Democrats Pursue Slow Bleed Strategy Against Trump

[babylonsister]

https://politicalwire.com/2019/03/04/democrats-plan-slow-bleed-strategy-against-trump/

Democrats Pursue Slow Bleed Strategy Against Trump
March 4, 2019 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard

Mike Allen: “House Democratic leaders worry impeachment proceedings against President Trump could backfire if they move too fast.”

“They plan to pursue a slow-bleed strategy with lengthy public hearings and scores of witnesses to methodically pick apart Trump’s finances and presidency.”

“In an investigation being coordinated among six to eight House committees, Trump will essentially be on public trial for months to come, with topics that include abuse of power, obstruction of justice, conflicts of interest (including profit from the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue) and money laundering.”

NBC News: House Democrats eye GOP playbook for Justice Department requests.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

1. This is the right strategy. Focus on corruption and crimes

Get his approval rating down a bit, get the GOP to crack a bit more (as they’re doing on the wall now).

Investigate all the crimes and corruption.

(And don’t forget: we must stop rightwing propaganda media if we want to fix the country.)

[Cosmocat]

8. YEP

nm

[Dustlawyer]

9. +1!

[Hortensis]

32. Yes. That approval rating thing. 88% on one poll this morning.

Mercifully, we only need a small percentage of their voters to fall away. They don't even have to vote against him, just fall back with the feckless nonvoters.

[DeminPennswoods]

2. There should be a select committee

since there are so many individual committees involved.

[lagomorph777]

35. I think it's fine to have many committees - there is a lot of work to do.

And it means hearings will become an almost constant drumbeat.

[PJMcK]

3. Excellent plan

Death by a thousand cuts. Such a strategy will drive Trump crazy, (crazier?).

More importantly, the revelation of all of his criminality will be revealed bit by bit. When totaled, Trump's whole world will come crashing down.

[canetoad]

64. My thoughts exactly

The Chinese called it 'Lingchi'.

Wikipedia:

*Lingchi was reserved for crimes viewed as especially severe, such as treason.

*The punishment worked on three levels: as a form of public humiliation, as a slow and lingering death, and as a punishment after death.

[Guilded Lilly]

4. While I agree with the method, this ghoul must go as fast as possible...

Every day he is still able to spew and polute the country and world, is equal to months more recovery (if ever) regarding how he and his enabled wretches have damaged everything about the United States.

[kentuck]

7. Unfortunately, there is no way to get rid of him quicker.

Democrats have to plan for the big battle in 2020. Expose every crime.

[lagomorph777]

36. Yup. I'd love to see impeachment but it's impossible given the 100% corrupt Reptilian Party.

Our only realistic option is to win big at the ballot box. After that, nobody will be able to play the BS "can't indict a sitting president" card.

[OMGWTF]

58. A bill waas just introduced in the House to reinstate the Voting Rights Act...

which of course, will never be brought by Traitor McConnell. Come on Kentucky -- get rid of this evil jerkhole.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. NOT gop playbook! They had nothingburgers v Obama/Hillary. No jail, no convicts, no indictments, zip

[apnu]

54. That the plays came up short does not mean they aren't GOP strategy.

And its not really solely GOP strategy. Slow bleed politics has been around for thousands of years. Its just that the GOP tried it most recently on Obama and came up with nothing.

Mueller, however, a Republican, has found a ton of illegal activity and has an impressive list of indictments already, and he is, ostensibly on paper, an ally.

We have not seen the bottom of this well. There is so much more to pull up to the light.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Trump's downfall must be as complete & utter & ruinous as possible. Example for the ages.

It takes time to show how thoroughly and deeply corrupted the Republicon-Trump Party is, including the tRump family and the tRump gang and cabinet and McCONnell and others.

Before long people will be saying "Oh go tRump yourself" as one of the worst insults. Start using it now.

[watoos]

22. I agree, expose everything the Trump crime family has done.

If we had an unbiased M$M, Trump would be impeached by now. Democrats have to fight the head wind that comes from a right wing corporate controlled complicit M$M.

[lagomorph777]

38. Agreed - expose Trump AND all the top Reptilians such as McConnell and Devil Nunes.

[usaf-vet]

47. Hopefully the AG in SDNY investigation will RICO the Trump"crime family"

RICO the Trump"crime family"

Leave him with enough money to by one Big Mac per day.

[sprinkleeninow]

80. "Oh go tRump yourself!" 😂

[sprinkleeninow]

82. Leaving him and his PENNILESS. 😭

Yeah, that's the ticket.

