[BartSimpson]

I just heard a great comment that the Democrats really need to stop letting Wile E. Coyote make all of their impeachment arguments for them!

[BartSimpson]

While presenting the Democrats' case for impeachment on the Senate floor, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff (D-CA) kept referencing 17 witnesses who testified during the House impeachment inquiry. But there were 18 of them. Schiff and the Democrats are refusing to release the testimony of Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, and according to Republicans who were present during Atkinson's closed-door testimony, the reason the transcript hasn't been released is because it proves both the whistleblower and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff did not tell the truth about their contact with each other.

Fox News' Maria Bartiromo interviewed Rep. John Ratcliffe on "Sunday Morning Futures" about the 18th transcript the Democrats are refusing to release. Rep. Ratcliffe was there for Inspector General Michael Atkinson's testimony and says the transcript is damaging to Chairman Adam Schiff and the whistleblower.

"The House managers kept putting up charts talking about the 17 witnesses," Ratcliffe began. "But there were 18 ... I was there. It's the one transcript out of 18 that hasn't been released. It's a 179-page transcript ... It's the one transcript that talks about Adam Schiff and the whistleblower. Now, everyone knows by now that Adam Schiff was not truthful about his contacts with the whistleblower. What they don't know and what's in that transcript is that the whistleblower wasn't truthful about his contacts with Adam Schiff. This whole thing started, Maria, when the whistleblower filed a complaint with the inspector general under penalty of perjury that wasn't true and correct, made representations in writing and verbally that weren't true and correct. And when we found that out and tried to get into the details of that, Adam Schiff, who was in charge of this investigation, shut it down, and now he's trying to bury that transcript."

Bartiromo noted that it wasn't the first time Chairman Adam Schiff has withheld exculpatory evidence. Despite looking at the same evidence as Chairman Schiff, Rep. Ratclffe and former Rep. Trey Gowdy both saw abuses in the FISA warrant process used against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, something that has since been confirmed by Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation. At the time, Adam Schiff denied any abuses in the FISA process and accused Republicans and the president of lying.

"That's the very same person who is now out there spinning this Ukraine hoax in his latest impeachment effort," Rep. Ratcliffe continued. The congressman said he expects the president to be acquitted "by the end of this week."

The Democrats keep insisting on new witnesses. How about we hear from the old one first?

[herbie]

Oh FFS quit defending the indefensible. The GOP are obviously chickenshit because he's got piles of dirt on each of them. It's what he does, what he's DID do to get himself impeached.
Surely a President Pence for a few months is preferable.

[BartSimpson]

Nope. President Trump will be acquitted and I expect some Democrat Senators to vote for acquittal as well.

Then he'll be reelected in November.

And the final nail in the Democrat's coffin will be when they lose control of the House this fall. That will really tell you that people were pissed off by this bullshit circus of theirs.

[xerxes]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Nope. President Trump will be acquitted and I expect some Democrat Senators to vote for acquittal as well.

Then he'll be reelected in November.

And the final nail in the Democrat's coffin will be when they lose control of the House this fall. That will really tell you that people were pissed off by this bullshit circus of theirs.

Brother if that’s what you think, it’s good thing you live in Cali because if you sell what you’re smoking, you’ll be stupid rich.

[CharlesAnthony]

Prior to the election, Trump will make peace with the Persians and everybody in the world will see him as a hero --- even the people who hate him will secretly love him.

[BartSimpson]

xerxes xerxes:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Nope. President Trump will be acquitted and I expect some Democrat Senators to vote for acquittal as well.

Then he'll be reelected in November.

And the final nail in the Democrat's coffin will be when they lose control of the House this fall. That will really tell you that people were pissed off by this bullshit circus of theirs.

Brother if that’s what you think, it’s good thing you live in Cali because if you sell what you’re smoking, you’ll be stupid rich.

I made a ton of money from leftists the last time Trump won an election.

This time around I've offered bets starting at $1,000 and so far none of the leftists will take me up on it.

You willing to bet $1,000 that you're right or do you at least admit to yourself that you have doubts?

[BartSimpson]

The President's attorney Pam Bondi drops the evidence bomb on the Bidens:



And she's not talking bullshit here, these are actual crimes the Biden family committed.

Look for the indictments to follow.

Best comment on the You Tube thread:

Help Wanted: Well established Ukrainian gas company looking for inexperienced individual, not fluent in the local language and absolutely no knowledge in the field. Willing too pay three times the normal salary. Last name must be Biden. One month of Military Service a plus. No Drug Test Required. To accept text BURISMA to 30330.

Looking for the next big Investment Opportunity? Little known Chinese investment firm with deep Communist Government ties looking for a Small American Company too Invest large amounts of cash in. Must have deep Political ties to a Specific Party. Last name must also be Biden or Heinz. No Drug Test Required. To accept text SELLOUT to 30330.

