It's a bipartisan thing now--a thundering bipartisan majority of the House voted to impeach President Trump, with only 60 nay votes.
Don't believe that's what yesterday's Syria vote was? Just ask Nancy Pelosi. She was out this morning in front of the surrogate media telling them that "All roads lead to Putin with this president, and Trump's Syria policy was intended to help Putin." That's right. The Syria vote wasn't just the rejection of a policy. It was a rejection of a president who is aiding and abetting our enemy Russia. Count on hearing that constantly from the Dems from now on.
If the GOPers try to back out of this, saying that the vote wasn't really about impeachment, Pelosi will just say--
They're too stupid to understand these things just now, but the reality is that they do recognize that Trump is a mortal threat to our national security. Russia is our enemy. We know that because Putin hacked the DNC, Putin meddled in our election. And Trump is helping our enemy Russia by betraying our "allies" in Syria and Ukraine. He has to be removed, and this Syria vote was the first step on that road back from denial for The Stupid Party (h/t Daniel Patrick Moynihan). They'll be with me when it comes time. And then we'll move on to impeaching Brett Kavanaugh.
At the very least the GOPe losers voted thunderously to remove any pressure on Pelosi to hold an impeachment inquiry vote. There is no pressure now that the GOPe has validated her talking points. But the reality is probably much worse.
This may well have been a vote by the GOPe to return to permanent minority status. Can they really expect that Trump voters whom they've so blatantly betrayed will turn out for them? Last night Lou Dobbs interviewed Steve Scalise. It was pathetic, and Dobbs just sat in disbelief, shaking his head. Scalise kept trying to deflect from the Syria vote to things they supported Trump on. And Dobbs kept returning to reality: This is a president the Dems are seeking to impeach; he needs your support; 57% of your voters support the policy--and you just betrayed him. Scalise had no answer to that. No answer at all.
How to explain it all? In politics "Follow the money" is usually a sound principle. We're talking about Representatives, most of whom probably could not explain where Kurdistan is located--maybe not even Syria. Yet they voted to impeach Trump. Only money can explain that degree of idiocy. It's all about the Benjamins. Follow the trail of Benjamins.
It's pretty much up to Trump and Barr at this point.
ADDENDUM: We the People still have a part to play. Sorry I forgot to say that. I guess I'm still in a state of disbelief.
UPDATE 1: McConnell signals to Trump not to count on his support unless Trump caves to him--or to whoever has the Benjamins. From DM via FR:
Mitch McConnell steps up Republican rebellion over Syria saying he wants 'something STRONGER' than the House resolution.
Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he wants 'something even stronger' in the Senate than the House's resolution formally opposing Donald Trump's troop withdrawal from northern Syria last week.
The Senate Majority Leader said he was 'encouraged' by the House, including 129 Republican members, voting to condemn the president's highly contested decision.
'I believe it's important that we make a strong forward-looking strategic statement. For that reason my preference would be for something even stronger than the resolution that the House passed yesterday which has some serious weaknesses,' McConnell said from the Senate floor Thursday.
The vote Wednesday – where more than a hundred Republicans broke ranks with the president – showed the overwhelming bipartisan opposition to Trump's decision to remove troops from a region as Turkey took military action against Kurdish forces in Syria.
UPDATE 2: I forgot this earlier. This vote also takes some of the pressure off "moderate" Dems by making opposition to Trump bipartisan.
"They're too stupid to understand these things...."
ReplyDeleteIf she were to actually use that turn of phrase what honest person could argue against it.
Never, never underestimate the professional politician's capacity for perfidy.
Tom S.
I agree with you Mark that the actions of the GOPe representatives were inexcusable. Who is Trump's man in the House? You're fired!
ReplyDeleteI take some comfort that the House resolution was toothless and doesn't really tie Trump's hands.
But the symbolism is terrible. (FWIW, it has caused sundance to practically eject. See: https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/10/16/a-call-to-action-stand-we-will-remember-the-129-republicans-who-refused-to-stand-with-president-trump/)
I also take some comfort in the fact that the Endless War is now on the table. I thought I heard Trump denounce it in 2016 but he seemed unable to address it directly head on until last week. (Well, he did disregard Bolton's advice to attack Iran and then fired him...) But now its on the table. I don't know how you and your readers feel about the Endless War, but I, for one, am thoroughly done with it. For many many reasons. So I'm looking forward to hearing the proponents of more war in the Middle East explain why.
To me, this is part of Trump's genius, and his extraordinary courage. One by one he is exposing the sacred cows of our utterly corrupt system. The list is seemingly endless: China trade, illegal immigration, NATO contributions, Obama and Deep State perfidy and corruption...and now, in all likelihood, the extent of the control of the MIC over both parties in Congress.
But like everything else in our politics this development will be forgotten in a day or so.
And, there is so much still to come: Horowitz, Barr/Durham, Ukraine/Biden, the Schiff/Pelosi response. And what did Obama know and when did he know it?
I suspect we are still in the early innings...
Hopefully so. One thing I'd really like to understand is what has been behind some of Trump's hires, like Bolton.
Delete"Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he wants 'something even stronger' in the Senate than the House's resolution formally opposing Donald Trump's troop withdrawal from northern Syria last week."
