Here are a few impeachment-related links and observations:
In a real shocker, it turns out that the White House is going to release a redacted version of the whistleblower complaint. That’s why Pelosi was smart to focus not just on the complaint but also on Trump’s bad acts in general – it doesn’t leave room for Trump to say “we gave them what they wanted, why are they still unsatisfied?”. (Nancy also said he needs to turn over the full complaint, since it ain’t her first rodeo with this asshole.) Contrast that with Biden’s conditional statement that if Trump doesn’t comply with Congress, they will have to start impeachment hearings. The Trump administration has shown, and will continue to show, malicious compliance – they’ll let people testify, but have them assert executive privilege, they’ll release documents with all of the incriminating parts blacked out – in short, they’ll do anything to run out the clock on oversight.
Chuck Todd was a little bit stern with Senator Foghorn Leghorn John Kennedy last night, but Lord Baby Jesus does he get a lot of attention for a very little effort. Basically, Todd made the elementary point that “whatabout Hunter and Joe” and “both sides need investigating” is not a defense for Trump’s bad acts. Maybe Joe read Margaret Sullivan’s piece in the Post, where she points out that Trump’s strategy on the Ukraine scandal counts on the press engaging in their usual both-sides bullshit when it comes to the completely unfounded accusations about Biden.
The Senate’s unanimous consent resolution to have Trump release the whistleblower report has spawned a lot of speculation about McConnell’s decision to allow the vote. My theory was that it was another Lucy and the football move by McConnell – along with being the least he could do other than nothing, the wording of the resolution would allow Trump’s redacted version to be spun as complying. Others have speculated that it was a last-ditch attempt to entice the Democrats into delaying a bit more, but that seems pretty far-fetched. Since there wasn’t really a vote on the resolution, I don’t think it tells us anything about where the Republicans have moved. I doubt that a single one of them will vote to convict after Trump is impeached, not even St. Mitt or Sister Susan of the Order of the Perpetually Furrowed Brow and Look of Concern.
WereBear
RICO.
Because if this isn’t a SMERSH-level criminal enterprise, I don’t know what is.
HypersphericalCow
I would make a joke about what the writers and show-runners are doing/drinking/snorting, but this is actually happening.
My mom watched the Watergate hearings during her college history class, because the professor thought it was more important than whatever lecture he had prepared. I kind of feel the same way now.
Nicole
I really thought Pelosi might stretch it out a bit longer to maximize effect on 2020, but as she’s much smarter than I am, I trust she felt things were at a point where it was time to move forward. On Twitter, I saw a lot of grousing that it took a white man going after another white man’s son to make a white woman do something, but in Pelosi’s case, I really think it’s that this is so blatant it’ll be challenging, even with the media doing their very best to protect Trump, to obfuscate what happened. As horrible as everything else Trump has done is, it’s been very hard for Democrats to make the case that he’s flat-out breaking the law in a way that risks the nation. Which is crazy, but that’s the media and the American public for you.
Pelosi gets blamed a lot for not going after the Bush cabal and the “rearview mirror” stuff, but I recall reading pieces at the time that said that it would have been very hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that all of the terrible things Bush and Cheney did were, in fact, illegal. Which says a lot of stuff that’s pretty bad about American government, more than it does Pelosi. Even with Clinton, as fucking stupid as it was to go after a blow job, it wasn’t the blow job; it was the lying about it that the GOP used as their excuse, because the lying was clearly provable.
Side thought- remember when Giuliani was “America’s Mayor”? Oh, I laugh. I also laugh at the memory of Queen Elizabeth knighting him, but seeing as how she’s spent quite some time protecting her son from consequences of his assaults on teenage girls, perhaps I should not be surprised.
oatler.
@WereBear: Leave Beria out of this!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Did they already successfully shift the conversation to it being the White House’s decision what to release? So now we’re just discussing whether or how much Trump will release of somebody else’s report?
It’s not his report.
He doesn’t have a say in what is and isn’t released.
kindness
Maybe that is the 11th dimensional chess move Nancy made. She realized that even with insurmountable data showing Trump is guilty, Senate Republicans vote to not impeach Trump. And that is what Senate Democrats will run against in 2020 and win.
It could happen.
Jeffro
@WereBear: Totally.
I’m still wondering what happened to all those money-laundering and RICO-related angles that Mueller’s team was supposedly investigating? Did those get ‘handed off’ to other US attorneys (and if they did, did Barr quietly squash those investigations?)
Anyway, I’m actually glad that Mr Hand-In-The-Cookie-Jar thinks he’s going to only release a ‘redacted’ whistleblower complaint. Good luck with that, Donnie! It doesn’t make you look guilty as hell or anything.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
It’s John Kennedy, not Joe.
Baud
The complaint itself shouldn’t be made public yet because it might actually contain real national secrets. But not providing the whole complaint to the Intel committees is not going to cut it.
zzyzx
I don’t think there’s some massive strategy here. I think it’s simply that the Russian investigation turned out to be too confusing and nebulous to sell to the public at large, requiring pretty in depth knowledge of tampering and collusion laws, whereas threatening an ally who was in danger for personal gain is easy to explain.
[Individual 1] mistermix
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Thanks, fixed.
rikyrah
Awe ?? ?
Historic meeting between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, King Archie, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, video via Royal Family Channel #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica #RoyalVisitAfrica
pic.twitter.com/FGJI3RdFSZ
— Meghanpedia (@meghanpedia) September 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/meghanpedia/status/1176817400429383683/video/1
rikyrah
????
Giuliani was on Laura Ingraham’s show about 10:30pm last night, tweeted this three hours later, then got less than six hours of sleep before appearing in studio on Fox & Friends. He’s 75 years old.
https://t.co/dqmiA9Bzpp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2019
OldDave
@HypersphericalCow:
Similarly, the first day of my PolSci class way-back-when the professor stated we wouldn’t be using our text books that semester. Instead the class effectively was Watergate 101, taught from the pages of WaPo and NYT.
I never thought I’d live to see a replay.
JGabriel
mistermix @ Top:
Link to excerpt from the redacted transcript.
Starfish
@rikyrah: What is wrong with Aaron that he does not realize that people sleep less as they age? Also, I would not sleep well if I was in deep doo doo like these folks.
Gin & Tonic
@rikyrah: I’m ashamed to admit I was unaware Tutu was still alive.
germy
@Starfish:
Young.
(I consider six hours of sleep a good night. Usually, I’m lucky to get four)
germy
@Gin & Tonic: Our village press doesn’t seem to find him fascinating enough to report on.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
in other news, you know how we’ve heard for a couple years about the fabled independence of the US Attys in the Southern District of New York?
Joyce “No Relation To The Cys” Vance makes it sound like they’re doing more than considering. Really looks to this non-lawyer like Barr is doing more institutional damage faster than trump
The Moar You Know
When you destroy the faith of the electorate in your judicial system for short-term political gain, you’ll probably win the moment…and lose the nation.
This is the course of action the British Conservative (Tory) party has decided to embark upon as of this morning. “Activist judges!” is the new rallying cry there.
We’re seeing the end stage of what happens when you do that here, with goons like Barr taking a wrecking ball to whatever’s left of accountability and the rule of law while the president, daily, commits acts that would have gotten him locked up – for real – forty years ago.
I keep thinking about something Adam Silverman said here a few weeks ago that has haunted me ever since. When you destroy a society, there is no “back to normal”.
Jeffro
Trumpov is tweeting his tiny nuts off, mostly retweeting kiss-assy clips from Fox News. He’s also claiming that the transcript is going to vindicate him now and forevermore, amen – oh, and we apparently don’t need to see the whistleblower complaint because that wasn’t someone with direct knowledge of his crimes.
Sorry Donnie, that shit won’t fly. Cough it all up or we’ll have no choice but to keep chugging right along to impeachment.
Ule
Is the congress going on a vacation for 2 weeks on Friday?
ET
While this likely won’t be unanimous, I have not seen the talking head class – including the press specifically- make more out of the Biden thing. What I have seen hasn’t really been both-siderer-ism. That could of course change, but stories usually start with the both-siderer-ism and then evolves into a less of that when more of the story is known, not the other way around.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Do sea lions sea-lion?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I have no idea what happened to my life-insured wife, officers. And don’t you dare look in the trunk of my car!
NotMax
@Ule
Meanwhile, the fiscal years ends on Monday and the Senate has taken no consequential action on either appropriations bills nor on a continuing resolution.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Looks like the transcript is out. Again, not a lawyer, but this doesn’t look exculpatory or exoneratious
ETA: maybe they’re going with an insanity defense, President Vinnie “The Chin” Gigante. Was he wearing a bathrobe during the call?
Aleta
The redacted version has been leaked.
On Friday, the
Special CounselTelephone Notetaker submitted to me a “confidential report ontranscript explainingthe prosecution or declination decisions ofthe very friendly and totally appropriate phone call,”as required by 28 C.F.R. $ 600.8(c)as requested by (redacted). Thisreporttranscript is entitled “Report on theTranscript of theInvestigationVery Innocent Phone Callinto Russian Interferenceto Ukrainian Governmentin the 2016 Presidential ElectionWho Just Said They Weren’t Pressured at All.”Although my review is ongoing, I believe that it is in the public interest to describe the
reporttranscript and to summarize the principal conclusions reached by theSpecial Counsel and the results of his investigation(redacted) (redacted) (redacted) (redacted) (redacted) — to wit, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo! and most Destructive Witch Hunt of all time!Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I assume they are still concealing the damaging materials.
