PLEASE TAKE HEART.

[pnwmom]

This week, like some other people, I had briefly allowed myself to be swept into the possibility that some miracle witness would appear who would allow -- first, a stream of other witnesses -- and then a 2/3 vote for removal.

But, really, I should have been prepared for this. I knew this two months ago, when we started along this path. Half the Republicans were not going to vote for removal. It was a vain hope to think that people stupid or selfish enough to be Trumpers were suddenly going to see the light.

Removal wasn't really the point of this impeachment exercise. That's why Nancy was so strategic in deciding whether or if to impeach. So what was the point? It was to force the entire Senate to choose sides. It was to lash R Senators to Trump's sinking ship, and to force them to go down, too. Between now and November, every new scandal will remind the public that these R's had a chance to spare the country all of this. And did not.

So the focus of the battle turns to November. But not just to the Presidential race; to the House and the Senate. This year we do have a chance of winning enough votes in the Senate to oust Mitch McConnell -- unless we do something short-sighted like fail to support a Democrat like Joe Manchin or Doug Jones because they aren't good enough progressives. As far as I'm concerned, anyone with a D by his or her name is good enough, because every one of them will contribute to a Senate majority -- which would give us control of every single Senate committee, and every court nomination.

In the worst case Presidential scenario -- that Trump is re-elected -- the House could impeach him again, on whatever charges were strong enough at the time. And with the help of a Democratically-controlled Senate, no witnesses could be barred from the trial. No evidence could be banned.

THEY WANT US DISPIRITED. THEY WANT US TO LOSE HOPE.
THEY WANT US TO CONCEDE BEFORE WE'VE EVEN STARTED.
LET'S NOT GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.
KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT,
FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN,
WHO DIDN'T MAKE THIS HAPPEN BUT WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT.

WE, AND OUR DEMOCRACY, ARE WORTH IT.

[superpatriotman]

1. They just needed to strip away a few voters

From Joe Biden.

I fear they have succeeded.

This is Hillary ‘s servers/benghazi /etc. all over again.

[lagomorph777]

41. Per pnwmom:

"THEY WANT US DISPIRITED. THEY WANT US TO LOSE HOPE.
THEY WANT US TO CONCEDE BEFORE WE'VE EVEN STARTED.
LET'S NOT GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.
KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT,
FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN"

We shall never surrender.

[olegramps]

92. Have hope, but don't negelect the fact they hold they are in control.

The courts have been loaded with extreme Federalist Society judges who like, Barr, subscribe to the concept that the president has unlimited power over every government agency. This why he was chosen for the highest position as Attorney General. Their radical interpretation of the Second Article know as the Unitary Executive Theory is at the very basis of this confrontation. They control the Supreme Court which could make it the law of the land which could stand for decades without the hope of being overturned.

[greymattermom]

107. So will those extreme judges

allow the next Democratic president to dismiss all of them, based on the Unitary Executive Theory?

[calimary]

108. Wouldn't that be great!

Hey! Unitary executive, ‘eh?

[B Stieg]

109. Seems only fair...

A damned good idea. These judges will outlive me.
Ugh.

[SledDriver]

2. Assuming there are still elections in November

and that the orange shitgibbon and his repuke minions abide by their losses

[pnwmom]

3. Fearing the worst will NOT help us. It makes the possibility more real and takes away

the will to fight.

Please don't give in to pessimism and negativity -- that's what they want.

[UniteFightBack]

4. +1000

[forgotmylogin]

20. I liked Michael Moore's attitude on MSNBC.

Essentially: this isn't the end, now we keep moving forward.

I45 and the Repubs have sustained massive political and PR damage despite their pyrrhic victory, no matter how much they crow on Fox News Monday.

