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The Walls Are Closing In
Author: BobR    Date: 10/09/2019 13:11:50

There are a lot of possible analogies to describe tRump's legal situation. He could be described as a "wounded animal" lashing out, or a "cornered animal", threatened and ready to strike. I've probably used those myself. I think a potentially better analogy might be that he feels the walls closing in around him, as the people he can count on, the people he can use as shields, and his avenues of escape keep shrinking. His actions certainly reflect that.

The tRump tEam initially tried to dismiss the whistleblower complaint as "2nd hand information", despite the fact that it matches up exactly with the official transcript (and post-call actions) of tRump and his administration. Now that a 2nd "whistleblower" (witness?) with 1st-hand knowledge has come forward, the actions of the whistleblower seem even more justified:
A White House official listening to President Donald Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukraine’s president described the call as “crazy” and “frightening” and was “visibly shaken,” according to notes taken by the intelligence official who filed a formal whistleblower complaint after speaking with the official, and others.

ABC News has learned that the two-page memo, written by the whistleblower a day after Trump’s call, suggests that at least one aide to the president feared that Trump’s own words in the call were damning.

Despite tRump admitting to the contents of the call (and thinking it was all perfectly legal), he is under the impression that the impeachment inquiry is unwarranted. He's called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "guilty of treason", and actually thinks he can once again obstruct justice and get away with it:
The White House sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday calling into question what it referred to as "points of irregularity in the investigation."

In the letter, attorneys for the White House write to House Democrats that, "Given that your inquiry lacks any legitimate constitutional foundation, any pretense of fairness, or even the most elementary due process protections, the Executive Branch cannot be expected to participate in it."
[...]
She responded with a statement on Tuesday night.

"This letter is manifestly wrong, and is simply another unlawful attempt to hide the facts of the Trump Administration's brazen efforts to pressure foreign powers to intervene in the 2020 elections," Pelosi wrote in her statement. "Despite the White House's stonewalling, we see a growing body of evidence that shows that President Trump abused his office and violated his oath to 'protect, preserve and defend the Constitution.'"

Of course tRump doesn't know impeachment is a legal process written right into the Constitution. Democratic Chairmen Adam Schiff, Eliot Engel and Elijah Cummings have stated that attempts to block documents or testimony are de facto evidence of obstruction. They can issue subpoenas which carry legal weight - we'll see how the Administration responds to being legally squeezed.

We know he's already tried to throw Pompeo and Pence under the bus to save himself. Their continued allegiance to him is baffling. So is Lindsey Graham's, who has decided to open an official investigation of the Bidens and invited Ghouliani to testify. It's a sad attempt to justify tRump's behavior, and it makes one wonder just what tRump has on Graham.

We knew the tweet storms and lashing out would grow in intensity and craziness as this process played out, and it's happening as predicted. What will happen when the inquiry becomes articles of impeachment remain to be seen. Will he resign (with a promise from Pence for a pardon, ala Nixon/Ford)? Will he stick it out to the messy end? As the walls close in and time grows shorter, the shitshow will hit it's dubious finale.

Bonus Click: Nice rundown of the evidence from WaPo
 
 

18 comments (Latest Comment: 10/09/2019 20:40:41 by Raine)
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