[NCDawg]

10. Dems are following,..

the playbook deployed by the Pukes against Clinton. Only difference was it was Bill's second term, Combover Caligula won't be so fortunate!

[PatSeg]

13. And with Trump,

there are actual crimes and corruption to expose. Republicans spent years trying to find something to bring down Clinton. They just can't stand to have a Democrat in the White House. They are the world's poorest losers.

[machoneman]

14. More! Having 12-20 Democratic challengers ensures his divided attention at all times. He'll spend...

all his time between tweeting odd surnames to them and fighting subpoenas, witness testimony, lawsuits, court appearances by his folks, congressional testimony by staffers and more.

It-will-drive-Trump-crazy!

[PatSeg]

11. Yes, this is brilliant

And there is so much material to work with.

Republicans use investigations to stall, deflect, and undermine their political opponents. Democrats use investigations to actually bring the truth to light.

[sandensea]

12. Cheeto certainly can't complain: it's what the GOPee did to Hillary for 25 years

And for no good reason.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

45. Mango Mussolini knows he's broken laws. Whereas not even an indictment against Hillary. . . . nt

[pangaia]

15. How in the world do they ever keep track of it all?

They must need hundreds of people working on it all...

it boggles the mind..

[CDerekGo]

16. Fun to Watch

Yes, the deplorables (combover's base) will never believe any thing bad about orangesicle, only whatever lies spews forth from his putrid mouth, or the tweets he so frequently posts. Of course, both are just more evidence for Committees and Mueller to use against what looks to be more and more like Mafia in the White House. Jeez, now I'm giving the Mafia a bad name...

[MineralMan]

17. It's a good approach. Keep the pressure on right up to

the elections in 2020. Just keep pounding away at Trump and the Republicans in Congress who have enabled him. Don't let up. Just keep right on doing it, day after day, month after month.

It's impossible to successfully impeach and remove Trump from office. The 2/3 majority required in the Senate will not be reached. So, just keep the pressure on. Screw the pressure relief valve down to increase it. Maybe the pressure cooker will just explode.

[lagomorph777]

39. Like this:

(skip ahead to 1:20):

[greblach]

61. keep up the pressure

I had forgotten this episode, thanks for the link...

[Tarc]

18. Impeachment is off the table as far as I'm concerned

Let's say that a few of the slightly more sane GOP'ers get on-board and oust the fool. President Pence ( ) and the rest of his party will go 24/7 "it was all him, we're moving past this", etc... Someone will tout a Rasmussen poll as the gospel truth when it show the "new" GOP has a 55% approval rating.

And then they will literally carry out the same exactly policies that Trump did, only without the 3am tweets and bombast.

Put our efforts into winning the presidency in 2020.

[watoos]

23. ....and the Senate,

and importantly, state Houses. 2020 is a census redistricting year.

[greblach]

62. I agree

spot on...

[Cosmocat]

19. Wall Street Journal Poll today - he is at 46% favorable

this country is full on stupid as shit, and as much of a degenerate, corrupt russian stooge as he is, there is a LOT of foreplay needed before we can even think about having actual "impeachment" because of Rs completely covering for his ass for the first two years, and people need to wrap their heads around the fact that it isn't going to happen before the 2020 election ...

[watoos]

24. Preface that with,

Rupert Murdoch's WSJ.

[lagomorph777]

40. Still, that would put Turd at 40% in real life; shocking and scary.

[pecosbob]

20. Meanwhile the nation has a tourniquet on all four limbs and bleeds to death

while waiting for paramedics to arrive...

[OliverQ]

21. Doesn't seem to be working since trump's approval is going up.

[watoos]

25. I don't believe polls.

[watoos]

26. So for the sake of argument,

Trump had 100 million "Republican" followers and his approval rating was 87%. Today Trump has 80 million followers and his approval rating is 87%. Statistics don't lie, Trump's approval rating is the same among his followers.

[Doitnow]

65. Well, proceed on! 87% of 80 million is less than 87% of 100 million. Keep going and he will have

87% of 5 million, ----of 100 (total) or 50. ) 87% can look awfully good if you just keep counting his total followers (which may be diminishing), but it's not a true count.

[GoCubsGo]

27. Whatever it takes...

Hopefully, his own actions will exacerbate the bleeding, and he'll exsanguinate all on his own.

[GetRidOfThem]

28. I unbderstand why Democrats wish to proceed cautiosly, but...

...do we not already have a lengthy Special Prosecutor's investigation? At some point someone has to act to stop this train wreck of a presidency, if you even want to call it the latter. Too much at stake. This guy is dangerous and must be stopped. I Dems proceed to carefully and slowly Trump will take advantage of the time given to him.

