Did I listen to the IMPEACHMENT evidence presented in the well of the Senate by the House managers? Well, the answer is I listened to much of it, but NOT all of it. Years ago when Richard Nixon was facing IMPEACHMENT I was clued in on EVERY bit of the Congressional testimony, back when there were three TV outlets and it was all you could watch if you watched TV at all. From what I watched I have to say I was totally impressed by what I heard from the Democrats presenting the case against individual 1. Naturally, my expectation all along is that the republicans barely listened and they’re going to cut this off as soon as they possibly can. I’m guessing there will be no additional evidence admitted to the procedure and it will be up to “we the people” to IMPEACH individual 1. It’s clear today’s republicans live in FEAR of individual 1 for some strange reason. (Maybe similar to how he lives in fear of Vladimir Putin)
I’ve been pointing out for some time now I believe individual 1’s “base” to be akin to a CULT. Of course, that would be confirmed by what people who are likening him to be a demagogue are saying. It’s likely a fitting conclusion in all of this is to challenge “we the people” to “take matters into our own hands” depending on how we envision this country. Do we really want our leaders to be able to break the law with impunity and then totally STONEWALL Congress should our Congress have the temerity to investigate. Are we actually headed toward a fascist dictatorship, bit by bit? It really is up to us! (“We the people”)
The voters, in 2018, rose up and said they didn’t like what was happening with individual 1. I’m expecting the energy which led to the 2018 vote to increase as we head toward 2020. And, the reality is, for those who claim the same will be true with individual 1’s supporters, “there’s more of us than there is of them.” Individual 1 has a “grip” on something like 40 – 45% of the American public. The rest of us have the POWER to not only remove individual 1 from office but also to remove several of the republicans who are likely to vote to acquit our so-called president as well. (Remember republicans believe in CHEATING to win, as well!)
From my way of thinking, if “we the people” want to make progress in areas like FIGHTING Climate Change, creating a nation where health care is a RIGHT, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure (Which, really should be happening right now, with interest rates so low), fixing the many issues with our system of public education – especially higher education and the funding NIGHTMARE our college eligible young people are dealing with, child care issues for children living in poverty, addressing the national debt, turning us away from being a militaristic country, not to mention all I could about the importance of following the “rule of law,” and I could go on – we need to have a democratic controlled Senate and our leaders in the Senate need to end the archaic FILIBUSTER rule in the Senate.
Additionally, democrats need to campaign on the issue that individual 1 has done enough damage to our Judicial branch of government and should he be re-elected we are likely to have as many as 7 right wing judges on the Supreme Court – maybe another couple Kavanaugh types. If that doesn’t get your attention, it should! Right now I’m reading “From Russia with Blood” by Heidi Blake – one of several books I’ve read in order to better understand why Vladimir Putin seems to have such a “hold” on individual 1 – and, sadly, it’s clear “we the people” don’t understand what Putin has actually done to Russia. Russia is attacking the “Western World” surreptitiously and if “we the people” don’t figure this out quickly, well, that will be BAD!
I have no idea what Putin has on individual 1, but when you read about how Russia has operated since Putin took power in 1999 it has to get your attention. And, some of what Putin has done in Russia you can see individual 1 is trying to do in America. The REAL protection “we the people” have from someone turning America into some kind of autocracy (dictatorship) lies in our free press, our Justice Department, and our intelligence community. If you’ve been closely following individual 1’s first three years in office it MUST be clear to you he’s attacking all three of those firewalls to his goal of turning America into a fascist dictatorship.
Clearly, individual 1 will do anything he can to remain in power, now that he’s managed to get power, As I’m reading “From Russia With Blood” I can’t get my mind off the FACT individual 1 was lavishing praise on Putin well before he managed to gain the “White House” as a “strong leader.” Putin is running a government which is akin to (likely) the largest mafia operation in the world and for those Russians who’ve challenged him there seems to be no place in the world where they can get away from him. Make no mistake, Russia is and HAS BEEN one of the MOST corrupt countries in the world. I’m beginning to believe individual 1 is pushing America into that sphere as he seems to idolize Mr. Putin.
if you consider someone who murders, imprisons, and/or tortures ANYONE who dissents in any way a “strong leader,” well, I guess individual 1 would be correct. If you consider someone a strong leader who believes in freedom, liberty, and the rule of law, well, Putin wouldn’t even be in the conversation. Putin stands with Kim Jong un of North Korea, Duterte of the Philippines, Erdogan of Turkey, MBS of Saudi Arabia, and Orban of Hungary as “strong leaders” in the mind of individual 1. “We the people” SHOULD be doing everything we can to mitigate the DAMAGE being done by these “strong leaders” around the world.
