Trump's Card

[Guy Profumo]

I liked Kruschchev...

https://twitter.com/briebriejoy/status/1184997450752376833?s=20

He wasn't president, was he?

He was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union or some such, surely?

[Satchmo Distel]

And Russia was not a nation-state back then. Russia has only had three Presidents.

[ursus arctos]

He changed the title to "First Secretary", but yes.

It was changed back after his tenure.

[San Bernardhinault]

He's backed out of the Doral G7 idea. Perhaps he does have some vestigial sense of shame.

I think you're giving him too much credit. It's purely self-interest - he has no sense of shame. This is just the realpolitik of removing a very obvious bit of corruption at a time when he's in trouble. If there were no Ukraine investigation, he'd go ahead with it at Doral.

[ursus arctos]

There are a lot of rumblings that a number of Republican Senators were extremely vexed about Doral and wouldn't go on television to minimise Ukraine if the decision stood. There is also the fact that Doral is a security nightmare for an event of this magnitude, as the area is virtually impossible to seal off.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/samstein/status/1186322410020061187

[Eggchaser]

Looks like he's been viewing OTF, what with his guitar talk.

Fucking hell, he has serious capacity issues, and there appears to be nothing to do but look on in horror.

[San Bernardhinault]

Reports on Bill Taylor's testimony to the house committee suggests that it's pretty damning about the quid pro quo, and the fact that Taylor seems to have it all documented.

To me, I'm torn on whether there should be such focus on the quid pro quo, though. If the Democrats focus on that, does that mean that they'd be fine with Trumps actions had there been no quid pro quo? Maybe the evidence for holding back military aid isn't all there - is the case against Trump damaged because so much attention has been paid to that aspect of it?

[ursus arctos]

[URL="https://twitter.com/repadamschiff/status/1186820058586210304?s=21"]https://twitter.com/repadamschiff/status/1186820058586210304[/URL]

[San Bernardhinault]

It's hard to get a sense of perspective of these things while they're happening, but I have a feeling that today's testimony will turn out to have been a very big thing.

[ursus arctos]

Definitely the most significant testimony so far in the impeachment inquiry.

How significant the inquiry will be in terms of the broader history is still.very much up in the air.

[Sits]

If this whole thing was a movie pitch, the script would be rejected on credibility grounds.

We must be fast approaching the point at which rat/ship instincts start spreading through the GOP's representatives in DC. Many will have been on the edge before this latest.

[ursus arctos]

Today's talking points are especially stupid, even by their standards.

"Abuse of power is not a crime" - Former AG Matt Whitaker

"The Ukrainians were never aware that aid was being withheld. You can't have a quid pro quo with no quo" - Congressman John Ratcliffe

[San Bernardhinault]

That would be the worst shakedown in history. The US is holding back funding to the Ukrainians as leverage, but forgot to actually tell the Ukrainians.

[Ginger Yellow]

The claim is rather undermined by the fact that they talk about it on the goddamn call.

[ursus arctos]

Stephen Sondheim and Judy Collins had a massive hit anticipating this

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1187007731506597888

[ursus arctos]

The claim is rather undermined by the fact that they talk about it on the goddamn call.

Not to mention that the funds were publicly authorised in a well-publicised vote.

[WOM]

That Gaetz guy is cropping up a lot lately. He's a genuine red-meat Republican nut, isn't he?

[ursus arctos]

He is "Florida Man Goes to Congress"

[WOM]

Love his whole drunk driving / speeding / getting away with it 'thing'. Probably nothing to do with daddy.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1187025066753744897

[San Bernardhinault]

Is there any constituency that wasn't already fully committed to Trump who'll be impressed by the Freedom Caucus's idiotic sixth-form-sit-in-style, but damaging national security, protest?

[Lang Spoon]

They don't give a fuck about anyone but the base. Tbh there's a lesson in there for the DNC types still making triangle shapes toward the mysterious "independents".

[San Bernardhinault]

Well, if 2018 and current polling is anything to go by, the lesson is that just appealing to the base is a moronic strategy.

[ursus arctos]

It helps them sell merch and milk the rubes for more donations, which appear to be their primary concerns right now.