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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAdmissions of Guilt
There is only one reason why Donald Trump wont allow witnesses to testify he knows hes guilty of the charges against him, and those witnesses would confirm that guilt.
There is only one reason why Donald Trump refuses to produce relevant documents he knows hes guilty, and there are documents that would prove it.
There is only one reason why the Republicans are supporting Trumps refusals to defend himself by producing witnesses and documents they know hes guilty beyond all doubt, and no exculpatory evidence exists that could possibly exonerate him.
There is only one reason why Republicans would be so adamant in their defence of an IMPOTUS they know to be guilty and thats because they are guilty themselves.
The question of Trumps guilt has been answered by his own actions and words. The question that remains is which Republicans are also guilty of crimes against the nation, and to what degree.
Who conspired to cover up Trumps crimes? Who accepted money they shouldnt have, especially from Russian sources? Who accepted political favours in exchange for going-along-to-get-along? Who was threatened with political ruin if they refused to look the other way?
The GOPs defence of Trump such as it is is not just a matter of defending their IMPOTUS, or even trying to hold onto their partys political power. Its a matter of trying to shut down investigations that will implicate individuals within their party, many of whom are undoubtedly guilty of their own crimes against the American people.
When McConnell and Graham openly announced that they will acquit Trump in a senate trial regardless of any evidence against him, they admitted that their oaths of office are meaningless, along with their intention to break the oaths they will be bound to swear in terms of being impartial jurors. Theyre not doing so to protect IMPOTUS or party they are doing so because they fear their own complicity in his crimes will be exposed.
We already know the obvious: Innocent people do not stand behind an IMPOTUS they know to be guilty unless theyre afraid of their own guilt being revealed. Innocent people do not defend the indefensible. They do not put their own political careers on the line in order to provide cover for a man they know to be a traitor they do it to cover their own asses.
As more evidence against Trump is revealed on a daily basis, the guilt of those Republicans who will say or do anything to defend him becomes more obvious. The trail proving Trumps guilt invariably leads to those in his party who are equally guilty.
With their public statements, people like McConnell and Graham have given the end game away, being We cant allow our IMpResident to be found guilty of wrongdoing, because doing so will lead to indisputable evidence of our own crimes.
The powers-that-be in the GOP arent shitting themselves over Trumps obvious guilt being uncovered. They are shitting themselves over their own obvious guilt being exposed.
MyOwnPeace
(16,926 posts)I'm not so sure that so many of them are guilty of that with which you are charging them. I'm thinking that you are overlooking the fact that some of them are just as guilty of being blindly stupid as so many of the 35% that are blindly following him.
I also suspect that many of those Republicans that are still supporting him do indeed see the crimes and wrong-doings being carried out by IQ45 and realize that they, too, have been caught up in the "flush of the toilet" and are about to be swept out of their current positions.
So, they may not be guilty of being part of IQ45's criminal escapades, but they are certainly guilty of not living up to their oath of defending the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES just to keep their seat in the government and are marching lock-step with their fellow criminals down the road to IQ45's rule of law.
NanceGreggs
(27,814 posts)... are those "guilty of not living up to their oath of defending the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES just to keep their seat in the government" somehow NOT guilty of crimes against the Constitution they swore to defend and protect?
If they "may not be guilty of being part of IQ45's criminal escapades", exactly WHY are they willing to ignore their oaths of office when doing so is detrimental to our democracy, and only benefits Trump?
When an elected politician breaks his oath of office in order to defend anyone - whether they believe him to be innocent or not - is itself demonstrative that they are guilty of breaking that oath.
Whether their motive is to cover their own ass or to cover Trump's ass is irrelevant.
Gothmog
(145,231 posts)Karadeniz
(22,516 posts)spanone
(135,832 posts)WheelWalker
(8,955 posts)Botany
(70,504 posts)McConnell's blocking of Merrick Garland after he was at the RNC convention in Cleveland, OH
where he saw the changing of the party platform to make it more Putin/Ukrainian Thug friendly.
@ that point Moscow Mitch knew the fixes in.
malaise
(268,998 posts)Happy New Year NanceGreggs
kentuck
(111,094 posts)Martin Eden
(12,867 posts)But their actual crimes (conspiring with Russia, etc) and motivations are not so clear cut, in my view.
Aside from complicity in criminal acts (which I do not entirely dispute), I see 4 main motivating factors for the unbridled support of this POtuS by R's in Congress:
1. FEAR: Standing up against Trump means losing the next R primary and possibly becoming the target of a whackjob with a gun.
2. POWER: The political power of the Republican Party is now tied to this POtuS. It has been built on a foundation of lies, racism, religiosity, and false patriotism. Donald Trump came along and embodied that con job better than all other aspirants for the throne, and the conned magats love him for it. The fall of tRump in ruin and disgrace threatens the entire edifice on its rotten foundation.
3. IDEOLOGY: tRump is a vessel for the assault against abortion rights, government programs & regulations, and the immigration of brown people. He is the champion of white nationalism and fascist theocracy. RW ideologues smell the possibility of long term victory at hand.
4. GREED: The lust for wealth and power has been the driving force behind the Republican Party for many decades. R's in office are servants of the oligarchy who fund their political careers. They can get rich by serving the fat cats, or fall to ruin by defying them.
These 4 factors are all tied together in varying degrees, and combined with criminal culpability form a compelling motivation for Republicans in office to violate their oaths in support of the treasonous criminal who has siezed control of their party.