occupydemocrats--2020-01-21--Trump tweets all-caps demand to nation from Davos as impeachment trial begins

The impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump began this morning with the opening statements from Rep. Adam Schiff and the reading out of two articles of impeachment : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The president himself was not here to see it but must have caught the tail end of the statements from his motorcade in Davos , Switzerland , where he is attending the World Economic Forum .
Predictably , Trump ’ s response was to take to Twitter and fire off an all-caps message demanding that they “ read the transcripts , ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect phone call ” with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky .
It ’ s curious that this has become his rallying cry , since reading the transcript kicked off the impeachment case in the first place .
The “ perfect phone call ” was made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask him to “ do us a favor.
” That favor was for the Ukrainian government to work with the U.S. Attorney General in order to open sham investigations into the conspiracy theory that a Ukrainian company was involved in the 2016 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his position on the board at a major natural gas company .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
If you read the transcript that the White House itself posted on its website , it very clearly shows the President asking Zelenksy to “ look into ” Joe Biden and to do “ whatever you can do ” with his Attorney General , William Barr , because “ a lot of people want to find out ” what happened with “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the course of the past few months , we have learned that the White House deliberately and illegally withheld millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine in order to cajole them into cooperation .
It appears that the President dispatched his ally Rudy Giuliani and his associates , Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , to Ukraine in order to set up the sham investigations , the results of which would be used to bolster Trump ’ s 2020 re-election campaign .
Following the October arrest of Parnas and the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released a trove of documents that appear to indicate they had arranged an earlier quid pro quo with Ukrainian ex-prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko , who would publicly criticize Joe Biden on the condition that a U.S. ambassador critical of his record , Maria Yovanovich , was removed from her position .
Yovanovich was recalled from Ukraine in May 2019 after a smear campaign orchestrated by Parnas , the right-wing media machine , and participation from the president ’ s son Don Jr .
The recall effort was spearheaded by Texas Republican Pete Sessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a seven-figure re-election ad buy from the Trump Super PAC which Parnas had illegally given money too .
Other documents appear to indicate that a Republican congressional candidate close to the Trumps , Robert Hyde , had been surveilling Yovanovich and may even have threatened her .
So he can tell us to reread the transcript as many times as he likes , but each reading will only serve to reinforce the notion that the President is extremely guilty and he knows it .
What do you think ?

The impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump began this morning with the opening statements from Rep. Adam Schiff and the reading out of two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The president himself was not here to see it but must have caught the tail end of the statements from his motorcade in Davos, Switzerland, where he is attending the World Economic Forum.
Predictably, Trump’s response was to take to Twitter and fire off an all-caps message demanding that they “read the transcripts,” which refer to the transcripts of his “perfect phone call” with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
READ THE TRANSCRIPTS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2020
It’s curious that this has become his rallying cry, since reading the transcript kicked off the impeachment case in the first place.
The “perfect phone call” was made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask him to “do us a favor.” That favor was for the Ukrainian government to work with the U.S. Attorney General in order to open sham investigations into the conspiracy theory that a Ukrainian company was involved in the 2016 election interference probe and into Hunter Biden over his position on the board at a major natural gas company.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
If you read the transcript that the White House itself posted on its website, it very clearly shows the President asking Zelenksy to “look into” Joe Biden and to do “whatever you can do” with his Attorney General, William Barr, because “a lot of people want to find out” what happened with “Joe Biden’s son.”
In the course of the past few months, we have learned that the White House deliberately and illegally withheld millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine in order to cajole them into cooperation. It appears that the President dispatched his ally Rudy Giuliani and his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, to Ukraine in order to set up the sham investigations, the results of which would be used to bolster Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.
Following the October arrest of Parnas and the president’s subsequent disavowal of him, Parnas has released a trove of documents that appear to indicate they had arranged an earlier quid pro quo with Ukrainian ex-prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko, who would publicly criticize Joe Biden on the condition that a U.S. ambassador critical of his record, Maria Yovanovich, was removed from her position.
Yovanovich was recalled from Ukraine in May 2019 after a smear campaign orchestrated by Parnas, the right-wing media machine, and participation from the president’s son Don Jr. The recall effort was spearheaded by Texas Republican Pete Sessions, who just so happened to have received a seven-figure re-election ad buy from the Trump Super PAC which Parnas had illegally given money too.
Other documents appear to indicate that a Republican congressional candidate close to the Trumps, Robert Hyde, had been surveilling Yovanovich and may even have threatened her.
So he can tell us to reread the transcript as many times as he likes, but each reading will only serve to reinforce the notion that the President is extremely guilty and he knows it.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-21--Ivanka rudely snubs CNN reporter for asking about impeachment in viral clip

First Daughter Ivanka Trump caused a stir this morning when she brushed past CNN reporter Jim Acosta and refused to comment on her father ’ s currently unfolding impeachment trial while at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland .
Refusing to give him the time of day , President Trump ’ s only beloved child haughtily sneered and pretended she didn ’ t see the seasoned reporter as the unelected White House official accompanied her father to yet another major international conference .
There is no love lost between the Trumps and Jim Acosta , who was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which a White House aide attempted to yank the microphone away from Acosta as he challenged the president on the Russia investigation .
The Trump team then denied him access to the White House grounds , attempted to accuse him of “ laying hands ” on the aide , and then released a video they later admitted was doctored to try to smear him and justify their attack on the First Amendment .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business interests at every international meeting is a major source of controversy and fairly flagrant unethical behavior on their part .
Ivanka ’ s husband , Jared Kushner caused a stir a few months ago when he was spotted at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit , hobnobbing with world leaders at fancy dinners despite not having any expertise in defense or foreign policy .
Trump frequently uses Ivanka as an inappropriate surrogate , dispatching her to summits and meetings around the world like despite not having been elected to any position and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off of sweatshops and stealing designs for her fashion line .
Ivanka Trump has no business being at Davos with the president , and it is even more offensive to see her treating our press with so much glaring contempt on the global stage .
What do you think ?

First Daughter Ivanka Trump caused a stir this morning when she brushed past CNN reporter Jim Acosta and refused to comment on her father’s currently unfolding impeachment trial while at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Refusing to give him the time of day, President Trump’s only beloved child haughtily sneered and pretended she didn’t see the seasoned reporter as the unelected White House official accompanied her father to yet another major international conference.
There is no love lost between the Trumps and Jim Acosta, who was at the center of a tense confrontation in which a White House aide attempted to yank the microphone away from Acosta as he challenged the president on the Russia investigation. The Trump team then denied him access to the White House grounds, attempted to accuse him of “laying hands” on the aide, and then released a video they later admitted was doctored to try to smear him and justify their attack on the First Amendment.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The presence of Trump children and their personal business interests at every international meeting is a major source of controversy and fairly flagrant unethical behavior on their part. Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner caused a stir a few months ago when he was spotted at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, hobnobbing with world leaders at fancy dinners despite not having any expertise in defense or foreign policy.
Trump frequently uses Ivanka as an inappropriate surrogate, dispatching her to summits and meetings around the world like despite not having been elected to any position and having no experience doing anything beyond profiting off of sweatshops and stealing designs for her fashion line.
Ivanka Trump has no business being at Davos with the president, and it is even more offensive to see her treating our press with so much glaring contempt on the global stage.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-21--Bargain Bin: Iranian lawmaker reduces bounty on Trump to just $3 million

