David Holmes, a U.S. diplomat in Kyiv, traced in detail the emergence and solidification of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s pressure campaign, including episodes about the “three amigos” and sharing that he sat in on many “germane” meetings with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
WOW, it’s amazing when one sees the work product produced by a career civil servant/employee who has experience vs a political appointee that that knows jack shit about what they are suppose to do.
Holmes is the reluctant witness who wants to tell the truth…like Sondland did NOT want note taker with meeting, Grenade Giuliani et al’s attack on Yovanovitch, the involvement of the Three Amigos, and HEARD the overly loud voice of the Orange Criminal in Sondland’s unsecured cell phone call in Kyiv. Also, contrary to the Thugs-R-Us claims that’s only the Trump Admin helped Ukraine, 1.5B aid to Ukraine was given since 2014!
And the disastrous consequences when an administration intentionally and consistently opts for political hacks and ignores, disparages, or even hounds from office the pros.
You know that Republican talking point that is true, the one they keep repeating about how a President can recall any ambassador because they serve at his pleasure? Well why didn’t he just do that? Why the smear campaign? Why spend all that time and energy when he could have just recalled her?
Fascinating read. He lays it all out clearly and concisely. That was an interesting little detail about Jay Leno.
Think kids in cages. Because the cruelty is the point.
Yep. Being able to kick people makes them feel better about themselves, feel less like ‘I suck and I know it’.
Lyndon Johnson famously captured that idea here:
“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
I know, I know, but the smear campaign just seems like a lot of effort that could have been handled with one phone call. But then again I guess Rudy and his boys wouldn’t have racked up all those frequent flier miles doing it the easy way.
So, at 2 pm, Jordan is zeroing in on David Holmes, demanding to know why he didn’t say anything to Taylor at the time Holmes heard the phone call between Sondland and Trump. Jordan was unhinged when Holmes said he told several others about the call, but not Taylor.
I had the thought that it would have been cool if Holmes were able to look at Jordan and say: At least, Congressman Jordan, when I saw wrongdoing I reported it.
Holmes was basically good, but when Jordan (and others) went on a 5 minute rant questioning why didn’t Taylor report this, and how can they know Holmes will not spill classified information in the future…
He just should have replied that Sondland publicly said so, so it was a public statement.