Impeachment Behind Closed Doors

[cow451]

Might I suggest that expanding one's news sources will dispel you of such myths.

So, what does the National Enquirer have to say?

 

[NightHawkeye]

So, what does the National Enquirer have to say?

Not sure I'd recommend the National Enquirer.

 

[cow451]

Not sure I'd recommend the National Enquirer.

It was one of Mr. Trump’s preferred sources of really, really true news.

 

[whatbogsends]

William Jefferson Clinton was obviously guilty of perjury. He lied to the nation and lied under oath as well.

You might recall that the current impeachment effort has convicted people of less perjury ... who are now in jail.

Whereas Trump refuses to even testify under oath.

I'd put my money on Trump ending up guilty of perjury if he had to testify under oath.

Of course, on top of that, Trump appears to be guilty of obstruction of justice, among other things.

 

[DaisyDay]

Whereas Trump refuses to even testify under oath.

I think he actually wanted to, but his lawyers wisely put the kibosh on that. Too bad, that would have been a show.

I'd put my money on Trump ending up guilty of perjury if he had to testify under oath.

Yeah, but who would take that bet - the odds would have to be a million to one.

Of course, on top of that, Trump appears to be guilty of obstruction of justice, among other things.

Let the committees do their footwork to see what all charges might be appropriate.

 

[stevil]

The same can be said of the non-impeaching impeachment shenanigans currently underway.

There is no need to try and put spin on things.
In conversation with me right here, we can just try and be factual.

The House of Representatives are currently investigating items brought up by the whistleblower report and supported by the telephone "transcript", and Trump's and Mulvani's public statements to the media. The intent of these investigations is to find out whether or not articles of impeachment should be drawn up.

Democrats simply don't have any real charges against the president

That's right, they haven't yet drawn up any articles of impeachment. We can agree on that.

... despite having looked far and wide.

They are currently doing the investigation, it is only at its beginning stages and is hampered by Trump and the White House administration and legal team instructing people not to comply. Despite this, the House investigation is gaining traction with many witnesses appearing and giving testimony. Presumably the cases where people are rejecting requests and subpoenas will be resolved in the courts as to whether the investigations can continue. Time of course is an issue here as the legal system and appeals process can drag on.

All Democrats seem to have is a news media willing to say anything bad against the president which can be made up ... and then never correct the story when it's later shown to be without merit.

As far as I understand it, the investigations have not interviewed media people, nor asked journalists or opinion show hosts for their opinions. It is possible that footage is used of Trump and Mulvaney stating that Trump asked Ukraine president to investigate Joe Biden and stating that the military aid and White House reception was contingent on the investigation.

Might I suggest that expanding one's news sources will dispel you of such myths.

I do seek a wide variety of news sources, including Fox News journalists.

 

[NightHawkeye]

In conversation with me right here, we can just try and be factual.

Ok. Let's try that.

The House of Representatives are currently investigating items brought up by the whistleblower report and supported by the telephone "transcript", and Trump's and Mulvani's public statements to the media. The intent of these investigations is to find out whether or not articles of impeachment should be drawn up.

Incorrect. (That didn't take long.)

The House of Representatives isn't investigating anything. Only Adam Schiff claims to be investigating something ... though he is pretty vague about what that might be. For example, he no longer has any interest in the whistleblower or what Trump actually said ... since there's nothing in either to help the case of impeachment.

Some in the news media claim that the 'Intelligence Committee' is conducting Adam Schiff's investigation, but that is also incorrect. If the 'Intelligence Committee' were conducting an actual investigation then Republicans on that committee would have the power to subpoena witnesses ... but the Republicans have been shut out ... of whatever it is that Adam Schiff is investigating.

That's right, they haven't yet drawn up any articles of impeachment. We can agree on that.

Nor are they conducting an impeachment inquiry. Democrats are simply pounding the table, making noise, playing politics as usual, making empty claim after empty claim that Trump has violated laws ... when all evidence to date indicates nothing even close.

They are currently doing the investigation, it is only at its beginning stages and is hampered by Trump and the White House administration and legal team instructing people not to comply. Despite this, the House investigation is gaining traction with many witnesses appearing and giving testimony. Presumably the cases where people are rejecting requests and subpoenas will be resolved in the courts as to whether the investigations can continue. Time of course is an issue here as the legal system and appeals process can drag on.

Again, incorrect.

Again, the House is investigating nothing. The Intelligence Committee is investigating nothing. Only Adam Schiff and his band of politicos are claiming to be investigating something ... though that something Schiffts from day to day.