[SlogginThroughIt]

30. SledDriver does have a valid concern.

Oh there will likely be elections. Whether or not they mean anything is something entirely different. The FEC has been totally gutted. And any criminal activity will fall under the DOJ. 2016 was a dry run and this upcoming election is going to have to be watched very carefully. The problem is that we don't have the agency to do that and we don't have a willing DOJ to provide the muscle to prosecute or investigate what happens.

To your point we absolutely have to get out and vote. But I am tired of having to win elections with one hand tied behind our back. We always have to have enough votes to beat the hanging chads, the counting of the votes in Ohio, the russian interference, the voter intimidation, the voter suppression.... Just tired of it and now we have a systematic hurdle in our way at the very heart of the protections that are supposed to help guarantee our elections.

[pnwmom]

34. Yeah, I'm tired, too. And black people have been exhausted fighting for their rightful place

in this democracy, but have they ever given up?

It's time for all discouraged and tired and stressed Americans to follow their example.

[SlogginThroughIt]

56. I am not talking about giving up.

This is the thing I don't get around here. You start talking about the very real circumstances that we are facing and people accuse you of giving up, which is beyond frustrating AF! Tired of having to do it with one hand behind our back but not giving up!

There is a reality that we are being fucked six ways to Sunday in this country right now and if we do not do something about it we will lose our country if we haven't lost it already. That isn't giving up. that is recognizing just what the hell we are up against right now. JUST holding out hope to vote 10 damn months from now in an election that may or may not be legit isn't really going to cut it anymore. I can make phone calls all day long and beg every single person in my life to vote, but I fear that isn't going to be enough.

I have been in the streets, in protests but we need to be doing a lot more. I mean for fucks sake we have concentration camps in this country RIGHT NOW. We have a criminal AG who uses his position to protect a criminal administration. We have an administration that guts protections for the people every day. We have a senate that isn't listening to 75% of the people. Voting is a small piece of civic duties. When we have a government so off the rails we need to do something about it. Or we will lose it.

[Evolve Dammit]

105. Very good point. Thank you

[DemocracyMouse]

37. Far more destitute countries with shitty voting systems have a bigger turnout than the US

We are lazy and spoiled. Shame your neighbors into voting. Tell them they are stupid if they think voting is useless. Tell every American to get their lazy asses to the voting booth and stop whining.

[Ponietz]

53. As long as there's beer and bingo, who cares, right?

[Texin]

63. ...Mouse, I've found these people are incapable of shame. They are shameless.

I won't waste a breath or a word on them. They are well beyond hope. And this segment of the populace (throughout the world, apparentlyly) have been this way always. They are unreachable through knowledge, science, by intellectual imperative, prayers, hope - whatever means available - to change their minds and hearts. They cannot be reached through any enlightenment by rational, reasoned, passionate-minded persons or otherwise irrefutable evidence, physical evidence.

Instead of wasting energy on these unreachable unwashed, focus the efforts on what can be done, what can be changed, and those people (many of them young(er) and still mutable) who are beginning their journeys through life, or those who are in mid-stride. They are worth the effort and may be persuadable.

The only hope I have in this going forward is the fact that, tRump is 73. McConnell, and most of his ilk in the Senate chamber are well into their 70s and 80s (in McConnell's case, 78 years old). They will not live on forever even though they live their lives as if they will, unshaken in their beliefs and unremorseful for the evil that they perpetrate every day by every act, every non-action, every thought that besmirches the chambers they walk throughout and the very sacred Earth the step upon. They will be gone very soon just as Ozymandias is gone with nothing to remind that they ever existed.

[progressiveradical]

86. Right on!

Organize, talk to your friends, co workers, etc. So many people in this country just shrug their shoulders and let the ultra wealthy control everything. There are more of us than them!

[Lulu KC]

67. Yes.

While we've all been distracted, the infrastructure for fair elections has continued to be undermined. Let's not be naive.

