The impeachment trial of the twice-impeached president, Donald Trump, is to begin on February 9th. Will it end differently than the last trial? The future of this nation depends on 100 men and women in the Senate … the question is, will they vote their conscience, or will they continue to be cowards who have forgotten the oath they took? Padre Steve says it well, makes the case that the Senate must do their jobs, else the nation will pay a steep price. Thank you, Padre … you’ve said it well.
Representative Jamie Raskin, Chief House Impeachment Manager
Friends of Padre Steve’s World,
Today the House of Representatives Impeachment Managers delivered the Impeachment Article against former President Donald John Trump to the United States Senate. It was a historic moment for it was the first time a President has been impeached twice, and the first time that one has had the impeachment charge was filed after a President left office, unfortunately it was necessary and an unnecessary unfolding of events brought about by Trump himself.
In his last words at the first impeachment trial of President Trump Congressman Adam Schiff stated:
“If the truth doesn’t matter, we’re lost. Framers couldn’t protect us from ourselves, if right and truth don’t matter. And you know that what he did was not right. That’s what they do in the old country, that Colonel Vindman’s father came from. Or the old country that my great…
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Filosofa's Word 
As they continue this way, they store up more anger against them, for they are not the only community in the USA are they?
This may be the beginning of the the Republican’s version of Germany’s campaign in Russia in the year 1942 (They went on further and further, got stuck and were mired in Stalingrad- didn’t work out too well for them)
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No, they are not the only community in the U.S., but perhaps among the most vociferous. Sigh. No, we cannot continue like this, but I think what happens next may be ugly.
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The most vociferous….. to date that is.
It won’t be the first time the ones who started it don’t get to be the ones who finish it.
It may well get ugly and there will be ones who started it who will lament and it will be too late for them then.
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I hope you’re right, dear friend.
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I would love, four years down the line to have someone say to me….
‘Man! Rog’ you were feeding us some gloomy alarmist junk back then! Look how it all turned out. What you forget was….’
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Sigh. Not likely, but yeah, I would love that, too. I think … times will get even darker before the storm clears and the sun is allowed to shine again … if ever it is.
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These are indeed times which test people’s souls.
Take care Jill.
Always thinking of you folk.
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Thanks Roger! You guys have your own troubles, too … sigh. The whole world has lost its marbles, I believe.
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Sadly Jill, The World is always like this. Ask anyone outside of the First World sphere.
It’s like we just ‘caught up’ with the rest.
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Sigh. Yeah, I know. But why, Roger? And how do we change it?
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Why?
Because it is in the nature of creatures to defend their territory and extend it when they need to. The problem is we Humanity have not shaken off this primal urge and have brought technology and excess into the mix.
How do we change it?
To take the Optimistic view… We are getting there, in a jagged irregular way. For instance compare what was acceptable in your own nation in 1800, and what is not now? A far from perfect circumstance of course and one which is always challenged.
We can cling to that sliver and keep on keeping on.
If we don’t run out of time, that is.
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At the rate we are making progress, we won’t change it in my lifetime nor even my grandchildren’s lifetimes. And, if we, as a whole, continue to disregard, ignore, or deny the ravages of human-caused climate change, we don’t have time to keep taking two steps forward and one step back, playing games over ridiculous things that pander to the wealthy arseholes. Sigh.
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Not in our lifetimes Jill. There was never a ‘Dawning of the Age of Aquarius’.
We do the best we can and hope Humanity keeps on a slow, albeit irregular journeys to the Sunny Uplands.
Maybe, just maybe, our dust mote of a contribution was of some help.
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I like to think so, but some days I wonder.
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Jill, I posted his on Padre Steve’s post as a comment. It is alight variation of the one I posted on my blog. Keith
“What continues to fail me is when people look past the courage and conviction of folks doing the right thing to fault them on their message. I see it today with people posing death threats to Republicans who dare push back on the deceitful former president. Don’t the folks who threaten people realize the targets know they will receive such threats, yet they share their concerns anyway? Now, why would they risk so much?
The people of courage are those who testified under oath or wrote inspector general reports over concerns about the former president’s actions. They are the Republican (and Democrat) election officials, judges, secretaries of state and governors who told the former president he lost the election. They are the ten GOP representatives who voted to impeach the former president. My question is why did only ten do so, when it is clear the former president lied to repeatedly, invited, revved up and sicced these tin soldiers on the Capitol building?
And, now there are only five Republican Senators who voted to hear the impeachment trial. Five. The five Senators match the five people who are dead because of the former president led insurrection. And, we should not forget members of Congress were in danger as well due to this terrorist attack. This former president needs to be held to account. It is that simple, says this independent and former GOP voter. What the former president did is unforgivable.”
