The impeachment effort against President Trump hinges on his motives, and has he used that power for personal gain?
The questions about Hunter Biden and his involvement with Burisma Holdings, the company that paid Hunter Biden tens of thousands of dollars per month to serve on its board, was on the Ukrainian prosecutor’s radar before Mr. Trump became president. The question is whether the Obama administration, including Vice President Joseph Biden, used America’s power to influence Ukraine’s government.
These questions are matters of established public concern. A president has a right to seek answers about them.
Trump’s actions are coherent with what he has stated for decades. He believes that America’s leadership class has harmed the country even as it has enriched itself and entrenched its power through the federal bureaucracy and career politicians.
Insular Washington inside-the-beltway dealings, from foreign policy to the ways in which career politicians and their families can make millions off their connections, are seen by Mr. Trump and his voters as the source of the country’s problems.
Both parties have contributed to endless wars and declining manufacturing–and the Deplorables have felt most of the pain.
This corruption is part of the fabric that makes up politicians like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, and the Bush Dynasty. They are the “deep state.”
Mr. Trump can be a bull in a china shop, but like it or not, he is an outsider that was elected as a force for change. (Mr. Trump, unlike many of the politicians like Obama and Biden made his fortune before entering politics.)
Which makes it clear why he is being attacked by the corrupt political class and the media outlets that protect them. Trump is being impeached for things that are among the Executive Branch’s well-established powers.
In 2016, Vice President Biden used the threat of withholding aid to pressure the president of Ukraine at that time, Petro Poroshenko, to dismiss the country’s prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin.
Mr. Shokin was widely perceived as corrupt by the United States and international officials. Mr. Biden potentially stood to gain something himself from the prosecutor’s firing.
Even then, those powers of the Executive Branch allow for the ability to delay supplying congressionally authorized aid. Even using a delay to get foreign leaders to cooperate with an administration’s demands is not itself an offense of the kind that the Constitution demands for impeachment.
This year, challenger, Volodymyr Zelensky, who had painted the incumbent as corrupt, won the Ukrainian election.
Trump then tries to get Ukraine’s new leader to look into Burisma, the Bidens and Mr. Shokin’s dismissal, that is, fight corruption–something he said he was going to do.
Trump’s opponents treat deep state mechanics as if they were laws. But Mr. Trump openly campaigned in 2016 as someone who would “drain the swamp” and end the legal but corrupt trade in money and influence.
The people also voted for Trump to change America’s foreign policy. The Democrats and Republicans, along with the Civil Service had embroiled the country in endless wars and dubious adventures such as Libya (which cost an ambassador his life) and Syria. Everyone knows that Trump has open disdain for career officials serving in places like Ukraine. He also believes this is something he was elected to take care of. What we have thus far seen in the impeachment hearings makes it clear. The objectives of deep state and career bureaucrats are different from the President’s.
But, Trump is the President, and he gets to make policy decisions, not worthless rats like Lt. Col. Vindmen.
Asking Zelensky, elected on an anti-corruption agenda to account for Ukraine’s dealings with the Bidens is perfectly legitimate. Exposing the corruption of the Obama Administration is in the legitimate interest of the United States.
Carla Jasper says
Sometimes I wonder if we are going off the cliff with the crazy people against this president. This article is a breath of fresh air. I support all Americans right their own opinion, but not when they are trying to overthrow a duly elected president. He’s the man that I voted for and will vote for in 2020. I did not vote for Obama and did not agree with most of his policies, but I respected the fact that he was our duly elected president. I think that it speaks volumes that our leaders and former leaders are mainly silent in defending Trump’s right to govern. The swamp is much deeper and more destructive than I imagined. The problem is that most people who see this for what it is are silent. You are not. Thank you.
Paul Plante says
As to Lt. Col. Vindman, he holds a commission issued to him by the president of the United States of America pursuant to the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, Article II, section 2, clause 2.
According to DoDI 1310.02, March 26, 2015, individuals recommended for appointment will be mentally, physically, morally, and professionally qualified for appointment, but that would in turn depend on the values of the president as to who is mentally and morally qualified, and given that Vindman was promoted to lieutenant colonel in September 2015, that would make him an Obama colonel reflecting the “values” of Obama, which are polar opposites from those of Trump.
Whether Vindman was a Hillary Clinton supporter as a result is presently unknown.
As to the July 25 phone call between Presidents Trump and Zelensky. Vindman stated:
“I was concerned by the call.”
end quotes
Cool, dude, but, hey, Trump happens to be the ONLY OFFICIAL in the federal government according to the Constitution you swore to defend who is responsible for foreign policy and taking care that OUR Laws are enforced, and he is your commander-in-chief, as well, whether or not you like it, so what concerns you about how Trump conducts the affairs of the executive branch of OUR government and $7.50 plus tip will buy you a grande latte at Starbucks with plenty of sprinkles on top.
I’m a Viet Nam combat veteran myself, twice-wounded, and while I didn’t like the foreign policy of Democrat Lyndon Baines Johnson and all the lies he told, SO WHAT?
UNIFORMED MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY DO NOT MAKE FOREIGN POLICY!
Vindman then continues as follows:
“I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. Government’s support of Ukraine.”
end quotes
YOU didn’t think it proper that Trump demand that Ukraine investigate the Bidens for alleged corruption?
Do tell, dude – based on what?
Your feelings?
Your emotions?
Or the fact that Joe Biden is a Democrat?
As an American citizen who is a combat veteran, I thought it was highly appropriate, based on OUR laws and OUR constitution.
Vindman then went on to say:
I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained.
end quotes
YOU realized it?
Uh, okay.
So, Colonel Vindman, when did you say it was that you were placed in charge of foreign policy over a sitting president of the United States of America?
Or are you a part of a military coup being staged here as if we were some third-world banana republic ****hole where military officers routinely stage coups and take over operations of the government?
What horse****!
And then we come to this absolute gem from Colonel Vindman, to wit:
“This would all undermine U.S. national security.”
end quotes
Having Ukraine investigate alleged corrupt acts by Joe Biden would undermine OUR national security here in the United States of America?
That is horse****!
Have we become so pathetically weak as a nation thanks to Hussein Obama commissioning misfits as officers in our military that we now need to depend on a chronically corrupt ****hole like Ukraine to protect OUR National security?
Is that your sworn testimony here, Colonel, because this AMERICAN CITIZEN would like some further clarification on that point about us being so weak thanks to Obama that we now need Ukraine to protect us from Russia?
Which leads us to this absolute tear-jerker from Colonel Vindman’s opening statement to the Democrat inquisitors he was sucking up to for political favor (hey, if you want to be a general, you have to be political) as he helps them take down his commander-in-chief, in what the Romans might have construed an act of mutiny on Vindman’s part, as in his opening statement, Vindman promised to his father that he made the right decision fleeing to the United States:
“In Russia, my act of […] offering public testimony involving the President would surely cost me my life.”
“I am grateful for my father’s brave act of hope 40 years ago and for the privilege of being an American citizen and public servant, where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety.”
“Dad, my sitting here today, in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to United States of America in search of a better life for our family.”
“Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”
end quotes
And that ends today’s episode of “REAL WEIRD DRAMA FROM THE NATION’S CAPITAL,” but don’t go away, because tomarrow’s episode promises to be even more of a tear-jerker for all you Americans who just love a good cry over someone like Col. Vindman who is the real victim here, with his feelings and emotions having been so upset by Trump doing his duty as United States president.
Moving on to sports, hey, how about those Mets, now will you, and will the Celtics go anywhere this season, as if anyone cares?
And the weather is changing, so if you don’t like it now, wait a minute and it’ll be something else and maybe you will like that better.
And now we pause for a commercial break and station identification, so if you need a snack or a brew, best run and get it now so you don’t miss the rest of this incredible show!
tokenny says
I find your attack on Lt Col Vindman reprehensible coming from a supposed twice wounded Vietnam veteran. You boast of your veteran status as it’ gives you some wisdom preference points but yet here you are mocking a fellow serviceman with a distinguished career.
Since you have no expertise in foreign affairs, I think deferring to the Lt Col. to determine what was said by the President as to whether or not it would impact his ability to carry out his orders in Ukraine is perfectly fine.
You are sounding more and more like the Republican you say you aren’t or is it the Russian troll ?
You are losing credibility quite quickly.
Paul Plante says
Well, tokenny, dude, and let me tell you what a sheer and unmitigated pleasure it is to see you tossing in your two cents here, and making a fool of yourself in the process, which seems to be a natural gift of yours, I might say.
Why can’t an actual twice-wounded combat veteran with a Silver Star who is an American citizen call out some Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army who has gone outside the CHAIN OF COMMAND here to engage in PARTISAN POLITICS, a NO-NO, tokenney, for a uniformed military officer of our nation, anyway?
What do you see that is reprehensible about that?
As to Army officers like this Lt. Col. Vindman playing at partisan politics as he is doing here, as if this was third-world banana republic ****hole like Chad where such conduct by military officers is routine, the Department of Defense article “What is the policy for participating in political campaigns?” updated: 03/21/19, provides as follows:
As a matter of long-standing policy, military service members and federal employees acting in their official capacity may not engage in activities that associate the DOD with any partisan political campaign or elections, candidate, cause or issue.
Members on active duty may not participate in partisan activities such as soliciting or engaging in partisan fundraiser activities, serving as the sponsor of a partisan club, or speaking before a partisan gathering.
In addition, all military members, including National Guard and Reserve forces, are prohibited from wearing military uniforms at political campaign events.
end quotes
All of what this Lt. Col. Vindman is doing, tokenny, is PARTISAN BULL****, and he is way off of the reservation here by doing so.
Why, tokenny, are you for military officers of the United States participating in partisan political activities?
Ray Otton says
Ouch. 🙂
tokenny says
You don’t know the difference between a political campaign event and a Congressional hearing? That’s sad. He had a subpoena to appear, he honored the rule of law and appeared. Prove that it was partisan on his part. You can’t, so you are just spewing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
As usual Paul, don’t let the facts get in the way of how you want to spin something. Facts do matter. And starting off with the personal attack that’s quite childish but seems to be the norm for ya.
Paul Plante says
Let me be much more specific for you, tokenny, as you are obviously cognitively challenged here, having never submitted yourself to military discipline.
We are talking Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice passed by the United States Congress in 1950, the primary of which was to prevent active military officers in the United States of America from meddling in politics, a persistent problem in other republics, both ancient and modern.
It states thusly:
“Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”
end quotes
What you seem unable to comprehend here, tokenny, is that Vindman, while wearing the uniform, is subject to MILITARY DISCIPLINE 24/7/365.
And whether or not you like it, or comprehend it, Trump to Vindman is not “the president,” as in “In Russia, my act of […] offering public testimony involving the President would surely cost me my life.”
Vindman was offering scathing criticism of his commanding officer, as well as clearly using contemptuous words against the President in violation of UCMJ Article 88.
In the military, tokenny, junior officers like this chubby boy Vindman do not set policy for their superiors, period.
Orders come down the chain of command, not upward from Lt. Cols. like Vindman, who seems to feel that his judgment here should supersede that of Trump, which is the exact situation put forth in “The Caine Mutiny” by Herman Wouk where a junior officer relieved his commanding officer because he thought his commander was incompetent, which wasn’t his determination to make, just as it is not for Vindman to judge the competence of his commanding officer.
Vindman is playing at politics, tokenny, and he should be court-martialed, as a result.
Inciting mutiny works for me.
Todd Holden says
When did you serve?
tokenny says
Todd, another insightful comment by you.
There is this place called the Pentagon, filled with many men and woman who have earned all that chest candy they wear. Unless you have a special line to the Pentagon, there hasn’t been a peep out of them about Lt. Col Vindman’s testimony. No call for Article 88 from them. Because isn’t it truly their decision? Not the decision of some republican old man sitting in upstate New York?
So please Paul, put away the self-righteous indignation. Do your part for climate change and turn off the PC for awhile.
You truly are a troll aren’t you?
Ray Otton says
Calling out another contributor for making it personal –
1 – “And starting off with the personal attack that’s quite childish but seems to be the norm for ya.”
Using age discrimination to put down that same contributor
2 – “Not the decision of some republican old man sitting in upstate New York”
Ouch, want some aloe for that burn?
Paul Plante says
tokenny, dude, you for me are a genuine, honest-to-gosh segue machine, and that is a fact, as well as you being a hoot and good craic, as well, with the oftentimes zany, bizarre and off-the-wall things you say in here, to the entertainment of literally millions of souls around the globe now thanks to Al Gore and the internet he gave us, and the Cape Charles Mirror for giving the world access to your voice and your attempt at witticisms, which fall far short of being witty, which is why you are such good craic!
Now that we have that bit of housekeeping squared away, with respect to segues, just earlier today, I too was wondering all that silence, to the point of where I found myself remarking to another American citizen how interesting it was that there was not a peep of censure from the Joint Chiefs of Staff vis-à-vis Lt. Colonel Vindman and Article 88 after his appearance as a witness against his commander-in-chief in that FARCE of a hearing where Vindman made out that he was afraid that Trump was going to have him killed.
That would strongly suggest that the Joint Chiefs concur with Lt. Col. Vindman’s opinion that Trump, their Commander-in-Chief, as well, is engaged in criminal acts and should be removed from office, does it not?
So the Joint Chiefs of Staff feel that Trump is a criminal, and consequently, they have chosen this Lt. Col. Vindman as their hatchet man to destroy Trump, to get the Joint Chiefs somebody more favorable to them that Trump.
Reminds me of when “Little Mac” MacLellan and his officers were going to stage a military coup in Washington. D.C. to remove the “Original Gorilla,” as “Little Mac” and his crowd called Abe Lincoln, except this time, the coup leader, more as befits our status as a modern, third-world banana republic, is a Lt. Col., instead of a general.
Like Idi Amin taking over the government of Uganda, isn’t it?
And the candid world owes you a debt of gratitude for taking the time to point that out to all of us.
In that, your efforts at citizenship are appreciated, tokenny.
