“Within our committee, what we’re focused on is obviously the constellation of issues around Ukraine, as well as the blanket obstruction of Congress vis-a-vis the Ukraine investigation,” Schiff said to CNN’s Jake Tapper.
(When I read these words by Adam Schiff, I knew that we have been double-crossed, and betrayed. He would limit the Articles to the Ukrainian scandal, and Pelosi says that there may be no impeachment at all. But, we all have seen Trump commit obstruction, right in front of our eyes, in real time. Just like when Comey threw the election, and when Mueller had the courage of a soft-boiled egg; Trump is going to be allowed to be as criminal and traitorous as he wants to be – no limits: and we are left at his mercy. History will remember how the American government broke, and betrayed the People; and bowed down in fear to tyranny. May God have mercy on their souls; though they had none in this life. This is the “Turning Away.”
The upshot? Both sides, Republican and Democrat, are equally corrupt. They sold their souls to evil. They are dead to me now.)
So it appears that Adam Schiff has already tried and decided the issues of obstruction of justice in the Mueller Investigation and decided that nothing criminal happened. How kind of him. Process is so tedious.
Why exactly is it obvious that their focus is on Ukraine? This is a general impeachment, Trump has committed hundreds of crimes. And, “our committee’s” job is to recommend charges to be included in the Articles of Impeachment.
What about accepting millions in emoluments?
What about illegally diverting monies covered under the budget agreements?
What about making secret agreements with dictators?
What about the hundreds of breaches of security protocols that would, and do, land serviceman and women in prison under hard labor?
What about endangerment of children; calling for violence to suppress free speech; harassing the Judiciary; interfering in states’ elections; violating the legal rights of asylum seekers; subverting legally constituted authority; using the Presidency to further his business interests worldwide; destroying the morale of the Armed Services; and destroying the credibility of the Foreign Service?
And, what about the foulest treason in United States history, when the President intimidated a witness in Congressional hearings into his own criminal conduct, and did so while she was testifying.
Trump disgraced the Congress of the United States, and Schiff would forgive it. What godlike power, to assume authority over all three branches of government. I can’t understand how a man like Adam Schiff sleeps at night?
All of the above are serious crimes. Trump is a criminal and a traitor. And Adam Schiff? The language he uses here in focusing entirely on Ukraine is disturbing. It makes him extremely suspect. It’s ridiculous nonsense, that a child could see through. He’s hiding something! How many deceivers will plague us before we are free?
Why can’t they ever tell the truth? What is wrong with these people? Secrets and lies, again! Damn them.
Gentlemen: either arrest Donald Trump, or take off your robes, Judges. Remove your uniforms, Policemen. You stand for nothing. And Congress: You have disgraced us – now just leave us alone. It’s like the clever guy said the other day about the expression, “OK Boomer;” it’s like you don’t exist anymore.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/25/politics/impeachment-articles-democrat-plans/index.html
Have to disagree with you here. Think of AOI (articles of impeachment) as your old high school outline for the essay you had to write. You have your main topic area i.e. Article 1 Obstruction of Justice with each instance of obstruction, which could include emoluments that flow forth from the main article followed by the next article.
Here is the AOI for Clinton (https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/105th-congress/house-report/830/) Notice 4 articles and a whole bushel of stuff under each article.
My point is to hold off jumping the gun until we see what comes out of the judiciary committee or if Shiff’s memo to them gets published.
One final note. I think that Adam Schiff let Trump completely off the hook. If Schiff reduces the impeachment to just the Ukraine, then the press will start playing it as simply a disagreement about a phone call, or a letter; and was or was not the tactic he used within his prerogative in the first place. And the President’s lawyers will say: “Remember that the House of Representatives accused the President of all manner of crime and wrongdoing, and now we are down to a phone call. This is ridiculous! What sane person would take away the office of the Presidency because of a phone call, the tone of which makes you feel uncomfortable. These are tough customers that the President is dealing with. He has to be tough.”
It’s not really a very good argument, but it would win, and likely hand the election to Trump.
To quote a line from that classic movie, “Leatherheads:” “Shit!”
And Trump may get immunity from subsequent prosecution because of Schiff’s decision. If impeachment enables future prosecution, then the whole House not impeaching could be argued to be like an acquittal.
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I think focusing primarily on Ukraine is more of a Pelosi strategy than a Schiff strategy. I think Schiff did a great job with the Intelligence Committee hearings. It is now left up to the Judiciary Committee to draw up the articles of impeachment. I suspect one article will be bribery, since that is specifically enumerated in the Constitution and won’t involve interpreting what “other high crimes and misdemeanors” means.
In addition to the Mueller Report laying out at least ten cases of obstruction of justice, it also documented several cases of conspiracy with Russia. Mueller said he didn’t find criminal conspiracy because trump’s team was too ignorant to know they were breaking laws. Please note that Mueller also did not charge obstruction of justice. He didn’t charge trump with any crimes because of his adherence to the OLC’s policy of not indicting a sitting president. These things that stem from the Mueller Report could be included in the articles of impeachment, but it would probably require more time in the Senate and republicans would complain that they were not addressed in the impeachment inquiry in the House. I think obstruction of justice could be included anyway because trump did that in the Russian investigation as well as the Ukraine inquiry.
Trump also openly obstructed Congress and attempted to intimidate witnesses, again obstruction of justice.