Impeachment Hearing -- Day 2!

Previous thread:

The woman who will testify tomorrow was really mistreated by Trump and Ghouliani, can she sue?

4 things to know as former US ambassador to Ukraine steps into the impeachment spotlight

Thanks OP

SO READY for Masha

hope she delivers bombshells and leaves the repubs shaking

hopefully Welch has another great counter line to embarrass fuckwad Jordan again

Dr Fiona Hill is going to give testimony that will light these fuckers up.

She and Masha need to burn those GOP cunts to the ground.

La Senatrice will NOT be listening!

Watching Nicole Wallace yesterday, Ben Rhodes and a couple of others were talking about what a rough part of the world the Ukraine was with the corruption and violence, etc. and how your life was definitely in danger if you were perceived as a threat or got on the wrong side of some random oligarch.

Rhodes said the threats and dangers are so real, that Marie Yovanovich was really in danger and under threat thanks to Trump and Rudy. And she remains very paranoid right now for good reason. I was stunned by that. It really illustrated how careless and ruthless and cavalier about it Trump and his thugs are. Trump would never resort to violence or dirty his own hands personally, but who knows how much violence he has endorsed or co-signed over the years.

Khashoggi's murder, betrayal of the Kurds, and Putin casually poisoning people, falls off balconies, people getting shot, etc. they're all cut from the same cloth. I hope she really kicks ass today. Trump is despicable. Of course given the Republican Party's track record of supporting women, I doubt whether they will share the outrage in her being threatened all orchestrated by this POTUS.

Ugh - my hopes, they’re up up up - I want to feel better about all of this sooner rather than later.

However, I DO realize these proceedings are a process, that even when they’re over and a ton of damaging information comes to light - the switch won’t necessarily be flipped.

Media will let us down, here and there. Loopholes will be trotted out, and then, of course, there’s the Republican Senate - a steaming pile of anti-American, grifting, cowardly, greedy, duplicitous, manipulative, hypocritical, self-loathing bully-babies, taking pleasure at forcing the heads of much more honorable, law-abiding, hard-working, striving Americans in the toilet, while picking our pockets as they demand to be called Sir or Madame.

Do your thing today, ladies! No pressure - but I, for one, am certainly relying on you to restore some semblance of sanity to our State.

Thank you for your service, and godspeed.

Can we just throw bags of rotten peaches at him, instead?

I. Want. REVENGE.

Only one of the ladies is testifying today, the other one is coming next week.

Oh, got it. Thanks, R12.

[quote] The woman who will testify tomorrow was really mistreated by Trump and Ghouliani, can she sue?

Unlikely. That POS tRump has the right to remove any ambassador at any time for any reason. And you’ll hear the Repukes make that point several thousand times today. Against the Ghoul, she might have a case. Might.

OK let's go!

omg Nunes is the worst. How does he live with himself?

POS Nunes making shit up again.

The people next to, and behind, Nunes look like mafioso.

He really is scum. It's a shame that California has a deplorable region that keeps reelecting this piece of shit

OMFG that Stefanik bitch is really pissing me off

what is the repub strategy of interrupting Schiff after opening statements?

You could hear it in Schiff' voice that he was having none of their shenanigans today.

It’s all they have, R21. They are whining about his “unfairness” to them.

ooh I like Masha's voice.

Gym Jordan seemed stunned by the control Schiff has over the proceedings. Good for Mr. Schiff! He's prepared for the Republican tricks unlike Jerry Nadler.

she has a very young voice

yeah I wish Schiff could run the Judiciary Committee too

She's only 61 r26.

My god this woman has been in some real hot spots. Getting shot at, etc. Incredible. She is a hero. I'm incensed that some one as despicable and low as Trump and his minions like Nunes would dare to smear her. She is a tough brave heroic person.

Gym Jordan isn't really a member if this committee, can't they throw his ass out for interrupting?

Nunes is a bully who is actually a fragile, cowardly, insecure man.

Is all that interrupting rudeness something that appeals to Deplorables? Should I just assume all revolting, unseemly, unprofessional, embarrassing behavior is stuff the Deplorables both identify with and admire?

I loved how the other day someone on twitter photoshopped a cow outfit onto Nunes as he read his opening statement lol

If I was sitting at that table being asked to testify to Nunes and Gym J, under all of those lights and cameras, I'd probably burst into tears. These folks are tough as nails.

While this is going on other Democrats should be screaming bloody murder about Stephen Miller.

Nunes is evil. He has Russian business partners at his vineyards in Ca. He reminds me of one of those evil Borgia types in history.

R35 agreed

I expected her voice to be much harsher. She sounds very nice.

she has a Canadian accent! Clearly she's an anti-American spy!!!!

R35, I hope there are other voices joining the Democrats. Having Millercraftin immigration policy from the White House is absolutely intolerable.

well done-she's refuting the false allegations against her in her opening statement

I have a feeling Giuliani will come up A LOT today

That woman served in Mogadishu Somalia, and she was in Moscow when the Soviet Union collapsed and factions were shooting. Shit. She was caught in the crossfire. So much for cushy Ambassador jobs. She wasn't in the Bahamas or Paris. She was on the front fucking lines.

The antics of the repug doberhuahuas as they bark and snarl at this even-toned, calm, unassuming woman diplomat will not present a flattering visual for their cause.

I think you are right R42 Giuliani may get shredded today...

She is making a narrow, but strong, opening statement.

wow she just said the State Department KNEW the allegations against her were false

"failure of State Department leadership"

hey Pompeo she's dragging your ass too haha

just realized Pompeo didn't come up in the first hearing

Pompeo may get shredded by association today...

I hate that the focus will be on people other than Trump. It gives him wiggle room to say Giuliani and Pompeo went rogue.

R35 - by referring to him as "Co-President Miller," let's hope to get under co-president donald's chicken-shit skin so that he shows Stephen the door. Pass it on.

Just think about this for a minute:

the witnesses who testify must swear under oath to tell the truth

at the same time they must answer questions and hear comments from the repubs who are not under the same obligation

Why are committee members allowed to lie when they know the witness is obliged to tell the truth? I think committee members should be required to tell the truth too during hearings

R50 If its bus-throwing, don't think they won't turn on Trump. The LAST thing Trump wants is Giuliani turning on him.

R52, I really want members of Congress and the Senate to be required to submit to both regular and surprise drug tests.

I'd love to see that happen, r53.

r52, if that happened, the Republicans would literally have nothing to say.

damn Schiff brings up Fox in the smear campaign too hahaha LOVE HIM

Damning.

Cow read the "rough transcript" (i.e. made-up shit) of the first Trump-Zelensky call, like that would shut this whole thing down right now. LOL.

wow already Giuliani getting brought up A LOT

Ghoul is going down HARD

R59, even he looked kind of embarrassed when he finished, as though he’d been lead to believe there was actually something important in it and hadn’t looked at it until he was reading it to all of us aloud.

Goldman looks like this guy I dated who had the prettiest cock I’ve ever seen.

The 2nd transcript is nothing -- in fact it actually buttresses Dem claims as it contradicts some earlier WH assertions.

My stream just froze.

so the phone call telling her she had to leave really came out of nowhere and no real reason was given

Concerns up the street!

R64 it's on youtube

Masha reminds me of Dr. Christine B. Ford at the Bart O'Kavanagh hearings. A brave woman coming forward to challenge corrupt male Power. So I expect Gym to have his own "I Like Beer!" moment today.

[quote]My stream just froze.

Mine too. I see that as a good sign. It means that there are A LOT of people watching. That's how I read it anyway.

Her using a cup instead of chug-a-lugging from a water bottle is a nice touch; optics play a big role in these historic hearings.

Put on a suit jacket, Gym!

She is more composed R68 and, frankly, has more of the upper hand here.

Meanwhile WH transcript of today differs from WH summary released in April. Ooops!

Look here - conclusion: This 'transcript' is totally made up.

I dare say today is going to be 5x more damaging than yesterday!

so Pompeo started out defending her then inexplicably stopped

R71…there couldn’t possibly be a pattern of transcripts reflecting conflicting facts than the transcripts and actual calls?…

So far she’s very impressive. Her soft-spoken demeanor only adds to her authority and credibility.

His entire Presidency has been a scam, he probably didn't do 10% as what has been reported in regards to policy both foreign and domestic...

PLEASE remove the chairs behind Council.

It is so distracting seeing people getting in and out of their seats every four seconds!

her demeanor makes her seem so credible. This is great. repubs must be freaking out now

Plump is already raging on Twitter, LOLOLOLOL

Go Yovanovich! Make him suffer!

*Councel

Who here thinks Dan Goldman is kind of hot?

R80 what's he saying?

R82 yes I do. If I remember correctly, he used to play soccer at a high level too

These excerpts released by the WH are little more than the "Cliff Notes" versions of the actual telephone conversations; Dems please speak in words the people can relate to--that's what works for donald.

so Trump praised the corrupt former prosecutor Lutsenko

R82, He has Jewish eyes.

Trump just tweeted bashing Yovanovitch. Can't deny now that he isn't watching. I'll be fascinated about how this smart, reasoned, and passionate woman will respond to the Republican attacks... which will be Graham-at-Kavanaugh-hearing-level scream fest. Look for derangement. Let's see how she is able to respond. The optics on this have so much more potential than yesterday. Yesterday was content for impeachment and history. Today is for the election - the suburban women in PA, MI and WI. This MAY be a nail in Trump'2 2020 coffin.

He is criticising her and that is only buttressing her argument that he targeted her.

Oh this will play so well with women, esp those crucial right leaning suburban gals...

Agreed, r78. Today's group is fidgeting way too much.

R76 I agree. Trump must be furious, which I would like to see.

How is this not just a disgruntled former employee venting?

How's the sand where you are R92? does it feel warm surrounding your head?

R92 that's the right wing argument right now on twitter just saw lol

MMPH! It seems as if the game plan today is to discredit FOX. GOOD!

LOVE how Goldman brought up Fox, Hannity, Solomon and Don Jr all engaging in the smear YES

Yovanovitch just denied all the allegations under oath

your move now, right wingers!

Goldman is doing great. Glad he's on OUR side.

Ha ha WH earlier said Prez would not be watching beyond Nunes opening statement, but here we have Trump rage-tweeting.

This is driving him insane! I hope he is hospitalized!

Might the silver-haired woman seated behind and at the Ambassador's right shoulder be her mother? I see a strong physical resemblance.

R78, R81 ...counsel

R92 Undermining State dept and foreign policy protocols in a way that severely damages the US effectiveness and security. OF COURSE, Republicans won't think her testimony matters... smashing norms is what they want from Great Leader. But this process today is about history (impeachment) and the 2020 election (suburban woman voters). Those who think this is only about a disgruntled employee will never support impeachment, nor vote for anyone but Trump. So their talking points are irrelevant.

I hope he had a fuckin' stroke while watching this on TV.

Realtime response to Twitter!!

Schiff just mentioned how Trump is attacking her NOW on twitter!

brilliant move by Schiff. He's so fucking smart he knew Trump might tweet during this hearing to further prove he's a piece of shit

Schiff is now reading Trump’s live tweets so Yovanovich can respond in real time. This is great.

LOTS of stress-eating at the WH these days.

Plump will be fattening A LOT.

Good.

HA! This Mr. Schiff is GOOD! Calling out Trump in real time!!!!!

[quote] How is this not just a disgruntled former employee venting?

Sigh. That is such a ridiculous line of defense/argument. None of the evidence makes that even remotely plausible or credible.

R104 -and allowing her to respond to his tweet attacks in real time!!

Marry me, Adam. Brilliant move!

R104 very smart move

Fox is going to feature meltdowns on their shows today I'm quite certain haha they can't be happy that they're being brought up correctly but negatively. They'll be screaming at Schiff, Goldman and Yovanovitch tonight

That live tweet read and response will go down in televised political history.

Witness intimidation. Schiff just briar-patched Trump.

Schiff considers Trump's up to the minute tweets about her "witness intimidation". Add it to the list!

