CNN: House Committee open hearings to begin mid November.

[Claritie Pixie]

They intend to call witnesses and present evidence.

Possible witnesses: Yovanovich, Taylor, and Sondland.

This is what I've been waiting for, just like Watergate, open hearings will lead to an overwhelming majority wanting impeachment.

The truth is coming, like a runaway freight train.

No amount of GOP shenanigans can stop it.

[StarfishSaver]

1. Great news! And the quiet work they've been doing out of the public eye

has prepared them to present the evidence within a coherent narrative.

They won't be asking a single question they don't already know the answers to. And every answer will tell the story the public needs to hear.

[malaise]

2. Justice is coming

Get thee to the greatest page

[tanyev]

3. And then the GOPers will whine that it's being done for public spectacle.

"Why isn't this being done behind closed doors????"

[Claritie Pixie]

4. Yes of course they will! Crybabies!

[Caliman73]

24. Exactly.

Republicans have no strategy except to "work the referees". They know they can't defend Trump's actions so they complain about the process, relying on public ignorance about governmental and judicial processes to put forth their narrative that everything is corrupt.

It feels a bit different this time though. It feels like they are failing at subverting the process this time.

[onetexan]

5. RW can cry all they want, the american public is now well aware

Hence why impeachment support percentage has gone up to high 50s and climbing.

[ancianita]

6. Will the hearings be televised?

[aggiesal]

16. The revolution will not be televised ...

but I believe the hearings will be. C-Span at least.
But not by ABCNNBCBSFOX. Well maybe CNN but definitely not FOX

[maxsolomon]

21. You bet your sweet bippy they'll be televised.

This is a Television Presidency. He lives to make TV.

[DesertRat]

7. I can't wait!

[calimary]

8. Be careful what you wish for, CONS.

[SCVDem]

9. During Watergate

I heard a lot of, "I'm missing As the World Turns".

Priorities ya know!

[Amimnoch]

18. ROFL! Do you know my Grandmother??

She was furious they interfered with her "stories".

[NightWatcher]

10. Blowback first the SCIF stunt?

Sure, let's put all the horrors of this admin on tv.

Dumbasses on the reichwing.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

11. Gathering the facts via Depositions first....ensures a.....

Clear open and shut case for impeachment that puts Congressional Republicans on the record as to what matters most, the COUNTRY or TRUMP. Fuck the Rule of Law. Republicans have no respect for that.

[redqueen]

12. !!!!!!!!

[redqueen]

13. Waitwaitwait though - is this going to be about Ukraine only?

There are at least a dozen open investigations right now.

I'd like for everything to get out in the open.

[Claritie Pixie]

29. They're focused on Ukraine because it's easiest for the public to understand.

In my view, the outcome hinges on public support.
Televised, open hearings with compelling witnesses will increase public support.

Time is of the essence, don't want to make the scope too broad.

[shelshaw]

14. And it's just in time for thanksgiving dinner

[Brother Buzz]

30. The thought of impeachment being discussed at the dinner tables over the holidays....

is surely going to strain the sphincter mussels of every republican congress critter.

[justie18]

15. Plus

How about Fiona Hill and John Bolton from NSC.

[machoneman]

17. Say, Hill AND Bolton a surprise witnesses would be great!

And IIRC, they do not have to be announced in advance to the defense (ala' a criminal trial). After their surprise testimony, then the other side does get to cross-exam but by then the cat IS out of the bag!

Hah! Love the intrigue! Pass that popcorn!

[SunSeeker]

19. K & R

[BumRushDaShow]

20. "No amount of GOP shenanigans can stop it." Except the FY2020 CR is up Nov. 21st.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/budget/2019/09/trump-signs-continuing-resolution-averting-government-shutdown-until-nov-21/

[maxsolomon]

22. I think a Holiday shutdown is a foregone conclusion and House Dems have already factored it in

McConnell might want to avoid it, however, which works just as well.

[BumRushDaShow]

25. After what happened last year

(which was ugly) it's gonna require some careful finessing - especially when "we" (Democrats) don't control any media. They are setting the stage...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/will-trump-shut-down-government-fight-impeachment-n1070106

(I don't normally throw cold water on great threads like this but as a retired fed who has been through a few of these, I know the GOP doesn't give a shit about government employees and especially now that they have labeled them "the deep state". )

[maxsolomon]

26. Oh, he'll do it.

But will he sign the agreement they eventually come to, or just refuse to extort an acquittal?

I'm expecting the latter.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. I agree

however a way to halt it is if another CR can get passed by a veto-proof majority. So the timing here is going to require some skill to pull off. And the ugliness of what happened last year, is going to have to be emphasized.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

33. a shutdown could fuel the (voter) fire against GOPer madness

[BumRushDaShow]

34. Well that all depends on the "messaging"

and that is what the GOP is apparently getting ready to attempt to manipulate.

It was a big FAIL when they did it last year (and the 2018 election results establish that). But regardless of that, it still hurt a lot of government employees AND it really killed all the government contractors, who make up MOST of the federal workforce, because they did NOT get paid when funding was restored (unless they were operating under multi-year or "no-year" funding).

The GOP is evil.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

35. yes ...

TV news actually helped somewhat the last time. It reported on the contractors and the hardships created by the shutdown. That helped counteract the typical Repug lies about nobody getting hurt.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. Yup. In previous shutdowns, the media focussed on the "National Parks"

and people "whining" about the barricades.

But this last time, they were showing the lines at the food pantries -





I know that every year (sometimes several times a year) federal employees sponsored "food/can" drives and collected for their local pantries for the needy. And I know none of them ever expected to have to avail themselves of that.

[DallasNE]

23. Is This The Point Where A Vote Of The Full House Is Required? n/t

[Claritie Pixie]

32. No. The House will vote to impeach after this.

[SayItLoud]

28. Wonder why tRUMP/Kushner sucking up to Saudis?

---Saudi Arabia plans to become the world’s fastest-growing tourism market; building DOZENS of hotels and high end residences.--- What's a couple of dead journalists compared to the $$ #TrumpCrimeFamily will make?

Hope the committee investigates this as well as all the other crimes of this KKKon family.

[LanternWaste]

31. Takes the wind out of the GOP sails.

The past news-cycle, they've been bleating like beaten sheep about transparency (yeah, I know, I know... *we* see the irony, but the dull-witted don't), and this announcement immediately prevents Idiot trump's flying-monkeys from using that as a war-cry.