A member of the Iranian Parliament isn ’ t waiting for the results of Donald Trump ’ s Republican-rigged impeachment trial to see whether the American president is held accountable for at least some of the many crimes of which he has been accused .
Ahmad Hamzeh — who represents the people of Kerman , the hometown and burial place of the assassinated leader of Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guards , Major General Qassim Suleimani — announced that anyone who exacts an act of equivalent revenge on the man who ordered Suleimani ’ s killing , namely Donald J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 3 million .
The Iranian lawmaker ’ s offer marks a significant discount from the bounty previously proffered during the televised broadcast of the state funeral for General Suleimani when an unidentified announcer on Iranian state TV proposed raising a reward of $ 80 million — a dollar for each inhabitant of Iran — for the same purpose , a reduction of over 96 % .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
With the Iranian population not nearly as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aftermath of the American assassination of their nation ’ s military leader — due primarily to the fallout from the Islamic government ’ s handling of the mistaken missile strike against a Ukranian passenger airliner and the country ’ s continuing economic woes — apparently not every citizen felt inspired to contribute to help reach that lofty goal .
Then again , perhaps now that Trump ’ s impeachment trial has begun , the value placed on his head has gone down so drastically simply because he ’ s now seen as damaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will prevent him from committing another act likely considered a war crime by international authorities .
The consideration of the president ’ s ordering of Suleimani ’ s killing as a serious violation of international law comes as the Trump administration struggles to provide evidence that any planned attack on American interests by the Iranians was actually “ imminent ” as the law requires to justify such an assassination .
Trump has claimed — without offering a shred of proof — that four U.S. embassies were under immediate danger , yet even Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he saw no evidence of that threat .
While Trump ’ s unilateral decision to execute the foreign general without the consultation and authorization of Congress as required by the Constitution is not a factor in his current impeachment trial , it could form the basis of another future impeachment count .
The most concerning issue for the president , however , is the fact that his rash decision has alienated even some of his staunchest GOP supporters now sitting in judgment in his trial and could lead to defections in his until-now-unbroken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate — a body that only needs four GOP moderates to vote to undermine Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s plans to railroad a dismissal of the charges against Trump without even hearing from crucial witnesses .
While it ’ s unlikely that Mr. Hamzeh will ever get to deliver his $ 3 million reward to anyone , it must rankle our narcissistic president to see how far the value of his life has fallen in even the eyes of one of our nation ’ s most persistent Middle East rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Art of the Deal , ” Iran has sent Donald Trump ’ s life to the remainder bin due to lack of interest , discounted for quick disposal .
Perhaps , they realized what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once said of Trump ’ s impeachment before his behavior reached unignorable proportions : “ he ’ s just not worth it.
” What do you think ?

A member of the Iranian Parliament isn’t waiting for the results of Donald Trump’s Republican-rigged impeachment trial to see whether the American president is held accountable for at least some of the many crimes of which he has been accused.
Ahmad Hamzeh — who represents the people of Kerman, the hometown and burial place of the assassinated leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Major General Qassim Suleimani — announced that anyone who exacts an act of equivalent revenge on the man who ordered Suleimani’s killing, namely Donald J. Trump, would receive a reward of $3 million.
“We will give $3 million to anyone who kills Trump,” Hamzeh was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency, ISNA.
The Iranian lawmaker’s offer marks a significant discount from the bounty previously proffered during the televised broadcast of the state funeral for General Suleimani when an unidentified announcer on Iranian state TV proposed raising a reward of $80 million — a dollar for each inhabitant of Iran — for the same purpose, a reduction of over 96%.
“Iran has 80 million inhabitants,” the televised statement said. “Based on the Iranian population, we want to raise $80 million, which is a reward for those who get close to the head of President Trump.”
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
With the Iranian population not nearly as unified as it was in the immediate aftermath of the American assassination of their nation’s military leader — due primarily to the fallout from the Islamic government’s handling of the mistaken missile strike against a Ukranian passenger airliner and the country’s continuing economic woes — apparently not every citizen felt inspired to contribute to help reach that lofty goal.
Then again, perhaps now that Trump’s impeachment trial has begun, the value placed on his head has gone down so drastically simply because he’s now seen as damaged goods, in a weakened position that will prevent him from committing another act likely considered a war crime by international authorities.
The consideration of the president’s ordering of Suleimani’s killing as a serious violation of international law comes as the Trump administration struggles to provide evidence that any planned attack on American interests by the Iranians was actually “imminent” as the law requires to justify such an assassination. Trump has claimed — without offering a shred of proof — that four U.S. embassies were under immediate danger, yet even Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has admitted that he saw no evidence of that threat.
While Trump’s unilateral decision to execute the foreign general without the consultation and authorization of Congress as required by the Constitution is not a factor in his current impeachment trial, it could form the basis of another future impeachment count.
The most concerning issue for the president, however, is the fact that his rash decision has alienated even some of his staunchest GOP supporters now sitting in judgment in his trial and could lead to defections in his until-now-unbroken defensive wall of the slim Republican majority in the Senate — a body that only needs four GOP moderates to vote to undermine Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s plans to railroad a dismissal of the charges against Trump without even hearing from crucial witnesses.
While it’s unlikely that Mr. Hamzeh will ever get to deliver his $3 million reward to anyone, it must rankle our narcissistic president to see how far the value of his life has fallen in even the eyes of one of our nation’s most persistent Middle East rivals.
Like an old copy of “The Art of the Deal,” Iran has sent Donald Trump’s life to the remainder bin due to lack of interest, discounted for quick disposal. Perhaps, they realized what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once said of Trump’s impeachment before his behavior reached unignorable proportions: “he’s just not worth it.”
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Agence France-Presse at RawStory.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-21--Adam Schiff accuses McConnell of rigging Trump’s impeachment trial

There is little doubt at this point that the Republicans , under the leadership of arch-partisan hack Mitch McConnell , intend to hold little more than a sham impeachment trial for President Trump .
The GOP controls the Senate and the GOP cares for little beyond maintaining its own power .
For most Republican senators , maintaining the goodwill of the MAGA movement to ensure reelection down the road is infinitely more important than holding Trump responsible for his flagrant abuses of power .
In the end , they will almost certainly all vote to put party above country yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone so far as to admit that he intends to coordinate with the White House to ensure a speedy impeachment trial .
Democrats have been fighting this overt corruption as best they can .
Speaker Pelosi held off on sending the articles of impeachment , which forced the news coverage and broader political discourse to focus on McConnell ’ s scheme and his refusal to agree to permit new witnesses .
Now , House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff is slamming McConnell for trying to set up a “ rigged ” impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers chosen by Democrats , his opinion on the matter is particularly germane .
According to The Hill , Schiff has a specific problem with a section in the impeachment rules resolution that might end up making the trial extend late into the night .
It would allow impeachment managers only 24 hours to make their case spread out over a paltry two days .
In other words , the managers would be rushing to fit all of their arguments into a very condensed window .
The Senate looks likely to pass the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leveraging their majority to get rules advantageous to Trump .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
After slamming McConnell for his handling of the witnesses and his plot to ensure that evidence collected by the House ’ s impeachment inquiry must be voted on being admitted into the Senate trial rather than being admitted automatically , Schiff brought up the proposed time frame .
“ And finally they are compressing the time of the trial .
Whereas the Clinton trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present over the course of days , they are now presenting that we double the amount of time each day so that the proceedings can conceivably go well into the night when apparently Senator McConnell hopes the American people will not be watching .
This is not a process for a fair trial .
This is the process for a rigged trial , ” said Schiff .
Schiff is absolutely correct .
Never has it been more clear how little McConnell cares about maintaining a healthy democracy in which the powerful are held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cynical opportunist and powermonger who will idly stand by as men like Trump grind our institutions down to their foundations .
He is an active threat to our Republic and the people of his state would be doing their nation a great service by voting him out of office .
What do you think ?

There is little doubt at this point that the Republicans, under the leadership of arch-partisan hack Mitch McConnell, intend to hold little more than a sham impeachment trial for President Trump. The GOP controls the Senate and the GOP cares for little beyond maintaining its own power. For most Republican senators, maintaining the goodwill of the MAGA movement to ensure reelection down the road is infinitely more important than holding Trump responsible for his flagrant abuses of power. In the end, they will almost certainly all vote to put party above country yet again. The Senate Majority Leader has gone so far as to admit that he intends to coordinate with the White House to ensure a speedy impeachment trial.
Democrats have been fighting this overt corruption as best they can. Speaker Pelosi held off on sending the articles of impeachment, which forced the news coverage and broader political discourse to focus on McConnell’s scheme and his refusal to agree to permit new witnesses. Now, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff is slamming McConnell for trying to set up a “rigged” impeachment trial. As one of the impeachment managers chosen by Democrats, his opinion on the matter is particularly germane.
According to The Hill, Schiff has a specific problem with a section in the impeachment rules resolution that might end up making the trial extend late into the night. It would allow impeachment managers only 24 hours to make their case spread out over a paltry two days. In other words, the managers would be rushing to fit all of their arguments into a very condensed window. The Senate looks likely to pass the rules resolution as-is later today with Republicans leveraging their majority to get rules advantageous to Trump.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
After slamming McConnell for his handling of the witnesses and his plot to ensure that evidence collected by the House’s impeachment inquiry must be voted on being admitted into the Senate trial rather than being admitted automatically, Schiff brought up the proposed time frame.
“And finally they are compressing the time of the trial. Whereas the Clinton trial managers had six hours a day to present over the course of days, they are now presenting that we double the amount of time each day so that the proceedings can conceivably go well into the night when apparently Senator McConnell hopes the American people will not be watching. This is not a process for a fair trial. This is the process for a rigged trial,” said Schiff.
Schiff is absolutely correct. Never has it been more clear how little McConnell cares about maintaining a healthy democracy in which the powerful are held accountable. The Senate Majority leader is a cynical opportunist and powermonger who will idly stand by as men like Trump grind our institutions down to their foundations. He is an active threat to our Republic and the people of his state would be doing their nation a great service by voting him out of office.
Rob Haffey Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-23--Senate Republicans whine that they’ve learned “nothing new” after blocking new evidence, witnesses

