The Soapbox

Joined: 11/11/2005 Posts: 8891
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The Democrats were just told to go get their shine boxes...

The defense is overwhelming:

Trump Attorney Purpora:

1. The call transcript shows NO LINK between investigations and security assistance or a presidential meeting. The delay in security assistance funds are not even mentioned on the call.

2. President Zelensky and other high-ranking Ukanians have repeatedly said there was no quid pro quo and no pressure.

3. Ukraine did not even know security assistance was delayed until more than a month after the call.

4. NONE of the Democrats’ witnesses say President Trump linked investigations to security assistance or a meeting.

5. Ukraine announced no investigations but yet still subsequently received the security assistance and a presidential meeting.

6. President Trump strengthened U.S. support for Ukraine.

Points made:

Trump had only 2 Foreign Aid concerns: Burden-sharing and Corruption

Sales of Javelin missiles discussed on the phone call had no relation to the “security assistance” in question as testified by several House witnesses.

Trump did not say “do ME a favor” he said “do US a favor”.

Vindman’s boss, Tim Morrison, believed there were no demands and there was nothing improper or incorrect about the phone call.

After the call, Ambassador Taylor told an NSC attorney that the call went fine and wasn’t disturbed by anything said.

Ambassador Volker met with Zelensky the day following the phone call and Zelensky made no mention of aid being withheld.

Zelensky and Ukrainian Advisor Yermak were adamant that there was no pressure from the phone call.

Volker, Taylor, Morrison and Kent all testified that they believed it was the August 28 Politico article that raised Ukrainian concerns about the aid, not prior to that date and not the Administration.

Common sense: It is not possible for a hold on security assistance to be used as leverage, when Ukraine did not even know about the hold.

August 31: Senator Ron Johnson asked if there was a connection between security assistance to the Ukraine and investigations and Trump said: “No way, I would never do that. Who told you that?”

September 9: Sondland stated Trump said “”I want nothing, I want no quid pro quo”. Taylor and Morrison formed their opinions from Sondland PRIOR to Sondland’s September 9 conversation with the President.

Sondland’s presumption was formulated PRIOR to his conversation with President Trump when he was told directly “no quid pro quo”.

[Post edited by Hoos Operator at 01/25/2020 12:54PM]

Posted: 01/25/2020 at 12:28PM

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Current Thread:

The Democrats were just told to go get their shine boxes... -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 12:28PM

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ** -- Hokieesith 01/25/2020 5:52PM

From the call transcript -- DanTheFan 01/25/2020 5:07PM

Cherry-picking to make a case. ** -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 5:11PM

That's a basketful of cherries. -- DanTheFan 01/25/2020 5:34PM

I'm afraid HO's posts haven't aged well already. Shocker ** -- wahoo138 01/27/2020 04:31AM

Yes, the transcripts reads that the President heard about some possible -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 6:40PM

Once again the idea that Trump was interested in corruption is laughable -- Hooooooooooooooo 01/25/2020 3:53PM

Oh he's interested in corruption all right. he's interested in -- southdenverhoo 01/25/2020 10:02PM

The most effective pressure to get a foreign country to meddle in our -- Hoodafan 01/25/2020 4:02PM

But they did know. -- DanTheFan 01/25/2020 4:18PM

It'd be simple to verify Laura Cooper. Subpoena John Bolton. -- Blah 01/25/2020 4:26PM

That's not what Laura Cooper testified too. Try again Fredo. ** -- Blah 01/25/2020 4:17PM

Lol ** -- Hooooooooooooooo 01/25/2020 4:14PM

How did you serve 15 years on a UVA board? ** -- Blah 01/25/2020 3:22PM

Mulvaney on quid pro quo: “We do that all the time." ** -- DanTheFan 01/25/2020 1:03PM

Context matters, as you will discover over the next few days.** -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 1:08PM

The only context that matters for the formerly grand old party is Trump. ** -- 81_Hokie 01/25/2020 1:53PM

Absolutely. And what governments do all the time is use aid -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 1:31PM

I’m sure you’re aware of the many unproven assumptions in your argument. ** -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 1:40PM

Well we haven’t heard Mulvaney testify so I can’t be sure he’s a -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 7:16PM

Sworn testimony counts as evidence. The defense has yet to counter -- HoosWillWin 01/25/2020 2:17PM

It’s a lie that the Dems wanted witnesses. If they did, the House could -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 2:57PM

That is a stupid take ** -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 7:58PM

How many years would that take? It might have been worth it though to -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 3:10PM

Forget it. Mr. Double Major believes Trump strengthened ... -- Blah 01/25/2020 4:05PM

It took the Democrats 33 days to walk across the hall ** -- Woodfiller2 01/25/2020 3:50PM

Because the idiot released the "transcript" & ranted on the South Lawn. ** -- Blah 01/25/2020 3:58PM

The dems waited 33 days to file impeachmwnt because Trump released -- hoothat 01/25/2020 5:45PM

LOL. You think the House Sargeant at Arms could get past the Secret Service -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 3:40PM

Just arrest them at home. This isn't rocket science. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 4:44PM

Their security protection stops once they leave the White House premises? ** -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 4:46PM

Correct. Most people working in the West Wing don't get Secret Service -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 4:49PM

The House Sargeant at Arms does not have the authority to invade a private -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 5:17PM

They actually used to, so why not bring it back? Anyway it's pretty easy to -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 5:22PM

