Posted on 10/09/2019 6:20:13 AM PDT by robowombat
The Hill's Morning Report
The impeachment inquiry battle kicked into overdrive on Tuesday as the White House declared it will not cooperate with the ongoing investigation by House Democrats, who responded by warning the White House that its lack of cooperation will be considered an act of obstruction as lawmakers move toward impeachment.
In a letter to House Democratic leaders and investigators, the White House counsel argued that the ongoing inquiry violated the president’s due process rights and that the executive branch will not provide any testimony or documents for the investigation. Although the White House largely cooperated with the special counsel’s Russia probe, with the exception of granting an interview with Trump, the eight-page letter sent on Tuesday contends that the House investigation violates the Constitution and “every past precedent.”
“Your unprecedented actions have left the president with no choice,” said Pat Cipollone, the top lawyer for the president and the presidency and the lone signatory of the letter. “In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the Executive Branch, and all future occupants of the Office of the presidency, President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry under these circumstances,” Cipollone wrote (The Hill).
Hours later, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) fired back in a statement of her own, panning Trump for “trying to make lawlessness a virtue,” adding that he “will be held accountable.”
The New York Times: White House declares war on impeachment inquiry, alleging effort to undo Trump’s election.
Politico: The shelter-in-place strategy to survive Trump’s impeachment.
The new standoff came after the State Department blocked Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, from testifying before House investigators earlier in the day shortly before he was expected to do so (The Hill).
The move by State forced the hand of House Democrats, who responded in kind by issuing a subpoena for Sondland’s testimony. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters on Tuesday that the EU ambassador had messages on a personal device that the State Department is withholding from Congress, with Schiff issuing a formal subpoena on Tuesday evening.
The last-minute block of Sondland’s testimony caught Republican lawmakers off guard, with some going over to the White House to share their frustration over the lack of communication in advance (Bloomberg).
While lawmakers made the push, the White House attempted to beef up its impeachment legal team, including a push to bring former House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) on board. Reports were conflicted as of Tuesday evening about whether he officially accepted a role after meeting with Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, on Tuesday, but some expect him to ultimately join the team in some fashion.
Elsewhere, more layers of the original whistleblower’s call were peeled back on Tuesday. According to ABC News, a White House official who listened in on the president’s infamous July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as “crazy” and “frightening,” and was “visibly shaken” by the call’s contents, according to notes taken by the whistleblower after speaking with the official and others.
The notes were part of a two-page memo the whistleblower wrote a day after the call, during which Trump pressed Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) invited Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, to appear before the committee to testify about Ukraine, specifically pointing to the “corruption and other improprieties” that have taken place there.
Giuliani indicated he is “very interested” in doing so but may bow to a claim of executive privilege (Bloomberg). He added that he will not take part in Schiff’s investigation on the House side (The Washington Post). Bottom line: Giuliani’s sworn testimony about his role as one of Trump’s personal lawyers is highly unlikely.
On the political side, polls are showing troubling signs for the president as the impeachment inquiry picks up steam and only 13 months stand between him and Election Day. As Jonathan Easley reports, new surveys show that independents and a growing share of Republicans warming to the inquiry
While early shifts in support of impeachment appeared to be driven by Democrats, a Washington Post-Schar School poll released on Tuesday rocked Washington, finding that nearly 30 percent of Republicans said they support the investigation, while nearly 20 percent said they would support a Senate vote to remove the president if he is impeached in the House.
According to FiveThirtyEight’s average of polls, support for impeachment among Republicans has increased from 8 percent last month to 16.2 percent presently, while support among independents has leaped from 33.9 percent to 44.4 percent.
Nuts.
This “Impeachment” crap is really about the election. dems know they don’t have a chance at the presidency, so they timed the “impeachment” inquiry to coincide with the election campaign. They will not succeed in kicking him out of office, but they hope the publicity and the obsessive news coverage during the campaign will sway voters.
It took her staff hours to write that? Stuttering and meaningless stammering, that's all the Dems have, along with a willing deceitful media.
