What To Watch As Trump Impeachment Moves To House Floor

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    The Capitol is seen in Washington, early Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. President Donald Trump is on the cusp of being impeached by the House, with a historic debate set Wednesday on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress ahead of votes that will leave a defining mark on his tenure at the White House. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

    WASHINGTON (AP) — American history is happening in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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    Democrats are driving President Donald Trump to the brink of impeachment Wednesday as the House takes up charges Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress in pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rivals and refusing to cooperate with the ensuing congressional probe.

    The nation’s 45th president is on track to become only the third commander in chief to be impeached.

    But first, watch for a daylong showdown that’s been boiling for years between Republicans loyal to Trump and Democrats who say his conduct toward Ukraine makes him unfit for office. Look, too, for legacy moments for Washington’s political veterans on the eve of the 2020 election year.

    What to watch during a historic day on Capitol Hill that is expected to end with a final vote Wednesday evening:

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    SPOILER ALERT

    Trump is heading for impeachment. When the House opens debate, the outcome will have been known for some time.

    A tally compiled by The Associated Press found that a majority of House members have said they will vote to approve the charges and send them to the Senate for a trial next month.

    The GOP-led Senate is not expected to convict and remove Trump from office.

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    PARTISANS, MOSTLY

    Expect most Democrats to vote for impeachment and all Republicans to vote against it.

    But there are exceptions.

    One freshman Democrat, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, has indicated he will oppose impeachment, then switch parties to become a Republican. Earlier this year, Michigan conservative Rep. Justin Amash left the GOP when he favored impeachment. He is expected to vote yes to impeach.

    One new Democratic congressman, Jared Golden of Maine, said he would vote to impeach on abuse of power but not obstruction.

    ___

    AMERICANS

    Expect the House to take the nation’s us-vs-them political culture out for a spin before a global audience. But it’s not clear the proceedings are changing many minds.

    Trump’s approval ratings have held steady since a whistleblower report and a partial transcript revealed he had pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate Democrats.

    Wide shares of Democrats both disapprove of the president and support impeachment, while wide shares of Republicans approve of Trump and want him to remain in office.

    New polls from The Washington Post/ABC News and CNN find support for impeachment and removal remains at about half of Americans.

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    ‘PROFOUND DISGRACE’

    Impeachment will subject Trump to what former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter called a “profound disgrace” that stains a president’s legacy forever. Only two presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.

    Richard Nixon chose to resign instead.

    Trump has mocked the articles of impeachment as weak.

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    TRUMP’S DAY

    He’s heading to Michigan, the Democratic state he flipped in 2016. Vice President Mike Pence is on a bus tour across the state and expected to join Trump at the rally in Battle Creek.

    On the eve of the floor action, Trump gave a nearly six-page preview of his approach in a rambling letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. in which he cast himself as a victim and accused the Democrats of smarting over their election losses. “You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our Republic for your own selfish, personal political and partisan gain.”

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    PELOSI

    It’s legacy time for her, too.

    In her second turn as speaker, the House veteran of more than three decades says relentlessly that impeachment is a somber time, not one for celebration. She says the Clinton impeachment proceedings were too divisive for the county and resisted opening impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush after the Iraq War.

    She refused to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump over his obstruction of the Russia investigation, saying she’d be against doing so unless there was bipartisan sentiment for it.

    That still doesn’t exist for the impeachment articles now headed for passage. But Pelosi has said Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine, while holding up military aid to that country, left her no choice.

    “Very sadly, the facts have made clear that the President abused his power for his own personal, political benefit and that he obstructed Congress,” Pelosi wrote to colleagues. “In America, no one is above the law.”

    ___

    NEXT STOP: SENATE

    After votes on each of the two amendments, the House is expected to authorize Pelosi to name a team of prosecutors for the Senate trial. Lobbying for the jobs is well underway. The wagering begins with the two lead House impeachment chairmen, Adam Schiff of Intelligence and Jerrold Nadler of Judiciary, playing roles.

    The trial is expected to begin in January, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have begun negotiating, and sniping, over how the trial will be conducted.

    McConnell set the partisan tone by declaring that he’s “not an impartial juror.”


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    21 Comments
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    triumphinwhitehouse
    triumphinwhitehouse
    4 years ago

    The only name that is relevant here is SOROS as he is behind all of this, there is no spontaneous movement to impeach it is done by Soros and his Open Society and his lackeys of Nadler, Schiff, Engel, Sanders, Schumer, Goldman and Feldman, the modern day eruv rav. Even the “commentators” on this site are paid trolls of the Open Society.

    a yid
    a yid
    4 years ago

    Can you produce,post evidence about soros or are you blabbering the usual nonsense

    anonymous
    anonymous
    4 years ago

    “Not for celebration” disagree strongly. Our religion teaches us: If bad things happen you mourn, if good happens you CELEBRATE. L’Chayim

    Soros is a Jew
    Soros is a Jew
    4 years ago

    Soros funds radical groups like moveon.com and multiple others which is not a secret, he makes no bones about. J St. is another one. Do yiur due diligence and you’ll see how this renegade Jewskunk oprates all over the world. He admits it himself.

    Soros with a tail
    Soros with a tail
    4 years ago

    The orgs that called for pro impeachment marches today are funded by Soros. He’s the devil without a mask and the stereotype of old anti semitic Jewish caricatures , which in his case is true.

    Where's Podesta??? Lol
    Where's Podesta??? Lol
    4 years ago

    You hypocrites want evidence on Soros, which is public and easily checked. Yet you weasels want impeachment based on nothing except hearsay and hatred from day 1 of 2016 elections. You morons threw everything at him for 3 years which proved false yet you defend a Jewish kapo Soros who helped Nazis confiscate Jewish property in Hungary.
    There will be a lechaim BEH.. The criminal devils will soon see hell . You listening Jewboys ???

    triumphinwhitehouse
    triumphinwhitehouse
    4 years ago

    Are you kidding you need evidence that SOROS funds ALL leftists including those who comment on this site against the greatest president of all time. Soros funds groups in Israel like btselem and breaking the silence and the meretz party. He makes money from markets crashing, he is the ultimate Eruv Rav, he not only gave the Nazis the addresses of all the Jews in Budapest he took the deported Jews money and assets and started investing it in bear markets where he manipulates the market to crash so he can buy low, he is losing money now with Trump as the market is a bull thanks to Trump that’s why this rasha merusha is working with Nadler, Schiff, Engel, Schumer, Sanders and the other leftists Jews to remove Trump so the market will crash and HE will make money.

    KAGA __ 48 states in 2020
    KAGA __ 48 states in 2020
    4 years ago

    anonymous 332
    Sorry, but you’re stupid. You have no facts just like Satan Democrats and howling out of ignorance. Nor you nor any other Dem has coherently explained what Trump did wrong. You’re a hysterical Dem cultist and worship the great donkey. You and the lowlife morons are jealous louts who just want to burn the country down.
    Did I mention you’re stupid ???
    Yes, I did.

    Careful what you ask for
    Careful what you ask for
    4 years ago

    Great. So when does Mike Pence take over?