Wednesday, June 22, 2022

It Keeps Getting Worse

Yesterday's hearings in Washington continued to lay bare the depravity of Trump and Associates. Jennifer Rubin writes that Rusty Bowers was the most compelling witness so far:

Most informed Americans already know about Trump’s effort to cajole Georgia state election officials to “find” just enough votes to flip the state. The shocker on Tuesday was that Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Meadows were also directly involved in the efforts to overturn Arizona’s results as well.

No doubt anticipating the damage this revelation would do to his case, Trump attacked Arizona House Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers (R) before Tuesday’s hearing, claiming that Bowers had previously told him that the election was “rigged.” Bowers, perhaps the most compelling and effective witness the committee has questioned to date, stated clearly that Trump’s claim was false. He had not made such a statement, Bowers said, and Trump’s claim that Bowers said Trump won the state was “also false.”

Bowers, who supported Trump in the 2020 election, testified in unequivocal terms about the former president’s pressure campaign. He recalled asking Trump and Giuliani at least twice during a call after the election for proof of noncitizens or dead people voting. Bowers said he “never” received such information.

Trump and Company believe that saying -- and doing -- make it so:

In another call, Trump lawyer John Eastman called Bowers and asked him to vote to “decertify” Arizona’s electors. Bowers again refused. “I took an oath,” Bowers said he told Eastman. “For me to take that [course] would be counter to my oath.” Bowers asked, “What would you have me do?” Eastman responded that Bowers should just do it and let the courts sort it out. Bowers asked incredulously if he was supposed to “do something that’s never been done in history — the history of the United States” with no proof. “No, sir,” he said.

Saddest of all was the tale of two poll workers -- a woman and her mother -- who were accused of inputting phony votes from a thumb drive into a computer. The "thumb drive" was a package of mints.

There are lots of people who should go to jail and be disbarred. But premier among them is Donald J. Trump.

Image: The Hill

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sadly, Garland isn't up to the task and the hearings are unlikely to change any votes. The US is on a rocket to third world status and the sooner we take precautions, the better.

Cap

Owen Gray said...

I have a theory about Garland, Cap. It's that, because of the political sensitivity of indictments, he'll let the committee do the exposition. He'll do the prosecution. I could be wrong.

Anonymous said...

What struck me was the ruthless behaviour of Trump and his senior advisors in order to get what they wanted, including attacking innocent civilians who, like Bowers, were simply carrying out their responsibilities within the framework of the American constitution.Nothing was sacred to Trump's people: honesty,compassion, the greater good of Americans, well as the survival of an important democracy. There were no limits to what they seemed prepared to do in their own self-interests. Now we'll see whether other Americans have the courage to insist that the right thing is done to ensure their constitution survives.


CD

Trailblazer said...

It's time to add to the verses of this old song.
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+eve+of+destruction+lyrics&rlz=1C1CHZN_enCA962CA962&oq=the+eve+of+&aqs=chrome.4.0i355i512j46i512l2j69i57j0i512l3j46i512j0i512j46i512.10096j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Unless something changes and fast, the USA is doomed much more quickly than anticipated.
The next round of US elections could be a telling time for it's future.

TB

Lorne said...

I fear that these hearings are not so much the road to justice, Owen, as they are a way of swaying voters in the mid-terms. I may be wrong, but I sense the DOJ hasn't the stomach to actually charge Trump despite his manifest crimes.

Lulymay said...

Given the make up of the current Supreme Court, Owen, Garland can push for prosecution, but what's to stop the US Court from blocking any progress on that front. I have to agree with Cap that the US is on their way to an unhealthy outcome country wise due to all the machinations of Mad Man Trump.

Owen Gray said...

It's clear that Trump never had the temperament to be president, CD. But he also had lots of enablers. He and they should go to jail. But, more importantly, if their democracy is to survive, Americans must reject Trump and his ilk.

It's not at all clear that they're prepared to do that.

Owen Gray said...

The song is more important now than it was during the Vietnam War, TB

Owen Gray said...

As I wrote to Cap, Lorne, I have a theory about Merrick Garland. I hope I'm right.

Owen Gray said...

In the end, Lulymay, that may well be the country's fate. Every republic in human history has eventually succumbed to its darker angels.

e.a.f. said...

yesterday's hearings were "interesting" to say the least. orange maggot and his lawyer were

beyond the pale of things. orange maggot is really unfit to be president of anything.

What was truly frightening was the home invasion of the grandmother of the election worker. Weren't these idiot criminals arrested for breaking and entering. It reminds me of actions taken by men against people of colour back in the 1900s and 1900s. It did send a message though to those who would work elections, don't do it, we'll get you. To issue death threats to officials simply doing their job is not what they do in civilized countries.

these people are terrorists, just like those in Saudi arabia, Pakistan, Taliban, ISIS, Putin, etc.

Canada ought to hurry up with moderinzing our military. we may need it to keep the crazy Americans out of our country. If were to go side ways in 2024, who knows what will happen and we need to be ready for that.

If a civil war, develops in the U.S.A. or a lot of shooting and killing at their politcal opponents we ought to also be ready for a lot of refugees and injured people. Think how many Ukrainians are going to Poland. That could be us taking in americans.

Owen Gray said...

"Orange maggot," e.a.f. A very good phrase.

Anonymous said...

I have a question about all the goings-on south of us: Does this not remind any of you at all, a tad bit of Nazism. If yes, does it not invoke vocalizing it out loud? Why not say what it is? Canada is too close not to do so. Anyong

Anonymous said...

Trump's approach to court is to stall for time. Look at the heavy sledding in NY, where the court had to penalize Trump $10,000 a day to get him moving on document disclosure. Even if the DOJ indicted Trump tomorrow, there's an excellent chance that Garland would be gone before the case ever got to trial. The red states haven't been passing all those gerrimanders and vote suppression laws for nothing. The US house is on fire and Garland is busy looking for his Geritol, along with the rest of the gerontocracy.

Cap

Owen Gray said...

Trump's game -- throughout his whole life -- has been to rag the puck, Cap. And, so far, it's kept him out of jail.

Owen Gray said...

It reminds us a lot of Europe in the 1930s, Anyong. Trumpism is Fascism.