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Chairman McGovern asks why impeachment appears in the Constitution? Rep. Raskin - appearing in HJC Chair Jerry Nadler's stead today due to a fam emergency - refs Thomas Paine who once said: "A hereditary ruler is as ridiculous as a hereditary mathematician." (rough paraphrase)
Abuse of power is the "essential" impeachment offense because it addresses when a president elevates his personal interest over the rule of law, it addresses a president's willingness to solicit a foreign power to interfere in U.S. elections.

Abuse of power is a big tent.
McGovern asks Rep. Raskin, D-Md., to explain why obstruction of Congress is deemed an impeachable offense.
Raskin begins his response by noting how fair the process has been - Rs have participated "every step of the way" even while POTUS has directed witnesses not to testify.
Raskin continues: "The job for members of Congress is to make sure the President does not violate the laws." Lawmakers are to "stand sentinel" to guard those laws. Raskin: But what happens when POTUS "totally trashes the law? The ultimate check against that is impeachment.
Raskin on abuse of power/obstruction of congress: He asks "Do we want to set a precedent where people can become POTUS & once in, if Congress decides conduct is impeachable, they can then pull the curtain down & not allow any investigation or subpoenas to be honored?"
"This is a very dangerous prospect that would have horrified and shocked our framers," Rep. Raskin says when discussing the articles of impeachment levied against President Trump/.
"President Trump makes Richard Nixon look like a little leaguer when it comes to defying congressional subpoenas," @RepRaskin tells members of the House Rules Committee this afternoon.
@CourthouseNews
@RepRaskin @CourthouseNews Story updated and will continue to develop: courthousenews.com/lawmakers-get-…
@RepRaskin @CourthouseNews In the meantime, President Trump has issued a letter to Speaker Pelosi protesting the "impeachment crusade."
Irate and incredulous in its tone, it accuses the Speaker of suffering from a "full-fledged case" of "Trump Derangement Syndrome"
documentcloud.org/documents/6581…
@RepRaskin @CourthouseNews In his letter, Trump says more due process afforded to those accused in the Salem witch trials. Just two quick points:
1) Most of the accused didn't have counsel, at all. Trump has several attys. Several.
2) Most "confessions" were elicited upon *literal* torture of defendants
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Brandi Buchman
@BBuchman_CNS
Good morning from Washington, D.C.
A historic day is ready to unfold.
The House convenes at 9AM ET to begin a day of speeches and debate ahead of a vote, expected between 6:30PM-7:30PM ET, to impeach the 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump.
@CourthouseNews
There is a chance the final vote time could shift to a bit later in the evening. It depends on the number and nature of objections mounted during debate that could slow down the process.

I will have live coverage of the proceedings throughout the day.
I have covered this presidency from its campaign inception to the inauguration and now to impeachment.
That is not something I imagine I will ever be able to say again.

But if I have learned anything in these last three years, it is that certainty is a luxury I can ill afford.
Read 170 tweets
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Brandi Buchman
@BBuchman_CNS
House Rules chair McGovern says we hear a lot about "clock and calendar," a reference to a phrase Rep Collins has applied regularly to describe the path to impeachment. But what this is actually about McGovern says, is "abuse & obstruction." Collins shook his head in disapproval.
The hearing started at 11AM ET and it is now just after 5:30 PM ET. So far, no votes have been taken on any rules that would guide the floor debate on the House.
Raskin says to members that if they want to accept a U.S. president who "shakes down" a foreign ally to benefit his own corrupt ends, then they should "just say so" instead of offering "fairytale" explanations for their decision to defend the conduct.
Read 7 tweets
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Brandi Buchman
@BBuchman_CNS
NOW: I am coming to you *live* from inside the House Rules Cmte room as lawmakers deliver opening remarks and prepare to sort out the rules for debate ahead of the vote on the House floor.
@CourthouseNews
Rules Cmte chairman Jim McGovern: “History is testing us. We can’t control what the Senate will do. But each of us can decide whether we pass that test - whether we defend our democracy, and whether we uphold our oath."
Ranking member on cmte, Republican Tom Cole signals how very differently Rs see things here: "The votes to remove the president simply aren’t there. Bluntly put, this is a matter Congress can’t resolve on its own."
He continued:
Read 8 tweets

