Pelosi says impeachment 'not a priority' after Cohen's guilty plea
Source: The Hill
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday said impeaching President Trump is "not a priority," despite Michael Cohen's guilty plea to campaign finance violations that implicated the president.
"Impeachment has to spring from something else," Pelosi, who has long downplayed the possibility of impeachment, told The Associated Press.
Cohen, who was Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a number of tax and bank fraud charges as well as a campaign finance violation. He said in court that Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during his 2016 presidential campaign in exchange for their silence about alleged affairs with Trump.
"If and when the information emerges about that, we'll see," Pelosi said. "It's not a priority on the agenda going forward unless something else comes forward."
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/403024-pelosi-says-impeachment-not-a-priority?amp&__twitter_impression=true
Ummm...See Jerrold Nadler for what an appropriate reaction to yesterdays developments sounds like:
https://nadler.house.gov/press-release/ranking-member-nadler-statement-felony-convictions-paul-manafort-and-michael-cohen
7962
(11,841 posts)Waste of time to start non stop hearings about it when its not going to happen. She also remembers the GOP results after the Clinton impeachment.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)I have to agree with Bannon on that. This statement is toothless. The sooner our House Leader starts branding Trump as a criminal the better.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Where do you think we will get 67 votes in the Senate for removal? A strong Mueller report may help but we need to see that report first.
November is about having an effective check on trump given that the GOP will not act as a check.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)We do need to see the report first. In the meantime, Democrats should keep their options open. Pelosi is basically saying that we don't have enough right now to impeach anyway, which is something she needn't and shouldn't have said.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)There is no need to help the GOP try to motivate the base until we see the Mueller report and we see if there is a chance to get 67 votes. The most important thing is to win control of the House and if possible the Senate so that we can have a check. Winning the Senate is a long shot but is really important if we want to block trump judges.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)"We need to actually drain the swamp," he said. "We have to hold people accountable and I'm glad the courts did that today. But the best way we can do that is to elect new leaders in November."
Longtime Democrats see evidence that a similar strategy could work again this fall.
"People were already uneasy about continuing Trump's Congress of yes men," said Jesse Ferguson, a longtime Democratic operative, "but now they're going to demand checks and balances to end the cover-ups."
http://www.abc-7.com/story/38941277/impeachment-talk-still-a-no-go-for-democrats-hitting-gops-culture-of-corruption
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)The GOP is the swamp and I support running against the GOP culture of corruption. This worked for the GOP in 1994 with the post office scandal and in 2006 with Folely
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)LonePirate
(13,837 posts)There is NO doubt he would spin the impeachment trial as an attack on him to rally his base. He would them claim a victory when the Senate fails to convict him. He will parade his innocence and Republicans will celebrate him like a military hero returning home for combat overs as in WW II.
Yes, he is by far the worst president in our history and should not be in office. Still, if we do not have the votes to convict - and we definitely do not have them - we are stuck with him.
We need him to resign or we need Mueller to indict or arrest him or we need his health to fail. We have no other options.
Cosmocat
(14,904 posts)He could hijack AF1, force then to fly to Moscow, and personally hand the nuclear football to VP, and you still would not get a single vote in either chamber for impeachment from an R (only shot would have been McCain).
That said, he is not resigning, and he is not going to be found guilty of criminal charges by January 2021, so it will be up to US to fight the epic battles this November and November of 2020 to get the House at least this year, and beat the POS in 2020.
He will only see justice when his bloated carcus is not stinking up 1600 Pa.
cstanleytech
(26,906 posts)as you can be sure the Repugnants stonewall it just like they have been trying their best to stonewall Muellers investigation.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)It seems like that is all we have unless we get that 66 in the Senate.
LonePirate
(13,837 posts)saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)First, we GOTV in November to insure victory for our Democratic candidates in all races. Then, Madame Pelosi can meet with her peers to discuss "the way forward".
underthematrix
(5,811 posts)The media, politicians and the American people are starting with a false premise, which is Trump is a sitting president. He's not. i don't believe there's a pending interview, pending subpoena or an impeachment. In the matter of the first two, Trump is a target so nether of those two things will happen. In the third instance, Trump is not president based on what I believe is the MOST significant underlying material fact of the SC investigation. I bleiev this is what Putin has on Trump and possibly other family members. This fact is most likely classified and is probably part of the DOJ memo outlining the Special Counsel's investigative authorities. People seem to forget the SC is conducting a criminal counterintelligence investigation and that the obstruction of justice investigation flows from it.
