January 1, Pelosi Moves on Impeachment

This Day in History | 1929

Civil rights leaderMartin Luther King, Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Good morning Middle Americans!

Today will be a big day in the impeachment of President Trump. House Democrats, lead by Speaker Nancy Pelosi will vote to formally send the articles of impeachment over to the Senate, where the president’s impeachment trial is set to start next Tuesday.  In a somewhat sudden shift, Senate Republicans are now demanding witnesses. Question is, who will we hear from? 

Pelosi’s move comes on the heels of Democrats from the House Intelligence community, lead by Rep. Adam Schiff released a load of documents late Tuesday night.  Most of the docs come from indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas. These documents do not look good for the Trump administration. But let’s be honest, that’s never stopped him before. 

Ooof – Is how a lot of people are responding today to CNN’s debate moderators. Especially Abby Phillips who seemed to completely ignore Sen. Bernie Sanders response to the money question about whether Sanders actually told Sen. Elizabeth Warren that a woman could win the presidential election. He denied it. CNN ignored that. 

Read all about it!

– Fraser Dixon 

Pelosi Sets Wednesday Votes to Send Impeachment to Senate

(AP) – The U.S. House is set to vote Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate for a landmark trial on whether the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress are grounds for removal.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the next steps after meeting privately with House Democrats at the Capitol, ending her blockade Tuesday a month after they voted to impeach Trump.

It will be only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history, a serious moment coming amid the backdrop of a politically divided nation and an election year.

“The President and the Senators will be held accountable,” Pelosi said in a statement. “The American people deserve the truth, and the Constitution demands a trial.”

Learn more here

Yovanovitch Calls for Investigation Following Evidence Released by Lawmakers

(The Hill) – Former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch called for an investigation Tuesday into “what happened” after newly released evidence suggested that her movements were being monitored. 

Yovanovitch requested the investigation through her lawyer Lawrence Robbins, who issued a statement on her behalf.

“Needless to say, the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch’s movements for unknown purposes is disturbing,” he said in the statement obtained by The Hill. “We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened.”

Read more here

CNN Completely Botched The Democratic Presidential Debate

(Huffington Post) – Who will stand up for the “insurance town” in the 2020 election? Why should the government do things? Will Bernie Sanders bankrupt America? Who onstage will let Iran have a nuclear weapon ― you know, just because?

If these sound like terrible questions to you, you’re right.

They were awful. And they were the focus of CNN’s tedious, interminable, frivolous debate on Tuesday night ― a fiasco of irrelevance held three weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

Again and again, CNN anchors substituted centrist talking points for questions ― and then followed up predictable responses with further centrist talking points, rarely illuminating any substantive disagreements between the candidates or problems with their policy positions.

Find out more here

Bernie-Warren Feud On Display in Iowa

(NY Post) – So much for the inner-party lovefest.

Elizabeth Warren appeared to snub fellow Sen. Bernie Sanders’ offering of a handshake at the end of Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, a possible sign that the bad blood between the two isn’t going away anytime soon.

With the field’s six candidates exchanging sporting pats on the back at the contest’s conclusion, Warren first shook the hand of former Vice President Joe Biden, before moving on to Sanders.

Sanders, of Vermont, began to extend his right hand out towards Warren, but the Massachusetts lawmaker kept her clasped hands raised close to her torso as the two exchanged words.

See the snub here