Joe Biden is not as dumb as he looks. This week proves it. He may not be able to remember what George Washington said, might even think the words were his own, but he got this right: The best defense is a good offense.
In 1799, writing to friend John Trumbull from Mount Vernon, George Washington offered, in effect that “offensive operations often times [are] the surest if not the only (in some cases) means of defense.”
Washington was referring to war, but – reversing words of military strategist Carl von Clausewitz – politics is just the continuation of war by other means. What Clausewitz said is: “War is the continuation of politics by other means,” but you get the point.
The main point: Joe Biden was under fire for reportedly interceding with the Ukrainian government while serving as Vice President, on behalf of his son’s business dealings. The basic allegation was that the senior Biden sought to leverage – or encourage – actions by the Ukrainian government to turn off a Ukrainian investigation into his son’s business dealings.
Ironically, this is not a matter of conjecture, since the former Vice President bragged on the point two years ago. Biden specifically said he threatened to hold up a billion dollars in loan guarantees to Ukraine if a certain Ukrainian prosecutor was not fired – the same one who reportedly had his son investigated.
In other words, Joe Biden – as Vice President – misused his office, official influence, and power over foreign aid to secure the firing of a foreign prosecutor looking into his son’s business activities.
Now fast forward to last week. Congressional Democrats caught fire on rumors a “whistleblower” heard President Trump talking on a phone call about this matter to the Ukrainian President, possibly asking follow-up information.
Suddenly, Democrats began talking impeachment, framing an article to imply the President misused his office, since the former Vice President is now a presidential candidate.
Never mind the absence of any evidence of abuse of power by President Trump in the call transcript (according to those who have seen it), the Ukrainian President’s denial of any undue pressure by President Trump, and President Trump’s assertions of his innocence. Suddenly, there was an issue to run on – a fresh chance, with other controversies dead, to create a new one.
Former Vice President Biden did not miss a beat. He took the bone and ran. He turned his own bad behavior into a cudgel, claiming on this issue he would bring Trump down. Biden accused Trump of “an overwhelming abuse of power,” “violating every basic norm of a president,” and swore to “beat him like a drum.”
All this is a bit rich. First, if discussing a past vice president’s potentially illegal behavior with a foreign leader is injudicious, and might best have been avoided, it hardly seems predicate for impeachment. Maybe the call will prove otherwise, but the facts do not appear to support the hysteria.
Second, the facts transparently cut against the former Vice President, not for him. He has argued with emotion that the president was seeking support from a foreign government for political advantage, but that does not appear to be the case. The shoe seems to be on the other foot.
Under the bold allegation from Biden, is a set of difficult questions – to which all Americans may wish answers. First, what was he doing in Ukraine discussing a prosecutor? What was he doing discussing the prosecutor who reportedly had his son under investigation? What was he doing seeking the firing of that prosecutor?
Moreover, what was he doing discussing the withholding of loan guarantees as a quid pro quo for the firing? Where was the US investigation into this behavior? Where is the investigation by Congress now? What was he doing bragging about this odd sequence of events?
In short, unless other facts surface which have not yet, this seems a classic case of profoundly poor judgment by the former Vice President – both when in office and after leaving office. If Congress is interested in an investigation into something that really does not smell right, this might be a good place to start.
Meantime, this seems a strange use of the adage, “the best defense is a good offense.” Perhaps in war that is so, even sometimes in politics. But when the offense you take is bold, brazen, and seemingly baseless – as well as sure to bring light on facts you might otherwise want suppressed – the outcome may not be the one you want.
In the end, this is likely to be another grand controversy, another quarry-less quest for impeachment, another senseless bit of sensationalism which comes to nothing. Mostly, it illustrates the former Vice President’s absence of forethought – then and now. The best defense can be a good offense – but not always.
and down will come their cradle Biden and all
So the FBI concocts the Russia dossier and Hillary trolls for contributions to her “foundation” and Biden sets up his son in an illicit international deal and our
president gets impeached for it. Is that how it works ? It must. The Repubs haven’t been able to lay a glove on the crooks inside the Obama White House
for 3 years. What makes us think they ever will ?
Oddly, living in CT (the tax, spend, and lie state) the news made it seem as if the comments of withholding money came from President Trump. Not sure how to get people to understand the bias. Something has to change. Maybe get into the mind set of these lib media outlets and find the one person who is sick of the lies and turn it around.
