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riversedge

(70,342 posts)
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:10 AM Feb 2020

Group of GOP senators tried to stop Trump from Sondland ouster: report

Source: the hill





By Marty Johnson - 02/08/20 09:12 PM EST


A group of Republican senators attempted to stop President Trump from ousting U.S. Ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland this week, though the president removed the now-former diplomat from his post anyway, sources told The New York Times.

According to the paper's sources, the group of GOP senators – Susan Collins (Maine), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Martha McSally (Ariz.) and Ron Johnson (Wisc.) – thought the ousting of Sondland would look bad, especially since he was already in talks senior officials about leaving his post after the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial.

However, on Friday, State Department officials informed Sondland that he needed to resign by the end of the day.

Sondland pushed back, reportedly saying that if they wanted him gone on Friday, they would have to remove him. The president then recalled him from his post, effective immediately the newspaper reported.

The announcement of Sondland's ouster came just hours after National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman and his twin brother were removed from their posts..........................

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/482197-group-of-gop-senators-tried-to-stop-trump-from-sondland-ouster-report



Interesting that Sondland pushed back.
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Group of GOP senators tried to stop Trump from Sondland ouster: report (Original Post) riversedge Feb 2020 OP
Collins was very concerned underpants Feb 2020 #1
But that's okay PatSeg Feb 2020 #11
Her only concern was that it would look bad. eShirl Feb 2020 #13
I'm sure she was also shocked and dismayed. WinstonSmith4740 Feb 2020 #15
AND disappointed! Drahthaardogs Feb 2020 #37
No, they did NOT "try to stop him"! Everyone knew the twisted vindictive bag of pus Atticus Feb 2020 #2
Impeachment would've stopped him. But they voted no. Spare me. SharonAnn Feb 2020 #40
sondland is (was?) a bug donor to repubs rampartc Feb 2020 #3
Worried about donors but not those that earned purple hearts. dem4decades Feb 2020 #4
Came to say this. mahina Feb 2020 #42
So, he fires a celebrated veteran with a Scarsdale Feb 2020 #5
From the original NYT article... Eugene Feb 2020 #17
This should tell us all WHAT IS IMPORTANT to GOP. The BIG money donors. Not vets with Purple Hearts. usaf-vet Feb 2020 #18
Hopefully, voters will show THEM Scarsdale Feb 2020 #19
This should also tell us what is important to the MANIC in the WH. Simple, CHILDISH BULLING REVENGE! usaf-vet Feb 2020 #22
Trump's not even a good mobster SCantiGOP Feb 2020 #6
That's so true PatSeg Feb 2020 #12
HaHa! McSally's getting nervous, as she ought to be. Mike 03 Feb 2020 #7
If I hadn't had a big rash of expenditures last month, still trying to catch up ... mr_lebowski Feb 2020 #30
Is it just a coincidence that those Senators are all vulnerable in the general election in November? Aristus Feb 2020 #8
These 4 thought it would "look bad"!! Oh that is a rich vein bucolic_frolic Feb 2020 #9
Sondland pushed back probably because.... paleotn Feb 2020 #10
These 4 thought Rebl2 Feb 2020 #14
What a bunch of chicken spit a$$hats!!! overleft Feb 2020 #16
Liars Nasruddin Feb 2020 #20
Oh cry me a river. Those are the same senators who validated his illegal behaviors by voting totodeinhere Feb 2020 #21
So, this tells me Scarsdale Feb 2020 #23
Sondland is a pretty smart guy. sdfernando Feb 2020 #25
I give a FFOARD about Sondland; He bought his ticket on Trump's train, but they (the Senators) aka-chmeee Feb 2020 #24
thom thillis is so thilly NRaleighLiberal Feb 2020 #26
"would look bad" ... their only concern is about appearances, not outcome... NotHardly Feb 2020 #27
Exactly. Owl Feb 2020 #39
The time to stop Trump was during the vote. Any fool knew that. n/t Pobeka Feb 2020 #28
I thought for sure, he's be gone the day he testified. dewsgirl Feb 2020 #29
Trump's firing will Backfire. djacq Feb 2020 #31
This message was self-deleted by its author djacq Feb 2020 #32
Those four could have helped to stop this before it happened... SeattleVet Feb 2020 #33
Too late--they released the Kraken--they own it! RestoreAmerica2020 Feb 2020 #34
So I hear they are all scared that IQ45 will hang a derogatory name on them Doitnow Feb 2020 #35
They had their chance to stop him. lonely bird Feb 2020 #36
No, no they did not. Dithering over and by Republicans "thinking about doing the right thing NotHardly Feb 2020 #38
trump spits at a million $ donor who got an ambassador's seat. mpcamb Feb 2020 #41
BS click bait. Republicans have no loyalty or ethics unless it is about them... and then none at all NotHardly Feb 2020 #43

