IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY BROADENS!

[real Cannabis calm]

Democrats to Broaden Impeachment Inquiry Into Trump to Corruption Accusations
By Nicholas Fandos

WASHINGTON — House Democrats return to Washington this week poised to significantly broaden their nascent impeachment inquiry into President Trump beyond the findings of the Russia investigation, but they will confront a fast-dwindling political clock.

Undeterred by lackluster public support for impeachment, Democratic lawmakers and aides have sketched out a robust four-month itinerary of hearings and court arguments that they hope will provide the evidence they need to credibly portray Mr. Trump as corrupt and abusing his power.

Beyond the president’s efforts to impede the special counsel’s investigation, Democrats also plan to scrutinize his role in hush payments to two women who said they had affairs with him and reports that he dangled pardons to officials willing to break the law to implement his immigration policies. Democrats also demanded documents last week related to whether his resort properties illegally profited from government business. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/us/politics/impeachment-investigation-trump.html?te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_NN_p_20190909§ion=topNews?campaign_id=9&instance_id=12242&segment_id=16856&user_id=cd25229822fb6350f11c6cb7ab0d25e8®i_id=90467985tion=topNews

[UTUSN]

1. K&R

[Bettie]

2. Honestly, I don't know who they are polling

in terms of support for impeachment, but nearly every Democrat I know is in favor of it happening yesterday. Over half of the unknown/not-democrats are in favor as well.

But, remember, most polling is by phone. Think about how many people you know who answer their phones if they don't know who is on the other end.

[Guilded Lilly]

4. Yup. I was thinking the same thing. Literally everyone...

I speak with on a political level has said they want impeachment proceedings to barrel ahead.

(And I have yet to answer a phone poll, though I wonder if some of the “survey sites” may be included in some of the polling depending on who conducts the surveys?)

[Bettie]

8. I know about three non-Trumpkins

who don't support, at very least, an impeachment inquiry.

Now, the Trumpkins? They still think he's utterly innocent...they also remind me that if there were something there, Nancy Pelosi would be moving ahead with something. In their minds, her reluctance to move forward means that she thinks he's innocent too. Granted, they are Trump Supporters, so they are likely not very bright.

[real Cannabis calm]

37. First, Pelosi is moving very slowly...

Readers might wonder; why so slow?

It's because Pelosi and other experienced Democrats in the House of Representatives want their investigations of the Trump crime syndicate to last until the election. It's a good strategy.

The GOP controlled Senate has already stated that they will destroy any attempt at impeaching Trump; and it takes a 2/3 majority of Senate votes to impeach a US President.

As for the RNC and Trump. they want the criminal publicly exonerated before the election. Then, Trump can continue to demonize Democrats, who failed at their witch-hunt, as Faux News widely proclaims his victory over evil Democrats.

[real Cannabis calm]

5. Thanks for your reply; Because...

It caused me to re-read the entire news article, which does not mention "polling."

My concern was over an actual House vote, which would send impeachment proceedings to a GOP Senate that has pledged to block impeachment, until I read this final paragraph and a few other potential Democratic strategies:

"That split may force impeachment advocates toward a compromise. With the Republican-controlled Senate highly likely to acquit Mr. Trump even if the House’s case were put to trial, some Democrats have begun raising another possibility: that the Judiciary Committee could draft articles of impeachment, vote them out of the panel but never bring them to the floor of the House — offering the public an election-year indictment of sorts without ever bringing the president to trial."

[Bettie]

7. Polling was an assumption on my part

as I can't imagine how they could posit public support or non-support without data.

Also, right now, a lot of people are clueless, make a public case and opinion will change significantly.

[real Cannabis calm]

10. Our representatives make decisions based on letters and email...

You are correct telephone "polling" would be ineffective. If you want your opinions to count take the time to write a snail-mail letter to the representative from your district.

[gibraltar72]

3. Lackluster my ass!

[KPN]

12. +1111

[Duppers]

33. Glad I stopped my subscription to NYT.

What a distortion of what we democratic voters want/ need.

