***IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY HEARING NOV 19 THREAD (AFTERNOON SESSION) 6*** (@3:25pm ET)

[BumRushDaShow]

ROUND 2 - Kurt Volker and Timothy Morrison

==============================
ROUND 1 threads -

#1 - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212702820
#2 - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212703086
#3 - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212703544
#4 - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212703876
#5 - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212704180

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Tim Morrison has just entered the Longworth building

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Originally scheduled for 2:30 pm ET and delayed due to debate/votes on the C.R.

Government funding expires Thursday so the House has been working on a Continuing Resolution.... (1-month C.R. until 12/20/19)

Anticipated start time some time between 3 - 3:30pm.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Kick.

House still voting on amendments to the C.R.

[ChubbyStar]

4. Back to the top!

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Kick - expected to get underway at 3:30 pm ET/2:30 pm CT/1:30 pm MT/12:30 pm/PT

[Mersky]

6. Anytime now. Bump.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Here we go!

[sheshe2]

8. Here we go!

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Schiff gavelled in and giving opening statement

[Mersky]

10. Volker and Morrison were requested by the minority. Huh, ok.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Schiff summarizing Volker's actions and Ghouliani around the July call

[BumRushDaShow]

12. MOO MOO ALERT - MUTE

and he called it what has been doing - making it a circus.

[crickets]

19. MYOOOTING again.

It's insulting that he calls serious government proceedings a circus. Of course, that's why he said it.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. MOO MOO's acting coach told him to take it up a notch

(literally "Toastmasters" stuff )

[Mersky]

17. Toastmasters, a couple dancing bears, one cow, and Gym

Gotta put on a big show.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. He's got the inflections and everything. Public speaking/theater 101

(wonder who wrote this )

[Mersky]

22. Sleepy aide behind him? I think yes.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. He had to practice to get the dramatic inflections correct

....sortof.

[crickets]

14. Nunes is such a poot for calling impeachment hearings a circus.

He may not want to take it seriously, but some us definitely do.

[gademocrat7]

15. Moo nunes is lying again and again.

[Imperialism Inc.]

16. Ummm Quid pro quo and bribery are literally the same thing.

And Trump was the one who introduced the quid pro quo language. "No quid pro quo".

There are really people stupid enough to fall for that?

[Roland99]

20. On a conference call for an hour

#Resistance!

[BumRushDaShow]

21. HE'S DONE - UNMUTE. Schiff up introducing the witnesses and brief bio

[Laura PourMeADrink]

39. Lol

[BumRushDaShow]

23. Interesting - Morrison came in as a replacement when Fiona Hill left.

[crickets]

31. "Some of my colleagues recollections of conversations and interactions

may differ from mine, but I do not view those differences as a result of an untoward purpose."

eta He also makes the point that he thinks the time spent focusing on these proceedings is less time focused on what is happening in Ukraine.

Oh, this is going to be interesting.

[BumRushDaShow]

32. And he also mentioned that he made a decision to resign himself

before this testimony.

[crickets]

34. Caught that too. His outlook appears complex, not as straightforward as some.

I'm sorry now I spent less time looking at his first testimony.

[crickets]

24. Wonkette has another liveblogging link:

https://www.wonkette.com/not-all-witnesses-are-heroes-afternoon-impeachment-liveblog

Enjoy!

[BumRushDaShow]

40. Thank you - on behalf of those who can't stream!

[BumRushDaShow]

25. Witnesses being sworn in.

[BumRushDaShow]

26. Morrison opening statement first.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. Right up front - Morrison said NO he does NOT know who the whistleblower is

(to head off the inevitable GOP question )

[BumRushDaShow]

29. Volker opening statement now.

[hlthe2b]

30. Sleep deprived, I fell asleep this morning for a few minutes sitting up & woke to dog pawing at me!

She had a worried look on her face, so maybe I was making strange growling sounds while some of the R's were spewing their BS? LOL

[BumRushDaShow]

33. LOL!

Pup wanted to make sure her food provider hadn't expired.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. Funny. I fell asleep twice watching. All so monotone

Gonna splash water on face

[BumRushDaShow]

35. So Volker was the one who recommended that Pompass bring in William Taylor

[crickets]

37. Bet he's regretting it now.

Taylor's texts were conscientious and "hey this is not right!" when all of the arm twisting was going on, which is far from what Volker and Sondland ("call me!" ) were texting. Taylor was the only sensible human in those interchanges.