Nunes and Jordan must be shitting themselves. I doubt they expected Schiff to include live tweets

YES! Witness intimidation. This is epic!

She comes across as pleasant, dedicated, clear-headed, compassionate and very intelligent- an exemplary Ambassador.

WH in uproar right now, aides begging, shouting for Trump to stay quiet for the time being...chaos!

HA HA

[quote]Nunes and Jordan must be shitting themselves.

Doubtful. They're not smart enough to know when to quit while you're behind.

R109, Could you be any more delusional? She's pissed that she was fired and is now reveling in attacking her boss in public.

Look who is watching;

Padma Lakshmi @PadmaLakshmi: If we let Giuliani and Trump bully, threaten and smear Ambassador Yovanovitch, then who will they target next? #bullyinchief

Boris and/or Natasha are going to have to work much more smarter and harder today than ever! Good luck, comrades!

Trump’s new tweets.... oh boy. I love this! He is the biggest idiot! And scared.

Did any of us think today would be so utterly destructive for The President? Delicious!

R124 I don't think he's scared. I think he's incompetent. Unfit.

She just lied under oath. It's on tape that Biden bragged about getting the prosecutor removed by threatening to withhold financial aid.

BTW: Where IS Pompeo? He sure has done a quick fade in the past two weeks.

"I'd probably burst into tears. These folks are tough as nails."

Truth is power.

As has Barr..

R127 WRONG. The question was if Biden bragged about stopping someone from being prosecuted, meaning his son. Biden never did that. He bragged about the prosecutor being removed, not about stopping someone from being prosecuted.

[quote] Might the silver-haired woman seated behind and at the Ambassador's right shoulder be her mother?

I thought the Ambassador said her parents had passed on.

Brief recess. Schiff's coming up with an aggressive strategy plan. Chris Matthews speaking on Trump's intimidation

Downvote and FF R127

As has been explicit all along this process, refusing to honor subpoenas, intimidating witnesses - the response of the President in these ways will be added to the articles of impeachment. The real-time tweet and its response will be history's moment from today.

R100 has a short attention span, prosopagnosia and a tendency toward fabulism.

Maybe another relatives then, r132. The whole row just got up and left with her so they are all together.

R131, And why did he want the prosecutor removed? Hmm?

Trump is a fucking criminal engaging in witness intimidation and tampering

Oh my Masha's mother just died October 22 of this year less than a month ago, she has been through a horrible year.

Nadia Yovanovitch Obituary

Here is Nadia Yovanovitch’s obituary.

It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Nadia Yovanovitch (Alexandria, Virginia), who passed away at the age of 91, on October 22, 2019.

Her mother Nadia died just last month.

This woman is so brave. I would be in tears if I had to endure something like that with the whole country and world watching.

We should send her a Thank You Cunt note from DL.

R138 follow along, right wing troll. As has been stated in the hearing today and already known in the real press (not fake right wing bullshit):

A) the US government wanted the prosecutor gone

B) our NATO allies wanted the prosecutor gone

C) anti-corruption groups in Ukraine wanted the prosecutor gone

D) the International Monetary Fund wanted the prosecutor gone

because he wasn't doing his job! He was corrupt. As Goldman pointed out, getting rid of him actually increased the chance that Burisma would be investigated.

[quote]getting rid of him actually increased the chance that Burisma would be investigated.

This is the part that deplorables just don't understand.

Does anyone believe Trump wasn't watching every minute of Wednesday's proceedings, probably in a sort of War Room situation with Pence and others? He only emerged with Erdogan after it was all over (and I bet it was the first time that day Erdogan even saw him).

And he's obviously following every word of today's testimony. He would never miss a discussion about himself. Fatally, all "Trump news" is good news to Trump.

Very light schedule today; nothing really happening til 2pm.

R138, I am quite sure you think you are making valid points, but all you are doing is spewing false right wing talking points and honestly you are embarrassing yourself to anyone with half a brain, showing your complete idiocy and inability to actually think for yourself. Good that you can be anonymous here, you need it.

unfortunately this will not change repub minds. On Fox today guaranteed they will keep saying she's a disgruntled ex employee

OH WOW! The break is going to take a while as the House has to go vote

so the repubs have to deal with this opening section being the news for a while hahahaa

Anyone watching the CSpan feed? The call in comments are the stupidest. Some lady just said Schiff is lying under oath. 😂

I'm surprised some of these Deplorables on C-Span are even capable of dialing a phone.

Oh also a "democrat" called in to say how Schiff thinks he's the king of the courtroom.

[quote] Some lady just said Schiff is lying under oath. 😂

There is a reason they are members of the Cult of Trump, they aren't very smart, and what little smarts they have, are completely brainwashed.

R147 I think it's valuable to hear another perspective. How "the Tribe" hears and responds to this impeachment process. The substance of R138 confirms that the spin will be in full force. But with all seriousness, Trump may have lost the 2020 election this morning... a respected and competent woman savaged by Trump for his own personal benefit. White women in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukie - yep, bye-bye Electoral College.

Brian Stelter @brianstelter: Fox's @BretBaier: Trump's Twitter outburst "enabled Schiff to then characterize that tweet as intimidating the witness or tampering with the witness, which is a crime -- essentially adding an article of impeachment, real time."

Brian Stelter @brianstelter: Chris Wallace agrees: "This wasn't just testimony about the past. This played out in real time, with the president attacking her... It does raise the possibility of witness intimidation and witness tampering as a new charge here."

John Roberts @johnrobertsFox: Wow....this is really unprecedented. @realDonaldTrump and Amb Yovanovitch are talking to each other in real time through @Twitter and Television... Something I never thought I would ever see.

Andrea Mitchell @mitchellreports: @realDonaldTrump tweeting against #MarieYovanovitch in real time tries to blame her for mess in Somalia her 1st (dangerous) post under Reagan plus Ukraine. Funny, he retweeted during Wednesday hearings but didn’t attack witnesses. They were men

Marc Caputo @MarcACaputo: Not only did Trump tweet his way into a possible witness-intimidation impeachment charge & headline, he reinforced one of his big negatives: his Twitter use Poll after poll show far more voters dislike it than approve

Jon Sopel @BBCJonSopel: Unbelievable to watch Maria #Yovanovitch having to respond in real time to a President tweeting against her in real time as she is giving evidence. @RepAdamSchiff suggests this is intimidation and comes close to witness tampering #ImpeachmentHearing

Jeevan Vittal @JvittalTV: Extraordinary 2019 moment: @RepAdamSchiff asks #Yovanovitch to respond to this tweet in real time during the #ImpeachmentHearing. "It's very intimidating...I think the effect is intimidating." Schiff: "Some of us here take witness intimidation very seriously."

There will always be a percentage of unrepentant GOP or Death dullards in our electorate.

The hearings, testimony.... it's just the chalkboard. Trump is already behind the scenes writing his death warrant. Obstruction, intimidation, lies... in addition to the bribery/extortion regarding Ukraine.

Remember, Clinton's "impeachment" started with fired travel agents and questionable real estate deals.

Nixon had to leave office, not because of the Watergate break-in, but because of the cover up, and obstruction of justice.

Time to turn up the heat on every woman Senator re: impeachment.

[quote]Could you be any more delusional?

Oh, the irony, R121..... She's under oath, dear, and everything she's saying is buttressed by all of the other available evidence and testimony, which is why all you have are these pathetic personal attacks, devoid of substance.

We really do have some of the dumbest trolls on the Internet.

[quote]I think it's valuable to hear another perspective

There's "perspective" and then there's "propaganda." What R138 is spewing is neither valuable nor perspective; it's an attempt to derail the conversation and present "alternative facts." The best thing one can do to such an obvious and clumsy troll is F&F them and move on.

Lee Zeldin is saying trump's tweets are him getting out the other 97% of the story.

Schiff is cherry-picking from the tweets, blather, blah, the people thought they were electing these people to pass legislation.

and the Grammy goes to...

Mimi Rocah @Mimirocah1: That exchange between @RepAdamSchiff & Marie Yavonovitch about @realDonaldTrump ’s shameless real-time attempt at twitter witness intimidation was perfection. Unscripted, sincere, chilling.

Joy Reid @JoyAnnReid: Wow. Ambassador Yovanovitch was just given a chance by @RepAdamSchiff to respond in real time to Donald Trump's Twitter attacks on her as she testifies. #ImpeachmentInquiry

Jennifer Rubin @JRubinBlogger: Her dignity in responding to Trump speaks volumes. I wonder if this is riveting enough for the "theater critic" school of journalism. Schiff uses the opportunity t make clear Trump is engaged in witness intimidation. This is a moment. A real moment.

R161, there are over 150 bills in the Senate passed by the house that the Turtle is sitting on- But then you knew that, right?

I love that this will be the headline for a while now while the House votes.

repubs must be scrambling and freaking out

it's going to be hard for them to overcome Trump's tweet

When Joe Biden left the office of the Vice-President in 2017 he issued a legal financial statement reported assets of $277,000 to $1.1 million. Show me one other politician who has spent over 40 years in the Senate and White House who amassed so little wealth, if there has been one politician who is not corrupt it is Joe Biden.

He has cashed in since leaving office, with speaking fees and book deals and is now worth over $15 million but that is still less than others in his position and he has done it while not on the public dole.

It's disgusting how the GOP debases these life-long public servants, people who put themselves on the front line to protect American interests around the world. Even purple heart winners get thrown under the bus to support Trump's evil agenda.

[quote]Witness intimidation. Schiff just briar-patched Trump.

During the break, CNN's Manu Raju reported that Schiff considers Trump's tweet attacks on the Ambassador to be witness intimidation.

R164 I do, but this idiot rep from NY is trying to make It seems like this hearing is the only thing stopping congress from getting work done.

He also claims the democrats were trying to recreate the deposition by getting her to cry on tv.

Between him and that Stefanik woman who has interrupted Schiff as soon as he finishes his opening statement NY really has some shit representation.

There is no value to anything a Republican says anymore. They lie knowingly. They don't care Trump is the most corrupt asshole to ever live. Our troll on this thread is either a dipshit who believes QAnon is real, a pathetic little incel from a chan board or a Russian earning half a beet per post.

I'm finally getting around to listening to the opening statements.

Nunes' is pathetic. He hardly talks about the charges before the committee. He blame the Dems for all terrible things that are happening in the world.

I think the whole GOP strategy is to make these seem far more complicated than it is by introducing irrelevant actions so the public gets confused and, ultimately, bored.

CNN's Manju Raju also reported during the break that Democrats coming out of the hearing are saying that they think the credibility of Pompeo & the State Department has been destroyed today.

[quote]NY really has some shit representation

You know how they say, "all politics is local"? NY has some really shitty areas and it's reflected in its representation.

Thanks to all for the info regarding the Ambassador's mother; obviously it escaped me that she is deceased.

R136 has stalked me across these boards for two weeks and is now blocked. Get a life, you are now out of mine.

"It sounded like a threat."

Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, describes her reaction to President Trump telling Ukrainian President Zelensky that she was "going to go through some things."

I really want to know how independents and moderates view this Yovanovitch hearing today. Surely they must find her credible and Trump's behavior repugnant

bashing a witness who is speaking out against you is not only witness intimidation but also admission of guilt

Thank you, R132, apparently her mother's being deceased escaped me.

Adding to the impeachment articles as we speak..

I think it is now a given that witness intimidation, another crime, will be added to the articles of impeachment. Trump is his own worst enemy.

I can just picture the scene at the WH right now with aides and his legal team plotting to crash Twitter because it seems easier than stopping Trump from rage tweeting.

"witness intimidation" is trending on Twitter.

(From Monday. There is nothing today)

Rudy Giuliani @RudyGiuliani: Schiff’s two star witnesses don’t have any facts, only opinion. No first hand knowledge, only second, third. The testimony should be stricken from the record. Neither could identify a crime or wrongdoing, not even an opinion about that. This is falling apart on the 1st day.

