Senate refuses Dem motions to delay hearing their "unassailable case"

And so it begins. (Thought I'd get the cliché out of the way early.) The impeachment trial of Still-President Trump got under way in the Senate this afternoon, with Democrat House Managers, led by the inevitable Adam Schiff, accusing Senate Republicans of rigging the trial with proposed rules that would prevent witnesses from testifying and bar evidence gathered by investigators. They were arguing against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's motion proposing rules that would execute a quick trial, without new testimony or evidence.

What's wrong with that, I hear you ask. Well, say the Dumbocrats, we're not ready! We don't have all the evidence yet! (I'll pause while you let that sink in...)

Be it remembered that when Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Schiff urged the House of Representatives to approve their Articles of Impeachment, they crowed that they had "overwhelming evidence" of President Trump's "crimes and misdemeanours" which "imperilled national security", yada yada yada. The House duly passed the resolution.

There followed a rather lengthy pause -- 33 days! -- while Ms Pelosi pondered the wisdom of sending the Articles to the Senate. Doing so, our legal expert tells us, is the equivalent of filing a "certificate of evidence", which is what you do (in some jurisdictions) to tell a court that, all preliminary matters having been completed, you are ready (aye, ready!) to proceed to trial.

Speaking to the meeja earlier today, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said once again that the evidence that President Trump abused the power of his office and obstructed Congress is already "overwhelming". But, he said, the Senate should allow House Democrats to introduce still more evidence. Like what? Well, they're not really sure, so they want to issue subpoenas to White House staffers (Hello, Mick Mulvaney!), State Department officials, and just about everyone except the Bidens, on the off chance that someone might say something new that would buttress their "unassailable case" for impeachment.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has now introduced a number (I lost count of how many) of amendments to Senator McConnell's motion, all of which have been defeated on motion to table by votes of 53 to 47, strictly on party lines with nobody on either side of the aisle breaking ranks.

According to Fox News, Dana Perino, host of "The Daily Briefing" and co-host of "The Five", said Senator Schumer "risks losing the public's -- and the Senate's -- attention if he continues to offer these amendments." She speaks right, friends. Walt is not staying tuned.

Further reading: "Time was elections decided things. Apparently Trump's foes think they know better", by Rex Murphy, in the National Post, 21/1/19.

Footnote: Has anyone noticed that Jay Sekulow, one of the lawyers representing President Trump personally (seen here debunking the Dumbocrats' hoax of the day) bears an uncanny resemblance to the late Harold Ramis, of Ghostbusters and SCTV fame?

UPDATED: Impeachment: Democrats afraid to take the next step?

Those readers (especially foreigners) who think that anything major happened in Washington yesterday are advised to review "How the impeachment process is supposed to work", WWW 24/9/19. What you witnessed yesterday [Walt was watching "Judge Judy". Ed.] was merely the end of Act I of the pantomime. Donald J. Trump is still President of the Excited States of America, and likely to remain until 3 November 2020... and likely for another four years after that!

That the House of Representatives voted to impeach the President is hardly news. What is interesting is Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement at a presser this morning that before raising the curtain on Act II -- the trial in the Senate -- she will wait to see what procedures will be adopted for the trial. Ms Pelosi (D-CA) said this was because she fears that the Republican-controlled Senate may be incapable of holding a "fair trial".

That's a loaded term that she and her Dumbocrat colleagues in both housess have been throwing around a lot lately. On Wednesday evening she was noncommittal about whether she would ever transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. After last night's vote, she told the meeja, "We'll make that decision as a group, as we always have, as we go along. So far we haven't seen anything that looks fair to us."

A "fair trial"??? What a steaming load of horseshit. The real reason for Ms Pelosi's reluctance to get on with the next act of this farce was stated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who denounced the impeachment vote and blasted the Speaker for being "too afraid" to send "their shoddy work product to the Senate."

Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Mr McConnell said, "The framers built the Senate to provide stability, to keep partisan passions from boiling over. Moments like this are why the United States Senate exists." Mr  McConnell is meeting today with his counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), to establish the parameters for the trial in the upper chamber.

Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have now all floated the idea of freezing the House vote where it is, rather than sending the impeachment articles to the Senate, where President Trump would undoubtedly go down in history as being vindicated.

This morning, President Trump took aim at Ms Pelosi for not sending the impeachment articles to the Senate right away. He tweeted, "The Senate shall set the time and place of the trial. If the Do Nothing Democrats decide, in their great wisdom, not to show up, they would lose by Default!"

UPDATE ADDED at 1710 (scraped from Breitbart News): During a press conference on Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stated that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is "admitting defeat" by not sending articles of impeachment over to the Senate.

