If You Don’t Stop And Look Around, You Might Miss The Impeachment. Your Sunday Show Rundown!
When the best you've got defending you on the Sunday shows is Ron Johnson and Jim Jordan, your prospects are not looking good.
The long-awaited Trump impeachment is speeding up! Mark Zaid, one of the attorneys for the Ukrainium One whistleblower, has stated he is now representing " multiple whistleblowers. The announcement of a second whistleblower -- the second intel whistleblower, on top of the IRS whistleblower who already existed, and who is being described as "an intelligence official with first-hand knowledge" (NOT "hearsay," Lindsey Graham !) of some of the allegations outlined in the original complaint, threw a wrench on ALL the talking points of Trump's ardent defenders, to the point that nobody from the White House even showed up for the Sunday shows. But a couple of idiots from Congress did!
It was perhaps most difficult this week for GOP Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Appearing on NBC's "Meet The Press," OshKosh M'Gosh Johnson was asked about what he told the Wall Street Journal about how EU Ambassador Gordon Sondlandtold him Trump was doing quid pro quos with Ukraine and basically extorting the nation for electoral assistance in exchange, but don't worry, Donald Trump told him that's a damn lie and Donald Trump always tells the truth.
It did not go well for Johnson.
Full Johnson: GOP Attacks Press Over Trump's Ukraine Actions | Meet The Press | NBC News www.youtube.com
As the Journal reports, Sondland said if Trump has "confidence" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will hire a good prosecutor to "get to the bottom of what happened in 2016," and that statement made Johnson "wince." Chuck Todd wanted to know what made him "wince."
JOHNSON: I have never in my lifetime seen a president, after being elected, not having some measure of well wishes from his opponents. I've never seen a president's administration be sabotaged from the day after election. I -- I've never seen -- no-- no measure of honeymoon whatsoever.
Really, Ron?! Because I certainly remember that the night of President Obama's inauguration, Republicans met to figure out how to derail Obama's presidency from Day One. But Johnson went into full-on conspiracy rabbithole involving John Brennan, Lisa Page and Peter Strzok:
JOHNSON: […] by the way, you've got John Brennan on -- you oughta ask Director Brennan what did Peter Strzok mean when he texted Lisa Page on December 15th, 2016?
TODD: Senator?
JOHNSON: Quote --
TODD: Can we -- Senator--
JOHNSON: C-- no, no, no, Chuck --
TODD: Senator--
JOHNSON: --Chuck, let me-- let me finish. "Think--"
TODD: What does this have to do--
JOHNSON: "--think our sisters--"
TODD: --with Ukraine--
JOHNSON: "--have begun leaking like mad, scorned and worthy political--"
TODD: What does this have to do with Ukraine?
It has absolutely nothing to do with Ukraine, Chuck. It's all about throwing whataboutism and muddying the waters (and Joe Biden) with enough bullshit that maybe they get to paint their "lesser of two evils" narrative again like they did with Hillary to the undecideds. Johnson continued stupidly filibustering for so long that Chuck Todd had to actually get mad!
TODD: Oh, okay, this--
JOHNSON: You know-- you know, Chuck--
TODD: --is not about the media--
JOHNSON: --here's the deal, here's the deal--
TODD: --Senator Johnson -- Senator Johnson, please!
JOHNSON: --is at the-- s--
TODD: --can we please--
JOHNSON: Go ahead.
TODD: --answer the question that I asked you instead of trying to make Donald Trump feel better here that you're not criticizing him...
Goddamn, Chuck! You finally calling out the goal of every Republican appearance on any of the Sunday shows!
The interview continued like this. I can only assume that Ron Johnson made a wish on a Zoltar machine and accidentally switched bodies with Jim Jordan of Ohio in some "Freaky Friday" type scenario. Or maybe this is just how Johnson is. (It is.)
Speaking of Jordan, the human Voltron of every dumb high school gym teacher you've ever had was on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos began by asking a very simple question that Jordan decided he would try to dodge like responsibility for the rampant sexual abuse that took place on his watch when he was a coach at Ohio State :
Rep. Jim Jordan won't say if Trump asking China to investigate Biden is appropriate | ABC News www.youtube.com
STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you think it's appropriate for President Trump to ask China and Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden?
JORDAN: George, you really think he was serious about thinking that China's going to investigate the Biden family?
STEPHANOPOULOS: He said it right there in public.
JORDAN: I think -- I think -- I think he's getting -- as I think Senator Rubio said a couple days ago. I think he's getting the press all spun up about this. Remember, this is the president who's been tougher on China than any other president.
Oh, silly us! Here we didn't realize that Trump asking for foreign electoral help in public was just for LOLs. Our bad! I mean, it's not like it's illegal ( it is ) or he's done this before ( he has ) or like foreign governments have actually taken him seriously and done it after he asked publicly ( they did ). It's not like Trump could could, we don't know, threaten tariffs (withhold military aid) to force China (Ukraine) to start a fabricated investigation to help him politically.
But it seems Jordan was dead set on dodging actual answers, repeating like a dumb former jock the same one line about Trump being tough on China.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Was it right for President Trump to ask China to investigate Joe Biden? Why can't you say yes or no?
JORDAN: Because I think -- because I'm telling you what he said. I think his point was highlighting that, when you're the President of the United States, and you see something like this happen, China, he knows, is not going to investigate. He's just pointing out to the American people what they all -- what they all think about it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you're telling us not to believe what we see with our own eyes, right there.
JORDAN: You're telling me the guy who's been tougher on China really thinks that's going to happen? It's not going to happen. He is highlighting what I think so many...
Let's conclude with the great California Rep. Maxine Waters on MSNBC's "AM Joy". Interviewed by Jonathan Capehart, who was filling in for Joy Reid, Rep. Waters had a message for the whistleblowers:
Moment Maxine Waters 'Spineless GOP' on Trump Impeachment www.youtube.com
WATERS: I'd just like to say to these whistleblowers, and potential whistleblowers, you are the patriots.
She also had a message for Republicans like Jordan and Johnson:
WATERS: I am disgusted with those spineless members of the Senate who don't have the guts to stand up for this country. Many of them have defined themselves as "patriotic." They're not patriotic. They are spineless and they are not willing to step up and do what needs to be done in recognizing the danger of this president. They're willing to harm our country.
Waters has been calling for impeachment from the beginning while others booed and Paul Ryan laughed at her:
Let's listen to her this time. Have a week!
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If You Don’t Stop And Look Around, You Might Miss The Impeachment. Your Sunday Show Rundown!
... Jordan, the human Voltron of every dumb high school gym teacher you've ever had ...
Jim Jordan -- living proof that those who can't do, teach; those who can't teach, teach gym; and those who can't teach gym get elected to represent Ohio's 4th.
Maybe "Election" too?