can collapse in an instant.  All it would take is an appearance of weakness by Trump.

[jimmy olsen]

Apparently Trump is asking the NRA for money for his legal defence in exchange of blocking gun control legistlation.

The NRA won't do that unless the Russians let them.

Yup.
Even the Senate just said the NRA is riddled with Russian assets.

[Eddie Teach]

Why would the Russians support the NRA? Haven't they seen Red Dawn?   

[jimmy olsen]

Tons of news came out in the last 24 hours.

1. Trump's administration hid conversations with Putin and MBS in that secret server.

2. Trump told the Russians in 2017 that he wasn't concerned with their election meddling.

3. AG Barr has been in Italy for the last two days, so the DOJ has been flailing around.

4. Pompeo has been subpoenaed.

5. It's been reported that Mitch encouraged Trump to release the transcript. Doubtless he expected Trump to edit out the crimes. Trump might blame him for his troubles though.

And so much else. Every day this week has felt like an avalanche 

[Eddie Teach]

How much coverage does Korean news give?

[jimmy olsen]

I get CNN international and CNBC.

But I haven't really watched it or the Korean news channels for the past few days. Been on the net 24/7

[frunk]

What are the odds that the Republicans decide to pull the ripcord on Trump at some point and invoke the 25th Amendment, avoiding the ugliness and potential splash damage of Impeachment/Removal?

[jimmy olsen]

What are the odds that the Republicans decide to pull the ripcord on Trump at some point and invoke the 25th Amendment, avoiding the ugliness and potential splash damage of Impeachment/Removal?

House and the Senate have to vote on that

[frunk]

What are the odds that the Republicans decide to pull the ripcord on Trump at some point and invoke the 25th Amendment, avoiding the ugliness and potential splash damage of Impeachment/Removal?

House and the Senate have to vote on that

That's my point.  If they wait too long potentially more ugliness could come out that would reflect even worse on the rest of the Republicans.  If the Repubs offer the sure thing of invoking the 25th before it gets to that point, would Democrats take it?

I don't think Pelosi or the Democrats want impeachment to be quick.  They want it to drag into the election season.  I think they would be fine to let it run through the presidential.  Why give the Senate the chance to vote not to remove with the associated claims of exoneration?  The 25th gives the Republicans the out of claiming he's no longer in his right mind, as if that was a recent change.

As an aside, I really do wonder what would happen if Trump had to deal with an 8 hour grilling like Clinton did over Benghazi.  I have no idea how he would handle it.

[Eddie Teach]

I don't know that Democrats have a choice. If they blocked a removal on 25th amendment grounds, people would lose their minds.

[Tonitrus]

What are the odds that the Republicans decide to pull the ripcord on Trump at some point and invoke the 25th Amendment, avoiding the ugliness and potential splash damage of Impeachment/Removal?

House and the Senate have to vote on that

That's my point.  If they wait too long potentially more ugliness could come out that would reflect even worse on the rest of the Republicans.  If the Repubs offer the sure thing of invoking the 25th before it gets to that point, would Democrats take it?

I don't think Pelosi or the Democrats want impeachment to be quick.  They want it to drag into the election season.  I think they would be fine to let it run through the presidential.  Why give the Senate the chance to vote not to remove with the associated claims of exoneration?  The 25th gives the Republicans the out of claiming he's no longer in his right mind, as if that was a recent change.

As an aside, I really do wonder what would happen if Trump had to deal with an 8 hour grilling like Clinton did over Benghazi.  I have no idea how he would handle it.

I'm not sure which would be "worse".  A House impeachment and a dubious Senate trial, or trying to invoke the 25th, then Trump filing a lawsuit to overturn it, and all of the judicial shenanigans (likely to the Supreme Court) that would follow.

[frunk]

There are no happy ways out of this.  Only ugly, uglier and oh well we had a good run.