[BumRushDaShow]

42. It sounds to me

that they were trying to get the most qualified person in there to try to offset all the bogus inexperienced ones like Sondland and Perry.

[crickets]

50. Too bad he was needed because they dumped Yovanovitch.

Still, if they wanted qualified work from Taylor, they sure got it - and aren't we all glad.

[BumRushDaShow]

58. Yup

and I think all of them were pissed when all this happened with Yovanovich... so that is probably why I expect they might have tried to head off other possibilities to put in as her replacement. And since they were career and Pompass wasn't, they knew who was who...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

48. Yes! Guess what they thought mattered was the 30 day

Gap between Masha and Taylor when they worked on their dirty deeda. Kinda like the gap in Nixon's tape

[crickets]

53. +1

[Laura PourMeADrink]

92. Would have been interesting to have asked Taylor

The question, when were you scheduled to start and did anyone say "take your time, no rush."?

[brooklynite]

36. Volker opening statement: "I have known former Vice President Joe Biden for 24 years..."

...and the suggestion that he would be influenced in his duties as Vice President by money for his son has no credibility for me."

Oops - that didn't work out well.

[BumRushDaShow]

38. OMG - he just threw Ghouliani under the bus

[elleng]

43. Yes, HUGE bus.

[BumRushDaShow]

45. ...

[brooklynite]

44. President Trump had negative view of Ukraine based on information from...Rudy Giuliani

Volker has mentioned Giuliani about 20 times.

[mucifer]

46. but we love Giuliani. he's America's mayor

[madaboutharry]

47. It seems that Ambassador Volker is looking to save his own reputation.

Blaming Rudy Giuliani for negatively influencing Trump and being the cause of things going sideways.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

52. Actually good strategy. Blame Rudy and acknowledge

Truth of situation while keeping trump on your side (not his fault)

[BumRushDaShow]

54. But you know what? Ghouliani WAS the big driver - the bag man.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

63. He's trying to save his own SOMEthing.

[BumRushDaShow]

49. Volker - "Accussation that VP Biden acted inappropriately did not appear credible to me"

[brooklynite]

51. Just a reminder: Volker is a witness provided by the REPUBLICANS...

I'd say this isn't going the way they expected.

[elleng]

55. which is FINE, FACTS from 'their' witness sound good to me.

Gets better every moment.

[crickets]

57. Hee Heeeee! Not right now, anyway. Poor Mayor Rudy has tire tracks on his back. nt

[madaboutharry]

59. Waiting for the political cartoons.

[herding cats]

62. That was exactly my thoughts as well.

He's in full CYA mode and Giuliani is his perfect scapegoat.

[herding cats]

56. Volker is not being the witness the Republicans expected so far.

Giuliani is no doubt in a full on panic about now.

[budkin]

60. He's totally destroying their case.

This entire ordeal has been a complete train wreck for Trump and his allies.

[herding cats]

68. It's actually shocking to me.

I didn't expect this.

[crickets]

72. There's lots of "in retrospect" and "in hindsight" peppered in his statement.

Volker is saving himself. Aw, bless.

eta this is one time I'm sorry MSNBC does such tight camerawork. I would love to see the faces of the Repub crew on the dais. I wonder how many notes are frantically being passed back and forth right now.

[herding cats]

78. It's a complete CYA move.

His attorneys no doubt impressed on him how very deeply he'd messed up.

[crickets]

81. Yup, and Schiff is calling him on it a bit now. (I am a few minutes behind.)

[herding cats]

83. I'm a bit behind and just saw that as well! nt

[BumRushDaShow]

61. Looked up Volker and he was born and raised in the Philly burbs (Hatboro).

[BumRushDaShow]

64. Ha! He considered the 3 Amigos as McCain, Graham, and Lieberman

not him, Sondland, and Perry.

[OliverQ]

65. Volker just praised Biden and said he didn't do anything wrong.

He also amended his testimony to say Ukraine aid was conditioned on a probe into Biden.

Keep in mind, these 2 are Republican witnesses.

[Roland99]

69. Ooooo...another admission of quid pro quo, aka bribery

[PA Democrat]

66. Volker's Testimony

He claims he knew nothing about the quid pro quo

[BumRushDaShow]

73. Actually it seems the opposite

He has thrown Ghouliani under the bus and has said he has known Biden for 25 years.

