Public Trump Impeachment Hearing Mega Thread

[Anonymous]

Amb Taylor: "The irregular policy channel was running contrary to the longstanding goals of U.S. policy."

[Anonymous]

Sorry broken picture link

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please make this a useful thread! I'm really excited for the smart dcum commentary since I have been having a hard time keeping up. And I won't be able to listen live. Facts and specifics. Xoxo love you smarties!

This actually is not hard to understand. Trump is accused of trying to extort a foreign government to interfere with our election to benefit himself politically. Everything else is noise.

[Anonymous]

Taylor says "I sat in astonishment" when he heard OMB official saying security aid to Ukraine was on hold. "Ukrainians were fighting Russians and counted on assurance of U.S. support." OMB official says directive had come "from the president" to chief of staff to OMB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is Kent talking about his father and uncles? Does their honorable service give him credibility?

Yes. He's establishing bonafides because he knows deplorable Republicans are going to attack him personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lindsay Graham says this hearing is "un-American." Can someone please explain why that is?

Because Republicans are being told that they cannot call witnesses the Democrats determine are "sham witnesses" That's one reason:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/schiff-signals-he-will-reject-gop-sham-witness-requests

Un-American? Judges make rulings and whittle down witness lists every day. Sometimes one side want to parade a bunch of irrelevant witness in front of the jury, and the court shuts down that nonsense. This isn't a court, but the same principal applies, and there is nothing un-American about it.

[Anonymous]

The witnesses sound unamerican alright.

/sarcastic

[Anonymous]

And the whistleblower is needed why????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the whistleblower is needed why????

to testify, that is

[Anonymous]

NEW testimony today from Taylor - his staff in Ukraine heard Trump on the phone ask Sondland about "the investigations" the day after the July 25 phone call

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lindsay Graham says this hearing is "un-American." Can someone please explain why that is?

Because Republicans are being told that they cannot call witnesses the Democrats determine are "sham witnesses" That's one reason:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/schiff-signals-he-will-reject-gop-sham-witness-requests

Un-American? Judges make rulings and whittle down witness lists every day. Sometimes one side want to parade a bunch of irrelevant witness in front of the jury, and the court shuts down that nonsense. This isn't a court, but the same principal applies, and there is nothing un-American about it.

Additionally, this is the INVESTIGATION part of the process. It's not like a court - it's like the police and DA interviewing witnesses.
The Senate portion will be like the court/jury part of the process. I know of know jurisdiction in the area that requires the police to interview everyone that the potential bad guy asks them to interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William Taylor talking about all the many steps Zelensky and Ukraine were taking to end corruption.

Now talking about the two channels for US foreign policy - the actual one and the “irregular, informal. Unaccountable to Congress.” Sondland, Mulvaney, and Giuliani (I missed one)

Is he actually claiming that Congress gets to approve the President's conversations?

NP. Is he saying that? Please elaborate for those of us who cannot watch/listen right now.

No, he’s not saying that at all. He’s drawing the comparison between the regular channel which does have some accountability to our representatives and exists to protect and promote American interests via diplomacy and this irregular channel that existed for Donald Trump’s benefit (which he has not yet stated so directly, but the implication is there and he’s driving toward it in DEEP detail with all the skunky ways the irregular channel folks were acting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amb Taylor: "The irregular policy channel was running contrary to the longstanding goals of U.S. policy."

This is it.

[Anonymous]

This testimony is devastating. Will Sondland be willing to go to prison for Trump? I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the whistleblower is needed why????

No reason for whistleblower at this point, the testimony we are getting now is firstand and provide more detail than the Whistleblower report. It is just GOP noise.