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It’s All Too Absurd

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 09: House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) speaks at a public impeachment inquiry hearing with the House Judiciary Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on... WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 09: House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) speaks at a public impeachment inquiry hearing with the House Judiciary Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill December 9, 2019 in Washington, DC. The hearing is being held for the Judiciary Committee to formally receive evidence in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, whom Democrats say held back military aid for Ukraine while demanding they investigate his political rivals. The White House declared it would not participate in the hearing. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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December 10, 2019 8:53 a.m.
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I saw a few emails from TPM Readers yesterday evening arguing that yesterday’s hearing didn’t go well for the Democrats and hasn’t gone well generally since the action moved to the Judiciary committee. I don’t know whether I believe that or not. I suspect most TPM Readers are watching far too closely to get a sense of how this all seems to loosely committed or only partially attentive voters. But let me share with you my own reaction: I had difficulty watching yesterday’s proceedings because I simply find the whole exercise too absurd. I skipped most of it.

This entire exercise comes down to whether or not a President can solicit bribes from foreign heads of state, whether he or she can demand that foreign governments intervene in U.S. presidential elections to help them hold on to power. You either think that is okay or you don’t.

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