I was just watching FOX for a bit during the break and they surprisingly all said that Yovanovic was a credible witness and did not deserve this treatment. If the GOP thinks that she is not credible and did something wrong, they should come forward with real evidence NOW. Looks like they are incredibly caught off guard by the honesty of Yovanovic and don't really know how to discredit her. The best they could come up with is that the president has every right to change policy and recall ambassadors, but they also agree that the way she was treated unfairly if there is no evidence of any wrongdoing.

Anyone else watching FOX and surprised by their coverage?

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA):

The president just demonstrated witness intimidation & obstruction of justice in real time. Yuvanovitch is a dedicated, truth-telling, career foreign service official who knows how to put country first, over partisanship. Trumps actions are truly dangerous.

The Evil Republicans will find a way to "swift boat" Ms. Y and every other witness against Trump. But will they be successful?

Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff tells reporters: "What we saw was witness intimidation in real time by the president of the United States."

He called Trump's tweets an effort to "chill" both Yovanovitch's testimony and others from cooperating.

Ari Fleischer @AriFleischer: As for Trump’s tweet, to call it witness intimidation is laughable. People can say whatever they want about Trump and he can’t say what he thinks? The witness has every right to speak her mind and he can speak his. If witnesses are so intimidated, why do they keep showing up? The closest thing I’ve seen to witness intimidation comes from Adam Schiff. He practices witness denial. He won’t let GOP witnesses show up. He unilaterally turns down GOP requests for witnesses. That’s worse than intimidation. It’s outright witness denial.

Justin Amash @justinamash: Expect witness tampering to be an article of impeachment.

Laurence Tribe @tribelaw: This Trump tweet is criminal witness intimidation. Glad @RepAdamSchiff called it out in real time. This vicious attack on a witness during her testimony may chill weaker souls, but he won’t get away with it. It’ll be part of an Article of Impeachment for obstructing Congress.

House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff accuses Trump of witness intimidation after the President tweeted attacks on Marie Yovanovitch as she testified

Chris Wallace: "If you were not moved by the testimony of Marie Yovanovitch, you don't have a pulse."

More and more I think Pompeo is going down...he had political dreams beyond Sec of State...will he turn on Trump to save himself?

Giuliani is going to be thrown under bus as well. And if these turn on the Pres, it will be nuclear level.

SCHIFF: "The president in real time is attacking you. What effect do you think that has on other witnesses' willingness to come forward?"

YOVANOVITCH: "It's very intimidating"

SCHIFF: "Some of us here take witness intimidation very seriously"

Bret Baier, Fox News:

[quote]That was a turning point in this hearing so far. She was already a sympathetic witness & the President’s tweet ripping her allowed Schiff to point it out real time characterizing it as witness tampering or intimidation--adding an article of impeachment real-time.

Pompeo is apparently in Houstson today, at Rice.

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

We have vacancies in various departments because we do not want or need as many people as past administrations (and save great cost), and also, the Democrats delay the approval process to levels unprecedented in the history of our Country!

Stock Market up big. New and Historic Record. Job, jobs, jobs!

(other than this, he's just tweeted the transcript of the doctored telephone call)

"Democrats...are also considering pursuing impeachment based on obstruction, and that would include witness intimidation."

"The president's actions here today may in some ways be making this impeachment case even stronger against himself."

Here’s the pizzazz that is apparently needed

Elie Honig, CNN Legal Analyst, former federal & state prosecutor: Trump's tweet attacking Yovanovitch is "textbook" witness intimidation.

"I've prosecuted witness tampering cases. I've tried witness tampering cases. To me this is right down the middle."

Stone found Guilty!

If you have no other arguments, just tweet about the stock market and economy to deflect from your crimes.

Thanks, R198. Great News!

Adam Schiff:

Right now, President Trump is watching our hearing and tweeting baseless attacks against Ambassador Yovanovitch.

This is witness intimidation in real time. And we won’t stand for it.

Hillary Clinton:

Witness intimidation is a crime, no matter who does it. Full stop.

R198 Not a good day for Trump, eh? Stone guilty on seven counts. Look for Republican reps to go batshit crazy in the questioning this afternoon. They all know they've got to show Great Leader their fangs and going for Yovanovitch's jugular.

Roger Stone GUILTY on ALL 7 counts!

Stone guilty!

No collusion/obstruction argument down in flames.

Trump's campaign DID collude and obstruct.

Mueller should come forward demanded to revise report...I know that is doubtful...but I hope the implications of this are not lost during impeachment.

Laurence Tribe:

This Trump tweet is criminal witness intimidation. Glad @RepAdamSchiff called it out in real time. This vicious attack on a witness during her testimony may chill weaker souls, but he won’t get away with it. It’ll be part of an Article of Impeachment for obstructing Congress.

R198 more good news. Trump has had this day coming up for a long time. Finally it’s here.

Trump has had meltdown days before...but this is really HIGH up there.

Is there enough Sudafed for him today in the WH? Will he come out sounding dead-voiced and flat today?

BREAKING: Jury: Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone guilty of lying to the US Congress, obstructing justice and witness tampering.

BREAKING: Roger Stone, a former Trump campaign official and longtime practitioner of the political dark arts, was found guilty on Friday of lying to Congress.

Lordy this woman is brave. Imagine the threats she gets from Trump maniacs. I had to turn off Nunez this AM on NPR because he just spewed lies. I wonder how he and his network will spin Trumps tweets?

His conviction on lying to Congress should have a big impact on these hearings going forward. Time to start calling in Bolton, Pompeo, Barr etc.

BREAKING: Trump associate Roger Stone found guilty of witness tampering, lying to Congress about his attempts to contact WikiLeaks.

Breaking News: Roger Stone, a friend of President Trump, was found guilty in a trial that revived the saga of Russia’s efforts to help Trump’s 2016 campaign

Stone's involvement was totally and completely his and his alone. The campaign never interfaced with Stone in a meaningful way, and Trump never had any dealings with him whatsoever.

It is all 2nd and 3rd hand information!!

R183 wait until the 5 PM hour onward. That's when the worst propagandists on Fox take over.

guaranteed they'll keep saying she's just a disgruntled ex employee

Longtime Trump friend and associate Roger Stone is guilty of ALL seven counts brought by the Justice Department, a victory for special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

At what point will there be headlines calling for [Pompeo, Barr, Trump] to resign?

Yeah, Baier and Wallace are partially sane. The real nut bags at FOX are the opinion shiw hosts.

Trump is whining on Twitter: But what about her Emails? All my friends are going to jail, but what about Crooked Hillary?

Oooh, the slime just keeps oozing out and they will not be able to contain it.

Roger Stone is set to be sentenced on February 6.

time for the repubs...what will they ask?

R222 why is the sentencing so far away?

Nunes "I don't have many questions to ask you" lmao

JFC Nunes and his congratulations on graduating from the top secret hearings.

lol Nunes is desperate as fuck but this continues the repub narrative "of no first hand knowledge"

Beware Nunes and Trumpistas.

Suburban women are watching, and watching closely.

WOW another fucking repub stunt trying to paint themselves as victims

Nunes backing away. What is this squabble about?

Schiff is turning this car around if minority counsel doesn't behave.

Devin Nunes is a nasty pig. He's hot and muscular though...he should wear tighter shirts to show off his muscles.

The Stefanik cunt FAILS AGAIN.

DON'T MAKE HIM GET OUT

Gross, R232.

Roger Stone joins a notable list of former Trump aides convicted of lying to federal authorities.

It includes: Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, and George Papadopoulos.

What a nasty pig that woman is. GLAD she was silenced!

R232 why not just get straight to sucking on his shit?

Cunts and stunts won't be tolerated and thank God for that!

R237 Who is she?

R232 huh? He's not muscular he's not good looking he's not hot

and he's a traitorous piece of shit

R240 that Stefanik woman of NY

Stephanik from RURAL NY.

God, another day we have to listen to the Republican counsel speak ineffectively and fail at asking a question that can be understood.

I hate how she sat there after being told it wasn't her turn to talk and she still kept talking anyway. Schiff shut that shit down.

Nunes is NOT muscular, haha...don't get that confused. He's beefy...hence the cow.

Castor going nowhere...

ABC News' @ajdukakis was in the court room when the verdict in the Roger Stone case was announced: "He looked extremely upset when he was found guilty of all seven counts. He faces a statutory maximum of up to 50 years in jail."

Castor bringing up Giuliani ...is this the beginnings of the bus-throwing?

anything interesting in the last 5 minutes? I had to leave the room

Andrew Feinberg @AndrewFeinberg: @DevinNunes knows the rules authorizing the impeachment inquiry allow him to yield time to his counsel, but no one else. The stunt he and @RepStefanik just pulled shows he is aware that minority counsel Steve Castor’s performance on Wednesday was widely panned as ineffective

Brian Mann @BrianMannADK: North Country @RepStefanik @EliseStefanik and her staff doubling down on conflict with Dem House Intel chair Adam Schiff, arguing that he is "afraid" of Stefanik. @ncpr #ny21

Libby Casey @libcasey: GOP Intel leadership tries to have Rep. Elise Stefanik lead off Q's to fmr Amb Yovanovitch, but Chairman Schiff shuts it down. Stefanik is the only GOP woman on the committee. Note @eliseviebeck's story about how gender is in play:

Listen to her. Yovanovitch is sharp as a tack. Republicans will only succeed in attacking her... but her responses and clever undermining their premises will win the day. Dec 2020 - President Patrick nominates Yovanovitch as Sec of State.

yeah the Nunes-Stefanik stunt was clearly to paint Schiff as an unfair dictator. Schiff did state the rule is that Nunes can only yield to his counsel during this time but of course most viewers didn't know that

Rep. Ted Lieu:

Decision by the jury to find Roger Stone GUILTY on all counts shows no one is above the law, including all the President's Men. Also shows that prosecutors take very seriously the crimes of:

Lying to Congress

Obstruction

Witness Tampering

cc: @realDonaldTrump

#FridayThoughts

The Stefanik Stunt was pulled because the GOP would like to lessen some of the damage with women voters that will happen once Gym Jordan inevitably starts to harangue her.

Yovanovitch is incredibly cool. Kudos to her.

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:

So they now convict Roger Stone of lying and want to jail him for many years to come. Well, what about Crooked Hillary, Comey, Strzok, Page, McCabe, Brennan, Clapper, Shifty Schiff, Ohr & Nellie, Steele & all of the others, including even Mueller himself? Didn’t they lie?.... ....A double standard like never seen before in the history of our Country?

ooh 1 of the people Yovanovitch spoke to about the smear campaign against her was Fiona Hill...I hope Fiona is asked about this next week.

Looking forward to all the Republicans yielding their time to the Gentlewoman from NY. They want her to question Yovanovitch for 40 minutes? Go right ahead.

Trump needs to be shutdown. I suspect there are no brave aides left in the White House...

Trump needs to be shutdown. I suspect there are no brave aides left in the White House...

R256 no doubt that will be the Fox talking point tonight

btw Trump and Fox's continued "shifty Schiff" moniker is an antisemitic dog whistle

Can somebody tell me where Castor is going with his questioning? I'm watching and listening, but it's not making sense to me. It's making me more confused if anything because she's already admitted that she wasn't there for the call, that what Kent originally told her about the call was only partially right, and that she found out Giuliani had something to do with it by watching the news.

And, R256, I'm so tired of his tirades about who he thinks should be jailed. If he thought so much of it, why doesn't he ask Bottoms Up Barr to charge them with something then? It's because he can't. He's (Trump) the worst mistake our country has ever made - they should have denied his parents entry at Ellis Island YEARS ago.

What point is this guy trying to make by having her repeat her testimony over and over?

The blind poster who thinks she’s being stalked is a paranoid fucking lunatic. I have no idea who you are and sure as hell have no interest in following pinhead anywhere.

R256 Hilarious. Mueller showed there was no collusion!! Mueller lied!!! Oh, wait a minute....

R252 It is meant to bore people with useless recounting of facts that go nowhere. They do this to run out the clock on a witness they can not attack or tear down and try to obfuscate the damning truths.

they're again trying to say that she's a secondhand witness so no real facts

I'm glad she's calm, I would be so pissed for being fired by a guy with a less than pea size brain.

