BTRTN: No Guardrails, No Restraint...No John McCain, No John Bolton

[reggieandlee]

Born To Run The Numbers' "month in review" for January, 2020, clearly the most consequential and calamitous in Trump's Presidency:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2020/02/btrtn-no-guardrails-no-restraintno-john.html

Excerpts: "At the beginning of the month, with Nancy Pelosi executing her “not quite yet” mode of withholding the articles of impeachment, attention shifted to the volatile Middle East. Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani of Iran in retaliation for an attack, selecting the most aggressive option on the table, with flimsy and inconsistent justification, resulting in further destabilization in the smoldering Middle East. With potentially far-reaching unintended consequences mounting daily, it was clear that Trump’s entire Iranian strategy was literally blowing up in his face.
"Pelosi’s gambit failed to influence McConnell’s trial rules, but succeeded in spotlighting the issue of what constituted a 'fair trial,' and the witness controversy became the central drama. More revelations cemented the storyline, featuring Lev Parnas and culminating with The New York Times’ story that John Bolton confirmed that Trump had told Bolton directly that the release of military aid was completely dependent on a Ukraine President Zelensky announcement of Biden/Burisma/Hilary Clinton server investigations. The Senate trial featured a highly effective, just-the-facts-and-logic story, wrapped in impassioned pleas to GOP Senators led by the House Manager Adam Schiff to abide by the Constitution, protect separation of powers, and remove Trump from office. Republicans filled their airtime with the kitchen sink -- even the incredible defense that if Trump felt his reelection was in the national interest, then anything to achieve that aim was fair.The month culminated with the drama of whether the Senate would call John Bolton as a witness, echoing the tension of the Obamacare votes that hinged on a small set of moderate Republicans.. But Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowsky opted for no witnesses, setting the stage for the acquittal for Trump to open February, ending the sham of a trial..."

[tgards79]

1. kik