As to Lt. Cols. getting lippy and above their raising with their calling the Commander-in-Chief a criminal, tokenny, let’s take a moment to visit UCMJ Article 89: Disrespect Toward a Superior Commissioned Officer, where we have as follows as a guide as to what a Lt. Col. should be able to say in a derogatory manner about Trump, his Commander-in-Chief, while in uniform, to wit:
By Rod Powers, a retired Air Force First Sergeant with 22 years of active duty service.
Updated November 28, 2018
Disrespecting anyone up or down the chain of command is not recommended in the military.
In fact, people lose their monthly salary, confinement for up to a year, and a reduction in discharge paperwork can occur if bad enough.
Disrespecting any, especially a higher ranking official, typically happens to members who cannot control their temper and lack the discipline to acknowledge discrepancies in civil discourse.
end quotes
There, tokenny, is a case of what we have here with respect to this Lt. Col. Vindman!
Getting back to the facts, tokenney:
The military prides itself on discipline and military order.
end quotes
That is a foreign thought or concept to you, isn’t it, tokenny – discipline and military order?
And why do we, the American people, want discipline and military order in our military?
Let’s go back to that article and see, to wit:
Disrespecting a senior official can cause leadership failures to worsen to levels that render a group ineffective.
end quotes
Are you able to comprehend that, tokenny, and make any sense out of it?
Or am I still aiming way above the level of your head?
Paul Plante says
I’d rather keep my higher standards and endure your wrath, tokenny, than to adopt your lower standards just to get you off my back, no offense intended, of course, just a difference of opinion is all.
Christopher Lyon says
Wow!
Paul Plante says
And what is truly sad here, tokenny, is that you are unable to see that these BULL**** hearings being held by the rabid Democrat Adam Schiff are nothing more than partisan political campaign events, which assertion comes clear in the Yahoo News article “Key Democrat: House needs to ‘keep this simple’ in crafting impeachment articles” by Michael Isikoff on November 15, 2019, as follows:
WASHINGTON — House investigators are planning a detailed report on President Trump’s Ukraine dealings after public testimony ends next week, setting the stage for narrowly crafted articles of impeachment that will likely be entirely focused on the White House “pressure campaign” to demand investigations of Trump’s political rivals and not other allegations of presidential misconduct, a key House member tells Yahoo News.
“I think there is a strong sentiment among many of my colleagues that we should keep this simple,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., during an interview for Yahoo News’ “Skullduggery” podcast.
Malinowski’s comments address one of the biggest sources of tension within the Democratic caucus about how to craft articles of impeachment against the president.
Some members, especially on the House Judiciary Committee, have argued that impeachment should address other instances of Trump’s alleged misconduct.
But Malinowski, a former top State Department official and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with a growing number of Democrats, has concluded that any move to expand the scope of impeachment will only backfire and undercut efforts to win over independent voters and perhaps even a few Republicans whose support is essential for the final vote to have any claim of bipartisanship.
end quotes
Are you able to comprehend what the dude is saying there, tokenny?
Those “hearings” are “show trials” of the type held in the Soviet Union, trials held in public with the intention of influencing or satisfying public opinion, rather than of ensuring justice.
And Vindman, in his uniform, chose to make himself available as a POLITICAL PROP, to help the Democrats in their efforts to “impeach the mother******” Trump, as the ignorant and foul-mouthed Democrat Rashida Tlaib proclaimed as soon as the Democrats took control of the House in 2019.
COURT MARTIAL VINDMAN!
We American people do not want uniformed military officers in America promoting coups against elected public officials!
tokenny says
So Paul, you tried the Article 88 angle and that didn’t work out too well for you, so now you’ll the above angle. How am I suppose to answer you? One an article about how the democrats want to proceed, the other that Vindman is the leader of a coup.
Like any prosecutor you want to present your strongest case. So big deal the democrats are arguing over whether to bring additional articles of impeachment. Malinowski’s comment? Business as usual Paul, no politician takes a crap without first checking a poll. Both parties think that way so please stop. This isn’t the Soviet Union,in case you forgot. The hearings were public because the Republicans call for them to be.
And one more time – he received a subpoena. He actually chose to follow the rule of law and appear. How novel.
Ray, calling someones actions childish is not a personal attack and if the adjective “old” doesn’t describe him … then I don’t know what to say.
Ray Otton says
A tip.
Leave “old” out of the conversation. It make you sound discriminatory towards old people and has NOTHING to do with Paul’s opinion.
But you knew that, you just thought it would be cute.
It wasn’t.
In fact, you owe Paul an apology for dismissing his opinion due to his age.
Paul Plante says
Here I have to say, Mr. Otton, that I would be against prior restraint being imposed on our dear fellow correspondent tokenny because unrestrained as he is in here, which I frankly enjoy, because the head trip he always takes us on is never boring, scenery-wise, if you know what I am saying, but of course, I am a fan of the surreal and good theater of the absurd, which we can always count on tokenny to provide, so I would think that way, he takes us directly into the heart of how the Democrats themselves in Democrat Central are thinking, which means of course, Nancy Pelosi, whose voice our dear friend tokenny is in here, which is why I would wish no prior restraint placed on him.
We would lose our pipeline into Democrat Central if that were to be the case, that tokenny were to be restrained in any way in his speech in here, especially the insults he hurls with impunity at old people like myself, and that would be to our collective loss, because then we would not have a steady supply of Democrat talking points to debunk, such as relate to this Lt. Col. and his damning testimony against his Commander-in-Chief on 19 November 2019 when he appeared as a witness against Trump in this charade being staged by Disneyland Democrat Congressman and wild-eyed-with-religious-fervor Adam “THE PURIFIER” Schiff.
And we country folk would be robbed of a lot of entertainment provided by tokenny as a result.
And tokenny, dude, I have two Purple Hearts not because I say I do, but because I can produce the orders awarding me a Purple Heart and First Oak Leaf Cluster.
Just saying.
Paul Plante says
Like I said, tokenny, you are an absolute hoot and that is a fact!
And do you recall the July 20, 1944 plot to kill Hitler that German General Erwin Rommel, the famous “Desert Fox” of North Africa fame, was implicated in?
As you surely must recall with all of your masterful erudition, tokenny, the July 20 plot was a plot by senior-level German military officials to murder Adolf Hitler and then take control of his government.
Sound familiar?
Yes, I thought you would see the connections here!
So, yes, tokenny, it would appear to anyone but a fool that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are part of a cabal to remove a sitting American president that they don’t like, which takes us to this drivel spewing from out the mouth of the wild-eyed rabid Hollywood Democrat Adam Schiff from the Transcript: Vindman and Williams testify in front of the House Intelligence Committee on Nov. 19, 2019, as follows:
SCHIFF: Both Colonel Vindman and Ms. Williams were on the July 25th call.
Vindman testified that due to the unequal bargaining position of the two leaders and Ukraine’s dependency on the U.S., the favor Trump asked of Zelensky was really a demand.
end quotes
So, tokenny, is that a case of a military officer in a society where there is civilian control of the military substituting his judgment about the conduct of foreign affairs by the United States of America for that of a sitting president?
And to help you out here, of course it is.
