Balloon Juice | Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom Archives

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Another Day of Ugliness

by Anne Laurie| December 4, 20196:29 am| 137 Comments

This post is in: Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Trumpery, All Too Normal, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom, Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week to Stop Sniffing Glue, Nobody could have predicted

The projection. And the abject fear. https://t.co/UOoLn5tLjt

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 4, 2019

I’m still like 40% convinced that if Pelosi held a press conference to announce her view that Trump is too stupid to have demanded that Ukraine investigate Biden in exchange for aid, he’d just blurt out a confession.

— Josh Chafetz (@joshchafetz) December 2, 2019

Schiff says “it’s deeply concerning” that there may have been members of Congress “complicit” in Trump seeking dirt on political foes – responding to phone logs uncovered Nunes interactions

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 3, 2019

For those who've questioned impeaching now while evidence is still unfolding, Schiff has a response: "This repeated & pervasive threat to our democratic electoral process added urgency to our work." Trump is cheating to win in 2020. Schiff felt the country couldn't afford to wait

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 3, 2019

As Democrats prepare to draft articles of impeachment, "you could wind up with 3 or 4 articles," sources tell NBC News:

•One to two on abuse of power
•One on broader contempt/obstruction of Congress
•One related to the Mueller report and obstructionhttps://t.co/S86Qqnw2qo

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 3, 2019

I haven’t been able to watch all the way through this, but from what I have it’s a good, if crowded, recap:

My friend Jack Bryan with @ActMeasuresDoc has done a great service and condensed the impeachment hearings so far into an easy to digest 60 minutes. https://t.co/V6mzfyTHon

— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) December 1, 2019

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Another Day of UglinessPost + Comments (137)

Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: Don McGahn Looks Down the Barrel

by Anne Laurie| November 26, 201911:09 am| 46 Comments

This post is in: Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Trumpery, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom

BREAKING: Federal judge rules Don McGahn must comply with House subpoena, but can assert legal privileges during his testimony when appropriate. https://t.co/Be0EF7cJES

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 25, 2019

JUDGE JACKSON on Trump blocking McGahn from testifying: “the President does not have the power to excuse him or her from taking an action that the law requires. Fifty years of say so within the Executive branch does not change that fundamental truth.” pic.twitter.com/OpdBwNBadE

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) November 25, 2019

Shorter McGahn ruling:

If you want to give Congress the finger, you have to show up in person to do it. https://t.co/CYWVfm8pNy

— Mieke Eoyang (@MiekeEoyang) November 26, 2019

You can expect McGahn to appeal, which would likely drag this out until after an impeachment trial in the Senate. https://t.co/55bI2bZVCZ

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 25, 2019

"Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings.” https://t.co/Be0EF7cJES

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 25, 2019

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Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: Don McGahn Looks Down the BarrelPost + Comments (46)

Cold Grey Pre-Dawn Impeachment Recap Open Thread: Sondland’s Testimony

by Anne Laurie| November 21, 20193:25 am| 56 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Impeachment Hearings, Impeachment Inquiry, Republican Venality, Trumpery, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom

So, to recap today

* President’s ambassador says there was indeed a quid pro quo

* Ukrainians did know/inquire about the hold of aid in late July

* OMB rep said hold was at Trump’s direction

* Trump has declared complete exoneration.

— Sam Stein (@samstein) November 20, 2019

Sondland statement:
“members of this Committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a quid pro quo? As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.”

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 20, 2019

The republicans requested these televised public hearings https://t.co/vdtRX5tpOK

— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) November 20, 2019

“Be careful what you wish for” is a real thing. https://t.co/OiEcsQzoFN

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 21, 2019

The top of tomorrow’s New York Times front page. pic.twitter.com/5LhbHW1Hex

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 21, 2019

The good news for Republicans is the only ones they need to convince are themselves so it doesn’t matter that their case makes no sense https://t.co/qtNXM80L7r

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) November 20, 2019

In Memoriam: The GOP’s “No Quid Pro Quo” Defense pic.twitter.com/g28PL9N0C5

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) November 20, 2019

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Cold Grey Pre-Dawn Impeachment Recap Open Thread: Sondland’s TestimonyPost + Comments (56)

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Whole Lotta “Nothing” Goin’ On

by Anne Laurie| November 20, 20194:38 am| 92 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, Republican Venality, All Too Normal, Clap Louder!, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom

6 close Trump advisors convicted/pleaded guilty to federal felonies. A sprawling money-laundering operation under Manafort broken up. 25 Russians indicted for election meddling.

And a serial pedophile was stopped as he was en route to Mar a Lago. https://t.co/tfo0SSUMxP

— Gator MaClunkey (@Zeddary) November 19, 2019

that's in addition to contributing to the convictions of Russian agent Maria Butina and her boyfriend the serial fraud Paul Erickson, the indictment of Army secretary candidate Stephen Calk, identity thief Richard Pinedo.

Oh and substantial evidence of Trump obstructing justice.

— Gator MaClunkey (@Zeddary) November 19, 2019

The special f'ing envoy to Ukraine says Trump's claims about Biden and the DNC are "conspiracy theories that have been circulated by the Ukrainians" and "not things we should be pursuing" https://t.co/kz36mSCboZ

— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) November 20, 2019

Worth noting this is a witness requested by the Republicans https://t.co/ZP7DO2mNFi

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) November 19, 2019

"This is problematic for the White House because before today Republicans and the president were making the case that these were not people coming before Congress that were actually on the call that had concerns, today changed that."

