Impeachment Rally at Santa Barbara Courthouse

December 18, 2019, 10:18 am 31.3k Views 213 Comments

Protest outside Santa Barbara County Courthouse (Photo: IndivisibleSB)

By edhat staff

Hundreds of residents gathered outside the Santa Barbara County Courthouse on Tuesday evening to support the impeachment of Trump.

The rally was organized by local group Indivisible Santa Barbara asking residents to “Show Up. Speak Up. Stand Up.” to show nobody is above the law, according to the group’s Facebook Page. It was held the evening before the U.S. House of Representatives votes on Articles of Impeachment where Trump is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

“This is a momentous time in our country’s history and we are hopeful that nationwide mobilization with other activist groups will show the Senate and the public how much support there is for impeaching and removing Trump. Never in our nation’s history have we dealt with a president so destructive to our democracy,” the group stated.

State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson was one of the many speakers who supported the impeachment before the group marched down State Street. Protestors held creative signs stating, “The President Totally Sucks” and “Impeach This Lying Conman.”

This was just one of the many pro-impeachment rallies held around the country on Tuesday evening. Large rallies popped up in New York City’s Times Square; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Doral, Florida; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Below is an opinion article on the event by Robert Bernstein

Nobody is Above the Law Impeachment Rally

By Robert Bernstein

Over 500 members of the Santa Barbara community rallied and marched Tuesday on the eve of the Impeachment vote in the United States House of Representatives. The theme: “Nobody is Above the Law”. Indivisible Santa Barbara organized the event.Here are my videos and photos from this event that began at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

Donald Trump himself seemed to be in attendance in a clown outfit
Many carried signs expressing their views in support of democracy, the law and accountability.
This person wanted to remind everyone that President Trump has thwarted solutions to the Climate Crisis and that action is urgently needed

Organizer Myra Paige made introductory remarks followed by Pastor David Moore of the New Covenant Worship Center. Here is my video of their comments:

Congressional Representative Salud Carbajal could not attend the rally because he was in Washington, DC for the impeachment debate and vote. His representative spoke in his place, explaining why Representative Carbajal believes President Trump needs to be held  accountable for his many offenses

Supervisor Das Williams expressed the pain that President Trump has caused to so many in our community and around the world:

Andrew Bermant, a local developer who prides himself on sustainable, walkable communities, gave an impassioned speech enumerating some of President Trump’s impeachable offenses:

Mr Bermant went on to sing a special carol for the occasion along with Myra Paige: “We Wish You A Good Impeachment”

And Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson was on hand to give another impassioned speech explaining why it is so important to impeach and remove President Trump:

At the conclusion of the speeches, most of the participants marched up State Street in a lively manner, led by a drum ensemble:

For more information about Indivisible Santa Barbara, you can visit their Facebook page or their website.

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Written by sbrobert

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  4. “The effect of impeachment is to overturn the popular will of the voters,” Nadler said on the House floor during the Clinton impeachment hearings… “We must not overturn an election and remove a president from office except to defend our system of government or constitutional liberties against a dire threat, and we must not do so without an overwhelming consensus of the American people.”
    Nadler- Dec 1998
    …As far as dealing with the Ukraine, The PRESIDENT, NOT the Foriegn State Department workers set policy as to who , how and when a foreign government receives U.S. Taxpayer Dollars… The Trump Admin GAVE the Javelin Missiles and arms….UNLIKE Obama, who refused to ARM the Ukainians…

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  5. Like you guys were not crying when Obama Won and served for 8 years if they were able to serve more than 2 terms he would still be president and you would still be crying..You know what is sad is all of you just call each other names nothing ever gets done because everyone’s to damn busy crying or laughing at others and calling them names JQB is entitled to their opinion as you are. I think Trump might be impeached as he should be then Pence will serve out the term he was a lousy Gov in Indiana but at least he knows the ropes. He might win again but so what I won’t be crying I have voted for Democrats, Republicans, Independent’s, I even voted for Jesse Jackson once in a primary once and I don’t like him. It is what it is…I like JQB’s comments Keep it up!

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  8. So they say he’s a buffoon. A man lacking in candor, cool and eloquence. When he speaks off the cuff, it’s impossible to not get lost in translation. A man truly unable to concoct coherent and cohesive sentences thus leaving anyone listening totally lost. His “rallies” are nothing but crazy rants and half baked ideas twisted into meaningless diatribes. Droning on and on… Yet in all that, he expertly found a way to misspeak purposefully when trying to ambush an opponent. The absolute idiot razed the tent and performed a death defying performance of a life time. Oh what a genius is the absolute idiot.

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  12. “We must not overturn an election and remove a president from office except to defend our system of government or constitutional liberties against a dire threat, and we must not do so without an overwhelming consensus of the American people.” — which is exactly what we have now. “The PRESIDENT, NOT the Foriegn State Department workers set policy as to who , how and when a foreign government receives U.S. Taxpayer Dollars” — this is not true; the money was allocated by Congress. Trump’s own advisors told him that withholding the aid was illegal.

