July 25, 2019

"President Trump was probably never going to be impeached by the House of Representatives before the 2020 elections."

"The testimony by Robert S. Mueller III, the former special counsel, makes that a near certainty," concludes Carl Hulse of the NYT:
The absence of an electrifying Washington moment in Wednesday’s two-stage testimony by Mr. Mueller not only deprived Democrats of the crystallizing episode they needed to drive public opinion on impeachment, but it also meant Republicans had no reason to budge from their anti-impeachment stance....

... Speaker Nancy Pelosi... has consistently said that she would allow the House to take it up only if there was bipartisan sentiment to open an inquiry. “Bipartisan” in that sense doesn’t mean most Republicans would have to be on board, but at least a few public backers would be required to give a bipartisan veneer to the highly charged proceedings.

Absolutely none surfaced after the hearings....

[T]he majority of House Democrats remain on the fence about impeachment — last week they split 137 to 95 against a symbolic impeachment vote. After the Mueller testimony, just one Democrat, Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, immediately joined the call for at least beginning an impeachment inquiry, hardly the flood pro-impeachment lawmakers had hoped would be spurred by Mr. Mueller.

After a private party meeting, Ms. Pelosi pushed back against the argument by some of her colleagues that the stage had been set for beginning an impeachment inquiry. “I don’t know why they thought that,” said the speaker.... Privately, top Democrats said they viewed Mr. Mueller’s terse and occasionally halting testimony as a “nothingburger” that did not move the impeachment needle at all....

91 comments:

Josephbleau said...

There is no uncertanty in the conclusions thereof.

Big Mike said...

I’ll repeat what comment from the other thread. What makes people think that Pelosi can muster the 218 votes needed to report out a bill of impeachment? Even Democrats from districts thought to be fairly safe will find that voting “aye” on impeachment puts them in a fight for political survival in the fall of next year.

Two-eyed Jack said...

The press is still trying to normalize NeverTrump.

Leland said...

anti-impeachment stance

These people are mental.

Psota said...

Soooo...if Mueller had been better able to generate an "electrifying Washington moment" out of this BS made-up investigation, impeachment would move forward??

Really makes you wonder about the BS -level of all the other electrifying Washington moments we've seen over the years.

Paul said...

Oh it did move the 'impeachment needle'. It moved it backwards..

chuck said...

> terse and occasionally halting

The adorable NY Times is being cute. Next up, Horowitz and John Durham.

Beasts of England said...

It's amusing that the left thought Mueller's appearance before Congress would move the needle in their direction. I thought their upside would be to neutralize the upcoming internal investigations, but they've only set the stage to make those results more visible. It was a complete and total disaster.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

"President Trump was probably never going to be impeached by the House of Representatives before the 2020 elections"

Now the Dems are PeeWee Herman.

https://youtu.be/9hNIX7V21pU

MayBee said...

Nancy Pelosi is still saying- even tonight- that Putin has something on Trump, either financially, politically, or personally.

If she thinks that, she has to actually impeach.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

I know a woman, complete crazy lib, who took off work Wednesday to watch Mueller.

She didn't come in this morning.

Achilles said...

It is time for consequences.

Traitors hang.

Rory said...

We may be cooked. Trying to overturn the result of election without giving the elected a peaceful day in office is an odious thing. There are millions of people among us who have done that now. It's too big a sin - I don't think very many of them will ever be able to walk it back and reengage with politics in a normal way.

Beasts of England said...

'I know a woman, complete crazy lib, who took off work Wednesday to watch Mueller.'

It's difficult to imagine being that clueless. Did she think there was some sooper sekret footnote that revealed the trap? Some unearthed nugget missed by the thousands of prog activists and lawyers who scrubbed the entire document since its release? Just wow.

Achilles said...

Psota said...
Soooo...if Mueller had been better able to generate an "electrifying Washington moment" out of this BS made-up investigation, impeachment would move forward??

Really makes you wonder about the BS -level of all the other electrifying Washington moments we've seen over the years.



Impeachment was always about using the facade of unfavorable public opinion added to a bunch of globalist republican shills like Romney and Murkowski to force Trump out.

This was a farce from the start and everyone knows it.

It was an attempted coup.

When you take a shot at the king, you better kill the king.

The traitors failed.

It is time for consequences.

Sebastian said...

"The absence of an electrifying Washington moment"

But there were many!

Mueller claimed not to know what Fusion GPS was.

He had no answer as to why he didn't prosecute Mifsud for lying to the FBI.

