If this is not the bottom of the damn barrel and worthy of impeachment, then

[Atticus]

please stop all this blather about "the rule of law" and "co-equal branches of government".

Trump has just stated, in response to a question from George Stephanopolous, that he sees nothing wrong with accepting campaign assistance from a foreign government and would do so if it was offered. He would not see any need to notify the FBI UNLESS he "saw something wrong"! In other words, he just hung a "For Sale" sign on the 2020 election!

I'm sorry, but I just don't know if I can play this game much longer if we are going to ignore our moral AND CONSTITUTIONAL obligations because they are deemed by some to be politically inconvenient. (And, will the person who usually asks "which 20 Republican Senators do you believe will vote to convict Trump if the Democratic House impeaches" just please not bother. I just no longer give even one shit.)

Impeach the sonofabitch or turn out the lights.

[MFM008]

1. AGREED!

[Kurt V.]

2. one. There is no bottom. two. There will be no impeachment.

[BigmanPigman]

40. IMPEACH TRUMP RALLIES across the US on Sat, June 15th!

Check the link for an event near you. More are being added each day so keep checking.

https://www.impeach.org/event/impeachment_day_of_action_june15/search/?

Also, call your congress member. Here is a list of where each rep stands on Impeachment.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/31/us/politics/trump-impeachment-congress-list.html

[ecstatic]

47. Great! It's time. It's really time. We have to let them know we're serious

and we want impeachment NOW!

[BigmanPigman]

53. I know, I just wish it weren't THIS weekend.

I think there would be a larger turnout if they had more time to get the word out and if it were held on a non-holiday (Father's Day Sunday) weekend.

[maxsolomon]

84. Barely a holiday

And that's Sunday.

[stillcool]

3. might as well turn out the lights..

impeachment will do nothing, except give you something to watch. Republicans will do what Republicans do. They will get the ink, the microphones, and the spin. Followed by nothing. Well, maybe some GOP jubilation, because they can now put all their focus on how to steal elections. Hope you enjoy the show...Turn the lights out when it's over.

[hueymahl]

78. This is a loser's mentality

Time to go on the offense. Make all those Republican assholes play defense for a while.

[maxsolomon]

85. LOSING mentality

please don't adopt Asshole's language.

[displacedtexan]

4. So he's been lying about the witch hunt all along? Shocker!

He's a criminal moron, trying to save Junior from being indicted for perjury. Trump's a traitor. They're all traitors.

[triron]

50. He committed a new kind of treason. What is the appropriate punishment for treason I wonder.

[Hoyt]

5. Sad fact is, just about all candidates nowadays are digging for dirt wherever

they can get it. I don’t think trump was the only one doing that in 2016.

Now actively encouraging or conspiring with foreign countries to hack, spread lies, and the like, are a different thing.

[Atticus]

6. When Gore was given a copy of Bush's briefing book that a Bush aide had mislaid, he

returned it without using or copying it. As his reason, he repeated some nonsense about "doing the right thing".*

[Hoyt]

9. Gore was one of a kind, like Obama. But, a campaign member did steal the book, even if it was

given back later.

[Atticus]

14. I understood that the material, including videotapes of Bush's debate practice, was sent anonymously

to a Mr. Downey (I think), an attorney working on Gore's campaign. I had not heard of the material being stolen. Do you have a cite?

[Hoyt]

21. Well, it was either stolen or was planted by bush. The latter seems far-fetched, but who knows.

[Atticus]

24. I have little problem with your assertion that it was "stolen", but I understood you to say it was

stolen by someone in Gore's campaign organization. That seems unlikely to me, but I'd certainly consider evidence which proved me wrong.

[Hoyt]

29. You have a point there. If it did occur like that, it was certainly someone who preferred Gore.

But, you are correct, I should not have said "campaign."

Should have been more precise -- "Stolen/taken by someone likely favoring Gore over lying, warmongering bush."