I think Nancy Pelosi should move Adam Schiff to Chair the Judiciary committee once the actual impeachment starts, he is much more effective than Nadler, and if the Republicans can move members around so can the Democrats.

He's establishing that "fighting corruption" is the highest priority for the US in Ukraine. And Trump, of course, was only trying to fight corruption, in the "perfect call"... but they are going nowhere with this woman. She looks professional, principled, competent... all this exploration of reality on the ground in Ukraine only enhances her credibility.

Yovanovitch just reiterated that the Burisma investigation was NOT active but not fully closed. Again that's damaging since repubs can't claim it was being investigated when the corrupt prosecutor was terminated

R262 I guess it all boils down to Castor finally 'innocently' asking whether it's ok (or not ok) for Trump to urge Burisma investigations

[quote]This woman is so brave. I would be in tears if I had to endure something like that with the whole country and world watching.

Good Lord, you need to get a hold of yourself.

So, I know this is a side topic, but did anyone see Morning Joe this morning where they talked about how Stephen Miller is literally a white supremacist in over 900 e-mails? To tie it back to this topic, Castor could be Miller's brother or father because they look almost alike. Castor just looks like he's more tan than Miller. Honestly, I think Castor is trying to confuse her and make her say something she hadn't originally said, but this woman knows what she did, testified to, and said!

R269, I think she should as well - if they can move Jordan over to the Intelligence Committee, then Schiff can come over from the Intelligence Committee to the Judiciary Committee.

haha yes!!! He asked if she heard any Ukrainians saying they were against Trump during the 2016 election and she said no

Nadler isn't just going to step aside, folks...

Who is this Chalupa person they keep talking about?

r274 Disagree.... Castor looks human, Miller looks like a DNA experiment.

TH eirony of Trump's tweet about everyone else apparently lying is that none of them lied. Stone did.

[quote]Dec 2020 - President Patrick nominates Yovanovitch as Sec of State.

Uh, no, But President Warren might.

Castor is intentionally trying to make this extra boring. THAT's the only GOP strategy

Damn, Castor is boring. She's not giving him anything here.

When you very elliptically attack a fact witness, it can be perilously tedious.

Did Nunes actually think Schiff would let him violate the session rules by giving his time away to anyone other than counsel? Because Castor seems even more unprepared today than he did on Wednesday.

[quote]Who is this Chalupa person they keep talking about?

Yovanovitch just said "I don't know her'.

R283, that's exactly it! I couldn't quite find the word for Castor's approach, but elliptical is right. If I was being questioned by this guy, I would ask to repeat his questions--every single of them.

[quote]To tie it back to this topic, Castor could be Miller's brother or father because they look almost alike. Castor just looks like he's more tan than Miller.

Let's see if we can make that trend on twitter. The more Republicans can be aligned with racism the better!

BUT, in my opinion what should be happening is that every civil rights organization should be making public statements and issuing letters condemning Miller and calling for his resignation.

so Castor is trying to prove the publishing of the black ledger means Ukraine was biased against Trump...

but really it was just showing that Manafort, former adviser to Yanukovych, was corrupt and stealing money

I so would make his ass repeat his questions too to run out the clock. I'm glad that Yovanovitch made everyone laugh because Castor is making everyone sleepy!

[quote]Nadler isn't just going to step aside, folks...

He will if Pelosi tells him to.

Castor and the repubs grasping at straws trying to paint this conspiracy of various prominent Ukrainians to thwart Trump's election

I'm still seething about that Stefanik bitch! That's exactly what they were doing: make it look like Schiff is dismissive of women. It failed miserably!

Yovanovitch is AMAZING

she just repeated our own intelligence agencies point to Russian interference, not Ukrainian

Castor seems like he’s low key crushing on the Ambassador.

R292 on Fox you're going to see Stefanik appearing today talking about dictator Schiff stopping a woman from asking questions. They're going to pretend as if there was no rule saying Nunes could only defer to Castor during the 45 minute period

Stefanik like the rest of the House members will get 5 minutes after Castor is done

R287, haha! Let's make it trend then! I didn't think about that at all, LOL. But he should be asked to resign as a "Senior Advisor to the President" because what could he be advising, honestly - other than racist thoughts?

R294, oh, please...don't make me throw up all my coffee thus far. He looks like he has a mental disability the way he keeps looking at her.

Who is that 12 year old who keeps pouting because they are insisting on going by the rules and not let her ask questions anytime she wants?

Yovanovitch has nice skin for her age. If she got a better hairstyle she'd look really young

Almost 40 mins now. Thank God this shit show is almost over.

You know Castor is not Trump's style at all. POTUS must be seething. Won't be surprised if Castor isn't invited back.

Basic facts: Trump held up tax-payer aid money to Ukraine to help it fight against the Russian until it would agree to investigate Trump's political rival.

Trump fired Yavanovitch, who was known for standing up to Ukrainianian corruption, so Trump could pursue his own shadow policies in Ukraine through Giuliani.

ALL of this was for personal benefit

Castor now trying to show how supportive of Ukraine Trump is with the javelins

She is sooooooooooooo much smarter than Castor.

Max Boot @MaxBoot: Here we go again. GOP counsel Steve Castor returns to the nutty conspiracy theories about Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election. Very fitting that Republicans promote Russian disinformation to defend a president who was elected with Russian help.

Miriam Elder @MiriamElder: Castor’s questioning is literally going line by line through a 2017 Politico story that tried to present a false equivalence between Russian state meddling and the poorly understood random actions of some Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American people.

Adam Klasfeld @KlasfeldReports: In a series of questions, GOP's attorney Steve Castor seems to suggest that a **Ukrainian investigative journalist** (not the government) publishing damaging information about Paul Manafort constitutes foreign interference in U.S. elections.

Lisa Desjardins @LisaDNews: Jordan now repeatedly suggesting questions for Castor to ask... leaning to his ear, guiding him/this section of qs in real time.

Adam Parkhomenko @AdamParkhomenko: Even Castor doesn’t believe a word of Castor.

Obama was too cautious re: javelins. He should have changed his mind despite European objections.

Trump administration was right in offering javelins, but Putin changed his mind...until exposed.

See the difference?

Member 5 min questions.... Repubs last lifeline to save anything this day.

r295, I don't really care what FOX is going to say.

Fuck FOX. I never watch it and I don't give a flying fig how they try to spin this.

So why do you?

The javelin sale was for show.

"Under the conditions of the foreign military sale, the Trump administration stipulates that the Javelins must be stored in western Ukraine—hundreds of miles from the battlefield. “I see these more as symbolic weapons than anything else,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at Rand Corp. Experts say the conditions of the sale render them useless in the event of a sustained low-level assault—the kind of attack Ukraine is most likely to face from Russia. "

Given this rock solid testimony and the Stone slam-dunk today, are we going to see rethugs start jumping ship or do you think too many are too afraid that their own Russia-related crimes will come to light during a proper bi-partisan impeachment and thus will continue trying to stonewall?

Remember that California and New York are responsible for Devin Nunes and Elise Stefanik.

It's a good thing that these states have limited importance in Presidential elections, thanks to the Electoral College...because they have a history of electing enormous pieces of shit like these two.

I think that they are frozen, R309. They are going to watch it get worse and worse, and they will do nothing.

The new job in Georgetown isn't that bad ...

What a condescending cunt this Stefanik trollop is.

R307 That's nuts. It's really valuable to see how what we see as the truth, is spun and warped, into dishonest talking points that 40% of the country believe. It's like going into enemy territory without maps. It's also a good intellectual exercise to see how one's own positions, beliefs and values are challenged. Sharpen the argument. Strengthen the advocacy.

R310, that's a bizarre analysis.

It's thanks to California & New York that the Democrats get a large number of electoral votes in the Electoral College and that Hillary won the popular vote over Trump.

It's also thanks to California that we have Adam Schiff today.

House GOP can wade in mud and blood about this but the Senators are chewing their nails down to nubs...

Ooooh... sexy Himes! And then sexy Maloney! I love this show. Way better than Y&R!

Who's this cunt in the pink?

I'd like to slap her into next week!

R310 That's so batshit it's almost like a bot-troll. The algorithms are getting cuckoo.

Oh, it’s time for speeches now.

r315, Better plot turns too.

R319 Exactly. It was so smart to make the counsels do must of the questioning at the start.

Hikes makes a good point about abuse of power.

Who's doing Yovanovitch's job now?

I want Adam Schiff to be in charge of everything.

r322, HImes?

I think Taylor is doing her job now, but he is temporary.

Yeah, r310, obviously doesn't know what NY and California are like. The rural populations in both states are way smaller than the population of the urban centers. There's a reason why presidential candidates don't visit Bum Fuck, NY.

R325 Right Himes. Thanks.

LOL: "Well... (beat) I will tell you that all of this has kept me very busy."

She's quietly compelling.

What was that bullshit about?

They're still trying to 1) discredit Schiff by implying he was meeting with the whistle blower and 2) scare future whistle blowers from coming forward.

R330 The Repubs go to defense at this point, the only lifeline that could remotely balance the damaging impact of the testimony so far is to subpoena the Whistleblower - prove that the whole "witchhunt" is a partisan plot against Great Leader.

People who haven't cried in a congressional hearing: Marie Yovanovitch.

People who have cried in a congressional hearing: Brett Kavanaugh.

"Not on my time. You're done!" ordered the tactful "gentleman."

Let us repeat that statement to this president.

Turner is an asshat. Trying to smear Kerry and normalizing Giuliani's behavior/tactics. Loved the massive side eye Y. gave him at the end.

^ So, I had to look up that Turner gal, R334. There's a story with her and it's more than what Wiki is sayin'

In 1987, Turner married Lori Turner, a health executive. They had two daughters together. In 2012, after 25 years of marriage, they announced their separation and finalized their divorce in 2013. The divorce stirred up minor controversy online, owing to the fact that Turner failed in his own marriage despite opposing same-sex marriage and promoting family values, conservative traditions, and marriage sanctity.

Turner married Majida Mourad on December 19, 2015, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Dayton.Congressman Darrell Issa was a groomsman at the wedding. In May 2017, after less than two years of marriage, Turner filed for divorce from Mourad, alleging that Mourad "is guilty of a fraudulent contract." As part of the acrimonious divorce case, Turner's lawyers handed Issa a letter "stating they would like to depose" him as part of the case. Lawyers for both sides later released a statement, however, reading "Majida Mourad and Congressman Michael Turner have come to a resolution".

GOTCHA!

Why was it necessary to smear my reputation!

Fucking awesome.

Nothing like cool, calm woman knocking it out of the fucking park.

She's my touchstone, Emma!

r331, They've been told by Schiff himself that that never happened. Do their ears need some cleaning out?

Chris Stewart is a well known nitwit,

Wow, I love this woman. Please make her the next Secretary of State.

Obviously as part of a sane government, that is.

Is this asshole trying to say that just because Trump didn't *accept* any bribes, that he's not guilty of throwing out the offer?

Chris Stewart is so ridiculous. Did he used the same tired line from yesterday saying, “Welcome to year four of the impeachment process,” or whatever?

R339, he looks it.

R338, what they're going for is the Average Joe not knowing the level of detail that most of us have here. Reading the headlines from various media outlets about Schiff and the Whistle Blower, without any context, looks bad to the Average Joe.

Whaaa? I do declare there are śo many liśping representatives. It feelś like home back in Śouth Carolina!

The bitch is back.

She's behaving like a petulant child.

ENOUGH with the Whistleblower, Stefanik....

Whatever else you can conclude about today, the huge issue that Yovanovitch's testimony demonstrates is 'competence' vs. addled political corruption of Rudy, the President, and the keystone cops. The Gods of Synchronicity gave us Stone's verdict the same day.

r346, she does. She's still pissed that Schiff stopped her before. LOL Real mature.

Ok, if this is all she's going to do, I'm muting until she's done.

And all these headlines were before the other witnesses became known rendering the whistle blower irrelevant. I really hope Schiff retorts.