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  13. Orange Man bad, say the lemmings. Impeach Trump, say the sheep. The corrupt and power hungry politicians care more about hating Trump than caring for our nation. Best economy in our lifetime. The stock market (your 401K) is breaking records almost daily. Taxes are lower. Lowest unemployment numbers for all, especially so-called “minority” groups. The military that protects our nation is finally recuperating after being decimated by Obama. But the Dems must impeach a “clear and present danger”. Hogwash. Look around folks: California is being systematically ruined by the Dem monopoly in Sacramento. So-called sanctuary cities are protecting law breakers; insanely rewarding them with the rights of law abiding citizens. Big cities are full of filth, feces, urine and heroine needles. Diseases from the Middle Ages are attempting a comeback. Development is choking our roads and freeways. Despite water and power shortages, the crazy RHNA policies from Sacramento are destroying the character of beautiful cities like Santa Barbara. The Dems are the real clear and present danger!

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  14. COASTWATCH – “except to defend our system of government or constitutional liberties against a dire threat” – YES! Taking the vote away from the 2020 voters by encouraging a foreign government to interfere with our election is a direct and dire threat to our democracy. It’s so bizarre that so many red-blooded republicans are OK with the disintegration of our nation’s founding principals.

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  15. Again, these claims have been refuted everywhere but Faux News. It was a corrupt prosecutor, who was NOT investigating Burisma. The U.S., EU, and IMF all wanted Ukraine to dump this corrupt prosecutor. Biden was carrying out U.S. foreign policy. Trump was acting in his own personal interest. 12:15 PM said I was correct there (indeed), but then deflects to Hunter Biden, ignoring the vastly worse behavior of Trump’s children. But none of those people are relevant to Trump’s impeachment for his high crimes (aka, abuse of power).

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  17. That’s a lot of predictable partisan talking points that attribute good things to Trump that he didn’t cause (the stock market and employment numbers are on pretty much linear curves ever since Obama’s stimulus then ended the Great Recession, and the numbers ignore the low quality of added jobs that people can’t live on) and bad things to Dems that they didn’t cause (development?–a Republican arena if ever there was one), while ignoring the fact that the House Dems have passed hundreds of bills that Moscow Mitch refuses to bring to a vote, so it’s actually that the corrupt and power hungry Republican politicians care more about defending Trump and the Russians (“protecting lawbreakers”) than caring for our nation. But the one thing that is most revealing is the scare quotes around “minority”.

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  24. For all you “injured” Republicans who think Impeachment is hurting our country……
    https://www.newsweek.com/democratic-senators-tweeting-photos-giant-pile-dead-house-passed-bills-mitch-mcconnell-desk-1478047———– Mitch (likely under direction of your Traitor in Chief) has been holding up hundreds of bills passed by the House to PROTECT and HELP our citizens. This is disgraceful and the reason why most people think Republicans are self-serving jerks. Work on your image folks. Optics.

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  26. There was also that charming interview Moscow Mitch did with Sean “the most evil person ever to come out of Santa Barbara” Hannity, in which genius Hannity expressed his puzzlement that the Obama administration left so many federal judgeships open, and Mitch cackled that it was his doing. And he came up with his ludicrous excuse of not even giving Obama’s SCOTUS nominee Merrick Garland a hearing because it was an election year (Reagan appointed Anthony Kennedy in an election year, among other examples), but now chortles that of course they would put a right wing justice on the court if RBG were to leave it. He is an utterly corrupt, treasonous person, and so is anyone who defends him or this sort of behavior.

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  28. Can you fact check this quote JQB, oh righteous one?
    No less than five times in the last six years, bipartisan Congress imposed on the executive branch an affirmative duty to ensure that the government of Ukraine was countering corruption.

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  29. All this to stop him from winning in 2020 but the dems are exactly why he will win. They should have just picked a really good candidate that could beat him but since they couldn’t find that person it’s down to impeachment. Smh.

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  33. I’ve been preaching this for a while. They do have a great candidate, I think Tulsi Gabbard is amazing and the only one that could challenge Trump. Unfortunately she’s not for enough to the left and bucks the norms of the DNC so they’re not going to let her get the nomination.

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  34. Chip, how can a private citizen be impeached? Maybe you shouldn’t talk about things you don’t understand. Almost every scion of a rich family has traded on their wealth and status to gain riches. That is how our system works. Don’t pretend that is a surprise to you.

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  36. Here’s another obviously totally unfair comparison: 200,000 people rallyed against Trump last night, and much much smaller number is rallying for him tonight. But no one is trying to pass off such a blatantly dishonest comparison as legitimate.

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  39. I agree 100%. Tulsi is the only candidate that could beat Trump. But she is to honest of a person and the Dems don’t like that. As far as all the other candidates, it is like looking for a tootsie roll in a septic tank

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  40. “Same people each and every protest. ”
    So how big was the Women’s March when they wore the pussy (not “vagina” — do you think vaginas have ears?) hats, and how big was this rally? We can all agree that your statements not merely aren’t true but contradict each other, and are not “truly genuine”. And so it goes.

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  43. “it is what?” — Signs, and drums. You could look at Robert’s pictures … as well as the pictures and video from 600 rallies across the nation. There’s plenty of passion, if that’s actually what you’re looking for.

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  44. Predictable partisan talking points: deny the obvious. Up is down. Down is up.
    RHNA is pushed by a super majority of Dems in Sacto. Accepted by a majority of Dems in Santa Barbara. Look around JQB. Santa Barbara is shoehorning high density development all over town. Infrastructure is bursting at the seams. Lake Cachuma will go dry thanks to shortsighted planning theories that attempt to build our way out of a fantasy housing shortage. All Dem policies.