I believe Trump is too dangerous to impeach. I believe he doesn't fall within the meaning of Art 2 of the Constitution. I believe Trump's extensive criminal behavior falls within the scope of the Espionage Act.
DownriverDem
(6,576 posts)is not the way to go. Pelosi knows how to play the political game. Yes, it's a game. Folks here who attack Nancy are blind to just how good she is at keeping the Dems united. Not only that, she raises tons of money for the Dems.
We really need her.
spooky3
(35,914 posts)To refer the case to the Senate.
And I think our system of two senators from every state regardless of size is hopelessly weighted toward Republicans at this pointno way would we get 67%.
Pelosi is absolutely right here. After Nov., though, the situation may be different.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)onit2day
(1,201 posts)Voters were furious with her refusal to hold Bush accountable. We must hold these law breakers accountable or the behavior repeats itself. This PINO is illegitimate and needs to be held accountable for his long list of crimes. He's a fraud. btw...check your registration by going to vote.org
mazzarro
(3,450 posts)brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Voters were unhappy at Pelosi's refusal to hold Bush accountable so they.....voted Republican?
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)There was no groundswell for impeachment in 08.
And it would have been a huge embarrassment to the party when the house did not even have the votes to convict. Much less a chance in hell 67 Senator would have.
And it would have taken the steam out of Obama in 08.
Just a ridiculous claim.
MFM008
(19,989 posts)Shows evidence
It will be on a new congress to DO THEIR DUTY.
Period.
I dont expect her to say so now.
Its not the job of the congress to allow the bloat king to
Stay enthroned if theres evidence.
berni_mccoy
(23,018 posts)and winning as many senate seats as possible so it might actually stick.
still_one
(95,780 posts)Democrats have to hit hard on the corruption and pattern of illegal behavior of the republican party
That, and of course the issues of healthcare, civil rights, women's rights, environmental rights, alienating our allies, etc. need to be voiced loud and clear why the republicans are not fit to control the agenda
As you said, we get the majority in the House, the Mueller report is finished, that is when we start special investigations in the House, and if we are able to somehow win the majority in the Senate do the same thing, which not only positions us for impeachment, but even more importantly for 2020
berni_mccoy
(23,018 posts)McConnell, Thune, Blunt, Crapo, many more..
still_one
(95,780 posts)able to use this as an issue for 2020
bdamomma
(65,782 posts)premise. We need to take the House and Senate away from those filthy repigs.
DownriverDem
(6,576 posts)The Dems have to win first or we get squat.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Even if there is no impeachment, control of the House will allow Congress to fulfill its role as part of the check and balances of the system. Right now there are no checks.
Running on impeachment is dumb in that it may hurt our chances to win a majority in the House
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)I guess that some want the Democrats to ignore these facts and instead run on an issue that may help the GOP keep control of the House.
I agree with Nancy Pelosi. This is not a good issue for the mid terms. We need to win control of the House so that there is an effective check on Trump. Running on an issue that will motivate the GOP to turnout is not a good move
CentralMass
(15,452 posts)Gothmog
(153,721 posts)I have not seen the DNC internal polls but this poll shows the risk https://www.nbcnews.com/card/poll-finds-risks-democrats-toying-impeachment-promise-n866981
The poll from NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist shows that 47 percent of registered voters say they would definitely vote against a candidate for Congress who proposed impeaching Trump, compared to 42 percent who said they would definitely vote for that candidate. One in ten voters were unsure.
While Democrats and Republicans remained mostly in their partisan corners, with 70 percent of Democrats saying they would definitely vote for a candidate who favored impeachment and 84 percent of Republicans saying they'd do the opposite, independents were opposed to supporting a pro-impeachment candidate, 47 percent to 42 percent.
That finding comes even as independents say they have an unfavorable view of Trump overall by almost a 2-1 margin.
Using impeachment as an issue hurts democrats with independent voters.
We need to win control of the House
marylandblue
(12,344 posts)She said we need "oversight." Holding oversight hearings would build public support and put pressure on Republicans in the Senate.
