Congress Circus returns

November 30 2019

CIRCUS RETURNING TO TOWN!

After a peaceful week off from Impeachment hearings, the Circus (aka Congress) is back!  Returning next Wednesday to this dirty job which, directly because of things trump has said and done, somebody has to do.  [FUN FACT: Without dissent it is agreed many members of Congress are always “off”]



Having found the prior Circus performances a bit disconcerting, thought it best to prepare for the upcoming acts by attempting to separate facts so far known from the fiction that is political entrenchment, these are knowable facts as of date above:

1.     A Circus has to make money for the performers.  There is oil beneath the ground of Ukraine, lots of it.  This means there is money to be made in Ukraine, lot of it.  Money is Always the Overture.

2.     Two ne’er-do-wells, Lev Parnas & Igor Furman, paid Rudy Giuliani $500,000 retainer; also paid $300,000 to trump campaign organization; and paid $25,000 to sitting Republican congressman to write a letter condemning American Ambassador to Ukraine.  [FUN FACT: No venture ‘fronts’ this much cash without expectation of greater return]

3.     Where Lev and Igor got the seed-money is not real clear.  It is known they were taken into custody by FBI with one-way tickets to Vienna, where a Russian oligarch connected to Giuliani is living under house arrest while avoiding extradition to U.S.  When apprehended Lev & Igor had been subpoenaed by Congress.

4.     No later than October 2018 Giuliani was spreading false rumors among “corrupt” Ukraine officials about American Ambassador.  An Ambassador who -- being widely regarded as honest -- was actively opposing corruption in Ukraine.  [FUN FACT: Can’t steal money when cop watches]

5.     The first trump congratulatory call to new President of Ukraine was made April 21st.  A summary was released November 15^th.  Nothing in released summary refers to corruption, Biden, or Burisma.

6.     At some point State Department, Pentagon, and White House became concerned the Congress mandated $400-million Ukraine aid was being withheld contrary to law, best interests, and for political reasons.

7.     On July 25th the infamous call was made to new President of Ukraine.  When that call became public a summary was released which is not a complete transcript:  Timestamps indicates call was approximately 30 minutes, summary has been slowly read in about 10.  Also, two credible witnesses who listened-in have independently testified there was more to the call not included in summary.

8.     A “Whistleblower” report and efforts to block it from Congress and public were made known to trump.  The $200-million hold, designated State Department aid funds were subsequently released.  Also released were $200-million in weapons required by Ukraine, including Vanguard missiles which came with proviso they could not be used against Russia.

9.     State Department documents released under Freedom of Information Act confirm high-level trump-appointed officials were aware of the hold and circumstances surrounding July 25th call.

10.   No exculpatory [defensive] evidence or testimony has been provided by White House. [FUN FACT: Wittingly or unwittingly this is portraying “consciousness of guilt”]  

11.  There has been no compliance with legal subpoenas for documentation which might contain exculpatory evidence. 

12.   Defenses offered have so-far been limited to: Opposition to agreed procedures; and complaints about “second-hand” testimony. [FUN FACT: Lack of fact-witnesses an affect of White House blocking]

Questions as the Circus comes again to the nation’s capital:

1.     Would aid have been released if holds had not been made public?

2.     Would Ukraine have done agreed CNN interview if aid had not been released?

3.     And, most vitally, has anything been done by trump justifying removal from office?

GOD SAVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA