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One of Trump's attorneys defending him in his Senate impeachment trial--Alan Dershowitz--is arguing that abuse of power is not a reason to impeach a president.

They've given up pretending Trump didn't abuse his power.

1/4
They've given up pretending he didn't try to shake down Ukraine for his own personal benefit. They can no longer argue they fired an ambassador because she stood in the way of Trump's corruption.

They're now claiming abuse of power isn't impeachable.

2/4
No, that's not an Onion headline. I'm serious as a case of Ebola. One of Trump's attorneys is insisting you can't impeach a president for abuse of power.

THAT IS THE WHOLE FUCKING REASON IMPEACHMENT IS IN THE CONSTITUTION.

3/4
Sorry for shouting.

Also, I'm sorry for saying an offensive word. I'll try not to say "Dershowitz" again. I really will.

4/4
In case you didn't believe even one of Jeffrey Epstein's paying customers couldn't really say abuse of power isn't a legitimate reason to impeach a president, take a look.

msnbc.com/hardball/watch…
Another of Trump's impeachment defense lawyers, Ken Starr, was the guy who told Congress to impeach President Clinton for not telling the truth about a blowjob.

Apparently, a blowjob is the underlying crime you can get impeached for lying about.
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DCPetterson
@dcpetterson
Let's talk for a while about what impeachment is, how it happens, and how it worls.

There are four parts to an impeachment:
1) investigations
2) House Judicary hearings
3) House vote
4) Senate trial
We're in Phase 1, and we've been there since Feb or March, when the House began to investigate Trump. With Nixon, this phase lasted 17 months, from Feb of 1973 to June of 1974.

For Bill Clinton, this phase ran from Jan 1994 to October of 1998, some 58 months.
This is where most of the data and evidence, testimony and documents are collected that will determine whether Congress thinks the president has committed serious wrongdoing.

Impeachment cannot happen until investigations are complete.
Read 19 tweets
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DCPetterson
@dcpetterson
Impeachment hearings won't stop Trump's crimes.

Articles of Impeachment won't stop Trump's crimes.

A Senate trial won't stop Trump's crimes.

A "not guilty" verdict won't stop Trump's crimes.

Even removal won't convince President Pence to stop Trumpish crimes.
Impeachment won't stop Trump's crimes.

But after we've impeached and the Senate declares Trump "Not Guilty!" and the media hammers home "totally exonerated from a partisan Democrat stunt!" we won't be able to use Trump's crimes as campaign issues.
A full exoneration in the Senate and Trump doing a victory dance all the way to a landslide reelection where we lose the House and usher in a century of fascist dictatorship does not "uphold our constitution."

What about getting GOP Senators "on record"?
Read 25 tweets
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DCPetterson
@dcpetterson
A thread: Things I've learned about economics

1) Poverty is mostly about the disparity in wealth between the morbidly rich and everyone else.

2) This disparity is due more to policy than to inherent economic forces.

3) A huge component of that is institutionalized bigotry.
4) That means, even if we fix the policies exacerbating disparities in wealth, bigotry will still result in poor minorities and poor women.

5) The modern middle class was created by policies enacted in the 1940s-1960s. It's being destroyed by policies begun in the Reagan era.
6) Most economic theorists prior to the 21st century saw macroeconomics as an unstoppable progression leading inevitably to either disaster or utopia, depending on the personality of the theorist.

They were *all* wrong.

It isn't fate. It's policy.
Read 20 tweets

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John Mikhail
@_John_Mikhail
Sure, happy to weigh in. There is no sound basis for Alan Dershowitz to claim that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense. In addition to being at odds with common sense, this claim is contradicted by a clear and consistent body of historical evidence. /1
Some of the best evidence comes from the case of Warren Hastings, which informed the drafting Art. II, Sec 4. The fact that he was not guilty of treason, but still deserved to be impeached, was a major reason “other high crimes and misdemeanors” was added to the Constitution. /2
Edmund Burke drew up impeachment charges against Hastings in 1786, and his trial began in the House of Lords in February 1788. Burke’s celebrated speeches and reports against Hastings—widely reprinted in US newspapers at the time—often accused him of abuse of power. /3
Read 15 tweets
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Julie Laumann
@Otpor17
"The Iraqi leader asked @SecPompeo to “send delegates to Iraq to prepare a mechanism to carry out the parliament’s resolution regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq."

#Iraq PM tells US to start working on troop withdrawal apne.ws/b3frZ5p
PM Mahdi: “#Iraq is keen on keeping the best of relations with its neighbors and its friends in the international community."

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nyti.ms/2t4ql8I
Not an imminent threat, not national security, but saving his own criminal arse.

"After the strike, #Trump told associates he was under pressure to deal with #Soleimani from GOP senators he views as important supporters in his Senate #impeachment trial." wsj.com/articles/trump…
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DocRock1007 🇺🇸
@DocRock1007
1. #QAnon The same evidence currently being used to free @GenFlynn is being used to indict the others by [Grand Jury]. This includes [1] count for falsification of the FBI [302] interview form modified post hoc. Also, who listened in [2] count [FISA?] #Q
2. #QAnon Watch what happens next. FISA actors purposely withheld exculpatory evidence frm Court, & warrant to spy on citizens was predicated illegally by court deception, using uncorroborated evidence falsely marked.
There're [6] counts including P?
#Q nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet…
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Read 69 tweets
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Puesto Loco™
@PuestoLoco
QUESTION: In only the 3rd Senate #Impeachment trial in American history, why is this one different than the other two??

ANSWER: Russia & Trump’s “Operation Cash for Acquittal.”
For the 1st time, undetected foreign money can be used through Trump PACs to bribe Senate jurors.
“Kangaroo trial” in Russian is “ispytaniye kenguru”
Moscow Mitch claims he, Trump & Putin have complete power to have a Soviet style Kangaroo trial. That’s #Disinformation false bluster.

Here’s the best article I’ve found covering that debate.
Bloomberg→ bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Fla. @RepValDemings, a possible House impeachment manager in Mitch’s Soviet style Kangaroo trial, says he can’t take a juror oath because he works for Defendant Trump & should recuse himself.

QUESTION: Should senators taking Trump PAC money also recuse?
nytimes.com/2019/12/13/us/…
Read 3 tweets
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Dr. Dena Grayson
@DrDenaGrayson
Interesting evening spent with 4 senators at a very small gathering. LOTS of optimism—fueled by internal #poll data—that we will flip the Senate.

Maine: @SenatorCollins is DOWN by 2 points. Her #Kavanaugh vote decimated her approval rating — she went from 57 to the upper-30’s.😎
Senate breakdown is 53 @GOP—47 @SenateDems + Independent.

@DougJones faces a tough re-election bid, but @jeffsessions may split the anti-Roy Moore vote. If Moore wins the primary, Jones has a great chance.

If Jones loses, we need 4-5 seats to flip—4 if we win @POTUS, 5 if not.
In Colorado, @CoryGardner is in BIG trouble. John @Hickenlooper leads by 12 points!

In #NC, @ThomTillis is literally polling in the toilet (approval rating in the 20’s!), so another great pickup opportunity for @TheDemocrats.😎
Read 17 tweets
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𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿🌊
@AnIllicitWriter
𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 | 𝗧𝗵𝗲🍑𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗝. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽
Nancy Pelosi Announces Formal Impeachment Inquiry of Trump

🔗nyti.ms/2kORLLE #Trump #ImpeachTrumpNow #Resist #ImpeachTrump
Here’s a timeline of Trump’s Ukraine scandal. It’s damning.

🔗washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… #Trump #ImpeachTrumpNow #Resist #ImpeachTrump
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