Impeachment Inquiry Appears To Be On

[lennygoran]

Bring on the whistleblower complaint!!!!! Regards, Len

[Rach3]

IF Trump will, as he says he will, release One Ukraine call transcript ( even if only ONE carefully selected out of EIGHT calls ), and since Senate has voted 100% for whistle blower complaint go to Intel Committees, WHY Dems move NOW to impeach (publically) before seeing those 2 items ? Trump is a moron ; but, many of the vermin in the WH, like Mulvaney,Miller,Press Secretary,Kelly Ann Conway , Pompeo, are not.

[lennygoran]

but, many of the vermin in the WH, like Mulvaney,Miller,Press Secretary,Kelly Ann Conway , Pompeo, are not.

I don't know about that. Regards, Len

[david johnson]

The dems will lose again.

[jserraglio]

The dems will lose again.

. . . if tyranny wins out, as well it might, given the veiled death threats the President made just today to any turncoat "spies" on his own staff who had engaged in what he called "treason".

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_contin ... RbtjgHZ0qA

[barney]

It's so hard to see a way forward here. Obviously Democrats have no chance of succeeding because the Republicans will never back impeachment in the Senate. They are utterly corrupt and self-interested - the only thing that matters is them being re-elected. (That said, the Dems would be exactly the same were the roles reversed.) But the Democrats can't ignore it either. What you ignore is what you accept.
Americans have become so inured already to this deeply vile man, who has no idea of honour or integrity and has already turned the political system upside down. The rest of the world look on in bemused horror. How could you elect someone who boasts about sexual abuse, an infantile narcissist with no curiosity, who cannot understand any issue beyond how it relates to him, who can call Putin a friend and NATO the enemy, whose recorded and verified lies since becoming President are now in five figures? Mind you, I don't say Australian or any other voters are necessarily more intelligent or altruistic in their voting, just that it doesn't affect the rest of the world the same way.

[Rach3]

Barney is correct. America, or at least 40% of America , owes the World an
apology. We have met the enemy , and it is us. Not that PM Morrison’s make coal great again, and migrant policies , are above reproach ( shades of Trump ),as the Great Barrier Reef dies and shiraz vineyards wither, but Trump is evil and dumb, has the nuclear trigger , and we have a GOP much less principled than Liberals. Gibbons’ Rise and Fall redux.

[lennygoran]

if tyranny wins out, as well it might, given the veiled death threats the President made just today to any turncoat "spies" on his own staff who had engaged in what he called "treason".

Lock him up-I don't mean the whistleblower-it's Trump-lock him up. Len

[lennygoran]

Americans have become so inured already to this deeply vile man, who has no idea of honour or integrity and has already turned the political system upside down.

Barney not all Americans--his base sure but they're only about 40 %. Regards, Len

[barney]

Of course I know that, Len. You are probably more dismayed than me, if that's possible.

What really burns me up, as someone who identifies as Christian, is the way Christians manoeuvre their consciences to support him. The hypocrisy of those who wanted to impeach Clinton but find reasons why Trump is "God's man for America" is staggering. Not that I think we are any better than anyone else - the evidence makes that claim hard to sustain - but we are supposed to operate by clear principles of honesty and integrity and the common good, whether Republican or Democrat.

[Holden Fourth]

In today's world of a politically biased and intellectually challenged media, who knows what to believe? This is polarisation of views at it's most extreme and it's poorly reported. Add in all the fake news on social media and what is actually true is buried under a mass of inaccuracies and rhetoric.

However, despite the fact that I know very little about American politics one detail stands out to me. The US economy is doing very well, much better than it was under the previous administration. Maybe that's why the Dems are so keen to go down the impeachment path because it masks the fact that their economic policies were not as successful. And if you think back, what about all the palaver over whether Obama was actually a US citizen and whether he should be impeached?

