Tag: Evidence

Go To The GOP Transcript

With all this impeachment stuff flying around these days I have tried to help my readers understand what is being said by the Congress and the witnesses.

I have posted the transcripts of the witnesses to the Intel Committee….. https://lobotero.com/2019/11/08/go-to-the-transcripts-4/

I try to be fair to the Repubs…..as much as I may not feel like it….it is important that we hear their side.

Now I would like to offer the so-called “Minority Report” (not to be confused with the Phillip K. Dick story) issued by the Repubs on that committee…..

A Republican report designed to counter Democrats’ impeachment case will argue that President Trump’s hesitation to meet with Ukraine’s president and provide military aid to the country was “entirely prudent.” The report, obtained by the AP, disputes that Trump was laying out a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine when he asked the country’s president to investigate Democrats. It says Trump holds a “deepseated, genuine, and reasonable skepticism” of Ukraine due to its history of corruption. The Republicans argue that Democrats are trying to impeach Trump because of his “outside the beltway” approach to diplomacy. The GOP report, which is 123 pages per CNN, is expected to be released Tuesday, the same day Democrats on the House intelligence committee will release their own report.

The House impeachment report will be unveiled Monday behind closed doors for key lawmakers as Democrats push ahead with the inquiry despite the White House’s declaration it will not participate in the first Judiciary Committee hearing. The Democratic majority on the House Intelligence Committee says the report, compiled after weeks of testimony, will speak for itself in laying out what Chairman Adam Schiff called the evidence of “wrongdoing and misconduct” by the president over his actions toward Ukraine. It was being made available for committee members to review ahead of a vote Tuesday to send it to the Judiciary Committee for Wednesday’s landmark hearing.

Below is the 123 page report issued by the GOP in advance to the start of the Judiciary Committee proceedings….

Click to access 2019-12-02-Report-of-Evidence-in-the-Democrats-Impeachment-Inquiry-in-the-House-of-Representatives.pdf

I will post on the report when it is released by the Dems on the Intel Committee as soon as it is released…..

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Impeachment Hearing–Day 2

I break with my tradition of posting very little news on the weekends but this is important enough for me to break with my routine…..

The House impeachment saga returns for a second day of witnesses…..as a service I will try and post my thoughts on these proceedings to help my readers become aware of the antics and evidence as it is made public…..

Today was the testimony of ex-ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch…….

We begin with the opening statements from the the ambassador and the two heads of the committee,,,,,

  • Opening statement: Read Yovanovitch’s in full via Axios here. “Our Ukraine policy has been thrown into disarray, and shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American Ambassador who does not give them what they want,” she said. (Read a summary of her testimony from behind closed doors last month.)
  • Schiff: Read his opening statement here. He said Yovanovitch’s ouster as ambassador “was a stunning turn of events for this highly regarded career diplomat.” The ouster was purely political, he added. “Yovanovitch was serving our nation’s interest in fighting corruption in Ukraine, but she was considered an obstacle to the furtherance of the President’s personal and political agenda. For that she was smeared and cast aside.”
  • Devin Nunes: In his own opening statement, Schiff’s GOP counterpart slammed Democrats for acting like “some kind of strange cult” while seeking to “fulfill their Watergate fantasies,” per the Washington Post. Nunes also read an excerpt from Trump’s first phone call with Ukraine’s leader, in April, to make the case that Trump sought no favors. (The White House released a readout of that call on Friday.) “It’s unfortunate that today and for most of the next week we will continue engaging in the Democrats’ day-long TV spectacles instead of the problems we were all sent to Washington to address,” he said. His full opening statement is here.

Now the day’s doings…….

In his questioning of Marie Yovanovitch during Friday’s impeachment hearing, GOP Rep. Mike Conaway seemed to perplex the former ambassador with one of his queries. It happened after he referred to the testimony of diplomat George Kent earlier in the week:

  • Conaway: Kent “made some exemplary statements about you, really glowing,” said Conaway, per CNN. “All of us would like to be the recipient of something that worthy, and I believe you are as well. Any reason on Earth that you can think of that George Kent would be saying that because of some reason other than the fact he believes it in his heart of hearts?”
  • Yovanovitch: “Like, like what?”
  • Conaway: “Well, I mean like somebody paid him to do it?”
  • Yovanovitch: “No, absolutely not.”