I hope hell is adequately preheated when this fucking gash is admitted.

God, dumb and dumber... it's Gym time!

Ugh Jordan. Another whiny repuke.

What's this dumb Millennial cunt yammering on about??

Why do these Repugs have such a goddamn hard on to have the fucking whistleblower testify? He/she can only make Trump look worse.

Pink cunt really spends her minutes well... enough already

Mr. Swalwell spilling the tea.

Get 'em, Eric!

Good for Swalwell. Fuck you Repugs!

Put Gym's ignoring child rape into the record!

Yeah! Love Swawell! Love it!!!

Good for Swallowell... I wish he'd ask her if she's been threatened.

Yeah! Love Swawell! Love it!!!

Stefanik has been more effective than Jordan. That's relative judgment, not absolute.

Swalwell is good at this. He's a former prosecutor.

Go Eric, go! He is prepared.

Why is Hurd sitting in the cunt's seat?? Was she thrown out?

R367, His mic was making a loud noise.

Hurd is the only sane Republican not making a total ass of himself.

Even the mics are fed up with the Republicans

But he's been disappointingly tribal in this hearing.

Adam Schiff and Eric swalwell deserve enthusiastic blowies tonight!

Now, the Good Castro.

This Castro isn't as Zika-baby-ish looking as the one running for President.

While I know this is the House reps, this is why I don't want any Democrat senators to run for President unless they are in a deep blue state. We need dems in Congress.

Suddenly the doors to the House chamber fly open at the entrance of a lone, tall, thin figure garbed in black, topped by an imposing hat and veil. Footprints trailing the person emit sparks of flame and the stench of burning roses envelops the audience. The intruder slowly and deliberately makes his/her way to the platform amidst audible gasps and whispers.

"Which one of you bitches wanted to meet the Whistleblower?"

[quote]This Castro isn't as Zika-baby-ish looking as the one running for President.

[italic][bold]That's[/italic][/bold] what's wrong with him!

It'd be fucking hilarious if Melania aka Vairst Letty were the whistleblower.

Wonderful. It's the Rat Fucker.

Anyone know how many are left?

[quote]Suddenly the doors to the House chamber fly open at the entrance of a lone, tall, thin figure garbed in black, topped by an imposing hat and veil. Footprints trailing the person emit sparks of flame and the stench of burning roses envelops the audience. The intruder slowly and deliberately makes his/her way to the platform amidst audible gasps and whispers.

[quote]"Which one of you bitches wanted to meet the Whistleblower?"

YAWN No pizzaz! So boring! I'm so bored!

From Cheeto's tweet: "..They call it “serving at the pleasure of the President.” The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations"

Proceeding?

R378 I've hoping it'd be Mrs. Conway. That's be the denouement, eh?

Shades of Martha Mitchell, R378!

[quote]While I know this is the House reps, this is why I don't want any Democrat senators to run for President unless they are in a deep blue state. We need dems in Congress.

Warren (MA), Harris (CA), Klobuchar (MN), Booker (NJ)... are all from blue states and would be replaced by a Dem.

These Repugs are HUMAN VERMIN.

VERMIN, I say!!

Ok, thanks R385. I was wondering about Booker and Koblachar. Didn't know how solid those states are anymore.

R385, but contrary to these Republican plonkers, mice, rats, roaches, voles, snakes, etc are useful.

[quote]Adam Schiff and Eric swalwell deserve enthusiastic blowies tonight!

Agreed. I take Eric, you take Adam. Thanks R372!

OMG! I just remembered Wednesday the 13th (and first day of the hearings) was the Ides of November.

It falls on the 13th day in the month of December as well. Beware.

Actually [R385] no guarantee Warren would be replaced by a Democrat. The MA governor is a Republican and could appoint one of his. ugh.

I'd still rather have a Dem President even if it meant losing a Senate seat. It's equally important for the Dems to be trying to defeat the weakest Repub Senators, like Susan Collins, etc...

Anyone with a 4K TV knows how to read lips. There's that Gym guy in the top left corner discussing with the other stooges.

During the recess I was fascinated watching Swallwell, Himes and Sean Patrick Maloney chatting together. You could see the warmth and camaraderie flowing between them...it was just flowing and flowing...

R393: That fourth stooge is just an upright, walking puddle, isn't he?

I'm sorry, is there a question there? She just made him look like the fool he is.

Which Republican did they remove from this committee so that Gym Jordan could be on it and make a complete fool of himself, anyone know? I had heard they were removing Hurd, but apparently not.

Gym Jordan just totally wasted his time and let off a lot of hot air.

Y (looking confused): Sorry, was there a question?

Haha.

Jordan shielded a serial molester and rapist.

LOL, R396. So true.

HOT DADDY: Sean Patrick Maloney

My goodness.

Almost done, then they going to the basement.

Can they please chain Nunes up and lock him in the basement.

Well, in conclusion, Republican defenses were inept. The moment for history is Trump demonstrating obstruction of justice in real time, on live TV. Yovanovitch would be a good Sec of State - she was infinitely smarter than of Repubs (or Dems, for that matter) questioning her.

They are going from here to hear David Holmes talk about Sondland's call with Trump?

Is Sondland going to fully flip now or what?

He is the main dish in a shit dinner right now.

Great job by Schiff!!!!!

I hope Sondland gets put away. He's as corrupt as the rest of them. It should be a warning to idiots with more money than sense who want to buy their way into politics.

Repug: Mr. Chairman! Mr. Chairman! Mr. Chair...(mic cut the fuck off!)

Did anyone catch who was so distraught over his colleagues being disparaged?

Schiff: Trump "praises the corrupt and attacks the just"

Yovanovich just got standing ovations when she left and Stefanik was visibly displeased. Haha.

"Mr Chairman! Mr Chairman!! Mr Chairman!!!"

FFS, these Repugs are so pathetic it's hilarious.

VERY GOOD DAY FOR THE DEMOCRATS AND OUR NATION!

Rep Jim Himes is 53 years old, damn I figured he was in his thirties. Looks great.

If the Dems get into the WH I'm sure she'll be offered a job.

Schiff did a very good job. He would make a good Speaker once Nancy kicks the bucket.

Yovanovitch for Secretary of State.

Stefanik should be raped and forced to carry a baby to term as her party believes in.

When, r416.....

Why is this Stefanik woman getting so much screen time? I've never heard of her until today.

Republicans could subpoena Hunter Biden to testify in the Senate which they control if they really believe he should be heard, they aren't because they know it would be the biggest nothing burger of all time.

[quote] "Mr Chairman! Mr Chairman!! Mr Chairman!!!"

Elections have consequences. 🤷‍♂️😂

Suck on it, Repukes.

R419..... I hate the internet.

Stefanik is a cunt. It was just nothing more than a cheap stunt they could use for their social media sound bites. They know the fucking rules.

You mean that they don't want Hunter talking because it could kill the goose that lays the golden defense egg?

[quote] Why is this Stefanik woman getting so much screen time? I've never heard of her until today.

because Republicans know they have a woman problem, so it is better to have a woman criticize the testimony of a woman.

R421 She’s the only woman the GOP had in the committee and they don’t want to be seen as complete he-man woman haters as they bash a female public servant.

I wonder if Chief Justice Roberts would allow the Rethugs to call Hunter Biden during the Senate trial, R R422. He doesn’t really have any relevant testimony to offer. Their argument is that his company engaged in corruption, but Roberts isn’t going to let them conduct a corruption probe of a Ukrainian company in the impeachment trial, especially since no one has been able to allege what corruption precisely either Biden engaged in.

Sean Patrick Maloney's questioning made me cry. He asked her about the day she got fired. The award she was presenting to the family of the dead activist. Wow.

I'm watching Republicans reps in a gaggle on CNN. These people are fervent in defending Trump. It's scary. Stefanik, once again, lying about being muzzled and Shiff abusing his power. Did she forget all the reps were informed of the rules of the hearing? Or just to dumb to understand them?

[quote]Stefanik, once again, lying about being muzzled and Shiff abusing his power. Did she forget all the reps were informed of the rules of the hearing? Or just to dumb to understand them?

Does this dumb bitch realize that the Republicans wrote all these rules back when they impeached Bill Clinton?

R410 I think his name is Conaway

These Republicans treated the Democrats exactly the same way when they were in the majority, how soon they forget.

Stefanik is the only repub woman on the committee and she's also willing to engage in stunts and political theater

again WE KNOW that Schiff is following the rules and didn't allow them to go rogue. Most people watching will not know all the facts so it could give the appearance that Schiff is "hiding something" and "unfairly silencing repubs, especially a woman."

so this is more propaganda and no doubt it will be a focal point on Fox all weekend long. They paint Schiff as a corrupt inept evil doer and they do it to discredit the impeachment process. It's base fodder but it works

Question is how will independents and moderates view this. I hope they see through the bullshit but who knows

Just a side note- Swalwell and Pence are both from the same city

Sorry, should have said Swalwell and his wife have a home in the same city that Pence is from.

Swalwell's wife is from Columbus Indiana.

Eh, Stefanik is nothing more than a woman defense attorney hired so her OBVIOUSLY guilty male rapist client can look better by having the woman lawyer go after the woman victim.

Pffft.

Sean Patrick Maloney is an excellent example of what a politician should be.

"Stefanik is the only repub woman on the committee and she's also willing to engage in stunts and political theater."

In certain circles she would be known as a camp-follower, R435.

A Republican WHORE R441 ?

In other words, R441, A WHORE

[quote}Can they please chain Nunes up and lock him in the basement.

If only I were in Congress.

She's got that Dietrich allure, r441!

R440, and what is that, other than compassionate, dreamy, and hot? Lord knows I wouldn't mind a three-way with him and Himes. I don't know which one I would get enough of.

I'm glad there was such an applause at the end of the hearing. Schiff needed to shut that shit down.

As glad as I am to see things going well for the Dems in these hearings, I can't help but feel that some of this is going to have a negative impact on Biden and his campaign, like mud splashed onto him from the gutter. Every time someone refers to the "$50,000 a month" Hunter was pulling down, it makes me cringe.

Biden's two sons are really a Cain and Abel type of thing; the "good son", military hero and political heir apparent tragically dies of brain cancer, while "bad son" Hunter has a drug and alcohol history, fucks his brother's widow, marries some woman he knocked up in haste, and had that sketchy but very (!) lucrative deal with Burisma. I'm not sure voters are going to want any part of this, and I'm also not sure Biden has the chops to strongly and successfully defend himself, other than to try to divert attention or change the subject. It's worrisome, to be sure -

Well, don't you worry yourself, Aunt Pitty-Pat!

R447, well...Hunter is the more handsome brother too, haha. I would fuck him if I had the chance to. But I understand your point completely. Honestly, when I heard Biden was going to run for president, it made me sick to my stomach because I didn't understand fully why even with the campaign video. "The soul of this country", really? What about YOUR soul, Joe Biden?

The fink in pink stinks.

The fink in pink stinks.

I think it's hilarious that McConnell thinks he can sway the Democratic primary by allowing the Senate impeachment hearings to go on for two months. Hilarious! As if Trump or the GOP could withstand that kind of scrutiny! What do they think - they're going to sit around all day and twiddle their thumbs in chamber while the whole of America watches on? The trial is based on the Articles of Impeachment passed in the House. They can't just sit there and call irrelevant witnesses willy nilly.

What an empty threat. It'll last less than a week.

Contrasts may have to be emphasized between Joe/Beau Biden and this president, and parallels drawn between Hunter Biden and Junior Mint. In either case the Bidens emerge victorious.

Right R452. After just a day and a half, Castor is so played out they want to unleash "Pink Stink" to give the proceedings PIZZAZZZZ!

Mark R. Levin @marklevinshow: Well, today’s circus ended with Schiff trashing the GOP members and standing applause from the clapping seals in the audience.

Jon Favreau @jonfavs: Schiff lays out the story quite well here, and the applause for Yovanovitch is great.