[John F]

You've forgotten that just as Barack Obama became president the U.;S. economy suffered the worst crash since 1929 - it's called the Great Recession. If the President deserves credit or blame for the state of the economy, a doubtful proposition, then it was Republican George W. Bush who led us into the crash and Obama who led us out of it. He and the Democrat-controlled Congress stabilized the economy soon after he took office in 2009 - that was fast work - and from mid-2009 to 2017 the gross domestic product grew an average of 2.2% annually, with 4.2% growth in 2017, with employers adding 190,000 jobs a month. I wouldn't call the recovery from 2008 "unsuccessful."

That said, I agree that partisan politics on both sides has a lot to do with the move to impeach Trump, just as it did in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. In neither case was the President going to be convicted and removed from office by 2/3 of the senators; the motive was and is to damage the President and his party and heighten public disapproval. In 1999 it backfired as on the day on which Clinton was impeached, his approval rating shot up to 73%. As for Trump, there's no way he can be convicted given the even partisan split in the Senate, and if he isn't, I'd expect that to consolidate his support among the suckers... I mean, the voters who have approved of him through thick and thin.

[jserraglio]

Re polarization: For some time I have feared we are in a run-up to the second Civil War.

Re the strong economy: the current expansionary prosperity is a chimera funded by debt. Will there be any prime in the well to pump when the inevitable downturn hits?

Re Trump the unimpeachable: old tyrants never die, they just fade away into impotent irrelevance. So let it be with Donald. Our best hope is that he will vacate the office peacefully whenever his time is up. But I'm not betting on it.

[lennygoran]

Of course I know that, Len. You are probably more dismayed than me, if that's possible.

Barney well at least it only took the Dems one day to get to the smoking gun and find out about the coverup-looks like Watergate 2019 style may be here by the end of the year! Regards, Len

[lennygoran]

>The US economy is doing very well, much better than it was under the previous administration.

Obama's recovery left Trump that legacy-Trump should thank him for that instead of criticizing him every chance he gets. Regards, Len

[lennygoran]

Re Trump the unimpeachable:

I watched all of the hearing yesterday-not one Republican defended what Trump did with the Ukrainian phone call-most of the spineless ones ran away from reporters claiming they hadn't had time to read the whistleblower's document. Regards, Len

GOP congressman bluntly condemns Trump for the Ukraine call: 'This is not okay'
September 26, 2019

[jserraglio]

Can the tyrant be shaken and brought down? That in my view is very much in doubt. He is much more likely to overreach and fall as he did last July after he thought he was free of the Mueller probe.

Just to be clear, I do think he has "betrayed his trust with foreign powers" (James Madison). So regardless of the outcome in the Senate, he must now be impeached or impeachment will be seen as meaningless in the future.

[lennygoran]

Can the tyrant be shaken and brought down? That in my view is very much in doubt. He is much more likely to overreach and fall as he did last July after he thought he was free of the Mueller probe. Just to be clear, I do think he has betrayed our country to foreign powers; and regardless of the outcome in the Senate, he must now be impeached or impeachment will be seen as meaningless in the future.

What amazes me is how fast the impeachment could come-news right now is breaking so fast! Regards, Len

[jserraglio]

It will come when it will come. And it must come, or none of our liberties are assured so long as he holds them in trust.

But our best hope, I think, is that this tyrant will once again rashly take aim at a notable American citizen and by doing so bring himself down.

[lennygoran]

But our best hope, I think, is that this tyrant will lash out blindly again at a citizen and in doing so bring himself down.

Wait a second-what if he reads our messages and lashes out at you or me! Regards, Len [hiding]

[jserraglio]

We are of no account. We're simply the detritus he deletes from his Twitter account.

But should Trump again use his office or reach out to a foreign govt to trash a citizen of Joe Biden's stature or even greater, then he may well hoist himself by his own petard.

The question at that juncture: will the tyrant implore his fascist red-caps to take to the streets?

[lennygoran]

The question at that juncture: will the tyrant implore his fascist red-caps to take to the streets?

Joseph very concerning. Regards, Len

[jserraglio]

BTW, could the new Deep Throat possibly be Susan M. Gordon?

[lennygoran]

BTW, could the new Deep Throat possibly be Susan M. Gordon?