I’m not the only American wondering how individual 1 could have such a “grip” on 40% of our population when it’s clear he’s supporting leaders around the world who, traditionally, would have been strongly opposed by the republican party – now HIS party. Can you imagine Ronald Reagan, for example, supporting a mafia thug like Putin, or a murderer like MBS, or someone like Erdogan who’s turned a traditional American ally like Turkey into a dictatorship, or a leader like Duterte BRAGGING about murdering thousands of his own people? I was no fan of Reagan, but I can’t believe he’d be standing along side these thugs and complimenting them as “strong leaders.”
Right now, as I’m writing this, I’m listening to individual 1’s defense as the IMPEACHMENT trial has moved to phase two. I certainly hope the “House managers” will have the opportunity to respond to what I’m listening to. Of course, as I’ve said here many times, “I’m no lawyer,” but I do have to say I have a basic Idea of what is LYING and I’ve observed now, in my lifetime, three IMPEACHMENTS. Two went to trial with acquittal (I’m assuming the republicans will end this “trial” as soon as possible) and, in the first one, Nixon resigned before he was actually IMPEACHED. Back in the 1970’s the “tribalism” which republicans have created in the last 40 years was unthinkable. There actually were many examples of “bipartisanship.”
I’m not sure who’s speaking right now, but I remember the name of the previous “defender of our so-called president” as Jane Raskin. Her job was to LIE about Rudy Giuliani’s role in the scheme to get the Ukrainians to publicly say they were investigating Joe Biden. And, the guy who’s speaking right now is going on and on in a very boring attempt to say individual 1’s claim of “absolute immunity” was something, essentially, all administrations have practiced. Personally, I’ve never heard the term “absolute immunity” prior to individual 1’s attempt to prevent ANYONE from testifying to the House.
Additionally, this person has claimed, essentially, none of the subpoenas issued by the House were valid, I believe, because the House had not voted to authorize the IMPEACHMENT inquiry prior to them being issued – saying the subpoena’s issued by the House were “null and void.” My reaction to that claim was simply, ‘HUH?” Clearly, through the entire process of both the Mueller investigation and this Ukraine shakedown individual 1’s strategy was to “play out the clock” by forcing every issue into the courts. Again, as I’m listening to this guy I’m hoping the House managers get to respond. (One more thought; individual 1’s defenders are totally aware only about 1% of Americans actually read the Mueller report, so it really bothers me when I hear them continually LYING about what was in it)
The argument being made, as I’m listening, is attempting to further the argument there should be no witnesses before the Senate. Actually, I’m kind of hoping that’s how it plays out, because it would have to be due to the republicans failure to vote for witnesses and the release of documents. The reality is EVERYTHING which SHOULD be part of this “trial” will ultimately become public knowledge. For example, John Bolton’s “inside information” WILL come into the public domain. By all accounts he’s writing a book which will likely be published prior to the next election. Bolton knows it’s the voters who would have to vote to impeach individual 1 if he’s to be impeached. What he knows will become public. The same goes for Lev Parnos and others. The guy defending individual 1 as I’m writing this is saying they DON’T want any further witnesses. Of course they don’t – they know, for example, what Bolton would say!
This guy is saying, any subpoena authorized in this IMPEACHMENT proceeding will be BLOCKED by the “White House” – again, attempting to force the issue into the courts. One more thing, this guy is using the term “executive privilege” – but, in reality, executive privilege was not invoked by individual 1 – he had the audacity to authorize “absolute immunity” – but, again, I believe all of this is moot because we all know republicans are going to vote to acquit individual 1. (My only hope is the “trial” lasts for a couple more weeks so the “State of the Union” speech comes prior to the “acquittal”)
I’ve got to go (putting this rant on hold) and Pam Bondi is starting to deflect the proceedings by bringing up the Burisma issue – which, even if there was something “there” – has NOTHING to do with our so-called president attempting to SHAKE DOWN the Ukrainians in an attempt to force an “investigation” into Joe Biden and his son’s position on the board of Barisma. These people I’m listening to seem to me to be like first year law students. There were times in my life where people said I could “argue with a fence post.” That’s what this is all reminding me of.
