“Bribery” is the new “quid pro quo,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) made clear during her weekly press conference Thursday.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1262178
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1262178
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Bribery is as bribery does; the Trump MO in ‘business’ and government.
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Good idea.
Better a bit late than never.
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Not only is it bribery, it’s also extortion.
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Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), who sits on the Oversight Committee, expressed his concern last week that the Latin term meaning “something for something” might alienate and confuse average Americans who are trying to understand what happened and why it was wrong.
“We need to dumb this down even further for the majority of Americans to get it.”
FTFY
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That can settle every Thanksgiving day argument with a Trump supporter. “There it is, right in the Constitution. The President can be impeached by Congress for bribery.” Point to the passage in your printout of the Constitution and watch the subject change instantly to football or something else.
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About time. Been saying this for weeks. Use the damn word that’s actually in the constitution so even the knuckle-draggers can almost understand it.
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It’s not bribery, it’s extortion.
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I don’t know about bribery. I’m going to need to be convinced on that. I will say that what Trump did seems more like a case of Trump running a Mafia extortion and protection racket. The benefit of this framing is that it was being run by Rudy Giuliani, who made his name putting people away for just such activities…
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Nope I think they brought this out at the right time. Those of us who know legal eagle type people, (thanks you guys) have explained quid pro quo and it’s meanings with examples well. Now changing it to bribery as the public phase of the impeachment process starts will stick in people’s heads that didn’t have our crew here talking about it for weeks.
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Make sure that the copy of the constitution they are referencing is not the Republican edited version. That edition leaves stuff out.
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"Their messaging, while lacking any nuance and usually at least stretching the truth, sticks."
Only because too many lazy journalists think quoting somebody — even when they are lying — is journalism. It isn’t. That’s stenography, and it is how the Rightwing Noise Machine™ nefariously manipulates too many media creatures. Media people need to find more proper frames of reference and counter the bs. Too few do.
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Given the fact that the people chanting, “Read the transcript!” obviously haven’t read the (completely damning to Trump) transcript, I doubt they’ve bothered to read the Constitution as well…
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It turns out “bribery” is the more precise word.
Extortion could occur between two businessmen and still be a criminal offense, whereas bribery is primarily focused on the bribing of Government employees or bribing by Government employees.
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Very exciting to see them choose the words this time, instead of alowing the WH to frame the conversation using their own vocabulary.
#NastyNancy #ImWithHer
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I’d say it’s a combination of extortion and soliciting a bribe. Trump is the one asking for something of value to perform the duties of his office.
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I agree. Some idiot on FOX earlier this week was making fun of Dems speaking in “foreign tongues”. I’m sure it was eaten up by his audience. Pivoting to English should help all but the 30% of the population who worship this orange cretin.
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I don’t think they’re necessarily mutually exclusive, especially in a lengthy ‘negotiation’ that stretches over several months.
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Bribe:
to influence the judgment or conduct of (someone) with or as if with offers of money or favor.
Works for me, it even has the keyword right in the definition - “I want you to do me a favor”.
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Please correct the spelling of Congresswoman Speier’s name.