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  46. That’s the funny thing about his base. They are the ones most impacted by the myopic, short term thinking of Trump. If they’re making less than $600k a year or are a W2 earner, they’re going to have a rough time at life in the next decade or two. For unless you are wealthy, Trump’s tax cuts did nothing for you but defer costs down the road a few years. Its almost inevitable at this point, that unless you have seven figures in the bank you will likely lose everything you have fighting the inescapable health crisis that will impact you and your family. The housing boom is over, the double digit appreciation in the past. What is left is debt, lots and lots of debt. So the very thing that gave the boomers their boost is going to be eaten whole by health care and end of life costs. But hey, Trump sure showed them libs whose boss!

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  49. And … the crooked lying mob-connected racist sociopathic self-aggrandizing clear and present danger to the Republic has been impeached by a vote of 230-197. Now onto the Senate where people much like him will vote for party over country, allowing him to continue his crime spree.

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  52. JQB you are revealing your bias by quoting from the Atlantic which is a left wing rag…also fyi David Frum voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, what do you expect him to say. The mistake today by the democrats in house will solidify Trump as president for the next four years. Like I said earlier the Dems will lose big like the republicans did when they tried to impeach Clinton in 1998 Dont take my word for just look at the polls in the swing states over the past 2 weeks. People in these swing states have impeachment fatigue and support for impeachment has dropped 6 points. The coastal elites like California and New York cant see this of course which is sad.

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  54. Everything you disagree with is “biased”, and everything you agree with is objective. Voting for Hillary means that the person is biased and anything they say can be dismissed, but voting for Trump means the person is objective and neutral. No one every reveals bias by quoting from right wing sources, only from “a left wing rag” … except that the Atlantic isn’t that, and I didn’t do that, I cited an article by a Republican. One might expect him to say something supporting the Republican … except that he’s that rare bird, an honest one. One might expect an intellectually honest person to read the article and either agree with it or counter it with facts, instead of trotting out a dozen fallacies like poisoning the well and special pleading. But you do exactly what I expect of you. I won’t bother to respond to you further.

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  56. Here’s the question that honest people ask instead of dismissing GWB’s speech writer and member of the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition, just because he voted for Clinton: WHY did he vote for Clinton? As that piece from The Hill noted, it’s not because he agrees with her on policy … it’s because he knew that Trump was a crook who would not “uphold the sovereignty and independence of the United States”.

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  58. JQB – no The Hill is considered center not a right wing rag….here is a link for your reference. https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-ratings…In any case I thought you weren’t going to write me anymore. I still love you and am sending you good thoughts and vibes your way, its apparent with all the posts today you are a little on edge. I still think you are a good person even though we probably disagree on alot of stuff and you probably think Im evil. Just so you know I dont agree that Trumps call was “perfect as he put it but I also think the Dems could have made a better point by a censure not impeachment.

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  59. The reactions to these two posts, the first being as false as a statement can be yet quite popular, and the second being a readily confirmed fact yet not so popular, illustrates well what is going on here and what I have pointed out. Goodnight.

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  60. In short – the president 100% absolutely and totally sucks. I cannot imagine why anyone anywhere would have a single nice thing to say about this mean spirited loutish dangerous buffoon who reeks of reactionary intolerance. It’s impossible to have a fact based argument with the Trump cult so just say the president totally sucks, I’m hoping it’ll catch on.

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  62. LOL fake news…What actually happened is Republicans thought the effort would bolster their House majority after their impeachment excersize. When they instead lost five seats, Gingrich resigned. The Senate then failed to convict Clinton, and he finished his second term with high approval ratings.

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  67. The whole impeachment process seems to mostly have an upside for the Republicans. As I watched and listened to the Democrats today, they seemed dejected. I would have thought they would be energized and refreshed after getting this HUGE win, but not so.

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  69. Comparing the Clinton trial to Trump’s is … silly. Clinton lied about a blow job, a personal choice affecting himself, wired up Monica Lewinsky and her Republican backers, and Clinton’s family. Trump has been impeached for bribery and obstruction of justice with multiple investigations regarding foreign interference in our national elections, along with the bribery/extortion case in Ukraine affecting the latter’s ability to protect themselves in a protracted invasion war with Russia.

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  73. While Trump is an A-Hole, you can’t impeach someone for being an A-Hole. I heard on the radio this morning clips from the current debates and I heard over an over again “no one is above the law”. Well then why wasn’t a broken law listed in the articles of impeachment? The “abuse of power” put forth, many of the democrats driving this circus would be “guilty” of too (not to mention Clinton in 2016). They’re a bunch of hypocrites and liars on both sides. If democrats would have just taken the high road rather than stooping down to Trumps level they would be sliding into an easy victory in 2020, it was theirs to lose.

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  74. Stongarming/extorting foreign heads of state to do your bidding to further your personal election scheme is an impeachable offense. It was recognized as wrong by many people who were on the call, and by members of his own administration who learned of the bigger Trump mandate to try to force the Ukraine guy to announce an investigation. The whole investigation/Hunter Biden “issue” was a scam, a show, and is still defended by the Republicans even though it has been shown to be nonsense.

