Tonight it was reported that individual 1 asked William Barr to hold a press conference and state he (individual 1) hadn’t done anything wrong in his phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky. Somewhat surprisingly Barr apparently declined. In the reporting I saw (“The Last Word” on MSNBC) it wasn’t mentioned this was the exact same thing which got James Comey fired because he refused to say publicly that individual 1 was not under investigation in the “Russia thing.” I don’t think our so-called president will fire Barr, as he’s largely responsible for it taking the Ukraine scandal to put individual 1 in danger of IMPEACHMENT.
If you were one of the (what I call) top 1% – meaning the 1% of Americans who read the Mueller report – you would know this IMPEACHMENT inquiry going on as I’m writing this SHOULD be the second one. However, Barr made certain the Mueller report was “sidelined” via his “summary” right after Mueller finished and his (incredibly problematic) press conference just an hour or so prior to releasing the redacted version of the report. And, of course, he’s worked to prevent the Congress from seeing the redacted portions of the report since that day – so, in effect, Barr prevented Mueller’s report from ending up in an impeachment “inquiry” in the House, which by my reading (I read it twice), was Mueller’s intention.
I haven’t been one to put Mueller into the heroic category some suggested due to his failure to aggressively push for the public to get a clear understanding of what his group came up with. The episodes of OBSTRUCTION of Justice in his report are SERIOUS breaches of our legal system, which Mueller made clear as he explained the seriousness of OBSTRUCTION – but, in my view, he FAILED to follow through in the face of repeated legal VIOLATIONS coming from our so-called president. He said, from the start, he was impeded by the OLC memo which prohibits as sitting president from being indicted. As any BULLY would, individual 1 has pushed THAT boundary to the point where the Congress MUST intercede.
Barr remains the “wild card” here. Even though it’s been reported he refused to hold the press conference stating individual 1 “didn’t do anything wrong,” I DON’T trust him as far as I can throw him. (Which, trust me, isn’t far – like ZERO) Barr has been roaming around the world attempting to validate the very conspiracy theory individual 1 was EXTORTING the Ukrainians over in regard to the so-called “server.” Apparently, individual 1 is referring to a server that would be holding all of Ms. Clinton’s missing emails. They (individual 1 and Barr) seem to be trying to prove the “Russia investigation” originated in Ukraine (despite ALL the evidence pointing directly at the Russians – including the IP addresses of the computers which did the ILLEGAL hacking of the DNC email server and the account of John Podesta.
Barr has a tremendous amount of power and he could come up with some kind of “spying” accusation against members of the intelligence community – with reports in the last week or so suggesting the Prosecuting Attorney (I believe located in Connecticut) has the ability to file criminal charges in relation to the beginnings of the “Russia thing.” They still don’t believe the story of George Papadopoulus spilling his guts to an Australian diplomat in a drunken episode in London – which this diplomat reported to the FBI. Papadopoulus admitting the Russians had the DNC emails and were going to release them during the campaign is what morphed into the Russia thing.”
Mueller pointed this out, but Barr is traipsing the world attempting to create an alleged crime, in my view, where he can indict someone like John Brennan or Andy McCabe,to take the focus off the IMPEACHMENT hearings, giving outlets like Fox “news” (noise) the ability to take the focus of individual 1’s base off the hearings allowing republicans to more easily vote to acquit individual 1in the Senate. I actually will be surprised if Barr does not intercede on individual 1’s behalf. Barr is simply proof that the reason so many republicans are staying “in line” with individual 1 is due to his willingness to attempt to LIE himself out of any situation arising from his belief he’s above the law. It’s becoming apparent to me republicans view the constitution as nothing more than an impediment to their objective of turning America into a quasi fascist/corporatocracy which is run by the very “deep state” they claim to be “draining.”
As time has kept moving, today is the date of the first public impeachment hearing and I’m listening to Ambassador Bill Taylor as I’m typing this. Right before Mr. Taylor and the other witness George Kent gave their opening statements the republicans showed their “plan” to try turning this hearing into another spectacle – similar to what they accomplished when Cory Lewandowski appeared before the Judicial Committee regarding issues emanating from the Mueller investigation. Devin Nunez is an embarrassment to those of us who are old enough to remember when LYING in public would be looked upon VERY unfavorably by both parties. Then, one by one republicans made “point of order” interruptions to Chairman of the committee Adam Schiff’s opening remarks making it clear they don’t like being in the minority – without saying it with those words.
They accused Mr. Schiff of knowing who the “whistleblower” is and that he had met with the whistleblower prior to both their meeting today AND also before the complaint was actually submitted (according to the whistleblower law). They all know these accusations are FALSE. The republicans want to be able to question the whistleblower and are clearly attempting to make his/her identification public – which, obviously, violates the whistleblower act. Just their attempts to “out” the whistleblower – who’s views are clearly not needed at this point because his complaint has been corroborated many times over by witnesses who are/will be testifying in these public hearings – will likely impede future whistleblowers from coming forward.
