The evidence to any decent normal thinking person is clear as daylight.
Set the stage with the right prop & anything is believable, in this case:
"I won. The election was rigged".
Then "fight like hell" can be seen in the right light.
However, on either side of the divide, it is clear to the rest of the world that there is no decent normal thinking person in the States...
...at least in authority anyway.

My hope is that at the end of the trial the decision will be based on the evidence presented, will made without partisan bias and that the "winners" and "loosers" both accept that decision without any celebratory/retaliatory violence.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

My hope is that at the end of the trial the decision will be based on the evidence presented, will made without partisan bias and that the "winners" and "loosers" both accept that decision without any celebratory/retaliatory violence.

Well, I certainly see no hope of the first two things happening.
I'll stand with you on the third.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

My hope is that at the end of the trial the decision will be based on the evidence presented, will made without partisan bias and that the "winners" and "loosers" both accept that decision without any celebratory/retaliatory violence.

Well, I certainly see no hope of the first two things happening.
I'll stand with you on the third.

Unfortunately, sure is looking that way...

See and take note:

Lindsey Graham caught meeting with Trump’s defense team during trial
wrote:

BREAKING: Lindsey Graham was just caught meeting with Trump’s defense team during the impeachment trial.

Trump impeachment: Defence team set to present speedy case
wrote:

Donald Trump's defence lawyers are set to present evidence in the US Senate, denying charges he incited insurrection in the Capitol riots of 6 January.

The [Republicans'] team has indicated it may take up only four of its 16 hours... [Whereas, the] Democrats spent two days putting their case, including video footage of the violence and arguing acquittal could see a repeat of the attack on Congress.

Acquittal is the likely verdict though, as most Republicans remain unmoved...

Is there not a blatant conflict of interest there for Lindsey Graham's long (deal making?) meeting...?

Is there not amazing overconfidence in not even bothering to try to explain any defense??

Cronyism at play?...


Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

My hope is that at the end of the trial the decision will be based on the evidence presented, will made without partisan bias and that the "winners" and "loosers" both accept that decision without any celebratory/retaliatory violence.

IMO the "trial" is a waste of time The Republicans had their minds made up before any evidence was heard.

---

My hope is that at the end of the trial the decision will be based on the evidence presented, will made without partisan bias and that the "winners" and "loosers" both accept that decision without any celebratory/retaliatory violence.

IMO the "trial" is a waste of time The Republicans had their minds made up before any evidence was heard.

Violate their oath, collude with the defense. High time for some expulsions.

Game, set, and match. The democrat's political dog and pony show is over.
Trump impeachment trial — defense skillfully destroys Dems' case against former president.

The brilliance of the defense was the use of videotape to exonerate Trump.

The damning video presented by the defense showed each and every House manager voicing the identical words (and in the same context) that Trump had used — as a political metaphor. Democratic senators were also seen repeatedly using "fight" and "fight like hell." Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., uttered it more than 50 times. Vice President Kamala Harris invoked the words close to 70 times.

The defense team handily destroyed the House managers’ ancillary argument that Trump should be convicted because he ginned up emotion by wrongfully telling his supporters that the election result was rigged or stolen. On the television screens, senators took a trip down memory lane as numerous Democrats, including Pelosi and former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, claimed the same thing in a past election result they didn’t like. Checkmate.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Checkmate.

Democrat supporters did not ransack the Capitol building. Check.
Republican supporters did not ransack the Capitol building. Check.
Trump supporters did. Checkmate.

You 'may' be correct.
But the salient point of the day is.........
Trump did NOT incite them to do it.

Have a nice day.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Riotous!

But have a nice day...


Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Well the simple majority said that he did, but the right are still sticking to the constitutional belief that you can't impeach someone who is no longer president and here's Mitch's words.

“There's no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president,” McConnell said. “The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things."

He then stated: “We have no power to convict and disqualify a former office holder who is now a private citizen.”

Though Donny could face being censured now and lets not forget all the court cases that he faces that could lead to him being convicted on felony charges.

Trump will be barred from running again of course :-)

Convicts are allowed to run for office.

The cynical cold game of politics of keeping all options open...

Regardless of any bitter ends...


What an eye-opener to the state of politics in the USA...


Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/impeachment/resignation-was-not-end wrote:

President Ulysses S. Grant faced a much different scenario with his secretary of war, William W. Belknap. Belknap’s case is the only one in history in which a Senate trial took place after the official in question had already resigned.

Rep. Hiester Clymer (D-PA), chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of War and an opponent of the president and his Reconstruction policies, began to investigate, and on February 29, Marsh admitted to the deal in sworn testimony during a secret meeting with only Democrats in attendance.

The following day Belknap offered to admit to the bribes, but only if the committee agreed to hide his wife’s involvement. When the committee refused, he left without testifying. The scandal was quickly turning serious, and on March 2, a member of the committee, Rep. Lyman Bass (R-NY), met with Treasury Secretary Benjamin Bristow. Bristow then went to talk with Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, who told him to see Grant at the White House immediately.

