"stepping down from office will be the least of the worries of Trump Administration officials."

[NBachers]

Congressman Adam Schiff, Democratic U.S. Representative for California's 28th Congressional District, appeared on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show Friday, February 10th, and said the following about the widening acceptance of evidence indicating Trump campaign collusion with Russia to throw the election for Trump:

"But if effectively the Trump Campaign was colluding in the illegal hacking of information, the illegal publication of information, the theft of data; was receiving essentially in-kind support from a foreign adversarial power, there are any number of laws that were violated. So if those allegations prove to be true, stepping down from office will be the least of the worries of Trump Administration officials."

Lots more at the link.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/house-intel-committee-looking-at-legality-of-flynn-russia-contact-874922563593

If it was proven that the World Series was thrown through cheating by the highest ranking team members, there would be a huge hue and cry to throw out the title, and the team would probably be barred from any World Series competition for a suitable amount of time.

If it was proven that the Super Bowl was thrown through cheating by the highest ranking team members, there would be a huge hue and cry to throw out the title, and the team would probably be barred from any Super Bowl competition for a suitable amount of time.

This is way beyond that- it's the Government of the United States of America. It's been taken over by traitors who engaged in an established, long-running pattern of collusion between the Trump Campaign, Russia, the RICO Republican Party, and the FBI.

We need to support courageous and outspoken people like Rachel Maddow and Representative Adam Schiff. Our voices are the only thing that will bring justice to our nation.

[INdemo]

1. But there is one huge iisue to consider.

The Congress of the United States has a Republican Majority and we really don't have a Democracy anymore.

[nikibatts]

4. NO!! There is a bigger consideration: the Presidential Pardon.

He would have to impeached first before any charges against the others. And even that might not stop preemptive pardons. Correct me if I am wrong.

[WinkyDink]

8. Civil War, in that eventuality.

[whathehell]

10. I don't think it would come to that, at the his point..

Last edited Sat Feb 11, 2017, 09:52 AM - Edit history (1)

All but his most die hard supporters would have to admit, however grudgingly, that Russian collusion was beyond he pale.

[notdarkyet]

30. At least Nixon resigned. Rump fights everything. It wii get nasty.

[Hamlette]

35. it took him 2 years.

Watergate was one party spying on the other, not the worst of crimes. He could have withstood the fallout from that.

This is a degree worse, instead of hiring burglars, Trump conspired with a foreign government.

It would be faster and cleaner if we catch him in a Nixon level coverup (getting the CIA to spy on the FBI, or vice versa)

[Dan]

43. Watergate was much more than one party spying on the other...

My thoughts

[W Mousie]

59. It was not the break in and spying that brought Nixon down.

It was the cover-up.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

60. we are talking treason, not political spying.

Aiding and abetting the enemy. Conspiring to steal the election for favors to that enemy. This is beyond anything Alexander Hamilton thought up the EC to prevent.

[W Mousie]

61. And what I was alluding to ...

... is that even if they can never get enough evidence for treason, evidence of the cover up may put them away.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

62. and it seems like ICE raids will be part of the cover-up/diversion

without regard for the economy or rights under the law.

[dixiegrrrrl]

52. However....

according the below DU post, after just 3 weeks the Wh is in deep turmoil, Trump is in the middle of a 3 ring circus he cannot control, his total ineptness is all over the news every day.
in just 3 weeks.
his notorious thin skin will drive him nutz any day now. The guy is a huge control freak and he cannot control very much at all in the WH, turns out.
A stroke is not out of the question.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016177532

[tenorly]

12. Let him try it.

It worked so well for Jerry Ford.

[NewJeffCT]

13. different era now

no fairness doctrine for the media and RWers control a large swath of it - Fox, talk radio, most of the newspapers, CNN, One America, etc. And, they drive the story even on the other networks.

Also, Democrats had big edges in both houses of Congress in the Nixon/Ford era

[Blanks]

51. There wasn't social media...

The network news doesn't have the influence that they had at the time.

The senator from Montana was hounded at the airport, I live in Arkansas. I saw Chaffetz brow beat by his constituents in Utah. Neither story was on network news.

I don't know if it'll make up the difference, but it's encouraging that we know what's going on in the country constantly.

[mopinko]

26. i dont know of any rule or law limiting impeachment to one at a time.

pence, mc connell, ryan, they were all in on treason together. lets hang them all together.

[Ztolkins]

29. Hang them? WTF?

[notdarkyet]

32. That's what happens to traitors. Remember Nathan Hale, although he was ours. I think the

Rosenbergs were electrocuted. Do we have an Elba island we can stick them on? Maybe in the artic?

