In times past, Trump would be on his way to impeachment.

[Stonepounder]

The Trump White House contacted the FBI and asked them to quash the investigation.

Now, think back to 1974. Richard Nixon was in the White House and a Resolution of Impeachment was approved by the House Judiciary Committee. Here is how it begins:

ARTICLE 1
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice..."

Seems to me that trying to get the FBI to quit investigating his associates connection to Russia falls into the above definition.

[jmg257]

1. Not sure they asked to quash the investigation, but to down-play media reports.

Washington (CNN) — The FBI rejected a recent White House request to publicly knock down media reports about communications between Donald Trump's associates and Russians known to US intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign, multiple US officials briefed on the matter tell CNN.
...
The discussions between the White House and the bureau began with FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus on the sidelines of a separate White House meeting the day after the stories were published, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.

The White House initially disputed that account, saying that McCabe called Priebus early that morning and said The New York Times story vastly overstates what the FBI knows about the contacts.

But a White House official later corrected their version of events to confirm what the law enforcement official described.

The same White House official said that Priebus later reached out again to McCabe and to FBI Director James Comey asking for the FBI to at least talk to reporters on background to dispute the stories. A law enforcement official says McCabe didn't discuss aspects of the case but wouldn't say exactly what McCabe told Priebus.

Comey rejected the request for the FBI to comment on the stories, according to sources, because the alleged communications between Trump associates and Russians known to US intelligence are the subject of an ongoing investigation.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Nixon's near-impeachment was more than two years after the Watergate burglary.

It took a long time to unravel all the complexities of "Watergate," which was far more than a simple burglary but actually a whole collection of felonies that were interconnected by the various WH personnel, GOP operatives and others. There was money-laundering, the illegal use of campaign donations to finance political sabotage, obstruction of justice by a lot of people besides Nixon, and lots of perjury. Watergate wasn't just a coverup of a burglary; it was an enormously complex coverup of multiple coverups.

What's going on now will probably turn out to be at least as complicated because of the involvement of the Russians. And it will take awhile to piece it all together. Patience.

[JI7]

10. one huge difference is the republicans in congress did not cover for Nixon

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. They did at first.

It wasn't until after the Saturday Night Massacre (October of 1973) that they really started turning against him. After the "burglars'" arrests and for the rest of 1972 and well into 1973, many GOPers in Congress were sticking up for him and accusing the press of a witch hunt.

[JI7]

12. to me, we are already past that point. and this is far worse but they have no interest

in finding the truth.

[Chasstev365]

3. John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it!

Andrew Jackson 1832 reacting to the SP Court siding with the Cherokee Indians. He moved them anyway and should have been impeached, but my point is that if Congress doesn't want to impeach a President, even when they have clearly violated the law, nothing will happen!

This GOP House won't do anything to Trump!

[Crash2Parties]

4. The GOP Congress needs him to distract the media.

They are the ones who promised to completely dismantle the US Government, put women & LGBT people in our places & rid the nation of immigrants.

They are the Party of Bannon.

Trump is just along for the ride & to make a few hundred million if he can. He doesn't even know what he's signing. Or care, is my guess.

[onenote]

5. There were a lot of disclosures before the impeachment resolution was voted

The Watergate break-in occurred in September 1971. Some of the things that occurred between then and the summer 1974 impeachment resolution included:
February-March 1973: During confirmation hearings begin for L. Patrick Gray as permanent Director of the FBI, Gray reveals that he had complied with an order from John Dean to provide daily updates on the Watergate investigation, and also that Dean had "probably lied" to FBI investigators.
March 17, 1973: Watergate burglar James McCord writes a letter to Judge John Sirica, claiming that some of his testimony was perjured under pressure and that the burglary was not a CIA operation, but had involved other government officials, thereby leading the investigation to the White House.
April 6, 1973: White House counsel John Dean begins cooperating with federal Watergate prosecutors.
April 27, 1973: L. Patrick Gray resigns after it comes to light that he destroyed files from E. Howard Hunt's safe. William Ruckelshaus is appointed as his replacement.
April 30, 1973: Senior White house administration officials John Ehrlichman, H. R. Haldeman, and Richard Kleindienst resign; John Dean is fired.
May 17, 1973 : The Senate Watergate Committee begins its nationally televised hearings.
May 19, 1973: Independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox appointed to oversee investigation into possible presidential impropriety.
June 3, 1973: John Dean tells Watergate investigators that he has discussed the cover-up with Nixon at least 35 times.
July 13, 1973: Alexander Butterfield, former presidential appointments secretary, reveals that all conversations and telephone calls in Nixon’s office have been taped since 1971.
July 23, 1973: Nixon refuses to turn over presidential tapings to Senate Watergate Committee or the special prosecutor.
October 20, 1973: "Saturday Night Massacre" - Nixon orders Elliot Richardson and Ruckleshouse to fire special prosecutor Cox. They both refuse to comply and resign. Robert Bork considers resigning but carries out the order.
November 1, 1973: Leon Jaworski is appointed new special prosecutor.
November 17, 1973: Nixon delivers "I am not a crook" speech at a televised press conference at Disney World (Florida).
January 28, 1974: Nixon campaign aide Herbert Porter pleads guilty to perjury.
February 25, 1974: Nixon personal counsel Herbert Kalmbach pleads guilty to two charges of illegal campaign activities.
March 1, 1974: Nixon is named as an unindicted co-conspirator in an indictment against seven former presidential aides.
March 4, 1974: "Watergate Seven" indicted.
April 5, 1974: Dwight Chapin convicted of lying to a grand jury.
April 7, 1974: Ed Reinecke, Republican lieutenant governor of California, indicted on three charges of perjury before the Senate committee.
April 16, 1974: Special Prosecutor Jaworski issues a subpoena for 64 White House tapes.
April 30, 1974: White House releases edited transcripts of the Nixon tapes, but the House Judiciary Committee insists the actual tapes must be turned over.
May 9, 1974: Impeachment hearings begin before the House Judiciary Committee.
June 15, 1974: Woodward and Bernstein's book All the President's Men is published by Simon & Schuster
July 24, 1974: United States v. Nixon decided: Nixon is ordered to give up tapes to investigators.

In other words, if you're expecting impeachment proceedings against Trump in the near term, don't rely on the Nixon precedent.

[pbmus]

7. Thanks for the history lesson...

[unblock]

6. No president has ever faced an impeachment crisis from his own party

Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton all faced a congress controlled by the opposition party.

Having the same party in congress changes the dynamic considerably.

[StevieM]

8. Agreed. He is committing impeachable offenses right out in the open. (eom)

[JI7]

9. in times past he would never have been taken seriously