6276

“Every scholar in our history agrees with this. Except Mr. Dershowitz.”

I enjoyed that.

6277

I heard the exact same question being asked on my way back from lunch about two hours ago.

All the Dems are only asking questions of the house managers, and all the Repubs are only asking questions of the defense. All the questions are of the form, “Isn’t the other side full of poopy-heads? Can you please repeat all the opening arguments you already made?”

I hate to both-sides this, believe me, I am the last one to both-sides anything. But this is awful.

Edit to clarify: I’m blaming the Senators here, not the managers (or even the defense) who are just answering the questions they get, which is easy, because all they have to do is repeat what they already said. In fact, many of the answers are clearly being read from prepared documents.

6278

Even if you agree with Dershowitz that the offenses have to be crime-like, the conduct in the abuse of power article is akin to bribery and in the obstruction article akin to obstruction of Justice.

6279

Graham and Cruz asked a question of the House Managers, and I’m sure they regretted it.

6280

But both sides get to respond, and trumps team is looking bad.

Also this:

6281

Pretty sure Schiff and the house managers made the point pretty clearly that Mulvaney has to testify during opening arguments. But there aren’t going to be any witnesses no matter what, so… this all seems pretty pointless.

6282

Do the Republicans have enough votes to block witnesses now?

6283

I’ve been wrong about stuff before (I predicted that Sondland would never testify before the House), but I can’t imagine there will be any witnesses. Maybe Romney will defect on that vote, maybe, but nobody else will.

6284

Yeah I don’t think there will be witnesses either - the fix is in.

6285

I’m pretty sure Romney is looking for a reason to avoid witnesses & impeachment like all the rest.

6286

Did I accidentally mute this thread somehow? It wouldn’t surprise me if at some point I did, but I don’t specifically remember it.

The little “tracking” thing at the bottom of the thread is still on tracking. But it seems like all posts are already read in this thread every time I visit the forum when clearly many new ones have been posted.

Is this Discourse being weird because the thread is really long, or is this Discourse doing something I told it to but forgot how to manage?

6287

Discourse wisely decided you would be depressed if you read all these posts so it auto muted it for you.

6288

Praise Wumpus.

6289

Oooh, finally the question about Trump and his kids obvious conflicts of interest!

6290

Can you provide any info on this? What did they ask? What were the answers? I didn’t see this part.

6291

Speaking in the Senate trial Wednesday, he managed to express his own principle in an even more absurd fashion. “If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest,” he said, “that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.” So any abuse of presidential power designed at least in part to aid his own reelection is not impeachable.

This is one of the dumbest legal takes of all time.

6292

By Dersh’s logic the President could shoot his opponent and it would be fine because it helps him get elected.

6293

Or hire a North Korean hit squad.

6294

Hush you!

6295

First thing President Biden/ Warren/ Whoever should do is grant themselves dictatorial powers. Trump party can’t object, they’ve been arguing for it for months.

If they try to object, into the Gulag with them. They should be okay with that.