Grant Stern @grantstern: Huge round of applause ringing out for Amb. #YovanovitchIsAPatriot at end of the #ImpeachmentHearing after Chairman Schiff's powerful closing statement. We heard the truth today. Trump's witness intimidation today won't go unpunished. Truth must prevail. #TheResistance

Jeremy Herb @jeremyherb: The hearing ends with Schiff's speech getting a rousing applause from the crowd in attendance at the hearing, while he ignored a request from Rep. Conaway to be recognized for a motion, something Conaway was able to do yesterday

Sasha Stone @AwardsDaily: Yeah - she's a hero. So is Schiff. I love how he just ignores those idiots on the right as we hear applause rise in the hall. NICE.

T.J. Holmes @tjholmes: Gallery erupts with applause at the end of the hearing. Unclear if it was for Schiff's closing statement or if it was to applaud Yovanovitch as she left the room. #ImpeachmentHearings

I wouldn't compare Hunter Biden to Junior Mint...one's clearly more handsome than the other...and believe me, it ain't the one who has their father in office currently.

I'm glad Marie Yovanovitch got applause. That's what you call a civilian trooper, in my opinion. Kinda wish that HRC had gotten applause like that during Benghazi, but I also equally know why she didn't.

Can he intimidate a witness, if she wasn’t Intended to hear of it until after her testimony?

It will have an effect on intimidating other witnesses. Is this a component of the crime of witness tampering?

Just thinking about it all.

Witness intimidation is witness intimidation - just like attempted murder is still a form of murder, even if you didn't know someone took out a hit on your life.

Discarded Bush-era human dildo Ari Fleischer raged that Schiff calling this "witness intimidation" was an . . . outrage.

[quote] Can he intimidate a witness, if she wasn’t Intended to hear of it until after her testimony?

Except, that’s not what happened. The tweet went out during her testimony and she learned about it almost immediately thereafter. It is irrelevant that Cheatolini didn’t expect she would see it until after the testimony was completed.

It will be included in an article of impeachment.

R460, I don't know that it will be included as an article of impeachment, but what he did won't go unchecked somehow.

"Contrasts may have to be emphasized between Joe/Beau Biden and this president, and parallels drawn between Hunter Biden and Junior Mint. In either case the Bidens emerge victorious."

Sorry, R456, but this was in response to R447 referencing values, character and integrity (or lack of). We have items in our arsenal more relevant and longer lasting than "hotness."

She’s a real hero. My god, this woman single handedly turned the tide and stood firm. Same with Schiff and Swallwell. Schiff looked angry all the way through the proceeedings and that’s a good thing. He’s sick of this shit and dropping the gloves. He threatened her in real time and the nation witnessed it. He’s toast.

R462, no need to apologize at all. However, "we" would have to imply that you're a part of either family, so could you tell me which one you are? I wanna make sure I pick the hot family. Clearly, I got the reference to values - I just chose to pick something superficial over the values because clearly Biden's children have values, character, and integrity and Drumpf's children have absolutely nothing but Daddy's money.

Ratings for first impeachment hearing show healthy interest and a serious partisan divide

New York (CNN Business)On the first day of the televised impeachment hearings against President Trump, the two most popular TV news channels were the two mostly closely associated with political parties.

Fox News, the favorite among Trump and other Republicans, had the single biggest audience during the daytime hearings. It averaged 2.9 million viewers at any given time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Nielsen (NLSN) TV ratings.

MSNBC, the favorite among Democrats, was closely behind. MSNBC averaged 2.7 million viewers during the hearings.

On a typical day, Fox News has about 1.5 million viewers during the daytime hours, and MSNBC has closer to 1 million, so viewing levels were certainly elevated due to the impeachment hearings.

The ratings contradict claims from some of the president's allies, including one of his sons, Eric Trump, who said on Fox News that "no one was watching it. No one cares."

Clearly lots of people cared enough to tune in. They also wanted to see the spin later in the day — Fox's Sean Hannity had one of his highest-rated shows of the year, with 4.4 million total viewers.

It's impossible to estimate how many people watched or heard the hearings across all platforms, since television, radio and streaming video are all measured in different ways.

Some people consumed the hearing in one sitting, but the more common experience is much more scattered — hearing snippets on the air and seeing clips on social media and headlines on phones.

The ABC, CBS (CBS) and NBC broadcast networks pre-empted regular programming for Wednesday's hearings as well. ABC and CBS averaged 2 million viewers each, and NBC had nearly 1.67 million. But a much greater total number of people saw some portion of the hearings over the course of six hours. The granular Nielsen data shows fluctuations throughout the proceedings.

CNN, for example, averaged 1.85 million viewers during the entire hearing, peaking at 11 a.m. when more than 2.1 million were tuned in.

The cumulative average audience for the big six channels listed above was 13 million — about on par with the day former special counsel Robert Mueller testified in July.

Wednesday's hearing was also carried live on PBS; by some local Fox stations; by C-SPAN; and by other television networks.

And the hearing was streamed almost everywhere, on a wide variety of social networks and news websites.

CNN Digital reported strong but not off-the-charts interest in live streams of the testimony. There's no Nielsen-like way to measure cumulative viewership on the web.

But the overnight ratings indicate that the impeachment hearing reached both political junkies and a wider group of daytime TV viewers.

The vast majority of Americans, however, didn't watch the entire event live — they soaked it up through social media and heard about it later.

Dan Rather @DanRather: There are some moments that are destined to play in future documentaries. Marie Yovanovitch walking out of the hearing room to applause seems to be one of them.

Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff: Ambassador Yovanovitch's removal from Ukraine is the beginning of the story, A story about the President’s efforts to coerce, condition, or bribe Ukraine for political investigations. If you have any doubt that these are the facts, do what Trump says: Read the transcript.

Nicholas Burns @RNicholasBurns: I’ve never seen this happen at a Congressional hearing. Masha Yovanovitch deserved this tribute and applause.

"Shifty" is so damn good as MC, I fear it all will fall to pieces when bumbling jowly Jerrold takes over.

R457, she was going to be there testifying for hours after the tweet; there would be breaks; she was going to hear of the tweet during the day before her testimony finished. In any event, this isn't her last day testifying. She is almost certainly going to be a part o the impeachment trial in the Senate. This was witness intimidation.

R468, how are you so sure that witness intimidation will even be an article of impeachment? It couldn't be and then what relevance will the tweet be? I'm just playing Devil's advocate for R457 here.

Trumps tweet was about intimidating future witnesses as well.

R457, yes, it could impact the testimony of other witnesses. But don't forget that she may be called on to testify again should there be a trial in the Senate.

I didn't say that witness intimidation will be an article of impeachment, R469. My point was that R457's factual argument (that she wasn't intended to see the tweet until after her testimony was finished, so it couldn't be intimidation) was wrong. The tweet's actual significance may be that it pulled the fangs from the Republicans' cross-examination of her. They couldn't very well misbehave after the President himself had been heavily criticized for attacking her.

Jerry Nadler is not likely to going to have as large a role as previous Judiciary chairs have had. Schiff will make a presentation to the Judiciary Committee. The vast majority of the work will already be done. They will probably hammer out most of the details regarding the specifics that will be included in the articles of impeachment before the Judiciary Committee considers and votes on them.

In the Senate, I would bet that Schiff will be the principal impeachment manager.

What I don't really understand is why we hear from all these witnesses now in the inquiry and then again at the actual impeachment. Isn't this kind of redundant? I was too young to care about the Clinton impeachment, but why is this inquiry taking so long? I think I'm maybe just afraid that people will stop caring, if they hear testimony from the same people over and over again. While the actual impeachment really counts. Why not write these articles of impeachment already and start the impeachment? The house has a strong case and the necessary votes now.

The process is the process, r474...

R473, Schiff SHOULD BE the principal impeachment manager because he successfully impeached a federal judge back in 2017.

I’m the one who said that witness intimidation will be included in an article of impeachment, R469, (not, however, that it would be an article on its own), and I stand by my statement. I think it will be included as part of a larger obstruction of justice article (but not as a sole count itself). This is part of the effort to impede the House inquiry into tRump’s crimes and misdeeds and should be held against him.

I had a few good laughs watching today when Schiff told GOP members their time was up. They tried to keep blabbering but got nowhere.

[quote] What I don't really understand is why we hear from all these witnesses now in the inquiry and then again at the actual impeachment. Isn't this kind of redundant?

It’s at least in part because the Repukes had most of their work done for them by Ken Starr with regard to Clinton in 1998. Here, however, no independent counsel or prosecutor has looked at and gathered this evidence yet. So Schiff has had to conduct depositions and take testimony in what is most akin to the grand jury phase of a criminal proceeding. In criminal cases the grand jury proceedings are secret; here, the secrecy phase (in the basement of the Capitol) is mostly over and this is the public aspect, which is part of the impeachment process.

Yes, it’s somewhat redundant, but, on the other hand, repeatedly reminding people of tRumps malfeasance is just an added benefit.

[quote] Biden's two sons are really a Cain and Abel type of thing; the "good son", military hero and political heir apparent tragically dies of brain cancer,

R447 Meanwhile Trump wishes he had one good son.

Schiff was masterful & completely on his game today, we also were so fortunate to have a whip smart, steady, believable patriot testify today. Yovanovich is a fucking hero for how she handled today’s hearing. #BlowjobsForSchiff

With the Judiciary committee being the one to handle the actual impeachment hearings having Republicans Gaetz, Jordan, Gohmert, and RATcliffe doing some of the questioning it is going to be like a zoo with screeching animals.

Members of the Judiciary, the Democrats Jerry Nadler, New York, Chairman Zoe Lofgren, California Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Steve Cohen, Tennessee Hank Johnson, Georgia Ted Deutch, Florida Karen Bass, California Cedric Richmond, Louisiana Hakeem Jeffries, New York David Cicilline, Rhode Island Eric Swalwell, California Ted Lieu, California Jamie Raskin, Maryland Pramila Jayapal, Washington Val Demings, Florida Lou Correa, California Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania, Vice Chair Sylvia Garcia, Texas Joe Neguse, Colorado Lucy McBath, Georgia Greg Stanton, Arizona Madeleine Dean, Pennsylvania Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Florida Veronica Escobar, Texas

The Republicans -- Doug Collins, Georgia, Ranking Member Jim Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin Steve Chabot, Ohio Louie Gohmert, Texas Jim Jordan, Ohio Ken Buck, Colorado John Ratcliffe, Texas Martha Roby, Alabama Matt Gaetz, Florida Mike Johnson, Louisiana Andy Biggs, Arizona Tom McClintock, California Debbie Lesko, Arizona Guy Reschenthaler, Pennsylvania Ben Cline, Virginia Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota Greg Steube, Florida

Nicholas Burns, Harvard Kennedy School Professor, former American Diplomat:

I’ve never seen this happen at a Congressional hearing. Masha Yovanovitch deserved this tribute and applause.

Bianna Golodryga, CNN Senior Global Affairs analyst:

According to archived content of State Dept. website, “Yovanovitch has been granted the Senior Foreign Service Performance Award six times and the State Department’s Superior Honor Award on five occasions.”

From r483:

Ponder this....

Somalia was Ambassador Y's first foreign service assignment--she would have been processing visas, but according to Trumptard, the country was worse for wear because of her.

The Rethugs may actually start to regret that they've culled almost anyone from their party who has principles and a functioning brain in order to appeal to their deplorable base

Welp. It's no longer here-say. Sondland on the phone with Trump speaking loud enough for witnesses to hear him state his shake down intentions. I didn't see that coming but trump really is stupid. Really, really stupid. #RIPGOP. You rolled the Orange Dice and lost.

Ken Starr: Trump's tweet during Yovanovitch testimony was 'extraordinarily poor judgment'

by Zachary Halaschak | November 15, 2019

Former independent counsel Ken Starr said that President Trump’s tweets attacking former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch while she testified was a bad decision.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff characterized the tweets, which blasted Yovanovitch’s service to the country, as “witness intimidation.” The California Democrat read the tweets to Yovanovitch in real-time during Thursday’s impeachment hearing.

