Pelosi Table Dancing. Again.

58 Democrats voted to debate impeachment today, but no surprise, it was voted down.

Well would you look at all those Democrats who voted with Republicans on this. Welll gollllleeee!

One of the naysayers was, tadaaa, Nancy ‘impeachment [of GW Bush] is off the table’ Pelosi. Nancy still be all ‘now is not the time, we must let investigations run their course, you be dead before this ever gets debated. /s

The spirit of bipartisanship prevailed. Will people now give up on this?

With the Democratic Party leadership in bed with the deep state crying Russia Russia Russia Trump Trump Trump for months, now why did these 58 actually go ahead and take a chance on a vote?

Red meat for the base, yes? Well 17 cities have moved to call for impeachment. Maybe they paid attention to that, and the 3 mil plus others who have signed on in support? Looking for some votes in 2018 we can be sure.

So hey,
I am posting this up for those of us who might have at least an academic interest the movement to impeach is this week. If that is not you, feel free to move on.
Or not. Smile

The following is the best general treatment I have found. In this interview John Bonifaz lays out where the corpadems stand, why three million plus disagree with them, what are grounds for impeachment, and why, with the Repubs in control should this be pursued.

Yeah yeah yeah, I know some of us think that the constitution is a worthless piece of litter. Okay, got it.

Again, this is for those who want to catch up on where the 3 million others are with the move to impeach. One million plus brought together by RootsAction, and another two million by a billionaire running adds and dissing the Democratic leadership after they opposed his efforts. The transcript below goes into all that.

....

Here’s an excerpt from the Transcript to get you started:

JOHN BONIFAZ: Well, hey’ve introduced five articles of impeachment, and they’ve done it as a group. And it’s significant because up until now there were two members of Congress, Al Green being one of them, Congressman Al Green from Houston, and Congressman Brad Sherman from Los Angeles, who had introduced articles of impeachment around obstruction of justice. These articles go beyond obstruction of justice, including that, but also the violations of the foreign and domestic emoluments clauses and the president’s continued attacks on freedom of the press and on the independence of the judiciary.

And what’s significant here, Amy, is that these articles have been introduced by members of Congress despite the continued opposition by their own party’s leadership in the Congress. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has made clear that she doesn’t think impeachment should move forward at this time, and yet they are going ahead and moving this forward. And I think they’re asking for other members of Congress to join them, beyond those who already have stepped forward. And we, as Americans, all across the country, should push for an impeachment investigation and should urge our members of Congress to

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divineorder's picture

“Constitutional Expert Says Move to Impeach Trump Can Proceed Without Derailing FBI’s Criminal Probe”. https://www.democracynow.org/2017/12/1/constitutional_expert_says_move_t...

My personal fav is the one having to do with threatening to unleash nuclear hell on the planet. YMMV

JOHN BONIFAZ: Yes. We would start with the violations of the two anti-corruption provisions of the Constitution: the Foreign Emoluments Clause and the Domestic Emoluments Clause. This president is treating the Oval Office as a profit-making enterprise at the public expense. He’s taking illegal payments and benefits from foreign governments in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause, and he’s taking illegal payments from the state governments around the country, as well as from the federal government, in violation of the Domestic Emoluments Clause. That’s point one, or point one and two, if you will, because they’re two different clauses.

Then you have obstruction of justice. This is a president who first demanded loyalty of his former FBI Director James Comey. When he didn’t get that, he went ahead and fired him for not letting go, as he put it, of the Flynn investigation and “this Russia thing,” as he said. That was obstruction of justice. That FBI director was involved in investigating the Russian interference in the 2016 election and its potential connection to the Trump campaign. It led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. And now we know, based on new reporting by The New York Times, that soon after that, the president sought to stop the congressional investigations in the Senate that were going—that continue to go on with respect to that. So obstruction of justice, which was the first article of impeachment against Richard Nixon, would certainly be part of this case.

Then we have the potential conspiracy with the Russian government, potential collusion, to violate federal campaign finance laws and other federal laws and to interfere with our elections. That evidence continues to be built. But it’s also an impeachment question, and the House Judiciary Committee should take that up.

Then we have the abuse of the pardon power. This is a power that is not unlimited by a president. And what the president has done with the pardon of former sheriff, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is he has essentially undermined the due process rights of the thousands of people who were impacted by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s illegal actions. This is the sheriff who was found in criminal contempt of court for refusing to stop his illegal practices of detaining people based on the color of their skin. And this president went ahead and used the pardon power in a wrongful way to pardon him.

Then we have the giving aid and comfort to neo-Nazis and white supremacists, not just what the president said after the Charlottesville tragedy, but also his most recent tweets, tweeting out anti-Muslim—inflammatory anti-Muslim videos. This president is giving that aid and comfort to white supremacists.