Ambassador Taylor’s opening remarks are clearly creating a dark picture of individual 1’s “shakedown” of Ukraine’s newly elected president who is attempting to rally his nation in their FIGHT against the Russians where over 14,000 Ukrainians have DIED attempting to make the separation from what was the former “Soviet Union” – essentially – complete. The suspension of the military aid to Ukraine had the potential to cause MORE Ukrainians to DIE. Just the FACT the Russians are aware of the unmitigated support of the United States to Ukraine’s future and freedom may lead to a quicker end to the war. Part of the strength the Ukrainians have in ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the support of the U.S. and our European Allies.
This entire incident has the “stink” of individual 1’s relationship with Vladimir Putin where it appears Putin has “something” on individual 1 which has led to our so-called president appearing to doing Russia’s “bidding” over and over – which would include this EXTORTION of President Zelensky of Ukraine. This entire Ukrainian scandal seems to me to simply be an extension of the “Russian thing” where individual 1 OPENLY asked the Russians to help him find Hillary Clinton’s “missing emails.” Individual 1, since this scandal “broke out,” has publicly endorsed the FACT the believes it’s OK to solicit help on his campaigns from foreign governments DESPITE the FACT he clearly has been informed this behavior is ILLEGAL. It is a clear violation of FEC (Federal Election Commission) regulations (laws).
Both Ambassadors Taylor and Kent, in their opening statements, have been impressive. I put the computer (streaming on CNN) on pause for a bit so I could make a couple of my “first impression” observations. First, I can see from the look in Adam Schiff’s eyes he’s determined to prevent the republicans from turning these hearings into a “s@#t show.” At the same time, it’s clear the republicans are going to focus on many issues none of which are related to the substance of the allegations against our so-called president. Both of the first two witnesses have made it clear they were witnessing a complete “shakedown” (mafia style – my observation) of the newly elected Ukrainian president. And, they’ve tied the scheme directly back to individual 1 (Reminder: As stated above, he admitted on the “White House” lawn “he did it”).
Another first observation: As I’ve said in relation to this entire national nightmare, Devin Nunez has been auditioning for a terrible place in the American History books. His opening statement was a rambling, nonsensical compilation of republican “talking points” which have been foisted on “we the people” since the first day we learned individual 1 was really as inept and immoral as was indicated in the 2016 campaign. Many of the republicans who lambasted him back then are on the “front lines” attempting to rationalize his ILLEGAL behavior every day in our nation’s capital. And, Nunez is often times “leading the charge.”
For these hearings, the republicans “temporarily” have put another “hit-man” Jim Jordan (Sadly, from Ohio where my extended family resided for several generations prior to my parents moving to Washington right after WW II – Jordan has his own set of “deplorable” baggage which, apparently, republicans are willing to accept – so much for “the party of family values”) on to this committee. Jordan is likely to be attempting to be the stimulus for the “s@#t show” I referenced above. This is appearing to be a battle of wills with Schiff on the spot to run the hearing in an appropriate manner with the substance of the allegations driving the questioning.
Well, after the first time I listened to Jordan doing exactly what I expected him to be doing I had had enough of the hearing. Everything which was being said, except for one phone call, was stuff I had heard already. Ambassador Taylor reported that a member of his staff had, at a restaurant in Kiev, heard Gordon Sondland on a phone call with individual 1 where our so-called president told his (Taylor’s) assistant he (individual 1) cared more about getting “dirt” on Joe Biden than about the future of Ukraine – it really says all you need to hear. Other than to wonder where else is individual 1 using his power at the helm of the United States to extort assets which benefit himself.
Final Thought: Today, while the IMPEACHMENT hearings were underway, individual 1 was meeting with Erdogan of Turkey, another of the world’s dictators who he openly admires. It was Erdogan on the other end of the phone call which led to Turkey INVADING Syria’s Kurdish region dislocating hundreds of thousands of the very Kurds who helped America’s forces in the battle against ISIS – essentially ceding the Kurdish “home” to the Turks – who not only pushed so many out of their homes but KILLED over 250 Kurds as they moved in – some of them in the same manner of ISIS which caused so many around the world to be repulsed.
Here’s what’s going through my head as I’m thinking about this. While the IMPEACHMENT hearing is related to individual 1’s willingness to cede Ukraine to the Russians by holding the support – which, by the way, without the whistleblower coming forward, likely would NOT have been sent to Ukraine because the aid was released just days ahead of the end of the fiscal year where it would have been “ash canned” due to fiscal rules in out government. Had individual 1 NOT been “caught” who knows what would be going on in Ukraine right now?
In fact, it was reported that Ukraine’s President Zelensky was about to “beg” for the assistance in a CNN interview by telling individual 1 what he wanted because they were so desperate for this aid. Well, stop and think about all this. What do you think is going on with Turkey? What did individual 1 “get” in order for Erdogan to get his meeting in the “White House?” Do you really think the only place our so-called president is “cheating” for his personal benefit is in Ukraine? I personally believe “we the people” will be learning about his ILLEGAL behavior long after he has left the “White House.” (Some are suggesting he won’t leave even after being voted out of office if it takes that to get him “gone.”