Appearing on Fox News after a break in the hearing, Starr said it was clear that Trump was not heeding the advice of counsel.

“Well, I must say that the president was not advised by counsel in deciding to do this tweet — extraordinarily poor judgment,” Starr said. “The president frequently says, ‘I follow my instincts.’ Sometimes we have to control our instincts."

“So, obviously, this was I think quite injurious,” he added.

Starr said he doesn’t agree with Schiff that it rises to the level of witness intimidation but noted that he thinks that is the way that the tweets will be characterized.

He also said the break right after news of the tweet was “very timely” because he said Yovanovitch did “extremely well, and then the president exacerbated the situation by his unwise intervention.”

Trump’s Thursday tweets ripped into Yovanovitch’s career.

“Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors,” Trump said.

“They call it ‘serving at the pleasure of the President.’ The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O,” he added.

During the hearing, Democrats read a transcript of the July 25 call transcript where Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Yovanovitch wasn’t a good ambassador and that she “was going to go through some things.”

The former ambassador testified that after reading the transcript of the call in September, she felt threatened.

“It didn’t sound good — it sounded like a threat,” she told the committee.

[quote]The official, David Holmes, testified privately that he was at a restaurant in Ukraine’s capital when he heard Mr. Trump during a cellphone call loudly asking Gordon D. Sondland, the American ambassador to the European Union, if Ukraine’s president had agreed to conduct investigations into his political rivals. Mr. Sondland, who was in Kiev for meetings with top Ukrainian officials at the time, replied in the affirmative.

Yovanovich testimony was not germane. Pure political theatre.

R491 doesn't understand how cases are built. She is a step to the prosecution's conclusion. Poor thing.

[quote]Why is this Stefanik woman getting so much screen time? I've never heard of her until today.

She is the only woman Republican and was designated to attack her. The men couldn't touch her. So the woman who looks like a twelve year old pouting her Mother took her phone away every time she's cut off gets to do it.

[QUOTE] Poor thing.

Someone broke deep state bureaucrat protocol, noses were out of joint, and she turned on the waterworks in court. Poor thing indeed.

Did she say if she likes beer?

There's no support here in purple country for impeachment.

She just wanted to create a stunt for Fox to feed to their deplorable watchers who are too dumb to understand how parliamentary procedure works

R496 Trump is a bully and a grifter. His supporters know this, and approve. The majority of the country do not approve. He will be impeached by the House. The Senate will not convict. But he lost the 2020 election today with his misguided tweet - just more evidence of the narrative of his special meanness and aggression to women who seem reasonable, professional. Women in suburbs, whether red, blue, purple or green, will pull the plug in this American experiment in autocracy.

She's in over her head, which must be largely empty, to be a stooge for those guys.

Seth Abramson @SethAbramson

BREAKING NEWS: Rudy Giuliani Represented to the Ukrainian Government That He Was An Adviser to Vice President Mike Pence As Well As President Trump, Bringing the Vice President Even More Squarely Into the Ukraine Scandal

Look at Nunes' stupid face at R493.

R482, don't you know? I'd rather listen to and watch Rebbie Jackson's video for "Centipede" over and over than to watch those animals...

R500, NO! Link, PLEASE. I knew it! I so called it, haha!

*THERE IT IS*.

"Sondland agreed that the President did not 'give a shit about Ukraine'...Sondland stated the President only cares about 'big stuff'...[and added] that he meant 'big stuff' that benefits the President, like the 'Biden investigation' that Mr. Giuliani was pushing."

[QUOTE] But he lost the 2020 election today with his misguided tweet

I don't want you to get your hopes up and be disappointed.

Seth Abramson:

I wonder how many folks have processed that Gordon Sondland can singlehandedly bring down a president next week

There's a version of next week, and not an obscure one, that ends with Senate Republicans—minus Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul—realizing they can't save this presidency

[quote]There's a version of next week, and not an obscure one, that ends with Senate Republicans—[bold]minus Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul—realizing they can't save this presidency

LOL

So I think we are getting closer to a healthier American Public Sphere - Trump trolls on this thread heed. Trump cares more about himself than anything else. He is a bully, and he care little for the rule of law, when it conflict with what he wants to do. He thinks he has the right to do whatever he wants and cares little for the damage to institutions, norms, and traditions. Trump supporters like this, in fact elected him for these qualities. The majority of the country thinks these qualities are, at the least, very troubling. Trump supporters are angry he should be impeached for the things that exactly they like. Democrats, Independents, socialists, libertarians, and never-Trumpers are appalled that he could get away with this behavior. He'll be impeached, he won't be convicted. It's far from certain he'll be re-elected. Simple, eh? Not a single gaslight, tribal-speak needed.

Holmes testifies he overheard Trump ask Sondland about investigations

[quote]Holmes “has some specific quotes," a Democratic lawmaker said, that left "no doubt what the president of the United States was saying.”

^ That guy has the biggest Adam's apple I’ve ever seen.

R510, just means he clearly has VPL.

tRump will be impeached. He [bold] should [/bold] be removed from office. Unfortunately, it s not likely, barring some testimony over the next few weeks so damning that even those spineless Repukes Senators. — not you, Miss Lindz — will somehow find the guts to do the right thing and get rid of this felonious traitor.

I can't imagine that "she's going to go through some things," is going to play well with women of any political persuasion, except for the deplorables who get turned on by abusive, threatening men

Himes is on with Rachel. Damn. He looks like a very attractive Clark Kent with his glasses on.

R514, I want Himes and Maloney in both ends of me.

So. IMO, the hotties are Jim Himes, Chris Murphy, Sean Patrick Maloney, who else? Some people find Castro good looking.Not me.But still.

You forgot Eric Swalwell, R516.

Trump should be impeached just for be ugly and fat!

Thank you, R460

Good points, R468, thanks.

[quote] R474: What I don't really understand is why we hear from all these witnesses now in the inquiry and then again at the actual impeachment. Isn't this kind of redundant?

The House process discovered that guy who overheard the phone call from our Euro Ambassador to Trump, and who testified today.

The Watergate hearings uncovered the WH tapes.

You never know what they’ll discover through this process.

The may include “witness tampering” as a charge, to give Republicans a charge to vote against.

[quote]I can't help but feel that some of this is going to have a negative impact on Biden and his campaign, like mud splashed onto him from the gutter.

Good. Because Biden is a bad candidate, would make a bad President, and shouldn’t be the nominee.

[quote]Someone broke deep state bureaucrat protocol, noses were out of joint, and she turned on the waterworks in court.

Obviously someone didn't bother even watching. There were no tears in court. You're less continue, just like the Orange Idiot's and the GOP.

[quote]Someone broke deep state bureaucrat protocol, noses were out of joint, and she turned on the waterworks in court.

Obviously someone didn't bother even watching. There were no tears in court. You're less continue, just like the Orange Idiot's and the GOP.

StAbLe GenIUs

Emotions

Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC

Democrats are always moving the goalposts.

WHAT HAPPENED TO RUSSIA COLLISION?

▶️ There was none.

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE?

▶️ There was none.

QUID PRO QUO?

▶️ There was none.

NOW BRIBERY?

▶️ Let it go!

Focus on the country’s real problems, not this impeachment sham.

David Holmes looks especially buttery. Who's had him?

WOW

Between Roger Stone’s conviction yesterday and upcoming testimony, all four articles of impeachment Ms. Lindsey laid out in R528 will be proven.

What is particularly delightful is the reaction to that the tweets from Mz. Lindz Almost every comment drags her traitorous fat ass through the mud and points up what a despicable hypocrite she is.

MARK LEVIN ON FOX IS A ANGRY SOCIOPATH! NEVER HEARD OF HIM BEFORE, until i switched to fox recently and heard him go full psychotic for 5 minutes!

ari fleisher: that loser! the p.o.s. who said with the trump tax break, average americans will be getting so much money they can put down money to buy a house or a new car! you know never mind, ANY average american who DID get a tax break (no one i personally know did!) the average amount would equal about a extra 25 dollars a month! INSANE LIAR OR MASSIVELY STUPID?!

ken starr: that big ole perv! thinking that the american public JUST HAD TO KNOW the intimate intimate dirty details of lewinsky and clinton's affair! because????????

Wouldn't you give anything to see Rudy under oath in front of Schiff and his committee?

What about Linda Hunt? She has gravitas from her TV years and her stint on NCIS means some Republicans would vote for her. (NCIS viewers lean right).

NBC:

The devastating day Trump's presidency came into sharp focus — in Congress, the White House and in court

R474 and others please remember that the Impeachment process is like a grand jury. The House committee on Intel is the lead right now. They are investigating, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses. When they finish, they will vote to hand over their findings with a recommendation to the House Judiciary committee because it is Judiciary's task to draw up the articles of Impeachment. That's a fancy name for the charges they will bring. Once they vote to charge the President, they will refer the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for a trial. Then the same witnesses will have to testify at a trial in the Senate .

Nancy was right again. "Trump is self impeaching"

A BIG FUCK YOU to you R127, for being a mis-informed, low-informed, trolly, deplorable douche.

Yes, Linda Hunt (D) for president. Has a nice ring to it.

[quote]Trump cares more about himself than anything else.

Rick Santorum said this very same thing on CNN last night, in the course of "defending" Trump.

I think this impeachment episode will be forgotten by the time it comes to vote.

"to vote" on what, r541.

No, it won't be. Speaker Pelosi knows that Trump, most likely, won't be convicted. And don't perceive from that that she doesn't believe that this impeachment inquiry isn't meritorious. It is.

It's also, however, creating a record for voters to chew on before the November 2020.

Deplorables are a lost cause. They're the "Walking Dead" of voters; animated, but stupid.

The intended audience for the impeachment inquiry are those voters who have the sentiency to regret their votes for Trump in 2016, voters who sat out 2016, and suburban and exurban middle-of-the-road voters who, when contemplating another crazy 4 years of Trump, will vote Democratic.

I agree with Della. They are doing this to damage all the Republicans. The lot of them. So the Democrats can go into the election basically asking the country: aren't you tired of him and the people who enable him? It's a simple question, a stark choice, and will probably move enough of the middle to get them. I don't predict a landslide, but it wouldn't surprise me. I don't think they want to destroy Trump... I think they want to punch a hole in the lot of them, beneath the water line.

One thing to add: this isn't a tactic. It is obvious the Ukraine business should lead to impeachment and removal. It just won't. But it is just.

The impeachment is going to be death by a thousand cuts. Once his financials are exposed and redacted Mueller findings come to light, Trump will have to resign. Ivanka may get caught up in the financial stuff and he may resign to save her.

Let's hope so, r545.

And I do not hesitate to believe that, if and before Trump does resign, he'll issue en masse pardons, including to himself, Ivanka, etc.

Months ago, Trump asked about whether the pardon powers include a POTUS granting themselves a pardon.

Fun fact: The cunty bitch Elisa Stefanik, who caused a scene at the hearing, got some backlash at the homefront. Her opponent only had 5k followers on Friday and hardly anyone knew her name, but she gained 120k followers and raised 250k in the last 24h. If you want to contribute and send Stefanik a little FU message, her name is @TedraCobb.

I’m not so sure Republicans in the Senate won’t get caught up in this net - their misdeeds coming to light.

Nancy nay know that the impeachment of Trump will not actually come to conviction by the Senate. However, the fact that throughout yesterday’s impeachment hearing - the focus of which was Ambassador Y and Ukraine - the word Russia was mentioned several times, possibly broadening the scope of the hearings beyond the phone call and players that started this ball rolling.

If enough Russian entanglements are exposed along with the Republican Senators involved, America will discover evidence that the Senate is comprised of traitors that must go right along with Trump, increasing the likelihood that McConnell will make to Trump the ultimatum that if he doesn’t resign his kids will go to jail.

McConnell et al can hope they hold onto their seats in 2020, but by then Pelosi’s Impeachment will have made that notion an impossibility.

[quote]They are doing this to damage all the Republicans. The lot of them.

