Questions Republicans Don’t Want Answered

Ken AshfordL'Affaire Ukraine, Trump & Administration, Trump ImpeachmentLeave a Comment

It would seem that one principled, serious move which could significantly reduce the partisanship and restore some semblance of dignity and truth-finding to the constitutional process would be for a group of Senate Republicans to join Democrats in demanding that they hear from witnesses and see documents that would answer certain questions, including:

  • If Trump cared about corruption in Ukraine, did he ever raise it with Zelensky?
  • Who had the power to withhold aid to Ukraine already authorized by Congress? To deny a White House meeting?
  • Did the president raise the discredited Ukraine conspiracy and the Bidens specifically in the call, inviting them to talk to his personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani (not someone empowered to conduct a legal inquiry but a political bag man for Trump)?
  • Was Giuliani not publicly touting his efforts in Ukraine to uncover dirt on the Bidens?
  • Was the aid released without any additional corruption inquiry?

It is not enough to say, “Read it in the report.” We already know Republicans won’t read what is written or will lie about what is written in black and white. Senate Republicans must be compelled to sit and listen in silence as witnesses recite what House Republicans refuse to acknowledge. If Senate Republicans cannot bear to do even that, then they are unfit to serve, the trial is not a trial and the Senate should stipulate that the facts uncovered by the House are uncontradicted.

Enough. It is time for the blowhards to be silent, to sit through live testimony as the country watches and to wrestle with reality. Four Republicans should grant us all at least that.

UPDATE: Here is Trump rambling. It is hard to refute his mis-sayings — they come so fast.