*Fox News (banned) – Page 6

As Donald Trump continues to build an ever-expanding morass of lies and misrepresentations; and as he continues to name-call, bully, and hurl veiled threats at those who oppose (or hint at opposing) him, GOP lawmakers, along with Trump’s base, seem to support him with increasing and inexplicable fervor. Even in the face of an impeachment inquiry, as evidence of Trump’s abuse of office mounts and witness testimony corroborates the original whistleblower’s story, Donald Trump insists that he did nothing wrong, and Republican lawmakers, even with nothing to support their stance, back him up, disparaging anyone who disagrees.

One can only conclude that either the GOP lawmakers are just as corrupt as their leader, or, that they have found themselves in a position that makes them nervous about their own future if they don’t pay full allegiance to Trump.

It’s too painful to imagine that every last one of our Republican lawmakers is thoroughly corrupt, and only slightly less painful to imagine that this scenario is closer to the truth for many of them:

The rest of the world: Why do you stay with him? He’s lied, he’s cheated, he bullies you, he’s hit you more than once…..

GOP Lawmakers: None of that is true! Everything’s fine. It’s great.

The rest of the world: What are those bruises?

GOP Lawmakers: Oh, that was a misunderstanding. I shouldn’t have provoked him. Things are fine now.

The Rest of the world: You need to leave him.

GOP Lawmakers: But I need him! He just gets mad sometimes, that’s all. But when things are good, they’re really, really good.

The rest of the world: But don’t you see? He’s isolated you and the kids.

GOP Lawmakers: It doesn’t matter. He’s all we need.

The rest of the world: What about the example to the kids?

GOP Lawmakers: What do you mean? He’s a great example. Things are fine. Really. Trust me.

The rest of the world: Why do you keep defending him? Please leave him. You do owe it to yourself and the kids.

GOP Lawmakers: He didn’t mean it. Things are a little rough right now, but he’ll come through. He said he would. You don’t know him like I do.

The rest of the world: We can’t support this relationship. We’re here for you, but please don’t wait until it’s too late…

GOP Lawmakers: But I’m afraid. Where would I go? How would I support myself? What if I can’t make it on my own? ………. Oh, Just forget what I siad. I really shouldn’t be talking about him that way, he’s actually a really good guy. He just gets mad sometimes. He needs me. I need him. Really, I shouldn’t say bad things about him. Things are fine. They’re great. Really.

Top GOP lawmakers speak after House passes impeachment inquiry resolution | Fox News [2019-10-31]

Under pressure to defend Trump, GOP lawmakers decry House impeachment inquiry | PBS NewsHour [2019-10-24]

Though “Get over it” seems to be the Trump administration’s response whenever they’ve been caught in a lie, called out on wrongdoing, or…caught placing the country at risk, Mick Mulvaney may have been the first to say the actual words out loud and in public.

During an October 17 press conference, Mulvaney, Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff, admitted that Trump used U.S. Congress-appropriated military aid as leverage to further his personal political agenda. Trump, he said, withheld the aid, badly needed by Ukraine to resist Russian aggression, in order to pressure Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a conspiracy theory about the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) during the 2016 election. A quid pro quo, in other words.

“We do that all the time with foreign policy,” said Mulvaney. “I have news for everybody: Get over it. There is going to be political influence in foreign policy.”

The Department of Justice, however, distanced itself from Mulvaney’s claims that Trump had its blessing for this particular “foreign policy” exchange.

“If the White House was withholding aid in regards to the cooperation of any investigation at the Department of Justice, that is news to us,” a DOJ official told the Washington Examiner.

Others, too, including some GOP lawmakers, were aghast at Mulvaney’s admission.

“Totally inexplicable,” said one, who requested anonymity. “He literally said the thing the president and everyone else said did not happen.”

After you’ve denied a whistleblower’s allegations, what else can you do, though, when a rough transcript of the phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy, along with a number of current and former State Department officials and White House employees, confirm the whistleblower’s account — that not only was there a quid pro quo, but it was to benefit Trump personally? If you’re Mick Mulvaney or Donald Trump, you brazenly change your tack to “Yeah, we did it. Get over it.”

Though Mulvaney argued that every administration makes deals like this with foreign governments — seeking concessions in exchange for aid — it is done to aid the interests or protection of the United States. In this case, however, Donald Trump sought to use the U.S. military aid to further his personal political ambitions.

According to U.S. law, “soliciting anything of value” from a foreign government in connection with an election is illegal. Asking a leader of a foreign country for a “favor” — to dig up dirt on a political opponent — is illegal (let alone, unethical). A U.S. president using his office to further his personal interests is impeachable.

Shortly after throwing Trump under the bus, Mulvaney tried to walk back his words, claiming the press had misrepresented what he had said. Everyone in the room, however, heard what Mulvaney said, and there are multiple video records of what he said.

Considering the recent and upcoming testimony of several diplomats and other U.S. Foreign Service officials, including today’s scheduled testimony from acting U.S, Ambassador to Ukraine William B. Taylor, Jr., it’s clear that lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives do not intend to just “get over it.”

Mulvaney: ‘Get Over’ Political Influence in Foreign Policy | Bloomberg Markets and Finance [2019-10-17]

Fleischer: Mulvaney made a ‘terrible mistake’ by contradicting Trump |
Fox News | [2019-10-18]

Category: *Fox News (banned)

GOP Lawmakers: Corrupt, or Cowed?

Mulvaney: ‘Get Over It;’ Democrats: ‘We Don’t Think So, Mick’