George Kent, a senior State Department official, arrives for his impeachment inquiry deposition on Oct. 15. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
He just can’t get over Hillary Clinton.
Before giving U.S. military aid to Ukraine, President Trump wanted “nothing less” than for the European country to announce an investigation targeting Clinton in addition to one targeting Joe Biden and his son, according to a senior State Department official.
George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs, made the bombshell revelation during his closed-door deposition on Oct. 15, testifying he was told that Trump used Clinton’s name as “shorthand” for the investigation he wanted President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch into a debunked right-wing conspiracy theory claiming anti-Trump Ukrainians interfered in the 2016 election.
Kent’s deposition, a transcript of which was released Thursday, marks the first time Clinton’s name has come up in the context of Trump’s desired Ukrainian investigation of the 2016 U.S. election. The mention suggests Trump wanted the probe to target the former Democratic presidential candidate one way or another.
Kent said Gordon Sondland, Trump’s handpicked ambassador to the European Union, had conveyed the Clinton message to him and other diplomats after speaking to the president on Sept. 7.
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday joined the rising chorus of Democrats calling for at least an impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump following reports thatTrumppressured Ukraine’s government to look into unsubstantiated theories about the family of his leading 2020 challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Clinton, a sharp critic of Trump since narrowly losing to him in the 2016 presidential election, made the impassioned call during an exclusive interview with PEOPLE set to be published in next week’s issue.
“We are in a crisis,” Clinton said.
She told PEOPLE she was now supporting Trump’s impeachment. “I did not come to that decision easily or quickly,” she said, “but this is an emergency as I see it. … This latest behavior around Ukraine, trying to enlist the president of Ukraine in a plot to undermine former Vice President Biden or lose the military aid he needs to defend against Trump’s friend Vladimir Putin — if that’s not an impeachable offense, I don’t know what is.” Read more >>>>
Monday I posted this: #WatchThis Space: Arctic Activity. Well you really have to watch! Things are moving fast, and there are a lot of moving parts. This, from Michael Grunwald in Politico.
Four years to the day
since Hillary Clinton exited the State Department, Tillerson will
occupy Foggy Bottom, and Congressional Republicans have blown smoke and
fog over corporate payments to foreign governments. This in conjunction
with the Arctic activity slips past much of the MSM while they occupy themselves with Trump thinking Frederick Douglass is still alive.
Just
a reminder: The Benghazi-cum-server-cum emails Oversight Committee
railed and wailed a lot in the course of their hearings about Hillary's
State Department initiatives promoting American businesses overseas.
That is part of the Secretary of State's job, and all of those
initiatives were transparent.
John Kerry's successor enters with a cloak of invisibility ready made.
Keep watching this space! The war in Urkraine is escalating. Remember that plank in the Republican platform that Trump had removed?
After
more reports of Donald Trump’s campaign chair’s ties to pro-Kremlin
elements in Ukraine, Hillary for America Campaign Manager Robby Mook
released the following statement:
“On the eve of what the
Trump campaign has billed as a major foreign policy speech, we have
learned of more troubling connections between Donald Trump’s team and
pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine. Given the pro-Putin policy stances
adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and
disclosure of Democratic Party records, Donald Trump has a
responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort’s and all other
campaign employees’ and advisers’ ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin
entities, including whether any of Trump’s employees or advisers are
currently representing and or being paid by them.”
Michael Flynn, who spoke at the RNC last week, appeared with Bill Maher and brushed off the "Lock her up" chants at the convention as just sloganeering. Here are some dots.
Once-intimate
colleagues say they have not seen Manafort, 64, in years and hear from
him only in occasional email missives. His most recent firm, Davis
Manafort, functionally broke up shortly after the 2008 presidential
election.
As that campaign was unfolding in the United States, the
notorious political fixer emerged overseas, playing a familiar role in
an unfamiliar place: advising Yanukovych, the pro-Russian strongman
whose ouster last month has triggered an international crisis
reminiscent of a Cold War spy novel.
U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) shakes hands with former
Ukrainian prime minister and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko as they
meet in Kiev, July 2, 2010. Clinton told Ukraine on Friday that the door
to entering NATO remained open and she backed the ex-Soviet republic's
efforts to secure a new deal with the International Monetary Fund.