Amir Khalid
@Aleta:
I find this leak of yours very creditable.
Uncle Jeffy
A twofer to start my day – Senator Foghorn Leghorn and Sister Susan of the Order of the Perpetually Furrowed Brow and Look of Concern. Sweet!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I am neither a lawyer nor a non-biased observer, but this really does not seem like a good defense. “He spoke to the foreign leader about the Attorney General participating in the investigation, but he didn’t talk to the Attorney General about the foreign leader starting their investigation.” That’s their defense?
Betty Cracker
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’ve been wondering when the Trump admin’s full-time residence in the Deep State Conspiracy! bubble would come back to bite them on the ass. Maybe that moment is finally at hand?
Calouste
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: “Your honor, I did threaten to have him beaten up, but I didn’t send the heavies around, so I’m innocent.”
rp
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The email server! Good one. When is the real transcript being released?
germy
Jim, Foolish Literalist
others share my confusion, but this is up to Willard J Romney and Susan “Dryer Lint” Collins
(I am too generous to Collins, who likes to pretend to be a weak but sincere moderate when in reality she is every bit as cynical and partisan as McTurtle)
NotMax
@rp
Available “at the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.'”
germy
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@rp: there’s no such thing as a transcript, it’s a memo
but that seems like it was important fifteen minutes ago and not so much now….
rp
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Actually, the insanity defense might not be an exaggeration. Trump’s comments are so incoherent that the spin might be “he was just rambling…it can’t be abuse of power if it’s just Grandpa kvetching about his acquaintances.”
guachi
Watching CNN with the sound off at work. This doesn’t look good for Trump, does it?
rp
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I know. I was just teasing you.
Aleta
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Intended to be exculpatory for Giuliani?
Who, in between mopping the sweat running down his face, waved his phone around last night and cried out that his instructions from the State Dept. were “right here.” (iirc)
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/do-you-think-im-stupid-rudy-giuliani-says-democrats-walked-into-a-trap-on-impeachment/
He was so overexcited that Ingraham had to help him, like a 5-year old’s first try at telling a story.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
They think if they don’t admit to tying aid to Ukraine to the investigation of Biden, everything is copacetic.
MattF
Alexandra Petri is astonished that anyone would accuse Donald Trump of anything.
Gin & Tonic
Don’t know how to embed Tweets like all the cool kids do.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@rp:
Should I turn on MSNBC for outraged, agog Former Federal Prosecutors, or NPR for “some Democrats are saying that this transcript is problematic”… “if I can interrupt you, Bill, some Democrats are even disputing the word ‘transcript’…” “ha, ha, Mary, that’s why good folk in diners hate Washington!”
dmsilev
@Gin & Tonic: You have to be a front-pager to be granted that glorious power.
Kent
There were two sides to this call.
Anyone hear anything about whether or not the Ukranians kept their own tape or transcript of the call? I haven’t seen any news or speculation about that but it is an intriguing notion.
Betty Cracker
@Gin & Tonic: I don’t know anything about Zelensky, but from the summary I just read, it sounds like he was playing his cards skillfully. He knows Trump’s a narcissist, so he flattered him effectively, made vague promises and ignored the conspiracy-mongering bullshit.
MattF
@Kent: It’s likely. Also, y’know, the Russians. The calls were probably conducted over secure speakerphones in classified areas.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
and I would argue it is not. a minor. thing.
Aleta
I think, if one wanted to mess with the WH, one might continue planting stories that shift all the blame to Giuliani. Cause he’s probably protected himself with evidence of OPCs (Other People’s Crimes) and might go off if he thinks he’s being cornered by them.
chris
@Gin & Tonic: My occasional PSA:
1) Each tweet has a down-pointing arrow in the top right corner. Click it.
2) Copy the the green text.
3)Paste it here.
Now you’re a cool kid too!!!
MattF
@Aleta: Giuliani is the fixer. Risk is part of the job— just ask Michael Cohen.
Gin & Tonic
@Kent: Of course they did.
Gin & Tonic
@Betty Cracker: Nina is smart.
Gin & Tonic
@chris: I click the downward-pointing arrow and get several options, but no green text.
Aleta
@Gin & Tonic: I’d love for Ukraine to go down in history as the driving force of the first major battle to defeat the U.S. fascists.
chris
@Gin & Tonic: Oops! Sorry, forgot 1a) Click “embed tweet.”
Gin & Tonic
@Gin & Tonic: Other commentators are reading it as more committal (is that a word?) on Zelensky’s part and saying it’s not a good look for either President – and these are not Broderist both-sidesers, either.
Leto
@chris: Testing this:
chris
@Leto: You’re a cool kid now!
Just One More Canuck
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
that’s one hell of a typo