Orchestrated Political Theatre

2/27/19
 
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from The Gray Area:
2/27/19; updated 3/1/19:

Today’s Congressional hearing, starring Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer and ‘fixer’, was orchestrated political theatre at the least and a Stalinist show trial at the worst.
As evidence of this shameful display, I offer the following:
– Cohen said; “I have spoken with Cummings, Schiff, …..” about this hearing. What? You prepared with, discussed with, were given or gave subjects about this hearing to the Democrat majority?
– Cohen uses all the media and Democrat narratives in his statement; racist, greedy, hush money, Dossier, the reason he is now willing to squeal on Trump (Helsinki, Charlottesville, …), no chance for a peaceful transition of power and the rest of his closing statement…. These are over the top narratives that appear to have been written by Democrats.
Lawyer, Lanny Davis, a long time Democrat operative and Hillary attorney represents him and is sitting behind him, grinning.
– Davis is supposedly NOT getting paid for representing Cohen and we are supposed to believe not directing the Democrat narratives in his statements. Is Tom Steyer behind this? How does he know what Cohen will say?
– The media had information on Cohen’s testimony and teased it for a week before, yet Republicans didn’t get his statement until just before the hearing.
– He goes out of his way to thank Pelosi, Schiff, and Cummings for helping him, as well as any Republicans who have admonished Trump. (vendetta?)
Timing: This hearing, and the one tomorrow, is scheduled simultaneous with Trump’s 2nd Summit with NoKo leader Kim – obviously trying to get some of that good news off the front page.

Nevertheless, the media will love the drama associated with someone telling tales out of school on Donald Trump. They have hyped these hearings for the past week in anticipation and the subjects will provide another week or so of fuel for the now 2 year old public media political assassination of the President. Unfortunately, it will also provide fuel for the unlimited investigations members of the Democrat House majority have promised to pursue.

There is not much new in this hearing, but it does provide a nasty personal indictment of the President designed to work against him in 2020 and to further the Democrats move toward impeachment before them. For those who follow news by headlines and soundbites, this testimony may be upsetting.

Here is a summary of what Cohen has and does not have, what is of no consequence and what are serious questions about his credibility.

What does Michael Cohen have?
– says Trump lied about directing Moscow project
– his personal attorney’s reviewed in advance Cohen’s Congressional testimony
– provided 3 years of Trump financial statements given to Deutsche Bank

What does Cohen NOT have?
– Russia collusion – said NO.
– Cohen had no campaign position, so his guilt not associated with campaign.
– Cohen said Trump did NOT direct him to lie. He, Cohen, inferred it on his own. (Mueller agreed when he denied the BuzzFeed story)
– Cohen has never been to Prague, as BuzzFeed, the media, Adam Schiff and others have said.
– does anything exist that may subject Trump to blackmail = NO

Assertions: (opinions that require no refutation, though some are included)
– Trump is racist. Meadows presented a black Trump employee who stated this is not true. Here is a introduction of Trump by Cohen where he specifically debunks the racist claim. When was Cohen telling the truth, then or now?
– Trump is a cheat and a con man.
– Trump is dangerous.
– provided checks paid to him by Trump purportedly for reimbursement of payment to porn star
– cutting company salaries in half
– medical deferment for Vietnam was without merit, or documentation
– says he overheard Donald Jr tell Donald Trump about NY meeting with Russian agent
– recites that Donald Trump said “Donald Jr has the worst judgement of anyone in the world”
– nothing went on in Trump world without Trump’s knowledge or approval
– i would not ask for or accept a pardon
– according to Trump, he is a ‘rat’ like a mobster
– uses tweets to infer that Trump was asking for someone to do harm to him or his family
– is he a dope head, does he have a love child, did he pay for abortions? = No
– worst version of himself – bad is much greater than the good

Of no consequence
– asset increase/decrease estimates (unless he lied on documents)
– NDAs
– payments to porn star, a private transaction
– so-called ‘hush money’ was not illegal. Slimy, but not illegal.
– not releasing SAT & grades (doesn’t matter and didn’t matter with Obama)
– ‘catch & kill’; done by every politician and personality. Again, slimy, but not illegal.
– interest in deflating tax bills is not illegal

Questions?
– He continues to lie! – Even CNN today confirmed Cohen’s lie about wanting a WH job. Here’s a CNN interview from 2016 when Cohen admits he wants a job.
– He coordinated his testimony with Dems?
– not paying Lanny Davis?
– He delayed release of statement as long as possible per John Dean on TV?
– He cannot commit to having a book, TV, movie or political deal after prison?
– “Trump’s presence was intoxicating, … like you were involved in something bigger than yourself.” (isn’t that what great leader’s project?)

List of Guilty Pleas! (none of the crimes were associated with campaign)
– Cohen
– Manafort
– Flynn
– Stone (indicted, not proven guilty, yet)

List of FBI personnel fired! (all were associated with campaign and post election investigation)
– Comey
– McCabe
– Stryok
– Page

Investigation in search of crimes, instead of investigations of crimes. That is unconstitutional. Especially when you see so many people who did what they accuse Trump of doing (Obama, Lynch, Hillary, Kerry, Comey, McCabe, Stryok, Page) and going scot free!

No one can stand up to this kind of scrutiny. Something will be found. Prosecutors at the direction of Democrats, media and left wing operatives are aggressively looking at wire fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud, and other crimes.

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