Dems Plan Vote This Week On Formalized Impeachment Inquiry

It is beginning, and we may come to see that this was timed perfectly. Tell us all about it, mother Times:

The House Judiciary Committee plans to vote this week to formalize procedures for a growing impeachment inquiry, clarifying its investigative authorities and granting President Trump new due process, a draft resolution shows.

The Judiciary Committee took similar steps in the 1970s and 1990s when it conducted impeachment inquiries into Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton. Now, as then, Democrats believe the resolution, a copy of which was reviewed by The New York Times, will allow the panel to speed up its work and potentially elicit more information than it otherwise could about instances of possible obstruction of justice and abuses of power by Mr. Trump

The story adds that the vote is not meant to just signal the inquiry, but also indicates that the House investigation is about to vastly intensify.

They certainly have a list of impeachable “concerns” to choose from:

The committee is preparing to rapidly broaden the substance of the inquiry this fall beyond the investigation into any role by Trump associates in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. On the agenda for new scrutiny are Mr. Trump’s role in illegal hush payments to women who said they had affairs with him, reports that he dangled pardons to immigration officials and whether his hotels and resorts have illegally profited from government spending.

Not covered in the above are the never-ending accusations that Trump continues to find new ways to enrich himself via the official Untied States government. Unbelievably, such huge concerns appear to be an afterthought. Second only to the Russian conflicts, I would list the ongoing pilfering of the public purse as the second-most impeachment worthy investigation.

Credit Nadler and his team. They understand the gravity of the undertaking, and appear willing to do everything possible to negate accusations that the procedure is unfair:

And, for the first time, Mr. Trump and his legal team would be afforded specific due process by the committee, allowing them to regularly offer input on the findings of the investigation…

And, for the first time, Mr. Trump and his legal team would be afforded specific due process by the committee, allowing them to regularly offer input on the findings of the investigation.

Of course, demonstrating tremendous sensitivity to the other side is infinitely easier when one knows that there is little defense to some of Trump’s actions.

Trump has always, and always will, whine about it all being a partisan witch hunt, a “coup.” Yet there is no provision that I know of requiring the committee to grant the president’s legal team such a role. Still, some Republicans are already crying that this represents horrific abuse of a man whose character and behavior have always been above reproach.

“If they really want to do this, they have to bring impeachment to the floor,” the top Republican on the committee, Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, said on Fox News on Sunday. “This is simply a show. It is a travesty. And, frankly, they should be ashamed.”

“Democrats should be ashamed.”

Lewis Carroll would have a fking field day with these people. Trump has engaged in behaviors never believed possible by a United States president; conflicts of interest, ties to foreign adversaries, shutting down press access, enriching himself, and uncategorized bizarre behavior. This man took a damn sharpie to a weather map to “prove” he was right. That act alone screams for some evaluation of fitness. Yet, Democrats should be “ashamed”?

If anything, the only “shame” in this matter might be that it took this long.

I have an idea for Republicans claiming “sham.” How about the Republicans agree that Trump must produce his tax returns, and Deutsche Bank records? It is NOT like Trump would be the only president ever required to “prove his innocence” by providing his tax returns, or demonstrating the lack of financial conflicts. Indeed, until Trump, such acts were considered part of the application process. Every potential president since Nixon provided the documents. So, Republicans, agree to force Trump to do as other presidents have done, and perhaps then we can talk about “shams.”

This is not a normal president, nor a normal person. Normal candidates do not pay off porn stars with campaign funds to keep quiet about spankings in hotel rooms. Normal presidents don’t insist upon meeting the nation’s most serious foreign adversary alone, with no other American present. It is time to investigate just how deep the abnormalities go, and then decide what to do about it, if anything.

And following up on last week? With all the shit that went on? From sharpies to Trump inviting, then disinviting, the Taliban to Camp David on the week of September 11th? Yeah, let’s get this going, please.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

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