The Sham Impeachment Inquiry & Whistleblower Saga: A Race to Get Ahead of the OIG

[snafu]

2 hours ago, ALF said:

Trump’s new “NO QUID PRO QUO” talking point is a trick

 

Trump claims a phone call with Sondland is evidence of his innocence. It might just be evidence he knew he got caught.

But an examination of the context surrounding Trump’s September 9 call with Sondland indicates that it’s not as exonerating as Trump would like people to believe.

 

“Getting caught is no defense”

The timeline is key. The call happened more than a week after then Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire informed the White House counsel about the existence of a whistleblower complaint detailing how Trump abused his power by trying to leverage the Ukrainians into doing political favors for him.

 

So, assuming word of the whistleblower’s complaint percolated up to the president, Trump’s call with Sondland came after he knew the jig was up. Indeed, that very same day, Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community, notified the House Intelligence Committee of the whistleblower complaint and said he found that the accusations rose to the level of “urgent concern.”

 

https://www.vox.com/2019/11/20/20974641/trump-no-quid-pro-quo-sondland

 

This may be true, and even if it is (if I remember right) the whistleblower complaint had to do with withholding $$ from Ukraine. Isn’t that the abuse of power that was alleged?

 

Sondland was pretty clear that any alleged agreement was not connected to the aid, unless I missed something yesterday — which I may have sine I was working and only heard his opening statement. 

 

Other than “do me a favor”, has as anyone connected the flow of money to the investigations?  Because “do me a favor” isn’t really cutting it for me. 

 

 

 

 

[SoCal Deek]

2 hours ago, ALF said:

Trump’s new “NO QUID PRO QUO” talking point is a trick

 

Trump claims a phone call with Sondland is evidence of his innocence. It might just be evidence he knew he got caught.

But an examination of the context surrounding Trump’s September 9 call with Sondland indicates that it’s not as exonerating as Trump would like people to believe.

 

“Getting caught is no defense”

The timeline is key. The call happened more than a week after then Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire informed the White House counsel about the existence of a whistleblower complaint detailing how Trump abused his power by trying to leverage the Ukrainians into doing political favors for him.

 

So, assuming word of the whistleblower’s complaint percolated up to the president, Trump’s call with Sondland came after he knew the jig was up. Indeed, that very same day, Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community, notified the House Intelligence Committee of the whistleblower complaint and said he found that the accusations rose to the level of “urgent concern.”

 

https://www.vox.com/2019/11/20/20974641/trump-no-quid-pro-quo-sondland

I’m sorry but I don’t buy this attempted ‘we got him’ line at all. There are tons of decisions made, things said,  etc by people in government every day. Those things are open to interpretation to literally hundreds of lawyers. Quite often, after a decision or comment is made, one of those lawyers will come in and say ‘you can’t do that by this or that statute’. (I was just in such a meeting YESTERDAY!) The officials then either say nevermind or look to explain the intent of their decision or comment. It doesn’t make them guilty of a crime and certainly isn’t grounds for termination. Next!

[Foxx]

today's hearing of witnesses, Fiona Hill and David Holmes are currently the last publicly scheduled ones. does the Dem clown show then move to the Judiciary or will Schifty attempt to prolong this ***** show by bringing more witnesses testifying the same things in hopes of swaying public opinion?

[jrober38]

3 minutes ago, Foxx said:

today's hearing of witnesses, Fiona Hill and David Holmes are currently the last publicly scheduled ones. does the Dem clown show then move to the Judiciary or will Schifty attempt to prolong this ***** show by bringing more witnesses testifying the same things in hopes of swaying public opinion?

 

They'll probably move quickly to vote to impeach Trump, so that everyone can talk about what happened over Thanksgiving dinner next week. 

[Foxx]

1 minute ago, jrober38 said:

 

They'll probably move quickly to vote to impeach Trump, so that everyone can talk about what happened over Thanksgiving dinner next week. 

so, you think this is the end of the Intelligence Committee portion of the dog and pony show. if it does indeed move to the Judiciary, they will have to submit Articles and vote upon them.

[jrober38]

Just now, Foxx said:

so, you think this is the end of the Intelligence Committee portion of the dog and pony show. if it does indeed move to the Judiciary, they will have to submit Articles and vote upon them.

 

Yes. They have what they need. All the testimony has given them what they required to impeach him. 

 

It will be voted along party lines, and everyone will be talking about it next Thursday. 

