Democrats Vote "Rules" for Fake Impeachment "Probe;" Two Democrats Vote "No," and Former Republican/Fake Libertarian Justin Amash Votes "Yes"

Nancy Pelosi presided over the vote, which was 232 in favor, 196 against.

Two Democrats, Reps. Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, voted "no." Van Drew has said that while Trump's behavior has been “distasteful” and makes him "feel uncomfortable," he doesn’t believe the president has committed any impeachable offenses.

Independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party because of what he said was the GOP’s unwillingness to acknowledge that Trump has committed impeachable offenses, voted with Democrats in favor of the resolution.

...

House Republicans, to different degrees, have objected to the process run by their Democratic counterparts.

Some, like Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Rules Committee, want Trump to be allowed to have counsel representing him before the Intelligence Committee. Democrats, though, object to that request saying that the panel is gathering facts and that the president will be represented once the probe reaches the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over articles of impeachment.

One of the most absurdly unfair parts of these "rules" is that only Democrats can call witnesses. Republicans can call them -- with Democrats' permission.

And Republicans can only ask questions that Democrats allow.

Ahead of the vote, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana ripped into the resolution. "It gives veto authority by the chair to literally reject any witness that is brought forward by the minority,"

Scalise said, standing next to a sign held by a staffer that said "37 days of Soviet-Style impeachment proceedings." "This is Soviet-Style rules. Maybe in the Soviet Union you do things like this where only you make the rules, where you reject the ability for the person you’re accusing to even be in the room, to question what's going on."

The "rules" make Adam Schiff -- nonpartisan, fair-minded, not-at-all crank conspiracy theorist Adam Schiff -- a bizarre level of control over the kangaroo court.

The measure grants House Intelligence Chairman Adam B. Schiff significant influence over the inquiry, allowing California Democrat lengthy periods of uninterrupted questioning of witnesses in future public hearings, the ability to release transcripts of private hearings and depositions and the power to block Republicans from calling witnesses.

And he went back into his preferred mode of issuing a stream of ridiculous lies.

"I do not take any pleasure in the events that have made this process necessary," Schiff said. "The task before us is a solemn one. How each member of this chamber approaches the vote this morning and the days and weeks ahead may be the most important service as members of Congress we will ever pay to the country and constitution that we all love and have pledged to defend."

This thread by Phil Kerpen notes that the Democrats have brought up impeachment measures four times before.

He also summarizes the Democrats' speeches, like this one:

Live GOP Press Conference: Livestreamed at FaceBook.

OMG: David French is doing the cutesy pop culture analogies like Jonah does.

What a simp.

posted by Ace of Spades at 12:06 PM

| Access Comments