Is the Bolton book bombshell a boom or a bust?

Ian Macfarlane

Rep. Meadows Says NYT Bolton Leak Was 'Coordinated' in Order to 'Change the Narrative'  . . . "Meadows is one of the president's staunchest allies in Congress, and on Monday he took a few shots at the suspicious timing of all of this, both on social media and directly to the press. Meadows rallied the Trump faithful with this exhortation: "Don’t buy the spin. Don’t buy the misinformed leaks. Don’t buy the predetermined narrative.' "
. . . "Later, during a press conference after the trial proceedings in the Senate had wrapped for the day, Meadows said, "This leak was designed for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to try to manipulate the thinking of my Republican colleagues in the Senate to encourage them to open it up and provide for more witnesses...." and then went on to talk about the recent history of Democrats leaking to the press. Meadows added, "My hypothesis is that this is part of a coordinated leak in order to change the narrative.' "

Where the Moderate Senators Stand on Bolton Testimony After the Book Leak
"The Senate needs to make a decision on whether or not former national security adviser John Bolton should testify in the impeachment trial against President Trump. In his new book, Bolton reportedly claims that Trump did tie the withholding of military aid to Ukraine to an investigation of the Bidens. The book leak has especially alarmed some of the more moderate Republican jurors." . . .

Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler Goes Off On Romney For Being Open To Witnesses, Says He ‘Wants To Appease The Left’  "Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler took to Twitter on Monday to criticize Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney’s recent comments on the impeachment trial in which he expressed that he’s open to calling Bolton to testify in front of the Senate.

"Loeffler sounded off on Romney, saying that he “wants to appease the left by calling witnesses,” while adding,”The circus is over. It’s time to move on!' ” . . .

Having read the report, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) believes that the jurors should be given the chance to hear from Bolton himself.   . . . "Before she was sworn in to the Senate, President Trump shared his concerns about Loeffler and reportedly wanted Rep. Doug Collins to fill the vacant seat instead. Yet, Loeffler has been squarely on the president's side during the trial, telling the Democrats last week that they already lost their case in the House." . . .

Wonder How the NYT Got the Leak From Bolton's Unpublished Book? Look Who's Reportedly Vetting It.  . . . "But now a Breitbart News report may shed some light on where the leak from the unpublished book came from.
"A source in the White House told Breitbart that Lt. Colonel Yevgeny Vindman is a senior ethics lawyer who vets materials for classified information, such as books and articles, before they're allowed to be published. Breitbart reports that Vindman vetted Bolton's book in December."
"Vindman ... Vindman... why does that name seem so familiar?
"The last time you heard of a guy named Vindman he was testifying against the president of the United States at the House impeachment inquiry. His beef? He didn't like President Trump's Ukraine policy." . . .

Biden, in his Walter Mitty Dreams,Threatens To ‘Punch’ Trump…

Joe's Walter Mitty dreams:

Joe Biden's Walter Mitty fantasy life; . . . "Yet he keeps repeating these vivid products of a nonexistent fantasy life, one that requires courage, courage he's never had, sort of like Walter Mitty, who as I recall from the story I read in high school was a bored man who led a humdrum life and imagined himself acting in heroic roles in his vivid fantasies.  That's Joe Biden, apparently, a really bored political hack who livens up his own world by repeating lies about his feats of heroism." . . .

Weasel Zippers  BIDEN: “So, folks — but you know, as much as he’s trying to destroy me and my family, I hope I demonstrated I can take a punch. And if I’m the nominee, he’s going to understand what punches mean.”

Here is Joe again; he can't threaten the man outright, but the pushup challenge is close enough for Joe:

Joy Behar Asks Holocaust Survivor Millie Baran About Kids In Cages At The US-Mexico Border

Daily Caller  . . . “ 'Millie, we just heard in the video that you had to wait over four years before you could come into this country,” Behar began.

“ 'Four and a half years,” Baran corrected. “Four and a half years. In a displaced persons camp.”
“ 'You know, some people are experiencing that right now in our country,” Behar continued, mentioning the children who were waiting either in detention facilities or in camps on the Mexican side of the border. “They’re not letting people in and it’s just tragic to me and to you I’m sure. Would you like to speak to that at all?” she asked.
“ 'Naturally,” Baran nodded. “When I saw it on television, I couldn’t believe it and my heart was aching, as a mother seeing the children were separated from their parents,” she said.
“ 'I realized who doesn’t want to come to America?” Baran continued. “The best land in the world. The lucky ones who can come here, a land of opportunity, of freedom. To us it was a dream to get here. Naturally, it was worth it to wait because when we came here I practically kissed the earth.”