[IDBillzFan]

Let's get this impeachment started! It's another bombshell that is the beginning of the end of a tipping point of the walls that are closing in!

 

 

[Foxx]

Just now, jrober38 said:

 

Yes. They have what they need. All the testimony has given them what they required to impeach him. 

 

It will be voted along party lines, and everyone will be talking about it next Thursday. 

this is the first Impeachment inquiry in history that has only been authorized by one party. i suspect it will also be the first to approve of articles of impeachment by only one party.

 

let me ask you with what i hope will be your honest reply. i'm sure you have seen and heard many sound bytes from Democrats where they are on record as saying they were going to impeach him way back in 2016. doesn't what is currently happening strike you, in any way as being purely partisan? 

[BillsFanNC]

If you bring up politics at the Thanksgiving table in any year you're at best guilty of poor judgment.  If you do it this year...you're a douche of the highest order.

[jrober38]

2 minutes ago, Foxx said:

this is the first Impeachment inquiry in history that has only been authorized by one party. i suspect it will also be the first to approve of articles of impeachment by only one party.

 

let me ask you with what i hope will be your honest reply. i'm sure you have seen and heard many sound bytes from Democrats where they are on record as saying they were going to impeach him way back in 2016. doesn't what is currently happening strike you, in any way as being purely partisan? 

 

Of course it's partisan.

That doesn't change any of the facts. 

[Foxx]

Just now, jrober38 said:

 

Of course it's partisan.

That doesn't change any of the facts. 

that it is a witchhunt of the highest order? no laws were broken and that the President was doing his job?

[BillsFanNC]

4 minutes ago, Foxx said:

this is the first Impeachment inquiry in history that has only been authorized by one party. i suspect it will also be the first to approve of articles of impeachment by only one party.

 

let me ask you with what i hope will be your honest reply. i'm sure you have seen and heard many sound bytes from Democrats where they are on record as saying they were going to impeach him way back in 2016. doesn't what is currently happening strike you, in any way as being purely partisan? 

Of course it isnt, but with this precedent now set and when the tables ultimately turn to do the exact same thing to a Democrat president,  then and only then will it be partisan.

[jrober38]

Just now, Foxx said:

that it is a witchhunt of the highest order? no laws were broken and that the President was doing his job?

 

Laws were broken. 

 

Numerous Trump associates are in jail.

 

He was a co-conspirator to Michael Cohen who is sitting in a jail cell. 

 

Campaign finance laws were also broken in this Ukraine quid pro quo. 

 

Saying the President was doing his job by pressuring a foreign government to investigate a political opponent on something that has been debunked (Hill will testify that today) is not doing his job. 

[IDBillzFan]

2 minutes ago, Foxx said:

that it is a witchhunt of the highest order? no laws were broken and that the President was doing his job?

 

I remember the last time the Dems did something significant that was xclusively on party line.

 

I'm sure this time it will have a better result. I'm just sure of it. If you like your impeachment, you can keep your impeachment! 

[Foxx]

1 minute ago, jrober38 said:

 

Laws were broken. 

 

Numerous Trump associates are in jail.

 

He was a co-conspirator to Michael Cohen who is sitting in a jail cell. 

 

Campaign finance laws were also broken in this Ukraine quid pro quo. 

 

Saying the President was doing his job by pressuring a foreign government to investigate a political opponent on something that has been debunked (Hill will testify that today) is not doing his job. 

alright. i had hoped that you would have an honest discussion but i see that that is not going to happen. that or you are simply too dense and obtuse to have an honest discussion with.

 

have a great day.

[TakeYouToTasker]

1 minute ago, Foxx said:

this is the first Impeachment inquiry in history that has only been authorized by one party. i suspect it will also be the first to approve of articles of impeachment by only one party.

 

let me ask you with what i hope will be your honest reply. i'm sure you have seen and heard many sound bytes from Democrats where they are on record as saying they were going to impeach him way back in 2016. doesn't what is currently happening strike you, in any way as being purely partisan? 

What no one on the left seems to realize, in their myopic rush, is that exactly like what they did with the nuclear option, this will backfire on them.

 

They have turned the Constitutional provision for removing a duly elected President into a political tool, doing so to overturn the results of a legitimate election; citing policy differences as crimes.

 

Just as the entire Federal Judiciary, including the SCOTUS, has been turned against them through their own short sightedness, so too will this be.

 

This is a weapon which will now be used against them, and will destroy the country in the process.  Impeachment proceedings will be the new order of the day every time the House majority is held by the opposition party of the President.