Eliot Rosewater
(32,420 posts)bring out more assholes to vote for the traitor by voting in other races.
DownriverDem
(6,576 posts)Let trump keep talking about a red wave. He and his supporters really are blind to what is going on. If they believe repubs will win, maybe they will stay home. I can't imagine why any Dem voter would stay home after what trump has brought us.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)besides we have a better chance of surrounding him with 50 investigations and beating him down until he resigns.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Hulk
(6,699 posts)I admire smart people. Seriously, she is wise enough to know it's a BAD IDEA to start screaming impeachment. We are going to need the cowardly repuKKKes to join in, and if we start beating that drum now, we create motivation for the dRumpf Nazi fan KKKlub to turn out and vote ANYTHING BUT DEMOCRAT in November.
Just keep your hat on....get the House filled with Democrats, and devote effort to turning the Senate to Democratic control too. That will make lard ass seek out XXX-large diapers in bulk.
dalton99a
(83,883 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)be impeached by the coming Dem House.
Get an historic democratic win first. Then we will see what comes next.
DeminPennswoods
(16,072 posts)like Bret Stephenson already are.
ginnyinWI
(17,276 posts)He has been known to back down when pushed into a corner. The reason he says he's strong and a fighter is because he isn't.
meadowlander
(4,677 posts)And I also suspect that he has a taste for tinpot dictatorship now and you will prise it from his cold dead hands.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)But thats the only way.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)The correct tactic.
Ponietz
(3,252 posts)bearsfootball516
(6,450 posts)Candidates should focus on local issues that matter to their constituents. They shouldn't bring Trump into it at all. Let Trump, the Russia investigation, impeachment be the silent background. It sets the mood, while the candidates take care of business with local issues.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)starts in November against don, the wannabe mob boss. She's is right. November GOTV. Priority.
ut oh
(1,001 posts)the Iraq debacle, this is not surprising.
Certainly impeachment is not possible right now due to GOP control, but to dismiss it as she seems to be doing outright is also not a good choice.
This pronouncement is potentially going to alienate a lot of people on the left. Many of whom the Dems will need to take back the House and Senate.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)Why she felt the need to go that far is a mystery to me.
The overriding impression is that she would just like this whole impeachment thing to go away.
She should keep those reservations to herself IMO even if it means not spoon-feeding Beltway CW to the media.
NYC Liberal
(20,330 posts)Shes right to say this.
Calling for impeachment now, without any means to act on it, turns all this into a political story rather than a legal and criminal one.
apnu
(8,788 posts)So far there aren't any. I'm sure Mueller is in the process of figuring that out, but officially, there's no actionable evidence besides one aggrieved guy's word in court yesterday.
Recall how they dug forever on Bill Clinton in the 1990s and the R's chanted "impeachment" daily but didn't have anything until Clinton committed perjury.
Pelosi's smart, she knows the game and she knows there's nothing, yet, to charge Trump with.
Bengus81
(7,325 posts)and watch Trump twist in the wind and whine 100n times more than he does now.
bucolic_frolic
(46,512 posts)Bide your time. If the cards fall right, impeachment will be pre-packaged debtor-in-possession, no heavy lifting
George II
(67,782 posts)leftynyc
(26,060 posts)The ONLY answer to anyone asking about impeachment is "we're waiting for the Mueller report" to see what it uncovers. PERIOD.
Mr.Bill
(24,708 posts)and just reply "We'll see what happens" whenever she is asked about impeachment.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)Saying impeachment has to come from somewhere else, why? And what do you gain by even saying that?
jrthin
(4,927 posts)cab67
(3,197 posts)I want the Damp Lord tossed out as badly as any of us, but there's zero chance of a conviction in the Senate under even the most optimistic projections of what might happen in the election. That would empower him. And as also stated here, it would shift the focus from the shaved orangutan to Pelosi.
If there's going to be an impeachment, we need the conditions that pertained in 1974 - a case so glaring that even the president's own party is compelled to go along with it. Last year, I actually thought Republicans might be willing to remove Trump this year if it became apparent that Trump's unpopularity would cost Republicans the Congress in November. I thought it would come down to a practical matter of saving their jobs and their majority. Even if they weren't necessarily ready to put country over party (as many Republicans were in 1974), they might not want to lose elections.