[jmowreader]

45. We can always reactivate Alcatraz

It could remain as a tourist attraction while they're in there...school tours could be entertaining though:

"Children, Little Rotten Johnny has just urinated on Donald Trump. Can anyone here tell us why it was wrong for him to do that?"

'Because Little Rotten Johnny should have told us he was going to piss on Donald Trump so we could all join in?'

"Damn straight. Whip 'em out boys..."

[Auntie Bush]

46. I like your thinking process

[Hekate]

47. Elba? Red Don loves Guantanamo

[mopinko]

54. an illusion to ben franklin, but also, yes, the traditional punishment for treason.

[napi21]

49. That would be VERY DIFFICULT to prove all of them without videos or tape recordings

of actual conversations. Even then, they would try to claim the tapes were not real but electronically altered to sound like them.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

34. There was a lot of speculation about preemptive pardons

back in the Bush 2 era. Didn't happen. Doubt seriously it would happen this time around, mainly because these people think they're completely bullet-proof, and, rather like Richard Nixon in August 1974, will not realize they're about to be out of office even two days before they need to resign.

[jmowreader]

44. I don't think you can pardon yourself

He can pardon the rest of his merry band of scum, but that would piss Congress off. As a tactic for saving his own ass, it's bigly flawed.

[mgardener]

5. Well...

We can sit and do nothing or fight for what we believe in.
Which side are you on, because you will have to make a choice.

[DK504]

50. Protesting

and yelling at them at the "town halls" are unnerving them. They are expecting the country to lie down and take the crap they are shoveling at us. My so-called representative Palazzo hasn't had a "town hall" ever. No one knows when he is town or taking appointments.

The show of anger and frustration and outrage has to keep going on, they are going to crack, they have no balls.

[Cha]

2. "We need to support courageous and outspoken people like Rachel Maddow and Representative Adam..

Schiff"

Absolutely.. thank you, NBachers

[Botany]

3. Russia was all over the election(s)

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2017/01/23/russians-suspected-hacking-local-dems/96965824/

[dchill]

21. +1000

[Botany]

23. They were into the county level in trying to rig the elections in Wisconsin.

Because I really doubt that Russia was data mining democratic party
I.T. stuff just to look around. They messed w/House and Senate races
too.

[dchill]

27. It's why Feingold lost.

Also why Toomey was able to "defeat" McGinty in PA. I think Republicans know that without Russian aid, the Dems won the White House AND the Senate.

[Botany]

33. We need a "do-over"

This was not a legit election.

[ElementaryPenguin]

58. Yes! Dems did win both WH and Senate!!!!!!!!!!

[tavernier]

6. I heard that last night and cheered.

We are still a country of laws, and a republican congress can muck up the works of the running of our country, but that's why we have three branches of government. I still have faith in the integrity of our judicial system. If that falls, then I think we can draw the curtain.

[GumboYaYa]

7. Flynn apparently said " Don't worry about the sanctions put on you for HELPING US WIN...

We will take care of it once we get in office."

It sounds like they have that on tape and a whole lot more.

Trump's reaction was to deny having heard about the matter.

They are scurrying around Trumpland trying to figure out how to cover their tracks and who to throw under the bus.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. That would make it look like Nixon shook down a couple of kids for lunch money, by comparison. . nt

[Botany]

15. do you have a link to your story?

n/t

[GumboYaYa]

18. It is a quote from the Congressman in the video from the OP.

[Botany]

22. Jesus God

That is shocking.

[NBachers]

41. It starts at 2:02 in the video - Rep. Adam Schiff is intelligent and forthright. Keep an eye on him.

http://schiff.house.gov/

I could see him in the next Democratic administration. He's one we can be proud of. Yay to California's 28th District for putting him into our service. The District, by the way, is an interesting slice of America: http://schiff.house.gov/28th-district

Here's a transcript I made from listening to him. I've bolded the quote:

Starting at 2:02 -

"From my perspective is as simple as this: The Intelligence Community found that Russia interfered in our election with the purpose of helping elect Donald Trump, and having achieved that objective, you then have one of Trump Campaign's foremost surrogates, General Flynn, having a private conversation with the Russian Ambassador, around the time that President Obama announces sanctions to punish Russia for that very interference, and Flynn reportedly says, 'Don't worry about the sanctions on you for helping us win, once we take office, we'll take care of it.'

If that's true, it's absolutely staggering. It certainly ought to result in his immediate removal from office, and if the further allegations are true, that this was part of a course of conduct throughout the campaign, then you have very serious legal violations as well, and obviously that is something that we are investigating on the Intelligence Committee and we have to get to the bottom of."