[NJCher]

102. New Jerseyans lived through Christie

and then we got one of those rich guy Goldman Sachs Dem governors. However, this guy seems to be the real thing and I like him. I can tell you that Christie gutted everything from the inside and a lot of these republican characters who became part of the bureaucracy go away the minute the other side takes over. I mean they resign and run away because they know what's coming down the pike.

The other thing I can tell you is that very rapidly things can be put back in order. We, meaning the union, saw, for example, our public employees' relation commission gutted and all the mediators replaced with repuke toadies. They pretty much went away immediately and were replaced with some fairly decent professionals in the field of human resources and experts on employment law. This happened across the board, but I just saw it close up because I am on the executive board of my union.

If we get the right person(s) in the Senate and the Presidency, it could be that way for us as a nation.

It can happen. Don't lose hope.

Also, you should know some of the repuke judges do themselves in because they are so stupid. Things like mouthing off to the police and having to resign, DWIs, sex crimes against people who work for them, politically incorrect speech, etc. Then they are forced to resign. Not a huge factor but it certainly helps to trim the benches of their ilk.

[Thekaspervote]

62. Yes yes yes!! We must keep moving forward "keep your eyes on the prize..hold on."

[Raster]

8. There will be elections in November, and we have the power...

1. Register to vote. If you are already registered, CHECK! There will be more dirty tricks than ever before.
2. Make sure EVERYONE you know is registered to vote. The largest single block of voters DID NOT VOTE in the last presidential election.
3. Do not give in to your fear. It is counterproductive.
4. Learn the early voting rules and regs for your state, county, and city.
5. And speaking of education, get informed. Learn about the choices you have and educate yourself so you can make the right decisions. Educate yourself, and then educate your family and friends.
6. Participate, participate, participate. Democracy is not a spectator sport.

[pnwmom]

10. YES, to all of this.

And maybe you should think about also putting this in a separate OP -- and repeat, as needed.

[Andy823]

39. Exactly

ignore the doom and gloom crowd that will be here pushing us to give up. Ignore the trolls that try and tell us there is no use to vote because both sides are the same, or that it's a lost cause.

Millions of voters are really pissed off about what has been happening and they will be out in full force on Election Day to make sure they are heard. Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans will cast their vote to get rid of trump.

Never give up.

[Raster]

72. We must begin today.

Even though it seems futile, CALL YOUR SENATORS... even the tried and true Democratic Senators. Light up the Senate with the will of the people.

You may phone the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at [phone]. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.

CALL YOUR SENATORS: When you reach an aide, leave the following message:
Hello, my name is ######## calling from zip code ##### in #########. President Trump abused his power, breached our trust, endangered our national security, and undermined the integrity of our elections. You must vote to convict and remove him from office.

[yellowdogintexas]

99. call the field offices if you can't get through on the 202 number

The Capitol switchboard number is fine but every one of them has a direct line to their DC offices. Easier than going through the switchboard.

[yellowdogintexas]

98. sign up to work as an election judge and help keep elections clean

In Texas we are paid for the day and for our training.

[UniteFightBack]

5. Alright everybody...it's OK to feel bad for a bit but then pull up them bootstraps because we

have work to do!!

[Raven]

6. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I needed this this morning. n/t

[rurallib]

7. I expected the senate to bow to Trump but

I guess I had hope or maybe expected that they would not be such across the board craven cowards. Pure and simple cowards.

They are more than willing to end the republic for a little silver and a pat on the head from one of the worst people the world has ever produced.

Craven cowards.

[lagomorph777]

48. As so many are saying now, the SENATE is on trial here.

The jury is the American electorate.

Moscow Mitch and his cabal are convicting themselves and they will face punishment.

[SayItLoud]

9. 75% of voters wanted witnesses.

What were the % in the swing states we need to win?
Rise up, #Resist. #Vote it's all we have left.

[panader0]

11. There will be many more revelations and shoes to fall before November.

Many of these R senators will have buyers remorse.

