Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Disagreements are healthy; personal attacks are not.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Everybody saw this coming.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

You are here: Home / Politics / Impeachment / Count 1

Reader Interactions

132Comments

  4. 4.

    Feathers

    Woo Hoo!!!

    Realizing I should have gone up to New Hampshire to buy some fireworks to celebrate with. Will tell everyone I would have, but didn’t want to scare the dogs.

  6. 6.

    dmsilev

    A brief moment to thank Tulsi Gabbard for very visibly showing us who she is. Not much doubt, to be sure, even before her brave “present” vote, but dramatic clarity is always nice.

  9. 9.

    TriassicSands

    Tulsi Gabbard votes “No” on Article 1. I think that is what they just said.

    They switched the vote totals several times — present to no. ???

  12. 12.

    dmsilev

    Republicans are noticeably slower casting their votes than Democrats. More than twice as many still to go on their side even though they’re in the minority by a lot.

  13. 13.

    Yarrow

    I love that Nancy Smash is wearing black and looking very serious. She’s knows how serious this is.

    @dmsilev: Nothing but a Russian asset with the charge of causing chaos and splitting the Democratic party.

  16. 16.

    Elizabelle

    The FTF NYTimes has gotten a little bit stronger in its headline, which is barely a banner.  (FWIW, the Miami Herald had nothing up a few minutes ago.)

    TRUMP IMPEACHED FOR ABUSE OF POWER

  19. 19.

    chopper

    i got a pic of cspan going over 216. got the kids to watch it and everything, they hate trump with a passion i can’t match.

  27. 27.

    Mike in NC

    If only they held off impeachment until Christmas Eve. Something special to savor the next day.

  28. 28.

    Gemina13

    This is an early Christmas gift.  I can’t wait to get home and celebrate with my SO.  There’s a long way to go, but at least we’re over the first hurdle.

  29. 29.

    scav

    Needed and needs to be on the record.

    Well, ok, I’d like it tattooed on their faces, but that’s personal.

  37. 37.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I’m feeling so nervous, i have to distract myself.

    When you have a low day, get back to me.  I peaked under the hood of the comment by Joel Hanes to see how he got the different font. I think you were trying for that the other day, weren’t you?

  38. 38.

    TriassicSands

    @GaryK:

    But then they switched the present to no and back again??? They seemed unsure how she voted.

    Present would be the “courageous” vote. Maybe her vote reflects the ambivalence of Putin.

    I amended my original comment,but the edit time had expired.

  39. 39.

    Elizabelle

    When does this go to the Senate?  How long can House leaders hold it in the House?

    A delay sounds like it would benefit us, not Team Mitch.

  40. 40.

    delk

    Ha! Hey Donald, welcome to the first sentence in all future biographies. Kids not born yet will only know you for being impeached.

  41. 41.

    Yarrow

    Rick Santorum is doing his best to make this a good thing for Republicans but even he knows it’s weak sauce.

  42. 42.

    Mnemosyne

    Hooray! ??

    Now we wait for the trolls to whine about it taking too long, going too fast, or whatever today’s talking point from Moscow is.

  43. 43.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: I have been wondering the same thing. I like this talk of not passing it to the senate yet, where they have already announced that it will be basically DOA.

    I still cannot believe that there is this many people in office who care not one whit about their country.

  46. 46.

    Immanentize

    I have a media campaign to be aimed at the Senate (and all voters):
    “Vote for President Pence.”

  47. 47.

    seefleur

    Jared Golden, from Maine 2nd District (mine) voted yes on the first article and no on the second. He’s dead to me, and to Stephen King (yes, THAT Stephen King) because of this. Between Jared and Susan Collins (Jared worked for her at one time in the not so distant past – shoulda been a HUGE tell), the Maine 2nd District is going to have a heavy load to turn back the GOP assholes. I cringe for my state falling for their shit “concerns”.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    If someone finds a video of Adam Schiff at the end, please post it here.  I don’t know how you guys find that stuff so quickly.

  49. 49.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @dmsilev: Jared Golden, he announced it last night

    Stephen King‏Verified account @StephenKing Dec 17

    If my congressman, Jared Golden, votes for only one article of impeachment, I will work with all my might to see him defeated next year.

    I imagine Stephen King has enough money to make life very complicated for a congressman, though I’d rather he spent it on Collins. Let the backbench nonentity remain a backbench nonentity

  50. 50.

    Yarrow

    @WaterGirl:  I don’t think Pelosi and Dems can wait too long or it’ll be playing games. They can probably wait until after the holidays though.