Is Bolton going all Romney on us?

However, up to this point, Romney has hung in there, defying expectations of many. TD

What's Bolton up to with that new move to play Schiff's game?  . . . "I'm not inclined to be negative about Bolton, neocon as he is, because President Trump is not the easiest guy to work for and getting fired by him is no disgrace, but this has a rather bad look.
"Bolton earlier had said he didn't want to play Adam Schiff's game to Get Trump, and told the later that he'd testify as a witness for him only with a subpoena.
"Now he's practically asking to testify, just as he's got a book out with the very claims Democrats wanted to hear. What changed? He's still opting to play Adam Schiff's game with this. 
"Book timing? Publication schedule? You decide." . . .
. . . "One wants to think better of Bolton than this, but if things are as they appear, maybe it's time to put him in the #NeverTrump dustbin along with Bill Kristol and Max Boot. The money-grubbing aspect of the whole thing is ample reason all by itself is reason enough not to call witnesses as Adam Schiff slavers, because there's some funny stuff going on right now. Schiff had his chance to call Bolton and he blew it. Let Schiff stew about that." . . .

Democrats demand Bolton testify after report his book says Trump tied Ukraine aid to Biden probe  . . . "Trump addressed the report in a series of tweets Sunday night. "I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book," Trump said.
"Hill Democrats said Sunday that the new report highlighted the urgency of a Senate request for Bolton's testimony — a move that would require several GOP votes.
" 'It's up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of President Trump's actions testify in the Senate trial," Schumer tweeted. Mulvaney is Trump's acting chief of staff.
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted that because of the report that Bolton had firsthand knowledge of Trump's decision that ran counter to the White House's account, the "refusal of the Senate to call for him, other relevant witnesses, and documents is now even more indefensible.' " . . .Did the Vindman brothers release this information?


Trump fights to stop John Bolton giving evidence to the Senate after fired national security adviser wrote in his upcoming memoir that President did link Ukraine aid to Biden probe  . . .  " 'With that being said, the transcripts of my calls with President Zelensky are all the proof that is needed, in addition to the fact that President Zelensky & the Foreign Minister of Ukraine said there was no pressure and no problems,' he continued.

" 'Additionally, I met with President Zelensky at the United Nations.....(Democrats said I never met) and released the military aid to Ukraine without any conditions or investigations - and far ahead of schedule. I also allowed Ukraine to purchase Javelin anti-tank missiles. My Administration has done far more than the previous Administration,' the President wrote in a series of tweets." . . .

President Trump STOPS Motorcade to Thank Firefighters

Youtube

A comment to this video:
"He's flawed as hell but he's clearly a good dude and his presidency has been an unmitigated success, thus far. I'm British and I have a great deal of respect for Trump and his dedication to his people. I just wish the British had someone like him"

Adam Schiff appears to be Mr. January...at least

Democrats cry foul over Schiff backlash  "Democrats are pushing back at GOP backlash over a controversial line in House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) closing statement in Friday night's impeachment trial arguments.
"Schiff sparked an audible reaction from Republicans when he referenced a CBS News report that cited an anonymous Trump confidant saying GOP senators' heads would be “on a pike” if they opposed President Trump on impeachment.

Republicans — including Sens. Lisa Murkowski* (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) — quickly distanced themselves, with Collins overheard repeatedly saying "that’s not true" and Murkowski saying Schiff "overreached."

"But Senate Democrats are rallying behind Schiff, accusing Republicans of faux outrage or overreacting to a few sentences in an hourlong closing statement for the House managers. 

" 'The most dangerous place in America, maybe in Washington, is to stand by the exit door at the White House because when you fall out of favor with this president, he lops off your head, throws your body in the snow and buries you in vicious tweets," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). . . "

*Who will still vote for witnesses along with Romney

Demagoguery of the Democrats  . . . It’s such an off-putting blunder that even the Times, which is seething for a conviction, reckoned that Mr. Schiff’s oration “appeared to alienate the very Republicans he was trying to win over.” The Times reported that when Mr. Schiff brought up the business about the pike, several GOP senators “vigorously shook their heads and broke their sworn silence: ‘not true.’” . . .    . . . “I hope it’s not true,” Mr. Schiff dissembled." . . .