But we're in a different political environment than in 1974. Trump's cult followers won't listen to reason. The wrongdoing here is way beyond glaring, but I'm not sure it's even a matter party over country - it's all about Trump. Nixon had nothing like it. Republicans are damned if they do, and damned if they don't - they either act in the best interest of the country (and lose Trump's followers), or they back Trump (and lose everyone else).
It's regrettable that our country has to be slimed so badly as this unfolds. I want to see him leave office in such disgrace that his portrait is never displayed in the White House. Leaving office under arrest would be even better. But at the present time, I really don't see impeachment as a reality. Our best bet would be to compel resignation.
DBoon
(22,969 posts)I've sure there is an analogy here
Vinnie From Indy
(10,820 posts)Let's win the house first.
sinkingfeeling
(52,868 posts)the bit to impeach going into the midterms. If we win back the House and control of investigative committees, then we talk impeachment.
elmac
(4,642 posts)and we know the fascists would obstruct any attempt south of that number. Now is not the time to waste energy on impeachment. Lets let the DOJ do there job, let the fascists slow cook until the pig is done.
GeorgeGist
(25,400 posts)2/3 in Senate for conviction.
GeorgeGist
(25,400 posts)not the comfortably numb.
CentralMass
(15,452 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Just an election
Lucky Luciano
(11,393 posts)It is actionable and something to campaign on while avoiding impeachment talk that is going nowhere for now.
At least its not off the table which was an absurd thing to say when silence on the topic would have been just fine regarding W to keep it hanging out there as a possibility.
JI7
(90,233 posts)questions about whether they agree with her on impeachment.
SergeStorms
(19,273 posts)When playing poker you never give away what you're holding. Sucker the other players into raising the stakes. Let more and more Republicans slowly see that Trump's (ergo, their ) political future is untenable, and then - and only then - show your cards, and walk away from the table a winner.
This isn't Nancy Pelosi's first poker game.
Hekate
(94,207 posts)inwiththenew
(981 posts)Unless you have 67 votes in the Senate this all just a masturbatory fantasy anyway. We don't need to add another ring to this circus.
mcar
(43,348 posts)Real investigations, real hearings, televised. Dotard's team of criminals under oath.
They are the priorities.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,352 posts)There are risks going either direction.
Yes, if she frames the November elections about impeaching Trump, it could be a rallying point to draw the deplorables from their shithole communities en mass.
But the argument in favor of trumpeting impeachment would be that it would show all Trump haters and recently deprogramed, that Democrats take the charges against him seriously. That we think he is such a threat that we anounce our intentions regardless and by doing so, we GAIN votes. One for the respect of our honesty. But also, as we have learned from the GOP to our chagrin, over and over, that the news media can make a yuuuuuuuge difference in opinion. If it looks like Dems are meek and mild about the whole thing, Repubs will fill the void with their own invented projected attacks. Conversely, we have learned that something, whether true or not, if it is repeated and repeated, "Traitor Trump!" for instance, by such a major political party, and then reported on and repeated on the MSM, it sinks in deeper into the social fabric as reality, it shapes opinion. Why not use that effect too?
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)Pelosi basically exonerates him. Impeachment has to come from somewhere else.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)She nowhere says that. You have issues with Pelosi, obviously. And it has nothing to do with what she actually said.
And Nadler did not call Trump a criminal. He called for an investigation.
Words matter, BeyondGeography.
Your bashing of Pelosi is disgusting, and plays right into the GOP's hands.
Here's Pelosi's statement, please tell me how it is materially different from Nadler's:
Pelosi Statement on Manafort Guilty Verdict and Cohen Guilty Plea
San Francisco Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement following the conviction of Paul Manafort on multiple felony charges of tax and bank fraud, and the guilty plea by Michael Cohen of tax fraud, bank fraud and campaign finance violations:
Todays guilty verdicts against President Trumps campaign Chairman, Paul Manafort, and the guilty plea of Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, are further evidence of the rampant corruption and criminality at the heart of Trumps inner circle. Cohens admission of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money at the direction of the candidate to influence the 2016 election shows the Presidents claims of ignorance to be far from accurate, and places him in even greater legal jeopardy.
These convictions are further proof that the Special Counsels team and prosecutors in New York are conducting thorough and professional investigations, which must be permitted to continue free from interference. Congressional Republicans determination to cover up for the President and his criminal cronies betrays their oath of office and undermines their duty to the American people. House Republicans must abandon their complicity with President Trump and affirm that no one is above the law.
The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans unprecedented culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence is characteristic of the dysfunctional political system in Washington. Democrats are committed to fighting For The People to restore dignity to our democracy and give power back to the people.
https://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82118-2/
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)She would have been fine with saying impeachment is not a priority. Then she goes the extra step and undermines the existing case for it.
Legally, she might be right. Politically, that was inept. Unless youre comfortable with statements that basically downplay Trumps criminality.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)She does NOT undermine the existing case for impeachment.
Again, here is her statement:
Pelosi Statement on Manafort Guilty Verdict and Cohen Guilty Plea
San Francisco Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement following the conviction of Paul Manafort on multiple felony charges of tax and bank fraud, and the guilty plea by Michael Cohen of tax fraud, bank fraud and campaign finance violations:
Todays guilty verdicts against President Trumps campaign Chairman, Paul Manafort, and the guilty plea of Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, are further evidence of the rampant corruption and criminality at the heart of Trumps inner circle. Cohens admission of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money at the direction of the candidate to influence the 2016 election shows the Presidents claims of ignorance to be far from accurate, and places him in even greater legal jeopardy.
These convictions are further proof that the Special Counsels team and prosecutors in New York are conducting thorough and professional investigations, which must be permitted to continue free from interference. Congressional Republicans determination to cover up for the President and his criminal cronies betrays their oath of office and undermines their duty to the American people. House Republicans must abandon their complicity with President Trump and affirm that no one is above the law.
The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans unprecedented culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence is characteristic of the dysfunctional political system in Washington. Democrats are committed to fighting For The People to restore dignity to our democracy and give power back to the people.
https://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82118-2/
It hits Trump and the criminals he surrounds himself every bit as much as Nadler's statement.
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)Today was two steps back. Then again, messaging was never really her strength.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)Please take your Pelosi hate elsewhere.
George II
(67,782 posts)BTW, I posted a link to that below.
Still don't get the point of your criticism.
yardwork
(63,728 posts)With all respect, I don't think you understand how Congress works.
Eliot Rosewater
(32,420 posts)hmmm
stonecutter357
(12,764 posts)Freethinker65
(11,007 posts)Roadside Attraction
(238 posts)Forget about impeaching The Dotard.
Instead, use Democratic control of Congressional committees to investigate every single move of anyone appointed by or close to Trump. Bury them in subpoenas. Hold public hearings and roast the bastards. Leak the testimony given in closed hearings.
And then: LOCK 'EM UP!!!!!
Response to BeyondGeography (Original post)
apnu This message was self-deleted by its author.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)So what's the compare-and-contrast routine you're asking us to look at?
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Faster than I can keep up.
And yet, the faults you find with Pelosi versus the righteousness you allow Nadler seem predicated not on objective statements, but on your own (admitted) interpretation of them.
Hulk
(6,699 posts)...those are two sure losers when it comes to winning in November.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,727 posts)A successful impeachment gives us President Pence.
Dissolving ICE just moves their functions to another three-letter agency. The function is not ended, just reorganized.
GOTV.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a vocal Trump critic and possible 2020 presidential contender, on Wednesday also declined to call for impeachment proceedings, focusing instead on passing legislation that would protect Mueller.
(from same story which ends with "Democrats in the House previously attempted to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump, but the measure overwhelmingly failed..."
awesomerwb1
(4,504 posts)And let's all leave it at that shall we?
Now what are we doing this week to help Dems take the House?
cstanleytech
(26,906 posts)him drag them to the bottom where they lowered the bar.
George II
(67,782 posts)...was a prepared statement that didn't even mention impeachment. Pelosi's on-the-fly comment was a response to a verbal question, and the article from The Hill is an account of what she said, not a transcript.
Here is what Pelosi FORMALLY said:
https://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/82118-2/
I don't get what you mean by "see...what an appropriate reaction to yesterday's developments sounds like". Was Pelosi's comment "inappropriate"?
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)Tell me why she even needed to go there. Please, why?
Nadler certainly doesn't. He throws his punches at Trump, puts the pressure on the Republicans to do their constitutional duty and moves on.
