In an editorial by Neal Katyal and Joshua Geltzer yesterday in The Washington Post called “Lev Parnas and Rudy Giuliani have demolished Trump’s claims of innocence” (see link below), it lays bare false reasons of the US president using strong-arm tactics in Ukraine. Per the editorial:
“Americans who have been wondering why President Trump has taken the extraordinary step of trying to block every document from being released to Congress in his impeachment inquiry need wonder no longer. The new documents released Tuesday evening by the House Intelligence Committee were devastating to Trump’s continuing — if shifting — defense of his Ukraine extortion scandal, just days before his impeachment trial is likely to begin in the Senate. These new documents demolish at least three key defenses to which Trump and his allies have been clinging: that he was really fighting corruption when he pressured Ukraine on matters related to the Biden family; that Hunter Biden should be called as a witness at the Senate impeachment trial; and that there’s no need for a real, honest-to-goodness trial in the Senate.
The most basic principles of constitutional law require relevant information, including documents and executive branch witnesses, to be turned over to Congress in an impeachment proceeding. Particularly because sitting presidents cannot be indicted, impeachment is the only immediate remedy we the people have against a lawless president. For that remedy to have any teeth, relevant information has to be provided. That’s why President James Polk said that, during impeachment, Congress could ‘penetrate into the most secret recesses of the Executive Departments … command the attendance of any and every agent of the Government, and compel them to produce all papers, public or private, official or unofficial.’ No president, not even Richard Nixon, thought he could just say ‘no’ to impeachment. That’s why the House added Article II to Trump’s impeachment: ‘Obstruction of Congress.’ It was a response to an unprecedented attempt by a president to hide the truth.
The documents released Tuesday show what Trump has been so afraid of. For starters, they prove that his already-eyebrow-raising claim to have been fighting corruption in Ukraine was bogus. Notes taken by Lev Parnas — who is an associate of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and is now facing federal criminal charges — show what his and Giuliani’s mission was when they got in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “get Zalensky to Announce that the Biden case will Be Investigated.” Look hard at the real goal here: not to prompt an investigation of Hunter Biden, but to score an announcement of a Biden investigation. Pursuing an announcement, rather than an investigation, makes sense only if Trump’s objective was to dirty the reputation of Joe Biden, a leading political rival.”
There is not much to add as this article and the above three paragraphs speak volumes. In a nutshell, it is yet one more example of why taking Donald J. Trump at his word is a fool’s errand. It is also is more evidence as to why Trump is the most corrupt and untruthful president in my lifetime, including Richard Nixon, who incorrectly said he was not a crook.
musingsofanoldfart 
Thanks for posting that snippet Keith. Those guys know what they’re talking about. After Trump’s long gone, perhaps we ought to revisit the infamous Justice Department memo that a sitting president cannot be indicted. If anyone deserves to be indicted, it’s THIS guy.
Jeff, no doubt. Please feel free to share this information. People need to see evidence of the president’s lack of veracity on this issue. Keith
Note to Readers: Since Rand Paul has returned to form after his brief dose of courage, I posted a variation of this post on his website. Apparently, he believes any Republican who dares vote for witnesses should be punished. To be brutally frank, I believe this stance puts party ahead of his oath to the consitution.
I have also posted a variation of this on a number of senators’ websites. I added it truly saddens me to believe this way about the US president, as it does. It is highly disappointing when elected officials are not among our better angels.
Thanks for sharing this, my friend. I had read some about Parnas’ statements and that everybody claims not to know him, yet there are pictures of him with Trump, Pence, Jared & Ivanka, and others. I would hope that this will make the republicans in the Senate realize that he truly is guilty of “high crimes & misdemeanors” and has no business being the head of this country, but have their heads so deep in the sand that I can’t say it will. Warren Davidson just tonight posted what a “sham” impeachment was and that the Senate should be able to conclude the trial in an hour, or some such nonsense.
Jill, these folks who have made up their mind in the Senate just lied to the Chief Justice with their oath. But, here is what should scare the GOP leadership to no end. Parnas and the GAO stuff is yet one more piece of the corrupt puzzle falling apart. If the GOP Senators don’t take this seriously and soberly, they run the risk of being hugely embarrassed by future revelations.
This is there one chance to address this issue. Otherwise, their failure is on them and they should be reminded of that daily. Mr. president, you say you don’t know Mr. Parnas, but he obviously knows you and did bad things at your behest. We need to remind the Davidsons and Grahams of the world that we know you know what Trump was all about – we also know you not only ignored it, you abetted it.
Keith
Well said. Some of them, it would seem, lack the ability to think past tomorrow, to understand that the people of this nation are getting tired of the lies and corruption, that there will be a price to pay for their perfidy. Meanwhile, they are enabling an unstable madman who, when cornered, may do things that further endanger the world, as he did a few weeks ago in ordering the assassination of General Soleimani.
Jill, as he is further cornered, he will use the world as his distraction and is liable to do anything for perception which he values over substance. Keith
Reblogged this on Filosofa's Word and commented:
There have been new developments in the impeachment case against Donald Trump, and our friend Keith has summed them up nicely for us. It is to be hoped that the testimony of Lev Parnas will be heard in the trial and that perhaps it will open the eyes of some of those republicans who have been wearing blinders. Thank you, Keith!
Thanks Jill. This message needs to be heard and heeded.
I fully agree. We the People must, armed with knowledge, hold the Senate accountable for holding a fair trial, else we will all lose, not only today, but for decades into the future.
Jill, I already my form letter back from one of my GOP Senators. It will not matter until they see that Trump is an anchor around their election chances. We need to make it heavier.,Keith