“And if a president did something that he believes will help him get elected — in the public interest — that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.”
—Donald Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz, in his bizarre carte blanche argument against conviction in Trump’s impeachment trial that should make jaws drop like the tailgates in those GMC truck ads.
Louisiana Voice 
I understand that there was an audible gasp and jaw drop from the Democrat Senators…..however, no such reactions were reported from the Republican Senators…wonder why that was? Has any one projected the ramifications to these Republican Senators when they totally ignore 70+% of the wishes of the American people? Are they so insulated and guaranteed re-election that there is no need to listen to “we the people”? Who is guaranteeing their re-election? Some foreign country (Russia)? Maybe this is why McConnell has withheld all bills to address the Russian cyber war problem… If so, we are really, really in trouble as a nation…maybe this is our real Wake Up Call?
Dershowitz and Giuliani have both gone off the tracks and few seem to care.
What if a president decided killing an entire ethnic group was the key to re-election – said re-election being in the best interests of the country? That would be okay?
Alan Dershowitz made the jaw dropping statement yesterday that “if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.” In other words there is no difference between personal interest and public interest. They are one and the same. He also said “If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.” Ludicrous on both counts. So now, Trump, wanting to be an absolute monarchist like Louis XIV can say as the Sun King said, “l’etat, c’est moi.” – I am the state.
A President, any President has an obligation to investigate corruption, and most especially if it involves U S Dollars. We know that Ukraine is corrupt. We know that Biden (on video no less) openly withheld money (a billion dollars) until a man who was investigating Biden’s son Hunter, was fired. This was even run by Mr Obama. Audible gasp !
Alan Dershowitz is a liberal democrat, Harvard Professor and recognized legal scholar. Why would one besmirch him just because you disagree with him, and what qualifies either of you to disagree with the legal opinion of a man with a legal background like his ?
Edith and Stephen seem to have no issue with Biden’s actions, yet condemn an investigation into corruption in prior administration. Apparently, corruption is acceptable if performed by Democrats, and therein lies the problem, hypocrisy. Essentially, you are saying if Hillary were being investigated, and she should be, all she would have to do is announce her candidacy and be above such plebeian matters..Stephen, really, an entire ethnic group ? How on earth do you jump to that ? Where was your ethnic outrage when Obama was selling weapons and ammunition to Drug Cartels (Mexican ethnic )??? And Edith, who is this 70% you refer to ? Over half of country believes this is a farce according to polling data I have seen.
And to this day, NO ONE has shown a single vote that was influenced by Russian influence. Hillary lost on her own.
No, Zoe, not to defend Biden but when he insisted that Ukraine’s attorney general be fired, it was a consensus of the U.S. and several European allies, not an arbitrary decision on Biden’s part. Yes, Hunter Biden’s serving on the boar of the Ukraine gas company was suspect, no question about that. But again, it was a consensus decision to pressure to fire the corrupt attorney general. But for Dershowitz to claim it’s okay to withhold congressional-approved funding in exchange for a personal favor is every bit as wrong as what you’re accusing Biden of doing. Two wrongs do NOT make a right. Hilary is also corrupt. All you have to do is look at the foundation she and Bill set up. But hey, Trump had a foundation, too, and it was just as corrupt. Again, two wrongs….
Zoe, I appreciate your obvious intelligence, but you cannot in good faith continue to offer up a blanket defense of Trump by harking back to the Clintons, Obama or anyone else. That just doesn’t fly.
Please sit back and take an objective look at Trump and judge him on his merits alone without polluting the water by throwing everyone else into the mix. He should be judged on his actions and his alone and using that barometer, he fails every test – legal, moral, ethical, spiritual, and loyalty.
Let’s set a precedent by demanding that ALL our elected officials abide by a code of conduct that puts the country first and their individual interests last. It’s a demand that will never be met, but one worth striving for nevertheless.
You are so, so right. Except for one thing…the Clinton Foundation is still operating and was never found to be corrupt or doing anything illegal. The funds they receive are used for worthwhile charitable projects. The Donald J. Trump Foundation, however, was ordered in November, 2019 to pay $2M in damages “after the president admitted misusing money raised by the Donald J. Trump Foundation to promote his presidential bid, pay off business debts and purchase a portrait of himself for one of his hotels.” He has shut down his Foundation.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ashley-biden-organization-received-166k-federal-grant-while-father-was-vice-president?fbclid=IwAR0aWQLBzrJM1Pwy4LC-gnOhpwYpiCFVmU-UXcKHQmAZ-pyaEWMkQ_bLMew another example of rampant corruption by Biden.
You know Angelo, I can certainly agree with a lot of what you say. I have never proclaimed Trump to be a Saint, nor pure of heart. What riles me is the petty, small minded criticism about the “misdeed”s of Trump (the “old white man” but the blanket ignorance when it comes to other politicians. The flaw in your statement is as follows; Trump asked for a favor to US (read USA), not him; don’t twist his words. You have access to a copy of telephone transcript.. The man fired was not their Attorney General, but a special prosecutor appointed to ferret out corruption, and Burisma seems rife with graft. Which European allies were anxious to fire this person, and why would an internal investigation of corruption bother anyone but those hiding the graft in the first place ? And when was Biden investigated and exonerated as he says ?
I am nor so much defending Trump as asking the critics to step back and look at what he has done for this country. We are in far better shape under his administration than we were in the previous 4 administrations. I am tired of watching small minded self important jerks like Don Lemon laugh at all who disagree with him and calling half the American public morons, just as Hillary did.
Are you saying you have a better understanding of the law than Alan Dershowitz ?
As for the Foundations; Trump spent some of the money for political purpose, which is wrong, and he was penalized for it. Clinton’s have enriched themselves personally (millions to Chelsea alone), Not one damn thing has been done. There is a difference to me, if not to you; there are two wrongs, but hardly equal wrongs.
I agree wholeheartedly with your closing paragraph, which is the reason I started following Tom in the first place before he got on this Democrat tangent of harping on Trump when he ignored all of Obama’s miss-steps and corruption.
Zoe, once again, our realities diverge.
My point, not that you will agree, is that NO president can do whatever s/he wants to do under any pretense. I believe President Trump truly believes, and Dershowitz’s argument supports the premise, that the President can do whatever he wants if he asserts it is done in the public interest – in the instant case the public interest is apparently re-election. Frankly, I find such an argument not just ridiculous, but wildly dangerous.
Also, what Angelo Maggio and CJG said.
P. S. I have no doubt Hunter Biden got his board appointment because his father was Vice-President and is still strong in U. S. politics. I have the same lack of doubt about why Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have their jobs. How many thousands of other such instances are there?
I personally would like to see Michael Bloomberg ascend to the Democratic nomination. He really has proven his financial acumen and is at least 10 times richer than Trump. He can put, and is putting, his money where his mouth is -and money is the key to winning any election. I don’t think Biden is the worst of the lot, but I question his ability to get the things done I want to see done to actually make this country better.