— @Yamiche on the public impeachment hearings pic.twitter.com/tLwP48sJ8W

— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) November 19, 2019

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Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Back in the (TV) Box

by Anne Laurie| November 19, 20194:37 am| 169 Comments

This post is in: Impeachment Inquiry, NANCY SMASH!, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom

51 percent of Americans in New ABC/Ipsos poll want Trump impeached and removed from office.

57 percent of Americans want him impeached.

70 percent believe he did something wrong. https://t.co/tSvzM1AR0F

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) November 18, 2019

Speaker Pelosi is a genius. The timing of the Impeachment hearings has turned Virginia blue, given Kentucky and Louisiana Democratic governors, made a laughingstock of the entire GOP and sent trump running to the hospital late on Saturday night

— Not My America (@LeslieEscoto2) November 17, 2019

Fortunately, the GOP is all in favor of enhanced interrogation techniques, so they can hardly claim *this* is torture…

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday left open the possibility that Democrats’ impeachment inquiry will continue into next year…”

via @heatherscope https://t.co/us6nMXe8Pc

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) November 17, 2019

… Pelosi also refused to elaborate on what — if any — charges House Democrats would bring against Trump, notably declining to say whether the president’s Twitter attack on former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch during her testimony amounted to witness intimidation.

“I haven’t had a lot of time to pay attention to the president’s tweets and the legal implications of them. I just think that was totally wrong and inappropriate and typical of the president,” Pelosi said on CBS’ “Face the Nation“ in an interview that aired Sunday…

“The president of the United States was using the massive powers entrusted to him to try to use tax payer dollars as leverage to get a foreign country to interfere in an election,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.”

“If you don’t use impeachment for this type of offense, then I am not sure what you use it for.”

Murphy’s remarks came after a week in which House investigators — and millions of Americans — heard detailed accounts about the pervasiveness of the campaign to pressure Ukraine into helping the president damage a top political rival, the smearing of reputations along the way and Trump’s direct involvement in the effort…

The slate of hearings this week will kick off Tuesday morning with testimony from Jennifer Williams, a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a senior official on the National Security Council.

Both Vindman and Williams were on the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky and later expressed alarm about the president asking for “a favor” that included investigating an energy company associated with Biden’s son…

Our Ukraine timeline, now with greater legibility and sorting. https://t.co/rZTgHMdWvb

— Philip Bump (@pbump) November 19, 2019

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Back in the (TV) BoxPost + Comments (169)

Afternoon Open Thread: When You’re A True Patriot, They Applaud

by TaMara (HFG)| November 18, 20193:05 pm| 63 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom

Spontaneous ovation tonight at a DC jazz club for #MarieYovanovitch. Grateful for your courage and integrity, Ambassador! #Impeachment #ImpeachTrump pic.twitter.com/GYwpQQdvJq

— Lisa Dickey (@LisaWritesBooks) November 18, 2019

Contrast:

@senatemajldr #MoscowMitch had to have a security detail to eat in a Louisville restaurant tonight. Of course, he could just meet with his constituents, rather than hide. Or he could do the work he swore he would do. Instead, the traitor spends tax money on security to hide.

— E. Wayne Schwertley (@EWayneS) November 18, 2019

Open thread

Afternoon Open Thread: When You’re A True Patriot, They ApplaudPost + Comments (63)

Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: Watching History in Real Time

by Anne Laurie| November 17, 20191:39 am| 59 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Trumpery, Decline and Fall, Let A Thousand Watergates Bloom

Don't think I have ever been on a flight when EVERYONE is watching the same thing (except long ago, when you had no choice) #ImpeachmentHearing #constanttraveler #friendlyskies #ambassadoryovanovitch pic.twitter.com/vzG5YHUu7M

— Georgiana Platt (@gianabanan) November 15, 2019

People on Twitter like to complain about Twitter, but today is one of those days where my feed is full of tweets that are giving me new information, helping me see things from a different perspective, and making me laugh.

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) November 15, 2019

"A fateful convergence of events Friday reflected a culture of corruption and intimidation endemic to the circle of a President who vowed to drain the swamp but instead became its incarnation." https://t.co/E2lULDIwYx

— Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) November 16, 2019

… Whether Americans ultimately come to believe that the President’s alleged misconduct merits the terrible sanction of removal or come to believe the Democratic impeachment attempt is narrowly political and unjustified, this was a clarifying day.
At a time of swirling misinformation, propagandistic pro-Trump news coverage and conspiracy theories, it showed that while facts may be under assault, they can ultimately still emerge in a way that will allow history to render a judgment even if the fractured political climate makes that it impossible in the moment.
Friday piled more testimony on the mountain of evidence suggesting that the US is in the grip of not just the most unorthodox, but the most corrupt presidency of the modern era.

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Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: Watching History in Real TimePost + Comments (59)

Wetsuit optional.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Nevertheless, she persisted.

This fight is for everything.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Naturally gregarious and alpha

All this crying. this is why i don’t click on stuff.

Militantly superior in their own minds…

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

I’m only here for the duck photos.

They are all Michael Cohen now.

This blog goes to 11…

I did not have this on my fuck 2020 bingo card.

The revolution will be supervised.

We need fewer warriors in public service and more gardeners.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Shocking, but not surprising

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Verified, but limited!

We are aware of all internet traditions.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Another Day of Ugliness

Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: Don McGahn Looks Down the Barrel

Cold Grey Pre-Dawn Impeachment Recap Open Thread: Sondland’s Testimony

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Whole Lotta “Nothing” Goin’ On

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Back in the (TV) Box

Afternoon Open Thread: When You’re A True Patriot, They Applaud

Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: Watching History in Real Time