Yes, It's Constitutional

[HipKat 56]

Senate votes Trump impeachment trial is constitutional

 

The Senate voted Tuesday to move ahead with the unprecedented impeachment trial of former President Trump after listening to nearly four hours of arguments on whether it is constitutional to try a president who is already out of office. 

The vote was 56-44.

The six Republicans who joined with the Democrats on voting to continue the trial were Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Cassidy changed his vote from January when he was among the 45 Republicans who supported a motion by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that declared the trial unconstitutional. Cassidy said he was persuaded by the House impeachment managers' arguments on Tuesday.

"If anyone disagrees with my vote and would like an explanation, I ask them to listen to the arguments presented by the House Managers and former President Trump’s lawyers," Cassidy said in a statement. "The House managers had much stronger constitutional arguments. The president’s team did not."

 

Trump's legal team said the trial is unconstitutional because he's no longer in office and can't face removal, which is the standard judgment of an impeachment conviction. 

"President Trump is no longer in office. The object of the Constitution has been achieved. He has been removed by the voters," Bruce Castor, a Trump attorney, said. 

Another Trump lawyer David Schoen said impeachment is moot.

"Presidents are impeachable because they are removable," Schoen said. "Former presidents are not because they cannot be removed."

 

House Democrats made the case that not only is there precedent for proceeding with impeachment for a federal official who is out of office, but it's the right thing to do to hold presidents accountable. 

They pointed to the 1876 corruption case of William Belknap, President Ulysses Grant's war secretary, who was impeached and tried by the Senate after leaving office.

The House prosecutors said the Constitution applies to every day a president is in office, and Trump's conduct as president cannot be ignored even if he's since left office.

 

"History does not support a January exception in any way," Rep. Jaime Raskin, D-Md., said. "So why would we invent one for the future?" 

The Senate trial adjourned until noon Wednesday. 

 

 

 

 

[HipKat 56]

Dems in Trump trial use graphic video of Capitol attack

 

Democratic impeachment managers wasted no time reminding senators of the horrors of the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riot in an effort to make a vivid and personal case for conviction against former President Trump on charges he incited the insurrection. 

Lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a constitutional scholar, took just three minutes into his opening arguments in Trump's second impeachment trial to cue up graphic video of the mob attack that instantly took senators back to that fateful day.

Trump's attorney's responded with their own video to make a point that Democrats have an "insatiable lust" for impeachment and that's why they pursued a "snap" process against Trump in his final days.

The video showed clips of prominent Democrats calling for Trump's impeachment dating as far back to 2017 in news interviews and at rallies. Among those featured in the montage are Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.

"We are really here because the majority in the House of Representatives does not want to face Donald Trump as a political rival in the future," Bruce Castor, a Trump attorney, said. "That's the real reason we're here."

 

The Democratic video mashup of Trump's own words encouraging his supporters to "fight like hell" was followed by graphic images of rioters then breaking down barricades at the Capitol and yelling profanities at officers, such as "f**k D.C. police." 

In the most uncomfortable moments of the video, rioters were seen berating and beating Capitol police officers as they were trying to stop the mob from entering the Capitol. One officer is heard yelling out in pain as he's fighting off attackers. One officer died directly from his injuries, while another 140 officers were injured in the siege.

The gripping 13-minute video included clips from Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaking on the Senate floor calling out Trump's conspiracy theories on widespread election fraud on Jan. 6 in contrast to the "Stop the Steal" chants of rioters taking hold of the Capitol. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., was in the clip package for the moment when the Senate had to be recessed as an aide tells him "protesters are in the building."

The video showed Trump's delayed reaction to the violence, where he continued to stoke grievances on election fraud and told rioters during the attack to go home, though adding: "We love you. You're very special."

 

The graphic imagery seemed to have had an effect on the senators who will decide Trump's fate.

The atmosphere in the chamber was incredibly tense while watching the video compilation of the assault on the Capitol. Almost every senator was watching the video, most wearing frowns, according to pool reporters inside the chamber.

Senators in the room were being transported back to that day. The chamber was absolutely silent for about 10 seconds when the video ended. The sound of a pen dropping, a binder clicking and a senator coughing all seemed incredibly loud and jarring in that silence. 

Raskin broke the silence with a simple conclusion.

