We are now seeing why it was brilliant for Pelosi to hold off on sending the articles...

[Garion_55]

Don't forget that Mitch and Trump had planned a quick slam dunk acquittal that should have happened right before Christmas.

A big fat wet sloppy kiss to Trump from the GOP so he could spend the holidays crowing about being innocent.

Had Pelosi immediately sent the Articles over, that might have been a reality.

But instead she waited till after the holidays took her time used some strategy gathered some more information and sprung the Trap exactly at the right time in my opinion.

The target is the state of the union. Either the trial was started and the GOP slam-dunked a bullshit acquittal immediately and Trump was going to Crow at the State of the Union, or the trial would still be going on while he was standing up there and maybe pissed off and spouting a bunch of vile hatred like normal.


With the recent Revelations, the secret recording of the luncheon, and now Bolton and what he is going to say maybe just maybe the Senate has to call him now. If so Trump will probably fight it and it will have to go to either Justice Roberts for a quick decision or to the whole Court which could take months.


Either way up or down left or right this is definitely not where Trump and Mitch wanted to be right now. The trial should have been over already, the acquittal handed to him by McConnell, Trump out there at his rallies claiming innocence just like after the Mueller report.

Instead we got this klusterfuk which could have the potential to drag on for weeks and weeks.


Once again I applaud Pelosi's brilliance, if she didn't plan it this way she is the luckiest politician I think I have ever seen.

[intrepidity]

1. Honestly, I wish she had waited a bit longer

I'm fairly certain this will be over before the SOTU, which is insult to injury.

I hope so much to be wrong.

[Fullduplexxx]

2. Then gave them up too quickly

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

3. I still think this is over before Friday

But awesome work by all the Democrats

[berksdem]

4. Unfortunately, I think this will

be over with by the end of the week. There is nothing stopping the repukes....

[calimary]

18. To any of those who think this will snuff out soon,

I suspect we can still get a win out of it. If they run it through without solving the Bolton problem, it will hang in the air over all their heads, all year.

The shaky republi-CONS facing their voters will have this hangman’s noose to deal with week after week, and angry voters wondering why they didn’t call witnesses, and what they were (and still are) afraid of. That won’t be much fun when they hold town halls and have to face questions about this hose job.

It won’t stop and the angry constituents won’t just shut up, give up, and/or go away. And those voters will remained determined right up til it’s time to vote.

My Indivisible group holds “Postcard Parties” twice a month at a local restaurant. During times when things are just kinda going along, we have a couple of tables with people hunkered down and writing postcards to our Senators and Congressmembers. I noticed three tables and a booth were full of our people at the most recent one. There were a few new people who showed up. They each voiced a similar view: “I just feel like I have to DO SOMETHING!” We had a woman show up at our mo they planning meeting last week, saying that same thing. I’m starting to hear this a lot.

Our Postcard Party attendance grew throughout 2018, from two tables to NINE tables in the final weekend before Election Day. As for this year? It’s not even February yet and we’re almost halfway there already, if you judge by that metric.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. Unfortunately, this will be over this week... should've held out longer.

[progressoid]

22. Yep. n/t

[ecstatic]

7. Pelosi is definitely a brilliant politician, but not sure how

you can link her decision to withhold the articles with the unforeseen events that have unfolded. I view that more as good luck or fortunate timing.

[ALBliberal]

8. I think it was Pelosi knowing more would come out the longer

She held out. And she played that card until her own party started pressuring her (Feinstein comes to mind). Pelosi is probably an awesome poker player.

[ecstatic]

11. She held out until MoscowMitch signaled he had the votes to move forward

without her. She had to turn them over at that point to maintain a perception of control through the end of the House impeachment process. I agree that she would be great at poker.

[George II]

9. Isn't it interesting that some who were saying "what's she waiting for" are now saying....

....she didn't wait long enough!

I trust her judgement, I think she's doing just fine.

[ancianita]

10. Ah, yes. Yes, they are.

[mcar]

12. Because of course they are

I will bet that, once this is over, they will be all over whinging that Pelosi and the Democrats did it all wrong and Dotards acquittal is all their fault.

[crickets]

15. +1

[malaise]

13. Kick this back to the top

Keep those boots on his neck Speaker Pelosi - walk all over them

[aikoaiko]

14. This could work out well -- but I wish we waited on the witnesses.

[mopinko]

16. imho, she knew full well what was coming down the pike.

she knew, for instance, about lev wanting to testify, and bolton too.

this was not a shot in the dark. it was a 4 bounce bank shot that she knew full well how to sink and did.

[Blue_true]

23. Washington is a strange place.

Remember when Bolton said that the House would have to supeanor him that that it would be contested on executive priviledge grounds, then two month later after the House had impeached Trump, he said that he was willing to testify at the Senate trial. Say what you will about him, but never doubt that Bolton is a patriot, abeit screwed up one. He appears to loath what he watched Trump do, it was Bolton that released the Ukhrain aid while Truml was not looking. My guess, Bolton through mutual contacts got word to Pelosi that he had direct information that would contradict Trump's claims, would not surprise me given that world fight like dogs during the day and go to the same dinner parties at night.

[LiberalFighter]

17. I will take the judgment of the Speaker over any criticism of her.

Too many armchair quarterbacks.

[TryLogic]

19. How Trump avoids being found guilty of almost everything...

I heard one of his lawyers say it:

"It was not a directive, it was just a statement."

Remember what Comey said about how Trump indicates what he wants.

Remember what Cohen said about how Trump communicates.

Don't let him get away with it.

[FiveGoodMen]

20. So he just hints at things and doesn't come right out with it

Like saying, "Take her out"?

[Progressive dog]

21. Pelosi is a brilliant strategist.

She has already won in the court of public opinion. She has paved the way for new articles of impeachment and for renewed hearings on Trump's admitted crimes.

[WyattKansas]

24. It would always be a slow death by many cuts.

The Democratic Party did not have the votes or public opinion at the start and they knew it would be an uphill battle to make the republicans even look at the facts. The only way to turn the tide, is a million drips from the many cuts they could keep making. To the point that everyone could see the waddling presidential abortion republicans made in front of them.

[dlk]

25. It was also a pragmatic decision relating to preparation for the trial

The case put on by the house managers was nothing short of brilliant. Anyone who has spent any amount of time preparing for a trial knows the endless number of hours it requires. Pelosi’s delay provided the time necessary for the house managers to put together their incredible presentation.

[magicarpet]

26. Not one document,... not one witness provided by,...

..... the trDump administration.

It is a miracle that the House Managers were able to build a case towards impeachment at all.

TrDump even said in Davos, I have all the evidence and refuse to share any evidence with them. Consequently they don't/couldn't have a winning impeachment case.