[Plantagenet]

If Europe thinks Russia is a problem, then they need to man up with their own military spending and sanctions. Don't make your problems our problems.

The US is party to the NATO treaty which obligates the US to defend our allies from Russian invasion. Trump is right that almost all our NATO partners need to spend more to fulfill their treaty oblations to NATO, but the NATO treaty obligates us to defend even those laggard treaty members who won't bother to spend on their own defense.

NATO is in severe trouble now that Turkey is cozying up to Russia. Perhaps the whole treaty needs to be reworked to address some of the problems that Trump has identified, just as NAFTA needed to be updated and improved.

Cheers!

[Plantagenet]

BIden has announced that he will refuse to honor a subpoena from the Senate calling him to testify in the impeachment trial.

I find this ironic because Trump is being impeached for invoking executive privilege and refusing to allow his aides to testify in the impeachment trial.

Somehow the Ds think its OK for Biden for ignore a subpoena but if the Rs and Trump does it he should be impeached? Isn't there something totally hypocritical about that?

Shouldn't the law be the same for both the Ds and the Rs? Why do Ds like Biden get to ignore subpoenas?


Joe Biden says he doesn't have to obey no stinkin' subpoenas......

Cheers!

[Newfie]

Well you and I apparently have a very different view of what is good for the world. I strongly support DE-growth

Your political platform will not sell outside of the 0.0001% of Malthusians out there. So your ideals are basically useless outside of a purely intellectual exercise.

Trump may be a dolt, but if he is causing the economy to stall and slow growth then he is better than someone who turbo charges it.

He is also dismantling just about every environmental control and regulation. I don't see how him (potentially) accidentally wrecking the economy compensates for that.

ASG,

I’m not trying to “sell” anything, I’m trying to understand the truth.

It’s an internal reward, to understand.

But it’s rare, it’s built into us, self included, to think in terms of manipulation, how to “sell” as you say, for their personal gain. And if that’s you world view then it’s likely you will see everyone and everything else through that lens. By changing your world view, viewing from a distance, sometimes provides a better perspective.

[asg70]

BTW, here's your great pacifist president.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/29/politics ... index.html

[Newfie]

They stand as the first significant military response in retaliation for attacks by the Shia militia group, known as Kataib Hezbollah, that have injured numerous American military personnel, according to US officials.

[Cog]

Iranian militia have been a problem in Iraq since we invaded. Iran is an exporter and participant in terrorism since the Shah was overthrown by the Mullahs.

Obama showering the regime with billions of dollars went straight to the Iranian terror network.

[asg70]

OR the other way to look at it is by Trump walking away from the nuclear deal it caused Iran to want to retaliate. Foreign policy is a long chain of cause and effect.

At any rate, this thread is devolving fast into impeachment pro/con as little more than a litmus test based on whether posters here approve of his performance.

[Newfie]

What else would you expect it to be?

There is no evidence of impeachable offenses. So it’s all about style.

[asg70]

There is no evidence of impeachable offenses.

And even more wrong by the day.

[Cog]

There is no evidence of impeachable offenses.

And even more wrong by the day.

Sorry your girl lost. LOL. I hope she runs again. Because at this point, the Democratic primary is a clown show. Loving it.

[dissident]

So Pelosi the hair ball is not passing on the so-called acts of impeachment to the Senate because the trial carried out by the Senate will be rigged. And Trump, shock, horror, is even coordinating with the Senate majority leader. One can't make this sh*t up. The inanity is mind numbing.

Clearly the D. Party is flagrantly abusing the system and spitting on due process. Trying to paint the Senate trial as rigged is the ultimate Orwellian newthink propaganda. By its very nature this trial has to be more transparent and fair than the kangaroo court impeachment farce staged by the D. Party. The riggers accusing others, a priori, of rigging. How thick and rich.

[careinke]

I think Pelosi is just going to sit on it waiting for Trump to commit an actual crime. Then, she will add a real article of impeachment and forward it on.

I wonder if she can hold on to it through the 2020 election, hoping for the Senate to turn Dim?

On the other hand, what if the Repugs take over the house? Can they then overturn the impeachment with a simple majority vote?? Probably if that happened, Pelosi would probably turn it over in Jan 2021, just in spite....

[Newfie]

Yesterday I head a commentator say Pelozi was holding the articles simply because she knew it was getting under Trumps skin. And I think that’s it. She is trying to annoy him to the point he makes some blunder.

This is all fifth grade popularity crap, both sides.

[dissident]

Yesterday I head a commentator say Pelozi was holding the articles simply because she knew it was getting under Trumps skin. And I think that’s it. She is trying to annoy him to the point he makes some blunder.

This is all fifth grade popularity crap, both sides.

I doubt Trump would be such a sap as to actually get triggered by Pelosi's farce. The real issue is that the so-called impeachment is a total joke and as due process would properly dispose of this crap she has to go outside due process. The D. Party in Congress should be impeached for gross abuse of power. Too bad the country is split and too many people are too dumb to see through the theater.

[Newfie]

An interesting article on the House impeachment process.

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/4 ... ht-of-time

[evilgenius]

Trump will have to move quickly if he is going to parlay tension with Iran into some sort of pause in the impeachment process. But, if he can do that, it will likely reach into the election. If he can win the election, the impeachment thing probably goes away.

Then, we just bumble and stumble from there.

[Newfie]

Pelozi to release articles of impeachment next week.

No compromise from Senate.

[Cog]

Two or three week trial. Not guilty and then the House can invent some other reason to impeach Trump again.

[Newfie]

The thing is that having used the impeachment gun and having failed it is almost as if they have immunized Trump against impeachment.

Yes it’s theoretically possible to do it again but politically they have greatly diminished their credibility. In order to do it again they would need some exceptional and rock solid evidence and a truly bipartisan commitment.

[Newfie]

It seems Pelozi will move the articles today and the House will make managers tomorrow.