If Trump doesn’t even mount a meaningful defense against the impeachment charge, yet the Republicans still acquit him, the rule of law in our country will be fundamentally damaged. To just give a President a ‘pass’ on inciting insurrection will be a/(another) big step on the path towards America’s downfall.
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It’s almost as if, when lawyers find out that Trump doesn’t pay lawyers, they don’t want to work for him.
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CNN chief White House correspondent! (She got a well deserved promotion on inauguration day.)
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Have members of Congress even been the object of threats of murder before, made by named and identified other members of Congress? That factor might work towards a secret ballot.
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Agreed, but for different reasons.
Republicans (generally) don’t want a secret vote because it could provide a path to conviction, besmirching their brand and leader and calling into question their collective and individual loyalty, and all the actions they took in its name.
Democrats (generally) don’t want a secret vote because it doesn’t hold individual Republicans to account or create a wedge between those who vote to convict and harder-core MAGA voters who will primary them with a candidate who is weaker in the general election.
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Why yes, the Kardashian name has gone down in the annals of …
Never mind.
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Problem is that people that supported them the last thing they want is a civil war, think on how this could damage the GDP. What they do is, like any politician do, is making the voter base happy.
Trump itself is a liability now.
The fact is that a Ted Cruz or the like that does makes blatant errors it’s way better for GOP. I expect a Young Woman will emerge for the next election in the GOP, like Giorgia Meloni or Marine Le Pen.
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Refuse at your peril.
Nice. Someone had fun drafting that one.
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I think that there are people who genuinely believe that the Second Amendment grants a constitutional right to take up arms against the government, as long as you form a “well-regulated militia”.
It’s the only way I can make sense of it.
P.S.
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What does it matter? The Republicans have made it clear that they aren’t going to convict him.
Trump could be represented by a chimp, by Giuliani, or hell - even represent himself; admit everything and demand to be convicted in front of the world’s press - and they still wouldn’t do it.
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It would be a dangerous precedent to have secret votes in a legislative body. Legislators need to be accountable to the electorate and that means we need to know how they vote.
I understand why this is an appealing idea, but it might be a slippery slope used in future if contentious legislation were to be brought before Congress.
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I guess that tradition and precedence has to start somewhere.
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I admire your effort, but you really can’t make any sense of it. You’re talking about a group of zealots whose last line of defense is always, “Well, guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”
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So, if we separate the guns from the people…?
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I’m not even sure he has to present a defense at all. I suspect that’s why he decided to not sign the letter of intent with this legal team and not give them any money up front. 45 Republicans just signaled their intent to vote not guilty no matter what, so why bother with mounting any kind of defense at all? I suspect the impeachment trial will be a one-sided joke, with the House lawyers presenting their case, and no defense of any kind. No statement, no evidence presented, not even any attorney present.
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Well, technically, bullets kill people. Guns just make them go really fast.
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Really? Lying and making BS arguments can ruin a lawyer’s credibility and damage their careers? I would have thought the exact opposite is true. They could have moved immediately into the permanent staff of the GOP with absurdly high salaries if they just went along.
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That’s up to the majority to decide. Schumer could institute this if he wanted to.
It would be funny hearing the stalwart trumpers say this modification
is “undemocratic.”
Anyway, if we ever needed a popcorn meme for this impeachment (part deux), it’s now:
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In the immortal words of Christy Teigan, “LOL nobody likes you.”
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My thought is that impeachment is a good step. The value is not in convicting Trump, that won’t happen. It’s in peeling Republicans who want Democracy more than they want less taxes for the rich away. So hold the trial, expose the rabid fascists, make votes public.
Then pass meaningful legislation to help Americans. That will win votes too.
That’s the hard road ahead. We need to keep fighting for those votes. Hopefully Jan 6 opened eyes so people cannot pretend the fascists aren’t serious, but the election was too close.
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