He contradicted himself several times, on collusion vs. conspiracy, and in his changed answer to Lieu.

He had to admit that Trump did not hinder the investigation in any way.

He could not name a single instance in which a prosecutor had described a person as "not exonerated."

His whole demeanor was electrifying: showing the doddering fool he is, exposing the sham of the investigation run by partisan Dems.

It electrified us righties, I tell ya. We take pleasure in his and their discomfort.

Ralph L said...

did not move the impeachment needle at all

In the direction the NYT wants. Anyone with sense sees it at zero now, in fact negative if they were paying attention.

tcrosse said...

This can't be sitting well with Tom Steyer.

Big Mike said...

I know a woman, complete crazy lib, who took off work Wednesday to watch Mueller.

She didn't come in this morning.


I hope someone thought to check up on her. I’m not being snarky here.

gilbar said...

wait!
I thought they were 'going to impeach the motherfucker'?
Who THE HELL is running things?
Nancy? or the jihad squad?

also;
to give a bipartisan veneer to the highly charged proceedings.
isn't that what they bought those Life Long Liberals for?

Known Unknown said...

"I hope someone thought to check up on her. I’m not being snarky here."

Did she get fired? I would fire her.

Ralph L said...

She didn't come in this morning.

I hope someone called the hospitals.

I had a 7th grade teacher who spent most of the class watching the Watergate hearings. My parents put me in a private school the next year.

Ralph L said...

dammit!

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Big Mike

No worries. She's married to a guy at work. He worked yesterday and today. He's she watches MSNBC all night and screams obscenities at Trump and cries at all the video pieces about Muslims, illegals etc.

So this is normal. She took off work for Kavanaugh, Mueller report and at least one other thing.

Whenever I see her I remind her Bernie would be President now if Hillary and the DNC had not rigged the elections. Medicaid for all, amnesty, student loans paid off. Bernie would be a 50 state winner in 2020!

Michael K said...

The Democrats are betting the House on a pair of twos.

Maybe there are enough crazies like Inga and Vickie to win the election but I sure would not count on it.

Once this thing is over and the OIG and Durham start to roll up the conspirators, people are going to start waking up that this was nothing but a coup attempt.

I doubt we will see Nixon 1972 or even Reagan 1984 but it may get ugly for them.

Bay Area Guy said...

The Leftwing morons would love to impeach Trump. They're not forgoing it for noble purposes - Nancy Pants simply doesn't have the votes. Too many marginal D seats say Nyet.

So, haven't all the idiot Dem Senators running for Prez been calling for impeachment? What's next for them?

MikeD said...

"President Trump was probably never going to be impeached by the House of Representatives before the 2020 elections" Yeah they'll wait 'til they're once more in the House minority and use the old boxing metaphor, "I coulda been a contender"!
BTW, good thing I proof read, I'd done the old their/they're screw up, for which I certainly would've been dragged w/o mercy.

Bay Area Guy said...

Since Mueller has defaulted in his leadership to save democracy, maybe Jerry Nadler can pick up the flag. Of course, he'd have to quit his day job - scaring billy goats off the bridge.

gilbar said...

I doubt we will see Nixon 1972 or even Reagan 1984 but it may get ugly for them.

every time i see the Demo presidential candidates, the one word that fills my mind is:
McGovern

but, thanx to wikipedia; i can fill in the whole group:
George McGovern, Senator from South Dakota
Hubert Humphrey, Senator from Minnesota and former Vice President, presidential nominee in 1968
George Wallace, Governor of Alabama
Edmund Muskie, Senator from Maine, vice presidential nominee in 1968

Eugene J. McCarthy, former Senator from Minnesota
Henry M. Jackson, Senator from Washington
Shirley Chisholm, Representative of New York's 12th congressional district
Terry Sanford, former Governor of North Carolina
John Lindsay, Mayor of New York City, New York
Wilbur Mills, Representative of Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
Vance Hartke, Senator from Indiana
Fred Harris, Senator from Oklahoma

Sam Yorty, Mayor of Los Angeles, California
Patsy Mink, Representative of Hawaii's 2nd congressional district
Walter Fauntroy, Delegate from Washington, D.C.

except for the ones i bolded, they're not playing this year,
and the ones i italiced, i don't remember them

404 Page Not Found said...

The indictment, prosecution, and imprisonment of those involved in the seditious conspiracy of the Mueller fraud is the most pressing legal issue of our time. Let's hope Durham and Barr are up to the task.

gilbar said...

it's fun playing match the names; try it, it's FUN!
obviously,
McGovern == Sanders
Humphrey == Biden
i'll let y'all do the rest!

gilbar said...

oh! and don't forget; Fanne Foxe and the tidal pool!
things to look forward to!

gilbar said...

