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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs That All There Is?
That is what many Republicans are asking? What is this about "attempted bribery"? They got their money, didn't they? The President is in charge of foreign policy. He can fire ambassadors any time he wants. So what's the big deal? Is that all there is?
Actually, no. That is not all there is. That is just a small sample of the abuse of power and corruption from this president.
Although these may end up as the final charges in the Articles of Impeachment, there is much more where that came from. Who can forget paying off adult-film stars just before his last election to keep her information from affecting the election results?
Who can forget the firing of James Comey, FBI Director, because he would not pledge loyalty to Donald Trump? Who can forget standing in front of the cameras and asking Russia to hack the emails of his political opponent?
Who can forget the crimes of his campaign manager and his personal attorney - both who are now in prison? Who can simply forget the connections to organized crime?
Who can forget his efforts to fire the Special Counsel, who was hired to investigate Russia's interference in our election? Who can forget the many instances of obstruction of justice?
Who can forget the many times he refused to recognize the authority of the Congress to oversee the Executive Branch, by disallowing anyone to testify, even with subpoenas? The obstruction of Congress is no small matter to be dismissed.
Who can forget Donald Trump standing on the podium in Helsinki with the leader of Russia and betraying our nation in front of the whole world? Of course, he believed Vladimir Putin over our own intelligence forces. What reason would he have not to believe Putin?
Yes, we can look at the attempted bribery and obstruction of justice in the Ukraine scandal and declare that it is not enough to impeach. There is much, much, much more.
(from a Peggy Lee song)
"And when I was twelve years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads
And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle
I had the feeling that something was missing
I don't know what, but when it was over
I said to myself, "is that all there is to a circus?"
mopinko
(73,422 posts)a scotch on the rocks.
i know they want to keep it simple, but i think there should be at least a few counts that are just about his fucking compulsive lying and total unfitness.
i have been saying for a while that i want to see a count that he is unfit, witness dr ronnie feelgood. charge his w faking a medical exam based exactly on the question of his fitness.
lying from the fucking white house podium, covering up his insanity.
because he was corrupted. an honored member of the navy, admiral? iirc.
all this is one playbook, run over and over. a few absurd examples would make that clear.
he is unfit.
Chin music
(24,999 posts)Pulling out of The Paris Accords for no reason.
Ending longstanding nuclear missile treaties (SALT II?) for no reason.
Allowing mining and timbering in our National Forests, And reversing protections at Bears Ears, bc..Obama.
Cutting National Parks and Forestry budgets to encourage privatization.
Allowing more oil drilling in our coastal areas, and fracking practically de-regulated entirely.
The Keystone Pipeline.
More tax breaks for folks who don't need them. Messing w tax filing rules and regulations, so that middle and lower classes pay more.
Vocally destroying vestiges of Obamacare.
Virtually eliminating EPA Clean Water Protections. Allowing coal waste and nuclear waste to be handled and disposed of almost without any guardrails
Gutting FDA Inspection Regulations.
Actively trying to destroy NATO.
Abandoning the Kurds, The Ukranians, South Koreans and other combat allies.
Allowing KIM to launch missiles wo repercussions.
Emoluments violations by he and his family that continue to this day unchecked, in volume this nation has never seen.
Encouraging violence amongst Americans and supporting White Nationalism, unapologetically,...
WELCOMING foreign intrusions in our elections.
Unjustified tariffs.
Collaboration W enemies of America like Putin, Erdogan, Kim, Duetarte(sp).
Awful undignified showings at G6/D-Day Remembrances/England etc. SHOVING the President of Montenegro
War on teachers and labor unions.
Placement of Cabinet Positions in 'acting' status, w no Senate approval, that are almost to a man, anathema to their respective departments and responsibilities.
Attempting to privitize the VA and stealing charity funds collected for same.
Pardoning convicted (by their peers), war criminals.
Giving sacred national honors to folks undeserving.
The list keeps going on and on.
kentuck
(115,279 posts)Chin music
(24,999 posts)Attempting to divulge FISA Court means and methods to reveal intel secrets and practices, to foreign/enemy nations. (Leadng to revelations of secret intelligence assets so deep in the russian govt, as to have had literally visual access to putins desk.)
Leaking PDF/other information to Saudi Arabia, Qatar via Jared Kushner(?) that led to the live(skyped) dismemberment of an American resident.
Family members accepting 'loans' from foreign govts.
Wholesale war on constitutionally protected Freedom of the Press.
Deployment of American military forces as mercenaries, to protect foreign oil interests.
Complete lack of security on phones leading to eavesdropping by any nation who cares to, to collect secret American INTEL, paid for by the American taxpayer. Thereby risking the National Defense of our entire Nation. (And the intel personnel who gather and guard it.)
Stacking Federal Benches with wholly unqualified political partisan Judges for life time appointments...
Stealing two Supreme Court Justice seats by political chicanery.
Monetizing Ambassadorships.
Witholding Congressionally mandated FEMA disaster funds.
Rerouting funds allocated to the military for his southern wall.
On and on.
world wide wally
(21,836 posts)Still In Wisconsin
(4,450 posts)and that's all they care about. Once again, Republicans have seized the narrative. America believes Gym Jordan and Devin Nunes more than they believe Adam Schiff. Just the way it is.
Response to Still In Wisconsin (Reply #7)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
Alithea
(99 posts)Last edited Wed Nov 27, 2019, 07:19 AM - Edit history (1)
It is much easier for people to intuitively understand that "solicitation of a bribe" is a crime, is morally objectionable, and is harmful to the public, rather than "attempted bribery", which (incorrectly) sounds like a mere attempt at a crime.
"Solicitation of a bribe" is - and sounds like - a crime. It is a crime regardless of whether the thing of value was ever received. People understand this.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/bribery#
"Bribery refers to the offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving of any item of value as a means of influencing the actions of an individual holding a public or legal duty. [...] Solicitation of a bribe also constitutes a crime and is completed regardless of whether the solicitation results in the receipt of a valuable gift."
Kid Berwyn
(23,650 posts)Yet...that never is given... Oh well. Hey, Chuck Todd! Look! Squirrel!