[True Blue American]

14. Lamar Alexander

Is the worst disappointment of all. He knows the House proved their case but refuses at the last minute to do his job. He will not be lauded like the Republican who was a war hero and decided to make his last vote honorable.

[dem4decades]

26. Howard Baker will forever be Tennessee's greatest (R) Senator.

Alexander is walking out of the Senate with dirty toilet paper on the heel of his shoe.

[True Blue American]

33. Lamar

Will not be treated kindly in the History books. No matter how much good he has done the stain is there.

[yellowdogintexas]

96. amen. Howard Baker was Alexander's mentor

I expect Senator Baker is rolling in his grave about now. I voted for him twice. He was a good man and he put country over party

[NJCher]

103. yes, in many ways his position was worse

than just being willfully ignorant. He has taken repukes to a new low.

[dlk]

12. Amen!

[H2O Man]

13. Recommended.

[BadgerMom]

15. Thanks, pnwmom.

I needed this reminder. Yes, things are grim but we have much to do and, with clear eyes, we can prevail.

[DinahMoeHum]

16. "FIFTH QUARTER", people. WE are going to win the "fifth quarter"

This game is NOT over.

[PWPippinesq]

17. When I went online, I needed something uplifting.

As soon as I saw the title of pnwmom's post, I went to it and wasn't disappointed. We cannot give up. We are smarter than the "other side" and we do have the law, though mighty skewed right now, on our side. i probably won't be here to see the worst of the fallout if Trump wins reelection, but yours and my children and grandchildren will be and they deserve all the energy we can put into this fight for the survival of our country as envisioned by the founders.

[pnwmom]

18. Welcome to DU, PWPippinesq!

Yes, they deserve all the energy we can put into this fight.

[PWPippinesq]

25. Thank you, pnwmom.

One of my sisters is an entomologist. She has often said that insects with inherit the earth. I would like to keep that from happening.

[pnwmom]

29. Me, too. Thank you again for joining us in this fight. n/t

[Perseus]

19. The problem I still see, and I may be wrong, maybe something is going behind the scenes that we

don't see, but it is the fact that republicans WILL CHEAT, they will remove voters they know lean Democratic from the lists, they will hack the voting machines, and who knows what other tricks they will perform in order to rob the election.

My problem is that I don't see any proactive actions from the Democratic party to avoid this from happening. We saw it in Georgia, they did it at plain site, they didn't even try to hide the fact that the so called "Secretary of State"/"Candidate" was pulling the strings and actively cheating.

I know we have the votes, but do we have the infrastructure to avoid, to discover and bring to light for the World to see when they cheat? Why is it that Democrats have not fought to remove the Electoral College? The only purpose of the EC today is to allow the cheating republicans to focus on a handful of states to do their cheating, so why is it that Democrats have not even initiated a concerted effort to eliminate the Electoral College? It drives me nuts to think about it.

I don't think we are or will be DISPIRITED, I believe we are angry and frustrated, but we are all going to vote, my problem again is, what are we all doing to prevent the cheating that we know is coming, how are we going to fight disinformation and facebook, and google, etc.?

Lets face it, our country population is quite ignorant, it is by design that ignorance prevails, but how do we fight that? I do my part by sending information to a ton of people I know, but they are all educated, and although many of them are not politically savvy, they do know and understand enough of what is going on to make a good decision, so I feel I am preaching to the choir.

[pnwmom]

21. Why haven't we fought to remove the EC? Getting a Constitutional amendment passed

makes sense but will be a monumental battle. That's why we still haven't gotten an Equal Rights Amendment passed.

But there has been an alternative proposed -- the compact between the states, to allow electoral votes to be given to whomever wins the popular vote. There are court cases right now that will determine whether this is even an option.

In the meantime, yes, cheating is what they do. And now is the time to start focusing on the questions you ask, and getting involved with our local and state election systems -- rather than licking our wounds and deciding everything's hopeless.

