Comey Hearing - The Superbowl of DC

[Angel Eyes]

I, for one, think there should be a Federal Bureau of Matter and Anti-Matter.

Just don't bring them together.

[just Warren]

Less than a year into Trump's first term, at least half the country would view that as a coup attempt, reducing our government to banana republic levels. Things could get very ugly.

Yes they will.

Again I'm not a supporter of Trump but try to toss him out based on absolutely nothing and I will get ugly. I don't know how, or what I can do specifically but if some reaction or path seems to hold promise I will go down it.

I've cautioned against violence numerous times on these boards and I don't want there to be violence but these forces of the left won't stop pushing in that direction. I won't start anything but an impeachment under these circumstances, to me, is a coup and can be countered with force.

Now I'm a libertarian and despise the feds generally and want much, much less of them, but that's not happening for a while and in the meantime I'm sure as hell not going to let the left have the reins of government if they take them in such a dirty and underhanded way. 

[Perd Hapley]

Comey comes across as a whiner who is trying to portray himself as a choirboy.  I'm ready for him to fade away from public view.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, as I started to hear news about the hearing this afternoon. I'm sick of his whining, and it's about time we, as a nation, left him to enjoy his early retirement.

[DittoHead]

Do we really want to start seeing Presidents kicked out of office for no real reason whenever Congress gets the urge to do so?  Yeah, not a good precedent.

I would assume the Supreme Court would have to weigh in on this too if it got started? There seems to be quite a difference of opinion on what constitutes those impeachable "high crimes and misdemeanors".

[MechAg94]

I would assume the Supreme Court would have to weigh in on this too if it got started? There seems to be quite a difference of opinion on what constitutes those impeachable "high crimes and misdemeanors".

Why would the SC be able to tell the Congress when they can or can't exercise their impeachment power?  I don't think Congress would have to follow their advice. 

[DittoHead]

Why would the SC be able to tell the Congress when they can or can't exercise their impeachment power?  I don't think Congress would have to follow their advice. 

There's interpretation of the constitution involved - if they try to claim that "high crimes and misdemeanors" includes abuse of power or improper conduct or just being a bad president wouldn't it be SC territory to settle that?

[zxcvbob]

There's interpretation of the constitution involved - if they try to claim that "high crimes and misdemeanors" includes abuse of power or improper conduct or just being a bad president wouldn't it be SC territory to settle that?

I think it's totally out of the SC's territory.  "High crimes and misdemeanors" means whatever the Senate decides it means.

[DittoHead]

I think it's totally out of the SC's territory.

It seems you're correct, congress is free to impeach on whatever grounds they can come up with.

Judicial Review of Impeachments .--It was long assumed that no judicial review of the impeachment process was possible, that impeachment presents a true ''political question'' case. That assumption was not contested until very recently, when Judges Nixon and Hastings challenged their Senate convictions. But federal courts, setting the stage for Supreme Court consideration, held the challenges to be nonjusticiable, that the Constitution's conferral on the Senate of the ''sole'' power to try impeachments demonstrated a textually demonstrable constitutional commitment of trial procedures to the Senate to decide without court review.
Upon at last reaching the question, the Court has held that a claim to judicial review of an issue arising in an impeachment trial in the Senate presents a nonjusticiable question, a ''political question.'' Supp.6 Specifically, the Court held that a claim that the Senate had not followed the proper meaning of the word ''try'' in the impeachment clause, a special committee being appointed to take testimony and to make a report to the full Senate, complete with a full transcript, on which the Senate acted, could not be reviewed. But the analysis of the Court applies to all impeachment clause questions, thus seemingly putting offlimits to judicial review the whole process.

[MechAg94]

The SC was never intended to be the sole arbiter of constitutional interpretation.  Also, the consequences of impeachment are just removal from office, not imprisonment or death. 

[DittoHead]

the consequences of impeachment are just removal from office, not imprisonment or death.  

Right. A poor precedent for sure, hardly a coup though. I could see a number of Republicans in congress getting on board if they think a president Pence would be more effective in helping achieve their goals. I don't think they would be wrong in that belief.

[makattak]

Hey, I don't think they realized how apt this comparison was.

Lots of hype beforehand for something that turns out to be a complete bust. Describes most superbowls, too.

[Fitz]

I kinda hope they do attempt some sort of coup.

The conflict that's been bubbling under the surface won't get better with age.

better to rip the bandaid off. Leftist revolutions get pretty nasty. the less time they have to prepare, the better

[just Warren]

The problem is it won't be that clean an action.

We're risking tossing the whole country onto the third-world dung heap if the fight gets as out-of-hand and destructive as I fear it can.

Goodbye superpower status. Goodbye economic superiority. Goodbye standard of living.

I wouldn't put it past a malevolent foreign power known for long-term planning to be counting on such an outcome or even using it's (really our) money to set the pieces in motion.

[Ben]

It's the Daily Mail, but I think it's legit. Comey is looking to walk away from all this with a $10mil book deal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4589692/James-Comey-10-million-payday-dish-Hillary-Trump.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus

[Hawkmoon]

It's the Daily Mail, but I think it's legit. Comey is looking to walk away from all this with a $10mil book deal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4589692/James-Comey-10-million-payday-dish-Hillary-Trump.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus

Whoever said crime doesn't pay?

[Perd Hapley]

Question: Was it obstruction of justice when Trump said he wouldn't prosecute Hillary Clinton?

[Pb]

Question: Was it obstruction of justice when Trump said he wouldn't prosecute Hillary Clinton?

Yep- was it obstruction of justice when the Democrats in congress demanded Comey be fired for announcing he was re-opening the Clinton investigation?

[zxcvbob]

Yep- was it obstruction of justice when the Democrats in congress demanded Comey be fired for announcing he was re-opening the Clinton investigation?

Of course not, because they are democrats.

[Perd Hapley]

ohforcryinoutloud:

https://www.google.com/search?q=comey+sexually+harassee&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#newwindow=1&safe=active&q=comey+sexually+harassed

[TommyGunn]

ohforcryinoutloud:

https://www.google.com/search?q=comey+sexually+harassee&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#newwindow=1&safe=active&q=comey+sexually+harassed

Rush was talking about this.    I was and  remain incredulous and dumbfounded.

[Angel Eyes]

[Perd Hapley]

So the Jeff Sessions session was - interesting. I mean, it was already enough of a jaw-dropper that Trump, the xenophobic bigot, turned out to be an agent of one of America's historic, foreign rivals. Now we learn that Grand Kliegel Sessions was secretly a commie, as well? 

Well you may not know it but this man's a spy
He's an undercover agent for the FBI
And he's been sent down here to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan...

Well he's a friend of them long-haired hippie type pinko fags
I betcha he's even got a Commie flag
Tacked up on the wall inside of his garage

He's a snake in the grass I tell ya guys
He may look dumb but that's jus a disguise
He's a mastermind in the ways of espionage

[Scout26]

I watched the exchanges with both Rod Wyden (Dumbass- Oregon) and Kamala Harris (Dumberass- California).

"Thop thonwalling and tell us you're guilty !!!"


And if I were testifying before the Senate and she started questioning me like I'm on trial, she'd get an asschewing from me.

[dogmush]

I get that Comey is probably going for the book deal, but I can't really think of anything that, as a private citizen, would get me to waste my time testifying in front of congress.  Both sides are just using you (the witness) as a prop for their grandstanding, and I have no desire to help either parties political masturbation.

Besides, What are they going to do?  Hold you in contempt?