At the White House, Bristow told the president that he should talk with Bass without explaining why, but as Grant began to leave, a steward told him that Belknap and Secretary of the Interior Zachariah Chandler were waiting for him. Nearly in tears, Belknap told the president that he must resign at once. Grant agreed, and as he tried to leave a second time, Senators Oliver Morton (R-IN) and Lot Morrill (R-VT) urged him not to accept the resignation: The House had just impeached Belknap. (Three of the five articles had passed by unanimous votes.)

Despite Belknap’s resignation, Democrats wanted to proceed: A Senate trial would keep the Republican scandal in front of voters, and House leaders believed that an official should not be able to evade justice simply by resigning. The House elected seven managers and prepared to send the five articles to the Senate. The trial began on April 5, 1876.

For nearly a month, the trial focused on whether Congress had the jurisdiction to try a private citizen, as Belknap now was. The former secretary’s legal team argued that the appropriate venue now was a criminal court, not a Senate trial. They also noted that none of the founders in all the debates on the Constitution had ever referenced the impeachment of private citizens.

In contrast, the House managers (two of whom were Republicans) argued that Belknap had resigned knowing that the House was going to impeach him, that he had committed his crimes while he was secretary of war, and that a trial would prevent him from holding federal office in the future. Both removal AND disqualification, they said, were the point of a trial, and while Belknap had removed himself, he needed to be disqualified.

Belknap’s team countered that since Belknap had already left office, the Senate couldn’t remove him OR vote to disqualify him. One of Belknap’s lawyers, Montgomery Blair, explained: “You cannot pronounce a judgment of removal without disqualifying, and you cannot pronounce a judgement of disqualification without removal, because the judgment which the Constitution requires you to pronounce is a judgment of removal and disqualification—not removal or disqualification.”

King Donald was impeached by the House while he was still in office, making the impeachment constitutional without question. The Senate could also have convicted him totally constitutionally. After conviction nothing happens without a resolution affixing a penalty being passed. The question is could the Senate constitutionally pass such a resolution baring him from future office. They could have fixed the penalty at censure, reprimand or any other lesser form.

My hope is that at the end of the trial the decision will be based on the evidence presented, will made without partisan bias and that the "winners" and "loosers"[sic] both accept that decision without any celebratory/retaliatory violence.

Well, I certainly see no hope of the first two things happening.
I'll stand with you on the third.

Why no antifa riots? I'm sure we'll see parades in the coming days. Where are the riots? We "know" the left is violent, far more violent than the right. Where is the lawlessness? Or is everything "we know" about the left fake news?

As to the trial, the result was jury nullification. It is very ugly coming from the United States Senate.

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/2/15/nobel-peace-prize-2021-the-case-against-jared-kushner

“private-sector growth”, “foreign direct investment”, “free trade agreements”, and all those other neoliberal catch-phrases

neoliberal? neocon? I think we have been locked into 1984 where the ministry of truth spews Faux news.

<ed>Still waiting for those antifa riots over the senate vote.

Out with the old Trump and in with the thoughtful and human and Presidential:


Biden ... asked about what it's like in White House now


There are earlier news quotes and videos of smiles and occasional light hearted laughter in the Press Room for the first time in months, all in stark contrast to the very visibly combative confrontational frustration that was seen with the Trump administration. Looks like there is positively a new air of adult respect permeating the rest of the White House, all for the good of all and everyone.

Was Trump, all the while lingering on, merely playing a game of squatter in a gilded cage?


Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Meanwhile, you can bet this is one statistic that Trump will keep covered:


Coronavirus: US life expectancy falls by a year amid pandemic
wrote:

Life expectancy in the US fell by a full year in the first half of 2020, a change experts say was fuelled by the growing coronavirus pandemic...

... "This is a huge decline," Dr Robert Anderson, the CDC's Chief of Mortality Statistics...

... "You have to go back to World War Two, the 1940s, to find a decline like this," Dr Anderson said...

Stay safe folks!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Manhattan D.A. Recruits Top Prosecutor To Go After Trump Family

As the Manhattan district attorney’s office steps up the criminal investigation of Donald J. Trump, it has reached outside its ranks to enlist a prominent former federal prosecutor to help scrutinize financial dealings at the former president’s company, according to several people with knowledge of the matter.

The former prosecutor, Mark F. Pomerantz, has deep experience investigating and defending white-collar and organized crime cases, bolstering the team under District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. that is examining Mr. Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization.

The investigation by Mr. Vance, a Democrat, is focused on possible tax and bank-related fraud, including whether the Trump Organization misled its lenders or local tax authorities about the value of his properties to obtain loans and tax benefits, the people with knowledge of the matter said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation. Mr. Trump has maintained he did nothing improper and has long railed against the inquiry, calling it a politically motivated “witch hunt.”

Original article https://web.archive.org/web/20210218210058/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/nyregion/trump-investigation-manhattan.html