[Eyeball_Kid]

42. There are too many battles to fight all at once.

First, the NATION must rise up in protest. It must be made abundantly clear to all of the nation that the overwhelming majority of voters are enraged at the Trump/GOP coup and will tolerate nothing short of a complete turnover of the power of government. The majority must be committed to pushing for the prosecution of ALL collaborators in Trump's illegalities. The majority must expect that blood will hit the walls, that this will NOT be a pleasant transition back to Constitutional rule.

Second, Republicans must pay. All of them. They will have to pay for abolishing the Rule of Law, of dismantling the Constitution. They must carry the Red Badge of Disgrace for the rest of their lives. They must never win another election. That's the price that they must pay.

Today will be the peak of Republican displays of power. After today, their power wanes, slowly but inexorably. All movements have a lifetime. They are born, they grow, they wither, they die. After today, the GOP will start to wither, despite Trump's frantic attempts to maintain power. And he will be frantic. He WILL push for canceling the elections if he knows that he'll lose. But his coup will gradually lose steam. He's not popular, he's not smart, he has incompetent underlings, and he has millions who are extremely pissed at him and the entire GOP.

But all of this has to play out. Right now, Trump is not beholden to the Rule of Law, and that's the biggest problem we have right now. He will not be removed from office, and he may be able to render himself President for Life. That's the risk the GOP took, and now they have to live with it.

[llmart]

24. Some states have won the fight against gerrymandered districts.

That's a step in the right direction. Let's not forget how little by little the GOP was able to gerrymander in their favor for a long time now.

With regard to eliminating the Electoral College - how do you propose we would have done that in the current climate?

The most important thing we can do right now is to STAND AS ONE as Democrats and stop the infighting. We've seen how the GOP votes in lockstep every single time. It's time we do that also, at least until we have righted this sinking ship.

Oh, and don't forget the power of money. Every dollar that comes from the grassroots is just as important as the mega donors. Give what you can. I'm a senior on a fixed income and still I manage to send a few dollars to our Senator candidates opposing these unpatriotic GOP Senators. Doesn't matter that I don't live in those states.

Everyone must do whatever they can.

[Lonestarblue]

32. You just voiced my fears.

But we need to take heart from the 2018 House elections. In spite of the cheating that we know occurred, we still took the majority for the House. We need to make sure that voters kicked off the rolls are reregistered in time to vote and to register as many new voters as possible.

We need ads directly confronting third-party voters and the whole idea of how protest votes (Green Party, e.g.) are counterproductive. We need a huge turnout to overcome Republican cheating. The unknown for me is what Russian hackers will do or what Republican operatives will do to change votes.

[Maeve]

22. History has its eye on us

Remember the task Ben Franklin put before us when asked what sort of government we were to have "A republic, if you can keep it"

[Bettie]

23. I'm frustrated

because these Republican senators KNOW that what he did was wrong, that they know that they would vote to remove if he weren't "their" guy.

It bothers me that they love power more than they do our country.

That they choose to allow this orange clown to destroy our nation and are A-OK with it as long as the money keeps rolling in.

They are willing to betray their country over money.

I bothers me that there really isn't ONE Republican with an ounce of patriotism or decency left.

Our next president really needs to work with them as adversaries, because they are.

[Eyeball_Kid]

47. Susan Collins hasn't any guts to vote for witnesses.

Sheldon Whitehouse, on MSNBC last night, clearly explained what Collins is doing with McConnell's approval. Collins gets what he called a "hall pass." She is able to make herself look good with her Maine constituents while McConnell holds the line on acquittal. That's all that matters to him. There will not be four defectors from the GOP/Trump juggernaut, and the Senate will acquit. McConnell THINKS that Collins' vote will ensure her re-election. Maine voters aren't stupid. Collins is decidedly on Trump's Dictatorship bandwagon.

[PWPippinesq]

59. Everyone I know (and granted they are not far right republicans) . . .

. . . are determined to sink Susan. Bit by bit, board by board, vote by vote we can regain some control.

