Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Further Evidence
Date:	11/21/2019 10:27:46 PM

Folks, we are letting petty partisan bickering tear us apart at the seams.  If this is allowed to continue what will our grandchildren be left with?? 

While I fault the right for steadfast refusal to change anything, I fault the left FAR MORE for insidious and outright assaults on the norms that have brought this fine nation the success and riches we enjoy. 

While admittedly there is hypocrisy on the right I find it far more pervasive and vehement on the left.  When I happened on to Schiff's closing statement after today's hearings it seemed like he was trying to make reality match his fantasy of reality.  Some of the things he said were...well...preposterous.  They didn't come close to what was actully said in the hearing.  I am sad that we are at this juncture.

In my opinion Donald Trump has not done aything more egregious than his predecessors as POTUS have done, except he just had the "gift" of a House of Representatives controlled by the "other" party.  Have the hearings been bipartisan and fair?  He!! no.  Those proceedings were about as unfair as it gets.  So we ended up with a Kangaroo court not interested in the truth, but interested in producing ANYTHING negative on Donald Trump.  The followers of the Democrat Party, if they have a brain that they use, shoud take note of the one-sided bare knuckles approach their elected representatives have taken and need to ask themselves: Is ths what we want??

I really don't like Donald Trump but this BS that the Dems have been forcing on the American public has cemented my vote for him.  Anyone who seriously thinks he is so egregiously wrong has never spent much time on an unsupervised elementary school playground.  Dems, get a grip on reality.  Back off, come with a real desire to work together for the people you represent, and give compromise a chance.

I fully expect the above to be picked apart by our left-leaning forum posters, but my hope is they take to heart what I am trying to say.

In the interest of saving the Republic,

Nasreddin Hodja

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Further Evidence
Date:	11/22/2019 9:06:53 AM

I'm like you and don't care much for Trump but I voted for him in 2016 because of the binary choice we had to make.  It was literally a no brainer even though I knew he was a morally compromised blowhard who I didn't believe would govern as a conservative.  I was wrong on that count as he has been the most consequential conservative President since Reagan.  And I foolishly believed that Democrats would get over their temper tantrum about the 2016 results and just focus on trying to blunt his efforts.  I completely underestimated that they hate him more than they love their country.  And I likewise underestimated the overt opposition of the Federal bureacracy.  I know they are mostly left leaning but I actually thought they would accept the wishes of the American people and bide their time waiting for another Democrat president.  I think we are going to see with the IG report and Durham's investigation that there was indeed an attempted coup of a duly elected President and collusion with foreign agents to subvert the election.

I have watched this impeachment fiasco and like you, it has not only confirmed my vote for Trump in 2020 but I am going to actively work for his reelection for the first time in my life.  Impeachment ought to be fair and the President should be allowed to mount a defense.  This charade violates every norm of fairness and we know why its being done this way.  When the American people understand fully the context for our interaction with Ukraine the support for impeachment will drop even more with independents and fair-minded Democrats.  And Pencil Neck's abject lies, his involvement in the weaseleaker's false complaint, his lies that Republicans don't believe Russia meddled in 2016 and that Ukraine did not (as if these are mutually exclusive when in fact both happened) and so on are not helping their case and are enraging millions of people.

And yes, there is hypocrisy on all sides but I completely agree with you that the left is so over the top in that regard and with their double standards that they have lost their sanity.  I firmly believe that the only way to restore a semblance of trust in government is if those that perpetrated the Russia collusion fraud, abused the FISA system to spy on the Trump campaign and enlisted foreign agents to entrap Trump supporters and create the false narrative that there was collusion are brought to justice.  Until then, there is no rule of law and equal justice in this country and we are just another banana republic.

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Further Evidence
Date:	11/22/2019 10:01:01 AM (updated 11/22/2019 10:04:44 AM)

Gentlemen, I fully agree with you both.  Sensible analysis of the mess we are in.  Way back on February 2016 I posted the LESSER COMPROMISE of what I saw as the choices ahead.  Except for a few items (like surround himself with capable folks) I think Trump has delivered my lesser of the evils.  And I wish he was not such a blowhard, but that may be what it takes.  He is not Perfect, but he is Perfect for the job at hand.  And I have a LONG LIST, starting with Lois Lerner, of folks I want to see in jail

FROM FEB 2016

If we all agree that it will be the "lesser of two evils" then, by definition, values would have to be compromised.  If the candidate follows my thinking down the line then he/she would not be an evil.  But that is not the case.  I agree with Hound that Trump is a better option than Cruz, and I almost agree with her on Rubio.  The kid seems unprepared and we have been dealing with unprepared, that led into "Hey, I can screw this country up, and, They really need to like Muslims more".  It is really a matter of the "lesser compromise".

