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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

UPDATED: Thursday Impeachment Vote Not Certain?

The Washington Examiner is reporting that things are up in the air: Democratic leaders walk back Thursday impeachment vote. This is based on statements by Steny Hoyer, the Dems' #2. Hoyer made it clear that this would not be a vote on an impeachment inquiry. Instead, he stated that it would be a vote to move from talking to people behind closed doors to bloviating in public. But he wouldn't actually commit to there being a vote on Thursday. Since Hoyer is the Majority Leader, the suspicion is that there's a concern that the Dem leadership could lose that vote--apparently "moderate" Dems have been consulting the polls:

But Democrats are suddenly wary of calling it an official vote to open an impeachment hearing and aren’t even promising a vote on Thursday. 
Hoyer said the resolution “addresses moving from the investigatory phase to the hearing phase,” of the impeachment proceedings, entering the public phase. Hoyer, who controls the floor schedule, would not fully commit to holding the vote on Thursday. “We are going to have to consider whether or not it is ready to go on Thursday,” Hoyer said. The resolution will be drafted and advanced Wednesday by the House Rules Committee, whose Democrats operate as an essential arm of the speaker. 
Hoyer described the resolution as one that would establish a process for ending the closed-door investigatory phase of the impeachment proceeding, which has so far involved depositions taken in a secure room in the basement of the U.S. Capitol. 

UPDATE: Yep, it's all a hoax--via Zerohedge:

According to the resolution, the three Democratic-led impeachment panels are directed to continue their probes into the Trump administration's interactions with the Ukrainian government to determine whether a quid pro quo or other impeachable offenses have been committed. 
It also allows the GOP to "question witnesses for equal specified periods" as the Democrats for up to 90-minute sessions, thus depriving Republicans of the argument that they're being denied due process during the proceedings. Still, it will be up to the Democrats to approve or deny witnesses.

So, nothing changes except that the GOP gets equal questioning time--but can't call witnesses without Dem approval.

14 comments:

  1. Nancy and Steny stumbling over each other’s feet. The Dems are in trouble and it is getting worse...

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  2. Since when is a House vote necessary to move from "the investigatory phase to the hearing phase"?

    This is nonsense.

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    1. I read an article that said that of the ~31 seat lead the Dems have in the House (there are some vacancies), GOP internal polling gives GOP "a lock" on 25 at this point. That would explain why the uncertainty. Backed themselves into a corner.

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    2. That is great news. But, please, no more Pierre Delectos. Deal?

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  3. Well, they are not voting to begin impeachment procedings, but to continue the show trial currently underway.

    Since this has been outed, mainly due to the verbiage of Pelosi, they now have cold feet.

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    1. Yes. It's more theater and I doubt it's gonna fool anyone. Just today Schiff was shutting down questioning, again.

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  4. I was half-kidding when I said the Dems would call in sick on Thursday. They're making me appear prescient.

    They don't want to commit to impeach the President. They just want to keep the illusion going so that they can appeal to their crazies, I mean base, and not alienate any sane voter whom they might somehow persuade to vote Democrat. Can a voter be sane and voter Democrat?

    Like you say, theater. Or farce, tragedy, travesty, disgrace, outrage. Pick one noun or all of them.

    And apparently Schiff is both prosecutor and counselor to his "witnesses." I read that Vindman defied the White House and testified. I didn't know that a military officer could defy his commander-in-chief. Can you shed any light on this?

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    1. I suppose the answer is that he's not serving as an officer while working in the WH? Not sure how it works. It's about "hats", as they say in Yes, Prime Minister:

      Sir Humphrey Appleby: It is so difficult for me you see, as I am wearing two hats.

      PM James Hacker: Yes, isn't that rather awkward for you?

      Sir Humphrey Appleby: Not if one is in two minds.

      Bernard Woolley: Or has two faces.

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    2. It seems that Lawfare advised Vindman to wear his full dress uniform to the hearing.

      In the same article:

      (Open Secrets) – sA little known U.S.-based attorney quietly poured six figures into foreign influence operations for President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to be rewarded with a job in his administration, foreign agent records identified by OpenSecrets show.

      The new Foreign Agent Registration Act records reveal previously unreported meetings with Trump administration officials and details of a six-figure lobbying campaign promoting Zelensky’s interests in the U.S. during the leadup to his election and now-infamous phone call with President Donald Trump.

      […] Notable among the Trump officials contacted was Alexander Vindman, who oversees European affairs at the National Security Council. Vindman was one of five Trump administration officials chosen for a delegation to Zelensky’s inauguration featured in the whistleblower complaint alongside Kurt Volker, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine who resigned after fallout from the whistleblower’s allegations. (read more)


      https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/10/29/seditious-conspiracy-sketchy-witness-schiff-blocks-questioning-of-nsc-staffer-alexander-vindman-to-protect-him-from-legal-exposure/

      Direct link to Open Secrets article:

      https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/10/us-based-agent-bankrolled-ukraine-president-zelenskys-dc-lobbying/

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  5. Will there be an impeachment vote on Thursday?

    Possible Democrat tactics

    Use Magic 8 ball
    Talk to the hand
    Brach's candy conversation hearts
    Use a mime
    A conundrum wrapped in an enigma
    Answer given in Pig Latin
    White or black smoke ala papal elections

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    Replies
    1. If I can be permitted two more Democrat responses.

      Abbott and Costello's Who's on First Routine
      Groucho and Chico's Tootsie Fruitsie bit

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  6. Everything I know about politics I learned from Yes, Minister ... or Yes, Prime Minister.

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  7. Dry British wit is the best.

    On kind of the same topic, it's kind of amazing how on target M*A*S*H was with Colonel Flagg, the CIA officer.

    He told Trapper and Hawkeye that he had authorization to die in his mission, if necessary. Their response to him was classic. "If we had more men like you, we'd have less men like you."

    It was a good show until Alan Alda got woke.

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