[cally]

27. Not calling witnesses may not be a bad thing

I'm very disheartened but I woke up thinking along the same lines as your great post. Democrats never expected to gain enough votes but wanted to show what Trump is doing and the assault on democracy. The majority of Americans agree with Democrats and want witnesses. Republicans look awful thwarting the truth and not wanting a fair trial. I think it will hurt them in November.

[disndat]

28. Let's hope

for a repeat in Nov. 2020 of the big Democratic turnout in 2018.

[Paladin]

31. trump goose-steps to impeachment victory, then gets to face Bernie in the election?

Thanks, I'll just stay miserable for a while longer.

[barbtries]

35. you're so right.

it's a war of attrition. i do feel defeated and hopeless at the moment. thank you for this.

[Hortensis]

36. Yes. This result has been expected since November 6, 2016.

The Republican Party was already intensely corrupt and increasingly committed to destroying the electoral power of an American people who would no longer elect mostly white men to protect the privileges of white men. Their leaders rallied to pack Trump's government with their people and turn the power of RW trumpist populism and religious anxiety to their purposes.

So here we are, and the fight continues as always expected.

The WaPo'sJennifer Rubin calls for conservatives to finally abandon the GOP and re-create a new conservative party. Minus the rabid hard right, religious and secular, which would inherit their depleted whirlwind.

Americans who actually adhere to conservative beliefs should give up the fantasy that the GOP can be rescued. In not only electing and defending Trump but also shredding long-held constitutional principles, it poses a threat to the rule of law, equal justice under the law and the American creed (“All men ...”). Their energies are best spent in the short run trying to nominate and help elect a centrist Democrat and then creating a principled center-right party from the ground up.

None of our Democratic candidates are "centrist," of course. Biden, Warren and Klobuchar are solid liberals, but she chose a reassuring word to push people to look for the closest fit. That'd obviously be VP Biden or Sen. Klobuchar -- unless, interestingly, former Republican and former economic conservative Sen. Warren repositioned herself to talk to conservatives as well. Warren did what Rubin's suggesting back in the 1990s when she abandoned a GOP whose leadership had committed to an increasingly extreme, corrupt and even treasonous path.

[struggle4progress]

38. Them belly full

Them belly full but we hungry
A hungry mob is an angry mob
A rain a-fall
but the dirt, it tough
A pot a-cook
but the food no nough
We're gonna dance to jah music
dance

[johnp3907]

46. Also:

“If you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Sharpened to cut you down (Well sharp)
Ready to cut you down, oh, yeah”

[struggle4progress]

50. +!

[mcar]

40. This morning, I will be making (small) donations

to those Democrats running against McSally, Gardner, Collins, and Thillis.

It's not much but it's my way of making a statement.

[pnwmom]

45. Great idea!

[yellowdogintexas]

97. don't forget the one running against #MoscowMitch

Amy McGrath.

[happy feet]

43. Thank-you for the boost and reminder

I really needed this morning.

[pnwmom]

44. And that makes me feel better, too -- we need each other now. n/t

[bdamomma]

49. I am disheartened

about what happened last night, but I am so angry right now, I have given so many small donations especially to down McConnell out of his seat in Kentucky to Amy McGrath and I'm not even a Kentuckian. Also gave to Sara Gideon in Maine, because Susan Collins is a wishy washy woman who shows her allegiance to Mitch.

Even if it's small amount of money I am going to give to push through our Democratic candidates.

We have just begun to fight and I will not do this

[yellowdogintexas]

100. $5 donations can add up if enough people send them

I will be sending some small donations along the way. I have important local candidates to support. We are working on taking back the Texas House down here which will give us power in redistricting. But I will donate eventually to Mark Kelly, Amy McGrath, Collins' opponent and probably a couple of others.

