Preview of Bolton's book

[westaussie]

Categorically, unequivocally, unambiguously NO.

[Ben_Natuf]

which point?

[acsirip]

@DougBH

Yes. I do believe that is the likely reason. Because this whole incident would have been much more serious if he had let the budget year pass without releasing the funding.

The aid was released 2 days after the House committees launched the investigation into the matters. Just a coincidence, right?

[westaussie]

Sorry I am off now until later today (Tuesday).

[Roxiebelle]

YEAH it would be bad for Bolton! If he was actually a witness to a “crime” while working for Government and didn’t report it he would be complicit! So yeah he is going to run right there and confess! Good grief it’s so stupid it’s unbelievable.

[tnt]

@zantax

Tough spot for the GOP. If they allow witnesses that is tantamount to saying that you want to know if he did it, meaning you are admitting doing it was wrong and impeachable. And now they just may not be able to avoid it. This could actually end up with his removal.

You are applying basic logic and assigning to the GOP a minimum level of honesty and integrity.

Therefore, while your post makes perfect sense to me, it is of course completely wrong.

[Ben_Natuf]

the aid was released 2 days after the new uke parliament passed anti corruption legislation including the formation of a court to deal with it… just a coincidence, right?

[DougBH]

@acsirip

@DougBH

Yes. I do believe that is the likely reason. Because this whole incident would have been much more serious if he had let the budget year pass without releasing the funding.

The aid was released 2 days after the House committees launched the investigation into the matters. Just a coincidence, right?

WASHINGTON (WDTN) – In a call to the President last month, Senator Rob Portman urged Trump to lift the hold on $400 million in security aid to Ukraine, saying that if he didn’t end the freeze they would lose the money altogether.

CNN reports that the end of the fiscal year was fast approaching, and if the President didn’t act fast, there would be no time to get the money out the door.

Sources say that evening after his call with Portman, the President released the funds.

Portman released a statement after the funds were released, saying:

“I appreciate President Trump releasing the security funds for Ukraine, and I want to thank him for doing so. I strongly support the president’s position that NATO allies and especially our European countries in the region can and must do more to support Ukraine.

P.S.

[Cynic]

Just after they got caught and accomplishing absolutely nothing. Yeah sure.

[Oryx]

@DougBH

Yes. I do believe that is the likely reason. Because this whole incident would have been much more serious if he had let the budget year pass without releasing the funding.

It’s obvious Trump withheld the money to put pressure on Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, and even though most won’t admit it, the majority of Republicans know this. The question is, is that an impeachable offense? As the evidence continues to pile up, it’s becoming clear that Trump’s team screwed up by denying the pressure campaign. From the beginning, they should have said he did it and there’s nothing wrong with it.

[Ben_Natuf]

and yet there is no evidence anywhere that shows the aid was used to pressure anything.

[Oryx]

@Ben_Natuf

and yet there is no evidence anywhere that shows the aid was used to pressure anything.

Sworn testimony isn’t evidence?

[Ben_Natuf]

there is no sworn testimony to that effect. there is only sondlands presumptions. presumptions are not evidence.

[Oryx]

@Ben_Natuf

there is no sworn testimony to that effect

Sondland’s sworn testimony is not sworn testimony?

[Ben_Natuf]

testimony of his presumption? no, that is evidence of nothing but his presumption. it amounts to a theory of a crime, not evidence of one.

[Oryx]

@Ben_Natuf

testimony of his presumption? no, that is evidence of nothing but his presumption. it amounts to a theory of a crime, not evidence of one.

He didn’t make that presumption out of thin air, it’s based on his interactions with the president and his staff. And as a big-time Trump donor, Sondland had no reason to lie. Coupled with the other sworn testimonies and the evidence of Trump’s actions, it paints a clear picture.

[Oryx]

@Oryx

Yes. I do believe that is the likely reason. Because this whole incident would have been much more serious if he had let the budget year pass without releasing the funding.

It’s obvious Trump withheld the money to put pressure on Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, and even though most won’t admit it, the majority of Republicans know this. The question is, is that an impeachable offense? As the evidence continues to pile up, it’s becoming clear that Trump’s team screwed up by denying the pressure campaign. From the beginning, they should have said he did it and there’s nothing wrong with it.

Oh, hey, look who agrees with me:

“Don’t build your fortress on quicksand.”

“That’s been my unsolicited advice for President Trump and his legal team. You always want the foundation of your defense to be something that is true, that you are sure you can prove, and that will not change.”

“Instead, the president and his team decided to make a stand on ground that could not be defended, on facts that were unfolding and bound to change. Last night, that ground predictably shifted. In a soon-to-be-published memoir, former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton asserts that the president withheld $391 million in defense aid in order to pressure Ukraine into investigating Trump’s potential 2020 election opponent, former vice president Joe Biden.”

Andrew McCarthy: Bolton blows up Trump Team's foolhardy quid pro quo defense

[Bodecea]

@Covfefe

Whoa the tide may be turning…

Romney says it’s ‘increasingly likely’ that more Republicans will back witness request

Mitt Romney, one of the Republican senators that has already expressed openness to calling new witnesses to testify in the impeachment trial, said it was “increasingly likely” other Senate Republicans would support the request.

Trump impeachment: defense team cites debunked conspiracy theory – as it happened | John Bolton | The Guardian

He may be trolling trump like Hillary Clinton has been doing on and off for the last year.

[Ben_Natuf]

nope. who said he lied? he said it was his presumption and it was. he also said he could have been wrong in his presumption.

there is no other testimony that backs it up that did not originate with sondland himself.

there is no clear picture showing what you want to see. every action trump took can be shown to have been predicated for other reasons, in some cases, multiple reasons of which investigating biden’s apparent corruption in ukraine would be only one of.

[kingarthur65]

@altair1013

@kingarthur65

You want to give Schiff more time to make the case for impeachment?

Fine by me.

They won’t ask him to repeat the same boring assed crap he has already said ten times.
They will ask him under oath of he knows who the whistleblower is. Will he lie again?

Keep underestimating Schiff at your own peril.