Here’s something I find very interesting which goes to the heart of where American politics has devolved over the past 40 years (post Newt Gingrich – I’ll let you figure that one out). Individual 1 seems to live in fear of getting on the wrong side of Vladimir Putin while virtually EVERY member of the GOP side of the House AND the Senate live in FEAR of getting on the wrong side of individual 1. When you think about that you realize how much power Vladimir Putin has in the United States of America in 2020. And, of course, you’ve got outlets like Fox, Breitbart, Sinclair Broadcasting, and the right wing radio airwaves all acting like “toadies” for our so-called president – placing THEM, by extension, at the mercy of Mr. Putin.
If that causes you to have any measure of “pause” I would highly recommend you read Heidi Blake’s book which I mentioned above, “From Russia With Blood.” If you followed what happened to the Skripal’s in England last year you know where that title originated. And, of course Sergei Skripal and his daughter are just part of a long line of Soviet dissidents to find themselves poisoned, shot, imprisoned for sham reasons, tortured, or simply living in fear because of the latest “promise” coming from the Kremlin they could be “next.”
It will be interesting when we finally learn why individual 1 became “owned” by Putin and Russia, it’s really hard (at least for me) to understand how this could have happened to the republican party – especially based on their history dating back to Reagan. Of course, as I’ve said here multiple times, I’ve read where Russian money has filtrated America’s political realm much further than just the (reported) $30 MILLION allegedly funneled through the NRA in 2016 for individual 1. In one book it was suggested Moscow Mitch received something in the neighborhood of $800,000 from the Russians and Lindsey Graham (yep, I’m not kidding) supposedly received around $600,000 from Russian sources. That’s why I was not surprised when Oleg Deripaska, for example, was “un-sanctioned” (I may have made up that word) by the GOP, led by McConnell, and leading to an aluminum plant in Kentucky. What’s the saying? “It’s all about the Benjamin’s!” He really is “Moscow Mitch.”
Final Thought: No matter how this IMPEACHMENT “trial” plays out and no matter how the election turns out in November, it’s apparent to me individual 1’s slandering of Joe Biden will prove effective – and, whoever becomes the democratic nominee (likely NOT Biden) he/she KNOWS what lies ahead. Individual 1 is as sleazy as anyone I’ve ever seen in American politics and this upcoming election will, essentially, determine the direction of this nation for longer than I plan to still be breathing. To me, individual 1 is the result of what began in the 1980’s and metastasized when Newt Gingrich instituted the policy of disruption and obstruction into the republican party. That has been the GOP mantra in Congress ever since. Moscow Mitch took up the “sword” in the Senate once it became clear “we the people” were getting “color blind” in our voting preferences during presidential elections and elected President Obama.
The result of the Gingrich led lurch to the “right,” ultimately, resulted in the “Tea Party” which took control of the republican party after President Obama’s election and galvanized the third of America who are comfortable in their racist beliefs allowing them to come out from “under the rocks.” Now, of course, we have a so-called president who is supported by the White Nationalists comprising what has been labeled as the “alt right” movement and, sadly (to me) what is referred to as the “conservative Evangelical Christians.”
“We the people” have one chance to “fix” all of this and it will happen next November. We are dependent on the democratic party to provide a nominee with the resources to WIN the upcoming election and NOT to, as they often do, self destruct. One thing which has stuck with me that came from the mouth of Elizabeth Warren is that we MUST stop being AFRAID to fight for what we believe in. FEAR is a destructive force and it’s time “we the people” STAND up against those who would attempt to SCARE us away from what we KNOW is right. The issues I mentioned above are worth fighting for and my prayer is our people respond in an overwhelming manner come November. February 2021 will be the time for individual 1 to answer for his criminal behavior, both while in the “White House” and what his pseudo mafia organization was doing prior to his “election.” (And, by the way, when you read about this family it becomes clear Don Jr. has issues, and especially Jared Kushner – should the “authorities” care to investigate this family thoroughly)