Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/10/08/white-house-cowers-blocks-amb.html
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I hope that Sondland has stowed that personal device away in a safe place as insurance.
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Yeah, well, Schiff can talk all he wants, I’ll believe his “pissed off” when he actually does something against the witnesses blowing off stuff.
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These numbers are not great for GOP stoolies who are out there promising to torpedo impeachment regardless of what the evidence shows.
58% support impeachment, and just under 50% support removal at this point, and I don’t think those numbers are going to go the other direction the more we find out. Trump knows this, hence blocking the testimony.
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New polls:
58% of Americans support the impeachment inquiry.
49% of Americans would like to see Trump removed from office.
That’s likely from before yesterday’s Syria blunder and today’s hushing of Sondland.
Keep up the pressure:
Call the local office of your members of congress. Tell them you support the inquiry and expect a fair trial in the Senate based on the evidence.
Write a letter to the letter.
Attend an https://www.impeachnow.org event.
Also, wow:
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Relevant to “doing something”: A House Police Force
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What’s the support for Net Neutrality? Gun Control? (hint: both over 58%)
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That’s pretty much what it’s going to take. Referring contempt to the DOJ ain’t going to do squat.
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Because this clearly this BS doesn’t mean squat anymore:
I think that I will speed home today and get caught and then proceed to ignore the summons.
Oh, wait laws ARE for the little people!
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Like the video showing a poorly-executed Skype interview scam, this, too, is sad and embarassing
mmmmmmm…peach…
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Are there any armchair lawyers about that can explain why the ambassador can be ordered to not testify? Did Trump classify everything he ever did, so that classification can be used?
Because I know that my boss can’t order me to not testify in court. Or to not go to the symphony, much less not go to Congress. Kinda thought these subpoenas and testimony had the same status.
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That’s what’s sort of got me baffled here; we’re in an impeachment investigation and most of the witnesses are refusing to be subpoenaed, including private citizens. Is that kind of, ah, illegal? I feel like if I had a court summons and just fucked off and stayed home, I wouldn’t get a letter saying that the judge was very disappointed.
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Public opinion is not any guarantee of Congressional action, of course, but without public opinion firmly on the side of impeachment and/or removal, there is no chance whatsoever. It’s a tool that spineless cowards like Romney can use to rally some of the other spineless cowards in the Senate who would dearly love to be seen as moral champions just as long as they’re risking nothing of substance in doing so.
Because Trump is willing to simply ignore the oversight power of Congress. The co-equal branches of government have their power only to the extent the other branches are actually willing to recognize that power, and if the Executive simply says “no, I’m not recognizing your Constitutional authority to do this lawful thing,” there are precious few options other than having a court (i.e. the judicial branch) order it to do so and/or people with guns literally forcing people to comply.
And even then, the Senate might undermine the House’s authority and give the administration tacit approval to ignore the order, in which case our system of government is essentially broken. These are dangerous tactics the Executive is throwing out there, all the more so due to the fact that Trump does not care one iota whether he leaves behind a functional democratic republic.
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I feel like some judges would actually be sympathetic to the defense of “well, I see that subpoenas are optional now. oh they’re not? so there’s two classes of citizens in the country now then?”
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Not a lawyer, but he was testifying voluntarily, so he can voluntarily follow his boss’s order not to testify.
When you get a subpoena, you have an interesting choice. Do you comply with the subpoena and face the wrath of the person who controls the Justice Department (and an army of armed wackos), or do you ignore it, and face … the justice department that is on your side? Strongly worded statements?
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Sondland is under no obligation to comply with the State Dept. rules here, he can resign his position and testify willingly. He’s being loyal to Trump above his duty to the United States.
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One of the few things that gives me pleasure about all of this is the idea that Trump is probably foaming at the mouth and having panic attacks every night.
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