Also, it becomes the new norm to have infinite investigations against a sitting president, rather than fixing the real problem at hand, which is a very, very serious problem.

[lagomorph777]

41. Mueller's secrecy means the public has only the slightest clues about the truth.

Congress can do exactly the opposite: get the public up to speed on Turd's crimes, and on board with cleaning him out, along with the Reptilian Party he rode in on.

[kentuck]

29. What is the alternative?

It appears that they will never have the number needed to convict if they impeach. Death by a thousand cuts may be the only strategy left?

[lagomorph777]

42. +1. We do what we have to do. If it takes 1000 cuts, so be it.

[empedocles]

30. Good education takes time

[Delmette2.0]

31. What would be even better,

Is if a couple of Republicans would run against 45. Maybe, just maybe he would lose in the Primaries.

I know it would be a long shot, but after his rant at CPAC a few are seeing that the light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

[kentuck]

33. You would think someone would try to save their Party?

And tell their Republican friends that this is not who they are. They are better than this. They don't have to wallow in the mud and filth. There is a better way.

I think they could take a lot of votes from Trump, if they ran as an Independent.

[Delmette2.0]

34. It will take a few brave Republicans to stand up to him.

We might be seeing a few R's voting against the Emergency wall funding.

[Texin]

37. The problem is, with that majority rethug Senate, he can appoint federal judges at will.

I'm not just talking about Supremes, but within the states. A great amount of permanent (well, semi permanent?) damage can be done to the foundation of our country in a little under two years. And dog save us is he's re-installed.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

43. Not sure I see how lengthy hearings is better

Than impeachment though. They can be equally bashed for either. Hope they change their mind once Mueller concludes.

[kentuck]

46. American voters require repetition in order for the facts to soak in...

Democrats need to have these hearings in order to educate the American people. They need to understand exactly who they are voting for. They need to understand that laws were broken. They need to understand that they are being used as political pawns.

Once they are warned that their house is on fire, it is up to them to get out of the burning building.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

50. Oh totally agree! Just talking about from their

perspective on bashing Dem House.

I always thought that one argument for impeachment hearings would be that the right wing nut constituents could finally hear an un-bastardized version of the facts in a concise manner.

But, I taped the fox version of Cohen's hearing. When I went back to look at it, it was totally unwatchable. Sure, they had a smaller box with the hearing going on, but on the right quarter of the screen were these wild, constantly, flipping graphics. They were bullet points of what the video is showing. Along the bottom of the screen there were more blurbs. It made it so distracting it was almost dizzying. Of course all this was by design for sure.

Bottom line, there is a large group of people that never ever see the truth. And there's probably no way 2 get to these people. Russia, if you're listening, interfere with Fox satellite during a hearing. Hahaha

[Ponietz]

44. That's the Dem strategy, great.

While I yearn for the FBI, et al., to step up the pressure, file the RICO charges, make formal arrests, etc. Confrontation is inevitable, and necessary.

[bigbrother05]

48. Necessary with the way committee rules work, i.e. 5 minutes from each member

Breaking it up let's them probe more deeply within particular areas that can give depth to the lawlessness. Just as we saw AOC's questions open up lines of inquiry for other committees to probe.

The more dots they color in, the easier it is to see the complete picture. Everything he's touched is corrupted and will need to fill the gaps for the deplorables to see it without squinting.

[yaesu]

49. as tRump & his fascist party continue their strategy of slowly bleeding this country dry nt

[Danascot]

51. In addition to Trump

the committees should start investigating repub congress member for taking Russian and NRA money, Russian collusion and whatever else might be out there. If their crimes start to be exposed they're going to want make it stop before it goes too far. And the first step to making it stop would be to dump trump.

They can start with Nunes.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

52. Listen to some of the Watergate veterans like Jill Wine-Banks.

Long, public hearings are what finally turned the voters against Nixon, and that's what caused the GOPers in Congress to stop supporting him. The GOP didn't grow a conscience; when Nixon's approval ratings dropped below 30% after two years of investigations, indictments and hearings, they saw that their re-election prospects would be damaged if they continued to support him. That's what needs to happen with Trump. It will be more difficult now on account of Fox "News," but eventually the scope of Trump's corruption will be understood by enough voters to prevent his re-election and to cause at least some Congressional GOPers to back away from him.

[backscatter712]

53. Strategy is good.

Just so long as the end result is Trump being tarred, feathered, and run out of DC on a rail straight to Leavenworth! It doesn't have to happen today, but for the sake of our nation, it must happen.