[Johnny2X2X]

51. Our Democracy is dead

There is no longer a Democratic solution, grass roots protest and taking to the streets is the only thing left. Trump is just going to have anyone who opposes him politically arrested, watch.

[pnwmom]

52. Grass roots protest is an essential part of Democracy. nt

[Raster]

73. Our Democracy IS NOT DEAD...

...it just needs some needed attention and participation.

DEMOCRACY. IS. NOT. A. SPECTATOR. SPORT.

Time for EVERYONE to have their own democratic "come to Jesus" moment and ask ourselves, how badly do I want to keep our Democracy and what am I willing do about it.

DEMOCRACY. IS. NOT. A. SPECTATOR. SPORT.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

80. Not if we don't let it die. It's not over til it's over.

It's not over. Get out there and do something. Organize, protest, do something.

[world wide wally]

54. It is very difficult to fight back against a ruling body that has so totally

perverted the truth and the value of truth. That is how the fascists always win.
As long as there are stupid people, they will have a place to rule.

[CaptainTruth]

57. Damn right. It's the Republican party that's on trial, & We the People are the jury.

[Ponietz]

58. At least he can't be pardoned by Pencephalous

[NoMoreRepugs]

60. Citizens United- literally and figuratively will decide the fate

of our Democracy IMO. It’s money versus people baby, simple as that. Koch type money versus people willing to invest time and effort. Throw in buckets of money from Bloomberg types and maybe a MILLION of us regular schmucks throwing a $1000 each (that’s a BILLION) into the pot and we MIGHT have a chance to protect our children’s and grandchildren’s future.

DONATE/PARTICIPATE/VOTE - our future depends on it.

[Wednesdays]

61. I see a lot of posts comparing today with the passing of the Enabling Act

But there is one thing we have that Germans didn't have in 1933. And it comes this November 3rd.

[Baltimike]

64. knr

[Nimrod900]

65. Onward Together

Thanks to all who are keeping this very discouraging day in perspective. The next couple of weeks is going to be challenging to hear the acquittal crap spewing forth, but Nancy, Adam and the excellent Team fought the good fight and got the facts out for everyone to see.

Good advice above from Raster to get out and VOTE!!! Remember what Tom Daschle once said: "Everything you need to know about politics, you learned when you started driving a car. You want to go forward, you put in D. You want to go backward, you put in R."

Onward Together!

[Texin]

66. I posted this upthread in reply to a poster, but wanted to put it here too.

I won't waste a breath or a word on them. They are well beyond hope. And this segment of the populace (throughout the world, apparently) have been this way always. They are unreachable through knowledge, science, by intellectual imperative, prayers, hope - whatever means available - to change their minds and hearts. They cannot be reached through any enlightenment by rational, reasoned, passionate-minded persons or otherwise irrefutable evidence, physical evidence.

Instead of wasting energy on these unreachable unwashed, focus the efforts on what can be done, what can be changed, and those people (many of them young(er) and still mutable) who are beginning their journeys through life, or those who are in mid-stride. They are worth the effort and may be persuadable.

The only hope I have in this going forward is the fact that, tRump is 73. McConnell, and most of his ilk in the Senate chamber are well into their 70s and 80s (in McConnell's case, 78 years old). They will not live on forever even though they live their lives as if they will, unshaken in the beliefs and unremorseful for the evil that they perpetrate every day by every act, every non-action, every thought that besmirches the chambers they walk throughout and the very sacred Earth the step upon. They will be gone very soon just as Ozymandias is gone with nothing to remind that they ever existed.

[pnwmom]

68. All of this reminds me to go and start a monthly donation to Amy McGrath.

Other than dumping Trump, I would love nothing more than to see him out and her in.

[crickets]

69. Thanks for this, pnwmom

[drmeow]

70. I want them all

to die alone and in pain

[pnwmom]

71. Join the club. n/t

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

74. Yes!

What she said!!!! Thanks Mom!

