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You are here: Home / Politics / Impeachment / Impeachment Trial – January 28, 2020

Impeachment Trial – January 28, 2020

by Cheryl Rofer|  January 28, 202012:56 pm| 45 Comments

This post is in: Impeachment, Live Blogging, Trump Crime Cartel

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Let’s see what kind of lies and smears the Republicans can come up with today. And whether they take note of John Bolton’s book. The commentary from lawyers yesterday on my Twitter feed was that a good lawyer incorporates new material into their argument. Once again, I probably won’t be watching most of it.

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Reader Interactions

45Comments

  1. 1.

    Anya

    January 28, 2020 at 12:59 pm

    I am surprised their whole argument was not “Obama did it!!!” Garbage president and his garbage hires. I just can’t…

  2. 2.

    RedDirtGirl

    January 28, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    Well, it’s slow at work right now, so I guess I’ll give it a try. Already have a headache brewing, though, so prolly won’t last long.

  3. 3.

    donnah

    January 28, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    I watched much of the House Team and thought they were brilliant. I managed to listen to some of the Republican response last night, but if ears could gag, mine would have. Dershowitz is a clown and I am not going to be able to listen to any of it today.

    Bolton’s info is key and having General Kelly state his support for Bolton adds to the weight of that.

    I don’t know how this goes forward, but I’m glad that the Democrats are standing firm and keeping their eyes on the prize.

  4. 4.

    RedDirtGirl

    January 28, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    Snore!

  5. 5.

    RedDirtGirl

    January 28, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    @donnah: Petty, but, hey, it’s balloon juice. Did you notice how ill-fitting Dershowitz’ suit was?

  6. 6.

    HalfAssedHomesteader

    January 28, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    “Let me tell you what Joe Biden did!…. [8 hours later] … and that’s why this is all Joe Biden’s fault.”

  7. 7.

    Anya

    January 28, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    When the time comes for senators to interrogate the lawyers, I hope one of the Dem senators has a list off all the brothers, spouses and children of senior adminatration officials and senators sitting on boards or financially benefiting from their relative’s position and to ask Trump’s lawyers, we didn’t Trump investigate any of them.

  8. 8.

    guachi

    January 28, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    Why is Philbin talking about things that aren’t part of this impeachment (bills of attainder and maladministration)?

    Trump is being impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of justice, two things well-established as reasons you can impeach a President.

  9. 9.

    HalfAssedHomesteader

    January 28, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    @donnah: Much of Dershowitz’s arguments were straw men and arguments from authority. The rest were just plain mischaracterizations of the facts.

  10. 10.

    Jeffro

    January 28, 2020 at 1:18 pm

    Somebody wake me just before the part where Colonel Jessup angrily admits he ordered the Code Red.

    Anyway, Republican Senators, sorry but we’re just not gonna let you have it both ways anymore. We’ve finally figured out how to hold YOU accountable for Mr. Innocent’s behavior, since you won’t do it.

  11. 11.

    Yutsano

    January 28, 2020 at 1:24 pm

    @Jeffro: “Kill them all. God will know His own”

  12. 12.

    Ruckus

    January 28, 2020 at 1:25 pm

    @Jeffro:

    Holding republican senators responsible might just be better. Two birds, one stone wise.

  13. 13.

    guachi

    January 28, 2020 at 1:27 pm

    Wow, Philbin continues to not be good.

    Claims the President has vast power in foreign policy and, therefore, can’t abuse power if he contradicts established US policy. Because US policy is whatever the President says.

    Completely misses the point (probably intentionally) that establishing that Trump was going against policy is a way to establish that Trump was working on his own and a political hit job against his opponent wasn’t US policy.

    He’s actually making the case against Trump – that it was TRUMP’S abuse of power and not that of the US Government as a whole.

  14. 14.

    sdhays

    January 28, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    @guachi: Having lots of power means not being able to abuse it.

  15. 15.

    RedDirtGirl

    January 28, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    I didn’t realize that Sekulow follows the Gym Jordan style of oratory.

