Mega-Thread: Impeachment Proceedings & Inquiry of Trump

[Dontrike]

The biggest problem for Democrats is that this really gets deep in the weeds, it's not something that grips attention like audio tapes or a blue dress, it's allegations filtered through tons of bureaucracy and he said, she said. Democrats need something to cut through that and I don't know if it's there.

So it's again about spectacle rather than the truth. Why?

And again do you want to talk about what Trump did is right or wrong?

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Sometimes I feel like it's a competition to see who can make the bigger spectacle.

Except Bolton would be an actual witness and any of the Bidens have zero to do with anything.

[Orbitus]

Sometimes I feel like it's a competition to see who can make the bigger spectacle.

Right now, it is the Republicans, ignoring the law, the constitution and their constituents. But keep clutching those pearls til McCarthy comes up with new talking points for you to use.

[Spectral]

I couldn't believe it could be that high so I looked it up on RCP and it seems to be averaging 47/47 mostly. That 57 must be an outlier. I would just be very surprised if the average American people were hungry for this kind of shakeup so close to 2020.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/ep...rump-6957.html

Yeah, Im' not quite sure what's broken with their methodology, but they particularly look far from the averages for independents. The aggregated average at 538 shows independents at 41.8% rather than the mid-60s that Microsoft's firm came up with. I don't know anything about that Microsoft firm, but they're definitely doing something weird.

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Definitely seems like an outlier. But there's apparently pretty strong bipartisan support for bringing in witnesses like Mulvaney to testify, so Republicans can't claim "nobody wants to hear them" (see my post last page with the poll).

Yeah, Monmouth (highly reliable) comes up with 51% favoring compulsion of testimony, 29% asking people to testify, and only 16% not bothering to ask. This is about as clear of a result as you can get.

[Shadowferal]

For the sake of interest; Restlessness, light rule-breaking and milk spotted on Senate floor as impeachment trial rolls on

Under decorum guidelines circulated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), senators are expected to be in their seats at all times, are not supposed to talk to neighboring senators and can’t bring devices such as cellphones or tablets on the floor. Additionally, any reading materials are supposed to be related to impeachment.

It’s a stark contrast to the normal clubby atmosphere of the Senate floor, where senators circulate among their colleagues and float off and on the floor during a vote series.

Senators are already showing signs of restlessness and rule-breaking roughly 48 hours into the trial.

Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) were spotted chatting intermittently from their seats on the Senate floor during the trial.

Reporters have also been keeping a close eye on senators who might be drifting off during the hours on the Senate floor and appeared to spot Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) sleeping on Tuesday, while an NBC News reporter noted that Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) on Wednesday appeared to briefly fall asleep before being nudged by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who sits next to him on the floor.Senators in both parties were seen standing near their chairs or in some cases pacing the outer edge of the floor as the impeachment trial dragged on. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) stretched his arms and yawned, while Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator, was spotted resting his face in his hands and scrunching his eyes in an attempt to wake up.

“I’m not somebody who is very good at sitting in one place ... for extended periods of time, so it takes a little bit more focus and discipline,” Thune said. “You just got to grind through it.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), his Democratic counterpart, noted that “in the last hour or two, I was up and standing, just to move around a little bit and keep my attention focused on what we were doing.”

Senators are being provided a constant supply of snacks to help them try to power through the unusually long session days.

Though Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) told reporters that the Senate candy drawer was “running low,” mounds of snacks could be seen in both the Democratic and Republican cloakrooms. Thune noted he had been munching on Nerds and Swedish Fish; Durbin referred to the bounty in the Democratic room as a “Costco dump.”

On the floor, senators are allowed to have only water or milk, though aides noted that if a senator wanted to drink the latter, they had to bring their own.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) caused a frenzy among reporters when he was spotted drinking milk on the Senate floor; an aide said Cruz also has had a glass during the impeachment trial.

[Dacien]

So it's again about spectacle rather than the truth. Why?

And again do you want to talk about what Trump did is right or wrong?

You need something to move the needle real hard is all I'm saying.

[Bdatik]

You need something to move the needle real hard is all I'm saying.

Does the truth move the needle at all for you / Republicans?

[Dacien]

Does the truth move the needle at all for you / Republicans?

I don't know that it's a national impeachment emergency, no. The dirty laundry is out there, the worst of it is done. But I don't personally think it rises to the level of immediate impeachment and removal. The next election is literally months away, let's have a normal transition.

Unless an audio tape or a blue dress shows up.

Edit: And I half joke about that. For three years I've been waiting for "The Thing" that's going to precipitate a post about how okay it's time for him to go, I actually stand with Democrats on this #cantbelieveimsayingthis, etc. "The Thing" being some incredible professional malpractice or even outright illegal act that would force me to call for his removal.

We can argue about all the moral failings, but I thought the most likely Thing was going to be something along those lines.

[Edge-]

The biggest problem for Democrats is that this really gets deep in the weeds, it's not something that grips attention like audio tapes or a blue dress

Senate impeachment trials aren't supposed to be entertaining. That's literally not the point. Getting into the weeds, is the point though. That shit matters.

it's allegations filtered through tons of bureaucracy and he said, she said.

Which is a good argument for why these named, first-hand witnesses should be called to testify, no? Because that way we can get directly to the heart of things, and see the corresponding documentary evidence that back up their testimony?

Democrats need something to cut through that and I don't know if it's there.

