Oh, girl!Unless Trump gives it the go ahead-- tantamount to chopping off a finger-- Joe Manchin's fatuous proposal to censure Trump instead of impeaching him tomorrow, is DOA. The only good thing is that he would just need 51 votes to pass it-- all 48 Democrats + 3 Republicans. But there aren't 3 Republicans with the guts to go up against Trump. On the Senate floor yesterday, Manchin he sees "no path to the 67 votes required to impeach" Trump but that said he believes "a bipartisan majority of this body would vote to censure President Trump for his action in this matter. Censure would allow this body to unite across party lines. Censure would allow a bipartisan statement condemning his unacceptable behavior in the strongest terms." (He later admitted that there aren't enough Republican votes to pass it.)This is the resolution Manchin wrote and circulated:
RESOLUTIONRelating to the censure of Donald John Trump.Whereas Donald John Trump used the Office of the President of the United States to attempt to compel a foreign nation to interfere with domestic political affairs for his own personal benefit;Whereas Donald John Trump wrongfully enlisted his personal lawyer to investigate a domestic political rival by meddling in formal diplomatic relations in a manner that is inconsistent with our established National Security Strategy;Whereas Donald John Trump hindered the thorough investigation of related documents and prohibited Congress and the American people from hearing testimony by firsthand witnesses with direct knowledge of his conduct;Whereas Donald John Trump, through his conduct in this matter, abused the trust of the American people;Whereas Donald John Trump fully deserves censure for engaging in such behavior;Whereas Donald John Trump’s conduct in this matter is unacceptable for a President of the United States, does demean the Office of the President, and creates disrespect for laws of the land;Whereas Donald John Trump’s conduct in the matter has brought dishonor to himself, the Nation, and the Office of the President;Whereas future generations of Americans must know that--(1) such behavior is not only dangerous to our national interest but does not align with American values and the principles of the Constitution of the United States; and(2) such actions bear grave consequences, including loss of integrity, trust, and respect; andWhereas no one, not even the President, is above the law:Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That--(1) the Senate does hereby censure Donald John Trump, President of the United States, and does condemn his wrongful conduct in the strongest terms;(2) allowing this statement of censure and condemnation to remain intact for all time; and(3) the Senate now move on to other matters of significance to our people, to reconcile differences between and within the branches of Government, and to work together-- across party lines-- for the benefit of the American people.
After tomorrow's acquittal vote, Trump will be looking for revenge. Gabriel Sherman at Vanity Fair: It's Payback Time and Trump, who has nothing better to do, is plotting revenge against his enemies. He wants the Department of Justice to investigate-- criminally-- Bolton, Romney, Nadler and Schiff. If only Roy Cohn were his Attorney General, or... someone... like... him. "Washington," wrote Sherman, "is bracing for what an unshackled Trump does next. Republicans briefed on Trump’s thinking believe that the president is out for revenge against his adversaries." A prominent Republican told him that Señor Trumpanzee "has an enemies list that is growing by the day... "Trump’s playbook is simple: go after people who crossed him during impeachment."
Several sources said Bolton is at the top of the list. Trump’s relationship with Bolton was badly damaged by the time Bolton left the White House in September. Trump has since blamed his former national security adviser for leaking details of his forthcoming memoir that nearly derailed the impeachment trial by pressuring Republicans to call witnesses. In the book Bolton reportedly alleges Trump told him directly that Ukraine aid was tied to Ukraine announcing investigations into the Bidens (Bolton has denied being a source of the leak).Augustus Gloop TrumpThe campaign against Bolton has already begun. On January 23, the White House sent a cease and desist letter to Bolton’s lawyer demanding that Bolton’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, not release the book in March without removal of certain information. Trump intends to ratchet up the pressure, and some Republicans close to the White House fear how far Trump will take things after he’s gotten off for a second time (Trump famously made his July 25 call to Volodymyr Zelensky the day after Robert Mueller testified before Congress.) “Trump has been calling people and telling them to go after Bolton,” a source briefed on the private conversations said. The source added that Trump wants Bolton to be criminally investigated. A person familiar with Trump’s thinking said Trump believes Bolton might have mishandled classified information. According to a former official, the White House is planning to leak White House emails from Bolton that purportedly allege Bolton abused his position at the National Security Council. The official said that West Wing officials have discussed releasing emails “showing [Bolton] was doing pay-to-play,” the official said. A person close to Bolton dismissed the story. “John plays things straight,” the person said.
