TWGB: They Will Just Keep Doing It

This really comes across as a threat to withhold further aid from Ukraine if an investigation into Joe Biden and other Democrats isn’t opened pic.twitter.com/sFiWGHq1Kj

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) December 17, 2019

Trump's pro-bono personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani (who is apparently deemed by Trump himself to be worth every cent he's not paying him) certainly claims he has brought back wonders from the exotically corrupt land of Ukraine, which he has obtained by speaking with some of its most corrupt people, which I am sure is fine--with him. With people who are concerned with objective reality, however, it actually looks rather damning. He's obviously still beating the bushes for something on Biden--specifically. Biden is still the Democratic challenger Trump would be most bothered about. And Giuliani is relying on the word of someone who claims to be twice-resurrected from poisoning attempts which has no contemporaneous corroboration.

That is to say, a possible prevaricator. In a cast of prevaricators and disgraced somebodies. And given that Giuliani still speaks like a person who wants to leverage Ukraine's government into helping him with his apparent mission (what do we make, after all, of the aid that was still held up as of November) doesn't it seem like the scheme isn't over and done with because Trump was caught, but merely on hold?

And what can you make of Giuliani pretty much openly admitting that he helped get rid of Ambassador Yovanovitch for "being in the way" (in line with Lev Parnas' claims)? We aren't talking about an impeachable situation that is over and done with--we are talking about a situation of someone working on behalf of the President (paid by different odd means, it turns out, maybe not so pro-bono?)

What we know already looks pretty bad--ask the 700 or so scholars who are urging Trump's impeachment! Consult the opinion of lawyers who see actual statutory federal criminal offenses, and the House Judiciary Committee report, which also points to such crimes as bribery and wire fraud. Neither the investigation nor the actual activity appears to really be over.

Take the little-referred to "third amigo", former Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry. It looks like Perry may have been involved in a scheme to award a development contract regarding oil and gas development in Ukraine to an American company owned in part by one of his cronies. His previous comments regarding dealing with Ukraine might shed some light on what we know about Giuliani's influence and what exactly he's been doing for Trump there. (Because it looks an awful lot like Giuliani isn't a personal lawyers, he's an end-run around the State Department, and with Mike Pompeo's knowledge, etc. Also he's personally profiting from it--with claims of being back-stopped by Trump's assent?)

Anyway, the thing with abuse of power is, it keeps up until it gets stopped. That's what impeachment is for. Trump and the people around him are either informed the time has come to face the music, or it is other people who will dance to their tune. And it is a discordant one, and out of step with history.