Witnesses and documents. The two things that Trump and Republicans are bragging about keeping from Democrats.

[Bdatik]

I don't know that it's a national impeachment emergency, no.

Of course you don't. We've all known for a while you don't give a shit about the truth, only wining (ie: parroting National Review bullshit since you're unable to think for yourself).

[Orbitus]

I don't know that it's a national impeachment emergency, no. The dirty laundry is out there, the worst of it is done. But I don't personally think it rises to the level of immediate impeachment and removal. The next election is literally months away, let's have a normal transition.

Unless an audio tape or a blue dress shows up.

So, the information that Trump is withholding, which is probably what will fuck him, isn't enough for you? ESPECIALLY the ACTUAL transcript of the call that Vindman says is even more damning than the notes that were released by Trump? Keep shilling for the Republicans that are breaking the law.

[Machismo]

I don't know that it's a national impeachment emergency, no. The dirty laundry is out there, the worst of it is done. But I don't personally think it rises to the level of immediate impeachment and removal. The next election is literally months away, let's have a normal transition.

Unless an audio tape or a blue dress shows up.

Edit: And I half joke about that. For three years I've been waiting for "The Thing" that's going to precipitate a post about how okay it's time for him to go, I actually stand with Democrats on this #cantbelieveimsayingthis, etc. "The Thing" being some incredible professional malpractice or even outright illegal act that would force me to call for his removal.

We can argue about all the moral failings, but I thought the most likely Thing was going to be something along those lines.

This is disingenuous bullshit.

"The next election is literally months away, let's have a normal transition."

All while you Trumpsters will continue supporting Trump. You don't get to say those things, because it's a cover. You don't want a transition, you want your guy to remain in office. I don't know of a single person who hasn't vowed to support Trump who has called for us to wait until the election.

That''s as bad as the people who said we shouldn't have ended slavery,, because "It was dying a natural death." Nah, stop trying to deceive people about what you really want.

[Poopymonster]

So, Ted Cruz is now saying that Hunter Biden is ESSENTIAL to this impeachment trial. I don't know why, Hunter Biden didn't break the law, or have anything to do with Trump's fucking bribery of Ukraine, other than being the VICTIM. Ted Cruz has also said that if the Dems call for Bolton, the Republicans should call Hunter Biden. Schumer said no deal. But Ted Cruz said Hunter was essential tonight. Ted Cruz is basically being Trump's newest favorite cancerous colon polyp.

Fine you can have him.

We won't go forward unle-what?

Call him. Hunter, you're subpeona'd. Get your Biden ass up here. Ted, you wanted to ask him a question?

Um, er...Hi Hunter...

Now. We're going to call Bolton, Mulvaney, the entire cabinet, what the hell, get Moochie in here too. Hey, get back here. You can go first. Mister President. Swear the oath....ok. Repeat after me. I'll go one word at a time..

Attorney Douchewitz bursts into flames screaming PERJURY TRAP!

[Kaleredar]

I'm getting really tired of conservative pundits talking about this being a snooze fest or a TV ratings disaster.

You think they have the brain cells to rub together to form an actual redress of it?

[Benggaul]

I'm getting really tired of conservative pundits talking about this being a snooze fest or a TV ratings disaster.

They can't talk about facts since they are decidedly not in their favor, so they have to resort to diversions.

[Smitzelplix]

The biggest problem for Democrats is that this really gets deep in the weeds, it's not something that grips attention like audio tapes or a blue dress, it's allegations filtered through tons of bureaucracy and he said, she said. Democrats need something to cut through that and I don't know if it's there.

There might not be tapes, but there has been lots of text messages and emails, especially the ones Parnas dropped recently. I noticed that once those started coming out most of the Trump supporters stopped talking or if they did they completely ignored the recent releases kind of like you're doing.

[Orbitus]

I'm getting really tired of conservative pundits talking about this being a snooze fest or a TV ratings disaster.

Yeah, it isn't surprising they are parroting Trump with his bullshit talking points, while they are doing nothing about the law. They should just get it over with, make a Criminal Minds or Law and Order spinoff and just admit they don't care about the law. Law and Order: It Is Just Locker Room Talk(Tm).

[cubby]

The biggest problem for Democrats is that this really gets deep in the weeds, it's not something that grips attention like audio tapes or a blue dress, it's allegations filtered through tons of bureaucracy and he said, she said. Democrats need something to cut through that and I don't know if it's there.

How about Trump on live television admitting to the crimes?

You Trumpkins are beyond adorable in forgetting even the basic facts of reality.

[Orbitus]

How about Trump on live television admitting to the crimes?

You Trumpkins are beyond adorable in forgetting even the basic facts of reality.

Yeah, he certainly did that, so did Mulvaney, and then said "So What" after it. Even asked China to look into them too.

[Blur4stuff]

Trump has confessed his crimes and committed more on live TV. It's not about getting people's attention because most republicans willfully ignore reality. They don't want to know and if they accidentally learn something they suddenly decide it's okay. Like sexually assaulting women or extorting a foreign government or funneling taxpayer money into your own pocket.

Trump supporters know he's corrupt. They've decided they don't care.

[ati87]

The biggest problem for Democrats is that this really gets deep in the weeds, it's not something that grips attention like audio tapes or a blue dress, it's allegations filtered through tons of bureaucracy and he said, she said. Democrats need something to cut through that and I don't know if it's there.

Oh yes, live confessions is just not so exciting as a dress or a recording of that confession.