So, tokenny, back to this question – when was constitutional authority over U.S. foreign policy conferred on Lt. Col, Vindman, and how?
And if Lt. Col. Vindman doesn’t have constitutional authority over foreign policy, then why is the smarmy and unctuous Hollywood, California Democrat and wild-eyed zealot Adam Schiff, who actually thinks he is the chief executive officer of the United States and not Trump, who Schiff sees as a pretender to the throne Schiff should instead be sitting on?
And since a good prosecutor never asks a question to which he doesn’t know the answer, it is because the smarmy and unctuous Adam Schiff and his willing accomplice Lt. Col. Vindman, who testified “I sit here, as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, an immigrant,” and “I have a deep appreciation for American values and ideals and the power of freedom,” and “I am a patriot, and it is my sacred duty and honor to advance and defend our country, irrespective of party or politics,” (HAW HAW HAW, that’s rich, Lt. Col. Zindman) are playing games with the American people in a failing effort to get more than just the Democrats in favor of impeaching Trump, who Vindman clearly rejects as his Commander-in -Chief with impunity, which in turn takes us to this article in THE HILL entitled “Independents souring on impeachment underscores risk for Democrats” by Jonathan Easley on 11/24/19 as follows:
New public opinion polls are moving against Democrats on impeachment as independents sour on the House inquiry and increasingly express opposition to the hearings that have consumed Washington in recent weeks.
The new data comes as a surprise to Democrats, many of whom believe witnesses have offered damning testimony about President Trump.
end quotes
One of those witnesses of course, was this chubby Lt. Col. Vindman who reminded me of the Pillsbury Dough Boy dressed as an American infantry officer, quite truthfully, and his “damning” testimony not only failed to move the SCREECH-O-METER up with mobs howling for Trump’s head, but has actually sent it down, because the dude’s testimony was a DUD, to wit:
Support for impeachment among Republicans and independents in the survey was mostly steady, but support among Democrats dropped by 7 points.
Marquette pollster Charles Franklin described the shift as modest and said it could be driven by voters viewing impeachment as an extreme measure.
“It was surprising to find that Democrats are a little less supportive of impeachment now.”
“They appear a little less unified in their opposition,” Franklin said.
end quotes
And thus further panic sets in in the ranks of the Democrats as they see their impeachment show failing to move the American people in their direction!
Sing hallelujah and say amen for that, tokenny, and back to you for whatever further inane comments you have to add to the dialogue!
tokenny says
Two missives written by Paul, directed at me on one day – I’m so honored. After sorting through the personal attacks. I see you are still taking personal shots at Lt. Col Vindman. This time about his appearance, like somehow that will change the relevance of what he heard and relayed. ( that comes right out of the Republican playbook – are you an agent for them?)
Now the Joint Chiefs of Staff are in on the “coup” too. Perfect! Just where did you get the idea that Lt Col Vindman sets Foreign Policy? I’m sure he doesn’t, I don’t think so. No one thinks so, other than you. I think if you asked Lt Col Vindman he could correctly name his Commander in Chief 10 times out of 10.
I do like this statement of yours “And since a good prosecutor never asks a question to which he doesn’t know the answer …” That didn’t seem to hold for the Republicans questioning their own witness, who then proceeded to submarine them. That was quite comical.
If you take the personal attacks and the quote from The Hill out of the above you really didn’t say much of anything that was based in fact or of any substance to move the discussion along. Your wailing at the wind does get tiresome. Why don’t you enlighten yourself and read this:
https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-lt-col-vindmans-testimony-says-about-civil-military-relations-and-military-justice
I’m trying to determine how having any metals makes you somehow insightful in this discussion?
Paul Plante says
And not only America, tokenny. but the candid world as well, which loudly clamors, “tokenny, tokenny, tokenny, we cry; if we don’t get a daily dose of tokenny, then surely we would die,” are honored in turn by your presence in here with these latest intellectual gems and jewels from yourself above here as your contribution to not only keeping us on our toes, but clueing us in as to how Nancy Pelosi is thinking in terms of the masterful cover-up the Democrats are conducting under the command and control of Democrat Field Marshall and Congressman representing Disneyland, Adam “THE PURIFIER” Schiff, who is going to scourge iniquity from out the White House with fire and sword, and his truth is marching on, sing glory hallelujah, and say amen, of whatever it is they are so afraid will come out concerning how it was that Burisma, a company in Ukraine, came to select of all the people in the world Joe Biden’s boy who had only recently been kicked out of the Navy after testing positive for cocaine, as well as what Joe himself was up to over there as Obama’s vice president, who incidentally, according to a POLITICO article entitled “Waiting for Obama” by Ryan Lizza on 26 November 2019, had been passed over by Obama as his chosen successor because apparently, something just didn’t smell right about Joe, or maybe it was because Joe is just goofy, and not really corrupt, to wit:
Obama designed his post-presidency in 2016, at a time when he believed Hillary Clinton would win and Biden would be out of politics.
But the original plan of a relaxed post-presidency of writing and thinking and mentoring, one that was relatively unencumbered by partisan politics, was blown up by the twin surprises of Trump’s victory and Biden’s decision to challenge him in 2020.
Instead of remaining above the fray, Obama was forced back into the center of politics by Trump and Biden, who, for opposite reasons, talk about him and his legacy at every opportunity.
At one level, a Biden win would be a profound vindication, an almost direct restoration of the Obama administration.
But Obama had already passed over Biden for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
With Biden out of the race in 2020, the psychodrama of their relationship and the intrigue about Obama’s assessment of Biden could have been avoided.
Biden, Obama told people close to him before Biden even entered the race, would have to “earn” it.
There would be no endorsement.
end quotes
The American people, tokenny, the real American people, really want to know a lot more about that psychodrama of their relationship and the intrigue about Obama’s assessment of Biden, and they feel that pursuant to Article II of OUR Constitution, Trump as the enforcer of OUR Laws is completely justified in pursuing an investigation into that psychodrama, especially with respect to Joe Biden and Ukraine (see, John Solomon’s October 31st story entitled “Debunking Some Of Ukraine’s Scandal Myths About Biden And Election Interference” entered into evidence during 19 November 2019 Vindman hearing).
With respect to the drivel contained in the Monday, November 18, 2019 LawFare article “What Lt. Col. Vindman’s Testimony Says About Civil-Military Relations and Military Justice” by Lt. Col. Dan Maurer, US Army, Judge Advocate, who is an assistant professor of law at the US Military Academy at West Point and a fellow with West Point’s Modern War Institute as well as a two-tour veteran of Iraq and former combat engineer officer, as well as the author of “Crisis, Agency, and Law in US Civil-Military Relations” (Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), along with various scholarly articles on military justice and civil-military relationships, and has contributed previously to Lawfare, War on the Rocks, Small Wars Journal, Military Review and others on these subjects, whose opinions in the essay are his alone, and do not reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense, the United States Military Academy, or any other governmental organization or unit with which he is or has been affiliated, the dude can obfuscate with the best of them when he feeds us this blatant horse****, to wit:
On Oct. 29, Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was deposed by three standing congressional committees conducting the impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Trump, triggered by a whistleblower’s concerned recounting of an Oval Office phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Ukraine.
