Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Sen. Graham Launches His Own Investigation
House Democrats had limited the Republicans ability to call witnesses and ask questions. They seem to have the mistaken belief that they can set the ground rules for impeachment at the beginning and that those rules will apply to the entire process.
As chair of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Graham sent a letter to the State Department beginning an investigation into Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.
It would seem that the Senator is reminding the House that the House has no control over the Senate. This should have the Democrats more worried than it likely will. The hearings in the House were complicated and convoluted. Since the House voted to start all this, the charges have moved around (campaign finance, quid pro quo, extortion, bribery). The witnesses said things that make Trump look bad but, at the same time, throw water on some of the Democrats’ claims. It was long and confusing.
The Biden issue is easier to understand. Hunter Biden was paid millions of dollars by a Ukrainian company because his father was Vice President and in charge of Ukraine policy. This just objectively looks bad even if nothing bad happened, and the possibility does exist that something untoward happened. It is just a simpler argument.
This could just be an opening shot. There could be any number of things that the Democrats don’t want to discuss that come up in the Senate.
Published in General
More on the Biden case.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-family-corruption-allegations-metastasize_3152905.html
“Ukrainian members of parliament have demanded the presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, investigate suspicions of the legalization of $7.4 billion by the ‘family’ of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych through the American investment fund Franklin Templeton Investments, which they said has ties to the U.S. Democratic Party. …
“Meanwhile, [MP Oleksandr] Derkach said that several facts indicate Franklin Templeton Investments’ relationship with the U.S. Democratic Party.
“‘The son of Templeton’s founder, John Templeton Jr., was one of President Obama’s major campaign donors. Another fund-related character is Thomas Donilon. Managing Director of BlackRock Investment Institute, shareholder Franklin Templeton Investments, which has the largest share in the fund. It is noteworthy that he previously was Obama’s national security advisor,’ Derkach said.”
Obama might not thank the Democrats for opening this can of worms.
Let’s dogpile the Bidens!
From the Washington Examiner on Hunter and TALF.
Hunter Biden takes job at MBNA while father Joe pushes legislation to help MBNA. link to interview video here.
NBC has an article on Joe and Hunter Biden working their two-man operation in Romania.
Hunter Biden is the Forrest Gump of corruption!
I’m so glad that Vice President Biden will finally have a chance to clear his name, put all these scurrilous accusations behind him. He’s running for President fer cryin out loud, this stuff has got to be a concern for his campaign.
He was asked about it, he said he did nothing wrong. And this is career politician Joe Biden – “Good ol’ Joe”, so I know he wouldn’t ever tell a lie. I mean, he told us he wouldn’t. I know he will welcome this chance to clear away any doubts about the matter.
President Obama evidently backed his play in holding up that billion in aide until they fired the prosecutor who was sticking his nose into the whole business, so I’m sure Joe’s good pal and supporter (…um…) and ex-boss will drop by and tell all he knows about the annoying little matter, should Graham send over a friendly subpoena.
And President Trump will be happy to know that his small effort to get this matter looked into to help clear the name of a former VPOTUS is finally bearing fruit. The campaigning can proceed without any feverish “skeletons in Joe’s closet” talk muddying up the works.
Two quick questions:
If Hunter Biden is subpoenaed, shouldn’t the Trump kids be?
If Joe Biden is subpoenaed, shouldn’t Trump also be?
For what, Gary? Did their dad brag he held up a deal and then they got big payments?
Then again this is classic Gary derailing a thread to make it anti Trump.
Don’t you have anything else to say, Gary? We all get it. You hate Trump. You think it is worth telling 40% of the nation to get lost. We get it. We get it over and over and over and over and over and over.
Gary may have big info about Trump kids’ corruption. Come on, Gary, let’s hear it.
Another NT here was apparently a witness to Stormy Daniels’ romp with Trump at that golf tournament. Why are these serious witnesses so shy about telling their stories ?
I am sorry if I offended, but if Graham wants to go on a fishing exhibit, then let’s go whole hog.
To think that I used to respect Lindsey Graham.
Well that’s the kind of thing that happens when you let antipathy towards one person take over your belief system.
Lay off Joe Biden. Give him some space and respect. He’s the easiest democrat to beat in the general election.
Well it certainly smells like there’s fish there.
This is a really bad way to use government power. They shouldn’t do that. Very bad.
Be sure to vote.
That was when he was wingman to Saint McCain, who abandoned his disabled wife to marry the rich beer distributor’s daughter, you know the one that embezzled from the charity she ran to feed her drug habit?
The sainted Reagan gave Carol McCain a job in the Whiten House.
But how do you really feel?
You don’t offend me. You bore me.
If you think investigating Hunter Biden after what his father said is a you’re”fishing expedition” you don’t know the meaning of the term. Biden bragged about a quid pro quo. That is public record, Gary. If you deny the man’s own speech you are just in denial.
Go for it. Tell me how Hunter really deserved that job. Sell me on that fee and sell me on how it was in no way linked to his Dad, after his dad bragged on it.
Otherwise, retract calling it a fishing expedition
Isn’t it fair to say that Biden was engaged in Ukraine corruption while being in charge of trying to reduce Ukraine’s corruption?
Yes. At least not fishing.
Look, he decided to run for President. He’s going to be scrutinized one way or another. There can’t be a double standard.
I am usually on the same page with you, but don’t agree on this and don’t exactly know why.
Mostly it’s because Hunter Biden is so egregiously a loser that would have a minimum wage job, at best, if not for his father. A habitual crackhead who gets kicked out of boot camp at age 42 for abusing drugs is a pretty sorry board of directors candidate. What the Trump younger generation have done doesn’t appear to be abusive by current norms. Ivanka is one of the most beautiful women of her generation and could compete with the Kardashians in their chosen field of social media if her name were Ivanka Smith. The boys don’t seem to be getting much traction out of the name or connections, and Jared will probably cash in after the Presidency, but so did Ronald Reagan if I remember correctly.
Tell me why I’m wrong.
Every witness has said that Hunter working for this Ukrainian company was a bad thing.
Trump is threatened with impeachment for asking for (or demanding depending on your point of view) an investigation into this.
Hunter is a part of the story. What part are you claiming Trumps kids played in the Ukraine?
Last night’s Mark Levin show is must watch on this so-called impeachment.