That would be something-maybe with Coats help! Regards, Len

[Rach3]

I watched all of the hearing yesterday-not one Republican defended what Trump did with the Ukrainian phone call-most of the spineless ones ran away from reporters claiming they hadn't had time to read the whistleblower's document.

As of yesterday, it is reported these 9 US Senators had not read the whistleblowers 9-page complaint:

Lankford: "Didn't read it."
Hoeven: "Didn't read it."
Braun: "Didn't read it."
Alexander: "Didn't read it."
Portman: "Didn't read it."
Cotton: "No comment."
Blunt: "Ask me later."
Rubio: "(nonanswer)"
Risch: "Nothing there"
Rounds: "(nonanswer)"
Ernst: "Didn't read it."

[jserraglio]

“You have to be very clear and very focussed on what would be an impeachable offense,” Pelosi said. “People say you changed your mind. I didn’t change my mind. The facts changed the situation. Last week, on Constitution Day, of all days, the news broke of the President’s total betrayal of the Constitution—and this takes us into a whole new realm. Use any analogy, anything you want: ‘A new day has dawned’; ‘We’ve crossed the Rubicon.’ Everything is different now, because of that phone call.” She went on, “That the Administration thought it was exculpatory is so ridiculous, because it was, in fact, incriminating.”

The impeachment of Donald J. Trump is now in my view a foregone conclusion, and when it happens it will of course be partisan, but it will also go far beyond politics into the realm of our basic liberties, because Trump's recent palaver with a foreign leader at the expense of an American citizen has effectively forced Pelosi's hand leaving her no choice but to apply to him the ultimate sanction. Whether or not Trump is convicted by the Senate afterwards is immaterial. His name would always have an asterisk next to it.

[Rach3]

You've forgotten that just as Barack Obama became president the U.;S. economy suffered the worst crash since 1929 - it's called the Great Recession. If the President deserves credit or blame for the state of the economy, a doubtful proposition, then it was Republican George W. Bush who led us into the crash and Obama who led us out of it.

There is much anecdoatal evidence the economic wheels Obama got going full speed are now slowing in the US economy as Trump's disastrous trade policies become more evident and trickle down to producers,retailers, and consumers, and the staggering increase in the National debt and deficit resulting from Trump's tax cut for the rich start to weigh. Available affordable housing is a huge issue, affordable college is a huge issue, infrastructure is crumbling with no plan, health are costs are increasing with no plan, the Fed is so concerned it has lowered interest rates yet again and now has few tools left if downturn continues, capital spending plans are on hold for many businesses,Medicare/Social Security insolvency is visible on the horizon with no plan other than talk of need to reduce benefits. Let alone climate change issues.But lately Trump is talking again about reducing capital gains tax rates.

[jserraglio]

lately Trump is talking again about reducing capital gains tax rates.

Good luck with that, Donald. Ain't gonna happen in an election year, not with Nancy Pelosi in charge of revenue bills. Paul Ryan is no longer Speaker.

[lennygoran]

Paul Ryan is no longer Speaker.

Yeah now he's on the board of Fox News-this could wind up being a good thing! Regards, Len

This Fox News Meltdown Has EVERYTHING: On-Air Feuds, ‘Management Bedlam,’ and Paul Ryan

"But the most head-scratching part, in my opinion, is how former House Speaker Paul Ryan involved!!! Ryan is now a member of the Fox board, FYI, and he’s taking advantage of having the ear of Lachlan Murdoch. “‘Paul is embarrassed about Trump and now he has the power to do something about it,’ an executive who’s spoken with Ryan told me,” Sherman wrote. Ryan was the highest-ranking congressional Republican, yet only NOW he feels like he has enough power to stand up to the president! I am reeling!!

I’m excited to see how Fox News covers the impeachment inquiry, as well as the possible proceedings and trial."

https://splinternews.com/this-fox-news- ... 1838505146

[jserraglio]

If Fox cuts itself loose from Trump he is finished. Kaput. A la Joe McCarthy.