Dr K? Think of it! Once upon a time,
Henry M. Jackson, the Senator from Boeing
was a Democratic contender!

Which has changed more? the democratic party? or the state of Washington?

Rory said...

"Fred Harris"

A funny guy. Proposed that there should be step stools in every voting booth, so the little guy could vote for him.

Michael K said...

Dr K? Think of it! Once upon a time,
Henry M. Jackson, the Senator from Boeing
was a Democratic contender!


I'm so old I remember when Washington was a partly blue state. Women could not be in a bar. All bars had to close at 12 Saturday night. The state almost went dry but the liquor industry cleverly sponsored an initiative to make all retail liquor sales in state stores and the profits to go to the UW medical school.

Getting old means you keep being reminded about how crazy these times are.

gilbar said...

Getting old (for me!) means realizing that i remember back when i supported Scoop!

n.n said...

Obama spied, Clinton colluded, Biden obstructed, DNC denied, and the media prosecuted multi-trimester witch hunts and warlock trials. There is still hope for impeachment of sorts for the progress perpetrated under Water Closet.

wendybar said...

Coup attempt failed...

n.n said...

The press is still trying to normalize NeverTrump.

The media is still trying to normalize warlock trials (e.g. trial by press) for whatever master or special interest that they serve.

effinayright said...

Beasts of England said...
'I know a woman, complete crazy lib, who took off work Wednesday to watch Mueller.'

It's difficult to imagine being that clueless. Did she think there was some sooper sekret footnote that revealed the trap? Some unearthed nugget missed by the thousands of prog activists and lawyers who scrubbed the entire document since its release? Just wow.
***********

Was her name Inga, perchance?

Drago said...

Beasts of England: "It's amusing that the left thought Mueller's appearance before Congress would move the needle in their direction."

The left AND the LLR-left.

Ralph L said...

My father never forgave the weasel Terry Sanford for switching the NC delegation from LBJ to JFK in 1960.

cubanbob said...

In retrospect Nixon should have fought back and never resigned and Reagan should have never signed the budget with the Bolland Amendment. Trump is loud and out there and doesn't give a shit. He's right. The Mueller spectacle is a godsend for Trump and frankly gives Barr the predicate to go after the Democrats for conspiring with the Russians.

Beasts of England said...

Has anyone seen any positive spin from the left, re: this debacle? It's unlike them to totally quit, but this may be an exception. I hope they enjoyed this episode of failure theater - there will be more over the next six years.

StephenFearby said...

As of this writing the NYT article has 1,120 comments and counting. Surveying recent ones, it's about 90% wailing and gnashing of teeth.

(Channeling the King James version of Mathew 13:42: "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.")

Recurring gripe: How DARE the NYT destroy their fervent hope that Trump would still be impeached? We wanted it sooo badly.

Will they abandon reading the NYT, like so many MSNBC viewers suddenly stopped watching Rachel Maddow? (After Mueller found no evidence that either Trump or his staff had conspired with the Russians.)

It's a tough thing for true believers to be let down in such rough fashion by news outlets they believed in so much.

Michael K said...

In retrospect Nixon should have fought back and never resigned and Reagan should have never signed the budget with the Bolland Amendment.

I agree but it was an era when people accepted that government was honest. I was interviewed on TV as we were leaving the Rose Bowl about the conviction of Bob Haldeman. He was a jerk but I didn't know about the Nixon coup until years later. Ehrlichman was sort of a lefty but hen should not have gone to jail.

Ollie North kind of kneecapped Reagan but a friend of mine was Marine Corps aide at the White House later and Fawn Hall was still the secretary. I met Ollie later and we laughed about it.

Mark said...

Just like the Mueller corruption of justice -- impeach first, make up the reason later.

Michael K said...

He is not a good guy, Andrew Weissman.

I talked to my FBI daughter today and mentioned Weissmann and mentioned what a creep he is.

She did not know about the 9-0 reversal of the nArthur Anderson verdict. She still thought they were bad guys.

Propaganda runs deep. She was involved in the LA DWP raids today but still thinks government is OK.

narciso said...

No it's a complete projection, like the matrix, they cant imagine another reality, north was an idea man a little like ian Fleming, Reagan had tasked him to keep the Nicaraguan resistance, 'body and soul' whatever it took of course boland harkin et al were on the other side, some though he was naive in dealing with Iranians but that was the concerted vies ofmamy of the company higherups

The Godfather said...