"You ask what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution. That's a high crime and misdemeanor," Raskin said. "If that's not an impeachable offense, then there is no such thing."

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., followed up with his arguments on why it's important and constitutionally correct to hold Trump accountable for the Jan. 6 riot even though he's no longer in office. 

He pointed to the 1876 corruption case of William Belknap, President Ulysses Grant's war secretary, who was impeached and tried by the Senate after leaving office. 

 

"Like every one of you, I was evacuated as this violent mob stormed the Capitol's gates," Neguse said. "What you experienced that day, what we experienced that day, what our country experienced that day is the framer's worst nightmare come to life.

"Presidents can't inflame insurrection in their final weeks and then walk away like nothing happened."

Trump's attorneys said the trial is unconstitutional because he's now a private citizen and can't face removal. 

"President Trump is no longer in office. The object of the Constitution has been achieved. He has been removed by the voters," Castor, a Trump attorney, said. 

The Senate, however, voted Tuesday to move ahead with the unprecedented impeachment trial after listening to nearly four hours of arguments on whether it is constitutional to try a president who is already out of office. 

The vote was 56-44. Six Republicans joined with the Democrats on voting to continue the trial: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

 

David Schoen, another Trump attorney, framed the impeachment trial as an attempt to tear the country apart and to "disenfranchise" Trump's 74 million voters. 

He mocked the Democrats' effort to relive the Capitol riot with well-edited video clips "designed by experts to chill and horrify you." He said Democrats are interested in "bloodsport" because they have "hatred" of Trump's base.

"They don't need to show you movies to show you that the riot happened here. We will stipulate that it happened and you know all about it," Schoen said. "This is a process fueled irresponsibly by base hatred."

Schoen said Democrats are "willing to sacrifice our national character to advance their hatred and their fear that one day they might not be the party in power."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

It's not actually.  There will be no conviction, so what is the point of all this?  Is creating a martyr an unintended consequence here?  Probably.  This is as much of a farce as the first attempt.

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

FARCE

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/09/dems-play-trumps-remarks-at-impeachment-trial-but-leave-out-call-to-peacefully-and-patriotically-make-your-voices-heard/

Breitbart = Excellent source.  

Regardless of what you think of Breitbart, this is true.

[Woody 15,799]

1 hour ago, Thebowflexbody said:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/09/dems-play-trumps-remarks-at-impeachment-trial-but-leave-out-call-to-peacefully-and-patriotically-make-your-voices-heard/

Breitbart = Excellent source.  

Regardless of what you think of Breitbart, this is true.

[HipKat 56]

3 hours ago, Thebowflexbody said:

FARCE

Actions have consequences

[Nuke 27,200]

Has anyone pointed out to Hip that the guy in his avatar is a Trump supporter? https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/president-trump-has-bills-hall-of-famer-jim-kellys-support-heres-why/article_6fb5c2cc-2c4b-5c23-a0b9-636fdb052e30.html

[HipKat 56]

2 hours ago, Nuke said:

Has anyone pointed out to Hip that the guy in his avatar is a Trump supporter? https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/president-trump-has-bills-hall-of-famer-jim-kellys-support-heres-why/article_6fb5c2cc-2c4b-5c23-a0b9-636fdb052e30.html

Oh burn.......

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cartoons-slideshow

[LIBills 1,331]

13 hours ago, Thebowflexbody said:

FARCE

You need a bigger font.

I can't see it. 

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

11 minutes ago, LIBills said:

You need a bigger font.

I can't see it. 

The bigger font is reserved for the Biden Covid 19 Death Tracker. 

[Meathead 72,238]

15 hours ago, HipKat said:

"We are really here because the majority in the House of Representatives does not want to face Donald Trump as a political rival in the future," Bruce Castor, a Trump attorney, said. "That's the real reason we're here."

