With two weeks of public testimony that ripped holes in the foolish arguments being made by Trump and the Republican Party, it’s time to discuss where things stand.
Here are my current thoughts about the impeachment presented in no particular order.
- I strongly believe Trump committed bribery. Bribery is one of the express reasons for impeachment listed in the Constitution.
- I would draft articles of impeachment for bribery, abuse of power, obstructing justice, and obstructing Congress.
- The obstruction of justice article would be based on the 10 counts of obstruction presented in Mueller’s report.
- Some witnesses were better than others. All of them added something important to the case.
- Gordon Sondland bought his ambassadorship for a million dollars. After staring down perjury, admitting he was part of a terrible bit of corruption, demonstrating for everyone how much of a fool he is, and being attacked by both sides, Sondland should wish he stayed at his hotel business. Still, his testimony to the existence of the quid pro quo and the emails he shared implicating Pompeo, Perry, and Pence were critical.
- Sondland’s emails and the documents released by the Department of State showing Pompeo was in contact with Rudy Giuliani around the time Yovanovitch was forced from her post and falsely attacked, should result in Pompeo being removed from office and investigated for possible crimes. In the Trump administration, there is no chance of that happening.
- If Mulvaney, Pompeo, Pence, Perry, and Giuliani could protect Trump without perjuring themselves, they would be testifying.
- If the government had documents supporting any of Trump’s stupid arguments, those documents would have been released. Sondland couldn’t access his notes and records because they would have done more damage to Trump.
- The idea that Sondland and Volker didn’t realize an investigation of Burisma was intended to get dirt on the Bidens is impossible to believe. Giuliani was all over television talking about it. The papers ran loads of stories talking about the absurdity Republicans regularly discussed.
- Some Ukrainian officials did express support for Clinton prior to the election, but they did so after Trump said he wasn’t against Russia annexing Crimea. Whatever Ukraine did to support Clinton was nothing compared to Russia’s efforts to support Trump.
- David Holmes’s testimony about overhearing Sondland talking to Trump about a possible Ukrainian investigation of the Bidens was very credible. Holmes was much more believable and sure than was Sondland. Also, Trump discussed the investigation with President Zelensky of Ukraine the day before.
- Neither call record shows Trump discussing Ukrainian corruption with Zelensky.
- The call summary released by the White House on April 21 that mentioned the presidents discussing corruption was false.
- Congress was told about the whistleblower on September ninth. September ninth was also the day Trump told Sondland there was no quid pro quo.
- The Republican argument that no one can directly connect Trump to the withholding of money to Ukraine is pathetic. Mulvaney, Pompeo, Perry, and maybe Pence all know a lot. None of them are testifying to what they know.
- The Republican Party is a bastion of corruption that doesn’t care about the truth or justice.
- I expect the House will impeach Trump before Christmas.
- The Senate will not convict. With luck, a couple of Republicans will stand for the rule of law.