Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2021/01/22/impeachment-trial-of-donald-trump-to-begin-week-of-february-8-says-sen-chuck-schumer.html
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Now would be a good time to invest in popcorn.
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Republican Senators have a couple of weeks to decide if they want to go down in history as traitors, or at least as the agents of their own party’s destruction. We already know where Hawley, Cruz and Cotton stand. Looking forward to the others going on the record.
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Expect the “He’s no longer in office, so conviction is meaningless”.
If, some how convicted, expect a commutation of sentence in exchange
for acknowledgement that he was “ill advised” and now “acknowledges”
the validity of the election.
He’ll never do a day in the stripey hole.
A free felon, but (hopefully) politically neutered ~
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“As opposed to that last impeachment, where I blocked all due process, evidence and testimony,” continued McConnell.
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I’m going to call it at 56 votes to convict with another 20 of the Republicans hoping that enough of their colleagues will vote to convict that he’s blocked from a 2024 run. Sadly, they won’t and he will.
I’d say that I was hoping for the spectacle of Guiliani as Trump’s lawyer, but after 2016, I no longer trust that absurd possibilities are impossible (Trump nominated? Trump WINNING?)
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He can’t, anyway (at least not under impeachment). The highest penalty he could receive is removal (which is moot now) and disbarment from holding future office:
Article I, Section 3, Clause 7
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.
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-3/
However, this doesn’t prevent a judicial body from convicting him of the same crimes and legally punishing him (as opposed to the explicitly political process of impeachment), though the bar for sedition and insurrection is very high and requires the proof of intent. But he’s got no end of legal worries as a civilian, both criminal and civil.
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I can see savvy Republicans voting to prevent Trump from running as an independent in future elections; just so that he doesn’t split the Republican base, given the Democrats the election on a plate.
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Yes, I forgot the limitations of impeachment conviction.
Repubs will judge “he didn’t intend to foment insurrection”
so he’ll remain as a goad on the alt right, and will run again.
I’m not sanguine about his prosecution in New York producing
a felony conviction anytime soon, seeing how long he’s dodged
justice so far.
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Surprised they haven’t yet gone down the Fla to handcuff the SoB? I’m not.
Generally. if you read the transcripts of what trump says, it’s very difficult to ascribe any meaning at all. He just spouts incoherent nonsense. Most of his speech on January 6th was the usual horseshit but the part where it’s alleged that he foments violence reads like this…
“Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. After this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you. We’re going to walk down. We’re going to walk down any one you want, but I think right here. We’re going walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators, and congressmen and women. We’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for integrity of our elections, but whether or not they stand strong for our country, our country. Our country has been under siege for a long time, far longer than this four-year period. We’ve set it on a much straighter course, a much … I thought four more years. I thought it would be easy. We created …”
Apart from the first sentence which is unusual insofar as it’s grammatically correct, the rest is gibberish, especially when taken in the context of the rest of the speech which is the usual garbage about Hillary, Rudy, John(?), the China virus etc.
All the defence have to do is roll out a retired English teacher and it’ll be an acquittal.
/IANAL
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What about if they include his tweets, though? I’m not going to go look them up, but I recall some pretty incendiary stuff…
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Yeah, hopefully the tweets will be enough to convict the fucker.
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This is a good analysis and all, but no one believes this will be an impeachment tried on its merits. The intent of the rally and the command to storm the Capitol is clear to absolutey everyone, even the rubes he tricked into doing his dirty work by their own repeated admission. There is no question in a single Senator’s heart (ok “heart”) that the intent was to derail Congress from doing their duly appointed duty. Now what they do with that rock hard reality is another matter entirely and I have zero faith in them acting in an appropriate manner. Even if McConnell votes to convict, it is an entirely cynical calculation to ease their burden in 2022 and 2024.
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it’s hard to read, but not hard to understand. ( off the cuff speech tends to read poorly. people with low literacy skills – like trump – all the more so. )
Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy.
we’ve been attacked and congress has to act.
After this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you. We’re going to walk down. We’re going to walk down any one you want, but I think right here. We’re going walk down to the Capitol.
i’m going to the capitol. come with me.
and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators, and congressmen and women. We’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because you’ll never take back our country with weakness.
we are going to take back the country with a display of strength. we will cheer our supporters in congress, and we will harass everyone else.
You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated.
demand that i be recognized as the winner
I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.
if you’re a real patriot, go to the capitol. i know you want to be peaceful but… we need a show of strength.
Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for integrity of our elections, but whether or not they stand strong for our country, our country.
this isn’t about party, this is about me. if you love our country, love me.
Our country has been under siege for a long time, far longer than this four-year period.
white people are under attack.
We’ve set it on a much straighter course, a much … I thought four more years. I thought it would be easy.
i was going to fix it, it’s just that i’m just terrible at everything i do. so please, give me more time to destroy the country fix things.
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Trump spent months telling his followers that the congress was about to illegally install an illegitimate President and the very existence of their country hinged on overturning the official election results. If one was to take Trump at his word then what course of action BUT violent insurrection would be appropriate?
Fuck that. Words have consequences.
This isn’t a criminal trial, it’s a part of the political process. He’s not presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and even if he’s convicted he won’t face criminal penalties.
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I personally can’t wait until the FBI and Congressional investigators start going through the insurrectionists’ cell phone data. Unless they don’t.
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My personal fantasy is for both Schumer & Pelosi to invoke the 14th Amendment in their respective chambers and have a vote to expel those who voted against certifying the election results.
A simple majority is all that is needed for the measures to pass.
Then, an Impeachment conviction is all but assured & all manner of legislation can be passed while new elections are arranged.
Of course, I doubt S&P have the stones to play political hardball, but mollycoddling those bastids will just embolden them.
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Tar and feathers are looking strong, too.
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If only… I’m afraid we may be setting ourselves up for another episode of “Republicans decide that their own hides and their crappy party are more important than things like democracy or what’s best for the country.” They’ll really have to go on record with that though.
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