[Atticus]

33. Thanks for your responses. Civil discussion is still possible between thinking people, even when

they seem to differ. And, for the record, I often reread my own posts and wish I had been "more precise".

[uponit7771]

13. There's no proof of what you're talkin about, and sounds a bit too close to what Republicans are acc

...

[Hoyt]

18. There is proof our candidate was looking for dirt, and deservedly so. However, her campaign did

not -- like trump -- encourage the Ruskies or anyone else to hack election offices, spread lies appearing as legitimate people and organizations, etc. That's a huge difference, but looking for dirt is a fact.

My point is, there is too much looking for dirt on candidates in this country, rather than debating real issues.

You can call my opinion right wing, but as far as accepting or looking for dirt, I'm able to face facts.

Again, that's very different from actively conspiring with a foreign country to hack election offices, spreading lies, etc. Unfortunately, Mueller chose to wimp out on that aspect of his investigation.
___________________



"Campaigns and party committees frequently pay companies to assemble what’s known in politics as opposition research — essentially damaging information about their opponents — and nothing is illegal about the practice. . . . . .

". . . . . . After Mr. Trump secured the nomination, Fusion GPS was hired on behalf of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign and the D.N.C. by their law firm, Perkins Coie, to compile research about Mr. Trump, his businesses and associates — including possible connections with Russia. It was at that point that Fusion GPS hired Mr. Steele, who has deep sourcing in Russia, to gather information."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/25/us/politics/steele-dossier-trump-expained.html

If you have evidence to the contrary, will be glad to admit my mistake.

[uponit7771]

19. Clinton was not digging for dirt wherever she could get it that would include illegal places

... maybe it's just a matter of semantics but wherever she can get it could mean let come what May

[Hoyt]

22. I am sure working with Ruskies to hack and deceive is a crime, or should be. I'm not sure,

taking evidence -- that is true -- from any source that appears on your doorway, without expectations of something in return (and getting it), is a crime.

There's a big difference in the two.

Trump's comment today about looking at "dirt" from whatever source, is not particularly incriminating. But -- and it's a big but -- trump would likely pay them, with our money, for the dirt. That is an issue.

But what he said today isn't going to cause people to want to impeach him, unless they are inclined to believe he would repay the supplier of useful dirt. I certainly am.

[triron]

55. The Clinton campaign utilized Fusion GPS, an intelligence firm based in Washington DC,

clearly not a foreign power. That makes all the difference in the world.

[rlegro]

43. That Times quote is right as far as it goes.

As the Washington Post and New Yorker both reported, after the Democratic Party / Clinton lawyers hired Fusion GPS, the research firm subcontracted with Steele, which development the Clinton campaign reportedly was not aware of. Nor was Steele aware who the Fusion GPS client was (there were two clients, actually, the other being conservative political website The Washington Free Beacon). After Trump's election, the Democrats dropped the project but Fusion GPS owner Glenn Simpson continued working with Steele. Here's ABC News, January 2018, quoting Simpson: "[Steele] said he was very concerned about whether this represented a national security threat and said ... he thought we were obligated to tell someone in government, in our government about this information." Simpson told Senate staffers in a transcript: "He [Steele] said he was professionally obligated to do it." The Steele memos were first shared with Sen. John McCain, who passed them onto the FBI.

Regarding the question of whether opposition research is ever ethically right: Well, it is now. The modern norm is that many candidates for public office -- and not just high federal office - are vetted by pollsters, the news media, voters, other candidates and the general population, not just on the basis of their political views and proposals, but also on who they are and what they've done.

While it's quite laudable to argue that the right thing would be to foreswear opposition research, campaigns now often feel obliged to vet their own candidates, so they are later not surprised by opposition charges. Heck, the GOP spent 25 years conducting oppo research on Hillary, often manufacturing unwarranted story lines and spinning innuendo.

