{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Yes","color":"#624960","stance":"yes"},{"text":"Maybe","color":"#edb723","stance":"maybe"},{"text":"No","color":"#4ac6ec","stance":"no"}],"id":41558,"title":"Dershowitz: 'Quid Pro Quo Alone Is Not a Basis for Abuse of Power' - Do You Agree?","html_content":"\n

by Countable's Trump Impeachment Coverage | 1.28.20

What's the story?

Is withholding aid in exchange for probes impeachable?
Some Republicans are conceding that President Donald Trump may have withheld Ukraine aid in exchange for investigations—but that this is not an impeachable offense.
\"Nothing in the Bolton revelations - even if true - would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense,\" said Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz.
Dershowitz was referring to former national security adviser John Bolton, who alleges in his forthcoming book that the president explicitly told him $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine was conditioned on investigations into Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden.

Dershowitz added:

\"Quid pro quo alone is not a basis for abuse of power, it's part of the way foreign policy has been operated by presidents since the beginning of time.\"

GOP members of the Senate concurred: \"I don't think the testimony of Ambassador Bolton would be helpful because I basically am in agreement with the very scholarly approach that Mr. Dershowitz took that there's no article there that's grounds for impeachment and removal,\" said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Wicker added:

\"Do I agree with everything every president has done? No. Does that include this President? Yes,\" Wicker said. \"But the question is not whether, I think, a phone call was perfect, or whether something was advisable or not. The question is: Is this an impeachable offense?\"

Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R):

\"If you are going to start impeaching presidents for doing what's within their power but for which they have political benefit, than I think impeachment is going to become the new norm.\"

What do you think?

Is quid pro quo an impeachable offense? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

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Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":44850,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1529,"following_count":81,"position_count":539,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1178199,"body":"$391 million for fighting corruption is a quid pro quo that is the national interest and acceptable. $391 million and a White House meeting if you will announce an investigation of my political opponent is a quid pro quo only in Trump’s interest and harms our national security. Our allies think we are corrupt and Russia sees an opportunity. 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