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  75. This wasn’t a rally. It was an advertising campaign. Same politicians tugging at emotions. Suggesting it’s a sad day that just coincidentally puts them on a pedestal. Because if not for them, the bad would just keep happening. Support them. Love them. Give them money. Reelect them. If you simply created a priority list of all things necessary to be done, this wouldn’t make the top 20. But for some reason, you don’t think that. You honestly think there’s nothing more important. That somehow this event about a guy so far away and so unlike you is just the most important thing ever. The idea that we don’t mean to hate. We never intended to disrupt. It was HIS fault that we’re here. We’d never have done this if it weren’t for HIM! Wink wink. We know it’s a farce. We know it’s just more of the illusion to keep you down. Don’t think for yourself. Don’t fix your local problems. Keep your focus on the hocus pocus and stayed suspended in your disbelief.

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  76. If abusing your power as President to influence the next election in your favor isn’t “an impeachable offense,” then what’s the point of having a democracy? Seriously, I’m interested to hear the argument that coercing a foreign government to interfere with and influence the outcome of a presidential election is OK. What you got?

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  77. It’s not about a “guy so far away” — it’s the wrongness of the attempt to use his office to gain power beyond what the presidency was given by our Constitution and subsequent norms and conventions. Trump has always seemed to assume that he can act as president the same as he did/does as the top guy in the Trump Organization – “whatever I say goes, whatever I want everybody will do, regardless of the legality, ethics, or propriety of the act.” He knows what he wants and sees NO reason not to get it — by any means necessary.

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  78. If Biden wasn’t running for President, would what Trump did be an impeachable offense in your opinion? No, it wouldn’t. So do political candidates get a free pass just because they’re candidates? Could Trumps inquiries with Ukraine’s president into the investigations been handled better? Yes, but it doesn’t even come close to rising to a level we should be impeaching the president for. (I’m ignoring that fact the Trump isn’t charged with “extortion” as you claim). On abuse of power, wouldn’t Schiff be guilty of abusing the power of his office to influence the 2020 elections by claiming for years he had actual evidence Trump colluded with the Russians, a 100% lie? The Democrats need to hold themselves to the same standards they do Trump.

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  79. I read a poll that showed 53% of registered Republicans believe Trump to be a better president than Lincoln. If there was ever a sign that we as a country have failed to educate our people, its this one figure. If so many people are ignorant of history and so easily swayed by politically motivated propaganda, than there is almost no critical thinking or intellectual curiosity occurring. I am afraid that we as a Union are rapidly heading towards a desperate future where our country and its people are bifurcated by the law of the universe – the bell curve of distribution. Idiocracy is becoming real…

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  81. He was fully within his powers given by the Constitution to ask a president of another country we’re about corruption investigations before giving them hundreds of millions in aid. Yes Biden was brought up in this regimental questions he had for the president of Ukraine, and that alone doesn’t warrant an impeachment. Using this logic you can argue anything Trump does internationally that will help him win reelection (bringing troops home, securing our borders, ensuring fair trade) he wasn’t doing as part of his job but to better his chances in 2020.

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  82. 11:04- If Biden wasn’t running, then no, it would not be as bad, because he would not be abusing his power to influence a presidential election. You actually made the pro-impeachment point by your argument against it. The whole abuse thing rests on the fact that he was trying to take the power of the vote out of the peoples hands by having a foreign government interfere with our democracy. How is that not outrageous to you? And NO, Schiff lying about something in a campaign is NOT abuse of power, no where near the same as this. Trump used his power (and the $$$) to try to convince a FOREIGN government to do something to influence the election in his favor. It’s not simply lying (like how Mexico was going to pay for the wall, etc etc etc).

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  83. People keep saying that, “coercing a foreign government to interfere with and influence the outcome of a presidential election” but that is a very skewed description of what actually occurred. Skewed to drive easy to read headlines and rile up half the country for the democrats own agenda.

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  85. Perhaps you should listen to the experts instead of a few talk show hosts? How many constitutional experts have weighed in on this issue? Try every single one (hundreds upon hundreds). And guess what? Barely a handful have come out siding with Trump. Impeachment is a process to remove a bad hire. Its not a criminal trial. It cannot be a criminal trial when the justice department is a wing of the executive branch. Right?

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  86. President Trump’s defense is this: Hunter Biden took bribes from Burisma Holdings. In exchange for those bribes, then Vice-President Joe Biden explicitly threatened Ukraine to either end the criminal investigations of Burisma Holdings or lose U.S taxpayer money. Let the senate trial begin, and let Joe and Hunter Biden answer questions under oath.

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  87. As always, we see that Trump’s supporters are dishonest and corrupt. Here’s a typical one lying on the floor of the House this morning: https://twitter.com/RepLoudermilk/status/1207378846456135684 “…When Jesus was falsely accused of Treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus, than Democrats have afforded this president in this process.” — of course, the House inquiry is not a trial–that will happen in the Senate–and Trump was invited to participate but declined. These are all deflections. 500 lawyers wrote a letter saying that Trump committed impeachable offenses. 700 historians wrote a letter saying that Trump committed impeachable offenses, and if these aren’t impeachable nothing is. The statements here to contrary are packed with lies.