So, opposition research? Unilateral disarmament by Democrats is unwise. In any case, conducting an investigation of Steele's sort is not illegal, nor is it comparable to a political campaign leaning towards foreign interests offering stolen private campaign information. If interviewing foreigners in the private sector or government were illegal, news media in the US would be shutting down their overseas bureaus lest someone besides Trump regarded them as enemies of the state.

[calimary]

7. My mind is blown.

Even Nixon wasn't this corrupt.

Color me completely FLABBERGASTED.

And we're still taking the long slow road toward MAYBE-impeachment? Might this change the calculus a little?

On edit - PLEEEEEEASE call your Reps! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!! If not a message or text or use ResistBot on your phone - anytime around the clock. It's 50409. Or call their offices tomorrow first thing! We have to move Congress, even if it seems like trying to move the whole planet (of course much of the planet would be with us on that, I suspect).

This is ENOUGH. ENOUGH of this. He needs to be shown The DOOR.

[FakeNoose]

83. Even Nixon wasn't this STUPID

I'd say he was corrupt but he wasn't so stupid as to expose his corruption on national TV. Only Chump is that stupid and vain. He really thought he was scooping Stephanopoulos and the other reporters when he said that stuff. He figures he can get away with anything, and until we DO something - the fact is he CAN get away with it.

[Grammy23]

87. My Congress critter is Matt Gaetz. The little weasel.

Calling to let him know my and my husband’s opinion of the situation would do about as much good as spitting out my back door. He has a blood red constituency and the fact that there are a few of us Dems in his district is meaningless to him. No way for him to give a care.

I’ve given some thought to calling his office just to register my opinion but it would only piss me off to have some staffer duly note my thoughts knowing it won’t change his mind one peg. It really is frustrating to know he doesn’t give a rat’s ass what I think and the rest of us Dems living in NW FL but that is the long and the short of it.

Now if some of his Republican constituency start to turn against tRump he might be moved to do something but until that day, I’m wasting my time and my breath telling him what I think.

[calimary]

88. It STILL matters, Grammy23. It STILL matters.

First, my condolences on your - er - um - “representation”. You deserve WAY better!

But consider this: if the guy keeps getting g these calls that you know he doesn’t agree with or doesn’t give a damn about, if he STILL gets a lot of calls I this ANYWAY?

That can be rather destabilizing over time. Michael Steele, the former RNC Chair (the CONS’ idea of “SEE? WE got one, TOO!!!” Who got the chairmanship when Barack Obama became President) just pointed out on MSNBC with Hallie Jackson this morning, that there are no consequences. “There are NO consequences. Whatever the president says, whatever the president does, there are NO consequences.”

Okay. Would you raise your kid like that?

If Matt Gaetz gets a disturbing amount of calls pushing back on this, it may not change his mind. Probably not. HOWEVER, it will be destabilizing. Reps like him NEED to hear and see and read pushback.
They NEED to see that they DON’T have unanimous approval.
They NEED TO see that this is unpopular with at least some of their voters.
They NEED to see that the razzmatazz that Pix Noise delivers every day in its attempt to create and preserve that beautiful bubble world of theirs is not being reflected in the real world where they live and their district offices are and their little army of office workers may be starting to grow uneasy about the way the winds are blowing.
It’s called DESTABILIZING THE ENEMY.
Make ‘em worry.
Knock ‘em off their high horse of complacency.
He’s cocky as hell right now. But if he starts getting enough discontent and disagreements from his constituents, it WILL start to eat away at him.
He’ll have a harder time staying cocky and obnoxious like that. Soon enough, he may have to start reaching, every morning, for the bottle of Maalox tablets that soon will become a regular fixture on his nightstand.
DESTABILIZE THE ENEMY.
That’s when they start making mistakes. When they’re knocked off their cozy complacent “Screw you! Who cares what YOU think? Everybody’s with ME!” attitude.
And when that starts, and there continues to be a load of calls every day pushing against him, there’s gonna be chatter. Those staffers who actually TAKE those phone calls are making note (because they need to report to their boss what the constituents are complaining about). And THEY’RE noticing. And they’re TALKING, too. They start grousing to each other in the bathroom or outside taking a smoke break or at the local watering hole where they gather after work to gossip and let off some steam and maybe, increasingly, needing a few cold ones to drink the increasingly unpleasant day away.