[jrober38]

Just now, Foxx said:

alright. i had hoped that you would have an honest discussion but i see that that is not going to happen. that or you are simply too dense and obtuse to have an honest discussion with.

 

have a great day.

 

I'm too dense?

 

You're the one that just said no laws were broken.

 

I'm sure Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort or Michael Cohen would disagree. 

[Foxx]

6 minutes ago, IDBillzFan said:

 

I remember the last time the Dems did something significant that was xclusively on party line.

 

I'm sure this time it will have a better result. I'm just sure of it. If you like your impeachment, you can keep your impeachment! 

ya know... they probably have to pass Articles of Impeachment so they can read them to know what is within them.

 

*********************************************************************

 

 

3 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

I'm too dense?

 

You're the one that just said no laws were broken.

 

I'm sure Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort or Michael Cohen would disagree. 

hello... the Russian Collusion has been disproved by the Mueller Report. 

 

wait... are you saying that this impeachment hearing is all about laws that were broken during that Russian Collusion that has been thoroughly disproved?

Edited November 21, 2019 by Foxx

[Tiberius]

Fighting corruption? Trump was fighting those who were fighting corruption! 

 

 

[Westside]

9 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

Laws were broken. 

 

Numerous Trump associates are in jail.

 

He was a co-conspirator to Michael Cohen who is sitting in a jail cell. 

 

Campaign finance laws were also broken in this Ukraine quid pro quo. 

 

Saying the President was doing his job by pressuring a foreign government to investigate a political opponent on something that has been debunked (Hill will testify that today) is not doing his job. 

You're an idiot. You keep spouting the same rhetoric knowing full well that you're lieing your ass off. You don't give a Schiff about the country. Why are you defending those crooks is beyond me.

[Bray Wyatt]

9 minutes ago, Foxx said:

ya know... they probably have to pass Articles of Impeachment so they can read them to know what is within them.

 

*********************************************************************

 

 

hello... the Russian Collusion has been disproved by the Mueller Report. 

 

wait... are you saying that this impeachment hearing is all about laws that were broken during that Russian Collusion that has been thoroughly disproved?

 

 

Edit: to clarify I am talking about him not you 

Edited November 21, 2019 by Bray Wyatt

[TakeYouToTasker]

3 minutes ago, Foxx said:

ya know... they probably have to pass Articles of Impeachment so they can read them to know what is within them.

:woot:

hello... the Russian Collusion has been disproved by the Mueller Report. 

 

wait... are you saying that this impeachment hearing is all about laws that were broken during that Russian Collusion that has been thoroughly disproved?

He believes that Ukrainian corruption, with heavy Biden involvement, has been debunked.

 

Nevermind the fact that indictments concerning Burisma were issued yesterday, that Hunter Biden is listed in the indictment, and that testimony related to the Biden’s and Burisma is already on the record in European courts.

 

He’s not interested in exculpatory facts which tear down his narrative, but rather is determined to cherry-pick minor items, many of which are outright lies being peddled, in order to protect his pre-determined conclusions.

[BillsFanNC]

7 minutes ago, TakeYouToTasker said:

 

This is a weapon which will now be used against them, and will destroy the country in the process.  Impeachment proceedings will be the new order of the day every time the House majority is held by the opposition party of the President.

 

Yes, the office of US President has been irreparably damaged and weakened going forward. But you know .....let's just impeach the mother ***** or something...

[Tiberius]

The meeting that never happened was to show Putin whose side the USA was on. It never happened, so Putin got the message 

[Wacka]

52 minutes ago, westside2 said:

You're an idiot. You keep spouting the same rhetoric knowing full well that you're lieing your ass off. You don't give a Schiff about the country. Why are you defending those crooks is beyond me.

Because he, along with Tibs , Gary and the rest  are part of the Soros cubicle farm.  I really don't remember Tibs posting anything inTSW or Off The Wall

Edited November 21, 2019 by Wacka

[Rob's House]

16 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

Laws were broken. 

 

Numerous Trump associates are in jail.

 

He was a co-conspirator to Michael Cohen who is sitting in a jail cell. 

 

Campaign finance laws were also broken in this Ukraine quid pro quo. 

 

Saying the President was doing his job by pressuring a foreign government to investigate a political opponent on something that has been debunked (Hill will testify that today) is not doing his job. 

 

We're still waiting to hear what law he broke. 

 

It seems you've been reduced to accusations of guilt by association for process crimes.