[Hekate]

48. Holy Mother of God

[Dustlawyer]

20. Agreed!

We need to put heat on the Republicans to investigate this crap! At the end of the day the Republicans will not impeach Trump until and unless he signs all of the legislation they have been salivating for. It's like they get a yuuge bonus from their Donors if they get this crap passed, thats what needs to be investigated!

While it is legal to give a campaign contribution or donate to a Super PAC, it is still illegal for the politician to give a quid pro quo! Let the FBI and NSA work on this!!! (I know, keep dreaming)

[LibraLiz1973]

24. Whoa. What!!!!???

Where is the transcript showing he said this??

[Squinch]

9. Its Fucking TREASON! HOW DARE THEY????

[BSdetect]

11. Shock and outrage are not enough

The GOP will never investigate these matters.

They are the real obstacles.

This is a country where the Superbowl or "World Series" fixing definitely would cause reaction and action.

Election stealing is now the norm.

[The Blue Flower]

16. The transcripts prove w/o doubt that Pence lied about this

I was thinking as I watched this segment last night, that this might also turn out to be the end of Pence. He lied to the media and the American people, which at some point could matter bigly.

[Fritz Walter]

17. "Bread and Circuses"

Your analogies to sports championships is spot-on, because most of the American public cares more about the business of sports (and it is business, big business) and their cool-ranch Doritos than they do about consequential matters.

Centuries ago, the Roman satirist Juvenal saw that the public then cared less about exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, than diversion, distraction, or the satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements. He coined the phrase, above, and it has endured for almost two millennia.

Stay tuned. News, weather and sports highlights at eleven.

[NBachers]

36. National involvement in a sports scandal would dwarf the reaction to our current treason crisis.

[Buckeyeblue]

19. Republicans in Congress Might Make it Easier

If proof begins to mount against 45. I think the fact that Ryan is the speaker might make it easier to build a coalition to remove 45 and his VP from office. Ryan stayed ambiguous enough during the campaign that he can claim he has clean hands.

But the evidence has got to be rock solid. This will be constitutionally unprecedented. In order for the public not to panic (code for no run on banks and a stable stock market) the evidence has to be clear cut and overwhelming.

Ryan will assume the presidency and probably pick McCain or Turtle to be the VP.

I think there is little chance of this happening but I also thought there was little chance of 45 getting elected. But I can imagine this scenario.

[NBachers]

37. The silver lining would be, Ryan & his VP pick would be not re-elected at the end or their term.

[gordianot]

25. Those who stole the election do have a goal of continuing without consequences.

They intend to stay where they are today. They do not care in the slightest that there is opposition to their radical agenda. The question is to what lengths are Republicans willing to go to maintain absolute power? We are all about to find out.

[jbeing]

28. RICO Republican Party

I love it.

"RICO" - Suave'

[certainot]

31. 88 universities help trump make excuses and attack critics

by broadcasting their sports on 257 limbaugh stations, thereby giving them community cred and helping them attract advertisers to pay for their trump support.

when it comes down to getting republican support it is those radio stations that disinform and mobilize the teabaggers and dittoheads that keep them in line.

and that makes those universities appropriate places to protest - once a discussion starts on whether the uni should start to look for apolitical alternatives for their sports broadcasts the gop will freak out, scream "free speech!" and media will notice. advertisers will flee. politicians will notice rw radio is under attack and limbaugh and sons will lose intimidation power. the current gop will fall apart. the few moderates in the party will feel emboldened to break from the alternate reality. without the national unchallenged buzz from 1200 coordinated radio stations the political center will go 10- 20 pts left.

[NBachers]

39. I'm glad that you keep bringing this up.

[certainot]

55. thanks, sometimes i feel like giving up! but it doesn't last long

[NBachers]

56. Keep putting this out there!

[Lucinda]

38. KNR Thank you!

[sheshe2]

40. JHC!

[Kablooie]

42. If Republicans can gain from impeachment he will be impeached but...

no matter how treasonous the crime, if keeping him in office will help Republicans retain their control he will be allowed to remain.

My fear is that if he is impeached he will not go quietly.
He will try to create as much suffering as he can before he goes.
A shamed Trump is a dangerous Trump.

[Amaryllis]

53. So thankful for Rachel.

[iluvtennis]

57. Wow. The GOP has the numbers in the congress and so don't see them initiating an investigation..

..can the Judicial Branch initiate an investigation if the Legislative Branch fails to do so? I sure hope so