Then, you know, this president also has engaged in recklessly threatening nuclear war. Now, the fact is that the president is the commander-in-chief. He does not have the power to initiate a war. That is established under the War Powers Clause, despite the fact that we’ve seen violations of it in the past. But this takes it to a whole new scale. This is a president who literally is engaged in recklessly threatening nuclear war against a foreign nation. That reckless and wanton disregard for the established norms and for essentially putting millions of lives at stake, threatening really the world, is an impeachable offense.

And then, finally, most recently, this president has talked about how he would like to see the Justice Department prosecute Hillary Clinton and other political adversaries. This misuse of the Justice Department, or attempted misuse, to prosecute political adversaries would be another impeachable offense worthy of investigation.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

snoopydawg's picture

@divineorder

Obama, Mueller and others for the uranium deal. I don't know how serious they are about this, but from what I've read they seem to think that there was wrongdoing in the deal.

House Republicans are investigating Hillary's Russian Uranium Deal

On a side note, Bernie may have won the primary according to this website. If this is true, then we witnessed the biggest election scandal in history. Lots and lots of evidence that shows that he did. But if he did win and then beat Trump, would things be much different? Especially in the Middle East?

Democracy Lost

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Wink's picture

@snoopydawg
tape of Grassly tonight totally beating up on Her Highness, showing no mercy. Yep, they're coming for HRC. I can't wait for heads exploding over on ToP!

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Alligator Ed's picture

@divineorder

And then, finally, most recently, this president has talked about how he would like to see the Justice Department prosecute Hillary Clinton and other political adversaries. This misuse of the Justice Department, or attempted misuse, to prosecute political adversaries would be another impeachable offense worthy of investigation.

When political adversaries do wrong, they should be punished for violating the, not their ideology. Trump is of course deserving of such prosecution, hence I agree with the notion that DOJ has been extensively politicized (corrupted). Prosecution of political adversaries for cause is necessary, not deplorable.

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detroitmechworks's picture

He's their excuse for EVERYTHING.

/snark

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Wink's picture

@detroitmechworks
of time. And, yes, found guilty leaves the Dems with no villain. Then who they gonna blame? Will never happen.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

divineorder's picture

@Wink 'never will happen' for decades.

I am leaving it open, for I have learned who knows what cascading events might produce in these volatile times ?

Who would have ever thought that old democratic socialist would get ANYWHERE?

Some sound quite sure . At least there is some solace with that certainty. Surely.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@detroitmechworks I should have read this before I responded. You said the same thing, better!

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

WoodsDweller's picture

provides us with clear, direct information about what the big money donors want and don't want. Impeachment of a Republican president is off the table because they want it off the table.

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

divineorder's picture

@WoodsDweller @WoodsDweller of 1% hopes and dreams. Love that there are ongoing efforts to primary her.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Big Al's picture

Not wanting to impeach him because of Pence is wrong imo. But only if he was impeached for the right reasons, which also imo, is that he's a war criminal murderer. I happen to think all murderers should be held accountable even if they're a president. His rhetoric against North Korea and Iran is clearly illegal under international law and does constitute war crimes also. And if he was impeached for war crimes, that would change the whole game.
Ya, I know, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.

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divineorder's picture

@Big Al @Big Al

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Big Al Sorry. I can't make that moral gesture if it means putting a Dominionist within reach of the red phone.

Did you know they think that if we destroy the world, Jesus will come back faster, so it's a good idea to hasten the process?

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

divineorder's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal expedience over principle? Leaves one quite hollowed out feeling, I would think.

Sounds to me bit like Nancy Pelosi’s reasons for not supporting the 58 who moved to impeach.

Ah well, it’s the American way, I guess.

https://wemeantwell.com/blog/2017/08/08/morality-expediency-and-hiroshima/

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@divineorder I'm talking about nuclear war. Not wanting to do anything to increase the chances of it by any percentage whatever. I feel that stance is both moral and expedient.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Big Al's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal nuclear war at the drop of a hat to go free because another person MIGHT be worse, which you do not know as a fact.
What if Trump could be impeached for war crimes, would that change your mind? I know it won't happen, which is why I'm not big on impeachment because if it happens it would be a political maneuver by a faction of the ruling class. But if that happened, Pence and future presidents would be effectively neutered. US imperialism itself would have to change.
My guess is Pence wouldn't have the guts to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel which has brought the doomsday clock even closer to midnight.
We should never be afraid of justice.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@divineorder is full of opinion and moral outrage. There is condemnation for the act as unnecessary--but there is only opinion. There are no facts in the linked diatribe to refute the pre-bombing charge of nuclear destruction being necessary. There is no mention of the analyses of operations Coronet and Olympus and the casualties resulting therefrom. I welcome those who proffer semblances of fact that the bombings were unnecessary.

