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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt wasn't just about collusion - it was about being compromised.
Adam Schiff stated it very clearly in his response to the Republicans' personal attack upon him. It is not OK that Donald Trump was lying about having no business with Russia when he was negotiating a Trump Tower in Moscow, right up to the end of his campaign. Putin and the Russians knew what he was doing but the American people did not. He was compromised by the Russians.
This administration is corrupt, just as Congressman Schiff stated. Not only was Donald Trump looking to make hundreds of millions of dollars in Moscow, he was also making untold amounts from foreigners off his properties in the US, most notably the Trump International Hotel that is just down the street from the White House. The emoluments clause to our Constitution does not apply to Mr Trump, or so it seems?
If impeachment charges are ever brought forth, these are the charges he must answer for. He may have been cleared of any "collusion" charges, but the corruption does not stop there. Congressman Schiff is doing a great service to America by attempting to expose these behaviors.
Donald Trump is far from exonerated.
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A related topic:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/12/02/schiff_the_trump-russia_compromise_is_far_broader_than_we_thought.html
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)destruction of America as a world leader, damaging military and trade alliances, bringing chaos to america via wholesale destruction of our government and reinforcing a massive divide between americans
money has little to do with all that
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)with FULL cooperation of the gop. They condone this behavior. When the truth is exposed, the gop will also be found guilty of crimes against this country.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)be apathetic over the years. 2018 was an exception and truly hope "we" have learned our lessons on what true evil looks like vs "lessor of 2 evils". Part of me still thinks a segment of "our side" has not
True Blue American
(17,972 posts)About the gerrymandering, making it hard for people to vote, moving, closing Precincts that has taken place.
I see a resurgence at the local level of people fighting back. It has to begin there.
anarch
(6,535 posts)McKim
(2,412 posts)The deeper damage to society by the Trump Administration is the blatant in your face corruption and how so many look the other way and follow him. People become cynical and give up on politics when they see this. This creates a climate where anything goes and screw you Jack, Ive got mine. Cheating on your taxes becomes a badge of honor!
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)embedded by mostly Republicans over the nearly 40 years of conservative domination of government. Experts in corruption say it's not a little erosion around corrupt officials here and there but an actual rewriting of laws and procedures to embed corruption into government itself.
The Republican Party since conservatives came to dominate it has been far more prone to corruption than the Democratic. Liberals actually believe in using government to serve the people and in equality -- intrinsically liberal principles -- and that doesn't foster large-scale corruption.
But strong conservatives don't really believe in equal representation or government of, by and for all people. They believe inequality is natural and inevitable and strengthens society by rewarding good behavior and punishing inadequacy. Strong cons tend to believe men driving expensive cars and rising to control of government cake cutters deserve to cut themselves bigger pieces, as long as they leave them some.
But the Republicans of Nixon days are NOTHING to today's, who have discarded the weak ideology of conservatism that once encouraged duty to the people and nation -- in favor of blatant intense corruption and betrayal of duty. In favor of corrupting once-liberal laws to serve the deserving few like them. Even in favor of what we call treason if it keeps them in power and wealth.
True Blue American
(17,972 posts)Is those in Government know it and condone it.
Funny thing about Barr, he seems to have changed his mind after reading the Mueller report.
Mueller is working with him but he seems to have a different attitude since having time to read the report.
kentuck
(110,950 posts)And he seems to backtracking as fast as Michael Jackson could moonwalk.
True Blue American
(17,972 posts)I am not making excuses but even we have no idea how bad. But it is slowly coming to the surface.
TomVilmer
(1,832 posts)Former Undersecretary of State Rick Stengel in Deadline: White House March 28, 2019.
https://archive.org/embed/MSNBCW_20190328_200000_Deadline_White_House?start=1922.5&end=1988.6
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/03/trump-making-fraud-great-msnbcs-nicolle-wallace/
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,790 posts)Or to put it more crudely as seems popular in some quarters these days but uses a terminology I find sexist so excuse me but:
tRump was Putin's bitch, not the other way around.
A lot of punditry around the "no collusion" narrative is around the idea that tRump persuaded Putin to swing the Electoral College his way. That ignores the point the OP makes well. I'm pretty sure Putin laid down his demand and tRump acquiesed: Go all the way and take our hand-picked campaign managers and give us your polling data; or else we release the financial, ethical, and moral kompromat we've collected over decades. In return he would use his cyber warfare (social media, hacking) and would ask his pet oligarch's to make arrangements or some such on behalf of tRump and Kushner.
Trump is Putin's Siberian Candidate, after tRump and Kushner got frozen out by US banks.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)And obstruction of justice.
IMPEACHMENT, which is a political tool, can involve additional things, like compromise, immorality, etc. That would also include any conspiring or aiding/abetting, but would include a broader list of things, as well.
So unless he can be impeached, I wonder if it matters, other than to record for history all that Trump's team did.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)if there is a direct 'contract' or not. We know this muthafuck speaks in code and he spoke to Putin this way and now he is meeting him in person ALONE and nobody knows shit about what's going on in there.
There BETTER BE a counter intel investigation going on NOW with all these swamp scumbags undermining America all for the almighty dollar - for themselves.
WE SEE what's going on.
WE KNOW what you're doing.
HISTORY will not be silenced.