We Don’t Know How to Quit Ya

 The GQP made what is likely to be a costly decision to let Trump off the hook.

The dust has settled on Donald Trump’s record breaking 2^nd impeachment trial, and the Monday morning quarterbacking, recriminations and speculation about the political future for both parties expectedly began. 

For his part, the former president by a vote of 57-43 was found guilty of the impeachment charge of “inciting an insurrection” for the deadly January 6 assault on the Capitol and democracy, but because of the Constitution’s requirement that two-thirds of the Senate is needed to remove and disqualify, Trump wriggled off the hook.

Keep in mind, if you win or lose and election by a 57 percent to 43 percent margin, that would be considered a landslide by many. So Trump’s feeling so good about the result or believing he was exonerated is absurd. The failure to convict was largely accomplished based on a technicality that Republicans believed or they say they believed that a former president cannot be impeached and removed from office despite historical precedent. That was the off-ramp for 43 Republicans including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump issued a statement that said the impeachment was “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country” and that “no president has ever gone through anything like it.”

Trump is correct on the second part. No president has gone through anything like this because no president ever welcomed and accepted help from a foreign country to win an election (2016) and obstructed justice in the attempt to get to the bottom of it. No president ever pressured the leader of a foreign country in order to obtain dirt on his potential opponent, which happened in the lead-up to the 2020 election.

And no president ever incited a mob to breach, loot and defile the Capitol and to threaten the safety of the second and third people in the line of succession as well as other legislators and staff, and to kill one and injure over 140 police officers attempting to thwart the violent domestic terrorism that was unfolding. Moreover, Trump did nothing to stop the insurrection while it was underway and gleefully watched on TV as the rioters succeeded, at least temporarily, in halting the certification of Electoral College tallies.

The nine House Managers led by Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland were spectacular, compelling and proficient in laying out the case in a clear precise manner. The evidence had been overwhelming as was the video footage of police officers being beaten to a pulp by the Trump insurrectionists. (What happened to Blue Lives Matter?)

It was a decisive victory of fact presentation and style over the G team – the 7^th team of lawyers to defend Trump in this battle. This latest group mirrored Trump: incompetent, clownish and lying.

But the ever-shrinking GQP, a party that decidedly supports a congresswoman who ascribes to QAnon conspiracy theories, punishes competent representatives who vote their conscience and one that censures senators who vote according to facts and evidence, is still hitched to the Trump wagon.

Lindsey Graham, a senator who has lost all what remains of his credibility said after the Senate trial, “The Republican Party is alive and well.” Really?

Following the bloody insurrection, the attempted coup to overthrow our government by preventing the peaceful transfer of power—the hallmark of our democracy—the party lost tens of thousands of registered voters across the land. Unless you’re a hard core Trump loyalist, most people from both parties were sickened by the events of January 6—the third day of infamy for the U.S.

Yet, the Trump base is what Republican politicians must covet and fear to successfully ward off primary challenges as the base comprises the most reliable voters in primaries. McConnell doesn’t want any part of Trump but had to vote to acquit lest he lose his leadership position. His speech following the vote twisted him into a knot by condemning Trump in no uncertain terms for the January 6 coup attempt but used the escape hatch of “jurisdiction” as a means to justify his not guilty vote despite the Senate’s vote that rendered jurisdiction on a non-issue.

Always savvy and calculating, McConnell suggested that Trump is not out of the woods legally, which is true. But I think McConnell is trying to set a trap whereby the new Attorney General, most likely Merrick Garland, would be encouraged to investigate Trump for federal violations. If that were to occur, McConnell would cry “Democrat overreach” for investigating a former president and will fund raise and rally the GQP troops off of it.

Democrats must seize upon the Republicans’ failure to quit Trump even after the egregious January 6 event and the blatant lies Trump used over a period of months to whip his white nationalists, militia, QAnon and other components of his base into a frenzy. By no means, was the insurrection a surprise.

January 6 and Trump’s escape from any real punishment so far will not help expand the party and win over suburban and college educated voters. A break from Trump was needed by the party, but the lawmakers who supported Trump by choosing convenience over conscience will pay a steep price.

They didn’t know how to quit him, and they still don’t.

The False Equivalence of 'Whataboutism'

On January 12, 2021, President Donald Trump was impeached for the second time in a year. On this occasion it was for inciting an insurrection. By becoming the only president to have been impeached twice, Trump has cemented his place in history as the worst president ever. Regardless of the outcome in the Senate, this action makes it official.

The capturing of 10 Republican votes in the House vote on the single article of impeachment renders it the most bi-partisan impeachment ever. But to listen to the other Republicans oppose the action, they were unable or unwilling to defend the president on the merits but offered an absurd dose of “whataboutism.”