[Tiberius]

But he met with Putin though! 

 

[Bray Wyatt]

1 minute ago, Wacka said:

Because he, along with Tibs , Gary and the rest  ar part of the Soros cubicle farm.  I really don't remember Tibs posting anything inTSW or Off The Wall

Sadly jrober isnt a cubicle farm guy like the rest, he was over on bbmb before (and they didnt allow any politic talk there)

[Foxx]

15 minutes ago, TakeYouToTasker said:

He believes that Ukrainian corruption, with heavy Biden involvement, has been debunked.

 

Nevermind the fact that indictments concerning Burisma were issued yesterday, that Hunter Biden is listed in the indictment, and that testimony related to the Biden’s and Burisma is already on the record in European courts.

 

He’s not interested in exculpatory facts which tear down his narrative, but rather is determined to cherry-pick minor items, many of which are outright lies being peddled, in order to protect his pre-determined conclusions.

agreed. what i can't determine is whether he is being disingenuous or worse, just dense and obtuse.

 

i understand that he is trying to justify today's impeachment hearing because he believes that because Cohen, Stone and to a lessor degree Flynn have all been charged in connection with the Russian Collusion sham. nevermind that the charges had absolutely nothing to do with Russian Collusion and everything to do with process crimes of the investigation which were only brought forth because they couldn't get anything of substance on which the Russian Collusion narrative was formed around. Manafort was convicted for previous crimes, nothing whatsoever to do with Russian Collusion.

 

of course, i understand that i'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

Edited November 21, 2019 by Foxx

[Bray Wyatt]

1 minute ago, Rob's House said:

 

We're still waiting to hear what law he broke. 

 

It seems you've been reduced to accusations of guilt by association for process crimes.

 

he still says campaign finance laws 

[Foxx]

3 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

 

OMG!

 

the President met the head of another State!!

 

#impeach!!

Edited November 21, 2019 by Foxx

[snafu]

24 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

Of course it's partisan.

That doesn't change any of the facts. 

 

15 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

I'm too dense?

 

You're the one that just said no laws were broken.

 

I'm sure Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort or Michael Cohen would disagree. 

 

The only things you’re right about are that this is a completely partisan show and the facts don’t change. 

 

The partisan nature of the show is important in the interpretation of how important the facts are. 

 

The  alleged “crime” of a campaign finance law violation was committed by the Obama campaign as well as the Clinton campaign. Nobody sniffed too hard at those. Only partisans care when it is convenient or expedient for them to care. 

 

No other crimes are alleged. 

 

Your mention of Cohen and Manafort is odd. THIS impeachment inquiry is about Ukraine. 

 

 

[Tiberius]

Loves your ass!!

[snafu]

31 minutes ago, BillsFanNC said:

If you bring up politics at the Thanksgiving table in any year you're at best guilty of poor judgment.  If you do it this year...you're a douche of the highest order.

 

Agreed. I’m focusing on food and Buffalo Bills football this Thanksgiving. 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

[GG]

39 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

Yes. They have what they need. All the testimony has given them what they required to impeach him. 

 

It will be voted along party lines, and everyone will be talking about it next Thursday. 

 

You honestly believe that this thing will move through Intel --> Judiciary --> Full House by next Wednesday?

 

Mkay.  

 

No wonder you're delusional

[Wacka]

Wont they break for the Thanksgiving holiday at 5 PM this Friday?  Can't  miss a vacation!

[Rob's House]

If anyone can tell me what law President Trump broke, and support it with even a plausible argument, I will create a sign line praising your wisdom, and leave it up for 6 months.

[row_33]

back in the old days the concept of toilet training was used to explain the behavior of adults

 

something to do with Freud, which every liberal/lefty was perfectly versed in to bring judgment down on what merely displeased their daily utopia

 

the leader here must have been rewarded by mom for sitting on the potty for 2 hours, but nothing came out, what a good little boy you are Adam...

 

 

 

 

[Buffalo_Gal]

This is gonna be a "good one" today when David Holmes sneered the name "Kardashian" (in reference to asking Trump to help with an American citizen) in his opening statement. Another gatekeeper of US foreign policy is my guess.  Who knows though, I could be wrong.

(And for the record, I had to look up how to spell Kardashian and do not follow their brand, but I am not a person representing US citizens, which this dweeb is supposedly doing.)

Edited November 21, 2019 by Buffalo_Gal

[Tiberius]

Six years ago today, the Revilution of Dignity began