TSUNAMI

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TSUNAMI

Earlier this year (April 25) I posted a piece entitled "Drip, Drip, Drip." I analogized the inevitable leaking of truth to the inevitable process of oxidation of iron until all that remained was "a pile of red brown rust." I noted that sometimes the process is slow, sometimes fast, but it is the nature of earthly things, and ultimately will must occur.

When the Ukraine story broke, I was not surprised to see the White House rush to send to Trump's supporters a list of talking points. (They goofed, and sent the email to the world. Only a few of us haven't done something like that!)

Included on the list were absurd arguments like:

i) No quid pro quo.  (Response: Don't need one, but yes there was one anyway. Trump mentioned "reciprocity", and remarked that US was treating Ukraine "very, very good." Zelensky responded he was grateful, and needed more US military aid (which Trump had blocked). Godfather Trump then responded: "I want you to do me a favor, though ..."!)

ii) Content of call was entirely proper.  Indeed, Trump said it was "perfect." (Response: Yeah, but only if you didn't read the transcript.)

iii) The whistleblower's complaint was only a "second-hand" report. (Response: Yes, the WB reported what White House personnel had told him to Trump's DNI Inspector General, who,  made his own investigation and concluded the matter was "credible and urgent." The White House “hearsay" pitch is irrelevant nonsense.)

iv) This was a "deep state" attack. (Response: Duh, Trump doesn't even know who the WB is, so that is a stab in the dark. And the Trump-appointed Inspector General, who found this information "credible and urgent" can hardly be called a "deep state" operative.)

v)  Trump, in asking Zelensky for his "favor," "mentioned Biden's name only once!" (Response: Is that a joke? He mentioned his name only once?  That is what the talking point says! Further, Kellyanne Conway added emphasis to the election-interference denial by making the point that the President "Never mentioned 2020"!  Ya can't make this stuff up.)

How many times have you heard Republican Congresspersons repeat these absurd defenses? Several have even said "It would be ridiculous to impeach a President on the basis of one telephone conversation."  (Response: Really? Even if in that conversation the President of the United States admitted he had committed a crime, trashed his oath of office by abusing Constitutional authority, and adversely affected our national security to advance his own political ambitions?  Kinda like saying  "It would be ridiculous to impeach a President over one taped conversation," non?  And, of course, it ain't just about the one call. Plenty more information to come, Lindsey.)

It took a year and a half before the Nixon/Watergate truths leaked out, the cover-up was revealed, and the President who had won a post-Watergate break-in-landslide re-election was finally denounced by his own party. Patience.

At a recent dinner party with friends, (all of whom, had they been government employees, Trump would call "deep staters") my companions worried that the Trump/ Zelensky conversation was not enough to bring about a change in public (and Senate) opinion on impeachment and conviction. I, being an incomparable seer, pronounced: "Be patient. Time is on our side. Nothing that happens from here on in can help Trump. As the truth leaks out, his position will deteriorate, drip by drip. Corrosion is inevitable."

I was right, but my timing was wrong. The truth-reveal would not start with a drip: within 48 hours after that Sunday night dinner, the following tsunami-wave of truths started to overwhelm the doubters. Astonishing volume and speed:

Tom Bossert: Former Trump Homeland Security Adviser. In his call to Zelensky, Trump asked for two favors. One involved the effort to defame Joe Biden, and the other involved Trump's effort to prove US intelligence officials were wrong; it was not the Russians who hacked the Dem computers in 2016, but was the previous government of Ukraine. Bossert publicly stated that theory had been researched and totally "debunked." It had zero merit, and the President was so informed again and again, but some individuals who had the President's ear repeated it to him and he insisted on pursuing the false narrative.

Australia--more evidence of the President seeking foreign government support to enhance his personal political claims, i.e., the Mueller investigation had illicit origins.  Whistle blowers told the press of the substance of the conversation with the President of Australia. Will the House impeachment committee get that transcript before the election, if ever? Nah. Will the Dems make a lot of hay over this coverup. You betcha.