  16. 16.

    hitchhiker

    January 28, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    Thanks for the commentary, jackals. I can’t bring myself to look today after a bad decision late last night to read Jonathan Turley’s turgid prose about the Dershowitz performance.

    I can accept that bad people win. I can’t accept that intelligent people debase themselves in public.

  17. 17.

    Marcopolo

    January 28, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    OT but not as OT as if I posted it in the pet calendar thread:

    HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP used a closed party meeting this morning to concede they are in the midst of a full-blown fundraising crisis, after the @DCCC outraised the @NRCC by $40 million in 2019. Individual Dem candidates are also smoking their Republican opponents.— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 28, 2020

    I’ve mentioned before that D fundraising in 2019 was robust. This is confirmation. I also want to note that having a bunch of well-resourced down ballot candidates/races is another great way to get folks to the polls on election day. If for some reason we wind up with a meh D Prez nominee (or at least they are someone who leaves you wanting), find a US Senate or House race, or a state senate or house race, or a local mayor or councilperson election where you really like the candidate and give them 110%.

  18. 18.

    Marcopolo

    January 28, 2020 at 1:54 pm

    Edited to delete a double post.  Weird.

    But I will also note that apparently the RNC is paying all the expenses for Trump’s impeachment defense team.  Glad to see the money going there instead of towards elections.

  19. 19.

    glory b

    January 28, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    @RedDirtGirl: See fellow Jackals? A fashion comment! The Mean Girls table wants to talk about these things!

  20. 20.

    zhena gogolia

    January 28, 2020 at 2:03 pm

    That Joni Ernst clip where she gloats about how this is hurting Biden makes me want to vomit.

    It has also made me go all in for Uncle Joe. He’s my candidate now. About to set up a monthly donation.

  21. 21.

    zhena gogolia

    January 28, 2020 at 2:03 pm

    @Anya:

    That would be nice. They seem to want to “go high” yet again, though.

  22. 22.

    rikyrah

    January 28, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    @Marcopolo:

     

    they still have $50 million unaccounted for from the Inauguration.

     

    but, yes, every dollar he can grift from them, they don’t spend on elections.

  23. 23.

    rikyrah

    January 28, 2020 at 2:06 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

     

    Biden needs to make Ernst his closing ad in Iowa.

  24. 24.

    the Conster

    January 28, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    Same.  There’s no way that they’re doing everything they can to dirty up Biden while coddling and promoting Bernie by playing this 11 dimensional chess.   Trump is a feral animal when it comes to sensing danger, and the threat to him is Biden/Obama coalition Dems.  GOPers have all the oppo they need to bury the socialist old fraud – he didn’t need to get another country to dig it up.

  25. 25.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 28, 2020 at 2:17 pm

    @rikyrah:

    Katy Tur on twitter:
    Voters at the Biden event say they saw this. “She gave it away,” one told me. “This is all about hurting Biden in the election.”

    Biden has really good ad people, hopefully they can figure out how to get this into thirty seconds

  26. 26.

    Frankensteinbeck

    January 28, 2020 at 2:17 pm

    @Marcopolo:

    That will be one Hell of a lot of election money thrown in the trash.  These people are insatiable grifters or they would not be here.

  27. 27.

    zhena gogolia

    January 28, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    @the Conster:

    Yep.

  28. 28.

    Z. Mulls

    January 28, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    It was weird hearing a Republican lawyer say “Democratic Leader Schumer” rather than “Democrat Leader”….they are slipping….

  29. 29.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    January 28, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    @sdhays:

    “Absolute power empowers me absolutely.” Pretty sure that’s how that goes.

  30. 30.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 28, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    @the Conster: I can’t find it now but somebody linked to a tweet this morning from the Daily Caller (Tucker Carlson) about how the “Democrat” Party is out to screw Bernie again

  31. 31.

    the Conster

    January 28, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    It’s not very subtle, but the Bros will nod their heads right along and agree with Tucker Carlson, Trump, Hugh Hewitt and Kevin McCarthy like it’s just another day in up is down Bernieworld.

  32. 32.