[lindysalsagal]

55. Works for me! 😎

[yortsed snacilbuper]

56. drip drip drip

works

[George II]

57. Makes one think of the Frank Pantangeli bathtub scene in "The Godfather II". I'd include the photo..

...but it's pretty gruesome.

[Mr. Smith]

59. I'm down with this, but the sooner the better, please!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

60. indict, imprison, then impeach

Put the treasonous, shit-spewing orange mobster behind bars to protect the world, and then continue with however many years of public hearings it takes to illuminate his co-conspirators and crimes.

[algaines94605]

63. This is the way to do it

Everyone thinks about Watergate as impeachment of Nixon. It didn't start that way. There were investigations that spread and grew. Only after it became clear Nixon was a crook, did we start to talk about impeachment.

As Jill Wine-Banks has said, we have to educate the American people to what's been going on. I don't mean Trumpers. I mean all the others who don't pay attention to a lot of politics.

[Nitram]

66. This is exactly the right strategy.

Those with no patience have been offering nothing but bad advice.

[pecosbob]

67. Don't care two figs for impeachment in the long run...

what I want to see is a full series of hearings under oath with all the info turned directly over to appropriate US AGs for immediate prosecution (granted this will likely take us well beyond the next election as a typical Rico prosecution can take quite a long time). I'd get a real kick out of seeing Gump hauled before Judge AJ Berman. It's the only action that'll stick and take them down. If we only prosecute a few scapegoats the GOP will simply make martyrs out of them and hide them away for ten years or so before bringing them back ala Elliott Abrams. They need to go down as an entire criminal organization. It also needs to be aimed at the heart of the GOP's foreign funding shenanigans. Their illegal funding aparatus needs to be entirely broken up.

The House should also look into what other types of illegal activities that may have occurred surrounding the 2016 election involving illegal use of voter data as well as possible election fraud or vote tally manipulation.

[LiberalFighter]

68. If they do it this way they need to destroy every damn Republican in Congress

that supports him. They need to lose in their next election.

[backscatter712]

70. Mitch McConnell in particular needs to be a target.

I want his head on a pike next to Trump's.

[Uncle Joe]

69. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread babylonsister.

[trof]

71. Smart. Very smart. K&R

[sprinkleeninow]

81. Reminds me of an old ad for a deli meat. IIRC:

"Makes a nice sandwich. A NICE sandwich." 😄

[Caliman73]

72. I take issue with the "slow bleed" characterization.

It makes it sound overtly political. While I admit that politics does come into play, the reality is that Democrats understand that due process is important and gathering evidence to build a case that will stand up legally is important. Unlike Republicans who clearly went after Hillary Clinton JUST to hurt her politically, Democrats are about holding Trump accountable.

[wiggs]

74. Totally agree. Just about every headline is about the confrontation, the horse race, the drama...

...whereas this is about justice.

the media loves the Mueller v Trump drama. But Mueller is not charged with going after Trump...he is charged with fact finding, but that's not as sexy.

[Caliman73]

77. Justice doesn't sell ad space...

You are right. Mueller has been stellar. He has been methodical, tenacious, and has run an extremely disciplined process. None of that is sexy, but it is exactly what we need.

[Wednesdays]

73. I say, expose ALL of the crimes

Slowly and methodically. Once the American public, even his syncophants, see how wide and deep the cesspool truly is, then impeachment would be merely a formality.

[Blue Owl]

75. Yeah what's the rush?

He's already trashed the place -- may as well let him burn it down, too...

[C_U_L8R]

76. Beat him in the election then prosecute.

Seems to be what they're lining up. Meanwhile the thousand cuts Trump incurs every day will continue to hold him in check and wither his precious brand.

[jimlup]

78. i agree with the strategy

but damn it is frustrating ... the sooner we rid our country of the trump rubbish the better.

[dchill]

79. I believe that this strategy will create an outcry...

FOR impeachment, eventually. I just hope the country and the world last long enough to see it.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

83. the outcry against Nixon

Nixon had to resign because of the outcry against the hearings interfering with "my soaps!" Women at home were tired of all that Watergate stuff displacing their favorite soap operas on daytime tv. This was the unforgiveable sin and they moved the world to correct it.

[crud]

84. All the investigations should focus on Abuse of Power

I think they need to simplify their message. Every crime committed while in office can be lumped together as Abuse of Power. It's a term that is easily understood. Whether its the obstruction, or emoluments, or the national emergency, and on and on. Frame it as "abuse of power" and it doesn't need to be a violation of an arcane law, or a process crime. I think people would "get it", if every committee framed it that way.