titan said:
Quote:
hbthedeuce:
And conditioning official acts is not a crime, nor corrupt, without the official taking "something of value" in return.
An investigation, or announcement of an investigation, isn't "something of value". Trump pressuring Ukraine to stay at his hotels would fit the bill.
And yet we in an impeachment trial, proving that it can be triggered arbitrarily, by hostile politics alone.
It is NOT like a criminal indictment which at least requires an alleged crime. It can't be assigned to someone even before a crime took place as the Democrats did in Nov 2016 and re-stated in Jan 2017.
True, impeachment is a political process. Its also a political process to point out to mouth-breathers that no crime (outside of possibly impoundment, the most boring crime ever) has been committed.
Its also why IDGAF if the Rs in Senate throw out the entire case. This is a trial for the court of public opinion. AKA should we reelect Trump. If it Rs thinks it looks good to toss the whole thing. Toss it. If they want to take the next month to score political points, dunk on democrats, while several senators running for eleciton have to sit there and take it.
Heck give Trump a "state of the union" in the senate for an hour. Let the trial run through the democratic nomination. See who is left standing. Democrats gave Senate Rs a double-edged sword. Reps could very well hurt themselves wielding it, but an immense amount of power for the "good guys". Its why Pelosi sat on it for a couple weeks.