Politico has video of the exchange and says Yovanovitch was “stunned” by it. Some other notable moments:

  • “Are you a never Trumper?” asked Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell, per the Wall Street Journal. “No,” responded Yovanovitch, noting that she has served under four Republican presidents.
  • Another response from Yovanovitch, who was ousted from her post as ambassador to Ukraine: “What I’d like to say is, while I obviously don’t dispute that the President has the right to withdraw an ambassador at any time for any reason, but what I do wonder is why it was necessary to smear my reputation also?”
  • GOP Rep. Jim Jordan mentioned criticism by Ukrainian officials in 2016 of then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016. “No one did anything,” Jordan told Yovanovitch, per the Washington Post. So “you see why maybe, maybe the president was a little concerned about what went on in Ukraine.” But the former ambassador responded: “I can’t speak for the president on this. … From my point of view, that doesn’t create a Ukrainian government strategy to interfere in our election. … It doesn’t necessarily constitute interference.”

Jimbo Baggins (Rep. Jim Jordan) and Willy the Weasel(Rep. Devin Nunes) accomplished the only thing they are capable of doing….attempt to disrupt and look like the spineless toads they truly are….their words were incoherent and rattled……these guys failed…… all they accomplished was to put their lip prints on Trump’s ass.

Day two of the hearings is in the bag…..Monday we begin again…..

Remember:  It Ain’t Over Until It’s Over!

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Go To The Transcript #6

IST is your one stop shopping for transcripts and info ahead of the impeachment hearings……

Tomorrow begins the impeachment public hearings in the House….to help my readers understand what is being used as evidence I have been posting the transcripts of the evidence that was given in a closd session of the committee.

Yesterday another 3 transcripts were released….that of a Deputy Sec. of Defense, Laura Cooper……you may read the entire thing here…..https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/CPRT-116-IG00-D012.pdf

Christopher Anderson who was an assistant to the Ukraine Envoy….his testimony can be read here……https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/11/politics/read-testimony-christopher-anderson/index.html

Catherine Croft, a top State Department official….her’s can be read here…..https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/read-transcript-state-dept-official-catherine-croft-s-impeachment-testimony-n1080331

For those that have not been keeping up with the releases then I can help there as well…..

As a service to my readers in the hope they will acquaint themselves with the evidence being presented….the transcripts so far…..

Read Yovanovitch’s testimony in full here. (Initial news coverage of her testimony is here.)

Read McKinley’s testimony in full here.

Read Volker’s testimony here……https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6540429/CPRT-116-IG00-D007.pdf

… another transcript was released to the public…that of Ukraine expert…..Bill Taylor and it can be read here……https://www.scribd.com/document/433753426/William-Taylor-testimony

The most recent release from yesterday…..State Department employee testimony can be read here…..https://www.scribd.com/document/433921637/George-Kent-testimony

…two transcripts released for public consumption……..first the transcript of the testimony from Col. Vindman…….https://www.scribd.com/document/434064258/Vindman-pdf

Second from Fiona Hill……https://www.scribd.com/document/434065486/Fiona-Hill-testimony

You are now armed with the evidence….make of it what you will.

Please take some time and see what is being said……then make up your mind…..these people are not the enemy…. they serve their country with honor and diligence….

If more transcripts are released then I shall post them so that the readers of IST have all the evidence.

Watch The Blog!

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

“Magis Lego, Magis Scitis”

Go To The Transcripts #3

The transcripts of the testimonies of the Congressional hearings witnesses is being made available to the public….and as an FYI service for my readers so that they can make up their own minds I have offered the transcripts as they have become available…..

In case you may have missed the other releases….you can read them all here on IST…….

Read Yovanovitch’s testimony in full here. (Initial news coverage of her testimony is here.)

Read McKinley’s testimony in full here.

Read Volker’s testimony here……https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6540429/CPRT-116-IG00-D007.pdf

And just yesterday yet another transcript was released to the public…that of Ukraine expert…..Bill Taylor and it can be read here……https://www.scribd.com/document/433753426/William-Taylor-testimony

This is ahead of the public hearings that are to begin next week…..please do not buy into the crap spread by the sycophants that there is nothing in these transcripts….that would be a lie…..I pray that my readers would take the time to see if what they are believing has any foot in reality or if it is all just so much stuff.

This service from IST will continue as long as the transcripts are made available for public consumption.

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“Lego Ergo Scribo”