Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent
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The United States House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Donald Trump (R). The House cast votes this evening on two proposed articles of impeachment that were referred by the House Judiciary Committee late last week.

The first article, which alleges abuse of power, passed by a 230-197-1 vote. The vote was largely along party lines. All but three House Democrats and one independent voted to impeach. Of the three Democrats not supporting impeachment, two voted against and one voted “present.” All Republicans voted against.

The second article, which alleges obstruction of Congress, passed by a 229-198-1 vote. This, too, was largely along party lines. All but four House Democrats and one independent voted to impeach. Of the four Democrats not supporting impeachment, three voted against and one voted “present.” Again, all Republicans voted against.

Only two previous presidents have been impeached—President Andrew Johnson (D) in 1868 and President Bill Clinton (D) in 1998. Both were acquitted in Senate trials, and no president has ever been removed from office. Articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon (R) passed the House Judiciary Committee in 1974 but Nixon resigned before they could be considered by the full House.

The U.S. Senate must now hold an impeachment trial, which would be presided over by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. It would require a vote by a two-thirds super-majority of Senators to convict and remove the president from office.

Impeachment Articles Pass Committee

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Two proposed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump (R) have passed the House Judiciary Committee on a straight party-line vote, with all Democrats voting in favor and all Republicans voting against. The articles will now head to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

The first article alleges that Trump abused the power of the presidency for personal political gain. It claims that Trump used a suspension of U.S. military aid and an offer of a state meeting at the White House to entice the government of Ukraine to launch investigations of Hunter Biden’s employment at Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, and Ukraine interference in the 2016 election. Hunter Biden is the son of former Vice President Joe Biden (D), a Democratic Party candidate for president who may face Trump in the 2020 election.

The second article alleges that Trump obstructed Congress by defying, and instructing other executive branch officials to defy, subpoenas duly issued by the House of Representatives in the course of its impeachment investigations. Executive branch officials may assert executive privilege over particular testimony and documents, or invoke their Fifth Amendment right not to testify, but a blanket refusal by a president to cooperate with a congressional investigation is unprecedented and has not yet been tested in the courts.

The House of Representatives will now take-up consideration of the proposed articles. If the House votes by simple majority to impeach, Trump will be tried in the U.S. Senate. It would require a vote by a two-thirds super-majority of Senators to convict and remove the president from office. The House has not considered formal articles of impeachment against a president since articles were proposed against President Bill Clinton (D) in 1998. Clinton was later impeached, but was acquitted by the U.S. Senate and remained in office until the end of his term.

Election 2019 Results (Final)

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Ballot Races
Virginia Senate, 13th
John Bell (D):54.26%
Geary Higgins (R):45.63%
Other:0.12%
Virginia House, 87th
Bill Drennan Jr. (R):37.91%
Suhas Subramanyam (D):62.00%
Other:0.09%
Loudoun Board, Chairman
Robert Ohneiser (I):4.03%
Phyllis Randall (D):56.68%
John Whitbeck Jr. (R):39.15%
Other:0.14%
Loudoun Board, Dulles
Matt Letourneau (R):61.56%
Sree Nagireddi (D):38.26%
Other:0.18%
Loudoun Comm. Attorney
Buta Biberaj (D):51.18%
M. Nicole Wittmann (R):48.72%
Other:0.10%
Loudoun Sheriff
Mike Chapman (R):54.64%
Justin Hannah (D):45.14%
Other:0.22%
Loudoun Revenue Comm.
Sri Amudhanar (D):44.50%
Bob Wertz Jr. (R):55.41%
Other:0.10%
Loudoun Treasurer
Kannan Srinivasan (D):42.29%
H. Roger Zurn Jr. (R):57.62%
Other:0.09%
Loudoun Sch. Board, At-Large
Denise Corbo:48.97%
Kenya Savage:11.55%
Julie Sisson:39.18%
Other:0.31%
Loudoun Sch. Board, Dulles
Jeff Morse:97.20%
Other:2.80%
Loudoun S&W Conservation
John Flannery II:24.05%
George Melik-Agamirian:11.63%
Marina Schumacher:18.02%
Jimmy Singh:15.13%
Michelle Thomas:24.59%
James Wylie:6.28%
Other:0.30%
Ballot Issues
Loudoun School Bonds
Yes:72.69%
No:27.31%
Loudoun Safety Bonds
Yes:82.38%
No:17.62%
Loudoun Parks Bonds
Yes:70.40%
No:29.60%
Loudoun Transp. Bonds
Yes:81.53%
No:18.47%

Read more . . .

I Voted; Did You?

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I Voted
I Voted

I voted this morning at my polling place in South Riding, Virginia. If you are a U.S. citizen who is eligible to vote, and elections are being held in your locality, you should go to the polls today too.

There are many important races on the ballot today. In Virginia, our entire state Senate and House of Delegates are up for election, as are many local boards of supervisors, school boards, and local constitutional officers like sheriffs and commonwealth’s attorneys. By some measures, these are more important to our day-to-day lives than the high-profile national elections in other years.

Take the time to research the candidates and issues on your ballot and make informed choices. Don’t let anybody tell you that your vote doesn’t matter. Don’t let anybody tell you that your choice is wrong. No informed vote is a wasted vote.

And let’s respect one another. I’ve made my choices—and I encourage you to read my reasons why. You are free to make yours. I may not agree with you, but as long as you have seriously considered your choices, I respect them. I hope you’ll offer me the same courtesy in return.

Please come back to Off on a Tangent this evening for live results from the races that I am following.

Virginia General Assembly, 2019

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Seal of Virginia
Seal of Virginia

The Virginia General Assembly is composed of two houses, the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate. Members of the House of Delegates serve two-year terms, and members of the Senate serve four-year terms, elected at a two-year offset from our gubernatorial elections. This year, both houses are standing for election.

British colonists established what is now called the General Assembly in 1619 at Jamestown, where it was called the House of Burgesses. It moved to Williamsburg in 1699, and then became the General Assembly in 1776 when the American colonies declared independence. It moved to Richmond when that city became the state capital in 1780.

The Virginia General Assembly is the oldest legislative body in the western hemisphere.

Read more . . .

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.