McCarthy said, "Now, we have the own speaker of the House who is so embarrassed that she admits the failure of this impeachment that she will not even send it to the Senate.… She's admitting defeat by not sending it, by refusing to send the impeachment over, she knows this outcome is not good. She knows the facts are not there. There's no basis for it."

Hong Kong nut-cutting time fast approaching

Looks like the crunch is coming for the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Agent 78 has been following the news closely and reports that, as of this morning (Walt's time) only 100 or so anti-government protesters remain holed up at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, as a police siege of the campus entered its third day.

Carrie Lam, the puppet CEO chosen by the Beijing government, said 600 people, including 200 minors, had left the campus. The police siege, oddly, is intended to prevent the protesters from leaving, so they can be arrested and face "justice", Communist-style. Police have surrounded the university and are arresting anyone who leaves.

On Monday, groups of protesters made several attempts to escape, including sliding down hoses to waiting motorcycles, but it wasn’t clear if they managed to evade arrest. Ms Lam told AP that 400 of the 600 who left were detailed, but that those under 18 were not be immediately arrested but could face charges later. "We will use whatever means to continue to persuade and arrange for these remaining protesters to leave the campus as soon as possible," she said, "so that this whole operation could end in a peaceful manner."

Hong Kong police also announced that they will be treating the death of a man hit by a brick thrown by protesters late on Thursday as murder. Last Friday, pro-democracy protesters blocked a road near the Hong Kong Polytechnic campus, but were dispersed by police forces led by Inspector Charles Chan, using tear gas and water cannons. The president of the university said on Friday that he would call on the "assistance of non-students" if necessary. Sure enough, troops of the so-called People's Liberation Army (read: Chinese regular army) came to clear up the debris and open the road. The message was clear. Today they came with brooms. Tomorrow they will be back with something else.

Here in the decadent imperialist West, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo finally opened his official mouth to state the American non-position on the pro-democracy protests. He called on police and protesters to refrain from violence. Well, he used a few more words than that, without adding much more substance.

On Monday, Mr Pompeo called for all sides to exercise restraint in the escalating Hong Kong conflict, and said the territory's government should start an independent investigation into "incidents" during the pro-democracy protests, now entering their seventh month. That inquiry presumably would include reviewing accusations of police misconduct, one of the key demands of the protesters.

Speaking at a presser in Foggy Bottom, Secretary Pompeo said, the Hong Kong government bears primary responsibility for the conflict, which he said could not be resolved by law enforcement alone. He called for the Hong Kong government to "take clear steps to address public concerns," and stressed that Carrie Lam, the territory's chief executive, should "promote accountability" by putting in place an independent investigation.

What Mr Pompeo did not say was that Ms Lam's hands are tied. She answers not to Hong Kong's toothless Legislative Council, but to the Communist masters in Beijing, who are running out of patience with the Hong Kongers' refusal to embrace the benefits of "democracy with Chinese characteristics". Somehow the Secretary of State managed to get through his entire statement without once uttering the words "Beijing" or "China".

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), on the other hand, said Still-President Trump should make forceful statements on Hong Kong. Speaking in the Senate on Monday, Senator McConnell said leaders in Beijing and Hong Kong must "de-escalate." He said the administration already had "significant tools" it could use to support Hong Kong protesters. "I would encourage this president, who has seen Chinese behaviour for what it is, with clarity that others have lacked, not to shy away from speaking out on Hong Kong himself," Mr McConnell said. "The world should hear from him directly that the United States stands with these brave men and women."

He added he was working to try to bring the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act to a floor vote. The bill, which passed the House by unanimous consent, would mandate the executive branch to impose sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who carry out human rights abuses and review annually the favourable trade status that Washington grants Hong Kong. Mr McConnell has been criticized for delaying a floor vote on the bill. If he can do so now, and the bill passes the Senate (not a sure thing), it will be more than interesting to see what President Trump does with it. Nut-cutting time not just for the Hong Kong protesters but for the leader of the USA and the free world.

Footnote: Looking at the top photo Ed. has chosen for this story, I see that some of the students have obviously been paying attention in English class. As a former teacher of English to Chinese university students, seeing correct use of English in public discourse makes me quietly proud.

"Mexico has got to help us at the border!" tweets POTUS

Earlier this morning, in my report on the findings of a French public opinion poll strongly supporting deportation of Islamic extremists, I opined that the only leader of the so-called Western democracies likely to listen to the people who elected him (or her) is President Donald J. Trump. Now I see by the mojo wire that POTUS is up and on the job, calling on Congress to use the "Nuclear Option if necessary" to keep undesirable migrants out of the USA. Here's what he tweeted while Walt was still asleep.

The President has previously called for the "nuclear option" -- changing Senate rules to end the filibuster -- but establishment Republicans have rejected that option. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republicans will welcome the filibuster when they return to being the Senate minority, something that (IMHO) seems sure to happen if the anti-Trumpers in the GOP persist in their obstructionism.