It ’ s hard to fully describe how disgraceful the behavior of Senate Republicans has been over the course of this impeachment trial , which is still just hearing the opening arguments .
After spending all of last night killing the amendments that would have allowed new witnesses and new evidence to be presented in the trial , they had the gall to spend today complaining about how they haven ’ t heard anything new .
“ So far what Schiff has said we ’ ve heard before ” complained Sen. Mike Braun ( R-IN ) .
“ So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from what he heard yesterday , ” echoed Sen. John Cornyn .
“ Senators are struggling to try to see why we have to sit there , sit hearing the same arguments over and over and over and over again.
” When Sen. John Barrasso was asked by CNN ’ s Manu Raju why they wouldn ’ t just subpoena new witnesses if they wanted to hear something new , Barrasso quickly passed the buck to the House , saying that they should have brought in the witnesses before sending the articles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House refused to allow its staff to testify .
To add insult to injury , the GOP had spent the morning throwing a shitfit over how offended they were that Rep. Jerry Nadler had accused them of participating in a cover-up of the President ’ s crimes by refusing to hear any evidence and behaving as if the trial had a predetermined conclusion .
When they weren ’ t busy complaining and clutching their pearls , Senate Republicans were making an absolute mockery of the proceedings .
Dozens of GOP Senators violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for long periods of time while others simply fell asleep in their seats , utterly uninterested in the damning evidence being presented before them .
It is very clear that the entire Republican Senate is very well aware that the President is guilty because the few substantive responses they ’ ve given to the testimony echo those of the president ’ s lawyers , who do not deny that the accusations are accurate but dispute the idea that they are impeachable .
“ The only conclusion will be that the President has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles of impeachment do not begin to approach the standard required by the Constitution , ” ranted Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone .
The slightest inclination towards cooperation that Republicans showed all afternoon was a ridiculous proposal to allow the subpoena of Ambassador Bolton in exchange for the testimony of former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter , which would inevitably derail the entire trial and turn it into a circus of conspiracy theories .
Sen. Schumer immediately squashed that idea , but that of course gives the GOP the opportunity to complain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out but the witch-hunt Dems just wouldn ’ t agree !
At every turn , the Republican Party has treated the President ’ s abuses of power — which they all more or less agree he did — like the indulgent excesses of a particularly boisterous toddler and treated their counterparts across the aisle with nothing but the most naked contempt and palpable hostility .
It ’ s clear that there is no law too sacred and no crime too heinous for them to put aside their partisan unity and risk a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , the Senate has been nothing but a legislative graveyard where the lickspittles of the oligarchy keep this country in a stranglehold without consequence or retribution .
Right now , over 250 House-passed bills sit on the docket in the Senate with the Speaker obstinately refusing to bring them up for a vote .
We ’ ve watched in fury as Senate Republicans spent eight years blocking President Obama ’ s entire agenda and then deny him the Supreme Court nominee that he was entitled to .
We ’ ve watched the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every kind of widely popular common-sense gun legislation join the toddlers of Sandy Hook in the grave because of Senate Republicans .
Now we ’ re watching them piss on the Constitution and then tell us that we ’ re the ones at fault here .
The Senate has been exposed as a broken institution that allows a tiny minority of radicals to hold the entire nation hostage , and it ’ s clear that the Democratic Party and the next President needs to seriously begin planning radical action to permanently break the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it adding more states and more Senators or somehow abolishing it entirely .
Enough is enough .
What do you think ?

It’s hard to fully describe how disgraceful the behavior of Senate Republicans has been over the course of this impeachment trial, which is still just hearing the opening arguments. After spending all of last night killing the amendments that would have allowed new witnesses and new evidence to be presented in the trial, they had the gall to spend today complaining about how they haven’t heard anything new.
“So far what Schiff has said we’ve heard before” complained Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN). “So far we haven’t heard anything new from what he heard yesterday,” echoed Sen. John Cornyn. “Senators are struggling to try to see why we have to sit there, sit hearing the same arguments over and over and over and over again.” When Sen. John Barrasso was asked by CNN’s Manu Raju why they wouldn’t just subpoena new witnesses if they wanted to hear something new, Barrasso quickly passed the buck to the House, saying that they should have brought in the witnesses before sending the articles to a trial knowing full well that the White House refused to allow its staff to testify.
Barrasso said they learned “nothing new” from House Dems so I asked why not then subpoena Mulvaney or Bolton to see what if any new information there might be —> https://t.co/WTLagNcuGC — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 23, 2020
To add insult to injury, the GOP had spent the morning throwing a shitfit over how offended they were that Rep. Jerry Nadler had accused them of participating in a cover-up of the President’s crimes by refusing to hear any evidence and behaving as if the trial had a predetermined conclusion.
GOP this morning going hard after Nadler who accused senators last night of engaging in a coverup. They are arguing it undercuts the House Dem case. “It was so insulting and outrageous it was a shock to all of us,” Cornyn said to @alizaslav — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 22, 2020
“I took it as very offensive. As one who is listening attentively and working hard to get to a fair process, I was offended,” swing-vote Lisa Murkowski said tonight of Nadler’s presentation last night and his accusation of a GOP coverup — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 23, 2020
When they weren’t busy complaining and clutching their pearls, Senate Republicans were making an absolute mockery of the proceedings. Dozens of GOP Senators violated trial rules and simply left the chamber for long periods of time while others simply fell asleep in their seats, utterly uninterested in the damning evidence being presented before them.
NYT has a sketch artist covering impeachment, catching moments like Sen. Risch sleeping https://t.co/kXf9Voi0Og pic.twitter.com/fH5fee7In4 — Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) January 22, 2020
It is very clear that the entire Republican Senate is very well aware that the President is guilty because the few substantive responses they’ve given to the testimony echo those of the president’s lawyers, who do not deny that the accusations are accurate but dispute the idea that they are impeachable. “The only conclusion will be that the President has done absolutely nothing wrong, and that these articles of impeachment do not begin to approach the standard required by the Constitution,” ranted Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone.
The slightest inclination towards cooperation that Republicans showed all afternoon was a ridiculous proposal to allow the subpoena of Ambassador Bolton in exchange for the testimony of former Vice-President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, which would inevitably derail the entire trial and turn it into a circus of conspiracy theories. Sen. Schumer immediately squashed that idea, but that of course gives the GOP the opportunity to complain that they had tried to help them out but the witch-hunt Dems just wouldn’t agree!
At every turn, the Republican Party has treated the President’s abuses of power — which they all more or less agree he did — like the indulgent excesses of a particularly boisterous toddler and treated their counterparts across the aisle with nothing but the most naked contempt and palpable hostility. It’s clear that there is no law too sacred and no crime too heinous for them to put aside their partisan unity and risk a single iota of power.
For over ten years, the Senate has been nothing but a legislative graveyard where the lickspittles of the oligarchy keep this country in a stranglehold without consequence or retribution. Right now, over 250 House-passed bills sit on the docket in the Senate with the Speaker obstinately refusing to bring them up for a vote.
We’ve watched in fury as Senate Republicans spent eight years blocking President Obama’s entire agenda and then deny him the Supreme Court nominee that he was entitled to. We’ve watched the death toll from mass shootings skyrocket and every kind of widely popular common-sense gun legislation join the toddlers of Sandy Hook in the grave because of Senate Republicans. Now we’re watching them piss on the Constitution and then tell us that we’re the ones at fault here.
The Senate has been exposed as a broken institution that allows a tiny minority of radicals to hold the entire nation hostage, and it’s clear that the Democratic Party and the next President needs to seriously begin planning radical action to permanently break the yoke of the Republican Senators, be it adding more states and more Senators or somehow abolishing it entirely. Enough is enough.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-23--Trump moans that “she beat me out on TIME magazine” in petty rant about Greta Thunberg

