Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, then-National Security Adviser John Bolton, and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reportedly tried to persuade President Donald Trump to release the congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine that he had frozen.
This is why it’s absolutely essential these three guys testify in the Senate trial, and demonstrates the appropriateness of the Speaker’s actions in holding off on the referral.
Also, what an absolute POS Bolton is for not testifying while hinting he’s got the goods, but saving it for his worthless book.
Really puts pressure on McConnell and Senate Republicans to hold a real trial, with witnesses and documents.
Pompeo, Bolton, and Esper need to be immediately subpoenaed by the House. When they inevitably ignore the subpoenas, expedited court cases should occur. Pelosi now has good reason to withhold delivery of the impeachment case to the Senate.
Don’t give Moscow Mitch the opportunity to cover this up. Let’s delay it until they are forced to appear.
If Trump and his surrogates attack this delay, the response should be: “tell Trump they should stop ignoring subpoenas and show up. The delay is all on Trump.”
Took that awhile to slip out.
tRump thinks Ukraine is a corrupt country and he has the experience to know what corruption looks like, so he’s the expert.
The fix is in with Moscow Mitch. He could agree to call them but insert poison pill restrictions rendering their testimony to be less than useless. I recommend the House force them to show up.
Gee, I wonder how Pompeo, Esper, and Bolton feel about Trump taking the word of Vladimir Putin over their word. It would have been a good time for a principled resignation. But, of course, that presumes you have principles.
This summary article inexplicably omits one of the main points of the NYT story, which is that Mulvaney is in it up to his neck.
Bolton did resign. Pompeo is a soulless Trump stooge and Esper is a worthless sycophant, so it’s correct they have no principles anyway.
Excellent point. And as CoS and head of OMB, he’s in this up to his neck. He also must testify.
CYA time!
Bolton was on his way out for awhile. I’m not sure if he resigned or was fired, or even if this was the precipitating event.
Remember when he was literally sent to Mongolia while Trump went to North Korea? In any case, Bolton can easily clear this up, if he likes.
And this is the kind of story we need, going forward…see below:
From a post of mine on another thread (which I have altered a bit) which dealt with a story describing lawless Rudy Giuliani, committing crimes with no penalty and only wisecracks on our part.
["We are (in good shape). And right now, a significant part of our problem is that we are getting played.
Yesterday, on TPM, the overwhelming tenor of the stories painted a GOP and Trump more under siege.
Today, the impression is the opposite…and like most over-educated/under-empowered people (especially men) we err on the side of Gloom and caution when that happens
It’s enervating.
My Dad was a Company-Grade Officer during my entire childhood until about 16. Those folks are careful and never over-promise. But the Game with us versus Trump is what we are doing against him, not over-describing each and every datum that reinforces his fundamental lawlessness and getting away with it, especially not suggesting ways in which he can be held accountable. That is NOT responsible, being that all of us ordinary folks depend both on the rule of law and RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW.
We already know that Trump is a Mobster.
The mechanisms and consciousness of those mechanisms of removing this fat Mobster from Office would brighten everyone’s day."]
Always with Rudy … until he isn’t.
I didn’t read the NYT article, but this TPM article does not tell what Pompeo said to Trump. It says what Bolton said, what Esper said and what Trump said.
They tried to show Chump why it was important and necessary, even ways it would benefit HIM…but none of it beat the payoffs he thought he was wrangling for himself personally…and the aid continued to be used as extortion of a foreign power to attack a U.S. Citizen. Chump looked at all these professional people, and many more, then turned to the wild-eyed dirtball bagman Drooliani and said “You’re My Guy!”
Another one of these “republicans are really good guys when no one is around to see it” stories. I don’t buy it for a second.
BIt’s significant not just for what was said, but also for Trump’s response. His entire defense likely will be that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thought or told him, only his opinions counted and he knew Ukraine was a corrupt place. Never mind how he learned that (Putin). Never mind that he flipped when an investigation was made public (Putin?). It’s what he knew and thought at the time.
The real question to grapple with may be: if you have a deluded President who believes he instinctively knows more then anyone else, when he does absolutely wrongheaded things, is he still guilty of obstruction? Either the answer is yes or he must be removed under the 25th amendment.
I was guessing to myself that the anonymous source to the NYT was a Pompeo source, but Salon (per rawstory) thinks it is a Mulvaney source. At any rate a bus is coming around the corner. Gaining speed, too.
According to the wingnut-sphere, the withholding of Ukrainian aid was the wisest and most legitimate thing ever done by an american president. So the fact that this is leaking probably means that someone is trying to sabotage Mike Pompeo’s Senate run, by disclosing that the lefty, deep-stater RINO was challenging the Dear God-Sent Leader wisdom. One or two more of this stories and he will be trashed in the primaries.
I will never forget the juxtaposition of Fiona Hill and John Bolton.
I know who I would want in any endeavor not dominated by abject selfishness.