triplehorn

And guy not yet on there testified yesterday behind closed doors: ”Mark Sandy, a career official at the White House Office of Management and Budget, delivered a potentially damning closed-door testimony on Saturday about the timeline and events surrounding the decision to freeze aid. [...] “All I expect him to say is he doesn’t know why the aid was held and wished that he did,” Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican and close ally to the president, told the Associated Press, adding: “But I may be surprised.”

Remember when MoscowMitch was talking about the Senate hearing the impeachment case by Thanksgiving ?? My, that was wishful thinking, wasn't it Mitch?? No, this is going into election season 2020. Pelosi has already proclaimed that before impeaching Trump, the case would have to be "ironclad". I expect that means they will wait for the courts to rule on key witnesses being c ompelled to testify in the multiple cases of Mueller reTrump obstruction of justice, the Ukraine bribery scheme, an possibly those associated with Trump financial fraud. On that last note, the other pending matters that could make impeachment ironclad are the final rulings on Mazars turning over his tax returns and the banks (Deutsche bank in particular) turning over their Trump financial records. Keep in mind we've only had two days of public witness testimony in the impeachment inquiry so far. Shit went south for dotard fast at the inception in the last few days. It's only just getting started.

The faster-track case being decided in the courts right now re the Don McGahn (former WH counsel) claim of "absolute immunity" will have a cascade effect on all the other potential House witnesses refusing. If the courts rule against he hokey absolute immunity claim, McGahn will be compelled to testify. I suppose daily fines or jail time could follow. So in other words, it's not necessarily going to be a war of attrition with every witness. Once McGahn's case is resolved, the rest should follow in short order.

More than 50 bank accounts used for the shell game VVV

Trump. Pence. This impeachment can't go to the Senate until Bolton testifies.

The moral of the story: being a Trumper on the extreme right politically doesn't mean you're ok being a mobster.

oh, about that "Transcript" Trump keeps telling us read: With his abundant stupid lies, Trump has boxed himself in more tightly than a russian nested doll.

So predictable. So obvious. Roger Stone convicted of all counts charged for perjury and witness tampering - which he committed to cover up Trump's conspiracy with the Russian hack and drop attack on the 2016 election. Now, from inside the White House grounds, the theatric case is underway for Trump to pardon Stone And Stone's daughter given Fox audience for the same: Trump and his 2016 election hack co-conspirators are so fucking criminal mob.

there's always a tweet. Trump's state of mind is acute need for investigations of the Bidens to boost his personal re-election propects in light of getting killed by Biden in a Fox poll: July 26th 2019: Trump realizes he's down by 10 pts in a Fox Poll July 26th 2019: First hand witness David Holmes: TRUMP: "So, he's going to do the investigations?" SONDLAND: "Zelensky's going to do anything you ask him."

whole statement is out from Bill Taylor's aide who overheard Sondland and Trump

You know how I know Konstantin has partied with Mrs. Manafort snd Stone ?

and of course, there's more... VVV

Elsie’s face exiting during the ovation

Hurd is touching on it now, but for historical context, the Ukrainian Admin prior to Zelensky was no bueno. Yet R's keep harping that Obama only gave Ukraine blankets. Well no shit. That what happens. You don't always give advanced military weapons systems tech to shady govts. It happens, but when it doesn't, be honest about why.

When the client is virtually un-defendable, setting it up for the sympathetic faction of the public to blame the counsel instead of the client is not an entirely insane tactic.

Schiff calling out Trump witness intimidation in real time with Trump watching.

the uproar probably stemmed from the adverse reaction to a zinc oxide overdose when Barr misunderstood Trump’s cantaloupe face and forcibly misplaced a pasty blob of the stuff down his throat.

^^^ reportedly being investigated for foreign bribery as well

Seen today through the windows of the Oval by press pool waiting on the lawn:

13.1 million viewers tuned into the impeachment hearings yesterday. carry on.

Given news today of the second person coming forward overhearing the direct call from Trump to Sondland in Kiev, it's low hanging fruit. Use Trump's quote about "barely knowing him" against Trump in direct questioning of Sondland. Use the questioning to highlight what a patently brazen lie Trump told in his attempt to cover up his bribery scheme. Detail it. Cell text messages, WhatsApp texts, cell to cell calls, middle of the night 1:1 calls, etc. Blow that shit up. but yeah, that'll never happen, right ?

re above with Trump claiming he barely knew/didn't know Parnas despite all the invites and photo ops with all the usual suspects, Trump floated the same line regarding Sondland - Trump declared of Ambassador Sondland "I barely knew him." This despite it being reported: Sondland was in 'frequent contact' with Trump, and called Trump personally in the middle of the night before the 'no quid pro quo' text. It would a fairly straightforward line of public questioning of Sondland next week to get him to detail the nature, volume, and frequency of contacts he had personally with Trump around the Ukraine bribery scheme. At a minimum, it will reduce Trump's lies about "barely knowing" Sondland to apple sauce.

You can be uncooperative/fudge the truth to a point. Then when new evidence comes out - like yesterday from Taylor about Sondland taking that call from Trump in Kiev all about investigations and nothing about national security - you're screwed. Sondland tried to be helpful to Trump, but now he no longer be helpful and his scalp is about to get lifted.

Until Trump leaves office, the person(s) who brings Trump down is the person who threatens to bring down criminally complicit GOP. Since it's all one circle of criminal compromise, it probably falls on someone already in prison/pleaded guilty awaiting sentencing. Former Trump personal atty and fixer, and former RNC deputy regional finance chair, Michael Cohen, would qualify. Rick Gates probably as well.