As the man responsible for the biggest federal regulatory rollbacks since the Environmental Protection Agency was proposed by Republican President Richard Nixon , Donald Trump somehow manages to brazenly dissemble about the current state of the environment in the United States — and the world as a whole — with a perfectly straight face .
Trump ’ s bravura performance as a faux eco-warrior came during a press conference at the World Economic Forum at Davos , Switzerland when he was asked about his reaction to the fiery speech made by the precocious climate activist Greta Thunberg to the assembled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from around the globe .
The 17-year-old Thunberg had lambasted the assembled keepers of the status quo in her address yesterday for largely ignoring — or , at best , paying lip service to — her admonition from the speech that she gave at last year ’ s Davos conference in which she told the crowd that she wanted them to panic over the climate emergency that the earth is already experiencing .
Declaring the time for half-measures and insincere efforts to reduce carbon-emissions has long-since passed , Thunberg called for an end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that : The climate activist ’ s urgent plea is , of course , the polar opposite of the policies that Donald Trump has been ramming down the throats of the American people against their wishes .
Trump responded to the question about his reaction to Thunberg ’ s address by jealously pointing out that she beat him out as Time Magazine ’ s Person of the Year and unconvincingly saying that he “ would have loved to have seen her statement , ” before admitting “ I did not.
” What the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump went on to brag about America ’ s “ environmental numbers ” while entirely laying the blame on other countries , despite the fact that what the numbers really prove is that the United States is the world ’ s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China .
“ We have to do something about other continents .
We have to do something about other countries .
We ’ re clean and beautiful and everything ’ s good , but you have another continant where the fumes are rising at levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean , Greta ought to focus on those places.
” Perhaps the best reply to Trump ’ s hypocritical comments is an excerpt from Thunberg ’ s Davos speech itself : A full transcript of Greta Thunberg ’ s speech at the Davos forum is available here .
You can watch a video clip of Donald trump ’ s environmental remarks in the excerpt of his press conference below .
What do you think ?

As the man responsible for the biggest federal regulatory rollbacks since the Environmental Protection Agency was proposed by Republican President Richard Nixon, Donald Trump somehow manages to brazenly dissemble about the current state of the environment in the United States — and the world as a whole — with a perfectly straight face.
Trump’s bravura performance as a faux eco-warrior came during a press conference at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland when he was asked about his reaction to the fiery speech made by the precocious climate activist Greta Thunberg to the assembled crowd of business tycoons and political leaders from around the globe.
The 17-year-old Thunberg had lambasted the assembled keepers of the status quo in her address yesterday for largely ignoring — or, at best, paying lip service to — her admonition from the speech that she gave at last year’s Davos conference in which she told the crowd that she wanted them to panic over the climate emergency that the earth is already experiencing.
Declaring the time for half-measures and insincere efforts to reduce carbon-emissions has long-since passed, Thunberg called for an end to business as usual with a demand that:
“All companies, banks, institutions and governments: Immediately halt all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction. Immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies. And immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels.”
The climate activist’s urgent plea is, of course, the polar opposite of the policies that Donald Trump has been ramming down the throats of the American people against their wishes.
Trump responded to the question about his reaction to Thunberg’s address by jealously pointing out that she beat him out as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year and unconvincingly saying that he “would have loved to have seen her statement,” before admitting “I did not.”
What the president said next made that admission obvious.
“I think that some people are, they put it at a level that is, you know, unrealistic to a point where you can’t live your lives,” Trump declared, ignoring the fact that a climate-raaged, barren planet would make it literaly impossible for anyone to live their lives.
Trump went on to brag about America’s “environmental numbers” while entirely laying the blame on other countries, despite the fact that what the numbers really prove is that the United States is the world’s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China.
“We have to do something about other continents. We have to do something about other countries. We’re clean and beautiful and everything’s good, but you have another continant where the fumes are rising at levels that you can’t believe. I mean, Greta ought to focus on those places.”
Perhaps the best reply to Trump’s hypocritical comments is an excerpt from Thunberg’s Davos speech itself:
“I wonder, what will you tell your children was the reason to fail and leave them facing the climate chaos you knowingly brought upon them?”
A full transcript of Greta Thunberg’s speech at the Davos forum is available here.
You can watch a video clip of Donald trump’s environmental remarks in the excerpt of his press conference below.
President Trump: "You have another continent where the fumes are rising at levels that you can't believe. I mean, I think Greta ought to focus on those places." pic.twitter.com/4gp1B3oD7q — The Hill (@thehill) January 22, 2020
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Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Lazy, bored Republicans make mockery of Senate trial by leaving and falling asleep

Republicans aren ’ t even trying to hide the fact that they intend to let Donald Trump off the hook for impeachment regardless of guilt .
They have been stonewalling Democrats on admitting new witnesses and documents regarding Trump ’ s corrupt Ukraine scheme and can ’ t seem to muster even a superficial interest in uncovering the truth .
Partisanship reigns supreme in the GOP and patriotism is nowhere to be seen .
The Republican apathy has apparently gotten so bad that GOP senators are now violating trial rules by simply getting up and leaving the impeachment chamber to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Shuster pointed out , jurors ( which is what senators serve as during an impeachment trial ) are forbidden from leaving during court proceedings .
This holds true at a state , local , and federal level and is especially crucial during the trial of the President of the United States .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
It could not be made any clearer how little Republicans care about upholding their oaths to the Constitution .
They can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very bare minimum for their jobs : actually showing up and staying .
They know that Senate Majority Mitch McConnell , whose only interest is shielding Trump and maintaining a GOP stranglehold over the Oval Office , won ’ t bother to hold them accountable in any sense .
As long as they show up at the end of it and vote along the party line to acquit Trump , McConnell will be happy .
New York Daily News ’ s Michael McAuliff counted 21 empty Republican seats and only 2 missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seats were empty because the senators in question were “ stretching their legs ” but most had left the chamber .
Perhaps worse still , some Republicans stayed but failed to stay awake .
NBC News ’ s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports that Senator Jim Inhofe ( R-OK ) fell asleep barely thirty minutes into today ’ s sessions .
Senator Todd Young ( R-IN ) “ subtly nudged ” him which managed to wake Inhofe up .
Quite frankly , you can ’ t make this stuff up .
Republicans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American public at every turn .
They ’ re sleepwalking ( and sleeping ) their way through this impeachment because they never intended to take it seriously .
They ’ ll all fall in line behind Trump and a message will be sent to this and future generations that the president can hold himself above the law .
The only solution left for our Republic is to vote in a wave of Democrats in November .
To see what a public servant actually doing their job looks like , watch some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Adam Schiff ’ s ( D-CA ) today .
What do you think ?

Republicans aren’t even trying to hide the fact that they intend to let Donald Trump off the hook for impeachment regardless of guilt. They have been stonewalling Democrats on admitting new witnesses and documents regarding Trump’s corrupt Ukraine scheme and can’t seem to muster even a superficial interest in uncovering the truth. Partisanship reigns supreme in the GOP and patriotism is nowhere to be seen.
The Republican apathy has apparently gotten so bad that GOP senators are now violating trial rules by simply getting up and leaving the impeachment chamber to congregate in the cloakroom. As journalist David Shuster pointed out, jurors (which is what senators serve as during an impeachment trial) are forbidden from leaving during court proceedings. This holds true at a state, local, and federal level and is especially crucial during the trial of the President of the United States.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
It could not be made any clearer how little Republicans care about upholding their oaths to the Constitution. They can’t even be bothered to do the very bare minimum for their jobs: actually showing up and staying. They know that Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, whose only interest is shielding Trump and maintaining a GOP stranglehold over the Oval Office, won’t bother to hold them accountable in any sense. As long as they show up at the end of it and vote along the party line to acquit Trump, McConnell will be happy.
It's not just against senate trial rules. No jurors, in any local, state, or federal trial, are allowed to leave live proceedings/arguments/testimony for any period of time. They can ask/receive a break. But the judge must stop the proceedings. #SenateTrial #Rules https://t.co/XTCtGAPqhI — David Shuster (@DavidShuster) January 22, 2020
New York Daily News’s Michael McAuliff counted 21 empty Republican seats and only 2 missing Democrats. He added that some of the seats were empty because the senators in question were “stretching their legs” but most had left the chamber.
Just counted 21 empty seats on the GOP side of the Senate, 2 on the Dem side, a couple hours into Schiff's presentation. Some are just stretching their legs, but most are not in the chamber. Some of them have been out of there for a while. — Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) January 22, 2020
Perhaps worse still, some Republicans stayed but failed to stay awake. NBC News’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports that Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) fell asleep barely thirty minutes into today’s sessions. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) “subtly nudged” him which managed to wake Inhofe up. Quite frankly, you can’t make this stuff up.
Republicans are rubbing their gross apathy in the faces of the American public at every turn. They’re sleepwalking (and sleeping) their way through this impeachment because they never intended to take it seriously. They’ll all fall in line behind Trump and a message will be sent to this and future generations that the president can hold himself above the law. The only solution left for our Republic is to vote in a wave of Democrats in November.
.@JimInhofe is the first casualty to sleep, not even 30 minutes after the day begins. His seat neighbor, @SenToddYoung, subtly nudged Inhofe’s forearm, which woke him up. Todd then leaned over and whispered something to Inhofe and Inhofe nodded. — Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) January 22, 2020
To see what a public servant actually doing their job looks like, watch some of the remarks made by impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) today.
Americans want a fair trial. They want to believe their government is still capable of rising to the occasion. They want to believe we can rise above party, to do what’s best for our country. Sadly, a great many Americans doubt this is still possible. Let's prove them wrong. pic.twitter.com/VGor4FSQdS — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 21, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Trump reveals cuts to Social Security and Medicare will “be on the table” after election