Some Republicans used the Black Lives Matter marches and disturbances from this past summer as an equivalent of the violence Trump incited. Several days earlier Marco Rubio noted, “The events that we saw this week should sicken every single one of us ... Riots should be rejected by everyone, every single time,” he said. “Now, are the left hypocrites? Absolutely. I remember what they now are calling ‘insurrection,’ they were justifying just this summer.”  

Let’s look at some of the differences.

The BLM marches crossed racial lines and were a reaction to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. He held his knee on the throat of the unarmed Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as the victim begged him to stop. At the time this was the most graphic incident of a police officer killing an unarmed Black person as footage later released provided the horrors of the act.

Similar incidents have occurred for decades around the country. The means to carry out the deaths may be different but not the results.

In cities all over the U.S. and countries around the world, people demonstrated peacefully by marching to demand police reform and justice. Yes, some criminal elements broke ranks and burned and looted property. But contrary to the assertions made by congressional Republicans during the impeachment debate, Democrats did condemn the violence associated with these marches, especially Joe Biden who did so emphatically on multiple occasions.

Unlike the domestic terrorists spurred on by Donald Trump, the protesters during the BLM marches did not attempt to illegally breach and destroy the Capitol building in Washington. They did not target lawmakers or any individuals during the demonstrations. They did not come armed to the teeth to include pipe bombs, guns of all types, poles, bats, pipes, hockey sticks, knives, zip ties and other weaponry.  They did not dress in military-style uniforms and head gear looking for combat. And if they had, I doubt the BLM would have been treated by police with the same deference as Trump’s mob.

Unlike the mostly white, anti-Semitic and racist insurrectionists, the BLM protesters did not try to overthrow the government by attempting to prevent the orderly and peaceful certification of -the Electoral College results. Unlike Trump’s frothing-at-the-mouth rabid followers, the BLM protesters did not go headhunting for Vice President Pence and Speaker Pelosi. They did not chant “Hang Mike Pence” and erect a gallows in front of the Capitol to finish the job.

Moreover, the BLM protesters did not bludgeon a policeman to death as was done by those who push the Blue Lives Matter mantra.

The biggest difference of all is that the BLM protesters were reacting to systemic racism present in our cities’ police forces while the Trump insurrectionists were acting on the big lie that the election was stolen. So remorseful was Trump that he was enjoying all the action at the Capitol with a smirk and satisfied that people were fighting for him.

Republicans are desperate not to leave the good graces of Trump and his cult-like followers to even try to compare these two events. Someone tell me how a seditious coup attempt that resulted in five deaths and much destruction to the citadel of democracy is equivalent to stealing a box of Pampers from a store.

How Dems Could Win From Impeachment Trial

House  managers walking articles of impeachment to the Senate
Photo: Axios

Spoiler Alert: President Donald Trump will not be removed from office as a result the upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate. Nonetheless, if they play their cards with skill and determination, the Democrats could come out winners politically.

As we experience the third time in history that a U.S. President has been impeached, Trump has now assembled his made-for-TV lawyers to defend him in the Senate trial. Too bad Matlock and Perry Mason are unavailable because for Trump it’s all about the show. On one hand Trump wanted a quick dismissal. On the other hand he sought a theatrical display whereby he is completely exonerated and will blame the radical angry Democrats for wasting everyone’s time. At this point we still don’t know what he wants.  

For their part, the Democrats, need to be key players in the show as well. With the outcome a near certainty, the charge for the Democrats is to get their messaging on point to win the political battle—no easy task with the messaging skills of Trump, Trump TV, and his sycophantic supporters in Congress and beyond.

Trump and his cheerleaders have repeatedly labeled the impeachment a hoax. Democrats should continue to shoot back saying that his own phone call to Ukrainian’s President Zelensky plus the credible testimony by foreign service and other professionals point directly to a shakedown of the Ukrainian government by withholding nearly $400 million in military aid in exchange for announcing an investigation into Hunter Biden and by extension his father Joe Biden—a leading contender to oust President Trump in November.

While each senator swore an oath of impartiality, public comments by McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham declared just the opposite. This is a strong talking point for Dems to use to declare the trial was never going to be fair from the outset.

Armed with a mountain of evidence that is credible and clear, Trump has been charged by the House of Representatives in two articles of impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.  The question looming prior to the trial is will Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republican minions allow witnesses and documentation as part of a trial.

If there is a deal whereby key witnesses, such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s henchman Lev Parnas are allowed to testify, their testimony could be explosive. Never mind that Vice President Pence, Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are also key witnesses who could potentially be damaging to the president as they would testify under oath.  It should be noted that Trump had exerted executive privilege in blocking these characters from testifying at congressional committee hearings.