[Rach3]

Ain't gonna happen in an election year, not with Nancy Pelosi in charge of revenue bills. Paul Ryan is no longer Speaker.

The Trump economy: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/there ... 2019-09-26

[jserraglio]

WASHINGTON POST

IMPEACHMENT CATALYST RUDY GULIANI TO BE PAID SPEAKER AT EU RIVAL & PUTIN BRAINCHILD EEU CONFERENCE IN ARMENIA NEXT TUESDAY

PUTIN EXPECTED TO ATTEND

NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS ARE STUNNED BY THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER'S LACK OF DISCRETION

LATE-BREAKING NEWS: TONITE, UNDER FIRE, RUDY HAS CANCELED HIS PAID APPEARANCE WITH THE RUSSIANS

Rudolph W. Giuliani, whose actions as President Trump’s personal lawyer have helped set in motion an impeachment inquiry, is set to appear as a paid speaker at a Kremlin-backed conference in Armenia on Tuesday — an event expected to include the participation of Russian President Vladi­mir Putin and other top Russian officials.
Giuliani confirmed to The Washington Post on Friday that he plans to take part in a panel at the conference sponsored by Russia and the Moscow-based Eurasian Economic Union, a trade alliance launched by Putin in 2014 as a counterweight to the European Union.
According to an agenda for the event posted online, Giuliani is set to participate in a panel led by Sergey Glazyev, a longtime Putin adviser who has been under U.S. sanctions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine five years ago.
Giuliani’s decision to take part in the conference astounded national security experts. His scheduled appearance comes days after the release of a whistleblower complaint accusing Trump and Giuliani of pressuring Ukrainian for damaging information about Democrats.
Trump this summer withheld military aid from Ukraine, which counts on U.S. support to help fend off pro-Moscow separatists in the country’s eastern provinces. As part of his efforts in Ukraine, Giuliani has said the focus on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election has overlooked what he claims was meddling by Kiev.
The agenda for the Eurasian conference shows Giuliani is the only American scheduled to speak at the gathering.
In an interview Friday, Giuliani angrily rejected questions about whether it was appropriate for him to attend the event at which he also appeared last year.
“I will try to not knowingly talk to a Russian until this is all over,” he retorted.
The former New York mayor confirmed he will be paid for his appearance but declined to say how much he would receive or which group or person will foot the bill.
“It goes to my company,” Giuliani said.
The White House and State Department declined to comment.
Current and former White House aides said there is internal exasperation with Giuliani’s behavior and the fact that he does not clear his media appearances or paid speeches with the administration. Giuliani has said he works for the president in a personal capacity and does not take a salary from the government or the president.
A spokesman for the Eurasian conference declined to comment on Giuliani’s scheduled appearance but said Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong are set to attend the conference in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Tuesday.
The conference is a regular summit of the Eurasian Economic Union, an economic trading union whose members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
It is the brainchild of Putin and was created out of Moscow’s fear of the so-called color revolutions that spread across former Soviet countries. Putin has aimed to use the group to establish Russia as a bulwark against Europe and a center of gravity in the former Soviet region, describing the EEU as “a new supranational union that could become one of the poles of the modern world.”
In 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the group part of an effort to “re-Sovietize the region.”
National security experts said Giuliani’s presence at the event could bolster the E.U. rival.
“It’s terrible judgment for the president’s lawyer to attend this meeting,” said David Kramer, a former State Department official responsible for Russia and Ukraine during the George W. Bush administration. “He is lending credibility to an organization Putin set up as an alternative to the European Union. . . . This will further confuse people on top of the havoc he has already created for Ukraine.”
Michael McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Obama administration, said he was surprised Giuliani or any American would attend the Eurasian conference, particularly since the organization was a flash point in Russian-Ukrainian tensions. He noted it was created by Putin at a time when Ukraine was considering joining the European Union.
“I can’t remember anything like this,” McFaul said. He noted Giuliani, as a private citizen, has a right to speak to any organization but added, “This is an odd place for him to go.”
An agenda the two-day summit says it is focused on transit in the region. On Tuesday evening, Putin is set to take part in the official closing ceremony with Rouhani and leaders of the EEU’s other member countries.
Earlier in the day, Giuliani is set to appear on a panel titled “Digital financial technologies — new opportunities for integrating payment systems of the Eurasian continent in transport logistics.”
The moderator listed on the agenda is Glazyev, an economist who served as one of Putin’s top advisers until this August and who is viewed in Moscow’s diplomatic circles as a possible successor to him. Next week, he is expected to be appointed to a top post at the commission that oversees the EEU.
Glazyev was one of a number of senior Russian government officials sanctioned by the Obama administration in 2014 as punishment for Russia’s incursion into Crimea.
Last year, Giuliani was also listed as a participant in a panel moderated by Glazyev. In a photo posted online by the group, Giuliani can be seen standing at a lectern to the left of a group seated men that include Glazyev.
Giuliani told The Post on Thursday that he did not realize Glazvyev would be present at last year’s meeting before attending.
“When we found out he was on the panel, the head of my security detail said, ‘The mayor is just going to be giving a speech and leaving, and if you don’t like that, screw you,’ ” Giuliani said.
Giuliani said he could not remember whether he and Glazvyev spoke at the event.
“I was discussing Russian collusion,” he said, sarcastically. “He helped me tank the case. Do you know what an idiot you sound like right now?”
“What does it matter what I did at the conference?” Giuliani added.
On Friday, Giuliani said he was unaware his panel at next week’s conference is again scheduled to feature Glazvyev.
In interviews this week, Giuliani has rejected any scrutiny of his conduct, saying attention instead should be put on his claims about former vice president Joe Biden and the Democrats.
“I’m not an idiot. I know you all are going after me. I know what you guys are doing with this,” he said.
Ferris-Rotman reported from Moscow. Carol Morello contributed to this report.
Tom Hamburger is an investigative reporter on the national desk of The Washington Post. He has covered the White House, Congress and regulatory agencies, with a focus on money and politics.
Josh Dawsey is a White House reporter for The Washington Post. He joined the paper in 2017. He previously covered the White House for Politico, and New York City Hall and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for the Wall Street Journal.
Amie Ferris-Rotman is the Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post. She was previously with Foreign Policy in Russia, and Reuters senior correspondent in Afghanistan.
Rosalind Helderman is a political enterprise and investigations reporter for The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2001.
Democracy Dies in Darkness
© 1996-2019 The Washington Post

