Focus impeachment on Ukraine shakedown and cover-up

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By Eugene Robinson / The Washington Post

The impeachment of Donald Trump need not be a long, drawn-out affair. Speaker Nancy Pelosi could bring articles of impeachment to the floor of the House within weeks; or she could leave the president twisting slowly in the wind. Her call.

That Trump committed at least one impeachable offense is not in question. He unilaterally withheld $391 million in military aid that Congress had authorized for Ukraine, which is menaced by Vladimir Putin’s Russia. During a July 25 phone call, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his eagerness to acquire U.S. anti-tank missiles for his military. Having pointed out that the United States already does “a lot for Ukraine,” Trump responded to Zelensky’s request for more missiles not with a yes or a no, but with a condition: “I would like you to do us a favor though.”

The “favor” included working with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and Attorney General William Barr to conduct an investigation of Joe Biden — shown by polls to be Trump’s most formidable opponent in the coming election — and his son Hunter.

All of this is clearly laid out in the memorandum of the Trump-Zelensky conversation that the Trump administration released Wednesday. Despite repeatedly claiming it was a “perfect” phone call, Trump has handed the House all it needs for a single article of impeachment charging him with abuse of power. Republicans will argue that it’s just fine for the president to conduct foreign policy in the manner of a two-bit mafia boss. Lots of luck with that.

Since the evidence is public and undisputed, impeachment on that one charge could be wrapped up within weeks. There’s one problem, though. At least one other offense almost surely has to be investigated: the apparent cover-up of the attempted Ukraine shakedown.

According to the whistleblower’s complaint that brought the Trump-Zelensky phone call to light — a complaint judged “urgent” and “credible” by the inspector general for the intelligence community — White House officials tried to “lock down” records of the conversation and confined the full transcript to an electronic system reserved for only the most highly classified information, such as covert operations. That is not how phone calls between the president and world leaders are usually handled, and it suggests two things: that Trump’s aides knew what the president was doing was wrong, and that they tried to cover it up.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/robinson-focus-impeachment-on-ukraine-shakedown-and-cover-up/

[empedocles]

1. A clearcut, very well developed, very widely distributed, 'SMOKING GUN' is essential

[sprinkleeninow]

2. This. Now I have it in a nutshell. 👍

[empedocles]

4. We all need to take that SMOKING GUN 'nutshell;, have it at the ready, flash it

out it out anytime for the next 14 months - so more people can take it to any quick dispute, any time, right into the voting booth.

[I use it - it works]!

[ritapria]

3. The problem with focusing on Ukraine

Assholes Like Lindsey Graham are already saying: "It would be insane to impeach this President because of one phone call "

[empedocles]

6. The smoking gun is far more than 1 phone call.

[BlueWI]

5. I agree with Robinson frequently, but not this time.

Impeachment should document all verifiable high crimes and misdemeanors to provide public transparency and future deterrence. Politically, multiple charges preempt any "is that all you got" responses.

Trying to make this process tidy is a fantasy. The preference for tidy process is taken advantage of repeatedly by Trump and his cronies.

[empedocles]

7. The 'smoking gun' is clearly understood - if needed the smoking gun is armed with a

magazine with more bullets than you can imagine.

[I imagine the Charlie Sheen Rambo parody movie scene, in which Charlie shoots so many bullets, the bullet shells pile up waist high and start sinking the raft Sheen is shooting from. ]

[BlueWI]

10. I avoid firearm imagery, even in jest

but I take your point that there are plenty of options to establish high crimes and misdemeanors.

[sprinkleeninow]

12. Wouldn't a smoking gun be more evidential pertaining to 'their side'?

Like evidence of firearm residue re: crime perpetrator? That's how I understood the term to mean.

But I learn things daily even at this stage of the game. 😊

[BlueWI]

14. I made an "I" statement based on a previous post.

No more parsing needed, IMO.

[sprinkleeninow]

8. What I've seen thus far, I need to put my trust in the strategy that our

committees have in mind to implement the proceedings of impeachment. Who knows, they may include add'l charges. They're privy to much more than we.

I do pray and so believe: for Divine wisdom, guidance, clearly stated/unequivocal delivery, protection and success in their undertaking of this critical matter.

[BlueWI]

9. They probably do have more information.

But like management everywhere, they make mistakes. It's a unique role to be a democratic citizen and have an oversight role, to the point of independent judgment and voting people out of office when conscience dictates.

I join you in hopes for a result that moves us forward.

[sprinkleeninow]

11. I had a feeling that it would get so progressively bad, to what point I had no

conception. But something really egregious that came to light and 'wrote the ticket'. This Ukraine thing was it I surmise.

I really feel for our representatives presently. Can't envision myself in their shoes. They chose their vocation and could be of the fiber necessary to carry on what is required/expected of them. Seeking truth, boldness, diligence, perserverance.

[BlueWI]

15. I'm sure it's an extraordinary amount of pressure.

Electing a gangster will do that.

Even local electeds face extremely reprehensible behavior. It's the times we live in.

[Marcuse]

13. I want his secret cyber surrender included. He broke his oath.