Yesterday the House voting along party lines ,passed a resolution that formalizes the current impeachment inquiry, setting out its scope and terms.
For weeks, Republican lawmakers had accused Democrats of mishandling the inquiry by not putting it to a vote. When Nancy Pelosi announced that there would be a vote, House Republican leaders said their members will vote against it because they maintain the measure should have been passed before the inquiry began.
For weeks the Trump Administration has prevented members from testifying to the House Intelligence Committee.
Recent testimony to the House Intelligence Committee, which is operating under the umbrella of the impeachment inquiry, appears to corroborate the allegation of a quid pro quo offered by Trump to Zelenskiy for the investigations.
Bill Taylor, the most senior U.S. diplomat in the Ukrain and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman the National Security Council’s Ukraine expert ,have testified to that effect in the past week.
Vindman testified that there were specific details left out of the White House’s rough transcript of the July phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelensky . Missing in the transcript is Trump telling President Zelensky that there were tapes of former Vice President Joe Biden.
The House Intelligence Committee summoned former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Bolton’s attorney said he “Bolton” was not willing to appear voluntarily. However he appear after the committee subpoena’d him. .
On Wednesday, Tim Morrison, a senior member of the White House Nationals Security Council resigned. The resignation came less than 24 hours before he was due to testify in the impeachment inquiry.
Former Republican and now an Independent Justin Amash representing Michigan ,sent a tweet to Republicans before the vote.
The Hearings
The Top Ranking Republicans and Democrats of the Intelligence committee are allowed the question witnesses for up to 90 minutes 45 minutes between each party.
Staff counsels s staff counsels to follow their lines of inquiry to their ends,” rather than the back-and-forth five-minute rounds that lawmakers typically have in hearings.
The decision to hold public hearings in the Intelligence Committee means that the Oversight and Foreign Affairs panels, which have been taking part in closed-door depositions, appear to be excluded from the public proceedings. That would mean that some of the Republicans’ most vocal participants in the impeachment inquiry thus far — House Oversight ranking member Jim Jordan of Ohio and Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Lee Zeldin of New York — would not participate.
The resolution also states that the minority may request witnesses to be called and issue subpoenas — but those subpoenas can only be issued “with the concurrence of the chair,” meaning that Democrats would have to sign off on any Republican-led subpoenas.
The resolution says that the House Intelligence Committee will write a report “setting forth its findings and any recommendations” and that the report will be transmitted to the Judiciary Committee and be made public.
The President’s counsel will have an opportunity to participate in the proceedings in the Judiciary Committee. The summary says the President’s lawyers will have an opportunity to present their case, attend hearings and respond to evidence and raise an objection to testimony given.
But the committee says that “if the President unlawfully refuses to cooperate with congressional requests,” then the chairman has discretion to deny requests from the President’s lawyers.
President Trump
“The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History”
The President’s tweet after the vote. Unlike the Democrats, every Republican voted along party lines. The true test for the President is restraint. Last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told the President to stop attacking Senate Republicans . The President has a propensity to attack those who disagrees with him, including other Republicans .
A new Washington Post/ABC that shows that the Presidents approval rating among Republicans sliding to a record low of 74 percent — down eight points from September and 13 points from July. Overall, the poll pegs Trump’s approval rating at 38 percent, with nearly half of Americans (48 percent) strongly disapproving of his job performance (Trump’s overall disapproval rate is 58 percent).
2020
New York Times/Siena College polling released last week indicates that a majority of voters in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin support an impeachment inquiry, with a plurality of Florida voters supporting it as well. Trump won all six of those states in 2016
While the majority of Americans are in favor of Impeachment, many are not in favor of Removing the President from office. Overzealous Democrats could face a blow back in next years election.
Republicans initially questioned the validity of comments from the Whisleblower demanding that the President should be given the opportunity to face his accuser. Taking a page from the Trump playbook, some members of the GOP attacked the witnesses most were members of the President’s administration questioning their patriotism. The attacks has backfired, with the President of the Senate Mitch McConnell, quieting the Republicans
23
Barring any surprise witnesses, the Impeachment of Donald Trump by the House seems like a forgone conclusion.
Next year, 23 Republican Senate seats are up. Including Mitch McConnells seat in Kentucky. Arizona, Florida, and Possibly Texas are in play. The Democrats needs four seats to take control of the Senate
Mitch McConnell has a delicate balance. He has to weigh public opinion during and after the hearings. He has to enlist people in the administration to monitor the President. If he fails, some of the Senators up for election may ultimate have to choose whats in the best interest of his constituents.
While many believe the Republican lead Senate will not remove the President. It all comes down to public opinion. 23 Senate seats are up in 2020. If 20, or more go rouge and join the democrats, the President will be the first President to be removed from office in more the 100 years.
CityFella
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Big city fella, Born and Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lived in New York (a part time New Yorker) for three years . I have lived in the Sacramento area since 1993. When I first moved here, I hated it. Initially found the city too conservative for my tastes. A great place to raise children however too few options for adults .
The city has grown up, there is much to do here. The city suffers from low self esteem in my opinion, locals have few positive words to say about their hometown. visitors and transplants are amazed at what they find here.
From, the grand old homes in Alkali Flats, and the huge trees in midtown, there are many surprises in Sacramento. Theater is alive is this area . And finally ,there is a nightlife... In.downtown midtown, for the young and not so young.
My Criticism is with local government. There is a shortage of visionaries in city hall. Sacramento has long relied on the state, feds and real estate for revenue. Like many cities in America,Downtown Sacramento was the hub of activity in the area. as the population moved to the suburbs and retail followed.
The city has spent millions to revive downtown. Today less than ten thousand people live downtown. No one at city hall could connect the dots. Population-Retail. Business says Sacramento is challenging and many corporations have chosen to set up operations outside the cities limits. There is vision in the burbs. Sacramento has bones, there are many good pieces here, leaders seem unable or unwilling to put those pieces together into.
Rant aside, I love it here. From the trees to the rivers. But its the people here that move me. Sacramento is one of the most integrated cities in America. I find I'm welcome everywhere. The spices work in this city of nearly 500,000 and for the most part these spices blend well together. From Ukrainians to Hispanics and a sizable gay community, all the spices seem to work well here. I frequently travel and occasionally I will venture into a city with huge racial borders, where its unsafe to visit after certain hours. I haven't found it here. I cant imagine living in a community where there is one hue or one spice. I love the big trees, Temple Coffee House, the Alhambra Safeway, Zelda's Pizza, Bicyclist in Midtown, The Mother Lode Saloon, Crest Theater, and the Rivers. I could go on and I might. Sacramento is home.
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