Looking for your next Dream Home? Well known Romanian Real Estate Tycoon Under Criminal Indictment, looking for Foreign Lawyer with Deep Political Ties too run Interference in State Prosecution. Must be willing too accept Large Bags of Cash. One Month of Military Service a Plus. Drug Test Not Required. Last Name must also be Biden. To Accept Text BRIBERY to 30330.

How is Your Credit? Large Corporation Masquerading as a Bank, while Ripping off Consumers is looking for Well Season U.S. Senator too pass Favorable Legislation. Must have Political ties with Specific Party. Offer comes with Heavy Donations too Political Campaign, and Spot On the board for Immediate Relative. Last name Must be Biden. To Accept text PRISON to 30330

[xerxes]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

xerxes xerxes:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Nope. President Trump will be acquitted and I expect some Democrat Senators to vote for acquittal as well.

Then he'll be reelected in November.

And the final nail in the Democrat's coffin will be when they lose control of the House this fall. That will really tell you that people were pissed off by this bullshit circus of theirs.

Brother if that’s what you think, it’s good thing you live in Cali because if you sell what you’re smoking, you’ll be stupid rich.

I made a ton of money from leftists the last time Trump won an election.

This time around I've offered bets starting at $1,000 and so far none of the leftists will take me up on it.

You willing to bet $1,000 that you're right or do you at least admit to yourself that you have doubts?

After last time I’m not doing any bets like that again. Especially considering I lost my job today.

I will say that now, more than ever, anything is possible. I learned that from 2016. That said, current polls aren’t looking great for Trump, though still better than they ought to be. But if the Dems go with Bernie I think they’ll win.

[Thanos]

xerxes xerxes:

Especially considering I lost my job today.

Sincere condolences, brother.

Bart's right though about the acquittal anyway. The red state Dem senators like Manchin and Jones will either vote to acquit or abstain (if it's allowed). They can't risk pissing off The Base back home. Just the way it is. So even if a couple of Republicans do vote to convict it'll be negated by the Red Dems doing the opposite.

As for Pam Bondi, well, whatever. She took a $25K "donation" from the Trump Org back in 2016 as her payoff to downplay the investigation/prosecution of the fraud mill at Trump University. Having her do a major address for the defense during the impeachment is completely in the vein of how this entire thing has gone, one reprehensible fucking grifter going to bat for another one. Florida Woman sticks up for Florida Man. Endut. Hoch hech. Yadda yadda yadda. Nothing to see here at all.

[stratos]

$1:

Especially considering I lost my job today.

Dang dude sorry. I hope you land on your feet with a better job. Don't give up and keep striving towards success.

[BartSimpson]

US Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) became the first Democrat to break ranks and signal that she will vote to acquit President Trump on both Articles of Impeachment.

[BartSimpson]

From Daniel Greenfield:

$1:

Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism.

71% of Americans watched the Watergate hearings live. The Iran-Contra hearings beat regular programming on the big three networks which aired them live and without commercial breaks. 20 million tuned in to watch Anita Hill recite her dishonest smears against Justice Clarence Thomas.

Televised hearings had worked for the Democrats before. And they doubled down on them now.

Around 20 million watched Comey’s testimony and the attempt to ‘Thomas’ Justice Kavanaugh. Michael Cohen’s appearance took ratings down to 15 million. Mueller’s belated appearance brought them down to 13 million. The first day of the House impeachment proceedings was watched by only 13 million.

The first day of the Senate impeachment trial saw ratings fall to under 12 million. By the second day, they had fallen to 9 million.

This is the era of the internet. Are television ratings down because people are turning to websites?

Google Trends tracks impeachment interest as about a quarter of the level in late December. Taboola shows impeachment stories dropping from 20 million-page views to 15 million-page views in one week. Newswhip shows an even more dramatic decline from 80 million weekly engagements for impeachment content during the House hearings down to 22 million for the Senate trial.

While the media remains obsessed with impeachment, it’s well aware that the outbreak of the coronavirus and Kobe’s crash are drawing in far bigger audiences than the antics in the Senate.

The Democrats had spent years building up to this climactic moment, but now no one’s even watching.

The declining ratings tell the tale of a scam gone wrong. The media spent years promising a definitive takedown of Trump. Comey’s testimony was going to take down Trump. And then the Mueller investigation would see him in prison. Impeachment was going to be the grand finale. But it’s over.

It was always over once it was clear that Trump had the votes to survive a Senate trial.

And if he does, then what’s the point? The ratings declines reflect public sentiment that the trial is pointless and fatigue with Trump Derangement Syndrome that had buoyed the media for years.

You can only hit the rage button so many times. And then the rats will no longer stir from their cages.

