MAGA “Take her out” response instantly neutered.

In case you, like me, have been in meetings all day, here’s the deal:

Parnas and Furman of Fraud Guarantee were having din-din with Trump sometime in the spring of 2018 when they told him, over a beautiful chocolate cake, no doubt, that Marie Yovanovich was bad mouthing Trump, saying he was going to be impeached. (Somebody has a palantir apparently)

Unbeknownst to Trump, there was a recording device at this soirée, which suggests that there may be a LOT of incriminating recordings out there. It gives “Lordy, I hope there are tapes!” a whole new life.

The recording picked up a voice that appeared to be Trump’s saying:

“Get rid of her!” is what the voice that appears to be Trump’s is heard saying. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/recording-appears-capture-trump-private-dinner-ukraine-ambassador/story%3fid=68506437

So here’s what’s going on in MAGA land. They are claiming that Trump can fire an ambassador at any time he wants. So, there’s nothing wrong with this.

And this is true. Trump can fire ambassadors for reasons or no reasons at all. All he had to do was call Pompeo and give the order.

Instead, he gave the order to Parnas and Furman. THEY have zero authority to fire anyone at the state department.

Yep, they are incapable of firing Yovanovich. “Take her out”? Well, that’s different.

That’s possible. But it ain’t pretty.

And the MAGA heads say… ?

Can’t wait to hear the recording and have the voice authenticated.

***********

A little more.

So, 66% of Americans want to see more witnesses and evidence.

But Americans in general give Trump credit for a booming economy. (The economy strives in spite of Trump, not because of him, but that is for another post)

The question is, if the economy is going so well, why is Trump seriously considering cutting social security and Medicare to pay for the ballooning budget deficit brought about by his lopsided tax cut?

Either the economy is great and there’s no reason to cut deferred benefits or it’s about to go pear shaped and the Republicans will finally achieve the goal they’ve had since Eisenhower to kill the social safety net that all living Americans have paid into for their entire lives.

Both things can’t be true.

*************

And the government’s plan is… what, exactly?

We may have a Plague scenario developing:

Second U.S. #nCoV2019 case in a Chicago woman who returned from China on Jan. 13. She seems to have only had contact with people in her household since her return. My story up momentarily @statnews.

— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) January 24, 2020

Some of us have or may still have compromised immune systems. This s}#% isn’t funny.

Luckily, I bought masks last year with a virus barrier layer. That won’t help much if we should all wear spacesuits.

Normally, I wouldn’t get freaked out about this but we have a contagious illness with human to human transmission. It’s viral and we have no drugs or vaccines for it. It started in a densely populated area of a densely populated country and it’s a holiday season there. It’s spreading to other countries.

I’d like to know what Trump’s plan is to combat this. I mean in coherent sentences and where he can answer questions that indicate he understands cause, effect and the consequences of inaction.

He’s been gutting science in government so I’m concerned that we may be under resourced.

Commence the “la-la-la, we can’t HEAR you!” response from the Republicans with a death grip on our health agencies.

As Schiff asked, can we reasonably expect that Trump will do something in our interest and not simply his own?

Have Courage.

Here are the closing statements from the lead House manager about why Donald Trump is a threat to all of us. ALL of us, Republicans included:

https://twitter.com/justinamash/status/1220570844856029184?s=21

I’d like to thank Rep. Justin Amash for standing up against your party and doing the right thing. I agree with you on almost nothing, Justin. But it must have taken an incredible amount of courage and integrity to do this. You know what is right. This is a manly thing to do.

Also worthy of praise for being men and women of courage and integrity are these Americans:

• Marie Yovanovich
• Bill Taylor
• Alex Vindman
• Fiona Hill
• Jennifer Williams
• Laura Cooper
• David Holmes
• George Kent
• The Whistleblower

I’m sure I’ve missed a few who deserve praise.

What feats [they] did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Henry V, Shakespeare

Is there such a speech to praise leaders who hold their people in such contempt that they would convince them that they are losers? That the whole world is laughing at their manhood? That they are powerless without a villain to “protect” them? That anyone not like them are “takers”, below them and unworthy of respect? That the only way to get back what they’ve been told they have lost is to treat children badly? That would trick them into giving up their birthright as a free people and relinquish the money they have been saving for decades?

What do you call a person who coerces Americans to view their neighbors as their enemies for his own benefit?

Somebody scour Shakespeare for me. I don’t think even Othello’s Iago meets this criteria.