 

[essentialsaltes]

If the 'Intelligence Committee' were conducting an actual investigation then Republicans on that committee would have the power to subpoena witnesses ... but the Republicans have been shut out ...

by the Republican rule change in 2015 that gave the sole subpoena power to the committee chairman. I'm afraid the Republicans will have to lie in the bed they've made.

 

[DaisyDay]

The House of Representatives isn't investigating anything. Only Adam Schiff claims to be investigating something

That's incorrect - there are at least three committees investigating that I'm aware of - the House Judiciary committee, the House Intelligence committee and the House Oversight committee.

ETA: Four, not three: also House Foreign Affairs Committee.

by the Republican rule change in 2015 that gave the sole subpoena power to the committee chairman. I'm afraid the Republicans will have to lie in the bed they've made.

Did Devin Nunes allow the Democrats subpoena power when he was in charge of the Intelligence Committee? Didn't he famously show Donald committee documents before he would allow Democrats on the same committee to see them?

 

[wing2000]

Incorrect. (That didn't take long.)

The House of Representatives isn't investigating anything. Only Adam Schiff claims to be investigating something ...

[That took even less time]

 

[essentialsaltes]

Did Devin Nunes allow the Democrats subpoena power when he was in charge of the Intelligence Committee? Didn't he famously show Donald committee documents before he would allow Democrats on the same committee to see them?

Why no. Worse yet, he issued subpoenas in the Russia matter after he had recused himself from it.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) reportedly signed off on subpoenas to Fusion GPS, the firm that compiled the dossier of unsubstantiated allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia. But Nunes recused himself from the House panel’s Russia probe earlier this year after his communications with the White House sparked an ethics investigation. “The subpoenas were issued unilaterally by the majority, without the minority’s agreement and despite good faith engagement thus far by the witnesses on the potential terms for voluntary cooperation,” a Democratic source told CNN. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who sits on the committee, responding to the report on CNN Tuesday afternoon, saying the subpoenas “would violate that recusal” and “undermines the investigation” into Russia election meddling. Swalwell added that the action, if true, shows that Nunes is “working on the side of the White House” instead of working with Democrats.

---

Asked by CNN Monday why he issued the subpoenas, Nunes declined to comment. "You can ask, but you're not going to get a response," Nunes said.

 

[TheGuide]

The further this goes along, the less credible it seems. In the beginning, at least mainstream media personalities could carry it along a little with straight faces. Now, all testimony is behind closed doors. Transcripts are being withheld, and only Democrat talking points seem to be allowed out.

Adam Schiff's intelligence committee inquiry apparently cannot withstand the light of day, just as Jerry Nadler's earlier judicial committee inquiry couldn't. Nadler himself seems to have gone into hiding after the flameout his committee experienced with its inquiry. Adam Schiff is evidently hoping for some miracle to breath life into his inquiry. It's a long time until the 2020 election though. The Mueller investigation couldn't maintain a pretense for much more than two years, even when initiated with the full credibility and backing of the Department of Justice. It seems highly unlikely that Adam Schiff will be able to keep up the pretense of legitimate investigation for even a month, much less another year.

Time will tell of course. With the Mueller investigation, many Republicans were willing to support the investigation and wait for its conclusions. That's not happening with Schiff's hyper-partisan investigation. Everyone knows its purely partisan at this point ... an investigation which can't withstand the scrutiny which being open would bring to it.

Was it done differently during the Nixon and Clinton investigation?

 

[stevil]

Again, the House is investigating nothing. The Intelligence Committee is investigating nothing. Only Adam Schiff and his band of politicos are claiming to be investigating something ... though that something Schiffts from day to day.

So, are you saying that all these media reports of specific people, like William Taylor giving close door testimony is untrue?

There are quotes in the media from both Democrats and Republicans about what they thought of the testimony.
We even get video footage of the people arriving for testimony, is that some cgi trickery?

I'd suggest to you, just because this stuff doesn't appear on your right wing political media shows, it doesn't mean that it isn't happening.

 

[wing2000]

3-2-1 ...just wait for the William Taylor smear thread.

 

[stevil]

3-2-1 ...just wait for the William Taylor smear thread.

Well, I presume the Trump fan posters are waiting for the spin to come out of either the White House or right wing media before parroting that here as if it were their own thoughts.

 

[wing2000]

Well, I presume the Trump fan posters are waiting for the spin to come out of either the White House or right wing media before parroting that here as if it were their own thoughts.

...that's typically the pattern.