How stupid does he think we are? (Need you ask?)
by Tom Sullivan
It's Impeachment Week here in the home of untruth, injustice, and the Un-American way. Superman is on leave somewhere and Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate's Lex Luthor, is running the show trial. Making a complete mockery of democracy has been a cottage industry for his cohort since at least 2011. Impeachment Week promises more of the same.
Volunteers need to get their minds right when interacting with fellow citizens. Voters tend to a keen radar for condescension. Yes, stoking grievances and finding wedge issues to inflame them is a cottage industry on the right, especially for one major media outlet. But despite having gun-smithed hair triggers, even the most uninformed citizens just want to be listened to and taken seriously.
The political right makes double-sure to play up instances when lefties look down their noses at Donald Trump's MAGA legions. But too often the right gets a pass on its own low expectations for its base's intelligence. The stumbling sideshow on the right side of the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearings proved that once again. Channel surfers might be forgiven for thinking the committee was impeaching Hunter Biden.
Republicans parsed the details of Ukrainegate and tried to shift the focus from Trump. Who was a fact witness? When did the Ukrainians know the military aid had been held up? What about Alexandra Chalupa (and what the hell did she have to do with the president's extortion scheme)? Etc. Somehow, they believe they are being clever. Compared to Sean Hannity? Maybe.
The bottom line is how credible are Donald Trump's claims of innocence about his "request" for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet with Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Bill Barr to "get to the bottom of what happened" with Crowdstrike, the Bidens, etc.
How credible is Trump given that two career officials at the White House Office of Management and Budget – experienced public servants who care and know something about how aid is legally dispensed – resigned in part to avoid participating in the holdup of Ukraine aid?
How credible is Trump given that at least two experienced National Security Council officials were concerned about the legality of Trump insisting on investigations as a condition for a White House meeting for Zelensky? So concerned that they advised lead NSC attorney John Eisenberg of their concerns? Fiona Hill did so at the direction of National Security Advisor John Bolton.
How credible is Trump given that the intelligence community's inspector general reviewed the whistleblower complaint "as well as other information gathered and determined that the complaint was both urgent and that it appeared credible." Contrary to Trump's claims otherwise.
How credible is Trump given that after the House intelligence committee received notice of the complaint, Bolton resigned (or was fired), Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, resigned, and Trump's energy secretary, Rick Perry announced his resignation?
How credible is Trump given that he admitted to reporters Oct. 3 his intent was Ukraine would "start a major investigation into the Bidens. It's a very simple answer: They should investigate the Bidens"?
But bottom line, this is the Donald J. Trump Republicans ask their credulous base to give the benefit of the doubt.
Trump, who publicly cheated on his 1st wife with his 2nd and, allegedly, on his 3rd wife with a porn star and a Playboy model.
Trump, whose lawyer Roy Cohn was disbarred, whose last personal lawyer sits, disbarred, in jail for, among other things, campaign finance violations in covering up Trump’s hush payments to the porn star, and whose current personal lawyer is reportedly under federal investigation.
Trump, of the $2 million settlement over his fraudulent charity.
Trump, of the $25 million settlement over his sham university.
Trump, of the “grab ‘em by the” you-know and over a dozen allegations of sexual assault.
Trump, of the 15,000+ false or misleading claims.
Trump, of the New York Times expose documenting a decades-long pattern of shell companies and phony investments fueling family tax evasion and tax fraud – after which his sister, the federal appeals court judge, abruptly retired to stop an ethics investigation into her participation in the alleged, decades-long, multimillion-dollar tax fraud.
Donald John Trump, known to golf writers as a notorious golf cheat, who boasts a handicap better than Jack Nicklaus and who, who after loudly complaining about Barack Obama’s golfing for years and insisting "I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to go golfing, believe me. Believe me. Believe me, folks," has visited golf properties nearly 200 times since taking office at a cost of well over $300 million to taxpayers.
That Donald Trump wants us to believe – no, demands we believe – when he asked Zelensky for “a favor” in investigating Joe Biden he was sincerely interested in being a good steward of American tax dollars and in stopping corruption in general. He just happened to mention the Bidens in passing.
How stupid do Trump and Republicans think we are? How stupid do they think their voters are? Pretty stupid.
It's Impeachment Week.
Update: Initially put one of my "alledgedlys" in the wrong place. Fixed it and resort visit count.
It's Holiday Fundraiser time. If you can help support this old blog, I'd be very grateful.
--- digby