George II
(67,782 posts)....specifically what WAS inept about her VERBAL statement. Since you referred to Nadler's official, formal statement (I love the guy by the way!) why don't you read Pelosi's official, formal statement instead of The Hill's excerpts from her answers to questions?
I suspect I know why you're zeroing in on Pelosi.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)As the article you cite notes, the House did have a vote to start impeachment of Trump, and it failed by a 355-66 vote. What would have been "inept" is to waste our time revisiting that issue until we have the votes.
The Hill does not give us the question she was responding to, so we have to assume it was whether the Democrats will now move to impeach Trump. It also does not purport to be a complete transcript of what she said. There are only a series of disconnected quotes:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday said impeaching President Trump is "not a priority," despite Michael Cohen's guilty plea to campaign finance violations that implicated the president.
"Impeachment has to spring from something else," Pelosi, who has long downplayed the possibility of impeachment, told The Associated Press.
Cohen, who was Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a number of tax and bank fraud charges as well as a campaign finance violation. He said in court that Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during his 2016 presidential campaign in exchange for their silence about alleged affairs with Trump.
"If and when the information emerges about that, we'll see," Pelosi said. "It's not a priority on the agenda going forward unless something else comes forward."
It appears all she is saying is Cohen implicating Trump does not warrant making impeachment a priority at this time. Because she can do math, and is not ineptly taking the bait on impeachment questions which could hurt us in the midterms.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Pelosi is smart enough to know what TO say, and what NOT-TO say. I trust her. She knows how to count. She knows that mere "impeachment" does not mean removal. Politically-speaking... we only have one shot at a successful impeachment AND removal from office. Why blow it all prematurely?
This is just another in a long string of not-so-subtle Pelosi bashing threads that serve no useful purpose at all (except to create distrust and to divide the party).
JHan
(10,173 posts)statements which when said by others don't garner nearly as much outrage.
It's so predictable.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)JHan
(10,173 posts)He's not the leader of the party while in the same breath claiming he's the future of the party.
I gotta say the repukes have done a helluva job demonizing dem leaders when even democrats parrot the same tired old Pelosi narratives which never stand up to scrutiny.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)PS: Thanks for the video.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)MontanaMama
(23,952 posts)the voice of experience talking here. We should heed her advice.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Impeachment may be viable after Mueller report but it is too early to make promises. I agree with the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi that we should not run on impeachment for the midterms. Impeachment does not poll well and running on impeachment would be a dumb move
maxrandb
(15,807 posts)the "Dumbfuckistan, 'Murika" vote I see.
We must not agitate the hayseeds wallowing in their own bile in some godforsaken hellhole VFW Post, drinking warm beer and telling each other how great their sisters are in bed.
Stand on principal Nancy
Eliot Rosewater
(32,420 posts)that it will bring out the assholes to vote.
she is NOT trying to get their votes, she is trying NOT to encourage them to come out and vote for cons
Mike Nelson
(10,246 posts)
running on impeachment isn't always successful. what she may mean is a damning report, citing specific crimes. She can't say Cohen said this and that without a legal paper focusing on the "Individual running for Federal office."
Eliot Rosewater
(32,420 posts)He is simply laying out what Pelosi and he and others want, nothing unusual about that.
Pelosi once again shows SHE knows what she is doing.
And the reason he isnt and she isnt is because they know RIGHT NOW that would hurt their chances to take back the House and the Senate wont convict anyway.
Common sense.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)JCMach1
(27,935 posts)I hate to say it, but she really needs to step down.
It's really becoming embarrassing.
Cha
(304,374 posts)thread agree with her. Are we "out of touch", too?
JCMach1
(27,935 posts)On my part. Pelosi's public statements on impeachment are way off where the base are... Also, the last 2 interviews I saw with her, she was just bad... Not just on the issues...
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)If a person needs to hear impeachment to vote then they are definitely not the base.
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)Whose votes are we trying to get?
BlueWI
(1,736 posts)"If the criminal convictions of Manafort and Cohen indeed implicate the president, there may be grounds for bipartisan action to protect election integrity and defend the Constitution, as all elected representatives are sworn to do. At this time, I don't see grounds for impeachment, but the investigations must continue."
