There is one effective way to expose a witch hunt: Prove there is no such thing as witches. Republicans have their work cut out for them. Their immediate job is to convince us that there are no corrupt politicians, a common form witches take these days. The problem is they are demonstrating the opposite in how they are presenting themselves in the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.
A strong case has been made against the president. He knew Ukraine was vulnerable with a newly elected president trying to defend the northern border of his country against Russian aggression with too few resources. They needed U.S. money, our military might and a public show of support. On the other side, Donald Trump needed to drum up suspicion about his political rival Joe Biden’s integrity — not actual proof of anything, just a headline that Trump could parlay into a damaging conspiracy theory in time for the 2020 general election would do. Congress voted to send aid to Ukraine. President Trump put a quiet hold on the funds until Ukraine’s president made a claim that an investigation was underway over Biden’s fabricated corrupt business dealings there.
Ding dong the wicked witch is dead, but corrupt politicians are alive and well. What we are left with is both sides agreeing that dirty politicians are real. They would know. We can trust them on this.
Who is the corrupt politician in this, then? Is it Trump or Biden? Of course, we must consider that both might be unscrupulous, but then we can simply reframe the question to be: Which one is more corrupt?
Looking at the evidence presented so far, this appears to be an easy question to answer. Republicans have presented no evidence that Biden was involved in any dishonest business dealings in Ukraine. If they could do this, we would not be having this exercise in impeachment going on now when we should rather all have visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads instead of the seemingly nonstop thrumming of rhetoric. You would think that would be incentive enough; if only they could expose even a bit of shade under the kalyna tree.
On the other side, there is too much evidence corroborated by too many people to ignore at least the possibility that Trump put his personal gain ahead of our country’s. The allegations are not so far-fetched as to give the president reasonable justification for not turning over pertinent documents regarding the affair and forbidding those closest to it, who could absolutely shed more light on the subject, from testifying.
Which political witch is left holding the longer broomstick?
Keep in mind that these impeachment hearings are being orchestrated by some of the best legal minds in our country, on both sides. While one side tells a compelling story that is almost too good to be false, the other side counters about an unfair procedure. In arguing the weakness of the process, nobody has said the Trump-does-Ukraine story is not true. The best they can come up with is that the case has not been adequately proved and that more direct evidence needs to be produced; never mentioning that their defendant is the one refusing to provide it. In other words, they are talking in circles, perhaps Dante’s ninth.
Republicans have failed to prove there is no such things as witches. Be afraid. They accuse their opponents of fracturing our country along political tectonic plates that they threaten, when tension overcomes friction, will result in a seismic partisan fissure throughout the land. They tell the American public that this exercise is a waste of time and resources. They claim the president is innocent based on technicalities.
If the president has evidence to exonerate himself, as he claims, and continues to withhold it in the face on this oncoming doom, is it not he who is putting our country through hell for no reason? If they say the Democrats can’t convict him without this evidence that does exist, how can the Republicans exonerate him without examining the same? They appear to be standing behind their leader at all costs, even at the great expense of demonstrated ignorance. Doesn’t wisdom demand knowledge? Doesn’t serious contemplation beget truth? Isn’t asking questions the herald of intelligence?
And yet, I have, up to now, overlooked something important in this soliloquy. Whether or not the evidence against Donald Trump is compelling enough to remove him from office is not the question. He will not be removed, no matter what. Nonetheless, what history will eventually reveal is that President Trump’s political allies have not asked any relevant questions of him, demanded pertinent evidence be turned over, or been curious about questioning direct witnesses, because they already know his high crimes and misdemeanors, leaving the question: Just how many witches are there?
And, so, the good hunt continues.
Roger Marolt knows that Trump may survive politically to serve another term in office, but history will prove to be all the more unkind to him for it. Email at roger@maroltllp.com.