That no one's saying the word "Naftogaz" underscores that the debate we're having about Trump and Ukraine is the G-rated version. Come to me when we're talking Firtash, Hochstein, Kobolyev, Favorov, Giuliani, Dale Perry, Rick Perry, diGenova, Toensing, Parnas, Fruman, Poroshenko.
1/ Come to me when we're talking about the deals Trump sought in Ukraine in the 2000s, his efforts to exculpate Manafort in Ukraine, his use of Giuliani to get Poroshenko to take the Manafort investigation from NABU, the apparent money laundering from Ukraine to pro-Trump PACs.
2/ Come to me when we're talking about how Petro Poroshenko only got his Javelin missiles in 2018 because he agreed not to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. Come to me when we're talking about Trump blocking lethal aid to Ukraine as far back as the RNC in Cleveland in 2016.
3/ Come to me when we're talking about Nord Stream 2, oblgazy, Turboatom, RosUkrEnergo, the "grand bargain," and the Poland- Ukraine pipeline; the fact that the NRCC uses Crowdstrike; the fact that Lutsenko has retracted every accusation he ever made against Joe and Hunter Biden.
4/ Come to me when we're talking about Ballard, Baumgardner, Jayanti, Putin, Corallo, America First Action, F.D. Import & Export, Otrada Luxury Group, Fraud Guarantee, Giuliani Partners...well, you're getting the picture. America should know every one of these names and entities.
5/ In view of all this, the idea the Democrats are begging unsuccessfully for testimony from four people who'd simply give us a little more gloss on the G-rated version of all this seems ridiculous. So maybe the House really should hold onto these articles and keep investigating.
6/ Anyone read 500+ articles about what Trump did with Turkey in northern Syria? Sadly, I have. And mind you, I'm someone who thinks the R-rated version of the Ukraine scandal is horrifying. But I'm going to tell you something: the Turkey scandal was XXX-rated and uninvestigated.
7/ My point: when Democrats are arguing with Republicans over 4 witnesses, it's not a level-playing-field tilt between equal partners. Democrats have already let 99% of what Trump has done, including war crimes, go...and they're still *losing* over how many nuts go on the sundae.
8/ I spent years as an attorney representing people on either and both sides of abusive relationships. There's a type of trauma that causes situational myopia: you're trying to win, or survive, the next moment. That's where Democrats are. They've lost (conceded) the big picture.
9/ I've some personal experience with certain tough stuff, too. I've learned that the key moment is when you finally say no to the *whole framework* and ghost it. That's what Democrats need to do. They need to say this relationship isn't working out and we're not playing anymore.
10/ You don't argue about how many punches you're willing to take. You exit the ring. If Senate Republicans can't see the Democrats gave Trump a pass on China and a pass on Turkey and a pass on Russia and a pass on nearly all of the Ukraine scandal, f*ck 'em. No articles for you.