It does take time. But it starts gnawing on them. It may start gnawing on some staffer who starts to grow a conscience after having to deal with this contrary shit all the time that they don’t like OR welcome. And that can eventually lead to higher turnover in the district office as “who needs this shit” frontliners leave, or maybe one or more of them leak to reporters they know.

And you know what can happen then. One of those reporters sensed there’s a hot story developing here, that - “hey, Matt Gaetz may be in trouble...” and heaven help him if something like THAT gets started.

DESTABILIZE THE ENEMY. THERE’S your consequences - right there. Let there be a price to pay for being this way.

And pretty soon ol’ Matt starts feeling a little shaky and less sure of his constituent support, and he starts looking around for some safe job out of the firing line - maybe in some CON “think” tank or foundation or the RNC or maybe even among the White House staff.

Cue the Maalox bottle...

[Catch2.2]

8. Dems need to begin Impeachment!!!!!!

Come on Pelosi! Do the right thing!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

10. On your side...

It’s time. If I really let my “free flag fly” I’d be tombstoned in a minute..well second...

Strange we have to and feel a need to follow the rules but the “Most Powerful Person” in the world who has absolutely no fuchsia morals...gets clean away with anything.

Yes I used fuchsia instead of fu......

[Ligyron]

76. ...and "free" instead of "freak".

[shockey80]

11. I agree 100%.

[uponit7771]

12. There's no reason to think the 2020 election will be free and fair at

[yaesu]

34. every election, from now on, will be suspect. nt

[Greg K]

38. And now that Trump has basically declared himself above the law, we're f*cked.

[SunSeeker]

15. Yup. It was so frustrating to hear Hakeem Jeffries respond that they'll "stay the course."

That's after Stephanie Rohle asked him if Trump saying today he would accept information on his opponent from a foreign country was enough for the House to start an impeachment inquiry.

[ecstatic]

45. I usually love his appearances but his position is completely untenable

at this point, and I think he knows it. You can't say trump committed treason and not be ready for impeachment yet. It makes no logical sense! He needs to urge Nancy to act, and quickly!

[SunSeeker]

46. Yep. nt

[Ferrets are Cool]

16. I must agree 100%

[moonseller66]

17. To impeach or not Impeach...no question, Hamlet

If every polling/voting place in America were using PAPER ballots in every election, I could see waiting (in a vey limited way) for 2020. We all know that's not going to happen. The likely hood of something questionable happening in the 2020 Vote is much more of a possibility than worrying what the current public (independents) may think!

Besides, if you're trying to impress or sway an independent that can only mean they are actually apathetic toward what politics can do (until it happens to them) or just plain ignorant of what's going on.

[Ahpook]

20. I certainly feel the same frustration

I wrote in another thread that I started paying attention when Gore was literally robbed of his presidency. We The People my fucking ass!

All I have heard since then is what we should be doing or what we may do. The Bush years were a nightmare for this very reason.

Just get it the fuck over with and throw the fascists the keys. As usual nothing is going to happen but strongly worded letters

On edit: I have been curious as to why Mcconnell and the rest of the slugs get almost everything they want pushed through while we sit aside with thumbs up our ass? Laws, judges, etc.

It smells... badly

[watoos]

23. To add insult to injury

A house 2 blocks away just hung 2 humongous Trump 2020 banners above his porch.
I know the guy, we are both big college wrestling fans. Should have guessed he was a Trumper they are all around me here in central Pa.

[Ahpook]

25. They have to have multiples for some reason

A neighbor of mine has had dozens of Trump signs littering his yard since the election.

Why? Maybe to reaffirm something? I don't get it

[SunSeeker]

36. It's an F.U. to the world. They know they aren't changing any minds.

They are just doing it to be obnoxious, to "own the libs."