[ecstatic]

75. I usually agree with giving DINOs room to operate in their

unique situations, but can anyone give an example of a vote where Mancin had our backs? This is the most important vote they will ever have in that f'n Senate. The future of our democracy and Constitution is on trial. If DINOs join rethugs for political expediency and essentially vote to give trump absolute power, how are they any different than Alexander, Moscow Mitch and all the others? If you can't stand up when it matters the most, you're useless. Dead weight. And even worse, if DINOs side with the GOP, trump gets to brag that Democrats voted to acquit him as well. Unacceptable.

[pnwmom]

88. Here.

http://www.progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate

[Sogo]

76. Thank you. I agree.... nt.

[PunkinPi]

77. K&R, and thank you for this OP! nt

[Nitram]

78. Truth.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

79. Hear, hear! This is the worst possible time to give up. That's what they want.

I am hoping the actions of the GOP and Trump will piss people off enough that they (we) will organize and fight back harder than ever. Don't let the great work of the House become meaningless. For now, if you can, toss a few bucks at the campaigns of Adam Schiff and the opponents of the most odious Senators. Demonstrate, march, make phone calls, organize, raise hell. If you're old like me, remember what we did in the '60s and '70s and do it again.

[kacekwl]

81. This is the only option it seems. Our vote

if it counts is all we have left. Why oh why do only 40% at best feel the need to vote ? This is all we need to focus on Get Out The Vote and continue to explain what will surely will happen if you don't.

[efhmc]

82. Why? Our democracy is in the hands of money grubbing sycophants.

They care care only for power and cooperate endorsements.

[Hekate]

83. Kick

[blakstoneranger]

84. PLEASE TAKE HEED TO THIS POST

If trump wins reelection and the senate republicans maintain control of the senate--trump has a council set up to rewrite the constitution. One of the changes is to allow a president to serve indefinately (Mike huckabee is heading this up). If the dems lose control of the house, trump will be king. The constitution will no longer apply because it will have been rewritten to favor trump. When trump dies, either his sons, or daughters, or all of them will succeed him. This is no joke! The republicans feel the best way to get what they want is to take it by "any means necessary" (yeah, i said it). And they have conservative talk radio and conservative foxnews to help them get it done--just like Nazi Germany of old. We don't want someone of trump low moral character to be in this position.

[Still In Wisconsin]

85. I wish you all the best but I am disengaging from politics.

My mental health has to come first. I'm not going to do anybody any good knocking on doors or making calls if I'm depressed to the point of not wanting to wake up the next morning.

Best of luck to all of you who continue to fight. You have my admiration.

[pansypoo53219]

87. partisan "absolution". the majority want witnesses.

[wryter2000]

89. We knew this was going to happen

For a few days, it seemed we might be able to prolong the trail long enough to expose more dirt and go through the SuperBowl and the SOTU. I'm disappointed that didn't happen, but honestly, who expected him to be convicted and removed? I have a bridge I want to sell you.

[yuiyoshida]

90. He would be the first President to be impeached twice...

if He is reElected. If he is, its because our present US government has not taken the the steps to secure our Election system. They will CHEAT again.

[ecstatic]

91. With what witnesses and whistleblowers?

Why would anyone even bother to report him if there aren't any consequences for trump?

[pnwmom]

93. With a Democratic Majority leader controlling the Senate everything would be different. nt

[warmfeet]

94. I am going to fight.

We are capable of fighting back. I suggest we do so.

[BarbD]

95. I'm with you all the way.

The corruption is mind-boggling. We have overcome in the past, we can do it again.

[Joinfortmill]

101. Amen to that

[Mike Niendorff]

104. K&R.

The struggle continues.

And we are up to it.

Bring it.



MDN

[Evolve Dammit]

106. Thanks much for this post. I admit, I had my hopes unrealistically high. Your points are well taken

TWO votes though...#@&%!