Vindman, who listened to the conversation with other staff in the Situation Room as part of his regular duties, was subpoenaed to testify under oath to learn his impressions of the motive, purpose and content of the now-infamous call.
end quotes
That is patent horse****, tokenny, and you know it, so shame on you for trying to slip it by us as if we were brain-dead.
As the wild-eyed Democrat zealot from Hollywood, California Adam Schiff stated in his opening diatribe in the Transcript: Vindman and Williams testify in front of the House Intelligence Committee on Nov. 19, 2019:
Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, whose family fled oppression in the Soviet Union when he was a toddler, is a career Army officer, an Iraq War veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart, and an expert in Russia and Ukraine who has worked at the highest levels of the Pentagon.
In July 2018, he was detailed to the White House in part to coordinate policy on Ukraine.
end quotes
In military terminology, tokenny, which I do not expect you to know, or care about for that matter, the term “detailed to the White House” has very specific meaning as to who this Lt. Col., who looks obese to me, tokenny, speaking as a combat veteran unused to seeing obese Lt. Cols. wearing the crossed rifles on the lapels of their uniform blouse, took his marching orders from.
The term “detailed to the White House” in no way, tokenny, implies that Lt. Col. Vindman was given command authority of any kind over Trump, who is Vindman’s commander-in-chief, regardless of how vigorously Vindman has been defended by former colleagues, members of Congress, and senior military officials, including retired general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joseph Dunford.
Vindman was actually detailed to the NSC, and it is 7th grade civics that the National Security Council (NSC) is the President’s principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials.
The “President’s principal forum,” tokenny, not Lt. Col. V indman’s.
Since its inception under President Truman, a Democrat, by the way, the Council’s function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies.
Does the meaning of the words “advise and assist” elude you, tokenny, as it obviously does with your Lt. Col. Lt. Col. Dan Maurer, US Army, Judge Advocate, who is an assistant professor of law at the US Military Academy at West Point, to wit:
In the days since Vindman’s testimony, much has been written about whether he can, or should, be court-martialed for what one journalist cavalierly described as “his choice to rebel against his White House chain-of-command.”
Those advocating for criminal sanctions on Vindman take the view that he was directly ordered by a superior — and thus ultimately by the president — not to obey the congressional subpoena but did so anyway.
There are a number of problems with this argument.
To begin with, it seems now that Vindman never received an order not to testify by his chain of command but was, rather, instructed not to comply with the subpoena by the chief legal adviser for the National Security Council.
But even had he been ordered directly by the commander in chief, or anyone else in his formal chain of command, it is not as evident as some commentators seem to expect that he could be court-martialed.
end quotes
Are you actually impressed by this mealy-mouthed horse**** flowing freely from the pen of your Lt. Col. defending what is clearly a case of insubordination by his brother officer?
Do you seriously expect me, who wore the uniform, and who swore an oath to defend the Constitution from not only foreign enemies to it, but domestic enemies, as well, and note, tokenny, that I made it clear that I am talking enemies to the Constitution, not Trump, to accept any of this horse**** because it is what some Lt. Col. is saying?
If so, tokenny, with all due respect, you are daft.
tokenny says
You have finally confirmed my long held belief that you are merely click-bait for the Mirror. You are not here to share your beliefs, engage in discussion or to enlighten yourself to another point of view.
Your sole purpose is to inflame, infuriate, incite and anger others. You don’t care one iota of their opinion. In fact most of the time you don’t have an opinion. It’s some dribble that you cobble together. An it’s quite evident that any opinion you have is not based in any reality.
I was always skeptical of you since your first post. It was the only post I ever seen on here that was followed by a personal reference – some woman saying she knew you and you were of good character. Tell me, isn’t that odd?
The internet is an interesting place. You can be anything you want to be and there is a vast amount of information out there. Wasn’t I gobsmacked when I found your other site http://www.thelivyjrfiles.com/ and then what really floored me was that you are somewhat stable. So thelivjr, or Paul or whoever you really are I think you have done a disservice to the “millions of readers” of the Mirror.
So Wayne you in on it too? Paul, you have a very distinct way of writing and your misuse of a certain type of punctuation is quite unique. It’s a tell.
Note: Paranoia will destroy ya’. My dear friend Ken Dufty, who is the hardest working advocate for Northampton County that I am aware of, can vouch for Mr. Plante. Mr. Plante uses his real name, unlike others that I allow to post here. Mr. Plante and I also discussed a central location in the cloud where he could store his writings. PHPBB, which I have used for other projects is a solid alternative. Better luck next time, Tokenny, or whoever you are.
Paul Plante says
And after unloading all of that mental and emotional diarrhea you apparently having been storing up for some long time in some bile reservoir deep within the recesses of your mind from the sounds of things here, recalling as you do some un-named woman saying she knew me and that I was of good character, which is hardly odd to anyone other than yourself, given that it is true about being of good character, a requirement to be licensed in the State of New York as an engineer to protect and safeguard life, health and property, but hey, tokenny, you and I both know that you have known that for some time since the Cape Charles Mirror thread “Sonia Sotomayor Should Be impeached,” which is a true story of the denial of social justice to the inhabitants of Rensselaer County in the corrupt Soviet Socialist Republic of New York, I truly hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving, tokenny.
As to me being quite stable, as you so eloquently point out above, in fact, in January of 2018, the Cape Charles Mirror had this back-and-forth between somebody who might or might not have been yourself, and myself, on that very issue, to wit:
tkenny says @ January 19, 2018 at 9:20 pm:
Look at you go, Paulie.
* Obama is a Marxist
* Nuclear reactors are causing climate change
* Rensselaer is a lawless, corrupt County in New York
* Sonia Sotomayor is a corrupt Supreme Court Judge.
Don’t you sound like a stable person
end quotes
Paul Plante says @ January 20, 2018 at 12:15 pm:
tkenny, dude, good to see you survived the recent ravages of the weather like our dear friend and fellow American patriot Chas Cornweller.
Your fans here to the north have been worried about you, wondering where you have been, and why your silence in my thread on why Sonia Sotomayor, a corrupt judge by the operative definitions in use today that put definition to what makes a federal judge a corrupt judge like Sonia Sotomayor, should resign in disgrace.
Where are you coming down on that question, tkenny?
Should she stay, or should she go?
As to the subject of “judicial corruption, in an article on the subject from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners entitled “Bribery on the Bench: A Look at Judicial Corruption” by Jordan Underhill, J.D., Research Specialist, ACFE, we have as follows:
Types of Judicial Corruption
The two most common types of judicial corruption are political interference and bribery.
Political interference is when politicians or staff from the legislative or executive branch meddle in judicial affairs or collude with judges in fraudulent schemes.
Despite efforts in many countries to isolate the judiciary from politics, judges and other court personnel still face significant pressure to rule in favor of powerful political or business entities rather than in accordance with the law.
A malleable judiciary can be used by those in power to provide protection for and lend legitimacy to fraudulent acts.
Judges might also collude with politicians in a variety of different white-collar crimes, such as extortion, money laundering and embezzlement.