[Rach3]

Trump appears to have enlisted the help of the Aussie PM,now, when the two met at the WH last week , as well as sending AG Barr to the Brits and Italians.I'll bite my tongue ; for now.

[jserraglio]

Trump appears to have at least three objectives, two designed to help advance Putin's goals and one designed to help himself. Each aim is in direct opposition either to US law or current US foreign policy.

AIM #1. Enlist the aid of the govt of Ukraine to tarnish Joe Biden's candidacy, the opponent he fears most in 2020, and thereby enhance his own reelection prospects. Rudy Giuliani has been working on this. But Mike Pence at also be involved.

AIM #2. Enlist the aid of Ukraine, the Brits and the Aussies to undermine the 17 US intelligence agencies's assessment that Russia interfered in our last election and thereby allow the second set of congressional sanctions put on Russia after the 2016 election to be lifted. Bill Barr is working on this. Trump now admits to making overtures to both the UK an Australian conservative PMs to aid in investigating his own American investigators that found Russian interference.

AIM # 3. Enlist the aid of the Brits and Italians to pressure Ukraine to cut a peace deal with Putin on Putin's terms, thereby allowing the first set of congressional sanctions put on Russia after its invasion of Crimea to be lifted. Trump's point man on this also appears to be Bill Barr but Mike Pompeo may also be involved.

The Whistleblower's actions could explode all three of these objectives, which may explain why his lawyer believes his client's life is in danger.

[Belle]

Trump appears to have enlisted the help of the Aussie PM,now, when the two met at the WH last week , as well as sending AG Barr to the Brits and Italians.I'll bite my tongue ; for now.