I think Trump will protect 2nd Amendment. 

I think he will not fight for an end to little human murder. 

I think he will go as far as he can with an immigration plan.  (He has run into many, many deals where he bombasts his plan and then has to modify along the way.  But you have to start from a position of strength and work down.  Again unlike current). 

I think he will know who to deal with in an attempt at economic reform.  He knows laws that affect business, trade, taxes and tarriffs.  He knows who and what is laundried off shore.  He knows how and who is avoiding taxes.  He might cut some loopholes.  He will know more about economic policies than anyone we have had in the past.

I think he is not weak, and will not be offended or afraid to surround himself with capable, competent folks.  He has connections, foreign and domestic.

I am not sure what he will do with the tax code.

I think he would not let the likes of Lois Lerner, Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton, Daniel Werfel, and others go unprosecuted.  There may not be sufficient evidence but he would use his resources to check.

I think he would make the GOP establishment go crazy because he would gather leaders of both parties together and say "OK, here's the problem. Divide into two bipartisan groups and each group come up with a solution.  We come back in one week and one group is fired"

I think he is a caring man, who knows the workers from top to bottom, and helps the plight of each.

I think we would wind up with another John Roberts on the Supreme Court, who, like Trump, has differening opinions on many, many topics.

I think what he lacks in foreign policy and military knowledge and experience, he more than makes up for it in domestic, and has said repeately, "I will listen to the military folks on that.  They know what they are doing"

His current phrase is "common sense conservative"  and I like that.

OK, I think he is the lesser compromise.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Further Evidence
Date:	11/22/2019 1:42:28 PM

On the whole, I agree with your assessment. And for the life of me, I can't think of anything that I learned that I didn't already know. Schiff's little speeches each day were the prime example of the Kangeroo court he ran, and other than Pelosi's inability to stand up to him, I have no idea why the Intelligence Committee was running it instead of the Foreign Relations Committee.

But the truth of the matter is that "someone" wanted to use Ukraine to try to get to Biden.  At the end of the day, Ukraine got everything they wanted - the phone call, the visit, their security assistance and I believe our relationship with Ukraine is still intact. So while all of the surrounding events were outside the norm, no lasting harm was done, and at the end of the day, there is no reason to impeach Trump. 

I voted for Trump in 2016, given the choice between him and Hilary.  He has disappointed me in many ways - I thought he would settle into the job and realize the tactics he had used in the past were not going to work for in while he was the President. But he hasn't.  I like that he has tackled his campaign promises, even though they were the hard stuff.  Immigration.  As they say, you can always take a hard stand right up front and then gradually loosen up; but you can't start off soft and get harder.  He at least attempted to tackle everything he said he would, no matter how much the Democrats scream and cry.  

My fears about Trump are still that he believes whatever Putin tells him.  I think Fiona Hill, make it pretty clear that Putin doesn't love us and his objectives have not changed.  He messed with the election in 2016 and he plans to do so in 2020.  While she may have been personally offended by what Trump did, she is an internationally recognized expert on Putin and Russia.  

I don't think that Trump came up with the plan to use the Ukraine.  I think it was pure Giuliani.  Giuliani plays to Trump's worst impulses.  He needs to jettison Guiliani.  I don't know what Guiliani used to be like in the 9/11 era, but I question his judgement now, and he needs to stay off the new media.  

I think the biggest thing behind this is that Democrats know they don't have a strong candidate for 2020.  It scares them.  Let's face it, the Democratic agenda is all over the place.  I don't think they think that Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren can be Trump.