Wow, just another case of we the people getting screwed!! The democrats don’t have time in congress to do anything constructive for the American people, they are too busy throwing up smoke screens by threatening impeachment on one of the best presidents in many decades, to try to draw media attention away from their shady deals, and of course the FAKE NEWS is only too happy to accommodate them any way they can. It takes a while to clean up a big swamp, President Trump is doing it one swamp creature at a time!!
Typical mantra of Democrat/ socialist/liberal-Blow smoke up your a$$ and tell you it’s sunshine. These low lifes can’t tell the truth, they only know how to lie over and over and tell you it’s the truth and everyone else is lying to you.
This information, if confirmed, needs to get out to the American Public! I am afraid that the treasonous souls within and without the Federal Government need to be exposed for what they are! Secondly, what is the fascination with the British Royalty by the media? I believe that about 244 years ago, we broke away from the Crown to form our own government, Of The People, By The People and For The People, not the King of England! Has something changed? Are we to be governed again by the Crown? It seems the media can’t get enough of them! Wishful thinking on their part?
Biden is a democrat and with the way the democrats are so intent on destroying AMERICA that makes biden as much of a criminal as the rest of the democrats.
Those lousy Democrats and Republicans in Congress hate Trump so much that they will allow Biden to get away with a CRIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
This is not new for a democrat. They are always saying it is someone else fault. Time for the United States to have Biden answer up for what he did.
China paid off the Biden’s with much more money than the over $100,000 a month for Biden’s son from an energy company and he knows zero about energy or anything else besides getting stoned. We need term limits and to enforce the real law (not the madeup garbage the dems/libs/socialist/globalist (aka world communist order)/others trying to take over our country) for everyone and stop allowing the left crooks to get away with all their corruption.
It’s funny that Biden would take this fake news and run with it. Does he not realize he will be the only one implicated?
Biden will fold to the good old boys. he is NOT able to Judge what he should fight with, to: win- to keep his integrity.. He has word-finding problems, as well.
I am so sick of this demoncrats covering up their dirt and pointing fingers to others for their crocked ways. I feel that not one of them has a clean sleight. I pray to God to help this Country and not let ever this party to have power to rule us. They would destroy this beautiful Country of ours that so many of our hero’s fought for.
Metephorically speaking, if a Democrat comits murder in plain view, the media is all “move along, nothing to see here”. If a Republican, and especially Trump, is caught shoplifting…and hasn’t even left the store yet..it’s “an overwhelming abuse of power” and “violating every basic norm of a president”. The silver lining is that it has become so blatant that people, including some of the more reasonable on the left, are taking note.
If you hate The United States of America, vote for Democrats.
I hear of all this evidence against any democrat. Nothing ever happens. For 2 1/2 years now. CNN msnbc abc nbc even fox doesn’t report crap. Just bring down Trump! Why don’t they play this recording on a pd advertisement. Most Dems I swear are so brainwashed into voting for them. People are so naive. Nothing will ever satisfy me until this all comes out. If President Trump gets re elected it’ll be 4 more years of torture.
Presidents must be able to speak in confidence with other world leaders so they know the discussions are private. ONLY those w/ Top Secret clearance should be allowed to listen in and if anything is leaked, the person(s) responsible must be imprisoned for treachery.
Biden is in this to the top of his bald head. He was stupid enough to brag about it on tape we’ve all seen. Obviously his son, who knew nothing about the business that was paying for him to be “on the Board”-ha! or anything about his business w/ China, is corrupt and benefitting from his father’s position. Don’t try to tell me Old Joe didn’t know and wasn’t complicit.
Joe Biden is simply a reflection of the demise of the Democratic Party. When you fail in character; you fail completely!
My questions to criminal, creepy, sleepy Joe is simple. As VP, were you an active participant in the treason of a coup d’etat attempt against the duly elected current President while he was a candidate, President-elect, or after assuming office? If you claim not to have actively participated, when did you discover a coup attempt was being planned and conducted? What actions did you take when you discovered the treason by your boss, the Democrat candidate, and 2 dozen Presidential appointees against this Republic? What attempts did you take to try and stop the coup d’etat? What law enforcement agencies and officials did you notify of the coup d’etat?
This is just a distraction from the really big issues facing this country. It seems like every administration has done this
You’re caught jojo hahahahahahaha