Maybe it ’ s because of all the billionaire oligarchs that are surrounding him as he attends the World Economic Forum at Davos this week .
Or perhaps Donald Trump has swallowed so much of his own anti-socialist Kool-Aid — as he attacks Democrats for their beliefs that affordable health care and a potential for a living income is a human right rather than a privilege granted by the largesse of the already wealthy — that he feels comfortable reaching out and grabbing the traditional third rail of American politics , the sanctity of Social Security and Medicare .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs as expandable entitlements that can be slashed in a destructive whim — despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans have been funding these social service programs through payroll deductions their entire lives — seems like a foolish topic to remind American citizens about in a presidential election year , particularly since the senior citizens who rely on these programs to live out their old ages in dignity rather than abject poverty are typically the most reliable of voters out of all the demographics .
Yet there Trump was at Davos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Kernen , answering what seemed to be a throwaway final question from the journalist regarding whether he would ever be addressing the entitlement issue .
His answer should be chilling to anyone who relies on either of the individually-funded government programs — both outside the scope of the normal discretionary congressional appropriations process — and provide Democrats with a potent message to hammer home in the current election cycle in order to defeat Trump and the rest of his heartless Republican minions .
“ At some point they will be .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have tremendous growth .
This next year I—it ’ ll be toward the end of the year .
The growth is going to be incredible .
And at the right time , we will take a look at that .
You know , that ’ s actually the easiest of all things , if you look , cause it ’ s such a big percentage , ” Trump cluelessly explained from his lofty perch of affluence .
Given that most Americans ’ attention is focused on the false drama of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s casual mention that he ’ ll be looking at cutting Social Security , Medicare , and other government entitlement programs after the election may fall through the cracks of the typical voter ’ s notice .
It did not escape the notice of Richard Fiesta , the Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans , however .
After hearing Trump ’ s comments , he had this to say : If the Democrats can ’ t or don ’ t exploit this clear admission of intent to cut back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for and rely on for their continued existence , they are missing the biggest vulnerability that Trump has offered them up on a gold-plated platter .
Like the use of GOP efforts to kill Obamacare and the insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions as a cudgel to wrest a hard-fought victory in the 2018 midterms , the attempts to strip away precious social services from senior citizens and the disabled should put the GOP in a defensive battle that they ’ ll surely find difficult to overcome .
You can sample the bitter taste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video excerpt included below .
What do you think ?

Maybe it’s because of all the billionaire oligarchs that are surrounding him as he attends the World Economic Forum at Davos this week.
Or perhaps Donald Trump has swallowed so much of his own anti-socialist Kool-Aid — as he attacks Democrats for their beliefs that affordable health care and a potential for a living income is a human right rather than a privilege granted by the largesse of the already wealthy — that he feels comfortable reaching out and grabbing the traditional third rail of American politics, the sanctity of Social Security and Medicare.
Trump’s traditional Republican attitude towards these programs as expandable entitlements that can be slashed in a destructive whim — despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans have been funding these social service programs through payroll deductions their entire lives — seems like a foolish topic to remind American citizens about in a presidential election year, particularly since the senior citizens who rely on these programs to live out their old ages in dignity rather than abject poverty are typically the most reliable of voters out of all the demographics.
Yet there Trump was at Davos during an interview with CNBC‘s Joe Kernen, answering what seemed to be a throwaway final question from the journalist regarding whether he would ever be addressing the entitlement issue.
His answer should be chilling to anyone who relies on either of the individually-funded government programs — both outside the scope of the normal discretionary congressional appropriations process — and provide Democrats with a potent message to hammer home in the current election cycle in order to defeat Trump and the rest of his heartless Republican minions.
“At some point they will be. We have tremendous growth. We’re going to have tremendous growth. This next year I—it’ll be toward the end of the year. The growth is going to be incredible. And at the right time, we will take a look at that. You know, that’s actually the easiest of all things, if you look, cause it’s such a big percentage,” Trump cluelessly explained from his lofty perch of affluence.
Given that most Americans’ attention is focused on the false drama of Trump’s GOP-rigged impeachment trial, Trump’s casual mention that he’ll be looking at cutting Social Security, Medicare, and other government entitlement programs after the election may fall through the cracks of the typical voter’s notice.
It did not escape the notice of Richard Fiesta, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, however. After hearing Trump’s comments, he had this to say:
“After a day of hobnobbing with billionaires in Davos, President Trump publicly revealed that cuts to earned Medicare and Social Security benefits will be on the table as soon as the end of this year. The cruel irony of this scene cannot be overstated.”
If the Democrats can’t or don’t exploit this clear admission of intent to cut back on the benefits that Americans have already paid for and rely on for their continued existence, they are missing the biggest vulnerability that Trump has offered them up on a gold-plated platter.
Like the use of GOP efforts to kill Obamacare and the insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions as a cudgel to wrest a hard-fought victory in the 2018 midterms, the attempts to strip away precious social services from senior citizens and the disabled should put the GOP in a defensive battle that they’ll surely find difficult to overcome.
You can sample the bitter taste of Trump’s dastardly plans in the video excerpt included below.
https://twitter.com/BridgeProject21/status/1220022230068924416?s=20
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Original reporting by John Queally at Common Dreams.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Trump appears to claim U.S. invented the wheel and the need to “protect” Thomas Edison, who is dead

During an interview on Wednesday morning , the President again displayed his troubling understanding of basic history while indulging his obsessive need to take credit for all of America ’ s accomplishments .
After praising union-busting billionaire Elon Musk for “ doing good with the rockets , ” the grammatically-challenged Trump stressed how important it was that we “ protect Thomas Edison ” and “ all these people that came up with the lightbulb and the wheel and all of these things.
” For the record , Thomas Edison died in 1931 and wheels were first used in Iraq around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not clear what exactly the President was trying to get at here .
He did not expand upon what is threatening our “ geniuses and all of these things , ” though it ’ s conceivable he ’ s referring to Chinese intellectual property theft .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Incredibly but somehow inevitably , this is not even the first time the president has had trouble with his wheel history .
He once infamously claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ wall ” in a truly bizarre attempt to justify his planned border wall , arguing that since wheels work , walls work .
“ Nothing like a wall !
” Though we ’ re all somewhat used to the president ’ s weekly head-scratching moments , it ’ s still crucial that we continue to point out these flickers of insanity and insist that this should not be treated as normal .
This man is a constant embarrassment to all of us , and now he ’ s prancing about representing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about how we need to protect dead men and our most significant invention , the wheel , along with a man who is “ doing good at the rockets.
” November 2020 can ’ t come soon enough .
What do you think ?