    Baud

    January 28, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Trump said the same thing in a tweet a few days ago.  Bernie won’t dispute just like he didn’t dispute it in 2016, so it’s a free attack on Dems for the GOP.

  33. 33.

    Kraux Pas

    January 28, 2020 at 3:02 pm

    @the Conster: It appears to me that they’re doing all this to ensure Biden is the nominee. They’re trying to provoke a defensive reaction from Democrats. The Iran assassination had the same goal. They wanted national security issues foremost in our brains.

     

    YMMV here tho

  34. 34.

    the Conster

    January 28, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    @Kraux Pas:

    My mileage does vary.  Trump self-impeached over fear of Biden, not Sanders.

  35. 35.

    Captain C

    January 28, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck: I would bet that a lot of them have a high burn rate for cash, and that a good chunk of that is for various bad decisions that they can’t get out from under (gambling, divorce due to some kind of bad behavior, a history of stupid large purchases, and so forth).  Specifics vary for each individual.

    It’s really not much different from the crew in Goodfellas, who had to keep stealing and committing other crimes in order to support their various bad habits and profligate lifestyles.

  36. 36.

    Captain C

    January 28, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    @Baud: I’m starting to think Wilmer might be a bit of a credulous narcissist.

  37. 37.

    Baud

    January 28, 2020 at 3:25 pm

    @Kraux Pas:

    @the Conster:

    Right.  Trump didn’t secretly try to push Ukraine to announce an investigation into Biden in order to help Bernie become the nominee.

    Unless…..maybe Trump is the whistleblower!

  38. 38.

    MisterForkbeard

    January 28, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    @the Conster: I’ve already seen this. They’re literally saying that “even republicans know Bernie is getting screwed by the DNC and the Establishment” with literally no reflection about the situation at all.

    Honestly, all those really bad TV shows  where the heroes act to fuck themselves over because an obvious villain is lying to them suddenly look a whole lot more plausible.

  39. 39.

    MisterForkbeard

    January 28, 2020 at 3:32 pm

    @Baud: This.

    They’ve taken concrete steps to damage Biden. None to damage Bernie.

    They have pushed divisions in the Democratic Party, usually to Bernie’s benefit. That they’re sometimes obvious about it doesn’t change that fact. Likewise, the Iran Assassination is reportedly much more about Trump wanting to be ‘tough’.

    The evidence is pretty clear that they would rather run against Bernie but will weaken Biden as much as they can.

  40. 40.

    PenAndKey

    January 28, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    @MisterForkbeard:The evidence is pretty clear that they would rather run against Bernie but will weaken Biden as much as they can.

    This. The lack of attacks against Bernie shows that they’re holding their ammo, not that there isn’t any. Taking the strongest person out at the start of a fight is a solid move, and while I might consider Trump and company to be morons of the highest calibre, there are plenty of them who are also thugs who understand how to brawl. Politics, if just the way the GOP conducts it, is basically brawling.

  41. 41.

    Zelma

    January 28, 2020 at 3:57 pm

    I just gave my first contribution to Biden.  And I may give more later tonight.

    The thought that Bernie might win in Iowa and gain momentum is appalling to me.  He is the Republicans preferred candidate because they’ve got so much stuff on him and they’ll use every bit.  This country cannot survive another four years of Trump.

    If he does win (and even if he doesn’t), this should be the end of Iowa as the first contest.  Let them hold their undemocratic caucus every year.  Just make sure that no Democratic candidates participate.  A state that does not resemble the country at all should not have an outsized role in selecting a candidate.  And that goes for New Hampshire too.

    Gonna go find out what Kelly said.

  42. 42.

    brantl

    January 28, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    Sucks-it-low looks like a lizard. with a chin.

  43. 43.

    brantl

    January 28, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    @hitchhiker:

    I can’t accept that intelligent people debase themselves in public.

    What intelligent people? They’re republicans, have you lost your mind?

  44. 44.

    Yutsano

    January 28, 2020 at 4:56 pm

    @brantl: What did lizards ever do to you???

  45. 45.

    brantl

    January 28, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    @Yutsano: well if you put a suit on them, they look like Jay Sekulow……..

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