On the Impeachment Inquiry

The whistle-blower complaint appears to be the tipping point.

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?” Donald Trump on the campaign trail, Jan 23, 2016 (CNN)

(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) - On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump boasted, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?” He mimicked firing a gun with his fingers, “It’s, like, incredible.”

We now know how prescient he was. The lesson we learned since Trump became president that if lying and stonewalling work, and your own party is too afraid to challenge you, stick with the plan. As a result, Trump has so far been beyond the reach of the law.

The situation may have changed after the whistle-blower complaint reported to be centered on Trump's communications with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, pressuring him to investigate presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden in return for the release of $391 million in Congressional-approved military aid to Ukraine.

Trump admitted holding up the Ukraine aid and did ask them to investigate Joe Biden and his son but claimed it was because the cheapskate Europeans were not paying their fair share and he asked for the investigation because he was very worried about political corruption in the U.S. The military aid was ultimately released to the Ukraine.

Now the House has to pry loose a copy of the whistle-blower complaint.

This appears to be the tipping point for enough Democrats in the House to support impeachment. Thus, on September 20, 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced, "The actions of the Trump presidency revealed the dishonorable fact of the president's betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security, and betrayal of the integrity of our elections.

"Therefore, today I'm announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.”

Stay tuned.