Giuliani: The Clown says In his visits to Ukraine, a) he was not a lawyer, b) he was a lawyer, c) he was a private citizen, d) he was a state department "envoy" etc. etc. Now subpoenaed. But Giuliani's drive for fame has done him in. He violated the first rule of lawyering: "Never let your client's problem become your problem." Yesterday we learned he has lawyered up: a high-price criminal lawyer from Florida. Will the Dems ever get Giuliani to testify under oath before November 4, 2020. Nah. He and his counsel will raise a blizzard of bogus privileges. Will the Dems make a lot of hay over this coverup? You betcha.

Barr:  In Europe for two weeks. What is the Attorney General doing there? Visiting governments to persuade them to find dirt proving the Mueller report had illicit origins and the US intel services were wrong when they unanimously concluded the Russians interfered in the 2016 election!  This is all part of the same Trumpian effort as the Australia and Zelensky calls. Nevertheless, the corrupt Barr disdains his co-counsel: His aide issued a statement saying Barr was "surprised and angry to discover the President lumped him with Giuliani in the Zelensky call." Will the Dems ever get Barr to testify before November 4, 2020. Nah. Will the Dems make a lot of hay over this coverup. You betcha.

Pompeo: When interviewed on TV soon after the release of the Zelensky call notes, and asked to comment on the call, he misled the interviewer by evading the question. He said he not seen the transcript.  But Pompeo has since been outed by  White House whistleblowers: Not seen the transcript? He was actually on the call, which he has now been forced to admit! His docs have been subpoenaed. Will he comply? Nah! The former Republican Congressman who led the never-ending failed inquiry into Benghazi, has now blocked the depositions of the State Department officials that were scheduled for this week. Then he immediately flew off to Europe. Congress has warned him that his obstruction borders on criminality is obstructing the inquiry. And he too in Europe? "Catch me if you can" More stonewalling? More obstruction? You betcha.

Volker: An authorized  envoy of State Department, expert on Ukraine affairs. The Ukrainians asked him to set up a meeting with Trump, and he did. He may actually testify, though I expect nothing dramatic, except perhaps to make clear that Giuliani was a private citizen, not a State Dept official. When he received a subpoena, he resigned from government service.

Secret Server:  White House whistleblowers revealed that the Zelensky call and the Australia call were moved to a secret server to hide them.  Also residing in that server is a call with Putin and the Saudi Crown Prince. Will the Dems ever see those transcripts before November 4, 2020?  Nah. Will the Dems make a lot of hay over this coverup. You betcha.

CNN Poll: Since the reveal of the Zelensky call, a ten-point shift in Republicans and Independents to favor impeachment and conviction.

"Treason":  Trump has called for the "arrest" of the Chairman of House Intelligence Committee, and has called the whistleblower's sources "spies and traitors" and has referred to the death penalty for that offense! Intimidation of Congressional witnesses? Y'think? Obstruction of Congress? Yup.

The scariest evidence of Trump's unravelling?  Trump's response to all this was to post 45 tweets in 24 hours!!

On 24 Sept, I posted the following:

I am now persuaded the Dems should no longer pussyfoot around the impeachment question. Start a formal impeachment inquiry. NOW. Put a professional legal team in charge of the effort and replace the incompetents who have managed the insipid effort thus far. 

What a coincidence:  On 25 Sept,  Nancy Pelosi announced the start of a formal impeachment inquiry, and put Representative Adam Schiff, an intelligent and  competent lawyer in overall charge of the inquiry. I expect the Dems will promptly press for court enforcement of their subpoenas to overcome the stonewalling tactics of the Trumpists. Who knows, they might even get some timely results.

Likely, the litigation will all end up with the Supremes, who will disappoint. And likely Moscow Mitch will see to it that even if there are some Republican backsliders in the Senate, the House's Article(s) of Impeachment will not get 67 votes. But this too will inform the electorate about the sleaze factor of the Trump defense, and the nature and motives of his appointees and Republican Senators who, soon or later, will need to face the electorate. It may even inform the citizenry of the unseemly political bent of our Supreme Court. Every little bit helps.

And maybe, just maybe, this time around the 2020 Democratic candidate will deign to visit Wisconsin.

Drip, drip, drip.

A bientot.

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