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/22/2019 3:33:37 PM

I thoroughly enjoy reading your comments and opinions especially since you worked in swamp.  So I marvel when you comment that Trump is somehow affiliated with Putin and Russia.  It's like you have bought into the Russia narrative that the Dems have pushed for years and yet there is no proof of that accusation.  I didn't vote for Trump despite my wife's insistence and he is a bull in a China shop.  But I look at results and I find them to be remarkable including the sanctions on Russia, the sale of tank busting missiles to be used on Russian tanks and I could go on on the declining Russian status in the world at the hands of Trump.  

no need to respond just found your comments to be inconsistent with the rest of your portfolio.  See ya,

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/22/2019 10:46:58 PM

Remember those behind closed door meetings Trump had with Putin - no observers and no notes and the interpreters notes were taken.  I still wonder what they talked about.  Putin is a former KGB agent - he's been trained to study people to figure out how to build their confidence.  Putin has the desire to take over Ukraine and what better way to try to turn Trump against them?  He knows Trump's achilles heel that people are corrupt and trying to get him.  I also think that Rudy convinced Trump to act.  

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/23/2019 10:04:07 AM

So that's your evidence?  My take is that Trump had been accused of Russia contact by the media he decided to "give the something to talk about!"  Love that song.  

I'm one of those people who look at visible evidence, believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.  

Trump is an ass but actually love his disruptive actions especially against those that live and feed off us taxpayers!  And yes I'm a retired bureaucrat, university type and private sector slave!  You might say, conflicted!

rolltide/war eagle!

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/23/2019 10:47:03 AM

I just don't trust Putin.  Perhaps that is my cold war mentality.  

Trump's wanting to shake things up doesn't really bother me - it's good for the bureaucracy to be shaken sometimes.  But this was all rather stupid - just to beat a rival candidate, who is really no rival at all.  And it has diverted so much of the nations resources and attention for items that really do need to be worked. 

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/23/2019 11:24:48 AM

Putin is a bad human being next to North Korea and China.  Unfortunately we have to co exist with dictators.  

have a good weekend.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Throwing my BS flag
Date:	11/23/2019 11:43:09 AM

You state as if you know he was doing it  just to eliminate a rival.  You fail to consider maybe he was pursuing it for the purpose of righting a wrong.  A very seriuos wrong against him but more importantly against the American people.  Joe Biden was selling his office.  Plain and simple.  Just as Hillary sold hers and I, for one, am sick and tired of the business as usual, go along to get along crap.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	The Truth
Date:	11/23/2019 12:33:48 PM

Biden held up the money until Ukraine agreed to investigate the corruption. You are falling for the BS from the Russians. Spend some time and get the facts.

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	Biden going to sic cornpop on
Date:	11/23/2019 12:43:28 PM

You!  Lol.

Name:	CRD -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/24/2019 10:57:28 AM

Hound,

You are so correct.  I have often wondered throughout this mess why Trump's team hesitated at simply stating that Biden was not worth the effort of  investigating as a rival because he was such a complete non-factor.  Now on the other hand, if the Trump administration was demanding that Ukraine corruption be investigated as per the Mutual Legal Treaty, and Biden happened to be part of said corruption, does running for office shield you from being part of the investigation?  It should not, and I also think that possibly that is why Biden is even running at all.  He knew that 1. Trump's team was in Ukraine and 2. that his (Biden's) quid pro quo would be under scrutiny, and 3. that the MSM would protect him. so why not run for office?  Keeps his ill-gained millions in his pocket.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/24/2019 11:45:13 AM

There must some reason he is running, so that, in fact, might be why.  It also might be because Democrats like to look back on the Obama years, and his close relationship with Obama might be the only reason he might ever be elected.  He can't stand on his record as a Senator.  

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Mrs. Hound
Date:	11/25/2019 10:07:44 AM

I actually think Trump is fixated on this for the same reason he was outraged at the Russia collusion hoax.  He is being pilloried for not having done what Democrats in fact did and are have never been held accountable for......at least not yet.  Like me, he was probably sickened that they are trying to impeach him for wanting to get to the bottom of the Russia collusion hoax and Biden's obvious corruption with nary a peep from the govt media or those pushing this quid pro quo, bribery, extortion or whatever they are calling it these days according to their focus group results about those activities.  This is all a smoke screen to deflect from the IG and Durham's findings and probably more importantly, to get rid of Trump before RBG goes to her eternal reward and he gets another SCOTUS pick.  

What we have here is Democrats and the media wanting to push impeachment for Trump wanting to avoid giving money to Ukraine until he was sure they were addressing corruption and investigate their involvement in the corruption of the prior administration.......it would be like wanting to remove a prosecutor for actually doing their job on the false premise that it benefits them politically.  News flash.....well, really not much of one.....pretty much everything a politician does is for political benefit.  And despite the fact that there was no quid, there was no quo, there was no bribery, there was no extortion......at least by Trump....Biden not so much.