[mainstreetonce]

26. Agreed

He is bragging about breaking an important law.
Lock him up!

[rufus dog]

27. Impeach and then imprison

for life, fuck this shit, time to make a stand.

[D_Master81]

28. People just dont care

If they have a job and money in the bank account, most Americans really couldn't care less if the fibers of our government were being torn apart or not.

[MadDAsHell]

30. Like always, someone's re-election bid is more important than country. nt

[SunSeeker]

48. Yes, apparently.

[moonseller66]

31. My opinion...

If someone is that big a trump fan, he or she is either a racist or too apathetically stupid to know what real life is all about. I can't see any other choice.

[cwydro]

32. Someone will be along to splain it to you, I'm sure.

5-4-3-2...

[CrispyQ]

35. I give our republic about a 30% chance of surviving

Trump/Barr/MConnell.

People say we'll lose the House if the dems impeach. I think we could lose it if they don't. Not impeaching feeds two narratives: the dems are weak, & there isn't any difference between the two parties.

[SunSeeker]

37. I agree, we'll lose if we don't impeach.

I'm so frustrated watching this go down, like a slow motion train wreck.

[Jack-o-Lantern]

39. The 2020 fix is in, the rigging is set...

If we do not start impeachment right now! We are in for another four years of trump, and the destruction of democracy will be complete.

[KSNY]

41. YES!

I agree 100%

[wendyb-NC]

42. Absolutely.

This is such a dangerous place for our country, has been for at least the last 3 years since Trump was nominated. He needs to go,
ASAP! This is absurd and scary.

[ecstatic]

44. A-Freakin-men! It's now or never! That THUG is getting bolder by the day!

Impeach, indict, and lock his fat ass up! Period! No more excuses! I admire and respect our reps, but enough is enough! Forgive me, but they're starting to sound like fools saying in one breath that he's committing treason and then stuttering and stammering when asked why TF an impeachment inquiry has not begun. The current strategy is untenable--this country and our constitution is in the midst of a 4 alarm fire that needs to be dealt with NOW, not later. Fuck the polls and the fake infrastructure deals that will never pass. Get that law breaking criminal under control!

[JGug1]

51. Impeach, indict.....

Nope. You left out some steps. Impeach, remove from office, indict, convict, lock up his fat ass....I think I fixed it for you.

[JGug1]

49. Impeach or Turn Out The Lights

Patience....patience.....The wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine.

[Atticus]

57. "Justice delayed is justice denied". nt

[cilla4progress]

52. Listening right now.

If we don't move to impeach, we are lost.

I fear we are lost.

[triron]

56. Pelosi will say we need an "ironclad" case.

Bottom line, we are lost.

[uponit7771]

67. Impeachment is a requirement now, we need good timing though

[moonseller66]

54. It's time

for the Democratic Party to go on the offensive once and for all.

Screw the Republicun*s
Screw the media

Neither gives one shit about America...just their profit.

The Democratic Party needs to let those who think they are independents what's really going on that will affect their and their children's lives.

It's time to step up and do the job for the people who elected you.

The Time's, they better be a-changin'!

[Stuart G]

58. About this debate. A long time ago, I walked out on a movie in the middle of it.

I did not like the movie, and it scared the s**t out of me. It scared me in many different ways. The movie was Psycho. I did not see the end of that film, for 25 years after that walk out in 1960. How does this current show, The Trump Impeachment Show, relate to walking out in the middle of the movie Psyco?

..Simple..This is the middle of this show. It ain't over till it is over. Trump will be impeached. Yes, I believe that, but no one knows when. People on our side are thinking about it very seriously. Some on the other side are also thinking about it. (they will tell no one) But this is happening. We don't know the end of the show. No one knows. But I do believe this: Trump will be impeached.