That would show some resolve and honestly acknowledge the level of national crisis we are approaching.
skylucy
(3,841 posts)wants to get Trump-cult crazies out to vote in November by making the election about impeachment. Plenty of time for that AFTER Dems win back the house. Thank you Nancy!
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)It was off the table when we were lied into war.
It's not a priority when we were attacked by our 50-year cold war rival.
When is impeachment worth talking about if not in those cases? Why isn't treason a campaign issue?
orangecrush
(21,215 posts)joshcryer
(62,371 posts)Now I don't know whether being pro-impeachment would be a good rallying call or if it would get the Republicans to get out and vote or what.
But if you can use pro-impeachment in that way, and it wouldn't backfire, then it should be used that way.
Farmer-Rick
(11,167 posts)If Torture wasn't good enough to impeach, I doubt anything less than murder witnessed by hundreds will be good enough.
We heard all these same arguments when we gave the Dems Congress back under W. It did absolutely nothing to keep Dems in power after W sauntered off. Repeating the mistake of letting the criminals off will only lead to bigger criminals.
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)We've been cowering in the corner since Mondale's loss in 1984.
In the meantime, the GOP normalizes treason.
If there was ever a reason beyond the Russians that Clinton lost, it was this sort of behavior from Democratic leadership. Fuck doing whats right, let's go with political expediency based on the outlined talking-points provided the GOP...
I know it's ironically unpopular to be progressive on DU, but we seriously need leadership that remembers and is willing to fight for the values of our country and our party. If Nancy Pelosi won't, I'll support who will. It's that simple.
CentralMass
(15,452 posts)How the GOP is already working on how to impeach Hillary Clinton
"Some Republican lawmakers seem to be trying to delegitimize a Hillary Clinton presidency before it's clear there will be one. They are threatening to block her Supreme Court nominees, investigate her endlessly, or even impeach her.
Perhaps it's no surprise in an election in which the GOP nominee, Donald Trump, has branded his opponent "Crooked Hillary," and shouts of "lock her up!" are a staple at his rallies. Few Republicans appear eager to suggest a new era of bipartisan deal-making with a candidate widely seen by GOP voters as untrustworthy.
But the rhetoric is striking because newly elected presidents traditionally enjoy a honeymoon period with Congress and the public.
For Clinton, the honeymoon appears to be over even before it's clear she will be elected.
"I would say yes, high crime or misdemeanor," GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said this week in an interview with the Beloit Daily News, arguing that with her handling of emails Clinton had crossed the constitutionally established threshold for impeachment proceedings.
"This was willful concealment and destruction," said Johnson, who is in a tight race for re-election as control of the Senate hangs in the balance.
Johnson's comments follow recent remarks by GOP Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Richard Burr of North Carolina and John McCain of Arizona suggesting that they will oppose any and all Supreme Court nominations Clinton might make."
More at the link.
lapfog_1
(29,949 posts)It is premature to call for impeachment right now.
Yes, Trump is guilty as hell...
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)Why do so many feel that Trump treason isn't a good campaign issue?
lapfog_1
(29,949 posts)and the repukes will claim that the Democrats running are bent on undoing the 2016 election and nothing else.
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)Because, seriously, who really believes that but them?
lapfog_1
(29,949 posts)increases the number of wins Democrats will get... bigger margin, possibly control of the Senate in addition to the House.
Then we impeach the asshole and his whole administration.
The bigger the win this November, the bigger the chance is that remaining repukes in the Senate find a spine and decide to vote to convict in the Senate trial. It's still a long shot to convict and remove... but the damage may be done that makes Trump ineffective for the remaining 2 years.
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)Why not encourage voter turnout, instead?
lapfog_1
(29,949 posts)for someone with the KNOWN flaws of one DJT.
Gore1FL
(21,743 posts)We have the winning message. We have been afraid of it since 1984. We need to broadcast it.
Democrats are right. Republicans are wrong. Trump is a treasonous criminal. We cannot be afraid of that. We just can't. It's a winning message.
meadowlander
(4,677 posts)All she had to say was "We don't have all the information yet." Full stop.
JCMach1
(27,935 posts)So yeah, her messaging and communication is way off. But then again, that has been the norm for her lately.
meadowlander
(4,677 posts)Anything but "We don't think enforcing the rule of law is a priority."
