News Organizations That Ought To Know Better Cover Impeachment Hearings Like “Dancing With The Stars’

Ken AshfordL'Affaire Ukraine, Right Wing and Inept Media, Trump & Administration, Trump ImpeachmentLeave a Comment

Analysis: The first two witnesses called Wednesday testified to President Trump’s scheme, but lacked the pizzazz necessary to capture public attention. https://t.co/1UfkaeZ3I4 — NBC News (@NBCNews) November 14, 2019 That’s a story by Jonathan Allen, where he pitched yesterday’s events this way, as a measure of whether Democrats had achieved their goal of ousting the president. But at a time … Read More

House Impeachment Inquiry Live Hearings: Day One

Ken AshfordBreaking News, L'Affaire Ukraine, Trump & Administration, Trump ImpeachmentLeave a Comment

This is the fourth time in history that Congress has seriously looked into impeaching a president. TODAY: Bill Taylor and George Kent. FRIDAY: Marie Yovanovitch. NEXT WEEK’S WITNESSES: Tuesday: Pence aide Jennifer Williams … Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman … Kurt Volker … Timothy Morrison. Wednesday: Gordon Sondland … Laura Cooper … David Hale. Thursday: Fiona Hill. Today on the dais: George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for … Read More

A Random Look A Trump’s Bizarre Tweets

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

I will be releasing the transcript of the first, and therefore more important, phone call with the Ukrainian President before week’s end! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2019 This makes no sense. Why is it more important because it was the first? It was a perfunctory phone call taking place in April, just after Zelensky was elected, and … Read More

Will The Media Get Distracted By The Release Of The Horowitz Report?

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

Prior to the launch of the public impeachment hearings on Wednesday, Margaret Sullivan has some sage advice for the media. She highlighted four things they should keep in mind when covering this important story. Stress substance, not speculation. Don’t let stunts hijack the coverage. Avoid Barr-Letter Syndrome. Beware mealy-mouthed and misleading language. That first one captures one of my biggest pet peeves … Read More

The GOP Defenses

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

Team MAGA has already sunk to promoting propaganda and disinformation from a Russian-inspired effort designed to exonerate Russia’s role in interfering with the 2016 elections. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Fla.) is the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. He has made clear he plans to shrug off Trump’s endangering national security and possible violations of law as justified by Trump’s … Read More

Vindman Fired

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

As expected, retaliation.Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who gave a bombshell testimony in the House impeachment investigation last month on President Donald Trump’s Ukraine scheme, will be removed from his post at the White House National Security Council.https://t.co/tVmWffAcCA — Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) November 10, 2019 A lesson and a warning.

With Public Hearings To Start, Republicans Have No Decent Witnesses

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

Devin Nunes sent his witness list to Chairman Adam Schiff last week for witnesses he wanted included in the House Impeachment Investigation. The list includes: Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s business partner Hunter Biden Alexandrea Chalupa, the DNC consultant who conducted oppo research on Manafort [corrected] via non-official sources Undersecretary of State David Hale, who gave a private deposition the details … Read More

Trump’s Defense Strategy Is Bizarre

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

The man is unhinged, The call to the Ukrainian President was PERFECT. Read the Transcript! There was NOTHING said that was in any way wrong. Republicans, don’t be led into the fools trap of saying it was not perfect, but is not impeachable. No, it is much stronger than that. NOTHING WAS DONE WRONG! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November … Read More

Mulvaney Is A No Show And More Testimony Dumps

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

White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed last night by the House Impeachment Inquiry Committee for appearance this morning at 9 a.m. To nobody’s surprise, he was a no-show. I do wonder why the quick turn-around time, but I suppose we will find out in time. Last month, Mulvaney told reporters in the White House briefing room that … Read More

House GOP Strategy To Defend Trump Is To Throw His Loyal Underlings (Except Themselves) Under The Bus

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

Um… House Republicans’ latest plan to shield President Trump from impeachment is to focus on at least three deputies — U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, Trump’s lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, and possibly acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney — who they say could have acted on their own to influence Ukraine policy. All three occupy … Read More

NY Judge Orders Trump To Pay $2 Million To Charities

Ken AshfordCrime, Political Scandals, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Everyday — and I mean every day — we see something from this administration that would never happen in the Obama Administration. Fraud is still big with Trump — just check out his campaign. A web site called the Popular Information newsletter reports: A heavily-promoted contest to win breakfast with President Trump in New York City on September 26 was a … Read More

Oh, And The Quid Pro Quo Almost Worked

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

NY Times headline reads “Ukraine’s Zelensky Bowed to Trump’s Demands, Until Luck Spared Him”: Aides to Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, decided that military aid and support for peace talks outweighed the risks of appearing to take sides in American politics. It was early September, and Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, faced an agonizing choice: whether to capitulate to President Trump’s … Read More