[PA Democrat]

112. I was referring to his denial of knowing anything about the quid pro quo.

He has been referred to as one of the "three amigos" but says he was unaware of their alternate foreign policy until after it became public.


His comments about Biden are definitely NOT what the Republicans and Trump wanted to hear!

[BumRushDaShow]

113. He seemed to come more clean now

And really appears to be pissed about all the CT.

Basically these 2 sound like Bolton adherents and both basically hated the presence of Ghouliani.

[polichick]

74. HA! Perfect. He's spinning as fast as he can.

[BumRushDaShow]

67. Volker done - Schiff starting the questions - 45 minute sessions

[Imperialism Inc.]

70. For future referece re: quid pro quo vs bribery

From the Harvard educated lawyer and host of the Opening Arguments podcast.

Link to tweet

If I'm not mistaken the third element is corrupt intent.

[Mersky]

71. Three amigos will always be McCain, Lieberman, and graham.

For Volker.

Will always be Chase, Martin, and Short for me.

To each their own.

[BumRushDaShow]

75. ...

[Mersky]

80. Hehehe, thanks for entering that into the, uh, record.

[BumRushDaShow]

84. :D

[Roland99]

99. Since they're a cartoon....

[BumRushDaShow]

102. Yup - I remember them too.

[BumRushDaShow]

76. Daniel Goldman now questioning Volker for the House Dems

[crickets]

91. That was great making him read back his own texts.

Can't wait to see Sondland have to do the same.

"Call me!"

[BumRushDaShow]

94. Voker has completely blown the GOP narrative away

[polichick]

77. Ask who's paying him!

[elleng]

82. We the People,

if 'retired,' he's likely receiving a federal pension.

[polichick]

85. He said he agreed to work without pay - maybe some oligarch is helping out.

[elleng]

86. Do you have any particular oligarch in mind?

[polichick]

89. Sure, the same one paying Giuliani and his ghouls...

His opening statement was just one big ass-covering spin.

[BumRushDaShow]

79. Goldman questioning Morrison re: the call

[Johnny2X2X]

87. Volker is bringing it home

Reps wanted him as their witness, he's destroying them. Love it.

[BumRushDaShow]

88. Asking Morrison about the July call transcript

with the CT crap and whether this was official "policy" (Biden/Crowdstrike/Server).

[BumRushDaShow]

90. Morrison - Sondland/Ghouliani - involved in the "parallel process"

[crickets]

103. Yep, Morrison just nudged Sondland under the bus next to Rudy.

Aren't these the guys the Republicans called for witnesses? I'm no longer clear on that.

[BumRushDaShow]

93. Volker doesn't believe that our national security policy should be pursuing conspiracy theories

involving Biden, etc.

[madaboutharry]

95. Oh Boy.

Volker just called the republicans entire case "conspiracy theories" that are not in the interest of national security.

[malaise]

97. Hiding the call was a mistake?

Yeh right.

[BumRushDaShow]

101. That's what Eisenberg (the legal advisor) apparently called it

and I think that guy is resisting testimony.

[crickets]

109. "Administrative error..."

Goldman points out Morrison could have restricted access on the regular system, but M. was concerned and wanted to make sure Eisenberg et al were aware and reviewed the call for political consequences, skipping right over his supervisor Kupperman.

Interesting.

[malaise]

114. Very

[BumRushDaShow]

98. Yup

These are all the neoconish Bolton people who really believe in bringing "democracy to the world".

[BumRushDaShow]

96. Morrison - putting the transcript into server was called a "mistake" by legal advisor

[Bluepinky]

104. Vindman specifically said this am that he was told it was not a mistake

to put this transcript into high security server.

Somebody’s covering up (and it’s not Vindman).

[BumRushDaShow]

106. This is why Eisenberg needs to testify

but I think he may be resisting (IIRC).

[crickets]

110. Aha. So Morrison's testimony needs to be compared to whatever Eisenberg recalls. nt

[mucifer]

100. the witnesses the repubs called

[BumRushDaShow]

105. ....

Puts the pressure on Sondland even more.

[califootman]

107. Arrrgh! Follow up on that!

Is it appropriate to increase the classification and/or security of this call log purely due to fear of political fallout?!?!

[crickets]

111. Yeah, I don't get that either. It doesn't seem to rise to the *security* actions taken. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

108. ***IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY HEARING NOV 19 THREAD (AFTERNOON SESSION) 7*** now up

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212705274