Nicholas Fandos can bite me!

[Joe941]

6. honestly... what more do we need to know that we don't already know?

[StarfishSaver]

9. "knowing" and "proving" are two different things

But Democrats who already support impeachment "knowing" Trump is a criminal who needs to be impeached isn't enough. Many more people have to be convinced and that requires evidence beyond what we've heard on the news so far.

[KPN]

13. Which is why impeachment proceedings (inquiry and hearings)

should get going.

[StarfishSaver]

15. Sigh - they HAVE gotten going

Hearings take planning and preparation. They don't just happen on a moment's notice, especially when they involve a series of hearings on numerous topics as part of a larger strategy.

Although they've been accused of being on vacation and doing nothing, committees have been working throughout the summer to prepare these fall hearings. They didn't just pop up today with a spontaneous plan. This has been at works for some time.

[KPN]

16. Give me a break. Planning and preparation?

Don’t just happen on a moment’s notice? Really ... a moment? Almost a half a year since Mueller Report was released is a moment?

[StarfishSaver]

17. You're right

We're doomed. The House Democrats have been doing absolutely nothing (if we don't count the hearings, subpoenas, court challenges, etc.)

If only Nadler, Pelosi, Cummings, Schiff, et al, had the courage, expertise, and knowledge possessed by the laypersons on the DU about legal strategy and procedure and how to conduct a congressional investigation, Trump would have been impeached and acquitted by now and the country could move on to something else ...

[CaptainTruth]

31. Key phrase: "impeached and acquitted"

I want Trump impeached as much as the next guy, but I keep asking the "impeach NOW" folks what their plans are for the day after the Senate acquits Trump, he's been "fully exonerated by the Senate" & we're still a year+ away from the election? Oh, & he'll still be POTUS, capable of doing all the same terrible things he's doing today. No, he won't have a change of heart & be all nice just because he's been impeached.

What then? What do you want us to do then? Impeach him a 2nd/3rd/4th time? What?

I still say, "impeach when it will do maximum damage to the GOP & bring maximum benefit to Dems & America" & after months of study, I think that time is closer to the election. Make GOP candidates defend Trump (on impeachment) while they're running for re-election. Make impeachment dominate the news at a time when every GOP candidate is trying to get their re-election message out. Drown out their messages with a loud Dem message of "they're supporting & defending a criminal POTUS who was just impeached" (impeached recently, not a year ago when average voters won't care anymore).

[StarfishSaver]

32. Precisely

[KPN]

35. The impeachment hearings are going to take plenty of time in and of themselves. Ideally, they'll

run through next spring which is easily possible.

[KPN]

34. Oh poo. This is not a question of legal procedure.

It’s about political calculations in the face of Rome burning. Just do what the hell is right and just. Announce formal impeachment proceedings and stop trying to have it both ways.

[StarfishSaver]

36. Announce "formal impeachement proceedings"... And then do what?

[KPN]

38. Proceed with the Constitutional leverage,

backing, and gravitas that an impeachment inquiry actually provides as opposed to investigations and hearings that lack the level of legal clout an impeachment proceeding provides.

[StarfishSaver]

39. In other words, do just what they're doing now

Since there is no requirement that the House make a "formal impeachment announcement" in order for the Judiciary Committee to conduct an official impeachment proceeding (or proceeding "preliminary to" impeachment) that has all of the "Constitutional leverage, backing, and gravitas" it needs to be valid.

[Perseus]

19. "proving" should not be that difficult

These people have done things in the open, there is so much video to support the accusations, so much material.

[StarfishSaver]

22. That's obviously not enough or els a majority would already be supporting impeachment

The House is working to make a case that actually will make a difference. I'm another things, if they do it right, they're likely to peel off enough Republican Members and Senators to ensure the process is seen as a bipartisan effort, instead of a Democratic witchunt.

[KPN]

40. Not true. A substantial majority of Dem Reps already do support

support impeachment and those not supporting on both sides (D and R) do not either because of politics (the risk to their own seats) or they care about their ideology more than they do the Constitution or democracy.

