Column: Republicans wanted to impeach Trump from the start

[malaise]

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-01-23/impeachment-donald-trump-republican-party-trial
<snip>
Among the most puzzling defenses of President Trump is this particular script, beloved of Republican lawmakers: “The Democrats have been trying to impeach this president since before he was sworn into office.” Trumpites like to deliver it with high ferocity and little variation.

Sure, it’s nowhere near as jaunty as Trump’s masterwork: “I JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL!”

But it’s equally desperate.

The response is, as it should be, Yes, of course, impeachment has been top of mind lo these many soul-grinding years, as Americans of all parties have brooked each new round of Trump’s self-impeaching behavior.


And the impeachment drumbeat did start before Trump took office — during that endless migraine of an autumn in 2016. But it wasn’t necessarily coming from Democrats.

“The GOP needs to elect Trump, then impeach him,” wrote Jonathan Ashbach, a conservative writer for the Federalist, a right-wing online magazine, in October of that year.

In May 2016, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, “If we nominate Donald Trump we will get destroyed. And we will deserve it.” Norm Coleman, former Republican senator from Minnesota, shunned Trump too: “He isn’t a Republican. He isn’t a conservative.” Mitt Romney, former GOP presidential candidate and current senator from Utah, declared that Trump had “a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world.”

And then the “Access Hollywood” crotch-grabbing tape surfaced. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah congressman and chairman of the House Oversight Committee at the time, got blunt. “I’m out,” he said. “I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president.”

[marble falls]

1. Ah, but that was then and this is now. Now do you get it? ...

If you do, PLEASE explain it to me.

[malaise]

2. I don't get it

[marble falls]

3. Must be us.

[NCjack]

22. For everyone in Congress and the Administration, Putin must have

supplied folders of kompromat to Trump-the-Enforcer. Trump himself is controlled by Putin.

[OnDoutside]

4. And they'd impeach him now, if they could blame it on the Democrats, and not themselves. But they

are utter cowards.

[RKP5637]

5. tRump, has very serious character flaws! I like what was said - not a republican, not a conservative

but basically one unfit to lead and with character flaws.
Yes, extremely serious character flaws and one who really needs mental health help, plus some very serious physical/mental impediments.

[Wounded Bear]

9. Trump's corruption transcends party lines...

[RKP5637]

24. Like a horrific viral infection! n/t

[malaise]

11. If he were not rich he would have been locked up or banished

from civilized society decades ago

[RKP5637]

23. Absolutely!!! n/t

[Botany]

6. So many of them took Russian money and or have kompromat on them that they are afraid of Trump

n/t

[empedocles]

7. Huge. In this environment, one would have to wonder how extensive the intimidation

is. How many 'cons, key support group leaders, judges [Roberts?], corp execs?

[Vaguely remember epstein had access to 40?million of key exec assets].

Marlon Brando, on first reading of the Godfather novel, said of the mafia book, 'this is how Hollywood operates'.

[Botany]

12. Putin has been busy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eight-republicans-spent-july-4-in-russia-where-are-the-fireworks/2018/07/06/beae30be-812e-11e8-b658-4f4d2a1aeef1_story.html

Eight Republicans pick the worst possible place to celebrate July 4


Dana Milbank
Columnist
July 6, 2018 at 2:45 p.m.

“What does July 4th mean to me? Freedom,” Sen. Ron Johnson chirruped on Twitter on Independence Day.

For the Wisconsin Republican, it meant, specifically, the freedom to spend July 4 in Moscow with seven other Republican lawmakers posing for propaganda photos with Russian officials. On the same day it was reported in Britain that two more people had been poisoned by a Russian nerve agent British officials say came from Vladimir Putin’s regime. On the day after the Senate Intelligence Committee affirmed the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the election to help Donald Trump.