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)such "analysis."
For instance, Nancy Pelosi is not the most articulate Democrat. It's also true that there is no ACA without Nancy Pelosi.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)It will give the rage boners that his deplorables all have right now toward any woman, especially an older Democratic woman, reason to take them to the polls in November and shoot their electoral wad.
After we have the house is the time to strike.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)GOP Corruption. Republican Corruption. Call it by name. A lot of people are cynical about politicians, you know.
This is a mind-numbing habit of ours, this failure to call out Republicans by name. There was nothing more mystifying to me than watching President Obama say Congress needs to do its job when the only people in the way were Republicans.
The overriding problem with this country is the Republican Party. Is there polling data somewhere that says our numbers go down when we layer Republican into an attack?
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)I am old. I remember the 1994 mid terms where the post office scandal hurt the Democrats and gave the GOP control of Congress. I also remember the 2006 mid term where Foley and other GOP scandals gave Democrats control of the House and Senate
We need to run on issues that we can win on.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Here are 5 ways House Democrats can destroy Trump -- even if they can't get the Senate to impeach him https://www.rawstory.com/2018/08/5-ways-house-democrats-can-destroy-trump-even-cant-get-senate-impeach/
Use their control of the Ways and Means Committee to obtain and release Trumps tax returns so that we finally learn what he has been hiding.
Hold hearings on the ways Trump is personally profiting off the presidency and potentially violating the Constitutions emoluments clause.
Mount a serious, comprehensive investigation into the Russian attack on the 2016 election and the Trump campaigns cooperation with that attack.
Investigate accusations of wrongdoing that have been leveled at Cabinet officials such as Wilbur Ross and Ryan Zinke.
Demand answers from the administration on the decision-making process and effects of controversial administration policies, such as adding a citizenship question to the census, relaxing rules for power plant emissions, making it easier for private universities to scam students, and tearing children from their parents arms at the border.
Retrograde
(10,578 posts)and be so uncomfortable that he frets himself into a severe illness - especially when his beloved Ivanka is facing federal and state charges.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Russian trolls are pushing many of the attacks on Pelosi https://www.politicususa.com/2018/08/25/putin-pelosi-progressives.html
In 2016, ageism and sexism worked on conservatives, but it also worked on progressives. So, it looks as if theyre trying it again, this time with Nancy Pelosi as the intended target.
Jen Kirkman noted the similarity in the attacks perfectly in a tweet:
The anti-Pelosi stuff isnt you being a free-thinking, young, or middle-aged revolutionary. Its a Kremlin created talking point (new blood vs establishment) that was subtly sold to you as progressive due to your conscious or unconscious sexism/ageism and you fell for it.
JEN KIRKMAN (@JenKirkman) August 24, 2018
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)57 D House candidates are on the record as either opposed to returning Pelosi to the speakership or undecided. Are they Russian dupes too?
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Eliot Rosewater
(32,420 posts)sad
Really FUCKING pisses me OFF
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)Russia did this with a number of issues in 2016. We can let Russia be successful or we can look at the facts.
yardwork
(63,728 posts)Hekate
(94,207 posts)...and see how the calculus changes.
Pelosi is smarter that all the complainers -- the lady can still count votes.
jmowreader
(51,316 posts)If Pelosi announces that were gonna impeach Trump if we take back Congress, thatll only cause Trump to go on another Twitter rant.
After Robert Muellers report comes in after the election and the Republican caucuses see theyve got to help get rid of him is the time to start the impeachment process.
matt819
(10,749 posts)Theres nothing to stop the Dems from changing their tune when theyre in the majority. But Dems play right into republican hands when the force the focus onto this one issue inthe campaign. Dems certainly have enough else to hammer republicans on. Corruption, family separations, art of the no deal, and much more.
treestar
(82,383 posts)proof which our emotions don't provide.
delisen
(6,402 posts)We are energized--they are less energized every day.
Trump's backers in Congress want to run against Pelosi, but most Trump voters do not care about Pelosi....but they will get energized over talk of impeachment.
Gothmog
(153,721 posts)If the Democrats get control of the House, here are some areas of investigation.
Link to tweet
The fact that the GOP is scared of this list makes me happy. There is a ton oversight that has not been done under the GOP that will keep the Democrats very busy if they retake the House