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  88. Come on, you don’t think if there was no Ukraine and instead Trump did what Clinton did the same thing wouldn’t happen? Post #metoo no less? Please also be read the actual resolutions passed today then re read your post starting at “Trump has been impeached for….”. Your quote and what he’s actually being impeached for are extrnely different.

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  90. This move by the democrats is a miscalculation and will all but assure the reelection of Trump to 4 more years. He will be acquitted in the senate shortly after the new year and the left will pay a huge price like the republicans 20 years ago when they tried to impeach Clinton.

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  96. Yo Deapster, AKA Factotum. They have not released the actual call recording and since the transcript reads almost 20 minutes less than the actual call length I suspect there’s a bit more to the “perfect call”… Dont you? But hey, we’ll just take Trump’s word on this as he’s proven to be the most honest, upstanding and honorable man… Oh wait that’s not him at all. So yeah, no. He’s guilty of this and if you actually read the Mueller report, he is guilt of so, so, so much more. ———————- Besides, you do know that can support the policies without supporting the man, right? Or do you actually like him? If that’s the case, you’re on your own with that hat…

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  98. “not be as bad”, what exactly would have been been “bad” if Biden wasn’t running for president? this is the bias everyone is talking about: something was bad, I don’t know exactly what it is but if Trump did it can’t be good. There was also solicitation of another country to “influence our elections”, at the very worst it was information gathering on an opponent (via a legitimate inquiry).
    Schiff didn’t say that on a campaign, but ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE and during his own opening statement into the “inquiry”!!! If Democrats want to set the standards of behaviors then they should at the very lease hold themselves to that standard.

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  99. The laws broken aren’t named in the articles of impeachment because this isn’t a criminal trial … that’s a matter for criminal prosecutors, who by DOJ rules will only indict Trump once he is out of office. But the House Judiary Committee’s report does list crimes, including bribery and wire fraud. The report also refutes every lie that Trump’s supporters tell.

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  101. Sam, you dismiss lawyers and historians, and make false numerous claims, but offer no reason to believe anything you say other than that you are deeply in the tank for Trump. And you have told many lies, here on this page, about climate science, etc. That post right there is deeply dishonest. It turns my stomach, but I’m not going to waste more of my time on you today.

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  102. Joe Biden’s son getting a $80,000 per month job he had no qualifications or experience for from a corrupt Ukranian company is perfectly ok (Hunter Biden admitted in a recent interview that he thought he got the job because of his last name). Joe Biden using the power of his office to threaten to withhold $1 billion in aid from Ukraine in order to get the prosecutor investigating his son’s company fired is ok (there is a video of Joe Biden bragging about doing that). Trump suggests the above should be investigated, and that is an impeachable offense. What the heck is going on here?

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  103. ” in order to get the prosecutor investigating his son’s company fired is ok” — this is a lie that has been refuted everywhere except Faux News. It was a corrupt prosecutor, who was NOT investigating Burisma. The U.S., EU, and IMF all wanted Ukraine to dump this corrupt prosecutor. Biden was carrying out U.S. foreign policy. Trump was acting in his own personal interest.

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  104. You need to get off your high horse JQB. Just because certain views and opinions I have differ from yours it doesn’t mean they are “lies”. For your record, I am not a Trump supporter, I have a pretty equal disdain for all higher level politicians that have made a career out of running for office on the backs of the constituents they’re supposed to be representing. It’s my impartiality to both the democrats and republicans views that give me confidence in my opinions.

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  106. President Trump: 175 federal judges, including 2 SCOTUS justices. Hillary Clinton: Zero. Winning! DJT will be removed from office by law at noon on January 20, 2015, when Nikki Haley is sworn in as President. MAGA! Too bad, you sore loser Progressives!

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  107. SB Observer – very much agree with your 12/18 11:07 AM comment. Somewhere recently I listened to a podcast pointing out how other nations lead the US when it comes to critical thinking skills. In the US critical thinking skills grow rapidly while in college (ability to identify assumptions, differentiate between fact & opinion, draw relationships between variables draw conclusions, test hypothesis, etc.). A voter base without such skills is a base that can be manipulated. And people like the current Education Secretary (Betsy DeVos) and the Koch Network know this. Just Google on “Koch brothers defund education).

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  108. No need to take things to the extreme… making comparisons of DJT to dictators responsible for mass genocide weakens every other point you try and make. What I meant by the “means” is… he’s an A-Hole with a capital A, and bucks the norms (norms, not laws for all of you about to be triggered) of typical political leaders. I could certainly do without the A-Hole part, but we certainly need outsiders and new blood in Washington. Career politicians simply cannot have their constituents best interests at heart because their number 1 priority is getting reelected and do so by toeing the party line. How are they supposed to make the tough calls and pass challenging pieces of legislation when they’re constantly thinking how it will affect them in the next election? The right answer to our problems isn’t the democrats solution, it isn’t the republicans solution, it’s when both sides work together to do what’s best for all Americans rather than just those in their party. But this can’t happen until someone free’s them from those reelection bonds and put term limits in place! Remember, Trump isn’t the cause of the hyper-partisanship, he is the result.

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  109. Roaring economy for whom — the rich? I don’t buy it. Wall Street going up is for the rich. Corporations make their money off profit, not increasing wages. Homelessness increasing every day and wages stagnant doesn’t mean the economy is good for most of us. This same blather was the word of the day in 2008, right before the economy blew up under Bush.

