After the reports in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post went up yesterday that Sen. Cory Gardner was urging fellow Republican U.S. Senators to reject additional witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump–most notably including Gardner’s friend John Bolton, whose explosive testimony could sink Trump’s presidency–Gardner’s communications team swung into action to refute the story:
…Sen. Gardner is concerned the longer this goes on and used as a political tool, the more it divides the country.” (2/2)
— Caitlyn Kim (@caitlynkim) January 29, 2020
Team Gardner appears to have prevailed on the Wall Street Journal to edit their story from the original:
Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado, Martha McSally of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who face competitive races in the fall, warned colleagues in the meeting against backing more witnesses, people familiar with the matter said. The senators said a drawn-out trial could lead to more Democratic attacks and hurt their re-election chances, the people said. [Pols emphasis] None of the three senators’ offices immediately responded to requests for comment.
To read in the revised version now available:
Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado, Martha McSally of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who face competitive races in the fall, addressed their colleagues in the meeting, people familiar with the matter said. Mr. Gardner said a longer trial would lead to more Democratic attacks, according to a spokesman, [Pols emphasis] and Mr. Tillis called impeachment a sham. Ms. McSally’s office said she doesn’t comment on what happens in private meetings.
It’s important to be clear on this point: the pushback from Gardner’s communications people yesterday was that he was not arguing in internal meetings against additional witnesses, but rather simply complaining that “a longer trial would lead to more Democratic attacks.” The specific reference to arguing against witnesses was removed after the WSJ talked to Gardner’s spokesperson.
That’s important to have clear in your mind as the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Ernest Luning reveals what you hopefully already knew: that was all a bunch of bullshit.
“I do not believe we need to hear from an 18th witness,” [Gardner] told Colorado Politics in a statement. [Pols emphasis] “I have approached every aspect of this grave constitutional duty with the respect and attention required by law, and have reached this decision after carefully weighing the House managers and defense arguments and closely reviewing the evidence from the House, which included well over 100 hours of testimony from 17 witnesses.”
If Cory Gardner had simply said this yesterday instead of lurching into media damage control mode with his trademark noncommittal pablum, this wouldn’t be quite as embarrassing. But for some reason, Gardner felt the need to keep up the pretense of an open mind last night, seeking corrections and “clarifications” that look totally absurd with this new statement in hand. Obviously, Gardner never had any intention of supporting new witnesses. He has no intention of fairly evaluating the evidence against Trump, because he doesn’t even want to see it.
The stark reversal from working over reporters to “clarify” his statements to admitting everything in less than 24 hours is another tremendous blow to Gardner’s credibility, which has been in the late-night TV punchline netherworld for some months now following his disastrous broken-record encounter with local reporters back in October. At this point, Gardner is a nationwide poster child for the servile dysfunction of the once-proud Republican Party under Donald Trump.
There’s no coming back from this, folks. Say hello to #CoverUpCory.
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Are you going to change the name of this site to Gardner Pols or Colorado Gardner? Because that's all I see here anymore.
Maybe he should stop making an ass of himself. He could resign. That would end the slew of Gardner posts.
Resign or get more interns
I was wondering the same thing, cologeek. 4 of the last 5 posted articles have been about Gardner. The only exception is the Wednesday Open Thread.
Instead of whining incessantly about Gardner, maybe people should be thinking about how to rebut all the dark money ads for Gardner that will soon be coming from the far right wing PACs.
With the daily Gardner slams here I'm just getting the impression that someone is trying too hard.
yeah… it's like all that football coverage it's like there's a big game coming up or something?
Kobe? Seriously – shut up already.
MIssile attacks in Iraq and 50 US casualities? Why all the fuss?
This is precious. The last refuge.
Highest Colorado elected official up for reelection this cycle. Voting for which starts in a few days.
Weak to lame coverage elsewhere.
Don't change the site name – but do keep the focus where it belongs.
Don't get me wrong- I loves me some JeffCo musical chair vacancy committee hijinx as much as anyone, or a state legislator driving DWI with a gun under her seat or trying to get through airport security with a weapon as much as anyone but let's keep out focus
How is that breaking? Aside from inaccessibility, lying is his brand.
“Lying to everybody.
When you’re Cory Gardner, . . .
. . . it’s what you do!”
Okay CU, it's time to recall Cory's law degree.
Translation: Gardner knows he could easily be triaged from the NRSC and Trump re-election campaigns if he doesn't toe the line.
cuz they got alternatives?
Why do you care if Cory Gardner lies. Pol Cats have been lied to for the last three years and not a single one of you have complained. You’re in an abusive relationship with your media outlets and want more and more and more lies to satisfy your hatred. The media is happy to oblige.
That's powerful insight into our current political moment, Powerful Pear. You should #RunForSomething!
