Bolton Blows Up Trump Team’s Foolhardy Quid Pro Quo Defense.. By Andrew C. McCarthy

[Cyber Liberty]

I guess I am just less afraid than most here to hear what Bolton has to say.   I think he's a good man.   I like the idea of calling the Dems' bluff.

And I like sticking to the rules of the game when it starts.  You can chalk it up to "fear" if you like, but that's just another standard leftist tactic:  accuse your opponent of being afraid, instead of merely wrong.  I don't fear what Mr. Bolton has to say, I just think it's irrelevant.  That it's also a dirty trick by the Rats is just SOP.

And the usual suspects will fall in line.  That's SOP too.

I see the Defense just rested....

[Absalom]

Why do some want more witnesses and testimony???
Apparently so they can play lawyer, which is their privilege.
Yet that drags this fandango on and on; just what D's want, as it jeopardizes many R Senators.
Additionally it gives Senators more time to decide for/against Trump.
Others see impeachment as a favorable event for Trump which is an absurdity.
He has been an unlikeable person since his teen days and nothing has changed since;
w/this blather further eroding his likeability.
Suggest that if Bolton never heard Trump say what is claimed by the NYT and further,
if Bolton is an honorable Man; he say so publicly.
If Bolton does not, either the claim is true or if false, he is dishonorable and only interested
in peddling his book.
In any case, ending this malarkey now will make plain people, the ones who matter, happier !!

[sneakypete]

@Jazzhead

You may be right...but it's an unnecessary risk that would have spectacularly bad repercussions if it went wrong.

And while I do believe Bolton is a conservative (and I used to really like him), he also advocates for a much more aggressive policy internationally, and clearly clashed with Trump on a policy level.  Trump wants us out of the ME, and Bolton wants us further in.  Then in his book, Bolton apparently also said this, now being reported by the NYT:

John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, privately told Attorney General William P. Barr last year that he had concerns that President Trump was effectively granting personal favors to the autocratic leaders of Turkey and China, according to an unpublished manuscript by Mr. Bolton.

https://www.politicususa.com/2020/01/27/trump-favors-dictators.html

Bolton is very far from an idiot, and there isn't a universe where he could have believed that these things wouldn't hurt the President.  But he chose to throw executive privilege out the window, and decided to make public all these private conversations that would hurt the President.  Whether his motivation is financial, ideological, or just personal pique, there is no way in hell I'd trust him to "say the right thing" about Trump with a microphone in front of his face.  Nor should his personal opinion about what is impeachable be entitled to any more weight than yours, mine, or that of any other citizen.

@Maj. Bill Martin

 

[Fishrrman]

Not sure why Bolton became the contrarian that he is. But I would never trust him again, except for dog catcher, and that's a maybe.

My verdict:
NO witnesses.

End this thing!

[Smokin Joe]

Springing "new" evidence at the last possible second, before it can be examined, is a standard Democrat tactic.  Since 2016 we saw a couple of tries with this playbook, and the predictable suspects fall for it every time.  First Moore (successfully), then Kavanaugh (unsuccessfully). 

@Jazzhead, stop rewarding them for this tactic!

Until that tactic no longer works, the Democrats will continue to utilize it. This is something many of us warned about when Roy Moore got railroaded.
Note, too, there was a cadre of the GOP that was just happy to oblige the tactic. Beware of those RINOs, they are out to protect their swamp. 

[Smokin Joe]

Why do some want more witnesses and testimony???
Apparently so they can play lawyer, which is their privilege.
Yet that drags this fandango on and on; just what D's want, as it jeopardizes many R Senators.
Additionally it gives Senators more time to decide for/against Trump.
Others see impeachment as a favorable event for Trump which is an absurdity.
He has been an unlikeable person since his teen days and nothing has changed since;
w/this blather further eroding his likeability.
Suggest that if Bolton never heard Trump say what is claimed by the NYT and further,
if Bolton is an honorable Man; he say so publicly.
If Bolton does not, either the claim is true or if false, he is dishonorable and only interested
in peddling his book.
In any case, ending this malarkey now will make plain people, the ones who matter, happier !!

Everyone seems to be ignoring that the book is up for review to see if it has any classified material in it, prior to being released.
This means no one in the NYT should have had access to it, yet they are saying "he said he said" in the book!

How could they "know this"?
How can it be disproved with the book still not released from review.

The people reviewing it would have to have a security clearance in order to do so, and knowledge of classified material.

If someone is leaking, revoke their clearance and let 'em get a private sector job scrubbing toilets.

Otherwise, this is just more 'fake news'.

[sneakypete]

If someone is leaking, revoke their clearance and let 'em get a private sector job scrubbing toilets........,

IN A FEDERAL PRISON!