Johnson and his colleagues apparently exercised their freedom not to meet with opposition or civil society figures (those whom the Putin regime has not imprisoned or killed), avoiding the risk of offending their hosts. They also exercised their freedom to soft-pedal their criticism of the Russian government, leading Russian politicians and state media to mock them as supplicants.

snip

So, what do we call these Red Square Republicans? My interlocutors on Twitter suggest “Moscow Mules.” Or, given the position they put themselves in before our masters in Moscow, perhaps they should be called the Prostrate Eight: Sens. Richard C. Shelby (Ala.), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Hoeven (N.D.), John Neely Kennedy (La.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), John Thune (S.D.) and Johnson, plus Rep. Kay Granger (Tex.).

[renate]

15. The Moscow Mules

I like that!

[Botany]

17. Putin has been playing the long game to put Trump and pro Russian (compromised) Republicans ...

... into power. BTW Russia/Putin helped to pay for and back Trump's made for TV phony
reality show, "The Apprentice." Because in truth Trump was a failed businessman and Putin
needed to sell to a certain % of Americans (dumb fucks) that Trump was some kind of business
genius when in fact he was 180 degrees opposite of being that.


https://www.ajc.com/news/national/senators-house-members-who-offered-condolences-after-shooting-called-out-for-donations-from-nra/tpitHXUY9jDH3pr4f7f7cM/

A list of Russian/NRA owned senators.

[malaise]

8. Yes indeed

Truth will out

[Wounded Bear]

10. Well, we know the NRA was infused with Russian cash...

and they primarily supported Repubs.

Do the math.

[TheRealNorth]

14. Exactly

Putin (and by extension, trump) has got the GOP by their nutsacks.

[ScratchCat]

13. You do realize

That it would take only one person who is being blackmailed to come forward to end the entire scheme, right? "The blackmailers" couldn't guarantee that nobody - even one person - would come forward. Its just highly unlikely that any large number of Republicans are being blackmailed with "russian kompromat". Some? Sure. More than a few? Unlikely. It wouldn't be that hard for any Rep. to simply state they unknowingly took foreign money. They get away with minor campaign finance violations all the time with fines. Nothing different would happen here. So the notion that any significant number of Republicans have accepted donations that would end their career/put them in prison is pretty silly when you actually think about it. And no, the Russians don't have them all on video with hookers or little boys. No, there is another reason, and it has to do with why Barr was installed as AG. It all leads back to who is behind Barr being AG. Who told him to write that op ed, who told Trump to nominate him and who told the GOP Senate to confirm him? Nobody has investigated this.

[Botany]

16. In 2016 the Republicans got $30 million in Russian money through the NRA

And that includes Mitch McConnell and my senator Rob Portman. BTW Bill Barr shut down
Mueller's investigation into Russian money and the Trump campaign.

And yes in 2016 a large # of republican senators got millions from Russia through the NRA.

Google is your friend and many of the very same senators and one republican house member
spent July 4th 2018 in Moscow.

[empedocles]

18. Great work Botany. Thank you.

[ScratchCat]

19. No, a few went

This entire theory is based upon extreme exaggerations. No GOP politician would be looking at jail time for accepting NRA donations.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

21. Which GOPer would refuse more money?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. Money makes an effective gag for greedy people.

[Lokee11]

26. Honestly - what is driving them then.

If it is not some form of self-preservation, then what is driving / guiding them, motivating them to deny what is clear to every sane person out there? They sure do not give a dam about the truth and facts - why is that, unless they are in some way compromised? Do they just know that the system is already compromised and that the fix is in for 2020 and they want to be on the "winning" side? I wonder every single day WTF is wrong with them? And every single day I am -- distraught!

[diva77]

30. What is your theory as to who is behind the Barr nomination?

[gibraltar72]

25. The leader of my county Republican party

told Trump doubters that was the plan. He said we have enough to impeach right now and once he's in we'll actually have Pence. I'm sure more than a few took the bait and switch not knowing Russia had Kompromat on more than just Trump.

[Vogon_Glory]

27. I'm wondering whether Republican senators not facing

Re-election until 2022 or 2024 are going to take the dare and vote to remove Trump from office.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

28. They're vampires...

Holding up a mirror to them won’t work.

[crickets]

29. Ha! Good one. nt