Happy impeachment day!
Is it...is it actually going to happen?! My hope has been shattered this year...
Impeachment, yes. That will likely happen. It's mostly symbolic at this point though, seeing as the Senate has been quite clear on an actual removal not happening. I mean, celebrate if you like, but, we still have Trump in office at the very least until the 2020 election.
Why is it that a president who has been impeached is allowed to run for re-election? It seems to me that one of the stipulations of an impeachment should be that a president who has been impeached should not be allowed to run again. I know that won't happen, but it just seems odd that someone who broke the oath of office is allowed to campaign again.
because the Senate trial has to convict... by 2/3rds majority... there's a reason it never happens, kinda like a royal flush.
The silver lining here is that if Trump is formally impeached, he cannot be pardoned by anyone. I wonder if he knows that...
Donald Trump has been impeached.
The moment Trump was elected, I pretty much always thought his impeachment was not an "if" but a "when", depending on whether the Democrats were to take back Congress. All the obvious warning signs about him were present on the campaign trail, yet the GOP wants us to believe that our resentment of him is nothing more than petty jealousy because we ALMOST got their mortal enemy in the White House.
So, does anyone here think there's actually a chance of him getting convicted and removed? ALL of the House Republicans voted against impeachment, while Graham and McConnell (among others) have pretty much already made up their minds, and the only Senate Republican I know of that's been remotely critical of Trump just happens to be a known flip-flopper whose word is unreliable. I expect the GOP to be on 100% defense mode like they've been many times before. It would be a true Christmas miracle if someone somehow managed to convince at least 20 Senate Republicans to not reject the evidence against Trump.
Just because the Senate is going to try and get this trial over quickly and likely acquit Trump doesn't mean that he shouldn't have been impeached. The message on that is pretty clear if you're concerned about how broken our democracy is - Senate Republicans will put their party over country and elevate one man who they have allowed to damage this country beyond repair just because they're benefiting from it all.
Those of us who voted for Democratic House members and Senators in 2018 did so with the intention that they would hold Trump accountable. Last night, the House did just that. Now is the time for those Republican Senators who have voiced their concerns and those who are up for election in 2020 (Collins, Gardner, McSally, etc.) to decide if they're going to do the right thing and not allow McConnell to rig this thing or if they're going to roll over for Trumpism.
But yeah, this was the right thing to do.
One interesting thing that I heard was that, while he has been impeached, apparently Pelosi can delay naming the house managers to deliver the impeachment to the Senate indefinitely if she chooses.
If she holds back the articles until a fair trial can be held, Trump won't get the acquittal that he wants and that current republicans would give him. The republicans aren't even pretending that they'd hold a fair trial right now, if she makes the fight about whether or not republicans are doing their duty in holding a fair trial rather than about Trump himself, that might help to shake them.
Go after his enablers in the court of public opinion rather and bring them down instead of hitting Trump himself.
EDIT: Honestly, I really like that strategy. Trump is made of Teflon and fake tan, the rest of the republicans are not. Using the impeachment to attack the republicans instead of Trump sounds like a solid plan. Trump will turn on them whenever he feels like it. The voters might turn on them too. Once enough republicans start to face consequences for enabling him, they might turn. But that'll take time, and Pelosi has as much time as she wants, apparently.
Last edited by M1ke; 12-19-2019 at 08:53 AM.
Chuck Todd was kind of hinting at this last night after the impeachment became official. It honestly did help me feel just a slight bit better about the senate trial. He started name dropping specific republican senators that don't stand a chance at reelection unless they vote to remove and said there are a bunch of other mid ground republicans in the senate that could easily be scared into voting to remove. Basically he was saying that Trump doesn't hold the same type of control over the senate that he has with the House Republicans.
They can't, if they're convicted by the Senate:
See the U.S. Constitution:
ARTICLE I:
Section. 2.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.Section 3
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall choose their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.
Last edited by allegro; 12-19-2019 at 03:38 PM.
^^ Wow, that's some pretty powerful stuff!!
AHEM...
And...A far left magazine, or very “progressive,” as some would call it, which has been doing poorly and hasn’t been involved with the Billy Graham family for many years, Christianity Today, knows nothing about reading a perfect transcript of a routine phone call and would rather.........have a Radical Left nonbeliever, who wants to take your religion & your guns, than Donald Trump as your President. No President has done more for the Evangelical community, and it’s not even close. You’ll not get anything from those Dems on stage. I won’t be reading ET again!
So yeah, this article won't make a difference.I guess the magazine, “Christianity Today,” is looking for Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, or those of the socialist/communist bent, to guard their religion. How about Sleepy Joe? The fact is, no President has ever done what I have done for Evangelicals, or religion itself!
got under his skin enough to taunt them, which could potentially make it worse.