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  110. SACJON that would not be OK except, that is not what happened. You are making a false argument with nontruths, then asking the person to refute it. That’s not how logic or debate works. Start with the truth and then you’ll see why it’s not impeachable.

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  112. Not only is she not far enough to the left but she also calls out the outright dishonesty and craziness and duplicity of her party’s Progressive Fascist faction. It’s weird that the people that supposedly want to save our democracy are silent on how HC conspired against Bernie and how the current iteration of the DNC has conspired against TG.

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  113. And you have watched the voluminous recordings of Nadler and Pelosi railing against Clinton’s impeachment based on the absolute need to be bi-partisan? But now they MUST impeach in a purely partisan act to save our democracy?

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  117. My business suffered tremendously under the previous crooked presidents terms. Almost lost all and was barely eating at times. Under this new president my business is thriving. Isnt that interesting? This state is run by democrats and is rapidly becoming a third world slum, but we pay the highest taxes in the country? Isnt that interesting? Only brainwashed fools vote Dem

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  118. Trump = dumb. It is really that simple. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ He is an weak person’s idea of a strong man, an uneducated person’s idea of an intelligent man and a poor person’s idea of a rich man…

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  119. We are just exhausted from having to fight the madness on so many fronts. Does not mean I am not engaged. Am donating money to the opponents of the traitor dems that did not support impeachment. Bye Tulsi Gabbard and your idiot friends.

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  120. JQB: Stop feeding the Trolls. They arent worth your time. You wouldnt argue with a lunatic in public would you? So dont bother with these fools. They’ll get what they deserve, in good time. In the meantime. Go for a walk and enjoy the things these miserable people cannot destroy or steal. Let them wallow in their perceived misery and victim hood. They’re really good at that…

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  121. Hey thanks for pointing out the typo. Mistakes happen. Oh, and thank you so much for adding your thoughts to the conversation. Its posts like yours that really make me appreciate the community’s intelligence and insights!

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  122. Obama was an embarrassment globally to the US. Who, exactly, is laughing at us? All the countries that rely on OUR aid? The countries being overrun by Islamic radicalism? The countries with strict immigration policy & enforcement? The countries still in the misogynist dark ages?

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  124. JQB: (1) Dems defended some of Obama’s worst conduct; no one impeached him. Dems ignored Hillary’s worst conduct; still wanted her to become Queen. (2) Dems stuck together. When don’t they? Regardless of truth? (3) Party predicted votes. Not quite. Your side defected. (4) With the media and the Dems speading lies and propaganda daily, how do you expect your side to ever understand what a great President Trump is? (5) Individuals can be smart; groups of people can be ignorant and be too beholding to “party”. Look at Salud. He’s never experienced an original thought in his life.

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  126. This is hilarious, what band wagon to jump on.
    Stop already, we are so divided.
    Now I see why racism came back so strong.
    And oh please stop the bullying, do you hear yourselves?
    No crystal ball here.
    Let’s all enjoy the holidays and be nice to a stranger.
    What a hatred world nowadays.
    Peace, everyone

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  127. No grounds for impeachment. Period. This is a popularity contest that started at President Trump’s victory on election night. DEMs quickly organized and mobilized their hate to divide America against its duly elected President. It doesn’t matter if you or I like our President, his rough bullying communication style, or how he transects business. What does matter: there are no Constitutional grounds for impeachment. Watch tonight’s debate to decide on a replacement to elect 11/7/2020.

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  133. You have much more in common with Trump supporters than you realize. I think just about everyone who takes an interest in politics wants to make the world a better place, except perhaps the politicians themselves. The middle class and the poor have been getting a raw deal for decades. Many believe Trump can help make things better. They are not retarded, racist, or evil. They want a better life for themselves and their children just like you.

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  137. Funny that no one, including the leftist MSM, has ever mentioned that Andrew Jackson is one of the three Presidents impeached, yet he is on our $20 bills. The whole impeachment charade has been nothing but a waste of taxpayer money and Democratic House members’ time, who have done basically nothing except try to oust Trump since the election. There is absolutely nothing Trump has done that is impeachable and people like those pictured in this article and many of the Democrats themselves are the ones who are actually dividing this country. It is time to stop this hatred and work towards keeping the United States the greatest nation in the world.

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  140. I hear of the crimes committed by Trump and his lawless behavior. I hear this over and over. For three years. However, no specific charges, no proof. Certainly nothing other presidents haven’t done, not that that is a defense. Vast resources and a billion man-years have gone toward the investigation of DJT. Still nothing of substance. Had past presidents been subject to a milder form of this harassment, they too would have been impeached: Adams I, Lincoln, Wilson, FDR, JFK, LBJ, (RMN resigned), Clinton the male & BHO. I am sure there are more.
    BTW, SB Observer, it is not the purpose of the Federal Gov’t to provide for the citizenry. It is to create and maintain an environment where people can pursue their lives unfettered. (A work in progress. Note that I did not say “safe”. Freedom is messy and difficult, but worth dying for as proven by history.) Gov’t can not handle compassion responsibly (again check history). You know, politicians have discovered they can buy votes with other people’s money.