I'm VERY disappointed. If the Dems don't try to impeach Trump, the Republicans are going to have to win 2020 the hard way -- by campaigning. Given the sterling record of the Dem-controlled House, I don't suppose it will be all that difficult for the GOP to re-take the House and hold the Senate. As for the Presidential election, offensive as Trump is to many of us, I find it hard to imagine ANY one of the Dem contenders beating him. But it would all be SO much easier if the Dems impeached Trump -- even if they just started the impeachment proceeding, and Dem House members had to vote Yea or Nay.

I can dream, can't I?

Michael McNeil said...

Has anyone seen any positive spin from the left, re: this debacle?

Sure! Politico: Actually, Robert Mueller was awesome.

David Begley said...

Continuing to talk about impeachment after yesterday is completely delusional.

narciso said...

that's the guy that tried to outflank Haitian onama for atty general.

Michael McNeil said...

John Althouse Cohen posted a pointer to that one on Facebook.

Fen said...

As of this writing the NYT article has 1,120 comments and counting. Surveying recent ones, it's about 90% wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I've always thought the Media ran with the Russia Hoax to distract the pitchfork mobs that were forming at their doorstep for forecasting the 2016 election so poorly. They were promised Hillary at 90% to win and got complacent.

Now that Collusion Impeachment has run it's course, I expect some Dems to wake up and start hounding their MSM propagandists.

narciso said...

Possibly there was a guardian piece about Johnson's new cabinet that shows hes driving the progs crazy, within one day (it's a short trip)

M Jordan said...

“A nothingburger.” That’s downright hilarious. Most Dems don’t realize yet how much has changed post hearing. Joe Biden seems to get it. Today he said Trump won “fair and square.” And that too is an attempt to trivialize the destruction Dems have wrought upon themselves. We’re looking at 1972 again.

narciso said...

Since reality seems to catching up with fiction, this character reminded me of mueller:
https://the-blacklist.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_Connolly

Gk1 said...

I think the problem for the left is once they openly say out loud how and why Trump colluded with the russians it sounds so unbelievably stupid. It makes more sense when you pass NYT articles and NPR podcasts to your like minded friends. When they have to explain to the "other" I think they get tongue tied. Watching more clips of the hearing from yesterday even the democrats that put on this charade looked tired and bored.

narciso said...

Of course they are three scoops of crazy:


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/25/snakes-stupidity-sycophants-horror-johnson-cabinet

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The left will never admit they are corrupt. This is why the pummel Trump.

Francisco D said...

I know a woman, complete crazy lib, who took off work Wednesday to watch Mueller.

Sounds like a cushy job. Government or academia?

Bay Area Guy said...

I still think the "Democrat" Party should change its name to the "Delusional Leftwing Fuckhead" Party (DLF).

It seems more apt.

I hope Nadler and Schiff aren't taking it too hard. Well, actually I hope they're taking it very hard.

walter said...

Dems crafted their questions to elicit yes/no answers.
Mueller complied just fine with their strategy for the most part.
But thinking going that route would "bring the report to life" is stupid.
Then there's the reality of Repubs getting their turn.

doctrev said...

Impeachment is a wagon that's not going to stop rolling. After Mueller's performance, no matter if you think he's an evil prick or just senile, a lot of people are going to wonder what on God's green earth was going on. The President can claim, rightly, that there's so much fakery and fraud on Mueller's completely ludicrous expedition that he needs to do time. And faking Alzheimer's won't cut the mustard just two years after being declared special counsel.

WHEN President Trump start throwing out indictments, the Dems will scream impeachment. They won't have a choice. They have a lot of stupid animals who will believe the lies long after CNN has discarded them as obviously obsolete, and those animals will happily tear them apart in lieu of Trump.

William said...

I get the feeling that every time the opposition party controls the House they will at least talk about impeachment and occasionally act on that talk. Every time the opposition party controls the Senate no Supreme Court Justices will be approved and Cabinet positions will be stalled. The government thus progresses from inefficiency to stasis. Some day this will bite us in the ass, but, so far so good.

doctrev said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
William said...

The Dems have an overwhelming hatred for Trump but there's no objective correlative to their hatred. He fooled around with a porn star. That's not Presidential, but neither is it Hitlerian. Their disdain would be more effective if it were more proportional to his offenses.

narciso said...

Yes if reality has no purchase on actual events they will follow the most convenient narrative.

Earnest Prole said...

