Mega-Thread: Impeachment Proceedings & Inquiry of Trump

[noidentity]

Speaking of martyrs, did Nunes just setup Stefanik to be cutoff by Schiff so they can continue to play victim?

[Moonstream]

Schiff came in prepared to shut down their bullshit again. Good on him.

[omerome]

Hmm...I am curious though and I am reading the House Resolution text 660:

In no way am I defending Nunes, but doesn't he have the right to yield time to someone as a ranking minority leader?

(2) Notwithstanding clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, upon recognition by the chair for such purpose under this paragraph during any hearing designated pursuant to paragraph (1), the chair and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee shall be permitted to question witnesses for equal specified periods of longer than five minutes, as determined by the chair. The time available for each period of questioning under this paragraph shall be equal for the chair and the ranking minority member. The chair may confer recognition for multiple periods of such questioning, but each period of questioning shall not exceed 90 minutes in the aggregate. Only the chair and ranking minority member, or a Permanent Select Committee employee if yielded to by the chair or ranking minority member, may question witnesses during such periods of questioning. At the conclusion of questioning pursuant to this paragraph, the committee shall proceed with questioning under the five-minute rule pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(A) of rule XI.

Or is the statement "as determined by the chair" superseding the request?

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-...ution/660/text

[Draco-Onis]

Nope, he'd rather die a martyr.

Roger Stone is a phony tough guy just like Trump, I highly doubt he wants to die in jail for him. He will cave soon enough especially when Trump starts saying he doesn't know who Roger Stone is.

[Breccia]

Speaking of martyrs, did Nunes just setup Stefanik to be cutoff by Schiff so they can continue to play victim?

Once again, what choice do they have? Facts and merit?

Stefanik is a complete Trump tool, and has been going after Schiff like, yes, like Trump, including derogatory nicknames and calling him the traitor. She tries to pretend she's a moderate by wringing her hands and clutching her pearls saying "Gosh, I wish Trump didn't cause the biggest tax increase in US history, especially on dairy, which is a big issue in my district" but then does nothing about it. Meanwhile Schiff says "parody" and she still wants him removed. She has no credibility of her own left. Yes, Nunes almost certainly used her as a human shield, good for Nunes, it's all she's good for.

[Moonstream]

Does this guy have any expressions other than “I’m about to shit myself”?

He does have a "Im in physical pain" look to him.

[Breccia]

So there were a few back-and-forths between someone testifying under oath and President Lack-of-140-Characters:

The attacks are leading to a crisis in the State Department as the policy process is visibly unravelling, leadership vacancies go unfilled, and senior and mid-level officers ponder an uncertain future and head for the doors
-- Yovanovitch

We have vacancies in various departments because we do not want or need as many people as past administrations (and save great cost), and also, the Democrats delay the approval process to levels unprecedented in the history of our Country!

-- Trump

Wait, if you don't need that many people, how are the Democrats blocking you? Isn't that quote self-contradictory? Why blame the Democrats for blocking people you don't need? Also, how can they block a nomination you haven't given? And isn't that the Senate's job, which is still GOP-led? Are you just throwing out fridge poetry because today's been so bad you're already on your fifth Mountain Dew and fourth microwaved burrito?

-- Breccia

[Gerron]

There was an interesting conversation about bribery on CNN last night. The republican snake was saying that in order for it to bribery, you need to know Trump's intent. And that maybe Trump really thinks that Biden and Crowdstrike are important examples of corruption that need to looked into.

The sane pundit then pointed at that the legal definition of bribery didn't exist when bribery was listed in the constitution, so it wouldn't make sense to require a "higher" definition of bribery than what was understood at the time.

I'm hoping they'll pivot toward Maladministration soon. I don't think there is much denying that Trump has gone out of his way to subvert our system on many accounts and that poses a great danger to the governance of the Nation.

[Breccia]

Schiff came in prepared to shut down their bullshit again. Good on him.

Schiff blocked Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) from questioning Yovanovitch as the hearing resumed after a recess, citing a violation of committee rules surrounding the hearing.

Nunes and the GOP counsel were given 45 minutes to question Yovanovitch as the hearing resumed, but when Nunes yielded time to Stefanik to ask questions, Schiff used the gavel to block her questions.

“The gentlewoman will suspend you are not recognized,” Schiff told Stefanik as she began to ask questions, telling Nunes that “under House Resolution 660 you are not allowed to yield time except to minority counsel.”

According to a memo on impeachment hearing rules sent by Schiff to the committee earlier this week, “as specified in H. Res. 660, the Chair and Ranking Member may not yield time to other Members during these extended question periods, though either may yield time to Majority and Minority Committee Counsels, respectively.”

