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This isn't even the standard in a court of law. To be guilty of quid pro quo, you don't have to utter the words "quid pro quo" or even frame your "request" in the form of "if I do x for you I expect y from you in return". "Do me a favor" is the floor on this. With all the other validation and verification it seems crystal clear in context.
If the reports are accurate then Trump did more than ask Ukraine to investigate his political opponent. He was holding back badly needed military aid AND demanding that Ukraine make a formal and public announcement that Biden was under investigation.
I think that’s partially why they picked the schedule that they did and didn’t lead off with Sondland. I believe he heard it directly from Trump and has shown that he will bend and get closer to the truth when it becomes clear that he has to cover his ###. Lead into his testimony with a few witnesses hammering him and his role and him memory might be better.
The change that I predicted will be in the form of public opinion. I certainly wish and hope it will affect Republican Senators as well but that doesn’t seem likely.
I am sure you did everything to sway her....except to simply print out the phone call, let her read it, and make up her own mind.
I've been convinced for a long time that most people are terrible when it comes to "process" arguments. If there's an established process that stands in the way of getting the outcome they want, 90% of so of folks will gleefully toss the process overboard. The political class in particular is becoming much more open about that.
I wish I could read that phone call. Unfortunately all we have is a very edited summary. But even that was terrible. Hopefully these witnesses will fill us in on the larger policy involved.
So it was Rudy who was doing the talking on that phone call with the Ukranian leader?
Yes. Because he knows what the ultimate strategy will be. It’s not like shouting that made him look better though.
Rudy: You think I was pretending to be the President on that phone call? That’s crazy!
That is an odd impression given Trump's actions and requests of Ukraine didn't happen during the election.
Chris Christie is a former state Attorney General. He said this before the summary of the call was released:
Printer was broken. So, I wrote down what I could remember and let her read that.
Are you seriously believing that republican voters will no longer support Trump after these hearings?
From the many Law and Order mob episodes I’ve seen over the years that’s a common tactic.
Probably listen to these people that are about to testify that it was clearly understood there was QPQ.
I suppose the Democrats could counter this by claiming (over and over) that the Trumpers refusal to comply with subpeonas is proof that they are guilty.
I think this is a fairly solid observation. From the Dems' side (I know you aren't one of us down deep inside), it fuels our suspicions that the Repubs will shortchange voting rights in order to keep winning elections with a minority of votes cast. We think that they fear the consequences of losing an election much more than they're concerned with limiting the rights of all our citizens.
Not a chance. In my opinion the only thing that could swing a few Republican voters would be a significant downturn in the economy and even then they would likely blame it on the Democrats. Everyone is dug in and I don't think a clear quid pro quo or anything else regarding this impeachment is going to matter.
Dems should be pounding this idea every day. Everyone believes that the innocent don't dodge subpoenas.
Here’s what I seriously believe: Republican voters will support Trump throughout these impeachment proceedings. They will unite with the diehard Trump supporters and strongly support the Republican Senators when they unanimously vote not to convict.
Average informed voter...probably not very happy with it.
It's been in plan since summer 2016. The outcome is predetermined. Al Green laid it all out for us.
You believe the Democrats planned to impeach Trump so that he could be cleared in the Senate? And that if they planned it in 2016, they would wait until 2019?
The Dems made Trump hold up funds to Ukraine to conjure up dirt on his political rival? That's some jedi stuff there.
"Here's the plan. We'll wait for Trump to do something impeachable, and then we'll impeach him"