  51. 51.

    BruceFromOhio

    36 NV? Fucking two-bit ratfuck spineless criminals are spineless.

    Own it you twats, cuz we’re about to wrap it round your pale skinny necks and drag you through the electorate with it.

  52. 52.

    zhena gogolia

    Okay, I have to tranquilize myself with a Perry Mason episode.
    I didn’t see each and every speech, but of the ones I saw, Waters, Lewis, Schakowsky, and of course Schiff were standouts. I have to try to find the part where Hoyer mentioned the 65 million people who voted for Clinton.

  54. 54.

    Mnemosyne

    @WaterGirl:

    I’m not even close to being the first person to point this out, but they think that allying with Putin IS saving our country for white supremacy. Maintaining white supremacy is more important to them than anything else, including being a world power.

    They want the United States to continue to be dominated by white men, and they will do ANYTHING to make that happen.

  56. 56.

    Another Scott

    @WaterGirl: Hoyer said in an earlier story today that they were still talking about the timing, but it probably wouldn’t be held up too long because there’s a bunch of other stuff that has to get done before the end of the year. So, I’d guess a day or few, but not a week.

    Clinton was impeached on December 19, 1998 and it apparently went to the Senate very quickly. But the Senate trial did not start until January 7, 1999. I would expect a similar time frame this time around even if Moscow Mitch wants to try to rush the outcome.

    We’ll see.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  59. 59.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    Love it. Impeached in prime time – live on all the networks

    *CHEF’S KISS

  60. 60.

    Tazj

    I got a kick out of Pelosi holding her hand out and giving a stern look to those who cheered after she announced the impeachment votes, and the cheering immediately stopped.

  63. 63.

    Another Scott

    We seem to be hammering the poor server at Balloon-Juice Intergalactic Headquarters tonight.  (I’m seeing lots of timeouts and Cloudflare screens.)

    Fingers crossed…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  67. 67.

    TriassicSands

    @delk: 
    Not quite true.

    Trump will be the consensus choice of worst president in history (unless the American people continue their idiocy and elect someone even worse. Sadly, there are many Republicans who could qualify. And the people — mostly white people — aren’t getting any smarter.

  68. 68.

    Marcopolo

    @Baud:I think Gabbard’s two present votes pretty much encapsulates her entire career.

    I’d bet that the rationale for her to vote present was something like “I’m going to be primaried out in 2020 no matter how I vote tonight and I am gonna need a job and Fox is going to have an opening for someone just like me so I better not fuck it up by voting to impeach Trump.”

    Will be glad to be rid of her and Jeff Van Drew (even if his district flips back to R).

  74. 74.

    PJ

    Tulsi put out a statement that she voted “present” to both counts because the proceeding was not “bipartisan”.  LOL.  She can put her “present” vote at the top of her CV when she applies for her job with Fox in 2021.

  80. 80.

    TriassicSands

    @Baud:
    Honestly, I think it’s a tie. All Republicans + Gabbard + 3 other Democrats (with NJ’s Drew getting a special nod for his abject cowardice and total lack of integrity, which will stand him in good stead in his new home in the Trump Cult).

  82. 82.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    interesting…

    Tom Nichols @ RadioFreeTom
    4m4 minutes ago
    Trump announced the impeachment vote and then Fox immediately cut away from him.

    and the Republican leadership cancelled their press conference, I guess they’re having trouble with their messaging

  83. 83.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: What does that mean exactly? I know what it would mean typically, but surely Nancy P wouldn’t have brought the vote if she wasn’t sure how it was going to come out.

    Or maybe “whipped” means that they pushed people to vote a certain way?  So in that sense, she wouldn’t have whipped because she let people vote their conscience.

  90. 90.

    Elizabelle

    Nancy at presser: But right now, the President is impeached.

    She says her team will make the decision jointly on when to send articles over to the Senate.

    Good.  Slow it dowwwwwn.

    It seems the press is haranguing her about when the articles go over.

  91. 91.

    WaterGirl

    We apparently have a rogue plugin.  I will find out later tonight or tomorrow which one it was.

  95. 95.

    ThresherK

    @Tazj:  This is like the end of Old Yeller: It’s a necessary, but not gleeful, action which needs to be performed on an infected lifeform.

  96. 96.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: Yeah, I want the Ds to slow it WAY down, now that the vote is taken.  Let the Dumpster marinate in Impeachment for awhile, before the Rs can shove it into a deep hole in the senate.

    And fuck the press. It’s all a game, ratings and clicks to far too many of them.

  100. 100.

