Neocon John Bolton was all about dropping bombs, usually on screaming, bleeding civilians, clutching the mangled corpses of their babies in their arms. So, it was a real blow a few months ago when Trump had to let him go as "National Security Adviser" (sic).
But Bolton had a fresh chance to drop a "bomb" -- a metaphorical one -- on his old boss at the Senate Impeachment Trial, cooked up by the President's Democrat opponents. Bolton's revelations could potentially back up the absurd impeachment charges that Trump "coerced" the Ukrainian President to sabotage his "political rival," Joe Biden.
The Bolton "bombshell" couldn't be delivered direct into the impeachment trial, as the Dems had blocked witnesses in their attempt to further protect the Bidens, so instead it had to be delivered by a "leak," boosted by a hyperventilating Trump-hating media. But, unfortunately for the Dems and their Neocon allies, the Bolton bombshell looks like a dud.
So what is the substance of the Bolton leak? Over to you New York Times:
President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the former adviser, John R. Bolton.
The president’s statement as described by Mr. Bolton could undercut a key element of his impeachment defense: that the holdup in aid was separate from Mr. Trump’s requests that Ukraine announce investigations into his perceived enemies, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son Hunter Biden, who had worked for a Ukrainian energy firm while his father was in office.
Mr. Bolton’s explosive account of the matter at the center of Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, the third in American history, was included in drafts of a manuscript he has circulated in recent weeks to close associates. He also sent a draft to the White House for a standard review process for some current and former administration officials who write books.
"Explosive"? LOL, they wish. Bolton's so-called "revelations" add nothing to what we already know, which is that (a) there was no actual coercion on the Ukrainian President (check the telephone transcripts for details) and (b) even if there had been, the main focus should have been -- and should still be -- the actual corruption the Bidens were apparently involved in.
In fact, this whole case is working to Trump's advantage because it does nothing but force the media to continually mention probable crimes by the Bidens that the media would prefer to just drop down the memory hole.
This impeachment process and the dirt it rightly throws on Joe Biden is one of the reasons why Bernie Sanders has now overtaken him in the betting odds (more reliable than polls which are often cooked to suit the agenda of the media outlets that pay for them).
The latest odds give Bernie a 3.4 point lead and puts him ahead of "Sleepy Joe":
The latest odds give Bernie a 3.4 point lead and puts him ahead of "Sleepy Joe":
Yes, this impeachment trial works to Trump's benefit, as a Sanders nomination would effectively divide and weaken the Democrat Party, energising the base maybe, while it alienated the leadership and party establishment.
But even if the Sanders surge can be beaten off, this can only be done at the cost of alienating a huge segment of Democrat voters. Either way it's looking like a win-win for Trump.
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