During an interview on Wednesday morning, the President again displayed his troubling understanding of basic history while indulging his obsessive need to take credit for all of America’s accomplishments.
After praising union-busting billionaire Elon Musk for “doing good with the rockets,” the grammatically-challenged Trump stressed how important it was that we “protect Thomas Edison” and “all these people that came up with the lightbulb and the wheel and all of these things.”
Trump seems to believe the wheel was invented in the United States: “We have to protect all of these people that came up with, originally, the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things.” pic.twitter.com/re6CyRi6HY — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 22, 2020
For the record, Thomas Edison died in 1931 and wheels were first used in Iraq around 5,000 years ago, so it’s not clear what exactly the President was trying to get at here. He did not expand upon what is threatening our “geniuses and all of these things,” though it’s conceivable he’s referring to Chinese intellectual property theft.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Incredibly but somehow inevitably, this is not even the first time the president has had trouble with his wheel history. He once infamously claimed that the wheel was invented prior to the “wall” in a truly bizarre attempt to justify his planned border wall, arguing that since wheels work, walls work. “Nothing like a wall!”
POTUS: “They say a wall is medieval, well so is a wheel. A wheel is older than a wall,” Trump said, later adding: “The wheel is older than the wall, you know that? There are some things that work. You know what? A wheel works and a wall works. Nothing like a wall.” — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 10, 2019
Though we’re all somewhat used to the president’s weekly head-scratching moments, it’s still crucial that we continue to point out these flickers of insanity and insist that this should not be treated as normal.
This man is a constant embarrassment to all of us, and now he’s prancing about representing the United States in front of the world talking about how we need to protect dead men and our most significant invention, the wheel, along with a man who is “doing good at the rockets.”
November 2020 can’t come soon enough.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Fox News anchor Chris Wallace: If I were Trump I would be not be happy with my trial lawyers

The impeachment of President Donald J. Trump is poised to be the trial of the century .
The most incompetent , corrupt president in American history was caught red-handed trying to abuse the vast powers of the Oval Office to strongarm a foreign country into damaging a 2020 rival ’ s election chance and Congress has the opportunity and means to hold him accountable .
In a sane political system , there would be no question that he would be removed from office by the Senate .
Unfortunately for the United States and the broader world , the Senate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed itself to rot from the inside out for decades .
Far too many Republicans could not care less about the rule of law or even democracy itself .
To them , keeping Trump in the White House and his MAGA followers placated is the only thing that matters .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to hold a farce of a trial by limiting witnesses and evidence , coordinating directly with the Trump administration , and rushing through an acquittal as quickly as possible .
History will remember this saga as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ever stain the halls of Capitol Hill .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
While Fox News is shilling for the president as usual and working hard to spin the impeachment as an underhanded Democratic plot , some dissenting voices remain .
Chris Wallace , who hasn ’ t be afraid to level harsh criticism at Trump in the past , is now taking aim at the president ’ s lawyers and said it ’ s “ mistake ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence .
Democrats wanted to include a provision allowing new witnesses and documents in the rules resolution but Republicans blocked it , claiming that such matters could be voted on separately later .
“ I think that ’ s pretty smart on the part of the Democrats .
They are taking this time to , in effect , make their opening argument , to make the case against the president , to make the case for why the Senate needs to hear from more witnesses , more evidence , and I think to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are making a mistake .
They are basically saying there ’ s nothing to see here , all of this is bogus while the House managers are taking every second of their one hour to make whatever case they want to make , ” observed Wallace , drawing a sharp contrast between the competence of the Democrats and the bad faith obfuscations of Trump ’ s surrogates .
“ I ’ d be very curious to see what the White House lawyers use .
My bet is it wasn ’ t even half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched by millions of people on the three cable channels .
I don ’ t know why you wouldn ’ t take the time and every second you have to make an argument on behalf of the president .
If I were the President watching this I would not be especially pleased , ” Wallace added .
Hopefully , Wallace ’ s assessment correct and the American people see what ’ s really going on here : this administration is so confident in its insulation from consequences that it ’ s barely even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s innocence .
His lawyers are going through the motions knowing Republicans will vote in favor of the president in the end .
Luckily , even if he ’ s acquitted for this impeachment the 2020 election is right around the corner and voters , after seeing this joke of a trial , will be given the chance to kick Trump to the curb .
What do you think ?

The impeachment of President Donald J. Trump is poised to be the trial of the century. The most incompetent, corrupt president in American history was caught red-handed trying to abuse the vast powers of the Oval Office to strongarm a foreign country into damaging a 2020 rival’s election chance and Congress has the opportunity and means to hold him accountable.
In a sane political system, there would be no question that he would be removed from office by the Senate. Unfortunately for the United States and the broader world, the Senate is controlled by a political party that has allowed itself to rot from the inside out for decades. Far too many Republicans could not care less about the rule of law or even democracy itself. To them, keeping Trump in the White House and his MAGA followers placated is the only thing that matters.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to hold a farce of a trial by limiting witnesses and evidence, coordinating directly with the Trump administration, and rushing through an acquittal as quickly as possible. History will remember this saga as one of the worst incidents of partisan villainy to ever stain the halls of Capitol Hill.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
While Fox News is shilling for the president as usual and working hard to spin the impeachment as an underhanded Democratic plot, some dissenting voices remain. Chris Wallace, who hasn’t be afraid to level harsh criticism at Trump in the past, is now taking aim at the president’s lawyers and said it’s “mistake” for them to argue against admitting new evidence. Democrats wanted to include a provision allowing new witnesses and documents in the rules resolution but Republicans blocked it, claiming that such matters could be voted on separately later.
“I think that’s pretty smart on the part of the Democrats. They are taking this time to, in effect, make their opening argument, to make the case against the president, to make the case for why the Senate needs to hear from more witnesses, more evidence, and I think to some degree that the White House lawyers are making a mistake. They are basically saying there’s nothing to see here, all of this is bogus while the House managers are taking every second of their one hour to make whatever case they want to make,” observed Wallace, drawing a sharp contrast between the competence of the Democrats and the bad faith obfuscations of Trump’s surrogates.
“I’d be very curious to see what the White House lawyers use. My bet is it wasn’t even half an hour. And this is being watched by millions of people on the three cable channels. I don’t know why you wouldn’t take the time and every second you have to make an argument on behalf of the president. If I were the President watching this I would not be especially pleased,” Wallace added.
Hopefully, Wallace’s assessment correct and the American people see what’s really going on here: this administration is so confident in its insulation from consequences that it’s barely even bothering to try to prove Trump’s innocence. His lawyers are going through the motions knowing Republicans will vote in favor of the president in the end. Luckily, even if he’s acquitted for this impeachment the 2020 election is right around the corner and voters, after seeing this joke of a trial, will be given the chance to kick Trump to the curb.
Chris Wallace: White House lawyers making a mistake by arguing 'there's nothing to see here' | https://t.co/NHZaTQOhOx — Susan Carlson (@SCarlson48) January 22, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Trump brags about obstructing Congress at the exact same time Schiff accuses him of obstructing Cong

Trump brags about obstructing Congress at the exact same time Schiff accuses him of obstructing Congress

Donald Trump is so confident that the spineless Republicans in the Senate will acquit him of the impeachment charges against him — without demanding to hear from witnesses and see the documents that the administration has thus far withheld from Congress — that he couldn ’ t help from bragging about being guilty of the very charges lodged against him .
At a press conference that Trump gave today while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , the president discussed his impeachment and mixed an apparently accidentally candid admission in with his usual shower of defensive falsehoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reiterating the perfection of his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky .
As he has in his frequent tweets on the subject , Trump referred to how the transcript of the call completely exonerates him of any wrongdoing .
Unfortunately for the president , he fails to acknowledge that the so-called ‘ transcript ” of the fateful call that he released is not a full transcript at all , but merely a redacted call summary that omits crucial sections of the conversation , as it states clearly on its front page .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call summary was more than incriminating in and of itself , with its infamous statement by Trump to the Ukraine leader : “ I would like you to do us a favor though.
” The president then went on to praise his legal team , fresh from an embarrassingly weak and mendacious performance at the opening of the impeachment proceedings , before making a fateful admission that in a Senate not-filled with principle-free Republican allies would lead to an immediate and decisive guilty verdict and his removal from office .
Speaking of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Congressional impeachment inquiries to date , Trump said : The reaction to Trump ’ s brazen confession was swift , astonished , and indignant , as former U.S. Government Ethics Chief Walter Shaub ’ s retweet of a post by Congresswoman Val Demmings ( D-FL ) demonstrates .
If the American justice system wasn ’ t controlled by one of Trump ’ s hand-picked cronies and the president was on U.S. soil when he made such an incriminating admission of his obstruction of Congress , by all rights he should have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , Americans watch as a sham trial proceeds towards a predictably partisan outcome despite the evidence in plain sight , delivered right to their laps by the perpetrator himself .
If this situation doesn ’ t inspire disgust and despair , then you ’ re either a die-hard Trump zombie whose brain has been eaten away by a force-fed diet of corrosive lying propaganda or simply tuned out altogether .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump is so confident that the spineless Republicans in the Senate will acquit him of the impeachment charges against him — without demanding to hear from witnesses and see the documents that the administration has thus far withheld from Congress — that he couldn’t help from bragging about being guilty of the very charges lodged against him.
At a press conference that Trump gave today while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the president discussed his impeachment and mixed an apparently accidentally candid admission in with his usual shower of defensive falsehoods.
Trump began his impeachment ramblings by reiterating the perfection of his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. As he has in his frequent tweets on the subject, Trump referred to how the transcript of the call completely exonerates him of any wrongdoing.
Unfortunately for the president, he fails to acknowledge that the so-called ‘transcript” of the fateful call that he released is not a full transcript at all, but merely a redacted call summary that omits crucial sections of the conversation, as it states clearly on its front page.
Even so, what was included in the call summary was more than incriminating in and of itself, with its infamous statement by Trump to the Ukraine leader: “I would like you to do us a favor though.”
The president then went on to praise his legal team, fresh from an embarrassingly weak and mendacious performance at the opening of the impeachment proceedings, before making a fateful admission that in a Senate not-filled with principle-free Republican allies would lead to an immediate and decisive guilty verdict and his removal from office.
Speaking of the evidence that he has illegally withheld from the Congressional impeachment inquiries to date, Trump said:
“But honestly we have all the material,” the president boasted. “They don’t have the material,” he said, referring to the House impeachment managers.
The reaction to Trump’s brazen confession was swift, astonished, and indignant, as former U.S. Government Ethics Chief Walter Shaub’s retweet of a post by Congresswoman Val Demmings (D-FL) demonstrates.
If the American justice system wasn’t controlled by one of Trump’s hand-picked cronies and the president was on U.S. soil when he made such an incriminating admission of his obstruction of Congress, by all rights he should have been handcuffed and hauled away on the spot.
Instead, Americans watch as a sham trial proceeds towards a predictably partisan outcome despite the evidence in plain sight, delivered right to their laps by the perpetrator himself.
If this situation doesn’t inspire disgust and despair, then you’re either a die-hard Trump zombie whose brain has been eaten away by a force-fed diet of corrosive lying propaganda or simply tuned out altogether.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by David Badash at RawStory.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Trump says he doesn’t think traumatic head injuries suffered by U.S troops in Iran retaliation are “