WinstonSmith4740

(3,059 posts)
15. I'm sure she was also shocked and dismayed.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 12:40 PM
Feb 2020
She could never imagine he was capable of revenge. And he learned his lesson. Had she known he would do this with the unfettered power she helped hand him, she may have re-thought the issue. It wouldn't have changed her vote, but she would have been able to look pensive for the cameras for a couple of days.

Atticus

(15,124 posts)
2. No, they did NOT "try to stop him"! Everyone knew the twisted vindictive bag of pus
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:16 AM
Feb 2020

was going to lash out like the spoiled man-baby he is. And, STILL, they voted to acquit!

Put that "we tried to stop him" where the moon don't shine!

rampartc

(5,439 posts)
3. sondland is (was?) a bug donor to repubs
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:22 AM
Feb 2020

his dependents (tillis of n c for 1) want to stay on his good side.

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)
5. So, he fires a celebrated veteran with a
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:28 AM
Feb 2020

chest full of medals plus his twin brother, and that is just fine? Sondland, who donated $1 million to the orange anus's campaign then spends over $1 million of taxpayer money renovating the embassy deserves a protest? Little supple brained Susie Collins is so transparent, I guess she likely got permission from on high to protest this firing? I hope this crew gets fired from their positions in November by the taxpayers.

Eugene

(61,964 posts)
17. From the original NYT article...
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 12:48 PM
Feb 2020
Republican Senators Tried to Stop Trump From Firing Impeachment Witness

The senators did not express the same concern about Colonel Vindman, who is viewed less sympathetically by the president’s allies. Republicans considered some of Colonel Vindman’s comments during his testimony overtly political and, in any case, believed it was untenable for him to remain on the staff of a president with whom he broke so publicly.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/08/us/politics/trump-vindman-sondland-fired.html

They feared that a full-scale massacre would look bad. However, they see Vindman as expendable.

usaf-vet

(6,215 posts)
18. This should tell us all WHAT IS IMPORTANT to GOP. The BIG money donors. Not vets with Purple Hearts.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:00 PM
Feb 2020
They are all money-grubbing cowards who do not deserve to spend one more minute as a U.S. Senator let alone another term.

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)
19. Hopefully, voters will show THEM
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:01 PM
Feb 2020

exactly who is "expendable" come Nov. Defending a so-called president who has no core values is not a good look. Lt. Col Vindman has more courage than the entire gop combined. Who knows, maybe he is relieved to leave that den of fools. A disciplined military man would be appalled at the way that WH is being run. Everyone walking on eggshells afraid to upset the toddler in chief. Who would want to work there? The place will need fumigating when we get HIM out. The odor of spray tan, hair spray and hamberders must be overwhelming.

usaf-vet

(6,215 posts)
22. This should also tell us what is important to the MANIC in the WH. Simple, CHILDISH BULLING REVENGE!
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:08 PM
Feb 2020

Is this a learned lesson Suzy C.? The rest of the sane world knew you were a stupid cowardly person. You do not deserve to be sitting in Congress.

SCantiGOP

(13,874 posts)
6. Trump's not even a good mobster
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:28 AM
Feb 2020

Hasn’t he heard “keep your enemies close?”
Rather than have them angry and on the outside, he could have just left them in their positions with nothing to do until after the election.
Let’s hope Sondland decides he wants some revenge and notoriety and goes for a book deal.

PatSeg

(47,640 posts)
12. That's so true
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:53 AM
Feb 2020

He really isn't good at much of anything, which makes his power over most of the republican establishment mind-boggling!

Mike 03

(16,616 posts)
7. HaHa! McSally's getting nervous, as she ought to be.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:32 AM
Feb 2020

Time for another letter to my soon-to-be ex-senator.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
30. If I hadn't had a big rash of expenditures last month, still trying to catch up ...
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:48 PM
Feb 2020

I'd donate to Kelly today. Gonna have to wait til later in the month.