REUTERS/Alexander Prokopenko/Pool (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS)
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 24, 2011
The
United States is aware of the opening of the trial against former Prime
Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and reiterates its concern about the
appearance of politically-motivated prosecutions of opposition figures
in Ukraine. When the senior leadership of an opposition party is the
focus of prosecutions, out of proportion with other political figures,
this creates the appearance of a political motive. We urge the
Government of Ukraine to refrain from actions that create such an
appearance and undermine the rule of law in Ukraine. We will closely
monitor the legal proceedings against Yulia Tymoshenko and other
opposition figures. Read more >>>>
The
United States is deeply concerned by the treatment of former Prime
Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and other imprisoned members of her former
government. The photographs of Mrs. Tymoshenko released by the Ukrainian
Human Rights Ombudsman further call into question the conditions of her
confinement. We urge the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that Mrs.
Tymoshenko receives immediate medical assistance in an appropriate
facility and request that the U.S. Ambassador be given access to her. We
continue to call for her release, the release of other members of her
former government and the restoration of their full civil and political
rights. Read more >>>>
Tearfully, she hailed the sea of protesters, who listened and occasionally waved.
"Today, Ukraine has finished with this terrible dictator," she said, referring to ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
She then passed on a not-so-subtle message.
"There'll be no Ukraine but the Ukraine you want," she said. "And I'm the guarantor of that Ukraine."
The
polarizing former Prime Minister has a complicated relationship with
Yanukovych, who fled the capital Saturday after days of bloody protests
that killed dozens.
Both have dominated the nation's politics for years. Both have a rivalry that dates years.
The guy managing Trump's campaign whose delegates shouted "lock her up"
also managed the campaign of the guy who in fact locked up his opponent
after his election. She was not released until he was ousted and
fled. But you had connected those dots already. Is this just a slogan?
Let's make sure Trump is never in a position to put any political opponents behind bars.
Speaking to the Montreal Board of Trade last night, Hillary Clinton
warned the audience of increased Russian activity in the Arctic and hung
responsibility for another Cold War on Vladimir Putin's doorknob.
As
Secretary of State, Hillary was an active participant in the Arctic
Council and repeatedly echoed the message that we are an Arctic nation.
The concerns she voiced in Canada are as much an issue for the U.S. as
they are for Canada.
Along with the disquiet she expressed
regarding Russia's activities in the north came further comments about
recent activities in Europe.
Montreal (CNN) -
Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that the conflict between Russia and
Western allies over Crimea is a "clash of values" and that it’s up to
Russian President Vladimir Putin whether there's "another Cold War."
"I
hope there is not another Cold War," Clinton said during the question
and answer portion of an appearance in Montreal. "Obviously, nobody
wants to see that. I think that is primarily up to Putin."
Clinton
added that Putin's annexation of Crimea, a move that has rankled
Western allies and led the United States to sanction some Russian
leaders, is an effort by the Russian leader to "rewrite the boundaries
of post-World War II Europe."
The Alberta crowd today was somewhat differently preoccupied than the
British Columbia audience last night. Not a lot of tweets chirped forth except a
string of repetitive ones on two subjects suggesting at least one
preoccupation.
A. Putin is using resources as weapons.
B. Avoidance on commenting on the Keystone pipeline.
Nevertheless,
the Clinton charm claimed them in the end. Of course she can do that
blindfolded with her hands tied behind her back. Here is the one
twitpic I found followed by an excellent summary of the event.
Former
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a potential 2016
presidential candidate, speaks to students at the University of
California Los Angeles campus on the subject of leadership Wednesday,
March 5, 2014, in Los Angeles. Clinton is delivering a speech Thursday
morning in Calgary.
Photograph by: Nick Ut
, AP
It was the
billion-dollar question, saved, of course, for the final minutes. "Is
this politics or this process?" Frank McKenna asked one of the most
recognizable female faces on the planet.
Hillary Clinton explained
that during her four-year tenure as U.S. secretary of state, she was
indeed involved and apprised of every aspect of the proposed Keystone XL
pipeline deal.
Then, in her next breath and with a demure smile,
she shut the door. "I can’t comment any further on that," she went on to
say, "Because it is still an ongoing process."
Arriving to a standing ovation, and departing to another as admirers
rushed the stage to touch her, Hillary Clinton made a rock star
impression on her Canadian audience last night. Speaking, as usual,
without benefit of notes or teleprompter, she addressed the Vancouver
Board of Trade on the issue of women in business and the benefit to all
when women fully participate in all facets of society - business
included. Societies hurt themselves when women are not given full
opportunity for participation, she told them, and advised that women
should be empowered as peace-makers. Not nurturing any illusions among
female listeners, she told them to dare to compete, to expect to fall
down, but to be ready to get up and continue the climb.
At a more
general level, she explained that the U.S. has a robust - even
boisterous political system. She took a swipe at the 24/7 news
marathon saying it thrives on bombastic conflict and counseled her
audience not to vote for candidates who will not compromise. While
asserting that our countries need to work together - with Mexico as
well - on climate change, she avoided comment on the Keystone pipeline.
