Former Vice President Joe Biden said he wouldn’t comply with any possible congressional subpoena for his testimony if the Senate holds an impeachment trial because it would take the focus off of President Trump.
Only because there is ABSOLUTELY no reason for Mr. Biden to do so.
He’s not the one on trial, nor is Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi, the whistleblower, or Hillary’s server.
Just Fat Nixon…
You guys buy into it all the time.
SO Joe, maybe you’ll change your mind about how you can cooperate with Republicans?
If there is a legal subpoena, he’s going to ignore it? Barr’s DOJ might finally decide to enforce it. Better for him to say he will fight it.
First of all, does Hillary’s server have an Instagram account yet? Twitter?
Second, CLEARLY according to our idiot, criminal president, the whistleblower is indeed on trial. Why? Because.
Absolutely correct, as is Joe’s reasoning.
I think that’s implied but he really should’ve said it outright so there’s no mistaking his intentions.
This stance, how is it any different from the others in Trump’s circle who have also defied congress? This makes him no better than the others obstructing congress.
Why couldn’t he say something like:
"If I am subpoenaed by the Senate, of course I would comply with a legally issued subpoena.
"But, we all know that my testimony here is irrelevant to the wrongdoing by President Trump which is what the impeachment is about. Calling me as a witness is a smear, a groundless smear campaign, instigated by Russia and promulgated by the Kremlin-enabling GOP.
“Chief Justice Roberts will rule that calling me to testify is irrelevant.”
Des Moines (Biden)
“What are you going to cover?” Biden said to Register Executive Editor Carol Hunter in response to a question. “You guys are going to cover for three weeks anything that I said. And (Trump’s) going to get away. You guys buy into it all the time. Not a joke … Think what it’s about. It’s all about what he does all the time, his entire career. Take the focus off. This guy violated the Constitution. He said it in the driveway of the White House. He acknowledged he asked for help.”
???
Can anyone explain what Joe Biden has to do with Spankee shaking down Ukraine?
Biden gave exactly the right argument with exactly the wrong optics. The way media covers things these days, shallow coverage and splashy headlines, this is how you come out on the losing end of a situation. With Biden’s depth of experience, it is very surprising that he’d trap himself this way.
So Joe gives cover to Trump’s policy of not testifying for his WH toadies.
Bad move. I understand Joe’s point but we need the full power of the subpoena now, not weakened by how this looks.
I get that his testimony would be irrelevant to the actual matter at hand. But by saying this he completely undercuts the rationale for demanding legitimate witnesses. It’s a really dumb thing to say. And as far as the press goes, not testifying and refusing a subpoena will bring exactly the same kind of coverage he says he doesn’t want, but even more so.
He’s lovable, “electable”, Gaff-o-matic Uncle Joe.
because it would take the focus off of President Trump
Bad answer, Joe.
You say: Republicans need to compel testimony from the people who have first-hand knowledge of Trumpp ‘s efforts to bribe and coerce a foreign power to help him in the 2020 election. Mick Mulvaney knows about the hold on military aid Ukraine needs to prevent Russia from stealing its territory, but Trumpp is afraid to let him testify. [repeat for Pompeo, Giuliani, etc.]
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A significant share of his “depth of experience” is constituted by underwhelming performances in previous Democratic national primaries.
Biden should testify right after Trump testifies.
He framed it poorly, no surprise really, but already is on the way to correcting it.
Key phrase is “legally-binding subpoena”, which this one won’t be. I think even John Roberts would have to agree.
Trump wants to make a circus out of the Senate trial, and McConnell will abet him. I’m just not completely clear on how much control the Chief Justice has on the process considering he has to follow the Senate’s rules. It’s Trump who’s on trial here, not either Biden. Any respectable process would take that into account and allow for only witnesses with evidence about the issue at hand to testify, and not go off on a real witch-hunt.
And that would have been a better soundbite to parry the ludicrous Republican false equivalency.