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally the Constitution provides them that exact power. The Senate just needs to pony-up a Declaration of War against Turkey, problem solved.
Thanks for playing Mitch.
Tom S.
The irony is when Obama moved to get trooops in, these cowards refused to hold a vote. Now that Trump wants to leave, they are whining. Their war powers only cover going to war. They get no vote to leave. What are they gonns do, withhold money. The GOPe are returning to their roots, the stupid party.
ReplyDeleteRob S
If you read the actual text, it's not a big deal. Only item #1 opposes Trump's decision:
ReplyDelete(1) opposes the decision to end certain United States efforts to prevent Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in Northeast Syria;
(2) calls on Turkish President Erdogan to immediately cease unilateral military action in Northeast Syria and to respect existing agreements relating to Syria;
(3) calls on the United States to continue supporting Syrian Kurdish communities through humanitarian support, including to those displaced or otherwise affected by ongoing violence in Syria;
(4) calls on the United States to work to ensure that the Turkish military acts with restraint and respects existing agreements relating to Syria; and
(5) calls on the White House to present a clear and specific plan for the enduring defeat of ISIS.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-joint-resolution/77/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22syria%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=6
I consider myself to well informed and interested about politics -- especially international politics -- but I do not care much about the situation in northern Syria.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that most other ordinary people do not care about it either.
I have the impression -- I have not studied the issue -- that Turkey wants to establish a buffer zone along its border, on the Syrian side, and park a lot of Syrian refugees there. Some militant Kurds might be in the way.
I suppose that is a complicated problem that will have to be sorted out.
I think that most Americans are just not going to care much about that situation.
I tend to agree, Mike. What outrages me is 1) the way we got involved, and 2) the way this is being used in domestic politics in ways that are very destructive of our constitutional order.
DeleteThis confuses the narrative:
ReplyDeletePresident Trump Delivers Remarks on Turkey-Syria-Kurds Ceasefire and Agreement: “Great Day for Civilization”…
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/10/17/president-trump-delivers-remarks-on-turkey-syria-kurds-ceasefire-and-agreement-great-day-for-civilization/#more-173957
Not really:
Delete"Brilliant all around geopolitical strategy by the Trump administration; and now all the pontificating war-mongers on Capitol Hill seem ridiculous."
That is true, but ...
Pelosi has shown that a wedge can be driven between Trump and GOP legislators, that their support for Trump is very shallow. This may play out in the 2020 election by increasing anger of Trump base against party. Ramifications are many.
Only money explains this, because from a political standpoint what the GOP has done is insane.
Yes.
ReplyDeleteAlso...and this is a real question...has Trump tweeted his disgust for the GOPers? As we would normally have expected him to?
What's going on?
And with the ceasefire, is Trump not winning? With no loss of US life?
What's going on?
:)
I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't know. There's no question but that Trump has made not just the Dems but his own party look like monkeys. Is it his plan to run against a "do-nothing" Congress--he used the phrase yesterday? Is he looking to tighten the screws on the GOP? His response Graham the other day--basically, stopping thinking about Syria and think about Comey and Brennan--was a devastating put down.
DeleteSeveral things are in play with the Syria vote. First, many Republican politicians are also at risk of criminal exposure as a result of the Durham investigations. Like Schumer and Pelosi, they somehow think that pressuring Trump will cause Barr to back off and reign in the worst of the upcoming disclosures and potential indictments. Second, there are active and serious behind-the-scenes blackmail threats being made to more than a few Republican senators. As such, there is a non-trivial probability of getting to 67 if the Deep State proceeds with it's doomsday false-flag OPs. And if so, there will be a lot of both short and long term collateral damage, but even worse, it will likely cause an irreparable break in national unity between red and blue voters. The delay in the Horowitz report is emboldening these acts and the spring is winding tighter with each passing day. Barr needs to something tangible soon.
ReplyDeleteThere are not many Republicans whom I admire and support. Donald Trump is one of the few. I quit the party in 2006 and have never looked back. I often joke that "The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican and the only thing worse than a Republican is a Democrat."
ReplyDeleteStill, I am not as upset as you, Mr. Wauck. Not that I'm saying you're wrong. I didn't see any television news and am new to this story. Maybe I should be upset; I don't know. I think we ought to see what happens when the dust settles.
I still stand with the President and that hasn't changed and isn't going to change. I'll never claim to be an expert on most things in life. But I'll stand on this charge, again and again. There is no way that the President is impeached if the voters support him. Gutless Republicans won't risk their seats to enrage the base. Sad to say that many don't live their lives based on principle. Taking care of Number One (self) is the most important thing.
Russia is our enemy? I must've been napping--I missed that.
ReplyDeleteWhat time are the missiles being launched?
I know it's true because I searched "russia direct attack on our democracy" and came up with any number of results like:
DeleteRussia is at war with our democracy; will we defend it?
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/02/22/russia-is-at-war-with-our-democ
Russia continues to attack our democracy - Dallas Morning News
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/02/23/russia-continues-to-attack-our-democracy/
How Russians attacked America's democracy - USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/12/19/how-russians-attacked-americas-democracy-editorial-debate/2366554002/
I hear ya. They drank the Kool-Aid that the Russians hacked the DNC's computers. Without evidence. Pathetic.
Delete