Mr Trump began tweeting about immigration this past weekend, threatening to pull out of NAFTA unless Mexico does more to stop people from crossing into the United States. Mexico must "stop the big drug and people flows," he said, "or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!"

With a caravan of 1500 potential wetbacks heading north even as I write, strong action to close the border by whatever means would seem to be exactly what the American people want. And President Trump doesn't need a public opinion poll to tell him so!

A year of accomplishment under President Trump

As we hit the 11-month mark in the first presidency of Donald J. Trump, let's be clear about one central truth. MAGA was never going to happen overnight. It will take years to undo the damage done by previous administrations, particularly that of President 0, and realize the hopes and dreams that inspired Americans to elect Mr Trump POTUS. That said, even the lamestream media must admit (although they probably won't) that President Trump has done a tremendous amount of good in the first year of his first term. In Walt's opinion, he fully deserves two thumbs up!

His many detractors, like CBC's Neil Macdonald, want President Trump to fail, even if America goes down with him. They can't bring themselves to admit or even talk about the many good things he's accomplished in less than a year: the small ones (like making it OK to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" again) or the big ones, like pushing through a much-needed tax reform in spite of the opposition of Democrats and the Republican establishment. The fact is that Mr Trump has, in less than a year, done more than his predecessor did in eight years and more than the Republican Establishment did in a decade of controlling Congress!

The aforementioned tax cut and simplification bill will excuse a majority of Americans from personal income tax altogether. 80% of taxpayers will be able to file their returns on a post card. The top personal rate goes down to 37% the corporate rate to 21%. Americans will be able to keep more of the money they earn and put that money back into the economy.

The Democrats keep saying the tax reform will drive the budgetary deficit out of sight. Walt calls BS on that. According to the Federal Reserve, the annual deficit will be eliminated in less than three years and the national debt (as a percentage of GDP) will start to shrink. GDP growth should be close to 4% -- roughly double that of Canada -- generating nearly a trillion dollars of additional production and transactions in 2018 with only minimal inflation.

The result will be the revival of the spirit of entrepreneurship and capitalism, and the end of the Prez's defeatist warnings that the USA must learn to live with a mere 1% annual growth rate and ever-rising numbers of Americans surviving by sucking on the government tit. And, even better, the gap between the USA and China will finally stop narrowing, as America increases its lead as the world's largest economy.

In the first year of President Trump's term, 2,500,000 jobs have been created -- 228,000 jobs last month alone. The jobless rate is at a 17-year low. In 2017, 171,000 manufacturing jobs were created, compared with 16,000 lost in 2016.The unemployment rate is at its lowest this century! And that's not just for whities like Walt, but for Latinos too. Their unemployment rate is down to 4.7%, the lowest since recording started 45 years ago.

And how about the stock market? Since Mr Trump was elected, the Dow has risen by some 5000 points -- almost 30%. New highs have been hit over 15 times, and Walt predicts the Dow will hit 25,000 by New Year's Eve. (Lifetime pct .988.) Energy production has been drastically deregulated and imports of petroleum reduced to a third of the country's needs and falling steadily. And just this week, the bunkum of "climate change" -- the "global warming" that was -- has been taken off the list of threats to America.

Getting the costs of America's so-called health care "system" under control has presented a challenge, sure enough. President Trump said he would sign any health care bill Congress could pass. They tried twice to come up with a replacement for Obamacare, and failed twice. That's not the President's fault, but that of the Republicans in Congress, some of whom (Hello! Mitch McConnell) are working against the President's agenda, for reasons which we can only guess.

In his draft report card on the first year of POTUS' administration, Scott Adams writes that the only way to get a good health care bill is by letting the Republican Congress fail a few times so they become flexible (more bipartisan) later. He predicts that President Trump's potential influence over health care will grow over time as both sides look at a failing Obamacare system and don't want to explain their failure to voters next year.

And finally -- this is just a partial list of achievements -- there's immigration. Prototypes for the components of the Wall have been built and displayed. It will be built! The Department of Homeland Security reports border patrol arrests have dropped to a 45-year low, down 25 percent from this time last year. The millions of aliens who are in the USA illegally or on sufferance are getting nervous and are starting to go home or, like the Haitian "refugees" who've been in America for a decade, heading for Canada, where they'll be welcomed by the Trudeau government, if not the Canadian people.

Neil Macdonald and the other bleeding hearts in the media should realize that American voters didn't elect Donald Trump to be nice. They elected him to get things done. And that's exactly what he's doing.

Footnote from Ed.: The source of most of the statistics presented in this post is this week's (16/12/17) issue of The Economist. Even they, guardians of the liberal progressive ideal, are forced to admit that the outlook for the USA in 2018 is, errr, positive.