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  141. Along with WSJ, and San Jose Mercury, I watch Newsy on COX Channel 288. Try it! It’s based in St Louis with real-looking journalists reporting: no false lashes, no cleveage or skin, no 4” heels. They report; no indoctrination or influence. Try steaming Newsy for some unbiased reporting.

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  142. Respectfully disagree Roger. It will be the Democrats that will push him through to a second term. This impeachment charade is convincing ‘normal’ Americans that the left is not on their side. Add that to the socialist programs that are being proposed by the wannabe candidates and many Americans have no other shelter from the storm than to reelect the president – even those of us who would like a better candidate.

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  144. Bigone geeez….no wonder Trump people act the way they do. Andrew JACKSON was not impeached. Andrew JOHNSON was impeached. Andrew JACKSON is on the $20 bill, not Andrew JOHNSON. I know that facts don’t matter to you folks but this should be embarrassing despite it being talking point for the far right bloggers. Maybe you should stop and suspect other “facts” given to you in this argument.

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  153. Chipo, in the last 3 years has life gotten better for Trump supporters? Wages have not increased, farmers are relying on welfare, the rich have only gotten richer, corporations have not invested in infrastructure and have done stock buybacks to enrich their CEOs, and he has made the Fed juice the economy and put us in a very dangerous position with regards to deficits which could blow up at any time. Only someone with a junior high view of the nation would conclude that what is going on is positive. Too bad the adults in the room, the Dems, are going to have to fix the problem just like Obama had to save Bush’s hide.

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  156. Today is very somber. This man is a threat to our national security. He needs to know he’s not above the law and must be held immediately accountable! We cannot wait another minute to protect our democracy. Justice must be served. Okay! Now off on vacation for a few weeks and we’ll hand over the documents when we get back. Sorry, gotta go! What’s that? Oh, don’t worry, the national security will be fine. We’ll deal with it next year when we figure it all out. Bye!

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  157. Not sure what Sam the Dog is saying but if it is approval for “any means to an end” we are in trouble. Didn’t we learn that that model NEVER works right? What about Stalin? What about Pol Pot? What about Louis XIV? What about North Korea for the last 60 years? (Because we will get down voted if Nazis are brought up there are conspicuous omissions in the previous list.))

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  161. Fundamental strategic error by the Democrats. If they had moved to censure Trump they probably would have had broader support and with careful wordsmithing and presentation that would likely have included both sides of the aisle and possibly even an endorsement by the senate. As things stand, this is a do-nothing go-nowhere exercise in partisan temper tantrum that has turbocharged Trump’s bade and all but assured re-election.

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  163. As I said before, when Babycakes claimed that impeachment helped Clinton win a second term (despite being impeached during his second term), virtually nothing that Trump’s supporters say is true. The thing about these two cases is that they are the only ones that are so obvious that even his supporters can figure out that they aren’t true. But none of the rest of their claims, about Trump’s deeds, the evidence, the impeachment process, etc. are true either. There’s a common underlying reason for this.

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  164. We have a voluble group of the reactionary trolls that were booted off Noozhawk and the Indy comment sections and roosted here, and they comment under multiple identities, so it seems much worse than it is. Really, most of the people you encounter are not as stupid as the impressions you get from reading the Edhat comments.

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  165. Well, Mexico and El Salvador did exactly what he demanded to our benefit while, according to you, laughing at Trump. The NATO countries have already upped their subsidies as demanded by contract, because he made them. China has acquiesced to their unfair trade practices against the U.S. because of Trump. He demanded and got a far better trade agreement than NAFTA. The UK voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new administration that is in-line with Trump. Who is laughing at us?

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  166. Can you please explain why/how this is? I’m not being snarky, I really want to try to understand those who support our current president and not our last one. Republicans vs Democrats. I have a cousin who is pro-Trump and Republican and owns a small business (we agree to not talk politics). I really don’t understand why small business owners do better when Republicans are in power.
    I am totally Democrat all the way, but I really do want to understand the opposing views.

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  167. I have to say how disappointed I feel reading all of these comments. We are so divided and just spewing hate towards those who do not hold our same views. Both sides. Calling each other names.
    I am not even going to put my view on here.

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  168. In general, again IN GENERAL, Democrats want more rules and regulations. The compliance and reporting requirements for these new rules and regulations can be very burdensome to small businesses. Just look at how long and expensive the permitting process here in Santa Barbara is. Every year the building codes get tougher and more complex, requiring more and more architectural and engineering hours to create approve-able plans, plans that now have less usable area because more or larger restrooms are required, because landscaping requirements in parking lots take away from available customer spaces, because that isle between clothing racks are too close together reducing the amount of product that can be displayed, etc. . Even something as simple as banning plastic straws, now small business have to purchase more expensive and less effective alternatives. Last time I was at the movies my soon went through 10 paper straws, each wrapped in plastic, just to finish his Icee. While I’m generally an Independent, I don’t believe the Democrats fully understand the real life day-to-day consequences of the “feel good” legislation they push.

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  170. @ SBNATV i’ve heard many other businesses say how they prospered and flourished under the previous administration. Perhaps it’s more about how you run your business and how the city of SB allows you to run it. Don’t pass the blame to Washington for your own short comings and poor business decisions. To say the former president made your business suffer makes about as much sense as saying Trump made your business suffer. …they don’t control your decisions. You do.