And so Impeachment dies, not with a bang but a whimper.

Yancey Ward said...

Impeachment dies, not with a bang but with a, "Where's my pudding?"

Crazy World said...

Well we are paying them for the next six weeks paid vacation so how cool is that government gig?

Ty said...

I think Trump should just post movie quotes on Twitter. After Mueller's Columbo performance, he could tweet to dems:

"I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!"

rehajm said...

Given history fooling around with a porn star seems rather presidential. And bipartisan.

tim in vermont said...

“I think the problem for the left is once they openly say out loud how and why Trump colluded with the russians it sounds so unbelievably stupid. “

You notice that commenters here on the left can never say it in their own words. This is why they can only cut and paste.

stevew said...

I think it was Mollie Hemingway that said last night Pelosi will no longer discuss impeachment, instead she will continue to push for an accountability investigation. That way she can keep the Orange Man Bad talk going through the 2020 election and stay away from the impeachment talk the voters aren't interested in pursuing. Charles Lane agreed (he of the sporty new glasses look) and added that the legislative calendar doesn't have enough time in it to do impeachment.

Leland said...

The American people need an accounting of the money spent by the Mueller investigation and who got what of it.

Kevin said...

I think it was Mollie Hemingway that said last night Pelosi will no longer discuss impeachment, instead she will continue to push for an accountability investigation.

Oh yes. Run around talking about how the Dems are all about accountability.

Then hold a press conference about open borders and sanctuary cities.

Because no one is above the law.

h said...

Replying to gilbar who notes similarities to 1968 Dem race:

1. "The WHole World's Watching" (Milwaukee 2020 chant)
2. But where in 2020 will they ever find a person with mental problems to nominate for VP?

Roger Sweeny said...

My other Senator is Ed Markey (D-MA), a liberal Democrat who has the misfortune of being a white male. Several progressives have announced that they will run in the primary against him in the hope of doing what now Representative Ayanna Pressley did in the 7th District.

Today he solemnly informed us that Mueller's testimony had convinced him that Donald Trump must be impeached.

Roger Sweeny said...

I caught the beginning of "The View" yesterday. The consensus seemed to be that Mueller's testimony would not cause Trump to be impeached BUT HE SHOULD BE.

MacMacConnell said...

When I hear Pelosi, the Democrat leadership or lefty media experts speak, I often wonder if the US Public Health Service isn't still running untreated syphilis clinical studies. But then maybe their unethical will to power just makes them evil lying scum bags.

TJM said...

Impeaching the opposition president because they won the election is not an impeachable offense, like perjury or witness tampering, which Horndog Clintoon engaged in

TJM said...

We haven't seen Inga today. Do you think she took my suggestion and went over to the Hemlock Cafe?

jnseward said...

After watching the #MuellerHearings one can only conclude that there needs to be a new investigation into Trump’s crimes. A new special counsel is needed, perhaps someone younger than #RobertMueller. #JamesComey would be an excellent choice.

Tommy Duncan said...

"Impeachment" now has the same meaning as "racism". It means nothing because it is used so casually and carelessly.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Now, reports are surfacing that reveal that Mueller was a no-show and others may have run the investigation and authored the report. According to the New York Times, Mueller, “Kept noticeably shorter hours than he had as FBI Director,” and he “Seemed to cede substantial responsibility to his top deputies, including Aaron Zebley, who managed day-to-day operations.”

Zebley was in private practice in 2015 and 2016, and he represented a man named Justin Cooper. Cooper was an adviser to the Clinton Foundation and an IT expert who set up and maintained Hillary Clinton’s private email server. According to the FBI, “Cooper did recall two instances where he destroyed Clinton’s old mobile devices by breaking them in half or hitting them with a hammer.”

WOW

Why aren't the media going after Zebley?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The massive fraud perpetrated by a corrupt system. All because Hillary lost and a huge pile of corrupt assholes lost their ability to grift from the American Tax Payer.

oh - and F you JOy Behar. you fat ugly corruption excusing whore.

purplepenquin said...

We haven't seen Inga today.

Our hostess was threatening to ban her from this site the other nite. I'd say more about it, but don't wanna be banned as well.

JamesB.BKK said...

Aks yooself if you ever bought into this. Now aks yooself if you are qualified to have any say in this huge federal operation.

JamesB.BKK said...

The exact purpose of rising to the level in the federal operation of having "honorable" and "lifelong Republican" attached to each and every reference to you by the media is precisely that you can collect paychecks without having to do much work. Those that act surprised are self-beclowning.