The New York Times’ stock price tripled after Trump won outperforming the S&P 500 by six times. In the week after his victory, it added 41,000 subscribers. The paper went from an $8 million loss to a $13 million profit. Much of the growth was driven by the paper’s stream of exclusives targeting Trump.

But there are signs this year that the media’s free Trump ride is over. In November, the Times shocked investors with the news that ad revenues had fallen over 6%. In early trading, its stock was down 9%. While there’s still plenty of money coming in, turbulence is growing and growth is becoming more uncertain. And, more significantly, the New York Times has been losing the engagement battle.

In May, the New York Times fell out of the top three, displaced by the Daily Mail. By November, it had fallen to seventh place. Its Facebook growth fell from 25% in 2017 to 3.5%. Its Twitter follower growth also dropped from 50% annually to only 5%. Another way to see the 1619 Project is as a desperate bid for relevance and traffic even as the appeal of Trump Derangement Syndrome continues to crater.

The TDS crash was even more obvious on cable news where CNN closed the year with a 9% decline in viewers and MSNBC suffered a 3% drop. Numbers like these foreshadow a much bigger collapse.

National newspapers and cable news had been using Trump Derangement Syndrome to stave off the inevitable decline in their industry. And it worked. A handful of outlets grew and went on hiring binges even while their local and digital cousins held mass purges, shut down, or cut everything to the bone.

But everything has to end sooner or later.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is burning out the core audiences that made the media profitable. The Impeachment Eve rallies failed miserably with turnouts in the hundreds in Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia. A month later, turnout at the Women’s March had declined from the hundreds of thousands to the thousands. Even as impeachment was underway, the audience wasn’t there.

"Breaking Down the Big Impeachment Rally Mystery," an NBC News headline speculated. "Democrats have flooded the streets by the millions to protest Trump before. So why did the protests calling for his removal stay so modest?"

"I Don't Understand Why There Aren't Thousands of People Protesting the Senate Trial," Esquire fumed.

"Where the Hell are the Impeachment Protests?" Washingtonian demanded.

Same place as the ratings.

After Comey, the Kavanaugh hearings, and the Mueller investigation, burnout and defeatism has set in. Even as House and Senate Democrats pursued their misguided impeachment bid, their base was no longer showing up. Not in the streets or even on their television sets. They’re not up for it anymore.

Charlie Brown had finally figured out that he was never going to be allowed to kick the orange football.

Democrats finally understand that the battle to remove President Trump won’t be fought by Comey, Mueller, Schiff, and, Nadler, or any of the other grifters, but by a choice of extraordinarily poor 2020 candidates. While the media promised that Trump would be removed by misuse of the 25th Amendment, by Robert Mueller, or, finally by impeachment, the Democrats paid too little mind to 2020.

And, as a result, their best bet for taking down Trump has narrowed down to Biden or Bernie. Meanwhile good economic news is boosting Trump’s popularity and improving his chances.

Most Democrats now understand that removing Trump is a dead end. And defeating him now looks more unlikely than ever before. While they screamed in the streets, the election was already being lost.

This is what Trump Derangement Syndrome has wrought.

The only thing that years of concentrated fury have accomplished is the derangement and corruption of the Democrats. Trump Derangement Syndrome didn’t defeat Trump, it defeated the Democrats. Even as the election approaches, the party base is tired and feels futile. Every effort to bring down Trump has fallen short. Instead of using the 2018 election to build momentum, House Democrats squandered it.

And now they’re going to be heading into the primaries fresh off another defeat on impeachment.

Trump Derangement Syndrome has burned out Democrats. It hollowed out the media, turned the House victory sour, overshadowed the primaries, and put the party on a path to another catastrophe.

The mobs have left. The viewers aren’t there. Impeachment is the final act of Trump Derangement Syndrome. And the furious screamers aren’t sticking around for the miserable conclusion of the show.

Meanwhile the Democrats and the media that cultivated TDS are about to face their own reckoning.

Trump Derangement Syndrome was the weapon that was going to bring down Trump. Without it, they don’t have a plan to win. They’ve done their worst. And now there’s nothing else left for the Left.

[xerxes]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

US Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) became the first Democrat to break ranks and signal that she will vote to acquit President Trump on both Articles of Impeachment.

There is a qualifier to that. She said that was before the proceedings began.

[xerxes]

Meanwhile....

McConnell Says GOP Doesn’t Have Votes to Block Impeachment Witnesses

$1:

WASHINGTON—Republican leaders said they don’t currently have enough votes to block witnesses in President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, after his legal team concluded its efforts to counter Democrats’ charges that the president abused power and obstructed Congress.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-defense-team-to-close-arguments-complicated-by-bolton-reports-11580215229?reflink=share_mobilewebshare