6095

My guess is that if Bolton gets to testify, he’ll say nothing under oath; Trump will have been forced to officially invoke executive privilege; cruise missile attacks on Iran will commence forthwith.

6096

‘increasingly likely’ many GOP senators will almost vote in favor of witnesses

6097

Not that it matters to the hard-core, but he’ll have some explaining to do why he would allow Bolton to write about and profit off the same words he wouldn’t allow him to say under oath.

6098

It’s not published yet; the White House could demand recissions.

6099

Mr. White lays down the reality hammer (thread) 👉

6100

The Republicans will say that they want to hear from witnesses but only if the witness list includes the whistleblower testifying publicly. When the Democrats refuse they will say this demonstrates that the whole thing is a partisan witch-hunt

6101

The lawyers on twitter seem to be saying that, by commenting on the matter publicly with allegations of fact, the President has already waived privilege. You can’t say “here’s what that conversation was about / he did/didn’t say X / we did/didn’t talk about X” and still call it a privileged conversation. And once the substance has been shared by one of the principals beyond the shield of privilege — as Bolton surely has by sharing with his publisher — there isn’t any privilege anymore, if there ever was.

6102

I’m sure he’s correct, but this idea that “there isn’t gonna be a miracle, you gotta go vote” always seems a bit odd to me. I mean, it’s not as if the people who are trying to get Trump impeached/removed aren’t also going to vote against him anyway. So yes, “the solution is at the ballot box,” but it rubs me the wrong way a bit when people state it as though it’s some thundering revelation.

6103

This seems like a hugely risky political strategy. It’s the one Nixon tried using to prevent the release of his tapes.

But the net result of saying “These witnesses will show that there was no malfeasance” while also attempting to block those witnesses from testifying in the face of a lot of overwhelming evidence to the contrary seems like it could backfire pretty badly.

6104

Hmm, Ken Starr just invoked the name of Alexander Hamilton and didn’t immediately burst into flame, so I assume no Founding Fathers are still haunting the Senate at this point.

6105

Also he is trying hard to spin this as ‘only if there is a crime (ignoring the fact there was)’ to spin this as a criminal trial not an impeachment one.

Also ‘age of impeachment’ as a negative is fucking rich coming from Ken motherfucking Starr.

‘The house Dems are constantly trying to impeach the President’ no, they did it once you disingenuous bastard. Also if they talk about impeachment frequently it isn’t because of politics its because he is constantly doing impeachable things.

6106

Now Ken Starr, Ken Fucking Starr, is arguing that even if the President committed a crime, he shouldn’t be impeached, because a Presidents are all-powerful and it would be too harmful to the nation if they are impeached.

6107

Has he really not burst into flames yet?

Guess I was right about the whole ‘atheism’ thing…

6108

Well yeah, impeaching Lord Trump is disruptive to the nation. Disruptive to the nation! Can’t have that disrupting the GOP agenda.

6109

So when does he think a President should be impeached? Why did the Founders build the ability to impeach into the Constitution?

Why don’t they just cut right to it. He shouldn’t be impeached because he’s a Republican.

6110

He just said that Pelosi didn’t have the right to start impeachment because there are Republicans in the House who didn’t want to. And he actually said “one man, one vote”, as if that rule wouldn’t mean that Hillary would be President right now.

And that the impeachment is illegitimate because no Republicans voted for it.

6111

I almost went to Pepperdine Law School when he was the dean there.

6112

Actually I think Trump would still be President if that was literally the rule.

6113

To the extent that, if only men could vote, he would have had a healthy majority?

6114

Took me a minute.

Sekulow now saying that he shouldn’t be impeached because Pelosi handed out pens after signing the impeachment articles.

I’m done.