The Impeachment Trial

[firstfloor]

Just FTR, Fox News is where I first saw it. I was busy with other things and didn't really pay attention, however, so I'm not sure how much detail they gave.

Don’t expect too much criticism of Trump from the Trump propaganda channel.

President Trump is testing the rule of law one week after his acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial, seeking to bend the executive branch into an instrument for his personal and political vendetta against perceived enemies.


And Trump — simmering with rage, fixated on exacting revenge against those he feels betrayed him and insulated by a compliant Republican Party — is increasingly comfortable doing so to the point of feeling untouchable, according to the president’s advisers and allies.
I

n the span of 48 hours this week, the president has sought to protect his friends and punish his foes, even at the risk of compromising the Justice Department’s independence and integrity — a stance that his defenders see as entirely justified.


Trump complained publicly about federal prosecutors’ recommended prison sentence for one of his longtime friends and political advisers, Roger Stone. After senior Justice Department officials then overruled prosecutors to lighten Stone’s recommended sentence, the president congratulated Attorney General William P. Barr for “taking charge” with an extraordinary intervention.


Next Trump sought to intimidate the federal judge in the Stone case, badgering her on Twitter for previous rulings, and attacked the four prosecutors who resigned from the case in apparent protest of the Justice Department’s intervention. Then Trump floated the possibility of a presidential pardon for Stone, who was convicted by a jury in November of tampering with a witness and lying to Congress.

WaPo
https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...faa_story.html

[JimL]

News reports are pretty unanimous on this being the opinion of multiple officials in the DOJ. Remember, Barr speaks for the entire agency. He's not just giving his personal opinion.

Remember that yourself.

[firstfloor]

Barr should be impeached.

[Cow Poke]

Barr should be impeached.

Yes, the partisan Democrats in the House should get right on that! While they're at it, they should impeach Trump AGAIN!

[Mountain Man]

Barr should be impeached applauded.

I fixed your typo. No charge.

[JimL]

Yes, the partisan Democrats in the House should get right on that! While they're at it, they should impeach Trump AGAIN!

Agreed. Trump is the Don, Barr his appointed Consiglieri, neither of which are fit for the office they hold. I'd say you'll find that out eventually, but I think you already know and would never admit to it anyway.

[Cow Poke]

Agreed. Trump is the Don, Barr his appointed Consiglieri, neither of which are fit for the office they hold. I'd say you'll find that out eventually, but I think you already know and would never admit to it anyway.

Jim, your precious partisan political hacks have overplayed their hand. It's their fault Trump now has a green light, and America is against the Democrats playing anymore games.

Great job, Dems!

[JimL]

Jim, your precious partisan political hacks have overplayed their hand. It's their fault Trump now has a green light, and America is against the Democrats playing anymore games.

Great job, Dems!

Nope, it's your fault CP, that Trump has a green light is your fault, because without your support, without all of you out there that are supporting them, the republicans would never allow Trump to so blatently speed through the red ones without consequences. Now that you've given that green light to him, just watch him go!

[Tassman]

I fixed your typo. No charge.

"Applauded" for what, doing Trump’s bidding?

[firstfloor]

Obama's team ..... how do you put it.... tossed their toys out of the crib?

This is a crisis, but I get the feeling that you’re missing the significance of current events.

[Tassman]

So what? Barr didn't makes decisions in a vacuum and bases them on the recommendations of those within the DOJ.

Or, in this instance, on being urged by the president to help one of his many indicted associates. Some Republicans have actually denounced Trump's intervention in ongoing criminal proceedings - including Donald's minion Lindsey Graham.

[firstfloor]

Firing Vindman from his job in the WH is a crime. 18 USC 1513(e)
Trump crimes are permitted.
Danger, Will Robinson!
OA360
https://openargs.com/oa360-the-tuesd...noon-massacre/

[One Bad Pig]

Firing Vindman from his job in the WH is a crime. 18 USC 1513(e)
Trump crimes are permitted.
Danger, Will Robinson!
OA360
https://openargs.com/oa360-the-tuesd...noon-massacre/

dem_chicken_little_trump.jpg

[Cow Poke]

Firing Vindman from his job in the WH is a crime. 18 USC 1513(e)
Trump crimes are permitted.
Danger, Will Robinson!
OA360
https://openargs.com/oa360-the-tuesd...noon-massacre/

Vindman wasn't fired, and it would ONLY be a crime if he were fired, demoted, reduced in rank, or whatever - as a result of retaliation for his testimony.

Let's look at what you're actually referencing...

(e) Whoever knowingly, with the intent to retaliate, takes any action harmful to any person, including interference with the lawful employment or livelihood of any person, for providing to a law enforcement officer any truthful information relating to the commission or possible commission of any Federal offense, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.

Absolutely not applicable. Vindman still has a job, was not reduced in rank, pay was not decreased -- the only 'harm' done was, perhaps, his ego was bruised, and that's not covered in the statute.

[Mountain Man]

Firing Vindman from his job in the WH is a crime. 18 USC 1513(e)
Trump crimes are permitted.
Danger, Will Robinson!
OA360
https://openargs.com/oa360-the-tuesd...noon-massacre/

Fake news.

What part of "serves at the pleasure of the president" don't you guys understand?