Who needs “the media” to lie to them these days when any swinging pfruit can get all their broadcast lies from a single FOXnews source (without even having to get up and dig their remote outta’ their asscrack), and the Liar in Chief still has his White House toilet seat and Twitter ???. . .
. . . I is for “irony.”
What are you talking about Predictable One? We're not in any kind of relationship with Faux Noise, or any of Trump's other media sources while he/they bully his opponents and project their worst qualities onto them.
I've complained about the *resident lying to us for the past 4 years, Pear. Trump's public lies are being cataloged … Washington Post has a database with public expression of 16,241 false or misleading claims as of the end of his 3rd year in office. And that does not include claims of opinion such as the White House running like a well-oiled machine, that he will nominate and install "only the best people," or that "Mike Pence is loved and respected by most people."
"Put another way: He averaged six such claims a day in 2017, nearly 16 a day in 2018 and more than 22 a day in 2019."
It's good to find common ground.
PPear… smh
CBO’s projections, the federal budget deficit is $1.0 trillion in 2020 and averages $1.3 trillion between 2021 and 2030. … Because of the large deficits, federal debt held by the public is projected to grow, from 81 percent of GDP in 2020 to 98 percent in 2030 (its highest percentage since 1946)
Your guys.
How does this not make you crazy?
Unless like Senator Paul you only cared about this when the black guy or the D before him was president?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Double ding. They will be out in force crying about the deficit when a Democrat sits in the White House.
Besides, GARDNER LIED is hardly breaking news. He's been doing it for the last six-plus years.
Cory Gardner, at about 8:25 pm tonight in the Senate proceedings, sent a question to the President’s counsel. Paraphrased, Coreless’ query asked what protection future hapless chief executives would have against a House Gone Wild.
A tiny 🖐 played a tiny 🎻.
Hmmmmm . . .
. . . maybe the Senate could call several key witnesses with direct knowledge of the actions in question, and have them testify, under oath and penalty of perjury in a legal proceeding, and corroborate with evidence and testimony that future President’s innocence????
That’s obviously not going to protect this, or any other, guilty President, but it might protect an innocent future one . . .
Sheesh!
. . . For the guilty ones, you could always hire Alan Dershowitz to blargle ridiculous inanities Moderatusly . . .
ALL THE WITNESSES: Ok, we all agree. This is what happened.
GARDNER: None of you were in the room!
BOLTON: [raises hand] Well I was in the…
GARDNER: Who asked you?! Shut up! You’re a liberal pawn!
BOLTON: Um… I’m actually a lifelong Republican and I was literally Trump’s national security advi…
GARDNER: Shut your mustache! Somebody bring back the first national security advisor.
FLYNN: [in orange jumpsuit] Hey sorry guys I’m in jail.
GARDNER: What? Why?
FLYNN: For lying to the FBI about the Russia investigation.
GARDNER: Well what idiot told you to do that?!
FLYNN: The Pres…
GARDNER: Shut up! No one believes either of you!
KELLY: [raises hand] I believe them. And I was Trump’s Chief of…
GARDNER: Shut up! Let’s talk to the real chief of staff. Who is he?
MULVANEY: [raises hand] It’s me.
GARDNER: Shit. Never mind.
PARNAS: [raises hand] I was also in the room. In fact, here’s a cell phone video of the President saying that…
GARDNER: Wait what?! How in hell did you sneak a cell phone into a meeting with the President?
PARNAS: It was easy I just walked right in and…
GARDNER: Shut up! You’re a criminal!
PARNAS: Correct. And I just walked right into…
TRUMP: I don’t know him.
PARNAS: And here’s 500 pictures of me with the President because we’re besties.
GARDNER: Wait… What idiot introduced you to the President??
PARNAS: His personal lawyer.
GARDNER: Cohen??
COHEN: [also in orange jumpsuit] Hey no sorry guys I’m in jail too.
GARDNER: Why?
COHEN: For campaign finance violations.
GARDNER: Who’s campaign?
COHEN: The Pres…
GARDNER: Shut up!
PARNAS: It was Giuliani.
YOVANOVITCH: Giuliani! That’s the guy who had me fired from my job!
GARDNER: Who are you??
YOVANOVITCH: I was the ambassador to Ukraine.
GARDNER: Wait, you had her fired? Do you work for the government??
GIULIANI: Nope.
GARDNER: Well who is the ambassador to the European Union??
SONDLAND: [raises hand] Me. I was also in the roo…
GARDNER: F@$&!!!
PUTIN: [rubs his bare chest]
(author unknown)
😄😂!!
In good news, YOVANOVITCH was given instructions to leave Ukraine. Trump telling his minions to "take her out" was not interpreted seriously AND literally. The allegations of on-gong surveillance of the Ambassador's movements hints that other options were possible.
This thread is now legendary.