The second most common form of judicial corruption is bribery.
Judges or other court officials might accept bribes to exercise their influence over a case in a way that benefits the briber.
For example, a judge might delay or accelerate cases, accept or deny appeals, or simply rule in a particular way in exchange for kickbacks.
Court officials also accept bribes to exercise their influence over cases.
end quotes
Those bases cover Sonia Sotomayor.
And yes, tkenny, Obama is a Marxist, which has never been any kind of secret.
And yes, tkenny, nuclear reactors, while not the sole cause of climate change, are big contributers, as was proven in another thread or two in here recently.
And yes, tkenny, Rensselaer County in New York state is a lawless, corrupt county in New York state that may well be one of the most corrupt counties in the nation.
To give you some essential background, consider New York State Penal Law § 460.00, which provides as follows:
Organized crime in New York state involves highly sophisticated, complex and widespread forms of criminal activity.
The diversified illegal conduct engaged in by organized crime, rooted in the illegal use of force, fraud, and corruption, constitutes a major drain upon the state’s economy, costs citizens and businesses of the state billions of dollars each year, and threatens the peace, security and general welfare of the people of the state.
The money and power derived by organized crime through its illegal enterprises and endeavors is increasingly being used to infiltrate and corrupt businesses, unions and other legitimate enterprises and to corrupt our democratic processes.
end quotes
That was in 1986, tkenny, and since then it has only gotten worse, to the point of where our s0-called “democratic” processes have become about totally corrupted, and that is thanks to judges like Sonia Sotmayor.
As to the endemic public corruption in the Rensselaer County Department of Health itself, tkenny, in a March 27, 1989 Report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning a federal Hobbs Act investigation of corruption in the Rensselaer County (State of New York) Department of Health based on my testimony, which made me a marked man in Rensselaer County, it was stated as follows:
“According to (name deleted), the results of the State’s investigation were that New York State laws were not being followed by the Rensselaer County Health Department, Rensselaer County laws were not being followed by the Rensselaer County Health Department, and there was very little ‘enforcement activity’ even in the face of illegal sales.”
“(Name deleted) advised that the Rensselaer County Health Department’s oversight of realty subdivisions in that county is ‘unsatisfactory’!”
“(Name deleted) also faulted the State of New York Health Department for not auditing Rensselaer County’s program.”
“(Name deleted) advised that he would not expect to find a worse county in the region (the Capital District region which comprises 17 counties)!”
“According to (name deleted), the object of any county health department is to protect the public and not to facilitate development.”
“In the case of Rensselaer County, it appears that the Rensselaer County Health Department was in business to facilitate developers and development rather than to protect the public.”
end quote
Can your county match that record, tkenny?
So yes, tkenny, I am indeed quite stable here, and thank you for pointing that out to people in here, it is appreciated.
tokenny says
You missed the point Wayne, as Livyjr, Paul’s other writings aren’t bombastic, pompous or blathering. Why does he take on that persona here?
You do a good job with the Mirror, it fills a local news void in the lower half of the peninsula that is missing. Having Paul as the resident bomb thrower cheapens the work you have done.
Paranoid? Not at all. Just don’t enjoy the dishonesty.
Note: Gotcha, I haven’t read the other stuff, so may need to ask Paul.
Paul Plante says
If you don’t enjoy the dishonesty, tokenny, then the simple solution for you is to stop being dishonest as you are in the above post, where you are making wild accusations against me, and by extension, Wayne Creed and the Mirror.
You’ve got to get a grip on yourself, dude; people are getting worried about you spinning off into outer space somewhere like “Major Tom.”
And I’m clueless as to what you call my “other writings,” given that my writing is done here under my name and nowhere else other than the odd letter to the editor which is not very often.
As to my “writings” appearing in another forum such as The Livyjr Files, which is what seems to have you so upset here to the point that it has you gibbering, that is hardly surprising given that I have been an active participant on national blog sites since 2004, tokenny, a period of 15 years now, so what is your point, besides nothing but an attempt at obfuscation here?
As to my persona, tokenny, I have just the one, regardless of where I happen to be at any given time.
I am not one person here and another somewhere else, as your paranoid delusions have you thinking.
And I am hardly “bomb-throwing” as you so childishly try to assert, especially in this thread, where the real bomb-thrower is a Lt. Col. in the U.S. military whose name is Vindman as we can clearly see from the Transcript: Vindman and Williams testify in front of the House Intelligence Committee on Nov. 19, 2019, where the smarmy and unctuous Hollywood, California Democrat Adam Schiff, now lovingly known by his many followers around the world as “Ol’ Shifty,” for the deft way that he can keep switching the narrative as to why Trump should be impeached from one set of alleged crimes to another with the greatest of ease, opened the SHOW TRIAL where Vindman was a key witness reminiscent of something to be expected in the old Soviet Union, as follows:
SCHIFF: Last week, we heard from three experienced diplomats who testified about President Trump’s scheme to condition official acts — a White House meeting and hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. military aid to fight the Russians — on a deliverable by the new Ukrainian president, Zelensky: two politically motivated investigations that Trump believed would help his re-election campaign.
One of those investigations involved the Bidens, and the other involved a discredited conspiracy theory that Ukraine and not Russia was responsible for interfering in our 2016 election.
end quotes
An investigation into the Bidens, tokenny, that a majority of honest Americans who aren’t Democrats are demanding, because we do not want some corrupt Democrat serving as our next president; but that investigation has to be stifled, because Democrats like Joe Biden are above the law, and do not get investigated, period!
As to the role Vindman was to play in the FARCE (oooooh, another bonb), “Ol’Shifty” continued as follows with his cover-up attempt that Vindman was there to assist him with, as follows:
To press a foreign leader to announce an investigation into his political rival, President Trump put his own personal and political interests above those of the nation.
He undermined our military and diplomatic support for a key ally and undercut U.S. anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine.
end quotes
That, tokenny, is patent pig****, and the reason I am talking about it here is because the conversation ios closed elsewhere, at the main-stream media fawning on every word Adam Schiff has to say, especially Adam’s lies, which don’t seem to trouble you, one whit.
Why?
Getting back to “Ol’ Shifty” and the VINDMAN FARCE on 19 Novermber 2019, we have:
How could our diplomats urge Ukraine to refrain from political investigations of its own citizens if the president of the United States was urging Ukraine to engage in precisely the same kind of corrupt and political investigations of one of our own citizens?
end quotes
What kind of childish emotional horsecrap is that, tokenny?
There was nothing “corrupt” about Trump asking a foreign country known for its own chronic corruption to investigate the role an American might have played in maintaining that corruption while he was vice-president of the United States of America, but that certainly did not deter “Ol’ Shifty” from taking that tack, and then bringing in this compliant Lt. Col. Vindman to buttress his claims, as we see by returning to the transcript, as follows:
At the White House, career professionals became concerned that President Trump, through an irregular channel that involved his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland and Rudy Giuliani, was pushing a policy towards Ukraine at odds with the national interest.