This is an example of the rhetorical tactic of preterition — advancing a libel by denying it or, in this case, claiming to hope that it’s untrue. The trick is warned of in “The New York Sun Reporters Handbook” with a limerick: “The reporter was full of contrition / For putting him under suspicion: / ‘Far be it from me / ‘To suggest that he / ‘Is a crook.’ It was pure preterition.”

At a time when President Trump needs the support of all Republicans, conservatives, and others, N.R. gives its support to Shifty Schiff.

Quote of the month: Same Schiff, Different Dais;  "The media fawn over him, but he’s the same guy who bungled the House impeachment inquiry."
"It’s hard to say which has been more difficult to endure, Rep. Adam Schiff’s tedious and deceptive performance during the Senate impeachment trial or the emetic accolades it has received from the “news” media. By some marvelous coincidence, dozens of major news organizations were able to conjure but one word to describe it: “masterful.” Indeed, this adjective has been used so frequently by so many outlets during the past 48 hours . . ."

. . . The Fourth Estate’s fawning over Schiff’s performance during the Senate impeachment trial won’t enhance his skills as an orator and advocate, which simply don’t equal his zeal for getting President Trump. He is a masterful liar who long ago learned to control his body language and voice production such that his most outrageous lies seem plausible. Yet, as E. Donald Elliott wrote in this space Thursday, “Schiff provided absolutely no factual support for the crucial premise on which his entire case depends.” In the end, the evidence is against him and his mendacity will destroy his credibility. He’s the same Schiff on a different dais, and every senator knows it. . . .

 If the link fails to open, try this.

Dark Angel Politics

‘Blood Drained From Adam Schiff’s Face’: John Barrasso Says Schiff’s ‘Parody’ Backfired

Daily Caller  "Republican Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso said Saturday that House impeachment manager Adam Schiff turned pale when President Donald Trump’s defense team played video of his Ukraine call “parody.”

"Barrasso joined several of his Senate colleagues in speaking to reporters after Trump’s defense team wrapped up their opening arguments — which included a video of Schiff, in a House Intelligence Committee hearing, fabricating his own version of the July 25th phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Schiff had later dismissed the fabrication as “a parody.” . . .   (Which Rachel Maddow defended)

Today saw the premiere of two videos, each with a different vision of America

Andrea Widburg  . . . "Because videos have such a profound effect on the way in which we perceive things, it's noteworthy that two videos dropped today, both of which are getting positive buzz and both which make statements about what America is or what it could be.

"On the serious side, the GOP released a video entitled "For Democrats, It's All about Power."  The video is a compilation of all those moments when Democrats said something that made conservatives think, "Oh, my!  The commercials practically write themselves."  The ad intercuts power-hungry Democrat statements with Trump's warning to voters about the freedoms the American left wants to take from the American people.

"The Daily Wire helpfully assembled a list of the top moments included in the video, all highlighting the way in which Democrats want raw power:" . . 

A bit of snark from the Babylon Bee: Sanders Clarifies His Gulags Will Be Democratic Gulags

Antifa thugs can cite Obama as one inspiration

Antifa fights for love,

The mask slips: On a phone call, Obama called Trump a 'fascist' from the start

. . . "Three things stand out about this telling little conversation:

"One, Obama is an ideologue. Claiming that Trump is a fascist has zero, repeat zero, basis in reality. Fascists don't cut taxes and regulations, for one, fascists are all in for state takeovers of industry to start, quite similar to what was attempted in the Obama administration, actually.

"To call Trump a "fascist" is the statement of a far-left fanatic. "Fascist" is an old-time Communist Party U.S.A. epithet hurled by that crowd since the 1941 Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, derived from the USSR's party line after Hitler's betrayal of Stalin's Molotov-Ribbentrop pact of 1939. Up until that date, Communists and fascists (read: National Socialists) were pretty comfortable with one another. "Fascist" became an epithet hurled by communists all down the Comintern clientele abroad despite both sides being socialist in character. The term was then carried forward by the red diaper babies who first led the "filthy speech" movement of the early 1960s and then the "New Left" of the late 1960s, particularly in its truly crazed fringes such as the Weather Underground movement. Surprise, surprise, that was led by Obama's mentor, Bill Ayers.

