A racist, a conman, and a cheat walk into a bar by @BloggersRUs

A racist, a conman, and a cheat walk into a bar

by Tom Sullivan

It's one guy: Donald Trump. So former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen will testify before the House Oversight Committee beginning at 10 a.m. EST this morning. His prepared remarks are here:

I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committee’s questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump.

I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful.

Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for President, launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actually win. I regret the day I said “yes” to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way.

I am ashamed of my own failings, and I publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York.

I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty – of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him.

I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.

I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is.

He is a racist.

He is a conman.

He is a cheat.

So, no breaking news. Cohen will face questioning not only about his credibility but his conscience. His personal history and list of offenses stand on their own apart from Donald Trump. He was disbarred in New York state on Tuesday.

But knowing his own credibility is in doubt, Cohen will present documents to support his allegations against Trump: a check Trump signed as president to reimburse Cohen for hush money payoffs, copies of financial statements for 2011 – 2013 Trump gave to Deutsche Bank and other financial institutions, and more. He'll need them, and likely more than he possesses.

"Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it," Cohen says in his statement. "He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars on the Moscow real estate project."

Since becoming president, Trump has become "the worst version of himself," Cohen states. "He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal."

Expect withering questioning from staunch Trump allies on the committee, not about Donald Trump, but about Cohen's criminal past and history of perjury.

Tomorrow @OversightDems will hold their first big hearing. For their first big witness, they will roll out the red carpet for Michael Cohen

Here’s the problem: Michael Cohen is going to prison in two months for several crimes, including LYING TO CONGRESShttps://t.co/MHzdz9mfkr
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 26, 2019

Last night, Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) fired off a tweet (since deleted after six hours) effectively threatening Cohen over what might come out about Cohen in the hearings:

Deleted tweet by Matt Gaetz pic.twitter.com/BbQqKDO2Qi
— Robert Armogeda (@ArmogedaRobert) February 27, 2019

Attorneys from across the country replied with accusations that Gaetz had just engaged in witness tampering, a crime, in public view and unprotected by the Speech and Debate Clause.

.@mattgaetz is a disgusting excuse for a human being. He’s also engaged in criminal witness tampering in plain sight. No immunity is available. He deserves to be indicted, and of course needs to be kicked out of Congress.https://t.co/nTg9KzSwMW
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) February 26, 2019

Battle lines are drawn. Republicans will not accept anything Cohen says, even backed by evidence; they will bar no holds. The exhibits Cohen describes in his statement largely attest to Trump's lack of character or morals. For that we need no documentation. Unless Cohen brings something in his breast pocket to document crimes yet undisclosed or still unproven, the testimony this morning will simply tell us what we already know — including about the illegal campaign contributions already documented by the Southern District of New York.

As a veteran of reality TV, what the president fears is how Cohen's public testimony will play on television. Bloomberg's Tim O'Brien suggested as much to Chris Hayes last night [timestamp 10:00]. Documents are one thing. The testimony of a man already convicted for his part in Trump-related crimes, while under heavy assault by Trump loyalists on the committee, will make compelling television, no matter how severely Cohen's credibility is undercut by his own history. It could give pause to Trump voters already groaning under the impact of Trump's tariffs. It could tip White House employees toward abandoning ship lest they wind up in Michael Cohen's shoes. Cohen's three days of testimony might even poke holes in the Republican wall protecting Trump from indictment.

Trump's campaign M.O. is to activate voters' existential fears. Cohen's testimony will activate Trump's own. From Vietnam, Trump will be watching.

A sitting President can be indicted. https://t.co/JECqQ1YqD1
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) February 27, 2019