There’s an oft-repeated saying that all politics is local. It’s false, at least in our time: in hamlets, villages, towns, and cities our politics is national (and constitutional). In fairness, I’ve always inclined to this view, but it would be better to be wrong than to be proved right under these conditions.
It should be clear now – if ever it will be – that we are no mere collection of hamlets, villages, towns, and cities, but a continental republic under a liberal democratic tradition.
Like millions of Americans – including many in our small & beautiful city – I’m watching today’s House testimony.
Below, an embedded feed of that testimony, and Ambassador Sondland’s written statement.
[embeddoc url=”https://freewhitewater.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Opening-Statement-of-Ambassador-Gordon-D.pdf” width=”100%” download=”all” viewer=”google”]
A positively Dylanesqe hard rain is falling on the Trump Admin, and their enablers.
In just the first hour, an entire March of Dimes ™ was dropped by Sondland. Mike Pompeo will never be President, or even Senator. Mulvaney, Bolton and Perry are in deep, deep, shit. Rudy is in this way over his head and won’t survive the day as Trump’s lawyer. Pence was thoroughly involved. Wisco-World’s own RoJo got a couple of shout-outs. My only disappointment is that Barr has not been fingered yet.
My oft-stated First Law of Trump has had it’s ultimate proof this morning: The shit-splatter range around Trump has expanded to roughly the radius of the rings of Saturn. If you’re a Republican, you need to lock the engines on warp-speed and put intergalactic distances between you and Trump, STAT.
And this is the day that Trump needs to call an Uber to Walter Reed and declare a “health emergency”, while negotiating a pardon while cell-yelling with Pence on an open-cell-phone.
What a glorious day for democracy!
Oh, yes – that First Law finds (as one always knew it would) confirmation yet again. What I did not know, until I read Amb. Sondland’s statement, is how candid Sondland would be today (and so, how much further along the case would develop). That case against Trump’s conduct in Ukraine, directed truly against his domestic political opponents, is already strong; it helps immeasurably that it grows stronger each day.
I truly cannot imagine what would make any rational, decent person associate with Trump, let along collaborate with him. Nothing he could offer is worth the disgrace of the association. The stain, so far as anyone can see, seems is indelible. Bleach would be no better than water against the foul marks Trump leaves on what he touches.