This morning, we hear from two of the national security professionals who became aware of those efforts.
end quotes
So according to that narrative being spun out there in his opening statements at the VINDMAN FARCE on 19 November 2019 by Hollywood Democrat Adam Schiff, this Lt. Col. Vindman is the one person in America who determines what our national interests are, not a sitting American president, which is THEATER OF THE ABSURD, and it is that which this thread is about, as we clearly see from the following from the OP:
The people also voted for Trump to change America’s foreign policy.
The Democrats and Republicans, along with the Civil Service had embroiled the country in endless wars and dubious adventures such as Libya (which cost an ambassador his life) and Syria.
Everyone knows that Trump has open disdain for career officials serving in places like Ukraine.
He also believes this is something he was elected to take care of.
What we have thus far seen in the impeachment hearings makes it clear.
The objectives of deep state and career bureaucrats are different from the President’s.
But, Trump is the President, and he gets to make policy decisions, not worthless rats like Lt. Col. Vindmen.
Asking Zelensky, elected on an anti-corruption agenda to account for Ukraine’s dealings with the Bidens is perfectly legitimate.
Exposing the corruption of the Obama Administration is in the legitimate interest of the United States.
end quotes
I would suggest, tokenny, that if you don’t want me in here discussing exactly that from the perspective of an American citizen and combat veteran whose oath to the Constitution is as valid today as any oath Vindman might have taken, then you must prevail on Wayne Creed to turn the Mirror into the insipid rag you want it to be, where nothing of substance and interest to the American people is ever broached as a subject, as is the case with this thread.
Or perhaps you could buy the Mirror and become its editor, and then you would have full control over my writings in here.
As to that article you turned us on to, tokenny, the LAWFARE INSTITUTE article entitled “The Ukraine Connection – What Lt. Col. Vindman’s Testimony Says About Civil-Military Relations and Military Justice” by Dan Maurer on November 18, 2019, I have read it through word for word for word, because there are many in there, and I am recommending it to all my friends as a prime example of the arts of sophistry and dissimulation a very good defense attorney employs to protect his or her client.
Lt. Col. Maurer leads us down the garden path and all around the barn at least a couple of times in there, as he creates all these false narratives that only serve to mislead and misdirect, which, of course, is the role of a defense attorney such as Lt. Col. Maurer in that article trying desperately to cover over for a brother officer.
Reminds me of Cicero’s defense of Milo for killing Clodius Pulcher, as follows:
Although in this cause, O judges, we shall not employ the tribuneship of Titus Annius, and all the exploits which he has performed for the safety of the republic, as topics for our defence against this accusation, unless you see with your own eyes that a plot was laid against Milo by Clodius; and we shall not entreat you to pardon us this one offence in consideration of our many eminent services to the republic, nor shall we demand, if the death of Publius Clodius was your safety, that on that account you should attribute it rather to the virtue of Milo, than to the good fortune of the Roman people; but if his plots are made clearer than the day, then indeed I shall entreat, and shall demand of you, O judges, that, if we have lost everything else, this at least may be left us— namely, the privilege of defending our lives from the audacity and weapons of our enemies with impunity.
Paul Plante says
And seriously, tokenny dude, and by the way, In went to that other site you turned us on to above here, where you say you were gobsmacked for some unexplained and incomprehensible reason to me, given that the site is listed on google as an informational and educational space in cyber-space, and after my perusal, I saw nothing nefarious or sinister taking place anywhere in there, although I did find the complete set of Federalist Papers with highlights on relevant sections http://thelivyjrfiles.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=20 which I personally found to be both informational and educational, which means the site is living up to its name, and wasn’t I ever gob-smacked (utterly astonished; astounded) when I used the search engine out of curiosity and didn’t your name pop up, several times in fact, so what is up with that, tokenny?
Should that confirm our long held belief that it is you who are merely click-bait for the Mirror, that it is really you who is not here to share your beliefs, engage in discussion or to enlighten yourself to another point of view; but that your sole purpose is to inflame, infuriate, incite and anger others whose opinions you don’t care one iota about?
And in fact most of the time, and this thread mon Lt. Col. Vindman is case in point, you don’t have an opinion; rather, it’s some dribble that you have cobbled together, in this case that sophistry and obfuscation in that article you turned us on to, tokenny, the LAWFARE INSTITUTE article entitled “The Ukraine Connection – What Lt. Col. Vindman’s Testimony Says About Civil-Military Relations and Military Justice” by Dan Maurer on November 18, 2019, which I have recommended to all my friends as a prime example of the arts of sophistry and dissimulation a very good defense attorney employs to protect his or her client; so, to summarize, tokenny, based on that article as your only evidence in here, it’s quite evident that any opinion you have is not based in any reality, because that article itself is not based in any reality, but instead, is a weird journey through LA-LA LAND, where we see how cheaply Lt. Cols. teaching law to West Point cadets, God help the nation, hold their oath to defend the Constitution
As to that article, tokenny, nowhere in there, and it is not at all surprising given the nature of the article as a slick defense attorney’s skilled use at sophistry, obfuscation and misdirection in an attempt to justify this Lt. Col. Vindman making it clear to the smarmy and unctuous Hollywood, California Congressman Adam Schiff that in exchange for a subpoena, Vindman would gladly come into a public hearing wearing a military uniform with all kinds of medals and decorations and badges and pins hanging off of it to help Adam Schiff convince the American people concerning the impeachment of Trump, about Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice passed by the United States Congress in 1950, the primary of which was to prevent active military officers in the United States of America from meddling in politics, which is exactly what this Lt. Col. Vindman was doing when he gladly appeared before the Schiff Inquisition as a witness against Trump, a persistent problem in other republics, both ancient and modern, to wit:
“Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”
end quotes
Nowhere does your Lt. Col. Dan Maurer, a West Point law professor address that, tokenny; to the contrary, he does what a good defense attorney does, and uses the press to manipulate public opinion.
Except in this case, the effort falls apart because while civilians may be ignorant of what we are talking about in here, military veterans who took an oath to defend the Constitution certainly aren’t, which makes this FARCE as transparent as a piece of the purest glass, as we see from this excerpt of the smarmy and unctuous Adam Schiff’s opening testimony on 19 November 2019, to wit:
SCHIFF: Both Colonel Vindman and Ms. Williams were on the July 25th call.
Vindman testified that due to the unequal bargaining position of the two leaders and Ukraine’s dependency on the U.S., the favor Trump asked of Zelensky was really a demand.
end quotes
Note the use of the word, “testified,” tokenny, as in past tense – which is to say, before he received his bogus subpoena to appear before the American people in the 19 November 2019 CHARADE, Vindman had already met with Schiff to get the kinks in what his public testimony was going to be out of the way, beforehand, which is to say that in the vernacular of the lawyer’s trade, Vindman was a coached witness, which takes us back to “Ol’ Shifty” at the 19 November 2019 FARCE where Vindman was his combined star witness and pet poodle, to wit:
After the call, multiple individuals, including Vindman, were concerned enough to report it to the National Security Council’s top lawyer.
