The only reason he mentioned China this morning is that he knows

[malaise]

Schiff et al will discover that he was and is attempting to shake them down as well. This while he fucks up farmers, manufacturers and merchants.

[doc03]

1. Hmm you get dirt on Biden I'll drop the trade war. nt

[malaise]

2. This is mob rule

as in mobster rule

[Blue_true]

3. It all does look like a scene from the Godfather, a mafisio offering quid pro

quo.

[malaise]

4. This one is on a global scale

[doc03]

8. Ray liotta would be a good one to play Trump in

the movie. Joe Pesci could play Barr

[malaise]

10. This is a first in my lifetime

Bangs head

[Cirque du So-What]

16. I would cast Mike Myers

in a modified Fat Bastard costume.

[world wide wally]

30. Worse.

If they find dirt on Biden, he won't say a word about their crackdown on protesters.

[spanone]

5. the question will become 'who hasn't he tried to shake down?'

[malaise]

6. Precisely

[spanone]

7. This fucking guy is maddening.

[keithbvadu2]

21. 'who hasn't he tried to shake down?'

His master Putin.

[Garrett78]

9. Trump and Republicans are clearly employing the strategy of "If I'm open about collusion...

...then it can't be wrong." And if Dems aren't careful, it'll work. Republicans have long understood better than Democrats, it seems, the power of narrative and simple messaging.

In addition to repeating a simple phrase repeatedly (Transparent illegality is still illegality.), it would be good for Dems to actually talk at press conferences about the strategy/tactic that Trump and Republicans are employing. Don't assume that people will recognize it for what it is. You can't overestimate the ignorance of the American people. Help people see, in simple terms, what is happening.

Something short and easily understood like this:

Transparent illegality is still illegality. The president and Republicans want you to think what they're doing and have been doing is okay because they are admitting it openly, which is because they got caught. This is a tactic. What they are doing is not okay. It's a crime. It's an impeachable offense to collude with a foreign government for political gain. The president is committing crimes. Don't be fooled by their tactic. Again, transparent illegality is still illegality. Crimes that are out in the open are still crimes.

Hillary's tweet from earlier today should be repeated by every Dem over and over and over again.

Repeated by every Dem who makes a public appearance, day after day after day. Hold a press conference every fucking day to address Republican lies. Do not assume that letting them spew nonsense will hurt them. Or else they will establish the dominant narrative. Guaranteed.

[malaise]

11. It won't work this time

Too late

[Garrett78]

13. I'm not convinced of that. We need Senate conviction, which means we need...

...overwhelming support among the public. A public that is, sadly, pretty damn gullible and ignorant. Support for impeachment is moving in the right direction, but we need it to keep moving.

[malaise]

14. I think it's too late for the Con this time but I do like your suggestions

We do need to keep it moving

[oswaldactedalone]

27. Great points

Garrett78. I'm behind you on 100% on that. Messaging is crucial. We have a chance to bury these bastards and all Dems need to be grabbing shovels.

[Garrett78]

31. Brian Williams just pointed out that Pelosi and Schiff were at events today and...

...a friend of Brian's expressed dismay over the fact that they weren't immediately giving a press conference regarding Trump committing an impeachable offense on national television.

I suggested more than a year ago that the DNC hire someone (maybe John Fugelsang) to hold a weekly or even daily press conference for the sole purpose of addressing Trump/Republican lies/obfuscation. Democrats have got to be ready to pounce every single time Republicans attempt to establish what could potentially become the dominant (and destructive) narrative. If Pelosi and Schiff aren't going to be available at a moment's notice, at least we'd have a DNC spokesperson at the ready.

We...must...control...the...narrative.

[Baked Potato]

22. Great points

[doc03]

12. OMG I was joking about Trump saying

get dirt on Biden I will drop trade war. Then I just got a news bulletin on smart news that Trump said he would be quiet on the Hong Kong demonstrations if he got something on Biden. This f---g nut is capable of anything.

[malaise]

15. He has one approach

for everyone - a shakedown - that's the art of his deal

[Kaiserguy]

29. Not Art of the deal

rather Art of the Steal

[malaise]

32. +1,000

[spanone]

17. here you go...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212542923

[malaise]

18. He knew this was coming

ITTMF RFN!

[spanone]

19. Exactly.

[ooky]

20. Now that he has been caught red handed doing the defenseless, his "defense" is

"there is nothing wrong with what I am doing". That is what he intends to sell. He thinks that the more times he throws it out, the more believable that defense will be. I think maybe that's all the China thing is. Of course, a key difference is he didn't try to shake China down first.

[Baked Potato]

23. Yes, like Rev Al says, "Nice try, but we gotch-ya"

[malaise]

25. Nicely done

[kentuck]

24. My thoughts also...

He is trying to disarm the issue before it becomes public.

He is on the run.

[malaise]

26. Yes indeed

Drip drip drip is now a water fail of shakedowns

[bucolic_frolic]

28. He's trying to complicate matters for the impeachment inquiry

the list of new possible charges grows every day

[kentuck]

33. This is such an important point to make.

So he thinks China should investigate the Bidens also?

He knew that he had already asked China to investigate and he tries to head it off at the pass and minimize by defining it himself.

It's a disturbing pattern.

If tomorrow, he comes out and says that he thinks North Korea should investigate also, can we be fairly certain that he has already asked North Korea to investigate the Bidens?

He has a habit of publicizing all his crimes before they are discovered.

[malaise]

34. It's a disturbing pattern.

It will eventually bring him down.
Dems need to be clear that he is not investigating corruption - he and his goons are corrupting other governments to to achieve his political goals.