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Shitmountain will never be elected to anything again. only the hard core delusional magats want anything to do with him. most of the country despises him. and two-thirds of the country will never forget how he directed his mob to attack the capitol building over The Big Lie while they were counting EC votes. even his hometown, Mar-a-Lardo, had to take days to decide if they wanted to let him live there. hes a pariah to everyone except deeply brainwashed and mostly stupid af cult member trumpsters 

i HOPE he stays involved in politics. that will keep the republican party fractured and force them to jettison the trump loonies as they continue to lose elections. maybe the next iteration of republicanism wont be such disgusting soulless bastards, and more like susan collins, lisa murkowski, and liz cheney - iow, people with character who have the best interests of the country as heart. we certainly are going to need those types of people after the democrats and BLM get even loonier as their dominance grows and grows following future elections

[Meathead 72,238]

all those years of welching on contractors now has him begging for any crappy lawyers to represent him

the performance of his council at the impeachment trial was downright comical. the republicans are too spineless to actually do the right thing so he wont get convicted, but if theres any chance its going to happen bc his representation was so bad and the evidence so plentiful and compelling. im hoping for a groundswell of republicans who realize not voting to convict is going to haunt them for the next handful of elections, but i doubt they have the courage to stand up to the crazy 35% moonshine brigade

fret not, my delusional magats. theres still scores of criminal and civil trials coming your fuhrers way. there will be plenty of chances for your hero to get punished for his numerous crimes, including huge civil penalties for his fomenting a violent insurrection at the capitol that killed six people and wounded hundreds. so pull out your coonskin wallets and donate to the defense fund for a guy who doesnt give a flying fuck about you, the constitution, or anything but himself. show your character!

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

28 minutes ago, Meathead said:

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Shitmountain will never be elected to anything again. only the hard core delusional magats want anything to do with him. most of the country despises him. and two-thirds of the country will never forget how he directed his mob to attack the capitol building over The Big Lie while they were counting EC votes. even his hometown, Mar-a-Lardo, had to take days to decide if they wanted to let him live there. hes a pariah to everyone except deeply brainwashed and mostly stupid af cult member trumpsters 

i HOPE he stays involved in politics. that will keep the republican party fractured and force them to jettison the trump loonies as they continue to lose elections. maybe the next iteration of republicanism wont be such disgusting soulless bastards, and more like susan collins, lisa murkowski, and liz cheney - iow, people with character who have the best interests of the country as heart. we certainly are going to need those types of people after the democrats and BLM get even loonier as their dominance grows and grows following future elections

More Liz Cheneys.  How appealing.  Not.  Let's see just how popular the dems are this time next year before overreacting to anything.  Oh, and remember all the people who claimed that Trump could never get elected in the first place.  Never say never.  

[HipKat 56]

23 minutes ago, Thebowflexbody said:

More Liz Cheneys.  How appealing.  Not.  Let's see just how popular the dems are this time next year before overreacting to anything.  Oh, and remember all the people who claimed that Trump could never get elected in the first place.  Never say never.  

If Trump gets convicted for anything that we've been hammering him about these last four years, you should just leave the politics section. Seriously...

[Meathead 72,238]

oh the dems are going to fuck things up, thats for sure. it always happens when one side gets total control

what you and the rest of republicanism hasnt come to grips with yet is that the republican party has put itself in a quandary. if they try to retain the trump base, they are going to turn off a huge chunk of republicans that have permanently abandoned that traitorous pig and they wont vote or vote against their party in protest. if republicans abandon that demented base and dont work hard to demonstrably rebrand themselves to appeal to more moderate voters, the brain damaged base is going to not vote or follow trump as he goes third party, sucking votes from republican candidates and losing elections

the smart thing to do would be to convict trump now to remove him from consideration and abandon the moonshine militia far right. once trump is made irrelevant politically, most of his base will drift away, and many would come back to the party since they would never go democrat. with some hard work to rebrand themselves, they could be relevant in two to four years. but as long as they try to straddle the fence they leave themselves in no mans land with a fractured party that will continue to lose elections under the darkness of mister shitshadow

leaving the door open for trump to run for any office again will only extend the time they live in the desert. and in that time we will see lunacy grow in the democratic party, with BLM, the squad, and antifa-like groups reemerging as dominant and destructive forces. it is in the best interest for the country for the republicans to remove dons power right now. unfortunately, they dont appear to have the backbone to do whats right and smart, so the country is going to suffer. all because of one weird criminal selfish charlatan who doesnt give a fuck about you or the health of the country. the only thing he cares about is enriching himself and other elites, at the expense of the rest of us

[Thebowflexbody 2,496]

Trump will never be convicted and I could never abandon my dear politics section.  There'd be too big of a void to fill.  I won't do that to you people.  LOL