—
Wow, is this a Hot Button topic.
Given the latest Poll results, they clearly show that the Majority of folks want us to do SOMETHING:
[T]he percentage of voters who believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office hover between 32 percent and 43 percent.
Meanwhile, the percentage of those who believe he should be censured has hovered between 14 and 22 percentage.
But what the hell is Censure going to do, to actually “fix” the underlying root problem?
Not Much. Yes, we can officially say “Mr. Trump we don’t approve of your rash and erratic actions.”
To which, Trump will say “Big Whoop.” As he continues merrily along with his nefarious ways.
Yeah but, if we do Impeach him without open-and-shut hard Evidence, then Trump may end up appearing “more sympathetic” in the views of those under-informed.
Bill Clinton got a bump in popularity, after he survived his Impeachment. Most people viewed it as a Ken Starr “Fishing Expedition” gone awry. Which started out investigating a Land Deal, and ended up Charging him for “Lying” to the American people. … Well if that’s the low-bar standard, The Donald has him ‘trumped’ in spades. No one lies like Trump.
BUT that should not be the “standard” that equates to “high crimes and misdemeanors”. Simply lying is not enough, to sway the majority.
Trump fans will claim “Fishing Expedition” gone awry. Where is the Collusion? Where is the Conspiracy? Where is the Trump-Putin handshake, and their Pact-signing on the dotted line?
Without a direct tie to Russia, any Impeachment effort has an Uphill row to hoe, it seems to me.
Trump Foundation Corruption. Fishing.
Trump directing Campaign Funds to silence affairs. Fishing.
Trump condoning Flynn’s back-door Sanction dealings. Well, that’s fishing a bit closer to Moscow.
As outrageous as any of these charges of illegal acts would be, IF Obama had done them; or IF Hillary had done them; They are just A-OKAY when Trump has done them — because?
Trump is a political outsider.
Trump is politically naive.
Trump just doesn’t understand how Government works.
Funny those are such excellent qualifications for NOT running for President, aren’t they? Granted those are just water-carrier excuses. But excuses they are — which would probably shield 20 Republican Senators from having to vote for Conviction. And Removal.
SO, we need more. Something Irrefutable. Something Intentional. Something “Traitorous” on Trump’s behalf. That is if we expect the Trump-condoners to ‘turn-coat’ and become Trump-accusers.
I submit that the Trump Tower Moscow Bribery — if it can be proven, would be that something MORE.
1) Offering Putin a $50 Million dollar Bribe — Breaks the Law — the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
2) Offering Putin a $50 Million dollar Bribe — Puts Trump under Putin’s thumb.
3) Offering Putin a $50 Million dollar Bribe — Enabled Putin’s “Bait and Switch” to the topic of Sanctions.
On top of that, Trump lied about Trump Tower Moscow repeatedly. He knew what a grenade it was.
Trump and Giuliani claimed the “Letter of Intent” for the Moscow Deal was never signed — until a signed copy of it turned up recently.
And lastly Trump himself admitted to G20 Reporters, “Of course there was a Moscow Deal — it was his ‘backup plan’ in case he lost the presidency — What wrong with that?”
Well one, he didn’t disclose it; two, he actively covered it up in 2016; three, it gave him a keen incentive to advocate for lifting the Russian sanctions (on VTB Bank, for instance).
And fourth, all this cloak and dagger secrecy — gave Putin even more serious leverage over Trump.
THAT’s what’s wrong with that plan. For starters.
Bottom-line Trump has potentially compromised himself to America’s adversary, all for the sake of immense personal gains. Trump has been looking out for his own Interests — not America’s Interests — all along. It is reported that Trump really ran for Office to “promote his Brand” — not to promote America.
Putin’s leverage over Trump is REAL. It Exists. So much so that in their first public stage Meeting in Helsinki — Trump shocked the world with how deferential he was to Putin, even years after their Moscow Deal was abandoned.
This was because Putin still had that leverage over Trump. Putin probably still has the email, the hand-written note, the Contract Addendum — that offered the Penthouse Floor to him Scot-Free, if only Putin would put the Moscow deal on the fast-track. And no doubt Vladimir made copies of that offer, for publication on a moments notice. What former spy wouldn’t? … or is that would?
Putin being the skilled spy-director ever still, knows a ‘hooked fish’ when he sees one. Give him a little more line, before you reel them in. That “extra line” of credit — to fund the construction of Trump Tower Moscow — which would be provided by the Russian state-run Bank VTB. Got em!
A Bank under US Sanctions by the way. Putin chose this Bank, out of a multitude of possible resources. Because those construction funds that Trump so wanted, could be made contingent on getting those Sanctions lifted.
Thus began the Trump pro-Russian Agenda. Trump’s public advocating for lifting those Sanctions. And which ultimately leads to the “disgusting” and possibly “treasonous” acts committed by General Flynn, acting on behalf of that Trump pro-Russian Agenda — before they even took Office.
Hard Evidence though is hard to come by. Here’s to hoping that Michael Cohen kept more than just Post-cards, when he was proactively working to see that Trump Tower Moscow deal through, on behalf of Trump. Afterall, as Cohen has said: #MuellerKnowsEverything.
BuzzFeed has cited 2 law enforcement sources, when they broke that Putin Bribery story. Someone knows something here. If it can be clearly documented, it would qualify as:
Something Irrefutable. Something Intentional. Something “Traitorous” on Trump’s behalf.
Like Big-time. Like something “Impeachable” … Like something “Convictable” in the halls of the Senate.
So yes, if Trump’s corrupt intent and his irrational allegiance to Putin can be demonstrated — YES we need to Impeach the faker. To not to, would make us little better than the Trump-Enablers who’ve empowered the Sell-out America Shill to remain decidedly Above the Law. All Laws. All Conventions. All Norms.
So far … that is.
Let the Congressional Investigations begin. May they find the Evidence — or perhaps even borrow some of Mueller’s. The defenders of Truth and Justice need to band together. Start their brain-storming:
How in the world do we ever get from A to Z — in a political landscape that takes for granted Donald Trump’s every indulgence?
— — —
Political Thought Experiment:
What would Republicans have done, if Obama had done half of what Donald Trump has incredibly, and willfully done?
They wouldn’t have been resting on their back-sides, waiting for a groundswell of public support.
They would have been yelling “Lock him up, Lock him up.”
Such is what “Double Standards” are made of. Such is what must be deconstructed for the Constitutional Hypocrisy, it actually is. Before the Constitutional Government we need, is ever to be restored.
—