Trump says he doesn’t think traumatic head injuries suffered by U.S troops in Iran retaliation are “serious”

The thing about pathological narcissists is that empathy is a completely foreign concept to their psyche .
While that may explain Donald Trump ’ s inability to emulate the ability of our best presidents to absorb and understand the pain of Americans undergoing suffering and comfort them in their time of pain , his apparent psychological malady does not excuse his despicable behavior and attitude .
Trump ’ s narcissism also leads him to believe that he alone knows better than any so-called experts in their fields simply by virtue of the fact that the ideas he ’ s expressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person he trusts , himself .
The president today decided that his medical expertise exceeds that of any neurologist while answering a question from a reporter at a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland where he ’ s spent the last few days pretending that he wasn ’ t fighting for the survival of his presidency as his impeachment trial begins in Washington DC .
The reporter was asking Trump to explain the discrepancy between the original reports that no U.S. service members were injured after Iran retaliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general with a missile strike on a U.S. base in Iraq and the recent revelation that 11 armed forces members were airlifted to Germany to be “ treated for concussion symptoms from the blast ” as the Pentagon is now admitting .
Trump ’ s response was telling of his absolute disdain for the health and welfare of U.S. troops and of his contempt for basic scientific concepts .
The intrepid reporter refused to let Trump ’ s claim go unchallenged .
After initially trying to deflect the question by saying that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Defense , Trump opened his mouth yet again to firmly insert his foot .
“ No , I don ’ t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I ’ ve seen .
I ’ ve seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops .
I ’ ve seen people with no legs and with no arms .
I ’ ve seen people who were horribly , horribly injured in that area , that war .
In fact , in many cases , put those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no longer with us .
I consider then to be really bad injuries .
No , I do not consider that to be bad injuries , no.
” Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
It ’ s obvious that the proper healthy functioning of one ’ s brain is not a top concern of this president , but his own mentally-deteriorated behavior should have predicted that attitude long ago .
Senator Chis Murphy ( D-CT ) saw the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide if the initial lie that no injuries had taken place after Iran ’ s retaliatory attack was worse than Trump ’ s cavalier attitudes towards the collateral damage of the results of his potential war crime in illegally assassinating a foreign government official without an actual imminent threat .
By this point , the outrage factor over every single idiotic statement uttered by this president has been dimmed by the sheer overwhelming number of such statements .
However , every time Trump displays his heartless and self-centered world view , the imperative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearer .
What do you think ?

The thing about pathological narcissists is that empathy is a completely foreign concept to their psyche. While that may explain Donald Trump’s inability to emulate the ability of our best presidents to absorb and understand the pain of Americans undergoing suffering and comfort them in their time of pain, his apparent psychological malady does not excuse his despicable behavior and attitude.
Trump’s narcissism also leads him to believe that he alone knows better than any so-called experts in their fields simply by virtue of the fact that the ideas he’s expressing stem from the mind of the only person he trusts, himself.
The president today decided that his medical expertise exceeds that of any neurologist while answering a question from a reporter at a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland where he’s spent the last few days pretending that he wasn’t fighting for the survival of his presidency as his impeachment trial begins in Washington DC.
The reporter was asking Trump to explain the discrepancy between the original reports that no U.S. service members were injured after Iran retaliated for the American assassination of its top general with a missile strike on a U.S. base in Iraq and the recent revelation that 11 armed forces members were airlifted to Germany to be “treated for concussion symptoms from the blast” as the Pentagon is now admitting.
Trump’s response was telling of his absolute disdain for the health and welfare of U.S. troops and of his contempt for basic scientific concepts.
“I heard that they headaches and a couple of other things,” Trump began, referring to the 11 victims of the blast. “But I would say and I can report it is not very serious.”
The intrepid reporter refused to let Trump’s claim go unchallenged.
“So you don’t think that a potential traumtic brain injury is serious?” she immediately asked.
After initially trying to deflect the question by saying that she’d have to ask the Department of Defense, Trump opened his mouth yet again to firmly insert his foot.
“No, I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I’ve seen. I’ve seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops. I’ve seen people with no legs and with no arms. I’ve seen people who were horribly, horribly injured in that area, that war. In fact, in many cases, put those bombs put there by Suleimani who’s no longer with us. I consider then to be really bad injuries. No, I do not consider that to be bad injuries, no.”
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
It’s obvious that the proper healthy functioning of one’s brain is not a top concern of this president, but his own mentally-deteriorated behavior should have predicted that attitude long ago.
When asked about the 11 U.S. servicemen injured in the Iran airstrikes, President Trump told @weijia he didn't "consider them serious injuries relative to other injuries I've seen." https://t.co/anmIdCHO6a pic.twitter.com/boSjvDujCS — CBS News (@CBSNews) January 22, 2020
Senator Chis Murphy (D-CT) saw the president’s comments and couldn’t decide if the initial lie that no injuries had taken place after Iran’s retaliatory attack was worse than Trump’s cavalier attitudes towards the collateral damage of the results of his potential war crime in illegally assassinating a foreign government official without an actual imminent threat.
I’m not sure which is more infuriating – that the Trump Administration lied and claimed that there weren’t injuries in the Iran missile strike or that once caught, Trump called the traumatic brain injuries “headaches” — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 22, 2020
By this point, the outrage factor over every single idiotic statement uttered by this president has been dimmed by the sheer overwhelming number of such statements. However, every time Trump displays his heartless and self-centered world view, the imperative of his removal from office becomes even clearer.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--George Conway taunts Senate Republicans for blocking evidence: “What are you afraid of?”

The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is officially underway and it ’ s already been made abundantly clear that Republicans under the beady eye of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have no intention of holding anything even resembling a fair trial .
They intend to rush through this process as quickly as possible by closing ranks around the president and acquitting him .
McConnell previously announced his intention to coordinate closely with the White House throughout the process .
George Conway , an outspoken critic of Trump and the husband of the president ’ s right-hand woman Kellyanne Conway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP ’ s impeachment behavior .
He took particular issue with the way Republicans—who have a majority in the Senate and thus controlled how the impeachment rule resolution was shaped—are handling evidence .
In a clear sign that they have little interest in uncovering the truth of Trump ’ s alleged crimes , they voted in rules that rejected Democrats ’ demand for the allowing of new witnesses and documents related to Ukraine to be admitted into the trial .
McConnell said such admissions could be voted on , later at the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no legitimate reason why such measures couldn ’ t have been part of the rules resolution .
Republicans don ’ t want to commit to new materials because they don ’ t want more damaging information about their glorious leader coming to light .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Conway excoriated the Republican senators , stating that they know Trump is guilty and that it looks like they don ’ t want to allow in evidence that will prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they afraid of ?
They going to hear evidence they won ’ t like ?
That ’ s the thing that I find most disturbing about it , is they don ’ t want to hear the evidence because they know the truth , ” said Conway during a CNN appearance .
They know he ’ s guilty .
And they don ’ t want to hear the evidence because they don ’ t want the American public to see it too , ” he went on .
It ’ s unlikely Conway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convince the collectively spineless GOP to straighten up and do what ’ s right .
These senators are more worried about alienating MAGA voters than upholding the foundations of our democracy .
That said , the more men like Conway speak up about what ’ s going on , the more the American people will realize Republicans are holding nothing more than a sham trial .
What do you think ?