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I sometimes feel that Republicans are a whole different breed of creature than the rest of us. Is this, then, what power and money do to people? If so, I’m glad I’m neither rich nor powerful! Your words are wise … will those who need to hear them, listen?
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Thanks Jill. The Editorial Board of The Charlotte Observer wrote a piece which notes NC GOP Senators Burr and Tillis’ vote to not hear the trial is “weak stuff from weak kneed senators.” That is apt. Keith
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It sure is!
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Jill, and it just gets even more weird and shameful with the beliefs of the QAnon representative Greene being aired. Keith
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Yes, Ms. Greene is … beyond belief. I am appalled and stunned by her behaviour and by the fact that the GOP seems to merely shrug their shoulders at this abomination of a woman.
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If the GOP don’t vote to convict him, they will be telling the next lunatic who wants to attempt a coup that he can do so with impunity. Time they stopped pandering to Trump and grew a pair.
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Exactly. I strongly suspect the impeachment trial will be a sham, just as the one a year ago was, and that Trump will not be held accountable for his actions. Why? Because our elected officials on the Republican side of the aisle have no courage, and because they are far more interested in their own political futures than in our lives. And you’re so right … it’s only a matter of time before somebody smarter than Trump comes along and ends the democratic principles, and does something similar to what Putin did, effectively making himself ‘president’ for life. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
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That’s my fear too. I’ve seen several quotes recently about ‘our 244 year experiment with democracy.’ It’s about bloody time the experiment was concluded satisfactorily – it’s been long enough in the test tube!
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I think that rather than concluding satisfactorily, it may be proven that the ‘experiment’ could not withstand the test of time. Then what? Sigh.
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I do a daily work out with the Peak brain testing app. One of their word games has the opposite of democracy as dictatorship – that’s where Trump was trying to take you, and the GOP still is…
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AH YES … that’s it! Peak brain testing!
Yes, that is precisely where Trump was planning to take this nation … had planned it all along, and I think he was surprised at how difficult it actually was. But, had he gotten his way and overthrown the election, I have no doubt that within a matter of months we would have seen losses of freedom of the press, free speech, and long before 2024 he would have somehow had himself declared ‘president for life’, much as Putin has done.
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I think you could well be right, and if the GOP chicken out on the impeachment it will leave the way open for him to try it again.
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Exactly so … of if not him, then the next power-hungry politico to come along. The precedent will be set, one way or the other. Sigh.
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Setting a bad President?
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Yes, he said it well but Moscow Mitch appears not to have led his Party to banish Trump from politics forever and so the country could be inflicted with more years than they care to remember after 2024. The Republicans have proved they cannot be trusted and they had no intention of working with the Democrats for the sake of their Country. There can be no Unity after this and I hope the GOP implodes under the weight of all the liars, cheats and, self-serving insurrectionists in their ranks. They have let the people down.
Cwtch
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I cannot see Trump winning again … but then, in 2016 I made many a joke about the clown who didn’t stand a chance, and look what happened! You’re right … the Republicans lack two major things in their character: conscience and courage. Without those two things, they cannot and will not operate in the best interest of the people. I truly hope, like you, that the GOP goes down in flames in the next 4 years and that not a single one of them could even win an election for dogcatcher! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Cwtch
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You mentioned what they lack, Jill, but you did not mention what they all have in common, privilege! They all feel entitled to do as they please, because time has shown them once they get elected the first time, voters will keep on electing them no matter how badly they screw their electorate over. It is easier to re-elect politicians than it is to make a change. Call it voter laziness.
I just made the following comment on Padre Steve’s post, in answer to a reader who asked why there are so few good politicians these days:
?Good people seldom choose to go into politics, they are not power hungry people. Many of the ones who do go into politics hate their lives, and want everyone to be as miserable as them.
You want to get rid of bad politicians, stop paying them big wages, and better yet, take away their perqs, privileges, and especially their pensions. Those are the things that attract unscrupulous people.
Right now, they are in charge of the henhouse, and give themselves everything that pleases them. Take that away! Don’t just pretend they work for you, make them work for you. Control the purse strings. And demand the right to recall any elected official who does not live up to their voters expectations.
Being unscrupulous, and knowing their jobs are safe for at least four years, no matter how bad they do or don’t do them, gives them a feeling of power they have not earned. Take that away too!
Please. If you want democracy to survive!.
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Good point … privileged, arrogant and greedy.
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This just appeared on my iPhone’s newsfeed: “Republicans rallied en masse on Tuesday against trying former President Donald J. Trump for “incitement of insurrection,” with only five members of his party joining Democrats in voting to go forward with the impeachment trial for his role stirring up a mob that attacked the Capitol.”
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What a bunch of bastards with no consciences! I guess we can figure just how many of them will vote to convict next month, eh? Sigh.
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