Nothing Impeachable?

The President of the United States asked the head of a foreign nation to investigate his foremost rival in the current campaign for election for his very job.

How is that, alone, not impeachable?

Then, on top of that, PEOPLE IN HIS OWN ADMINISTRATION thought, said and testified that this same President was WITHHOLDING NEARLY 400 MILLION DOLLARS IN AID that Congress authorized to help an ally, the Ukraine, against our known, sworn enemy.

Again, if this isn't, if these aren't impeachable, what is?

Oh, heck yes.

It wasn't so much a quid pro quo as it was extortion.

Pretty Damning Information--Evidence?--Today On This President

There is a pretty significant, if not out and out huge revelation today on President Trump and his "quid pro quo"/blackmail/extortion of Ukraine with our federal tax dollars.

White House official ordered aid to Ukraine be withheld 90 minutes after Trump call with Ukraine president, documents show

That's a pretty incredible development here, folks. It's not a big surprise but it certainly weakens this President's case and situation. It also weakens his Republican Party's defense of him and his actions.

Sadly, to date, the Republican Party has been largely lockstep with their man. It's party over country and power over all, for sure.

2 Options In the Republican Party Under Trump: All In or Out

We have got to, as a nation, break this stranglehold this President and his Republican Party has on us--on our elections and election system, what with their gerrymandering and voter ID laws and more.

Exactly How Bad Does This President Have To Get For Republicans?

I ask you, in all seriousness and sincerity, just exactly how bad does this one Republican Party President Donald J Trump have to get before people in his political party wake up? What's it going to take?

• He asked the head of a foreign nation to investigate a private American citizen who, oh, by the way, just happened to be the son of his foremost political rival in the current election campaign for his very job
• People on his staff who were on the phone call that day realized and accepted that he, this President, was offering a "quid pro quo" of the hundreds of millions of dollars our Congress has already formally set aside for that country to fight against our mutual enemy, Russia. I prefer to see it for what it really was. That is, blackmail or extortion.
• In spite of insisting, again, repeatedly, on his deep innocence, this President refused subpoenas from our own Congress---you know, that other branch of our government?--and had all the members of his administration do the same. Does that seem like something an extremely innocent man would have to do? Is that not contempt of Congress? 
• He, this President, has been, for 3 years, and still is today shattering the Emoluments Clause of our Constitution by accepting money--and large amounts--from foreign nations while serving as President by not having divested himself of his hotels here in the nation and across the world. Plenty of us out here think the man leading the nation shouldn't be taking not just money but large amounts of money from foreign nations. Imagine that. Our Founding Fathers warned us of it, rightly, of course.

So, what's it going to take?

Yes, some Republicans have thankfully, finally come out against Mr. Trump and are actively working against him (see last link below). But it's no way enough.

I think the DC Reporter has the current situation correct.

Senators Have A Choice: Convict Trump Or Crown Him

Letting the President Get Away with Contempt of Congress Will Make the Legislative Branch as Irrelevant as the Roman Senate

Meanwhile, much to this President's likely delight, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin called out his support for Mr. Trump.

Vladimir Putin Backs Trump, Calling Impeachment Charges 'Completely Made Up'

Can you imagine the outpouring of outrage and vitriol there would have been if the previous President Obama had public support from Vladimir Putin?

So what will it be, ladies and gentlemen?

We're not just in a Constitutional crisis but at least a few, if not more.

What's it going to take with and for these people, these Republicans, these Trump supporters?

Just exactly how bad does he and our situation have to get?

I hope we don't find out and I hope we don't have to.

Links:

Trump vs. the Constitution: A Guide

Trump and the Constitution: A year in review

Donald Trump has violated US Constitution

Donald Trump Has Broken the Constitution

Trump has violated his oath to the Constitution

Can Trump Really Get Away with Murder?

We Are Republicans, and We Want Trump Defeated 

Why "I Can't Support Trump"

One Mr. Jim Sathe, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, says it so well.(click on picture for easier viewing).

And then there's the extortion attempt he made with Ukraine.

And the utter smashing of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

Etc.

Day of rest

Okay, it's the first Sunday of "the blog" and a couple things come to mind.

First, why don't people remember this part of the Bible:

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

And if they did, why would they need so many bloody federal and state laws, declaring their need to pray in public? Some knucklehead here in Missouri just wasted the time of the legislators and so, the tax paying public, passing a law for just such nonsense.

Just wait, in a few years there will be Muslims and other religions, demanding the right to this prayer in public and people will be climbing off this little pedestal really quickly.

Then, two, this next one:

Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

This one always makes me think the Catholics took this right out of their book. There's NO WAY this could be in their bible. Holy cow, week after week those people say the same things. They show up, do their sitting, kneeling and standing, say the same prayers and punch out. All that matters is that they show up and go through the motions. (I should know, I was raised in this group).

I've come to think that Catholics, of all the religions, did heaven, hell, fund-raising and church attendance best, from a business standpoint. It's perfect. If you have rules, threatening members of the church with hell, for pity's sake, if they don't attend--right there, you've got great attendance. Those people HAVE to show, every week. That, in turn, is good for the collection plate. It's church-sanctioned extortion, plain and simple. And it's blessed by what's supposed to be the most sacred institutions in the world: your very own religion and government.

I tell you, it's the perfect business. You almost have no product at all and you've got people giving you money. How else do you build a place as big and beautiful as the Vatican?

Want a good read on religion? Get Robert N. Minor, Ph.D.'s book: "When Religion is an Addiction". Search for it at Target's website. Amazon.com has it, too, of course.

On a last, more immediate, completely different topic: Note that today it was 88 degrees in San Antonio, Texas, ladies and gentlemen and they call for the same tomorrow. This on February 24. That is extremely early for this warm a temperature, I can tell you. And they've had very little rain for the last 5 months. Global warming or no, that's not a good harbinger for the coming Spring and Summer. Food for thought.

Let's have a good week, campers.