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  171. Has the online comment world been taken over by reactionary intolerance? There is so much to be done environmentally, educationally, economically, just because we’ve been deregulating polluters, banks, guns and gazillionaires in general and you and I are still alive does not mean we can keep doing it into perpetuity. There is an ongoing global refugee crisis, nationalistic strongmen are being elected, we’re experiencing historic surges in extinctions, there’s an ever widening chasm between the rich and everyone else, mass shootings are becoming a lot more common, there’s so much to address and de-escalate if we are going to thrive as a species. we need to follow through on Reconstruction and the Enlightenment while we’re at it. I thought Santa Barbara was an enlightened community, you wouldn’t know it by reading this comments section.

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  172. My long-time neighbor told me that this impeachment is not an impeachment until the articles of impeachment are passed on to the Senate. I’ve gone to online versions of CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and it’s true: Trump is not quite impeached yet (similar to a grand jury indicting someone, but not filing the papers to send to trial…..or something like that as I’m no lawyer. Yikes! Plus, Nancy Pelosi is being urged to NOT turn over the articles, and wait until just before the 2020 election. Say what? We were sold a pile of lies/lies/lies. Uh oh, and now it appears that John Brennan is reallllly going to be in hot water. Uh oh….

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  173. It’s just a reflection of what some of the very important people in the world are saying. Smart people who have a grasp on reality, like Robert DeNiro: “There has not been one thing about this person (Trump) that has been redeeming, as far as I can see. Nothing. For the Republicans who have fallen in line with him, I don’t understand it. It’s a disgrace. It’s beyond a disgrace. Shame on them. Shame on all of them.” He added, “Pigs have dignity. He has no dignity. He is a disgrace to the human race.” De Niro continued, “I’d like to see a bag of shit right in his face. Hit him right in the face like that, and let the picture go all over the world.”////////Pigs and Shit. Shit and Pigs. Thank you Bob for your opinion.

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  179. IMPEACHED by a 100% partisan vote – just what the Founders warned against. Evidence of their own party’s abuse of power. But since “identity politics” is supreme among this impeaching party, they put their own partisan label on their failed attempt to overturn the 2016 election. Forever.

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  181. What I don’t get is how anyone and I do mean ANYONE can take one look at this President and not know he’s a complete nutter. Do so many Americans lack even a whisper of ability to read body language? Trump is a scary, he’s so insane.

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  182. I hope if I were ever to find myself in a court of law that I can pack the jury with friends and family but also dictate what evidence and witnesses get to be called on to testify. What a superlative system of justice we have here that makes feudalism look rather democratic.

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  186. The Senate had the duty to rule on the articles and supporting documents sent over by the House. The House had the duty to build their case. How do you feel about the paucity of evidence sent to support the House charges, that led to the acquittal on all charges? There was no Senate duty to make an independent case for impeachment, that the House refused to make themselves. The charge of impeachment rests exclusively with the House. The US Constitution remains an elegant model for a shared system governance.

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  195. So basically same as the left? I’m not for any party (dislike them both and their career politicians) but am sick of the left calling the right criminals and acting like they are innocent angels. Instead if taking the high road, the democrats dove deeper into the mud and played just as dirty as Trump. No president in recent history would have stood up to the scrutiny and lofty standards of the current Democrat politicians, they certainly dont themselves. Hypocrisy to the Nth degree.

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  201. Not only did impeachment fail after last night I think ppl will be running away in droves. It’s fine to be critical and point out things but it’s another to act like petulant children and hate filled rage mongers. Anger kills the person holding it – not anyone else.

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  202. Santa Barbara had long been a “progressive” Democrat bubble community. Recent winds of change have shifted this former reputation. Changing is who we are today. Mainly because the Democrat Party itself changed and lost their former general appeal for most prior voters. Democrats today, and in this community particularly, gradually became the party of very narrow self-interests and little else. Our city is now obviously suffering long term because of this defection by the insider Democrat Party. New residents pick up this Democrat malaise immediately.

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  206. By tearing up that speech last night Speaker Pelosi might as have torn up her chances on holding the house in 2020. She seems to have no self control over her hatred. I’ve seen chatter that if the Rs take over the house then they might expunge Trump’s impeachment from the record.

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  208. “I’ve seen chatter that if the Rs take over the house then they might expunge Trump’s impeachment from the record.” — Intelligent people know how absurd this is … the “record” is history. They can also read an electoral map and know that it’s not possible for the Gopholes to win the House. And the hypocrisy of Trumpkins talking about Pelosi lacking self control and having hatred would be stunning if not such a constant for them. Of course they have nothing to say about Trump refusing to shake Pelosi’s hand, of the Gopholes chanting “four more years!” during the SOTU, or of the millions of other offenses against decorum, the Constitution, and the Republic from Trump and the GOP.

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  212. Yet for some reason you’re okay with the left’s ego centrism, lying and complete disrespect for American and general human values? No problem with Schiff (among others) flat lying to the American people for years “we have proof he colluded with the Russians”?

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  213. Sam – The Left’s “complete disrespect for American and general human values?” You mean like, grabbing women by the genitals? You mean like, making fun of disabled people? You mean like, calling an entire nation of people criminals and rapists? You mean like, coercing a sovereign nation to help influence a US Presidential election by withholding Congressionally approve funds ? Etc, etc, etc……

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