If the Republicans manage to win a vote that prevents fact witnesses and documentation, Democrats should (and probably will) declare the trial a sham and rightfully accuse the Republicans of being willing players in a massive cover-up. The Dems should exploit this to the hilt and wreak havoc on vulnerable senators up for re-election should they be a party to this act.

Trump’s defense team denounced the impeachment case stating, “The articles of impeachment submitted by House Democrats are a dangerous attack on the right of the American people to freely choose their president. This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election, now just months away.”

The U.S. Senate: the scene of the impeachment trial

This is a paper thin argument and does not bode well for Trump if this is the best his dream team can come up with. For one thing, the impeachment is not taking the right away from the American people to freely choose their president. Of course, Russia’s indisputable (except by Trump and his allies) interference in the 2016 election must have been forgotten.  

Secondly, the action by the House is far from “unlawful.”  Impeachment is enshrined in the Constitution (Article I, Sections 2-4,)—a document that Trump never read and now I have my doubts about his legal team as well.

Moreover, if Trump was actually removed, the election would not have been overturned. Vice President Mike Pence would succeed him in office, not Hillary Clinton.

We are hearing rumors that the defense team may stipulate to the facts in the articles and instead try to convince the 100-person jury (the Senate) and the American people that what Trump did does not meet the threshold of impeachment and removal.  Trump, however, will not have any of it.  Under no circumstances will he allow his defense to admit that the famous call to Zelensky was anything but “perfect.”  Look for a shake-up of the team should that stipulation materializes.

Barring a development of nuclear proportions, Trump will remain in office after this proceeding.  This is all about the 2020 election now. For Democrats, the mission is to zealously prosecute the case and remind voters that the president put our national security on the back burner in order to gain a political advantage in the upcoming election.

They need to pound the message home that Republicans again put devotion to their party and their fealty to Trump above the national interests. The Dems need to emphasize, regardless of the outcome, that nobody is above the law and our democracy is at stake.

If they do this right, the Democrats can win even by losing.

A Way Out for Trump

Image: Daily Kos

Let’s stipulate that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Donald Trump and/or his campaign successfully confirms that they cooperated with Russian officials to influence the 2016 election. A complex labyrinth of contacts with the Russians, documents, witnesses, emails, plea bargaining by key Trump campaign operatives, and other evidence make it an air-tight case that could lead to indictments for criminal wrongdoing.

This is not limited to colluding and conspiring with the Russians.  Trump’s past business dealings and possible money laundering with shady players including Russian oligarchs and Mafia-connected characters could bring criminal charges.  #hocopolitics

The powerful Mueller team is slowly tightening the screws on Trump and his family as key witnesses, such as Gen. Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos are ready to flip in the investigation if they haven’t already. It is not looking good for President Trump, Donald, Jr., Jared Kushner, and others close to the top.

As the day of reckoning approaches (and that can be over a year away given the complexity of the investigation), Trump must move out of his state of denial and face reality.  Of course, he can have the acting Attorney General fire Mueller and consequently end the investigation before the findings are revealed.  The backlash from the country’s citizens would be so fierce and potent that even a Republican-led Congress would move to impeach the President for obstruction of justice, which such a firing would certainly be.

Image: Salon.com

If the findings by Mueller are damning as I expect them to be, articles of impeachments will be filed and should the Democrats re-take the House in 2018 as is quite possible given today’s political environment, Congress will almost certainly proceed.

There is a way out for Trump, though unlikely, given his ego, propensity for lying, and pride, and that is a mea culpa prior to Mueller’s release of the investigation’s findings.  What Trump values most is not his presidency but his brand, his business, and his family.  Clearly all would take a hit should he come clean and admit wrongdoing, but he and/or family members and top associates could avoid prison time.  It’s a long shot, but here goes.

Trump addresses the nation from whichever White House he calls home (where the TV ratings would be huuuge—another incentive for him) and could say the following:

My Fellow Americans,

As you know I have been the subject of a long, tedious and expensive investigation. This is contrary to what I’ve been told all along that I was not under investigation.  I come before you to announce that my attorneys have been in negotiations with Special Counsel Robert Mueller for some time in an attempt to spare the country from this distraction, which prevents us from moving forward with our agenda to make America great again for which the people elected me to implement. Accordingly, we have made a deal.

Before I discuss that, I want to admit that members of my campaign staff and with my approval indeed cooperated with Russian representatives to obtain information on Hillary Clinton to damage her during the election.  This was accomplished by hacking into various emails to get compromising information. 