[StarfishSaver]

41. A majority of Democratic Members aren't a majority of the country

And people who disagree with you about whether impeachment is the right course of action don't necessarily care more about their ideology than they do the Constitution or democracy. Many people just have a different view than you do about the best way to protect them.

[KPN]

42. So you don't care what a substantive majority of your owm

party think and support? And you are more concerned about what people who aren’t Dems think? And you believe most of them don’t care about GOP ideology so they must support Dems and will as long as we don’t impeach tRump? Seriously?

[StarfishSaver]

43. Now, you're just being ridiculous

Good night.

[melman]

45. Not really

[TheRealNorth]

11. I think this is the best bet to beat Trump

Do what the Republicans always do and use these investigation to feed fodder to the MSM. The corruption is pretty obvious and may be his greatest vulnerability for the 2020 election.

But afterwards, we need to follow through and lock 'em all up. If they try a blanket pardon, we challenge that and take it the Supreme Court. Make the Conservative justices defend the blanket pardon.

[KPN]

14. I agree. Expose every single one of them for what they are.

[Perseus]

18. "Undeterred by lackluster public support for impeachment", are they only asking his base about it?

Most everyone I know, and that includes intelligent, patriotic republicans who realized trump is an ass, support impeachment inquiries, it is similar to Democrats reaction to Epstein investigations, we all agree that regardless of party affiliation, if they are guilty they must pay.

[Vinca]

20. If they are going to impeach, they need to do it NOW. After January 1 we'll be in a campaign

year and then the excuse will be "We can't do it in a campaign year." There are a million valid reason to impeach this con man, grifter, amoral criminal. Fucking pick one.

[C Moon]

21. This is the time of year when the media makes lots of money on a close election.

The last thing they want is some impeachment to foul things up for them.

I'll never forgive the L.A. Times for making Trump look like a viable candidate. There was so much crap about him (he's a god damned criminal, after all—in so many regards), but week after week they made him look like any other candidate.

[yaesu]

23. and just now tRump is pressuring AT&T investor to rein in CNN (owned by AT&T). nt

[Doitnow]

24. Just think of all the rot that tRump can accomplish by election time!!!!!!! Get on with impeachment

NOW.

[certainot]

25. public desire to get him out is underestimated. his 'base' is propped up and

because liberals/dems ignore talk radio we're letting a few hundred bleating assholes on 1500 radio stations reaching 1500/week make it look to media like he's got a lot more than he has.

Undeterred by lackluster public support for impeachment

i guess the hearings will have to do the trick, but it would be a lot easier if we weren't letting those same few hundred lying asssholes attack investigators all day, distort the results to those too busy or apathetic to pay attention, and pollute jury pools.

[FirstLight]

26. WTF? "lackluster public support"...?!!!

Fuck them.

I'm sick of waiting for this to fucking happen... how's THAT for "public support" ...?

[infullview]

27. Another attempt by Pelosi

to placate pro-impeachment hawks without actually taking any action to do so.

[Kurt V.]

28. i'll wager that come 2020 this will suddenly become too political to continue

[CaptainTruth]

29. Of course, & it will continue to broaden, bit by bit, so each little bit enters a news cycle.

Trump comes up with stupid things almost every day to dominate the news cycle. Dems need to dribble this stuff out in pieces over cycle after cycle after cycle in order to compete with the Trump "news noise." That's how you break through to average folks & do maximum damage to the GOP.

[Amimnoch]

30. I trust Nancy.

I don't have even a sliver of doubt.. when the time is right and best.. Nancy will orchestrate the move.

Would LOVE to see it, but I know our Speaker of the House is a BRILLIANT political chess player. I completely trust in her to make the move when it is BEST for us.

On a side note, I'm itching like crazy to see this go through just so I can see Moscow Mitch sidelined in the Senate while Chief Justice Roberts presides over the deliberations. I strongly suspect that, even though a Bush appointee, Roberts is not a dedicated supporter of Cheetolini.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

44. Hmmm..wonder why there's "lackluster" support. We have

Had damning information since April 4th.