Related threads

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Chris Winters
@TheChrisWinters
(Thread 1/15) Some thoughts on today’s #impeachment news, which I wrote about @yesmagazine here: yesmagazine.org/opinion/2019/1…
Start with the basics: the House will likely vote to impeach Trump and the Senate will vote to acquit. Is there a point to this process? I argue yes, for two reasons. (2/15)
One: moral. The impeachment clause in the Constitution was created by the framers to avoid an entirely foreseeable consequence: a ruler who is corrupt, criminal, and/or subject to foreign influence. (3/15)
Read 15 tweets
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Speers137
@Speers137
#Impeachment Thread #1 - Hot Tip for Independent Journalists: Security Assistance to Ukraine is intrinsically tied to Ukraine Government participation in fighting corruption AND cleaning up oligarchical finance.

Sauce: 2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/20…

1/5
#Impeachment Thread #1 - "...we’ve also provided almost $350 million since the conflict began in economic and reform support and SECURITY SUPPORT, et cetera. We’ll talk about how that’s going. The Secretary will want an update from the Ukrainian

2/5
#Impeachment Thread #1 - leadership on implementation of reform. As you know, our ECONOMIC SUPPORT IS TIED TO THE UKRAINIANS KEEPING THEIR COMMITMENTS, particularly in the areas of energy security, reform of the justice sector, fighting corruption, reform of the

3/5
Read 22 tweets
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CSM
@usacsmret
Rep. Matt Gaetz Mocks Nadler's "Seinfeld" Impeachment Hearing lidblog.com/nadlers-impeac… via @yidwithlid
@yidwithlid “The chairman mentioned he wouldn’t be debating the lexicon as to whether this was an impeachment inquiry or investigation,” Gaetz said before providing his own nomenclature.
@yidwithlid “I’ve called it impeachment in drag because we’ve dressed up impeachment like an oversight hearing,” he said. “Perhaps it’s low-T impeachment, low energy impeachment.”
Read 7 tweets
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Positively Spiritual Annie
@AnniePositively
It's time I had my say about #Impeachment, DJT's obstructionistic tactics, and @SpeakerPelosi's not pushing for an inquiry yet.

When AG Barr released the redacted version of the report to Congress, he did *not* include any of the underlying documents on which Mueller relied.

1/
Just like a lawsuit, a case has to be built based on facts and evidence. Both the Intelligence Committee and the Judiciary Committee have been working their way through the system, including voting to hold AG Barr in Contempt of Congress. DJT has been fighting them in court.

2/
Meanwhile, the Ways and Means Committee has also been working on getting DJT's tax returns. One of the Committees has also been working on getting records subpoenaed from DJT's financial management firm and from Deutche Bank, known for Russian money laundering.

3/
Read 16 tweets
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Karol 🌿
@karolcummins
🌳BuckleUp🌳

📌It is as if they created this new world of terror...

📌Giuliani Co. Cleaning Up Anthrax

📌”It will be a symbol that we can deal with these new risks that we live with in our new world," Giuliani said. 2004

📌Target AMI treasure trove of Kompromat.
🌳BuckleUp2🌳

Warner: 'Enormous evidence' of contacts between Trump campaign and Russia

The top Democrat on Senate Intelligence Committee says Trump campaign's contact with Russians during 2016 was historically unprecedented.
🌳BuckleUp3🌳

"... there's no one who can factually say there isn't plenty of evidence of collaboration or comms between the Trump Org & RUs,”.

“I have never seen a presidential campaign, from a person of either party, have this much outreach to a foreign country.” Warner said.
Read 63 tweets

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