In addition, I was aware that Russia was using social media to spread damaging fake news about her in the hope that Democrats already bitter from the primaries would either stay home or vote for me.  Several states that voted for Barack Obama wound up voting for me and that gave me the Electoral College victory.  They included Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Here’s the thing:  I didn’t expect the Russian involvement to turn into such a big deal.  Early on, members of my campaign were approached by Russian officials to play mischief with Hillary.  No one expected me to win. 

I shouldn’t have won the Republican nomination against a field of experienced politicians but I did so.  There was no way I should have defeated Hillary with the big Democratic machine behind her with money and organization and everything else in her favor. 

So we accepted the Russian help as a lark, figuring, what the hell; I’m not going to win anyway and would have some fun trying.  Once we got involved with them, it grew out of control.  I eventually won and it surprised me.  I kept denying the collusion and I apologize for my misleading statements.

As a result of the agreement with Mr. Mueller and his team, I will step down as President of the United States effective tomorrow and plead guilty to an array of charges including obstruction of justice that I will not go into at this time.  Mr. Mueller agreed to drop any further legal action against me and my family.

I am sorry for any inconvenience and your loss of trust in me from this activity but it is best for the country that I take this action now. Please give Vice President Mike Pence your fullest support when he assumes the presidency.

God bless you and the United States of America.

This is not a likely scenario to say the least given Trump’s aversion to admitting anything but it does give him a way out.  Democrats would be ecstatic.  Republicans would be relieved. The world would rejoice.  And Trump can go back to the thing he loves more than anything—his never ending quest to make lots of money. 

Hold off on Impeachment

The latest attempt is ill-timed and ill-advised.

Six Democrats on November 15 signed a resolution to introduce five articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. According to Politico, They “charge that Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey; that he has violated the Constitution’s emoluments clause by continuing to frequent and profit from his businesses; and that he has undermined the federal judiciary and freedom of the press.”  #hocopolitics

A Republican House Judiciary Committee aide said in response, “Under the Constitution, impeachment is an extraordinary remedy to remove certain elected officials from office who have committed high crimes and misdemeanors. It’s the policy of the committee to consider impeachment articles if and when the constitutional criteria for impeachment exist.”

For those Democrats, this may have been a cathartic move for their constituents or the 40 percent of the country that would want to see the president impeached. 

Moreover, California billionaire and Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer has launched an impeachment drive and is demanding that every Democratic candidate make impeachment the centerpiece of their 2018 campaign.

Trump “is a threat to the American people,” Steyer said last week in an interview with ABC News. “Why aren’t people willing to stand up and say that? I don't understand it.”

Democratic leadership has put the kibosh on that. “I’m not making [impeachment] a priority,” Pelosi told LA Times columnist Doyle McManus last week. “If you're going to go down the impeachment path, you have to know you can do it not in a partisan way.”

Democrats may want an impeachment effort to go forward but independents aren’t on board yet.  A Politico/Morning Consult Poll this month found that although 40 percent of voters believe the House should begin impeachment proceedings, 49 percent disagree.

While many in the country see Trump as unfit for office and a national embarrassment—his mental instability, incessant lying, lack of intellectual grasp of policy, unqualified appointments to the cabinet and judiciary, the nepotism in the administration, his affection for world despots especially Russian president Putin, his unhinged obsessions with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and, of course, his childish and his reckless tweets—the impeachment process must meet a high standard, and proponents of impeachment should systematically try to gain bi-partisan support for it to work. Pelosi is correct.

Democrats do not control either body of Congress, and while most Democrats and a good number of Republicans would prefer that Trump not remain in office, nothing will come of an impeachment effort now.  To be sure, Republicans are terrified of ticking off Trump’s base and would like nothing more than to avoid a Bannon-led primary to unseat them. Therefore, you can’t count on them.

If Democrats make impeachment the focus of their 2018 campaigns without offering a positive rationale for voters to support their own candidacies, all they will accomplish is bringing out the Trumpsters to the polls in droves as their loyalty to him though faltering slightly is still strong. It would accurately appear as a politically partisan effort.  This would compromise the Dems’ efforts to regain control of the House, if not the Senate.

The dilemma of whether to impeach or not to impeach should find a solution with the Robert Mueller probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, possible collusion with the Trump campaign to aid that effort, and obstruction of justice among other criminal charges to Trump’s associates and even his family members if not the president himself.

Mr. Mueller, one of the most highly respected (and feared) prosecutors in the country, is methodically building a case so strong that it will shake the world.  When the findings are revealed—and they will be damning—only then will bi-partisan impeachment and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate be probable because the country will demand it. 

Of course, if Trump finds a way to fire Mueller beforehand, that is an impeachable offense in its own right.