The inquiry ends
So now what? The last two days of the “inquiry” were the worst ones for the President. There were no direct links to the President, but all the roads discussed headed there. So what did the President do?
He withheld aid to the Ukraine because he wanted the new Ukrainian President to investigate what part his country played in the 2016 election interference and why Hunter Biden got the role and payments he did.
Now, is that right? No.
Is it impeachable is the question? Here’s my thoughts on that.
The President should not have withheld the aid. He was wrong, Congress passed it, he had no right to withhold it as long as he did.
Did he have a right to be angry? Yes he did. We must remember this was at the same time that Mueller was clearing him of the collusion charges.
Put yourself in his place.
Your entire Presidency you have the opposition party (and MSM) talking impeachment, getting a special prosecutor with unlimited resources hired to investigate, and stories for three years saying you were guilty. You know you are innocent, but the media and half the country are convinced you colluded with the Russians.
Finally the report comes out and says you were innocent. Wouldn’t you want to know how it all started (Steele Dossier) and who was behind it? Your entire time in office you were called illegitimate, now you are cleared and you want to know who was behind it.
So he went a little too far in withholding aid so long and not handling it, but I understand it.
So what’s the solution?
This is not an impeachable offense and there needs to be an off ramp for the Democrats to save face. So they vote to censure. Think of the messaging they can do… “We will censure and the people can impeach in November.”
I hope Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff take this off ramp and let the people decide.
If they don’t, it could come back to hurt them more the President.
In the meantime, today Nancy Pelosi said there might not be enough time in this year for congress to pass USMCA. I hope she rethinks that because that is a good deal for our nation.
If she doesn’t, then I hope the President and everyone in his party makes as big a deal about that failure as the Democrats would if this were reversed.
To have the time they did for all these investigations, but not for the good of the country is Speaker Impeachable.
The Democratic Debate
There was no breakouts in this debate either. What I will say, again, Joe Biden cannot be the standard bearer. I think former Obama staffer David Axelrod said it best. He said Joe reminds him of Mr. Magoo in these debates.
Warren and Bernie are vying for the far left vote and may divide it. Mayor Pete is going to the middle, but he has issues with the minority vote, vital in a Democratic primary. This primary is wide open. We thought Governor Patrick coming in could be in a good position. Well last night two people showed up in Atlanta for his speech. Tough way to start. That’s DeBlasio turnout numbers!
Some Quick News Points
I know private lives are private lives, but I can’t help and think the media would have treated the news that the woman who challenged Hunter Biden that he was the father of her baby would have gotten larger coverage if it were someone else. The results came back yesterday and he is the father.
With Hunter at the center of the Ukraine mess, with his drug history and three month dismissal from the military for cocaine use (after his Dad got him in by going around regulations), and his recent divorce, marriage, and stripper relationship, you would think it would be news somewhere.
Other news not covered that surprises me is from Iran. Amnesty International said that at least 106 people in 21 cities had been killed over the course of antigovernment demonstrations stemming from the gasoline price hikes. Of course it goes back to the sanctions, so maybe that’s why.
Also, were you surprised that Swedish prosecutors ended a rape investigation agains Julian Assange? We were told for years they were waiting for him to leave that embassy.
Now he remains in a British prison awaiting a U.S. extradition hearing.
Is the President worried about an impeachment trial in the senate? Think about this. He has hosted more than 40 Republican senators at the White House since the fall began, mostly for weekly lunches that address a series of issues, but also usually include a side of impeachment. Yesterday he had Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, two of the most likely to vote against him.