One of those was my passport book and card. All told almost $180 at the PO. DANG.

Aristus

(66,474 posts)
8. Is it just a coincidence that those Senators are all vulnerable in the general election in November?
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:33 AM
Feb 2020

n/t

bucolic_frolic

(43,356 posts)
9. These 4 thought it would "look bad"!! Oh that is a rich vein
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:49 AM
Feb 2020

These 4 only worried about reelection. The other 49 of them presumably didn't think a twit about it.

paleotn

(17,989 posts)
10. Sondland pushed back probably because....
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:50 AM
Feb 2020

he doesn't view IQ45 as a superior. He's a rich guy too and might figure they're both in the same club. Wrong!! Collins, Tillis, et. al. pushed back for political purposes only. They have no problem with dictatorship as long as they get to keep their cushy jobs.

Nasruddin

(754 posts)
20. Liars
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:04 PM
Feb 2020

Nah, those 4 are doing what the boss is doing - lying.
They're quite happy with what's going on, but they have local problems.

Strategic story-planting to try to manipulate naive voters not wise to the big con.

That's my guestimate.

totodeinhere

(13,059 posts)
21. Oh cry me a river. Those are the same senators who validated his illegal behaviors by voting
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:06 PM
Feb 2020

to acquit him. Give me a break. They should have known that he would extract revenge against anyone he perceived as crossing him.

sdfernando

(4,947 posts)
25. Sondland is a pretty smart guy.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:32 PM
Feb 2020

Intelligent enough to see that these are 4 Senators in trouble and that their only concern is their re-election. I doubt he will be donating to any of them.

I actually don’t think, going forward, he will donate to any reThug running for federal office. He may not donate to any Democrats but if he keeps his money from the gop that’s a start.

aka-chmeee

(1,132 posts)
24. I give a FFOARD about Sondland; He bought his ticket on Trump's train, but they (the Senators)
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:25 PM
Feb 2020

thought the treatment of the Vindman twins was justified? Crocodile tears for Sondland just because he is a rich republican donor.

NotHardly

(1,062 posts)
27. "would look bad" ... their only concern is about appearances, not outcome...
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 01:33 PM
Feb 2020
Now this, this is 'Fake News', fake as their pearl clutching after the fact... they are continuing to be the cowards and liars they proved themselves to be during the votes.

djacq

(1,634 posts)
31. Trump's firing will Backfire.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 02:01 PM
Feb 2020

These individuals, like Lt Col Vindman and Gordon Sondland may have more information on Trump's corruption that was outside the impeachment.

Response to riversedge (Original post)

SeattleVet

(5,480 posts)
33. Those four could have helped to stop this before it happened...
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 02:24 PM
Feb 2020

by voting to allow the witnesses and other evidence against him to be presented to the entire Senate, and then being impartial and voting to convict the asshole.

Doitnow

(1,103 posts)
35. So I hear they are all scared that IQ45 will hang a derogatory name on them
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 03:38 PM
Feb 2020

if they dare to expose him in any way. Doesn't that sound like a bunch of second-graders? Why don't you try "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me?" That might work. Put him in his place.

----- Honestly, I never imagined such a large group of so-called senators of the United States following a purely disgusting (I can't believe I'm calling him a) human being. Wimps, every last one of them. Now good people are losing their jobs, careers and worse, because they had the courage to confront him during hearings. Hopefully, some of those senators will experience the same fate in Nov. I like that phrase Adam Shiff made that ReThug senators will be wrapped in steel chains to Trump forever for that vote of acquittal. (or something like that)

VOTE, people, Vote

NotHardly

(1,062 posts)
38. No, no they did not. Dithering over and by Republicans "thinking about doing the right thing
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 08:41 PM
Feb 2020
is neither true nor accurate. This is all just things under the 'big tent show' and therefore, political theater not effort.

mpcamb

(2,878 posts)
41. trump spits at a million $ donor who got an ambassador's seat.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 10:15 PM
Feb 2020

Sondland is pretty much emblematic of the quality of people he put in charge.
No background, no expertise, untrained, new money.
But he crossed him so off with his head.

While that scares rank (oh, SO rank!) repubs, it's also a signal about how unhinged and loosely packaged he is. He'll keep it up in spite of his handlers, so we should be ready to pounce when he again steps over the line...

Not a question of IF, only WHEN.


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