General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI am so old, I remember when having a criminal as POTUS was considered a bad thing.
But, that type of "moralistic" thinking is now considered "so 2015".
It is clear---yes, it is---that Trump was in violation of the Emoluments Clause from the second he---Wink! Wink!--- took the oath of office.
He publicly solicited Russian intervention in his own election.
He admitted---bragged about---firing Comey to stop his investigation of "that Russia thing".
He's boasted about being entitled to commit sexual assault because he is "a star".
And, "abuses of power"? Don't get me started!
Donald Trump is lucky that we, as a people, have decided that impeachment is just a "quaint" silly concept and that the "new rule" is that there ARE no rules.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)And I understand all the arguments against impeachment, but I dont agree with them. I believe that he must be held accountable and according to the Constitution, it is Congress duty to do so. If Congress refuses to impeach him out of political expediency, then maybe that section of the Constitution should be
amended or stricken.
BeyondGeography
(39,382 posts)Put your multi-dimensional chess thinking cap on and play the long game!
IOW, K&R.
Bettie
(16,129 posts)sad that it isn't even an issue anymore.
solara
(3,836 posts)What do you suppose will happen if we impeach the tyrant wanna-be and the Senate does not convict or even worse..what if trump's hand-maiden, McConnell, refuses to even bring impeachment to a vote in the Senate? What do you suppose will happen then? I don't think much of anything really scares or intimidates PINO trump as long as he believes the Senate and his base are behind him and you can be certain he will twist impeachment to his own political ends, especially if nothing comes of it and it could be a sure-fire way to give trump the win in 2020.
Speaker Pelosi's idea could be for the House Committees and the State of NY to keep gathering evidence against trump so that even the most die-hard republican clingers-on will finally have to admit that for the good of all and the safety of our country we must remove the lying, treacherous, treasonous, totally corrupt tyrant (and his guilty minions) from power.
But I could be wrong. It might be better to give in to our righteous anger right now and impeach away
BlueWI
(1,736 posts)It's a constitutional prerogative to remove a president who is unfit for office.
Why frame this issue like Republicans do? That the left is so full of righteous anger that it doesn't reason?
You do realize that this is probably a Fox news talking point too, right?
Maybe a better way to think of it is agree to disagree. You agree that we should signal to a president who has repeatedly undermined Democratic processes, lies publicly and shamelessly about his obstruction of justice, business ties with a foreign enemy, etc. that impeachment is off the table. But hectoring Democrats on a Democratic site to take that view? Can't say I'm with you on that.
All I can say is this three-dimensional chess, long game, or whatever the Pelosi strategy is supposed to be better net a 2020 election win, building on the grassroots efforts that produced the blue wave in 2018. Otherwise, we're in a world of hurt, facing 8 years of Trump and not even standing up to claim our constitutional duty to impeach an unfit president.
solara
(3,836 posts)Here's an OP from another here on DU
ehrnst (17,709 posts)
Nancy Pelosi has a two-track strategy on impeachment
Analysis: No, the speaker won't move to impeach the president if she doesn't have the votes but her committees are doing the work right now.
WASHINGTON Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., would be publicly calling for the immediate impeachment of President Donald Trump right now if only she lacked guile, strategic sense and the ability to count votes in the House and Senate.
....................................................
For starters, the House is already pursuing an impeachment track. There are several committees including Judiciary, Oversight and Reform, Ways and Means, and Intelligence currently conducting investigations designed to produce evidence that could be used in developing articles of impeachment against Trump.
Pelosi is well aware of what her chairmen are doing. There are plenty of meetings about jurisdiction and witnesses and timing. To listen to Pelosi's words without considering the context of the actions her committees are taking is to deny her guile, her power and her understanding of the institution she runs.
...................................................
For Pelosi to have credibility with that part of her caucus, and for those swing-district Democrats to have credibility with their voters, she's going to have to show that Democrats can govern. If the moderate freshmen are ever to get to a place where they can vote to impeach Trump, they will have far better standing with their constituents if they've already demonstrated an ability to legislate.[/div
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/nancy-pelosi-has-two-track-strategy-impeachment-n982196]
Actually lol'd at the title.
True Blue American
(17,989 posts)world wide wally
(21,755 posts)I must be old too because I remember that as well.
certainot
(9,090 posts)continue - the dem party and orgs should be on offense
that's the difference - we all know a dem president would have been gone long ago merely because of those radio stations screaming bloody murder. instead they make excuses for him all day long.
Still defending ourselves at a knife fight with a library book.
At least Indivisible put some wind in our sails. It is critical to sustain the momentum going into 2020. Where would this party be without its grass roots contingent? Probably still looking at a Republican house majority. It's the grassroots efforts that are going to win back the country, if anyone can.
certainot
(9,090 posts)unfortunately grass roots is listening to music and has no clue.
searching this - news.iheart.com/featured/rush-limbaugh and 'cortez' gets some of limbaugh's attacks on AOC digitized in iheart transcripts of his shows so we dont have to go to his site
we need to tell the radio ad industry that they need to start asking clients if the actually want to support rw radio hate bigotry lies and trump
with advances in AI it's inevitable that talk radio is digitized, studied, and finally factored in politics
that would destroy rw radio
BlueWI
(1,736 posts)The wins by young women of color and other signature 2018 wins resulted largely from new energy pumped in by millennials, women running for office, and Indivisible. Trump is a consequence of old order politics - too many New York politicians and agencies not outraged soon enough with his discriminatory housing policies and sham business financing schemes, turning a blind eye to his mob associations when he sought to own casinos, etc. At every turn the people who should know better shined him on, put him on TV, tolerated his ripoffs of contractors and people of color.
I say the grassroots, of all ages, is the best asset, because they are more media savvy than the mainstream part of the party. I do agree that pushback against old media and better use of old and new media to amplify Democratic messages is needed badly. There's a job for everybody to turn this mess around.
certainot
(9,090 posts)have
if they would pay $1000/hr x 15 hrs x 1200 stations is worth about $5BIL/yr FREE think tank coordinated messaging for republicans - that has been the difference - that is what turned a few teabags with koch bros bus passes and russian social media help into the 'fearsome' 'tea party' - and OWS into a moilehill
grassroots, indivisible, protestors, gotv, donations - all have to play catch up against that $5BIL/yr in buzz - generated by a few hundred ignorant liars with giant microphones that the left ignores, kicking our ass
ignoring that is what happened the last 30 of regression ending now with trump - it's the party of limbaugh, and the money in politics, deregulation, voter suppression, lack of reform in media, guns, racism, etc are symptoms of ignoring talk radio - not causes of this disater
and we let 88 universities support 260 limbaugh stations!
LakeArenal
(28,847 posts)What an odd concept. Medevil even.
hay rick
(7,643 posts)triron
(22,023 posts)It's ok now if it is popular with most of your base.
Media just looks the other way anyway.