When we have some evidence that the nuclear termination of the war was improper militarily, then we may debate the issue. In the meantime, I regard the link as mere "Russia Russia Russia" type allegations without a semblance of factual support.

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snoopydawg's picture

Democrats aren't using the Russian interference crap to impeach Trump, they're using it to get to Russia and their war.
Trump is certainly guilty on the Emoluments Clause. I don't know if congress could have made him divest from his businesses, but he is making a ton of money off the government. The secret service has to pay for everything they use at his golf resorts.

Funny how there's not a word of this on ToP about this. I see daily diaries saying that THIS is what's going to bring impeachment proceedings against him. Now that democrats had their chance to do it, but didn't, what does this tell them?

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divineorder's picture

@snoopydawg @snoopydawg which includes deligitimizing Trump as well as cover for the Wall Street War Profiteers.

However, I also think that a goodly portion of the 3 million and 17 cities have ideas of theit own separate from what Dem leadership/deep state wants.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

From Wikipedia:

"Table dance, or bartop dancing, is typically an erotic dance performed at (or on) a patron’s table, as opposed to on a stage. In some jurisdictions, a table dance may be an alternative to a lap dance...
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divineorder's picture

@MrWebster

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_entendre

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

It started with the pardon of Nixon. That act of moral cowardice (if not blatant corruption) set the precedent for Pelosi and Obama refusing to prosecute Bush. If they had done the right thing Trump would never have been elected - because Hillary would have been prosecuted (if Obama would have nominated her at all) in 2010. Of course, Bernie would not have felt the need to run, and who knows what the Dems would have done? But then, a few people like Reagan going to jail and maybe Bernie wouldn't have had to run.

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On to Biden since 1973

mimi's picture

whose mother language is not English and who learned British English in their schools as teenagers, have always to struggle to interpret these announcements of "on motion to table" graphics?

What is a motion to table?

When I saw it the first time (and all my German colleagues too) we interpret a "motion to table" as asking to put an issue up for discussion, ie 'on the table', so to speak asking 'let's talk about and debate it now'.

But it means in "American English" the opposite (in the Senate):

In American English, to table something means to postpone discussion on something. It might mean to postpone it indefinitely, but usually it just means that the discussion should be resumed at a later date. (As others have pointed out, in British English it means the exact opposite).

or

table, motion to - A senator may move to table any pending question. The motion is not debatable, and agreement to the motion is equivalent to defeating the question tabled. The motion is used to dispose quickly of questions the Senate does not wish to consider further.

If I look at the graphic I would have thought 68 Democrats would have voted to NOT discuss possible impeachment procedures. Each time we had to make it clear to our colleagues, who were new, I thought, who in the world has made this confusing mess of the expression "move to table".

Well, it must have been some evil-doing Senators in the past, who came up with it. Ideal to confuse the world and obfuscate their intentions when saying "yes" to "table something". /s

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This president is treating the Oval Office as a profit-making enterprise at the public expense.

The same can be said of over 95% of our Senators and Representatives. When is the last time any of them left office a pauper? The Clintons? I don't think so.

Trump is not the one bad apple causing the stench of rot in the government, he is simply one of many. Impeachment would accomplish nothing, other than providing a further polarizing distraction for the masses while the criminals and sociopaths who run the place add to their fortunes at the public's expense.

I don't know why the vote tally board even bothers to differentiate by party at this point. Both Republicans and Democrats line their pockets as they serve the masters of industry and war while tamping down the occasional proud nail of dissent and creating and endless parade of meaningless distractions to occupy the deplorables. And as for Independents, do they even exist in our government?

It's Them and Us, and clearly we're the ones who are coming up short. With or without Trump in the Oval Office, that situation is not about to change. The chain of succession is replete with sociopaths all too happy to carry on in the same vein. Red hats or Blue, it makes little difference.

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“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024

lotlizard's picture

@ovals49  
granted themselves (and continue to grant themselves) a long-standing exemption from insider-trading laws.

Seriously. Members of Congress are allowed use their inside knowledge of what’s up in government — even decisions, actions, and investigations they are personally involved in — to speculate and profit as they see fit.

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Amanda Matthews's picture

finest example of the term ‘futile gesture’ that i think I’ve ever seen.

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

but even if they did, the Democrats can't afford to impeach him. Where would they be without him to compare themselves to? They've spent the last year telling everyone that the rest of the Republicans are good guys because they hate Trump too.

After helping the Bush administration give itself a moral makeover, and even saying Mike Pence is good in comparison to Trump, you can hardly make them into monsters again immediately.

Every Dem up there should be sending Trump gift baskets for preserving their justification for being.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver