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Legal analyst explains how Trump stepped into a trap with refusal to testify at his impeachment trial Early Saturday morning, MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos suggested Donald Trump walked into a trap with his refusal to appear and testify at his second impeachment trial which starts next Tuesday. Speaking with hosts Kendis Gibson and Lindsey Reiser, the defense attorney stated that House impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin (R-MD) executed "constitutional jiu-jitsu" by asking the former president to appear as opposed to subpoenaing him. "How much could Trump's absence, actually, hurt him, in this case next week?" the attorney was asked. "Jamie Raskin is using a great bit of constitutional jujitsu here," Cevallos replied. "They did not issue a subpoena, they just requested or invited him to come testify and President Trump declined. This is not a subpoena situation, but, you know, in our parallel-judicial courts, we have a principle: in criminal cases only that the prosecution and the judge cannot comment on an accused's silence at a criminal trial. But in civil cases, that comment or that inference, that negative inference from a defendant's silence, is allowed." "Beyond that, the president or former president isn't even being compelled to come speak or testify at this impeachment," he continued. "And the reality is, whereas in judicial court, we have centuries of case law and bound volumes of books like the ones behind me telling today's courts what to do, the Senate is bound by none of that. They are bound by whatever the head count is of their votes in today's Senate." $2.8 Million In Trump Reelection Donations Went To The Trump Organization: Report An estimated $2.8 million in contributions to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign ended up in the coffers of his heavily indebted Trump Organization, Forbes reported Friday. Additionally, $4.3 million raised by his campaign’s joint-fundraising committee, which collected money with the Republican Party, was spent on Trump’s businesses from Jan. 20, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2020, according to Forbes’ examination of campaign filings to the Federal Election Commission. The committee spent $11,000 on Trump hotels days after he lost the presidential election — and an additional $294,000 a week later for lodging, catering and space rental, Forbes noted. Forbes reported mid-year in 2020 that $2.2 million in donations from his campaign alone had already been spent on Trump properties. The Washington Post reported in early December that more than $1.06 million in campaign contributions were spent on Trump businesses in just the last weeks of his race. Trump never contributed “a cent” to his reelection campaign, Forbes reported. Trump raised $76 million after his loss ostensibly to battle the presidential election results and to help the Republican candidates in the vital Senate races in Georgia — but didn’t spend a dime on any of it, HuffPost has reported. “He put nothing back. He didn’t care,” one top Republican familiar with the fundraising operation told HuffPost. “He put all this money in the bank for his own legal fights.” Campaign contribution totals spent on Trump properties during his presidency have ranged from $10.5 million to nearly $17 million. $2.8 Million In Trump Reelection Donations Went To The Trump Organization: Report | HuffPost Canada (huffingtonpost.ca)

That and the park wardens carrying automatic weapons.

I have a problem with anyone who has admittedly drugged and robbed people.

Plummer was suffering from advancing Alzheimer's for the past few years and was terrified of the inevitable end looming. He is now free of the prison that was his body.

Unfortunately, their adherents are even more stoopid.

Its only a matter of degree. Trump and his miscreants are responsible, not only for the deaths at the Capitol, but at least 150,000of the 460,000 COVID deaths where prompt, appropriate action would have saved lives. He exhibits the same psychopathology as the others, with the possible exception of Stalin. BTW; Stalin was so thorough at wiping out doctors (who he considered reactionaries) that he died of pneumonia, which they could have easily treated.

Nzambi Matee of Kenya finds a way to recycle plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete. 333 points · 44 comments0

Not all that surprising, given that Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin have their supporters to this day. And there are those who still revere Steven Harper.

Manitoba has not done "just fine", as the COVID response has shown. It doesn't matter that O'Toole is an Easterner- he walks the party line which is largely set by the Alberta and Alliance people. O'Toole has shown us that he is not a leader who aspires his party to be better, and his tolerance of the nuts in his party and his fawning over Trump proves.