Look at you trying to make America great again. :) ** -- Hoos Operator 01/25/2020 6:32PM

Guilty of what? ** -- hoothat 01/25/2020 2:21PM

Guity of winning an election and becoming one of the great US presidents -- Wahoo Ron 01/25/2020 3:46PM

Who are you trying to jerk off with this post? ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 4:45PM

Weird post. -- hoothat 01/25/2020 5:35PM

Great. One of the greatest Preidents ever should want more transparency. ** -- Blah 01/25/2020 4:33PM

Definitely not any crimes ** -- ryno hoo 01/25/2020 2:54PM

Pretty easy. The Executive needs to turn over subpoenaed documents and have -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:43PM

Yes. It does. -- DanTheFan 01/25/2020 1:16PM

Yep. Didn't see the defense argument, but from what I read, it -- HoosWillWin 01/25/2020 1:28PM

They know all of this. But will keep lying about it anyway. -- Hoodafan 01/25/2020 12:47PM

Why not allow witnesses. It’s beyond fucked up that a defendant would not -- Hooooooooooooooo 01/25/2020 4:12PM

LOL. Expose a sham with less transparency? Fredo logic at work. ** -- Blah 01/25/2020 3:48PM

It’s your boys who are lying shamelessly which the Democrats will point out -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 12:57PM

Unless you pay them to do it via Fusion GPS. Or collude with their rival -- Hoodafan 01/25/2020 1:16PM

One thing both had in common is that both acts were to benefit themselves! ** -- Hooooooooooooooo 01/25/2020 5:05PM

You live in a fantasy world ** -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 1:27PM

Why? And please show your work. ** -- Hoodafan 01/25/2020 1:29PM

I point to your posts ** -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 1:32PM

Cool! Bring in the witnesses for this conspiracy bullshit. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:26PM

Agree. Bring on Ms Chalupa. ** -- Hoodafan 01/25/2020 1:29PM

Uh...yeah....they discussed that today -- Woodfiller2 01/25/2020 1:07PM

With the stonewalling the legislative branch is now neutered. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 12:50PM

Same shit, different day. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 12:45PM

LOL. ** -- hooshouse 01/25/2020 12:34PM

Trump’s lawyers called Schiff a liar -- Woodfiller2 01/25/2020 12:53PM

What?!?!? My local NPR station changed it to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!!! -- ResistHoo 01/25/2020 1:01PM

I was going to vote for Trump until they called Schiff a liar. ** -- hooshouse 01/25/2020 12:59PM

They didn’t disprove anything. You’re such a rube ** -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 12:59PM

Exactly - these dimwits don't know that Trump has to prove his innocence. ** -- ResistHoo 01/25/2020 1:07PM

When exactly did the burden of proof fall on the accused? ** -- Woodfiller2 01/25/2020 1:20PM

Do you actually understand how our government works? ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:27PM

Obviously not ** -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 1:33PM

Why focus on Schiff? The US House of Representatives saw enough to warrant -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 12:58PM

Will you be singing the same tune if the Senate exonerates him? ** -- Wahoo Ron 01/25/2020 2:54PM

Yeah conviction needs 2/3. Therefore it would of necessity be bipartisan. -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 4:52PM

You misspelled "whitewashes" ** -- WaxHoo 01/25/2020 4:43PM

They need to scrape that POS off the bottom of their shoe before moving on -- CA Cav 01/25/2020 1:49PM

Do you live in their congressional districts? If so, have at it. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:50PM

I live in CA, but not Burbank. Clise enough to know he's a POS ** -- CA Cav 01/25/2020 2:05PM

Yeah, well my congressman voted for impeachment. Clearly that's all it -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 2:10PM

Nope, Schiff has been cultivating his shittiness since he was a state rep ** -- CA Cav 01/25/2020 2:23PM

That may be depending on what you're referring to. What I've heard from him -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 2:27PM

You may like his message, but he is a smarmy douche of the 1st order. And -- CA Cav 01/25/2020 6:00PM

Then that makes the rest of the House smarmy douches for voting to impeach -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 6:17PM

No,only the democrats who lined up, lockstep. Except those that broke ranks -- CA Cav 01/25/2020 6:47PM

What was the vote again? Bipartisan vote? ** -- moohoofus 01/25/2020 1:34PM

Where in the Constitution does it mention parties or bipartisan votes? ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:39PM

Whoa. Didn’t Nancy say it must be a bipartisan vote to move forward with -- moohoofus 01/25/2020 1:41PM

It's preferable. But doing your duty is more preferable. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:44PM

Sure. Duty is in the eye of the beholder. ** -- moohoofus 01/25/2020 2:24PM

Hence Trump is impeached. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 2:28PM

And acquitted. ** -- moohoofus 01/25/2020 2:58PM

Yes he will be. That's a given. Will it be bipartisan? No. Will it matter? -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 3:05PM

Maybe it will. Manchin could vote for acquittal. ** -- moohoofus 01/25/2020 3:59PM

Bully. A couple of House D's voted not to impeach. One gutless weasel voted -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 4:47PM

Gutless weasel? LOL. ** -- hoothat 01/25/2020 5:18PM

And this started with a whistleblower complaint, followed by an inquiry -- 111Balz 01/25/2020 1:00PM

With stonewalling by the executive branch. Or as Trump says truthfully for -- Seattle .Hoo 01/25/2020 1:02PM