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GOP Motivation Against Impeachment

GOPers are complaining not about what Trump said or tried to do vis-à-vis this Ukraine mess – instead they complain about “process” of how the hearings are being held and conducted, even though they held hearings the same way when they conducted impeachment hearings of Bill Clinton and Benghazi, and even during Watergate. What hypocrites they are. 

Now this from this fine Washington Post story re: testimony from William Taylor, Acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine that is the most-compelling and damaging evidence against Trump thus far, and in his own words:

“In August and September of this year, I became increasingly concerned that our relationship with Ukraine was being fundamentally undermined by an irregular informal channel of U.S. policy-making and by the withholding of vital security assistance for domestic political reasons.”

My Note at this Point: Before you read further, take a few minutes and watch this Rachel Maddow-MSNBC 21-minute video review of Ambassador Taylor’s testimony. It is truly excellent and if you already saw that show, then go ahead to main article continues below:

Ambassador Bill Taylor

In an instant, the impeachment inquiry no longer rested on the credibility or motives of a whistleblower, nor arguments about the meaning of quid pro quo. 

Here, spelling out Trump’s wrongdoing in extensive detail, was the diplomat Trump’s team brought out of retirement to be the ambassador to Ukraine — replacing the woman Trump ousted from that position at the request of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Taylor, an Army veteran and a respected diplomat who obviously kept detailed notes, will not be easy to discredit.

Trump, more than anybody, must have known how damaging Taylor’s testimony would be. Ninety minutes before Taylor was slated to arrive, Trump created a diversion when he tweeted to his 66 million followers: “All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here — a lynching.”

This Washington Post story shows the thuggery of House members blocking that process – story still unfolding with this headline:

Republican protest delays impeachment testimony

from Pentagon’s Ukraine expert

Summary from the original story follows with my emphasis:

It was a grotesque provocation, clearly aimed at fomenting racial division — and it worked, for a bit. Reporters momentarily stopped asking about Taylor and started asking about lynching. Democrats reacted with outrage. 

Trump’s boosters in the House defended him.

Sen. Graham (R-SC) hot and cold Trump lackey said, in lock step (par for the course): “This is lynching in every sense.”

Later Fox News reporter, Chad Pergram, observed that Republicans “criticize the process and don’t defend the president outright.”

He then asked Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) directly: “Are you willing to defend the president in this matter?”

McConnell as usual changed the topic and replied: “I’m willing to talk about the process.”  But, he did say that Trump’s “lynching claim was an unfortunate choice of words.” 

Then asked about Trump’s claim that McConnell told Trump the call with the Ukrainian president was “innocent,” he quickly contradicted Trump saying: “We’ve not had any conversations on that subject.”

Noteworthy: McConnell isn’t yet where Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN) was during Watergate hearings when he asked: “What did the president know and when did he know it (see YouTube short clip here)?”

Thus, Republican support for Trump has not yet crumbled. Now, with growing evidence of Trump’s wrongdoing, and Trump’s aberrant behavior and his “lynching” in response, Republicans shift to and cling to a last plausible defense or so they think): Complain about the process.

Note: Two of the nine Republicans on the intelligence committee skipped Taylor’s early testimony, instead joining a news conference with GOP leaders to complain some more about the process.

Examples from staunch Trump loyalists and sycophants:

• Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) said bluntly: “It’s an unfair process.”
• Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) declared: “How unfair the process is.”
• Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) protested: “Unfair and unprecedented process.” (Note: My rep in Congress).
• Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) added: “An unbelievable abuse of process.”
• GOP Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) said: “It’s a mockery of the process.”
• GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) chimed in: “It’s not fair in the process.”
• Former VP Dick Cheney’s daughter GOP Caucus Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) lamented: “They have concocted a process in secret.”

Combined, GOP “leaders” complained about “process” a total of 31 times — but not once did they mention “Taylor’s name, or Ukraine.”

Now, Republicans object to the impeachment depositions being taken behind closed doors, even though Republicans did much the same in the past.

But will they really be happier when proceedings become public? How can they defend a man publicly implicated by his own subordinates?

You might call it a work in “process.”

My 2 cents: No much to add to this except to say this certainly looks like enough compelling evidence for the DEMS to now move forward with a formal public hearing on the articles of impeachment.

Whether some GOPers go along or not, just like in Watergate, then that’s up them and those they represent back in their states with their hardened defense of Trump. Following that course they are putting Trump above the law and putting the country, our national security, and democratic structure and principles, well who knows where? 

Shame on the GOP and their dirty tricks.

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