A little more than a week ago, I diagrammed the relationships we had evidence for. Based on the latest news, it is now time to update the diagram. The big addition? The role of Mike Pence can no longer be denied. More important, we now know he lied about his role.
On FIXED NEWS, (March 9, 2017) he claimed this was all news to him.
That’s a huge problem. Mike Pence was in charge of the transition team. He took over for Christie.
Mike Pence was in charge when they interviewed Flynn for his job as National Security Advisor.
This was all done after Flynn’s Op-Ed piece arguing for his client, Turkey, was published in The Hill.
This was all done after Flynn had been FIRED by his previous boss, President Obama.
Lying on FIXED NEWS is not a crime. Hell, that’s a founding principle. Lying to the FBI, on the other hand, is definitely a crime. Ask Martha Stewart.
When you consider that Pence endorsed Cruz over Trump in a critical primary, it is amazing he wound up on the ticket. This highlights the fact he was foisted upon Trump by Manafort — who has still not registered as a Foreign Agent. In this context, the question of what Pence knew and when he knew it becomes increasingly relevant.
All this takes on new urgency in anticipation of Democratic victories in the upcoming midterm elections. If it turns out Pence knowingly put his imprimatur on a clandestine Foreign Agent, that’s an impeachable offense. Covering it up would also be an impeachable offense. Hard to argue he didn’t know, when Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government, told him in writing.
As I noted last time:
Given the obviously impeachable nature of these offenses, a related question is whether or not Pence gets scooped up in this. That fact that Pence made a point of praising Putin during the campaign takes on new relevance in the current context. The fact that Manafort (in set of “associates”) was so instrumental in Trump picking Pence over Christie is a good reason to go over his role in any of this with a fine tooth comb. [emphasis added]
We have spent so much time responding to “unprecedented" (read: “outlandish”) events that we should accept the fact we are sailing deep into uncharted territory. I’ve lost count of how many “unimaginable” things are now routine. Now is a good time to look at things with a broad view lest we become victims of our own failure of imagination.
Even briefly considering the astounding level of disruption that would follow impeachments of so many people in the presidential line of succession, winning the House in 2018 takes on a critical importance beyond anything we have ever seen in our history. The next Speaker may wind up being president.
Unprecedented? Sure. Unimaginable? Not any more.
The only question now — ironic given today is Trump’s much beloved “Loyalty Day” — is this: “Where do the loyalties of these people really lie?”