"Fanatic is right. So despite that "Mr. Cool" exterior, Obama was a fanatic all along." . . .

Rich Terrell

Perjury? Schiff ‘star witness’ LTC (Mister) Vindman claimed Obama shipped lethal aid to Ukraine but…it was Trump

Stantis

Whatfinger News  "(TNS) When President Donald Trump, at the urging of his national security team, agreed to provide “lethal” assistance to Ukraine in order to assist the country in its battle against Russian-backed separatists in the east, it was a significant development.

"Trump made the decision in December 2017, which was a major policy shift from the Obama administration, which regularly threatened to send lethal aid but never did. Obama drew a couple of “red lines” that he never enforced though.

"At the time of Trump’s decision, The Hill reported:

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the administration approved the sale of Model M107A1 sniper systems and associated equipment to the country at a value of $41.5 million. The administration has not yet moved to approve sales of heavier arms requested by Ukraine’s government, including Javelin anti-tank missiles.

"The move from the White House is a departure from the Obama administration, which frequently condemned Russian aggression in the Ukraine but refused to approve the sale of arms to the country’s Western-aligned government.

"So there’s that.

"Why, then, would one of Adam Schiff’s star witnesses in his secret squirrel impeachment inquiry hearings testify to the opposite?" . . .

Schiff’s Call To Invalidate A Trump Re-Election Is A Revealing Attack On Voters

In Jefferson’s inaugural address, where he famously said that “we are all republicans, we are all federalists,” he was not declaring an end partisan politics. Far from it. Instead, he was reiterating that under the Constitution, the rights of all Americans will be protected and respected, that deliberation and the political process must and will triumph under this experiment in liberty.

FreeSchool

The Federalist:Schiff’s Call To Invalidate A Trump Re-Election Is A Revealing Attack On Voters  "For all the accusations of “norm breaking” hurled at President Donald Trump, the early stages of the Senate impeachment trial have revealed that congressional Democrats are perfectly willing to flirt with toppling one of the few, and most essential, precedents in American history.
"House managers of the trial, all Democrats, cut right to the chase: If this whole impeachment thing doesn’t work out, and Trump is acquitted, it doesn’t matter. A Trump victory at the ballot box in 2020 has been preemptively deemed illegitimate.
"So says House manager Rep. Adam Schiff, arguing to impeach Trump without the accusation of an actual crime.
“The president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box,” Schiff said. “For we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won.”
"The California Democrat, who sought impeachment before the story about Trump’s Ukraine call ever broke, accused Trump of using the power of the presidency to “cheat in an election” and again brought up the debunked Russia-collusion narrative. So, if Schiff and fellow impeachment managers can’t convince the Senate to toss Trump from office, Americans must accept the will of House Democrats and perhaps ignore the result of the next election?
"So much for being the party of upholding “norms” against the Trumpian norm-breakers. Saying that Americans should outright ignore an election result is an absurd attack on an underappreciated hallmark of American exceptionalism." . . .

3 Dem House Managers Voted “No” Against Ukraine Aid!

Steve Gruber

"Stefanik destroys Democrats by exposing that three Democrat House Managers voted "NO" against aid to Ukraine."

By Sophie O’Hara | January 24, 2020.   "Rep Stefanik came out guns blazing after another tiring round from today’s impeachment trial.
"Stefanik reflected the exasperation and frustration many Americans are feeling when she met the press afterward and proceeded to tear the Democrat’s impeachment case apart.
"But where she hit the Democrats hardest was by pointing out the biggest piece of hypocrisy yet: three Democrat House Managers voted “NO” against aid to Ukraine."
Watch the video

Jonathan Turley Says Dem Impeachment Will Go Down as “Greatest Historic Blunder”  . . . "Turley argued then that the Democrat’s case against Trump was “not just woefully inadequate, but in some respects, dangerous, as the basis for the impeachment of an American president.”
“ 'I am concerned about lowering impeachment standards to fit a paucity of evidence and an abundance of anger,” he said then. “If the House proceeds solely on the Ukrainian allegations, this impeachment would stand out among modern impeachments as the shortest proceeding, with the thinnest evidentiary record, and the narrowest grounds ever used to impeach a president.' ” . . .