    Gin & Tonic

    WSJ reporting that Bill Taylor, acting Ambassador to Ukraine, was asked to pack his things and leave Kyiv before Pompeo visits in January.

    Trying to think of how unprecedented that is – SoS asks that an Ambassador he appointed remove himself from a country before said SoS pays an official visit.

  101. 101.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Daniel Dale:

    I amend my early assessment: this is an unusually bitter speech even for a Trump rally speech.

    Trump makes an aggrieved face while doing his usual complaint about how he is more elite than the elite: “Oh really? I went to better schools. We won’t talk about homes, even though your homes are nicer.”

    I love it when he wants to brag about how rich he is then he remembers his most fevered supporters probably don’t have gold-plated crappers and maids like the ones who fill his tic-tags boxes and lay out his makeup in the morning

  102. 102.

    Mike in DC

    @Elizabelle: 
    Withhold the articles until a “substantive trial process” is agreed to in the Senate. Put Trump’s “exoneration” he must desperately crave on hold until they get some concessions on witnesses and documents.

  103. 103.

    Elizabelle

    @ThresherK:  Old Yeller. Old Orange. Infected lifeform, but it’s the Republican party — the vast majority of Congress — and not just Old Orange.

    Sad!

  104. 104.

    WaterGirl

    @Gin & Tonic:

    WSJ reporting that Bill Taylor, acting Ambassador to Ukraine, was asked to pack his things and leave Kyiv before Pompeo visits in January.

    That makes me want to scream.  IIRC, Bill Taylor exacted certain assurances before he would agree to step it, and now they have completely disrespected him.

  108. 108.

    Elizabelle

    @Gin & Tonic:   Well then.  I am just going to hope that Pompeo is out as Secretary of State before he ever gets to Kyiv in January.

    Booting William Taylor.  How fucking cowardly.

  110. 110.

    Elizabelle

    @Mike in DC:  I would love that some of these Senators announcing in advance they will never vote to convict (looking at you, Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell) get told that they cannot participate because they’re not taking their constitutional duty seriously enough.  You would never seat a juror that proclaimed that, in advance of the trial.  I would love if John Roberts insisted on that.

    A girl can dream.

  111. 111.

    TriassicSands

    @Elizabelle: 
    They should delay sending the Articles to the Senate and open impeachment hearings on obstruction of justice (Russia) and the emoluments clause. Why give Mitch a toy for him to break? Make him wait.

  112. 112.

    Edmund Dantes

    @Baud: yep. It means they weren’t out there pressuring Dems to vote a certain way by threatening to take away plum assignments or other incentives.

  114. 114.

    LeftCoastYankee

    Delurking to chime in:

    I think Pelosi’s approach was perfect for the circumstances, today was a brave day, a sad day and a hopeful day.

    A strong toast is in order before the next fight. Cheers all!

  117. 117.

    sab

    @Kathleen: Today’s Perry Mason episodes are so old that Paul Drake still has dark hair. I was alive when it first ran but I don’t think my family had a tv yet.

  119. 119.

    Elizabelle

    @Gin & Tonic: 

    What’s word for zero in Ukraine? Yes. And this might put more steel in the spines of those resisting Trump, Pompeo etc. at State and within the intelligence community.

    Moar leaks. Dump on Pompeo and Trump, as hard as they can.

  123. 123.

    J R in WV

    @WaterGirl: 

    I’ve been a little teary this evening as well. Amazing to watch.

    Wife and I watched the wire services pushing the news on the night of the Nixon “Saturday Night Massacre” a very long time ago. Now this. Amazing.

    For this comment, a reply to you, I landed on a HTML text tab only, no “WYSIWYG” visual tab available at all. Usual Linux Firefox setup you’ve seen from me before…

  125. 125.

    mdblanche

    @BruceFromOhio: 

    36 NV? Fucking two-bit ratfuck spineless criminals are spineless.

    Own it you twats, cuz we’re about to wrap it round your pale skinny necks and drag you through the electorate with it.

    If the spineless twats really believed a word of what they’ve said they would be thrilled to own it. Proud to own it. Instead they drop it like a ticking bomb and try to slink away. It shows what they really think but I can’t imagine anybody who’s going to be impressed by their gutless display.

  126. 126.

    ...now I try to be amused

    In the end there were only 3 Not Voted: Serrano (D), Hunter (R), and Shimkus (R). Gabbard voted Present, as was noted earlier.

  130. 130.

    cmorenc

    The upside for Donald Trump from this impeachment vote is that he finally won a majority in a fair election.

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