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2019-11-29 Home Front: Politix

Why Are Democrats Shrinking From the Impeachment Fight?

[Politico] On the substance, Democrats won the first two weeks of the impeachment hearings by TKO. They had the advantage that the facts are in their favor, especially considering the ground that congressional Republicans have tried to defend.

At the outset, Republicans created an impossible standard for themselves. Taking their cues from President Donald Trump, they chose to defend the idea that the Trump-Ukraine call was "perfect" and that there was "no quid pro quo," when the record simply wouldn’t support it. This was obvious enough about the call from the very beginning, and it became clear about the pressure campaign on the Ukrainians by the time the opening statement of acting Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor’s deposition was released.

The contention that the call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was the Platonic ideal of a communication with a foreign leader opened the way for Democrats to make a big deal of witnesses alarmed or unsettled by the conversation. Thus, the brief star turn for Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to come and tell the committee that the call was "inappropriate." And the newsworthy testimony from Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, that the call was "unusual," and from former National Security Council aide Tim Morrison, putting it even more delicately, that "it is not what we recommend the president discuss."

There really should be no debate about these characterizations of the call, except Republicans decided to try to have one.

Republicans now emphasize that none of the witnesses so far had direct knowledge of Trump’s directives on Ukraine and that even Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, said the president formally denied a quid pro quo to him in a phone conversation (albeit late in the game and at the same time Trump said he wanted Zelensky "to do the right thing").
Yeah, unfortunate, that, right Dems and Never-Trumping assholes? Allahpundit and MSNBC wept. CNN...spasmed
This might be a defense that is useful only so long as no first-hand witnesses testify. But it gets to a weakness in the Democrats’ argument that will probably become even more prominent when the impeachment case, as it almost surely will, makes it to the Senate for a trial (and an acquittal).

Posted by Besoeker 2019-11-29 01:49|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Kabuki. When voting time comes they will be all on board. This is just jockeying to see which 15 vulnerable dems are allowed to vote no. Or 16 if ~~Justin Amash~~ Justnot Anass votes with the dems...

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-11-29 03:47|| 2019-11-29 03:47|| Front Page Top

#2 Seems the first paragraph in the exurpt is backwards which explains a lot about why democrats need explanations.

Posted by ruprecht 2019-11-29 07:57|| 2019-11-29 07:57|| Front Page Top

#3 What EXACTLY is Trump Charged and INDICTED FOR ? All the Donks have is their OPINIONS. They actually don't have anything else. Just their OPINIONS. That's it. They need a HIGH CRIME. They don't HAVE it. The American People are not stupid. The Donks are blowing air and they don't Have anything that is even vaguely a Crime of some sort....other than the President is Trump. And from brfore Day One they have been out to get him and anything will do...like the Russian Collusion Hoax. Democrat = Biased BS.
You can't win an election on that+ there are all those JOBS that Trump has pulled out of Obama's a## along with the "New Normal".Donks simply don't have ANYTHING except to waste the American People's TIME and Patience.

Would You vote for Schiff and the Clown show? Trump is going to win 4 MORE YEARS....in a Landslide. And then the Donks are going to point at each other and shout "FOOL ! "
And it will be the Truth.

Posted by Unoluting Cleting3003 2019-11-29 08:44|| 2019-11-29 08:44|| Front Page Top

#4 I realize that the so called democratic party is anything but democratic. They should be called the "Kabuki Party!"

Posted by Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2019-11-29 08:56|| 2019-11-29 08:56|| Front Page Top

#5 There is a reason I call them the "demoncrats" SCFI.

Posted by DarthVader 2019-11-29 09:08|| 2019-11-29 09:08|| Front Page Top

#6 On the substance, Democrats won the first two weeks of the impeachment hearings by TKO.

Was this asshole watching the same hearings as I was? I came to the complete and utter opposite conclusion; the Dems have nothing.

Posted by Raj 2019-11-29 09:10|| 2019-11-29 09:10|| Front Page Top

#7 Forget it Jake. It's Chinatown Politico.

Posted by Unaitle Panda6599 2019-11-29 09:20|| 2019-11-29 09:20|| Front Page Top

#8 ~~Chinatown~~

Posted by Unaitle Panda6599 2019-11-29 09:20|| 2019-11-29 09:20|| Front Page Top

#9 This has been a staggering display of incompetence. All they need is a 1950-style Soviet show trial to conclude that Academician Trumpsky is a deviationist wrecker, and they can't manage that.

Posted by Matt 2019-11-29 10:01|| 2019-11-29 10:01|| Front Page Top

#10 #9 This has been a staggering display of incompetence.

Welcome to The Shitshow.

Posted by Lex 2019-11-29 11:21|| 2019-11-29 11:21|| Front Page Top

#11 The first few paragraphs are a perfect example of begging the question.

Posted by charger 2019-11-29 14:38|| 2019-11-29 14:38|| Front Page Top

#12 They should be called the "Kabuki Party!"

They are the de-facto Klan Party. As in their militant arm - the Klu Klux Klan.

Posted by CrazyFool 2019-11-29 15:17|| 2019-11-29 15:17|| Front Page Top

#13 What do you mean they're going to call witnesses in the Senate?

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-11-29 19:14|| 2019-11-29 19:14|| Front Page Top

#14 The Senate holds a trial in which witnesses will be called to testify.

Posted by Lex 2019-11-29 19:21|| 2019-11-29 19:21|| Front Page Top

01:12 badanov
01:05 DarthVader
00:56 Grom the Reflective
00:53 Grom the Reflective
00:52 Grom the Reflective
00:48 Grom the Reflective