It was the second time in two weeks that Vindman had raised concerns with NSC lawyers.
end quotes
The NSC answers to the president of the United States of America, not to Lt. Col. Vindman, no matter what perverted ideas he might have about it, and where his authority as a Lt. Col. in the United States Army begins and ends with respect to ordering a sitting United States president around, as if the president were a mere recruit being put though his paces by Lt. Col. Vindman, which is a clear-cut and classic open-and-shut case of a commissioned officer using contemptuous words against the President, regardless of the shine and spin this defense attorney Maurer is putting on it, which is why he stayed as far as possible from any mention of Article 88 in that Lawfare article of yours that you are trying to confuse us with as if we are simpletons incapable of rational thought.
Paul Plante says
Note back to Editor:
Not really anything I can add, so far as I can see, and at the risk of sounding like an ignorant yokel, or hayseed, or unlettered barbarian backwoodsman, I have to say I haven’t a clue as to what language tokenny is speaking when he goes off about “click-bait,” and with respect to this grand conspiracy that tokenny alleges we are involved in in here, God alone knows what quadrant of outer space he is coming in here from with that ridiculous assertion.
The fact that I am a presence in this thread today is because before I got to here, there was a thread in the Cape Charles Mirror to get to, in the first place, and so far as I can see, this thread, which certainly not only fills a local news void in the lower half of the peninsula that is missing, but one that similarly exists in the rest of the nation, as well, which is why I am a steady reader of the Mirror, and what tokenny is raving about when he says “(H)aving Paul as the resident bomb thrower cheapens the work you have done,” eludes me.
Personally, I think our fellow commentator to the Cape Charles Mirror tokenny is panicking here because this discussion of why Lt. Col. Vindman should be relieved of his duties at the NSC and court-martialed is getting legs that tokenny wants chopped off, and fast, which is why he brought that farcical Lawfare article entitled “The Ukraine Connection – What Lt. Col. Vindman’s Testimony Says About Civil-Military Relations and Military Justice” by Lt. Col Dan Maurer, a law professor at West Point, on November 18, 2019, into the discussion, to shut it down, and when that failed, tokenny panicked and that raving above about conspiracies and “click-bait” and bomb-throwing is the result in an attempt to distract people away from what the real conversation should be, which is an on-going farce of a military coup against Trump, which is like something straight out of a Mel Brooks movie or an on-going adventure in National Lampoon magazine, and if anyone is throwing bombs, and plenty of them, all aimed at Donald Trump. it is the smarmy and unctuous Adam Schiff, the rabid Hollywood, California Democrat Congressman who is now Lord Protector of the Realm of America, and de facto chief executive with control over our military, which control Schiff has successfully usurped with the aid of a cabal of Lt. Colonels in the U.S. Army.
As to Vindman, and conduct unbecoming an officer in the United States Army, there is no way that Vindman could not know that when he appeared before the Schiff Inquisition on 19 November 2019, that he was taking part in a farce.
Consider the opening statement of his co-witness Jennifer Williams, who according to Schiff in his opening remarks got her start in our government as a political appointee during the George W. Bush administration and after working as a field representative on the 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign, to wit:
I appear today pursuant to a subpoena and am prepared to answer your questions to the best of my abilities.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide this statement.
I would be happy to answer any questions.
end quotes
Actually, however, she was there to simply spread mindless tattle and gossip that was meaningless, and insulting to our intelligence, as follows:
It was with great pride and conviction that I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.
Administered by a personal hero of mine, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
end quotes
HUH?
What possible relevance to anything does any of that have, and by the way, her oath to uphold and defend the Constitution is no more powerful or binding than was my oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and as someone who not only took that oath, but like Vindman actually shed blood defending that oath, I think Ms. Williams would have better served her oath by actually standing up for our Constitution as opposed to being a willing participant in a FARCE, which brings us to this from her opening statement:
As a career officer, I am committed to serving the American people and advancing American interests abroad in support of the president’s foreign policy objectives.
end quotes
Oh, really, Jennifer – do tell!
So, if that is the case that you are committed to serving the American people and advancing American interests abroad in support of the president’s foreign policy objectives, then why are you participating in Adam Schiff’s FARCE which is attacking not only the president’s foreign policy objectives, but our interests as a people to not be throwing American tax dollars down a corrupt ****hole like Ukraine?
As to this FARCE Lt. Col. Vindman was another willing participant in, let’s peruse Ms. Williams opening statement a bit more, to wit:
Over the past eight months, I have been privileged to work with the dedicated and capable men and women of the Office of the Vice President to advance the administration’s agenda.
end quotes
And now, she is working with Adam Schiff to scuttle the administration’s agenda, which is to drain the swamp and stamp out the endemic corruption in Washington, D.C. itself, which raises the question of why?
Getting back to her opening statement:
I would like to take this opportunity to briefly summarize my recollection of some of the events I expect the committee may ask me about.
On April 21st, Volodymyr Zelensky won the Ukrainian presidential election.
On April 23rd, the vice president called to congratulate President-elect Zelensky.
During the call, which I participated in, the vice president accepted an invitation to attend President-elect Zelensky’s upcoming inauguration, providing that the scheduling worked out.
The vice president had only a narrow window of availability at the end of May, and the Ukrainian parliament would not meet to set a date for the inauguration until after May 14th.
As a result, we did not expect to know whether the vice president would be — could attend until May 14th at the earliest, and we made only preliminary trip preparations in early May.
end quotes
I’m serious, people – that is straight from her transcript, so that is not anything I am making up – that is what she was there to share with the American people in that FARCE – that she didn’t know whether Pence could go to Ukraine or not, as if anybody even gives a damn.
Then she goes on from there as follows:
On May 13th, an assistant to the vice president’s chief of staff called and informed me that President Trump had decided that the vice president would not attend the inauguration in Ukraine.
She did not provide any further explanation.
I relayed that instruction to others involved in planning the potential trip.
I also informed the NSC that the vice president would not be attending so that it could identify a head of delegation to represent the United States at President-elect Zelensky’s inauguration.
end quotes
Yes, I know, people, I know – this is some real heavy-duty stuff here, alright, matters vital to our national security as a nation and as a people.
Getting back to the 19 November 2019 SCHIFF SHOW starring political appointee Jennifer Williams as comic relief, we have:
On September 11th, I learned that the hold on security assistance for Ukraine had been released.
I have never learned what prompted that decision.
end quotes
Probably because it was on a need-to-know basis, and she was deemed too unimportant to be in the know, along with the White House janitor and the dude who takes care of the roses in the rose garden.
And yes, that is the earth-shaking testimony Adam Schiff had her appearing live on national TV to give to the American people, which includes myself.
And that takes us to here, to wit:
After the July 25th call, I provided an update in the vice president’s daily briefing book, indicating that President Trump had a call that day with President Zelensky.
A hard copy of the memorandum transcribing the call was also included in the book.
I do not know whether the vice president reviewed my update or the transcript.
I did not discuss the July 25th call with the vice president or any of my colleagues in the Office of the Vice President or the NSC.
end quotes
So, Adam Schiff, tells us, dude, with that said, why was she even there, and why are you wasting valuable governmental resources putting on this FARCE in the first place?
The American people who took oaths to defend the Constitution which you are making a mockery of would really like to know!