Briefly
addressing foreign policy and events in Ukraine in particular, she
provided a quick history of events leading to the current situation and
mentioned that she and Bill Clinton attended a conference in Ukraine
last fall. She said she had worked cooperatively with Yanukovych as
secretary of state but that he was not a visionary leader.
Ending
her visit with affirmation of our long amicable relationship with our
neighbors above the border, she could not resist mentioning the
exception: ice hockey - and the crowd roared.
Here are some twitpics I snagged.
Hillary
didn't say this but note silver medal winners: There's no crying in
ice hockey. Just dust yourselves off and try again.
Hillary delivered her Luskin Lecture at UCLA this afternoon and was
awarded the UCLA Medal, their highest honor. The front of the medal has the UCLA seal with a
banner of the school's motto: "Let there be light." The back has a
picture of Royce Hall, the venue where this event took place, as
presenter, university Chancellor and CEO Gene Block explained.
She
began her address with an anecdote telling the audience that when she
and Bill Clinton were younger they were in LA and visited Campbell's
bookstore where they purchased a few botanical prints which have made
the rounds with them and now are in their Chappaqua home. She said
every time she looks at them she thinks of UCLA.
Moving on, and
before getting to the main messages of her lecture, she took a few
moments to speak about the situation in Ukraine and clarify previous
remarks and actions. Voicing support for President Obama's position,
she stated unequivocally that Putin has violated international law.
She called on all parties to work toward reconciliation and support for
all Ukrainian citizens.
Calling Putin a "tough guy with thin skin"
whose vision of a greater Russia is a re-Sovietized Russia, she said he
is squandering Russia's potential. She encouraged her fellow Americans
to recognize the complexity of the situation and support diplomacy as
we all seek a path toward deescalation.
Then she launched into her
lecture proper which concerned the dilemma of ensuring college
graduates find jobs after graduation. Saying that one-third in the 16-24
age group is out of both work and school she told the audience that a
generation is being deprived of rights and opportunities that earlier
generations took for granted.
Recounting her personal experiences
with her first job at 13 which, she said, gave her a sense of
responsibility and moving on to her law school job with the Children's
Defense Fund, she stressed the personal skills that develop from a
first paid job. While internships can be valuable, she stated that
unpaid internships need to give way to on-the-job training and that
industries need to move interns into positions of paid employment.
Recalling
some of her experiences as secretary of state, she told her audience
that in countries where young people cannot find employment the
economies also suffer, but she also stressed that government alone
cannot solve this problem and explained how the Clinton Foundation is
working on programs that bring young people into the work force. She
also pointed out the importance of training people for the jobs that are
actually there and cited a Clinton Global Initiative effort that aims
to draw talent into the burgeoning healthcare industry.
Calling
for workforce training and cooperation, she reiterated her support for
compromise and an end to policy-making in evidence-free zones. She closed
her prepared remarks with a call for her audience to bring the light
from UCLA with them when they graduate.
The Q&A session began
with more questions about the Ukraine situation. Specifically the
question was whether leaders who do not stand up to Putin will face the
same kind of disapproval as those who did not stand up to Hitler.
Hillary said there is not one right way to respond. Clarifying her
remarks from yesterday regarding Germany's 1938 claims of protecting
German minorities outside its borders, she stated that she was not
making a comparison between Hitler and Putin but rather adding
perspective.
She went to to specify that when the USSR dissolved
there was a commitment to leave European borders alone, and that while
there was an agreement to maintain the Black Sea Fleet in place, it was
clear that the location was within Ukrainian borders. The commitment,
she went on, was violated with Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia where
Russian-seized territories have not been relinquished. She called
Germany key in resolving the crisis due to its fuel dependence on Russia
and the path delicate.
Asked about the effectiveness of her 2009
"reset" with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, she specifed that
there were clear objectives, accomplishing the New START Treaty and
achieving rights of transit that were indeed met by that reset and that
progress made with Medvedev was primarily with regard to those goals.
Questions
then turned to elections - presidential elections particularly - and
the likelihood of a woman president. Hillary pointed out that many
countries have preceded the U.S. down this path but also pointed out
that the hardest, highest glass ceiling is somewhat easier to crack in
parliamentary democracies where the head of state is not the head of
government and allowed that the diminishing of resistance to the idea of
a woman president is a sign of progress.
A follow-up question
addressed the nomination process. Hillary said the hybrid process works
differently for different people and did not predict any changes there.
On
the issue of the Affordable Care Act, she took a two-pronged approach
saying people need to appreciate what has been accomplished and that
perhaps things need to be better explained citing parents' ability to
keep adult children on their plans to age 26, emphasis on preventive
care, ending preexisting condition discrimination, a new transparency on
disparities in cost for services and medications, and the inclusiveness
of Medicaid expansion where it has been implemented. Challenges to
ACA, she said were ideological, political, and commercial.
