Democrats had no idea Trump would hand them so much ammo
By E.J. Dionne Jr.
We now know the truth: President Trump asked the leader of Ukraine to investigate the man who was widely seen as his strongest potential opponent during a phone call in which he noted that we do a lot for Ukraine. He threw an invite for a White House visit into the bargain.
Lets say this as simply and clearly as possible. Trump was using the inducement of U.S. taxpayer dollars to get a foreign power to intervene in our politics on his behalf. That he didnt specifically mention aid in the readout of one phone call the White House released Wednesday doesnt change the message he was sending. Trump was subordinating our countrys national security interests to his selfish needs. He was willing to do anything to smear Joe Biden. And he was happy to offer up the services of our own Justice Department to advance the effort.
Trump spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky (do us a favor, the president said at one point) as if the newly elected foreign leader were the chairman of a planning board who could grant a variance for a Trump building project or a New York politician who could approve a tax break.
Theres a lot of talk about Bidens son, that Biden stopped the prosecution, and a lot of people want to find out about that, Trump said to Zelensky, according to a rough White House transcript of the call. So whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great.
It needs to be said often that there has been no credible charge that the former vice president did anything untoward when his son Hunter worked for a Ukrainian energy company. As The Posts Aaron Blake wrote Tuesday: Ukraines current prosecutor general told Bloomberg he had no evidence of anything illegal or corrupt by either Joe or Hunter Biden.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/democrats-had-no-idea-trump-would-hand-them-so-much-ammo/2019/09/25/b7fa809a-dfd0-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)Let it be known, Mr. Dionne is not a voice in the "wilderness". He holds the power of the pen.
SWBTATTReg
(22,176 posts)get elected again in 2020, but this fear is now gone. Rump is going nuts and will start lashing out before too long. All at his own hand. All because of his stupid mouth. All because of his narcissist behavior and desperate need to be in front and center. I should have never worried that rump would become 'presidential' (my own fault)...if anything, he's getting worse.
regnaD kciN
(26,045 posts)...his base doesnt want more presidential or more dignified. They love him because, in their eyes, hes just like them utterly outside the world of aristocratic manners that typifies the world of high global politics. They relish that, in their minds, hes like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack, a rich slob who takes on the snooty upper-class types and gets away with it.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)I'm surprise enough information from notes concerning the telephone call came forth. Just think if they would have provided majority of the notes. hmmmmmmmm.
And, Ukraine may have tapes of the conversations. And, just image if the WB may have obtained the secret code . . . hmmmmmmmmm.