Mega-Thread: Impeachment Proceedings & Inquiry of Trump

[Belize]

Did anybody tell him that?

Of course.

See answer #1 as counterpoint.

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I haven't really had a chance to watch any of this until today due to work travel. I feel for Vinland - he's visibly shaking as he reads. Always possible to read someone wrong, but he comes across as a sincere man that doesn't want this stage.

I sincerely doubt anyone is particularly excited to be testifying about the utter corruption of a sitting U.S. President.

Regardless if what Right Wing media tries to paint this as, it's a joyless moment for the country to be in this situation in the first place. The crime of extorting a foreign country to aid your political campaign should have never taken place at all.

This is just the messy cleanup.

[PACOX]

Jesus, if I hear another person talking about Vindman being nervous. These are real people testifying against the president against the world, not professional public speakers. It's like people don't watch despositions all day. Most people are nervous in official settings, even when telling the truth. Most people such at speaking more than a few words in a sentence at a time.

[Moonstream]

Jesus, if I hear another person talking about Vindman being nervous. These are real people testifying against the president against the world, not professional public speakers. It's like people don't watch despositions all day. Most people are nervous in official settings, even when telling the truth. Most people such at speaking more than a few words in a sentence at a time.

Knowing that the world is watching and that what they say will/is going down in history.


....No pressure. /s

[omerome]

Biden Biden Biden Biden Biden!

Is that the only name Nunes knows? Can't he come up with another talking point?

Is the sky blue? Is rain wet?

[Endus]

Biden Biden Biden Biden Biden!

Is that the only name Nunes knows? Can't he come up with another talking point?

Is the sky blue? Is rain wet?

And now he's engaging in "are YOU the whistleblower?" bullshit questioning.

He's just pushing bullshit Republican conspiracy talking points. This isn't a useful contribution to anything.

[Thekri]

Nunes: You have no first hand knowledge, therefore we have no interest in hearing what you have to say.

Also Nunes: You do have first hand knowledge, therefore you are dirty leaker and I am going to do my best to intimidate them.

[Endus]

Aaaand Schiff calls out Nunes for his illegal line of questioning, since he's clearly trying to figure out who the whistleblower is. Get fucked, Nunes.

Edit: Nunes: "Plead the 5th or answer the question"
Counsel: "We're not gonna, because we're following the Chair's ruling."
Schiff: "He's right. Get fucked, Nunes."

Paraphrased for a little extra humor, but that's basically how Nunes' time ended.

[Moonstream]

Ohhh, I love that title correction jab. Good on him!

[omerome]

Screw you Nunes. You are truly a scumbag.

[Thekri]

Wow, Nunes is actively attempting to break laws during his questioning. Witness intimidation and attempting to reveal a whistleblower.

This Whistleblower charade is absolutely terrifying to its implications. This is nothing but a vicious series of attacks on anyone they see as disloyal. I don't know why they think this will win them anything, the complaint has already been substantiated.

[omerome]

Republicans plan: We gotta find out who the whistle-blower is - at any cost, because we can't allow (more) people to reveal in our attempted crimes and misdeeds.

[Gelannerai]

There is nothing more to be expected from someone like Nunes. He got where he is today by being a sycophant, so that’s exactly what he’ll continue to be.

[Breccia]

Is that the only name Nunes knows?

@Belize is correct. Nunes knows he can't defend the merits or facts, and wants to make this about literally anything else.

Also, it's irrelevant. Biden could have been a mass murderer and what Trump did, extorting a country to start an investigation, would still be immoral, illegal, and fattening. Trump had every opportunity to stand before the American people and say "what Biden did was illegal and I'm starting an American investigation" but he didn't. He sent Giuliani to Spain because he didn't want his own State or Justice Departments involved, as the dozen or so people who've testified are making clear.

In a TV show, when a cop "knows" the bad guy is guilty, you often see him sneak into the bad guy's hideout without a warrant, beat him up or shoot him. In real life, that evidence gets thrown out and the cop gets fired. Problem is, Trump is TV Game Show Host President. He thinks he can do whatever he wants if he gets "the bad guy" and gets high ratings while doing so. Oh, and he probably hopes people forgot he shoved foreign and domestic officials into his properties, he and multiple WH officials pushed Trump books, tried to sell 666 5th Ave using the massive fatass obese weight of his office, allowed Turkey to commit genocide because of Trump Tower Istanbul, and forced the IRS to wipe his audit clean. Plus probably some other shit. So there's not even the "at least we got the bad guy" anyhow.

[Thekri]

The GOP counsel has a rather effective strategy of asking the witnesses tons of questions outside their area of expertise, so that they can't answer. Then the GOP gets to attack the witness's credibility. It is a sleazebag tactic, but he is far more effective then any of the GOP lawmakers. He did it last week too.

[Crispin]

All the GoP can do is derail it, heck even on a forum they'd be told to stop acting like tools

Oh vow Vindman got some balls

https://twitter.com/kenvogel/status/1196817632441389063

[Warning]

I find Vindman to be extremely sympathetic. He comes across as a level headed, smart and competent guy who followed the correct procedures on everything he's done. I also like his sense of humor. Quality fellow.

[Belize]

I liked the sass about insisting on being called Lt. colonel.

[Thekri]

I liked the sass about insisting on being called Lt. colonel.

It isn't sass. It is extremely important both to his case and his integrity.

For one thing, he is there in uniform, representing the US Military. Separating him from his rank leaves him in a very weird position where he is partially a private citizen and partially a Soldier.

Secondly, that rank is incredibly important to his non-partisan status. The US Military has an absolute cult of non-partisanship, especially among the Officer corps. Making LTC Vindman into Mr. Vindman leaves him open to accusations of partisan bias.

[omerome]

And Mr. Jordan is trying to disparage Vindman's character and even attempt to call him a leaker because he literally can't do anything else.

So Vindman brought the receipts.

[Warning]

Holy shit Jim Himes just destroyed that disgusting attack on Vindman.