The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is officially underway and it’s already been made abundantly clear that Republicans under the beady eye of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have no intention of holding anything even resembling a fair trial. They intend to rush through this process as quickly as possible by closing ranks around the president and acquitting him. McConnell previously announced his intention to coordinate closely with the White House throughout the process.
George Conway, an outspoken critic of Trump and the husband of the president’s right-hand woman Kellyanne Conway, has now weighed in on the GOP’s impeachment behavior. He took particular issue with the way Republicans—who have a majority in the Senate and thus controlled how the impeachment rule resolution was shaped—are handling evidence.
In a clear sign that they have little interest in uncovering the truth of Trump’s alleged crimes, they voted in rules that rejected Democrats’ demand for the allowing of new witnesses and documents related to Ukraine to be admitted into the trial. McConnell said such admissions could be voted on, later at the “appropriate time,” but there is no legitimate reason why such measures couldn’t have been part of the rules resolution. Republicans don’t want to commit to new materials because they don’t want more damaging information about their glorious leader coming to light.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Conway excoriated the Republican senators, stating that they know Trump is guilty and that it looks like they don’t want to allow in evidence that will prove that very fact.
“What are they afraid of? They going to hear evidence they won’t like? That’s the thing that I find most disturbing about it, is they don’t want to hear the evidence because they know the truth,” said Conway during a CNN appearance. They know he’s guilty. And they don’t want to hear the evidence because they don’t want the American public to see it too,” he went on.
It’s unlikely Conway’s words alone will be enough to convince the collectively spineless GOP to straighten up and do what’s right. These senators are more worried about alienating MAGA voters than upholding the foundations of our democracy. That said, the more men like Conway speak up about what’s going on, the more the American people will realize Republicans are holding nothing more than a sham trial.
Conservative lawyer George Conway on GOP treatment of the impeachment trial: “What are they afraid of? …That's the thing that I find most disturbing about it, is they don't want to hear the evidence because they know the truth. They know he's guilty.” https://t.co/IGr2Hy8bff pic.twitter.com/1c4WJ3Iyta — CNN (@CNN) January 22, 2020
Conservative lawyer George Conway says the impeachment trial is “a very specific day of reckoning” for Republicans. “Are they going to stand for lies instead of truth? Are they going to stand for gaslighting instead of reality?” https://t.co/Z6hbnHQuWR pic.twitter.com/MnOUedpPbO — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) January 22, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-22--Show trial: Senate Republicans swiftly kill three subpoenas for more evidence in Trump impeachment

After three long years and a litany of crimes later , the seemingly inevitable impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump has finally begun .
Yet what should be a moment of triumph for justice and the rule of law in this country is clouded by a pall of impotent frustration and resignation as the nation slowly grapples with the realization that all the evidence in the world could not change the predetermined outcome .
The beginning of the trial today saw the president ’ s lawyers put on the same kind of preposterous dog-and-pony show that we ’ ve seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s myriad misdeeds : bluster , huffy pearl-clutching indignance , a wild abuse of the truth and the mainstreaming of dark web conspiracy theories .
Trump lawyers Sekulow and Ciopollone ridiculously accused the Democrats of violating the Constitution , steamed about the sanctity of executive privilege ( which the president has not claimed ) and complained that the House had not allowed their subpoenas to be subject to judicial review even though the Trump administration had previously argued that federal courts had no constitutional ability to rule on congressional subpoenas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that “ what had taken place in these proceedings is not to be confused with due process.
” Due process begins with the reasonable expectation that the arguments and evidence presented in the trial will be taken into consideration when determining the outcome , but so far Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel has made it clear that there is nothing that will stop him and his caucus from acquitting the President .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Senate Republican have refused to allow Democrats to subpoena any documents from the State Department .
They then defeated the next two amendments calling for more evidence and witness testimony and at the time of writing are preparing to defeat the motion to interview Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney .
It ’ s obvious that McConnell wants to be done with this trial as quickly as possible so he can get back to machine-gunning right-wing psychopaths into the federal judiciary and entrenching the right-wing ’ s pernicious hold on our judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major existential crisis for the United States and our system of government as a whole , the utter breakdown of rule of law and the shattering of faith in our government institutions .
What are we to make of a group of legislators who represent a tiny proportion of the population that violate their oaths the minute they utter the last word without any sort of consequence ?
How are we supposed to just casually walk into the next election knowing that the members of one of our two parties will simply refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them ?
That facts and evidence apparently no longer carry any weight in the United States Senate ?
We ’ ve already seen Mitch McConnell steal one Supreme Court seat out from under President Obama ’ s nose , and now we ’ re about to watch a going-through-the-motions show trial that would have impressed Stalin with its cynical efficiency .
The United States Senate is fundamentally broken , and we can not afford to have this partisan gridlock make a mockery of our institutions and obstruct justice any longer .
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take drastic action to finally strip Mitch McConnell of the power he ’ s abused for so long — and to make sure that he and his cronies don ’ t use the same tactics to impeach the next Democrat .
What do you think ?

After three long years and a litany of crimes later, the seemingly inevitable impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump has finally begun. Yet what should be a moment of triumph for justice and the rule of law in this country is clouded by a pall of impotent frustration and resignation as the nation slowly grapples with the realization that all the evidence in the world could not change the predetermined outcome.
The beginning of the trial today saw the president’s lawyers put on the same kind of preposterous dog-and-pony show that we’ve seen at every single Congressional hearing related to Trump’s myriad misdeeds: bluster, huffy pearl-clutching indignance, a wild abuse of the truth and the mainstreaming of dark web conspiracy theories.
Trump lawyers Sekulow and Ciopollone ridiculously accused the Democrats of violating the Constitution, steamed about the sanctity of executive privilege (which the president has not claimed) and complained that the House had not allowed their subpoenas to be subject to judicial review even though the Trump administration had previously argued that federal courts had no constitutional ability to rule on congressional subpoenas.
However, Sekulow was correct when he said that “what had taken place in these proceedings is not to be confused with due process.” Due process begins with the reasonable expectation that the arguments and evidence presented in the trial will be taken into consideration when determining the outcome, but so far Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel has made it clear that there is nothing that will stop him and his caucus from acquitting the President.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
So far, in a straight party-line vote, the Senate Republican have refused to allow Democrats to subpoena any documents from the State Department. They then defeated the next two amendments calling for more evidence and witness testimony and at the time of writing are preparing to defeat the motion to interview Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.
53-47, Senate votes along party lines to kill Schumer amendment to subpoena State Department documents — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2020
Senate Republicans vote to scuttle amendment seeking OMB documents on Ukraine aid being withheld, 53-47. Third straight document vote defeated by GOP. Also the Senate finished that vote in about five minutes. Next up: 30-minute dinner break, and a vote on Mulvaney — Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 22, 2020
It’s obvious that McConnell wants to be done with this trial as quickly as possible so he can get back to machine-gunning right-wing psychopaths into the federal judiciary and entrenching the right-wing’s pernicious hold on our judiciary for a generation.
Under the revised McConnell rules, it’s possible Trump could be acquitted by Friday the 31st if there’s not majority support for a subpoena for witnesses and documents. — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2020
This represents a major existential crisis for the United States and our system of government as a whole, the utter breakdown of rule of law and the shattering of faith in our government institutions.
What are we to make of a group of legislators who represent a tiny proportion of the population that violate their oaths the minute they utter the last word without any sort of consequence?
How are we supposed to just casually walk into the next election knowing that the members of one of our two parties will simply refuse to obey the rules whenever it suits them? That facts and evidence apparently no longer carry any weight in the United States Senate?
We’ve already seen Mitch McConnell steal one Supreme Court seat out from under President Obama’s nose, and now we’re about to watch a going-through-the-motions show trial that would have impressed Stalin with its cynical efficiency. The United States Senate is fundamentally broken, and we cannot afford to have this partisan gridlock make a mockery of our institutions and obstruct justice any longer.
The next Democratic President is going to need to take drastic action to finally strip Mitch McConnell of the power he’s abused for so long — and to make sure that he and his cronies don’t use the same tactics to impeach the next Democrat.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts