Tuesday’s debate about impeachment trial procedures served as a proxy war for the broader arguments the House and President Trump’s attorneys will make about the conduct at the heart of the impeachment proceedings.
Two different teams, from two different universes, playing two different games.
Schiff’s team swung the heavy lumber. The Republicans flung the poo.
And John Roberts got a nice first-hand look at what all that dark money and gerrymandering and voter suppression has done for us.
A republic if we can keep it, indeed.
Love Tierney’s reports. Always have. Good point about D’s taking procedural question as opportunity to make their case. Must be draining to issue these reports after long day and night, in face of Moscow Mitch’s determination to make life difficult for reporters.
Missed what Tierney describes as Nadler’s careful justification for issuing a subpoena to Bolton. Wish that had been explained. Anyone able to shed light on that?
Pelosi did an end round play on McConnell and dominated the message and air time on the first day when Americans were checking in to see what was going to happen. While Trump’s pathetic excuse for attorneys acted like it wasn’t worth even trying to defend him.
Republicans really let Donald down today. He might as well have been an abandoned child. Where were the MAGA? Threw him to the Democratic wolves, they did. John Baron/Miller will be so angry. He expects homage not being ignored.
All that dark money…just the way he planned it.
Nice job on the late night writeups from all the TPM staff. Really appreciate it.
Plato uses the Allegory of the Cave to illustrate how reality is not what we perceive. This imperfect perception model continues today in quantum physics under the rubric of holograms. Each perception shift comes with new ideas about economics, law, morality, as well as reaction to such ideas. Trump is a reaction force that seems to be caving in the face of these new ideas. Only fighting where the opponent is blindfolded with both hands tied is even allowed. Only nostalgia for a nonexistent stupid time is permitted.
We should remember that Kirkland & Ellis one of the biggest law firms in the world, and the biggest in DC, provides one-stop shopping from Exxon to Fox Corporation to the GOP. Pat Cipollone and Pat Philbin were Kirkland & Ellis partners before this. But then so was William Barr. And for that matter John Bolton. One might begin to think this “trial strategy” is just a giant smoke & mirrors scheme conjured up at 1301 Pennsylvania Ave.
and–Insh’Allah–a look at his own options for the history books.
+1. TPM is an illustration of why long-term beat reporters–now essentially vanished from print newspapers–are still at the heart of (among other things) political reporting: because they have institutional knowledge, long-term critical perspectives and sources. Josh, and TPM as a whole, remind us of what American political journalism once was, and must be.
For such a big firm, Kirkland & Ellis sure has some shitty attorneys. Not sending their best here.
Cipollone is an embarrassment to the profession who was deconstructed and exposed Tuesday. I wonder if Schiff eventually gave him back his trousers.
I contacted my senators about their votes on the amendments, hopefully others will do the same. The “moderate GOP” senators who paid lip service to evidence and witnesses have about a week to reconsider until the “witness off-ramp” vote that McConnell buried in the rules.
Also, showing video clips of witness’s testimony before the House served as a proxy for not having them physically present in this trial.
A simple, but effective stratagem – close to the real thing. Will it convict the dotard? Nah, but it’s fun to watch.
Trump’s guilty as sin and won’t turn over a single piece of paper or allow witnesses to testify. A lawyer can only do so much.
Roberts:
I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the President’s counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world’s greatest deliberative body
As if Democrats pointing out what has been proven to be true is equal to Republicans spouting lies supporting tRump.
I think its appropriate at this point for me to admonish the Chief Justice to remember he is supposed to be impartial. I know it’s tough for a Republican hack to make impartial rulings … BUT
When you know the jury is going to acquit, one does not need a Clarence Darrow on your team.
Again, not very many are watching. Most people are going to get their coverage of the trial from their favorite media source. The poo flinging is for the conservative media to replay, over and over.
The only way I would watch the whole thing is if someone pointed a gun at my head and placed me in front of the TV with my eyes taped open. Sure, it’s on, but I don’t give it my undivided attention. I Just try to glean a few highlights.
And he is fine with it.
it was like trump really did shoot someone on 5th avenue.
everybody saw it happen and knows he is guilty way beyond a reasonable doubt.
Then there is his defense team argument, sort of.
who you gonna believe?
Sounds like Nadler went a bit off … which we don’t need, but all in all, a very good day for Dems. And yes, thank you TPM for the great and exhaustive (and exhausting for you) coverage.
Given that the Senate includes RoJo, Kennedy, Mitch, Marsha, and Inhofe–for starters–Justice Roberts may want to reconsider his description of the Senate as the world’s greatest deliberative body. Regarding Nadler, I think it was too late in the night for him to speak. He seemed really frayed around the edges, to the extent that I turned him off rather than watch him stumble. He has had some health issues, and I think it showed. Anybody who has ever been involved in these kinds of marathons knows how much it takes out of you.