In
response to a question about her evolution on marriage equality she gave
credit to Chelsea saying her activism was greatly responsible for
enlightening her view but did remind her audience that very early in her
tenure as secretary of state she extended spousal benefits to partners
of Foreign Service officers (we should not forget that, either). She
told the audience that much of the world is far behind the U.S and
Europe on this issue. Many world leaders deny that there are any LGBT
people in their countries and gay people are persecuted in many nations.
The
final question was what can liberal arts graduates do to change the
world. Hillary encourage them to pursue exposure to all that is
available to them, believe that they can effect change, and, as her hero
Eleanor Roosevelt said, "grow skin like a rhinoceros."
She
advised them to take criticism seriously but not personally and to
attend to the source. She told the women that there is still a double
standard that will manifest itself in comments about appearance. She
advised them to learn how they want to present themselves and to be
persistent.
Closing with advice from her own mom (one of my
favorite people), she quoted Dorothy Howell Rodham telling her that you
can be a bit walk-on in someone else's play or you can be a star in your
own. Great advice for young people!
Aside from all the obsessive polling and GOP strategizing over a
candidacy that remains undeclared, Hillary is making news rather than
always having news made
up about her. While day one of her latest swing
through California yielded not even a single twitpic (that I could
find), it has caused something of a stir.
As a former secretary of
state, she is expected to comment on current events and foreign policy
from time to time. When Secretary Kerry was forging his Iran deal, she
remained silent while media folk clamored for a comment. She has
proven far less reticent on the unfolding situation in Ukraine and
specifically more recently in Crimea.
Last week, at a conference in Orlando, she responded to a question about Putin's plans and actions in Ukraine.
Apparently yesterday, at a Boys and Girls Club fundraiser in Long
Beach, she elaborated a bit on Putin's latest moves in Crimea causing
the ripple effect we see in today's headers.
Hillary did not compare Putin to Hitler. She compared his behavior to Hitler's in 1938. It is an important distinction. She was comparing tactics and their bases not personalities.
Putin
has justified the Russian incursion into the Ukrainian peninsula of
Crimea by saying that ethnic Russians there need to be protected from
attacks. SNIP
An attendee at the fundraiser, Harry Saltzgaver, a newspaper executive, told Buzzfeed
that Clinton clarified that “while that makes people nervous, there is
no indication that Putin is as irrational as the instigator of World War
II.” SNIP
Putin “believes his mission is
to restore Russian greatness,” Clinton said, according to the report.
“When he looks at Ukraine, he sees a place that he believes is by its
very nature part of Mother Russia.” Read more >>>>
It is unremarkable
that a retired secretary of state might comment on a situation in
which she has insight and familiarity. That these remarks should have
incited a flurry of mocking tweets is a concern since there is
historical accuracy in what Hillary said, even if she used neither of
the A-words. We all knew (or should have) what she was talking about,
and she is right. It makes people nervous.
On a bright note, I thought I would share this little gem from HuffPoexcerpted from Lisa Rogak's "Hillary Clinton in Her Own Words." It has wonderful quotes and is illustrated with some cute and amusing pics and gifs. Enjoy!
According to Twitter reports, Hillary knew she was being tweeted from the HIMSS14 Conference
, asked to be photographed on her best side (as if she has a bad one),
broke out the political and geopolitical talk early, and praised the
health care community. "You have continued on a path I made just a few
footprints
on."
Telling healthcare professionals that we are on the cusp of extraordinary advances in healthcare due
to technology, she encouraged the gathering of evidence and discouraged decision making in "evidence-free zones." Telling her audience.
"We need to leave the blaming, gaming, shaming and point-scoring at the
door," she suggested we "fix what doesn't work together" saying "good
data leads to good decisions."
In
the Q & A session, the first question was about Russia, Putin, and
the situation in Ukraine. Hillary did not hold back. Citing Putin's
Soviet KGB background, she told the audience that from his perspective
the breakup of the Soviet Union was the greatest catastrophe and that
his aim is to reconsolidate the union. Comparing Putin's regime to
those of the czars and the communists, she said there is no doubt that
he holds absolute authority. Affirming her support for the people of Ukraine, she warned that we need to
thread the needle carefully in our relationship with Putin.
Some
in the audience seemed confused, even disconcerted, that foreign policy
was a point of discussion at a healthcare conference. We who know
Hillary's work well know that she would have no problem drawing the
lines of relation between the two. Others seemed surprised that she
works without a teleprompter. We would simply remind them that this is
how it is with somebody who knows her stuff.