Why? Trump is a liar and a crook. It is that simple. And furthermore, most (65 to 76 percent) of adults in the U.S.A. know that Trump is a liar and a crook. I would say that is very obvious. The rest of the show is fluid and foggy. No one knows the end of this show. I think it will get to Trump being impeached, but as far as being "guilty" and "convicted"? It is the future, no one knows. We will know when it happens. There are many different possible endings to this show.

(When I finally saw the end of the movie "Psycho", it was not what I thought it would be) No one told me, and . I really was scared. So, I saw the end many years later. The end was indeed scary. This current movie could also have a scary end. And it could have a calming quiet end. No one knows because it is the future.

[leftstreet]

59. DURec

[gulliver]

60. Impeachment right now just leaves him in office.

To preserve the Constitution, we have to get him and his Republicans out of office. You don't defend the Constitution by letting Trump and his Republicans remain in office and destroy it.

[spanone]

61. Impeach the sonofabitch or turn out the lights.

Our very democracy is on the line. N O W

[man4allcats]

65. Impeach the bastid! n/t

[Grasswire2]

66. Yes, many are in agreement. The window for keeping our republic is slamming shut.

John Heilemann and others on MSNBC today very soberly discussed this moment.

If something does not happen to electrify the public soon, it's over.

[democrank]

68. Highly recommended

Impeach Trump

[Mike Niendorff]

69. K&R

#PureTruth


MDN

[MasonDreams]

70. I just don't get it, why are we still surprised?

The psychiatrists are right.

[Martin Eden]

71. Trump: Sure, I would collude; why not?

Trump, after his campaign met numerous times with agents of a foreign government that attacked our election then lied about those meetings:
NO COLLUSION!!!

[Pachamama]

72. +1,000,000,000

[Timmygoat]

74. So much

For "No collusion;

[HAB911]

75. +++++++++++

[Nevermypresident]

77. K & R

[colsohlibgal]

79. Let's Go Nancy!

Does he have to shoot a random person on 5th Avenue@?

It should be go time....so what if Mitch doesn’t act?

Despicable and morally bankrupt.....that is the person that about a third of the Nation still think of as a stellar Leader.

And again, we are hardly the only nation under assault by White Nationalists, aka fascists.

[mnhtnbb]

80. I am sending a second e-mail to my Dem Congress Critter today

demanding he get off the fence and start talking up impeachment. I sent a first request weeks ago.

I don't give a $hit if the Republicans in the Senate want to enable this treasonous sack of orange crap. It is time for the Dems to step up, grab the leadership role for which they were elected in 2018, and begin impeachment proceedings. It is time for them to do the right thing and put on the media show that will make it clear to Americans who LOVE to watch TV that 45 has committed high crimes and misdemeanors and deserves to be removed from office.

It is time for the Democrats to do the right thing.

[Paladin]

81. Impeachment, right fucking NOW. (nt)

[CrispyQ]

82. We could lose the House if they don't impeach.

IMO, not impeaching feeds two narratives: the dems are weak, & the two parties are basically the same. Not impeaching will also embolden the GOP, as if they need more emboldening. The dems have not seriously challenged the GOP bad behavior for 45 years & we wonder how they got the idea they can do whatever the fuck they want. If the House dems don't come out fighting soon, I think the odds our republic will survive Trump/Barr/McConnell/GOP is very slim.

I'm calling Speaker Pelosi today. And I'm calling my dem rep, who has already spoken out publicly in favor of impeachment, to thank him. https://www.house.gov/representatives

Call your senators, too, & ask that they publicly support starting impeachment. https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

If you have a smart phone & dem reps, you have no excuse not to take 5 minutes & make 3-4 calls. If we want this to happen we have to make it happen.

[saidsimplesimon]

86. Fight or eat sh..

Rumpie imagines himself the matador slaying the donkey. The man who claims to be an expert on "the art of the deal" has been reduced to a mere puppet shouting campaign slogans? It's another sad day for democracy in America.

Speaker Pelosi, if you are listening, another Brava for your calm, logical and factual public comments.