Both Nunes and Stefanik strongly objected to Schiff’s actions, with Stefanik saying, “this is the fifth time you have interrupted members of Congress.”

Nunes said that “we control the time” and added that “if we have members of Congress that have a few questions, it seems appropriate that we would be able to let Ms. Stefanik ask her question.”

Schiff refused, saying only Nunes or GOP counsel Steve Castor would be recognized to question Yovanovitch.

According to the hearing schedule, following 45 minute of questioning time for Nunes or minority counsel, all members of the committee will be given five minutes to question the witness, alternating between Democrats and Republicans in order of seniority on the committee.

TheHill developing feed

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Hey Trump, how's the FOX News replacement shopping going?

Some of Fox News' biggest personalities expressed sympathy for former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch during her impeachment testimony on Friday — especially after President Trump attacked her via Twitter mid-hearing.

Bret Baier called Trump's tweets "a turning point in this hearing," noting that Yovanovitch was "already a sympathetic witness" and that it allowed House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to raise the possibility of witness tampering.

Chris Wallace similarly said on air during a break in the hearing: "If you are not moved by the testimony of Marie Yovanovitch today, you don't have a pulse."

As per Axios but they're hardly the only ones.

[omerome]

TheHill developing feed

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Hey Trump, how's the FOX News replacement shopping going?



As per Axios but they're hardly the only ones.

Thanks for this. It is truly pathetic that our elected officials - grown men and women are acting like...kids. At least kids have the excuse of innocence.

[Breccia]

Thanks for this.

Update:

That was a turning point in this hearing so far. She was already a sympathetic witness & the President’s tweet ripping her allowed Schiff to point it out real time characterizing it as witness tampering or intimidation -adding an article of impeachment real-time.

FOX News tweet

[omerome]

Update:


FOX News tweet

Incoming angry tweet from the resident calling those Fox News people - "Never Trumpers".

[Thekri]

Anyone else feel like Schiff is leading the GOP into a Trap on this Whistleblower thing? He is letting them run this ridiculous parade where they demand to hear the whistleblower, but if they get their wish they may not like it. I feel like this is all a trap, and the Whistleblower may already be planning to testify, and blow the socks off this talking point by being extremely sympathetic and credible.

[Skroe]

Ambassador Yovanovitch needs to be the in the next Democratic President's National Security Council.

People like her are why the State Department is a national treasure.

[PACOX]

Schiff is out hearing channeling Cummings, doing him proud in keeping the peanut gallery tight.

Running through Twitter, does Chris Wallace make it through this without leaving Fox? It's getting how over there.

[Skroe]

Anyone else feel like Schiff is leading the GOP into a Trap on this Whistleblower thing? He is letting them run this ridiculous parade where they demand to hear the whistleblower, but if they get their wish they may not like it. I feel like this is all a trap, and the Whistleblower may already be planning to testify, and blow the socks off this talking point by being extremely sympathetic and credible.

I think this is exactly what he (and his staff) are doing.

Just like today I think he anticipated Trump being true to form and going after *gasp* a woman saying not nice things about him and had staffers ready to make Trump eat his words.

Expect every day of his hearings to have a "big" moment as a trap he laid goes off.

[Breccia]

I feel like this is all a trap, and the Whistleblower may already be planning to testify

Two immediate reactions:

A) How do we know he hasn't?

B) The GOP will just ask "Are you hearsay?" over and over. Schiff could easily be setting them up the bomb by having everyone else involved called to testify first. If, say, Bolton refuses, then that's the angle.

"Are you hearsay?"
"Yes, but I know Bolton heard it personally."
"Um, he won't testify."
"Funny how that works. By the way, your lawyer looks constipated."

[Skroe]

Ambassador Yovanovitch talking about (Republican) Senator Arthur Vandenberg... a name completely foreign to Fraudservatives who only watch Fox News, read the Daily Wire and read Ben Shapiro, get outraged about "Wokeness" "Antifa" and other shit like that. Senator Vandenberg was only one of the most important Republican Senators of the 20th century.

"But muh guns".
"But abortions".
"But PC culture on college campuses".

The Republican Party used to be the party of intellectualism. It's now the party of yokel ignorance.

[Themius]

“You’re done right” typical bullying of Republican Congress. Not good enough she is intimidated already and then the president tweets.

[Skroe]

I'm really down with this guy talking for 2 of his 5 minutes about himself and Iraq. Entirely relevant.

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How you know this is going oh so well for Republicans:

they are whining about Adam Schiff on twitter or off topic talking about Jesus on twitter.