Exactly. Take that Elsie Stefanik cunt for example. Do you think she's going to be electable after her little stunt yesterday where she got down on her knees and licked Trump's asshole??

IMO If the Senate fucks this up, and there is every indication they will in order to protect that Shitgibbon, this will be their death knell in 2020. They will lose the Senate. So for Trump it will be a hollow victory. Because even if he got re-elected he would face both houses under Democratic control. And do not doubt for a minute that they will go after him again. He can get impeached more than once, and he would be convicted if they did that. No that's my worse case scenario.But I'm convinced he will not get re-elected if he survives this. I'm betting Nikki Haley was auditioning to be Pence's VP.

You know, r548, at first read of your post, I detected too much of a Tom Clancy air to it.

But then, I realize that reality right now IS, hell, exceeds, the plot of a Tom Clancy novel.

Vlad "The Impunker" Putin ( my clumsy amalgam of Vlad the Impaler crossed with the "Punk'd the hoax show) is one diabolical devil for the ages. And the genius of his machinations is that he turned Americans ignorance into his weapon to be used against ourselves.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

The Repugs have Nikki Haley prepped and ready to run if Trump goes off the rails and the Senate is forced to convict... or if McConnell just has enough and tells him he must resign.

People are watching and it's devastating for Trump and Republicans.

A new Ipsos/Reuters poll came out yesterday finding that 68% of people have watched some of the impeachment hearings. And most of those people became more in favor of impeachment.

Thanks, r543.

You put it better than I did about voters becoming sick of the shit-show and not wanting another 4 years of it.

[quote]I can't help but feel that some of this is going to have a negative impact on Biden and his campaign, like mud splashed onto him from the gutter.

I wondered about that, too, at first. Now, though, the evidence is pretty clear that no, it's not having any impact at all. Biden's numbers have remained strong, despite weeks of this.

I am more inclined to believe Haley is being floated as a Trump alternative than a Pence replacement. She is ambitious and youngish and has a kind of soulless cunning. She wouldn't want to be stuck to Trump but to succeed him after the fact. She knows the base is just a base... it takes more than that to get elected. She is vile but cunning.

In fact I bet more people are sympathetic to Biden. The guy's life has not been rainbows and unicorns. He has remained a decent fellow through it all.

[quote]Do you think she's going to be electable after her little stunt yesterday where she got down on her knees and licked Trump's asshole??

She's in a district that she won by 14 points in 2018, in a blue wave year. Yes, she'll be electable. Her supporters want her to do just what she did.

I think this is probably good for Biden too. The accusations seem more and more fantastical every day. For the moderate, middle independent - who wants to be associated with these Republicans? It's like shit on your shoe.

R494 The whole Right Wing Talking Points machine, usually so effective, has been thrown off its game. Who cried? Not Yovanovitch.

[quote] She is ambitious and youngish and has a kind of soulless cunning.

Wow, r557, perfectly characterized. And that ain't sexism. Those same things apply to dozens of men currently in power. Your words are giving her her righteous due.

Hell, Haley is tougher, smarter, wilier, and more treacherous than Trump ever could dream of being. I agree with you- VP? Not. She wants to be the President.

Let's say Trump dumps Pence for Haley. Well then he best employ the attitude of "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" when it comes to her cuz he may find a Mar-A-Lago cutlery buried in his back with her fingerprints on it.

Malcolm Nance is making a lot of sense this morning on Joy Reid's show. He was explaining the Alt Right and the Evangelicals getting closer to Putin's Russia. I had no idea extremists like David Duke had houses in Russia! They are extreme Christians, Anti Immigration, Anti muslim and that is what they have in common. So to them Russia and Putin are not their enemy.

Haley was raised a Sikh, and although rummages around in the Methodist church now, is ok with her parents continuing in the Sikh faith, not worried that they haven't been born again and washed in the blood of the Lamb - i.e. she doesn't have the strong link to the Nativist Evangelical Right Wing, critical to Trump's re-election. Turn out of white Evangelicals v black voters in PA, MI and WI may be the determining factor of the 2020 election. That calculation is what makes Pence critical to Trump. They'll determine whether the loss of women in the suburbs could be mitigated by Haley (not that likely) vs the reduction in Evangelical rabidity for Trump - is worth the switch. They'll determine Pence is still more useful.

I noticed Stepanik constantly on her phone and checking social media during the impeachment. Probably writing about poorly Schiff treated her.

Just donated to Tedra Cobb.

Funny, the Republican Boys brought in a woman prosecutor to grill Christine Ford, but they decided to incinerate the career of Stepanik instead.

With a degree in Government from Harvard, she knew the rules, but decided it was a good thing to come off as a partisan cunt.

Adam Schiff RULES!

Trump was Far behind in the polls even before the hearings. This will ensure his animated corpse will not rise from the political grave.

[quote] . So to them Russia and Putin are not their enemy.

The USSR was atheist. “Godless communists” was a big part of anti-soviet propaganda during the Cold War. It really resonated in the south & Midwest that the communists would take their bibles away & shut down their churches. Putin has made a point of being seen in Russian orthodox churches at services. Russia is now Christian, not atheist. The dipshits in the Bible Belt now see Russia as a white, Christian nation that will help them defeat American atheists, Jews, Muslims, homosexuals, etc,

The War on Christmas is straight up rightwing propaganda from postwar America. Godless commies trying to take away our religious freedom!

R568 Exactly. Putin has "returned" Russia to Orthodoxy - which is married to oligarchs and autocracy. Russia's dismantling of the USSR enabled something that is also unrecognized - getting rid of regions where "non-white" "non-Christian" populations were growing so fast that they would ward the very "white Christian" identity of Mother Russia. Current immigration policy in Russia essentially implement ethnic cleansing. Russia poses as the White Theocracy that American Evangelical yearn for.

I would think that Haley's name is being floated primarily for two reasons with the first reason being the most important;

1) I believe that the Trump and Republicans are genuinely believing some poll(s) and know that the Trump name is filth among white women, period. Those women are done with him unless....? The Trump team is trying to do a Sarah Palin again.

2) She's Indian (darker skinned) and was responsible for getting rid of the Confederate flag and statues in her State. In a sense she started the wave of having the Confederate statues taken down. Therefore, she'll appeal to Blacks and other minorities--especially Black evangelical men. Trump REALLY needs the Black pulpit for appearances sake even though he will not get the Black vote.

r569, Russia's Orthodox Patriarch, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, is a fucking OLIGARCH! He is worth BILLIONS. He is probably worth more than Trump!

He is an old KGB work mate of Putin's and got busted for wearing a thirty thousand dollar watch.

The ROC is an arm or the Russian Military Intelligence.

[quote] I had no idea extremists like David Duke had houses in Russia! They are extreme Christians, Anti Immigration, Anti muslim and that is what they have in common. So to them Russia and Putin are not their enemy.

Mmph... I had no idea about that either but I'm not surprised. A lot of Trump is all about white supremacy. Democrats (and more specifically minority civil rights organizations of any persuasion) should be exploiting the hell out of this. They got the Richard Spencer leaked audio; the Stephen Miller emails; and now this little tidbit? Trump did not have much of the Black vote to begin with. Let's make sure he gets none of it! Or, and of the Latino vote! This opportunity shouldn't be missed. How serious is this? Well....

Geraldo Rivera @GeraldoRivera Nov 13

Person doing most damage to legacy of @realDonaldTrump is neither @RepAdamSchiff nor @SpeakerPelosi. It's #StephenMiller-an odious, heartless little man who's stripping our immigration policy of compassionate American values. Now's time for @POTUS to show his true heart.

[quote]legacy of @realDonaldTrump

Really, Geraldo? We all know what the "legacy" of the dump presidency will be, and it ain’t good.

[quote]I noticed Stepanik constantly on her phone and checking social media during the impeachment. Probably writing about poorly Schiff treated her.

There was/is indeed an orchestrated campaign to push her. The GOP has to appeal to women. Is Stefanik the only woman in the Republican House?

So much for that asshole Stefanik's claim that she "wasn’t allowed to speak." She had more time than any other Repug except Moones.

R575 And yet she is on Twitter insisting that she was silenced and not allowed to ask any questions! How do you combat outright shameless lies? People who follow her on Twitter are not going to check the facts.

[quote][R575] And yet she is on Twitter insisting that she was silenced and not allowed to ask any questions! How do you combat outright shameless lies?

The unwashed see and understand what they want to see and understand. That's why I posted, (and it was blasted by another poster), what do you do? What do you do when you are dealing with people who won't believe that 2+2=4?

George Conway referred to Stefanik as trash and Meghan Cain is pissed because people would be upset if a Republican man called a Female Democrat trash.

Stefanik is looking for an administrative post. Maybe National Intelligence or NSA.

Stefanik is looking for a punch in the face.

There is a fake photo of Stefanik at the hearing giving the finger. While this is of course wrong, who calls HER out and make her apologize for HER outright lies and fake videos she posted?

I hope her behavior changes next week after she got a dose of her own medicine.

Even when it wasn't her turn, Stefanik kept interrupting Schiff to accuse him of interrupting her.

Help wanted....

That horrid cunt Stefanik needs to "go through some things".

Nikki Haley is young, and hot (to some people at least)...while our candidates are ... old, and less than sexy...

God we're in trouble.

Nikki Haley is young, and hot (to some people at least)...while our candidates are ... old, and less than sexy...

God we're in trouble.

Oh come on, Warren is hot.

R586 Pete, Castro, Harris, Booker are not old. Same generation as Haley.

Dropped 9 minutes ago

Trump Chest Pain Reports After Walter Reed Hospital Visit

A contributor for the Hill who writes on veterans issues is claiming that President Donald Trump visited the hospital due to chest discomfort. That’s a different story from the White House statement on Trump’s November 16, 2019 visit to Walter Reed, which painted it as part of a routine annual exam.

“#BreakingNews Sources tell me from Walter Reed the President was being checked out for chest discomfort. No other information is available at this time,” Andrew Vernon wrote on Twitter on the evening of November 16, 2019. Vernon’s Twitter page profile says that he is “President & CEO. Opinion Contributor @thehill. @ColumbiaMSPH Alum & @UMaine Alum. @USArmy Veteran. #GoHabsGo.”

R590 Maybe preparing for a resignation because of "health" concerns? Oh, from my post to God's eyes.

Trump pain and suffering is a-ok!

He probably knows that the walls are closing in. The testimony about the phone call with Sondland in the restaurant, the summary of which was released today, is going to be devastating.

I foresee a lot of discomfort in his future.

Pete is not in the same generation as those other candidates.

Pete is a millennial.

Oh... this girl here is smelling her own panties...

Elise Stefanik rises as GOP impeachment star: ‘I am proudly the opposite of AOC’

Rep. Elise Stefanik and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are both Congresswomen from New York and at varying points were the youngest members of the House of Representatives — but that’s where the similarities end.

“I am proudly the opposite of AOC,” Stefanik told The Post.

The 35-year-old Republican, who represents a vast district north of Albany that stretches to the Canadian border, says she met the Queens socialist briefly.

“I’ve had one conversation with her when we were in the elevator,” Stefanik said. “I said, ‘Hi, I’m Elise … She had a staffer with her. I didn’t want to engage.”

So, the GOP really wants to push her?

R591 That's exactly what he ought to do. Develop some chronic, life threatening medical condition, then make a deal with prosecutors, and resign. He disappears for a few months, and gets his own TV show on Fox.

[Quote]So, the GOP really wants to push her?

Was this before or after the Twitter shitstorm that outed Stefanik as a lying sycophant and gave her opponent 200k followers and 650k in 24h?

Poor Stefanik has been rage tweeting all day and thinks she's the victim of an evil campaign by leftist activists and Never Trumpers. Let's all help the poor victim and follow and donate @tedracobb

She is currently referring to Kellyanne's husband as a NEVER TRUMPER impeachment-obsessed “abusive creep”.

^She also gave her opponent a nickname "gun-grabbing Taxin' Tedra".

Trump must be so proud of her. She learnt from the best.

[quote]I am proudly the opposite of AOC,” Stefanik told The Post.