It has come down to the lesser of evils, but it does not take much imagination to visualize what the responses to the COVID pandemic would have been had O'Toole and his merry men had been in charge- Alberta gives a pretty good hint.

Circus freak shows have always been popular.

There is nowhere in any of the reports that this was a coercive relationship. No question that it was highly inappropriate, given the difference in the ranks, but it was an essentially mutually consenting relationship between two adults. It ought to have led to a dismissal if verified, but these things are very difficult to prove.

I have absolutely no doubt that Trump would have sold out his fellow-USFL owners in a New York minute if it would have benefitted him. Should his lawyers be unable to dissuade him from taking the stand, that would be PVR highlight material to be enjoyed again and again.

There is no "old farts" thread.

The key word is "former". This will go nowhere no matter how the PC's beat that drum.

Trump owned a team in the USFL which sued the NFL for pressuring the TV networks to not give the USFL coverage. The USFL lawyers had the case in the bag (according to the jurors) until Trump took the stand at his insistence and against the pleas of the lawyers. He came across as so stupid and arrogant that the entire jury found the NFL guilty but awarded the USFL the princely sum of ONE DOLLAR. The other USFL owners were so angry that none of them chose to appeal the verdict and none ever spoke to Trump or did business with him again. I would think that Trump would not pass up an opportunity to be the center of attention in the belief that he would be so clever and convincing that he would single-handedly convince the whole nation of his righteousness.

No, but you can discredit them and put them in jail. That would change the minds of those open to that. Many will simply harden their positions.

Agreed. The best thing that could happen to the US would be that the totality of Trump/GOP involvement in the January insurrection is revealed in the impeachment hearings followed by aggressive prosecution of the GOPers and Trump with a steady parade to jail- especially Trump and his inner circle.

At first glance, Romney would appear to be the leading (only sane) contender for the next leader of the GOP. However, there are indications that the party will split down the middle along pro and anti-Trump lines. Should this happen, neither of these will garner enough votes to challenge the Democrats. This will force the two sides into an uneasy alliance much as happened here in Canada. The resulting alliance will dance to the tune of the more aggressive members, again, as has happened in Canada.

It would be highly appropriate to change the title of this thread to "The Raaslin' Thread".

With the real possibility of a shortened CFL season, any team that gets off to a good start will have the inside track to a Cup appearance. That said, this means that any team that manages to hold onto their core will have an advantage. So, good on the Bombers.

McKinsey To Pay $573 Million For Role In Opioid Crisis: Reports The global business consulting firm McKinsey & Company has agreed to a $573 million settlement over its role in advising companies on how to “supercharge” opioid sales amid an overdose crisis, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal ahead of Thursday’s planned announcement and filings in courts in 47 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. McKinsey did not immediately respond to a call or email from the AP Wednesday night. Without naming McKinsey, the attorneys general in at least North Carolina and West Virginia have scheduled announcements for Thursday morning regarding the opioid crisis. And Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement that the state would file a consent decree Thursday involving McKinsey “that will result in corporate reforms and more than $13 million to Washington state for opioid treatment, prevention and recovery efforts.” Ferguson said that was separate from the multistate deal. Most of the money in the national settlement, which was first reported by The New York Times, would be sent to the states in less than a year, and would be used to abate the national overdose crisis. Prescription opioids and illegal ones such as heroin and illicit fentanyl combined have been linked to the deaths of more than 470,000 Americans since 2000. And the epidemic has deepened amid the coronavirus pandemic. McKinsey To Pay $573 Million For Role In Opioid Crisis: Reports | HuffPost

Marjorie Taylor Greene gets a standing ovation in closed-door House GOP meeting: reports Members of the House Republican caucus gave Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) a standing ovation Wednesday evening after the QAnon Congresswoman gave a short speech defending herself. About an hour earlier Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced his support of Greene and refused to strip her of her committee assignments. Marjorie Taylor Greene gets a standing ovation in closed-door House GOP meeting: reports - Alternet.org