Final Musings On Trump's Second Impeachment....

 

First and foremost, it's over and few of us are surprised. 

Second, as several here opined, the January 6th speech wasn't enough.

Third, The House managers should have focused on Trump's acts and words during the weeks leading up to January 6th--going back to 2016 was odd (Then again, as if any of it mattered?).

Fourth,  House managers should have insisted on calling witnesses---of all of Trump's wrongs, representatives and senators cared most about their own lives and safety---should have thus had several witnesses remind them of how little Trump cared about their safety, and how pleased he seemed to be on January 6th (as if any of it mattered?).

Fifth, absent a video of Trump actually breaking into the Capitol, nothing would likely have been enough for forty plus U.S. senators. 

Sixth, House managers did a wonderful job of painting Trump for what he is--a mean petty selfish narcissist who evidently did not even care about his own vice-president's safety (as if any of it mattered?).

Seventh, the partisan nature of the vote embarrasses many of us observers of domestic politics.

Eighth, did the partisan nature of the vote add fuel to the Georgia and New York investigations? 

Ninth, the Georgia call strikes me as perhaps the most outrageous of Trump's cacophony of outrageous acts. 

Tenth, with the way NY lawyers, especially prosecutors, hound targets, how will Trump respond to the scrutiny.

Eleventh, while it appears grievances and perhaps anger motivate Trump, how much can his 74 year old body take with the likely unending scrutiny he will face.

Twelfth, how far have we come in our country when journalists and even bloggers seem to obsess on a former president. 

Thirteenth, wish the riots never happened and none of us would have to think about insurrections, Senate integrity, or the potential radical future of any political party.

Fourteenth, despite it all, still the grandest country the world has ever seen.

 

 

Comments

[A non]

"Eleventh, while it appears grievances and perhaps anger motivate Trump, how much can his 74 year old body take with the likely unending scrutiny he will face."

So is the real aim murder, then?

"Fourteenth, despite it all, still the grandest country the world has ever seen."

Funny how the rest of the West, let alone the world, doesn't agree. (Have you spent much time abroad?) This sort of parochialism is perhaps why you can't actually fathom the possibility that many folks abroad, across the political spectrum, believe that the USA debased itself even further with this totalitarian trial. (See your seventh point in that regard, too).

Have you considered, just as a further example, how last summer's riots will be judged by history in the rest of the globe? Local "social justice" considerations overrode any real interest in hindering the spread of a global pandemic, i.e., completely rejected of any sense of responsibility to the rest of the GLOBE, by limiting group gatherings, by abiding by social distancing, etc. (Aren't the Dems the ones who claim to be "pro-science"?). Then, you Yanks helped to spread the virus around the globe throughout 2020 whilst traveling for business and pleasure! (I bet you'll claim those were all Republicans, too!). Petulance and selfishness are not magnanimity, liberality, or "wokedness".

[anon]

Ediberto

YOu are expressing, as usual, about as "Moderate" a view as seems possible, given that you see, as do the members of your party, everything only one way.

The Dem will slap you in the face, and then complain that you acted wrongfully by trying to fend off the attack. These partisans just can't seem to get over their hatreds, while projecting onto their political "enemies": "a mean petty selfish narcissist."

Ediberto, this isn't my impression of you. But, watching and reading the media you likely read and watch, and listening to Dems, I can't ignore, as you and other members of your party always seem to ignore, the copious (political, ethical, etc.) faults of the Dem these days. Their party has degenerated, and, the one point above that you have really nailed is this: "how far have we come in our country when journalists and even bloggers seem to obsess on a former president." The Dems won't ever let go; they can't.

You say that "grievances and perhaps anger motivate" your political enemies.

OMG. Have the Dems no self-awareness, no shame?

[LawProf John Banzhaf]

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly stated that Donald Trump is "practically and morally responsible" for the January 6th riot, a view apparently shared by Democratic members of Congress.

Indeed, McConnell went on to remind his Democratic colleagues that Trump "is still liable to be tried and punished in the ordinary tribunals of justice"; that "President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run": and that fortunately "we have civil litigation" and "former presidents are not immune from being accountable."

So, now that Trump has been acquitted in the Senate, it will be interesting to see if any of those who voted to charge him with causing the riot - and especially the House managers who argued so forcefully for that very assignment of blame - will have the courage of their convictions, and dare to try to prove their assertions in a court of law before an impartial judge or jury.

Such a civil action, if successful, would vindicate their repeated, disputed, and just-rejected (by the Senate) claims that Trump caused the destructive riot.

It could also assure that he does not escape all consequences for his actions, since the damages from the riot - including those from several wrongful death actions - could easily amount to tens of millions of dollars, plus even more in punitive damages.

But if not a single Democratic member of Congress comes forward to bring such a civil action - probably, and most effectively, as a class action law suit - Trump may well get away with what he has done, since the Senate has just acquitted him.

Absent such a suit, Democrats might also be perceived as hypocrites who wrongfully and baselessly accused him of causing a riot for largely political reasons.

[Ediberto Roman]

Anon,

Even when you beat me up, I enjoy reading it. Cheers!

[anon]

John

It would be lovely to see such a suit evaporate, like the Russian-agent hoax, the Ukrainian extortion hoax, the emoluments hoax, and all the rest.

The Dems likely won't bring a civil action, because this would risk Rule 11 sanctions.

Let's see if the Dems have the guts to do a real investigation about the riot. I sense they don't, because, once again, it will point to their corrupt attempts to score political victory.

All this is not to say that they won't win one day in their never ending quest to destroy one man. All this is not to say that they will ever be able to let go of the hate and outrage that they so clearly revel in. All this comment is saying is that any claim that that riot was incited, starting in 2016, will fail in court, like all the other attempts to date.