Total projection. That’s one of the Rats many dubious virtues.
It’s kinda comical when I spar with leftists on the Internet how they honestly see Trump as a two dimensional bad guy and, unhinged, emotional and stupid.
It seems to never cross their mind that when he does stuff like this, the response has been heavily vetted with attorney’s and other experts in government and law before he responds. It’s why he wins in the SCOTUS.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the left and democrats is that they continually underestimate Trump. It’s kinda perplexing. I don’t think they are stupid, but maybe they do have a blindspot, similar to the young virgin guy that falls for the drug addict prostitute. They are simply blinded to the negatives by the positives.
“...new surveys show that independents and a growing share of Republicans warming to the inquiry...” Sure! I’m even warming to the idea. If the House votes to impeach, the POTUS gets his rights of DISCOVERY, and can depose ANYBODY; including Obloviate, Brennan, Clapper, Clinton, the Bidens, and whomever they desire. PLEASE vote to impeach. Please Ms. Pelousy and Mr. Pencilneck. Please.
They’re upset that he’s on to the latest scam.
“See, we’ll change the whistleblower statute so’s the intel guys can pull crap from his server and mark it up to sound bad. Then we run a secret hearing where his guys don’t get to say nuttin’! We won’t have to have a vote - we just send out an indictment from the committee, just like they used ta do in Moscow! My uncle Sergey told me about that! Worked great!”
And they go on to quote a 538 survey. Hahahahaha.
Nate Silver. Whuta hack.
This is why Americans elected President Trump. We knew he’d tell the Clowns on The Hill to “kiss it.”
The dems are nothing but coup plotting, FPOS. They have not done a damn thing since being elected, not a damn thing for the American people.
Deplorables will make sure that House Democrats will be obstructing piano wire with their tie-holders.
They're gonna get an inadvertent date with Uncle Benito's Esso Station.
It's not continual underestimation. It's ongoing contempt from their deeply held belief that their viewpoint is the only correct viewpoint making anyone who opposes them willfully ignorant and dangerous when in a position of power. When that person is the President of the United States and opposes them so stridently and effectively, he is an existential danger to them.
I have no doubts that President Trump would prevail in court on this issue. But this will be a battle in the court of public opinion. The reasons Trump would win are too complex for most people so he needs to make it about Pelosi (who has a worse public image than he) and her corruption by not following the Constitutional process that guarantees fairness.
How many DCe4mocrats are willing to have charges brought against them by ‘witnesses’ that cannot be identified?
How many Liberal supporters of Pelosi, Schumer, AOC, et al, are willing to have faceless charges brought against them??
A “Professor”? A councilperson? A Mayor? A computer techie? A truck driver? A baker? A musician? A REPORTER? ANYONE????????
A basic part of the laws of this country & many others is that you & I all have a right to face our accuser(s).
TRUMP also has that same right.
So, basically, the “impeachment” coup goes like this.
We know you broke the law. We know you’re guilty before we even bring the case. We don’t know exactly what you’re guilty of, because we can’t get our stories straight, and keep changing it every day, but we know you’re guilty. And if you DARE deny it, you’re obstructing justice, and if you demand to defend yourself you’re obstructing justice, and if you demand to have your team be able to ask questions, you’re obstructing justice. And we don’t have to follow established law, policies or procedures. We’re just going to impeach you. And you can’t dare say boo about it.
From the article, “ a White House official who listened in on the president’s infamous July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as “crazy” and “frightening,” and was “visibly shaken” by the call’s contents, according to notes taken by the whistleblower after speaking with the official and others. “
That has got to be some of the most audacious BS I have read in a loooong time. Melodrama to the core. I am just surprised the listener did not “faint dead away” at the sheer horror of the very words. All we need is to find out is that the official was wearing a white nightgown on a fog shrouded night and we have a great Gothic ghost story.
Exactly, common sense that all Americans can agree with - this will backfire on the dems.
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