It's perfectly possible for an Aussie, or any leader, to speak with a forked tongue! It's called "expedient diplomacy".

Morrison praises China’s achievements
7:23PM OCTOBER 1, 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to WeChat on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China to praise Australia’s largest export partner’s “tremendous achievements” and extended his “warmest wishes” to those celebrating China’s National Day.

“The pace and scale of change — across society, industry, and the economy — has been unprecedented, defining these decades as among the most remarkable in Chinese history,” said Mr Morrison in a statement posted on his official WeChat account, which is also translated into the Chinese language.

“Here in Australia, we can be proud of the comprehensive strategic partnership we share with China.

“Our nations are longstanding economic partners, with highly complementary economies.

“The signing of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement in 2015 was a historic moment for trade relations, and a sign of the mutual respect we share,” the statement read.

“I pay tribute to the Chinese-Australian community for helping to build a meaningful and productive relationship between Australia and China, and also for your commitment to the success of our diverse, multicultural society,” said Mr Morrison, who added that he was “looking forward to even stronger bonds between Australia and China in the years ahead”.

Mr Morrison’s message has been read over 10,000 times on WeChat and has also been republished by Chinese media.

[barney]

Well, I have to say, I regard that as intelligent by the Prime Minister. China has really been irritated with us (Australia) lately. All sorts of tensions, including Huawei. Here is a flattering and soothing message which costs nothing, commits us to nothing, but sounds good. Well done.

[Rach3]

On tonights (October 1) Ari Melber show on MSNBC , "The Beat",Michael Moore's analysis of current crisis, Trump, Dems,Biden now and in 2020,the strength of the impeachment case, common Americans, simply the best, most comprehensive, most telling, in 20 minutes, of all the thousands of hours of others to date..Hope is on YT.

Today,amazingly, GOP US Sen.Mitch McConnell had this to say about China,in contrast to 2 other " leaders" of note:

" On the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, we should pause to recognize the many millions of lives lost under Chinese communist rule.

“From the modern gulags used to incarcerate Xinjiang’s Uighurs, to the high-tech firewalls and censorship that control the flow of information, to the state’s extensive technical surveillance, to all of the Communist Party’s other tools of social and political control, Xi Jinping’s China looks disturbingly like a modern version of Maoist China.

“I especially condemn the continued use of violence against democratic activists in Hong Kong. It is darkly fitting that on the 70th anniversary of the PRC, its agents would be reduced to using force against protesters in Hong Kong who seek to preserve basic personal freedoms. The CCP has always squashed dissent with force.

“The Chinese Communist Party’s methods are not just a tragedy for more than a billion Chinese, who deserve to be treated with more respect and granted more freedoms by their rulers in Beijing. They are also a telling indicator of the threat the PRC poses to its neighbors. If this is how a great power treats its own citizens, just think how it will treat foreign countries who fall under China’s growing economic and military influence.”

[Rach3]

The best 20 minutes analysis to date:

Michael Moore on Melber's show, about 26:50 in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVm3Y71weKM

[Belle]

These, of course, are all terrifying realities about China. But we do business with them in Australia so we're caught between a rock and a hard place. There's a lot of chatter going on in our country at the moment about China but one thing is certain; it is not going to become a democracy now or at any time in the future. Under such a hybrid system of communo-capitalism they've been able to drag many hundreds of millions out of poverty and that's no mean achievement. But in order to keep the population passive the Chinese regime knows it has to continue that economic trajectory and divert the collective gaze towards (however manufactured) external threats!! It's one of the oldest tricks in the books.

Both China and Japan had been subjected to 'gun-boat diplomacy' for many decades before the modern era, so I can understand their paranoia to a degree. However, China probably already knows that going to war is going to cost them economic progress because your enemies are not going to be buying your stuff and paying back debt!! That economic reality keeps China flexing its military muscles but, like any bully, it would be 'interesting' to see what happened if push came to shove!! No, not interesting - horrific.

[Rach3]

Brilliant first 15 minutes by Chris Hayes : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrE5o_oEpJU