February 5, 2020 --

An example of Democratic projection?

Democrats insist that President Trump "strong-armed" a "vulnerable ally" when he requested a probe of the Bidens' behavior in Ukraine and of possible Ukraine involvement in "Russiagate."    Senator Chris Murphy (D.-Conn.) boasted, on "Face the Nation, September 29, 2019, that when he met with President Zelensky in Kiev, earlier that month, among other things he suggested that  the Ukraine leader to talk to the State Department, not to the president's personal emissaries, like Rudy Giuliani. Who is a member of the Senate  to tell President Zelensky which  representatives of the president he can talk to?   Sounds like strong-arming a vulnerable head of state.

When Does the President and the Russians Get Blamed?

LPR had hoped to have the results of the February 3 Iowa caucus presidential preferences to comment on, February 4. Instead, the public got headlines announcing "Iowa Caucuses  Spawn Delays and Confusion,"  (New York Times) and at NBC News online, "Democrats in limbo after results chaos." LPR wonders that the headlines did not immediately accuse President Putin of giving President Trump a political gift of campaign interference in time for the president's State of the Union address, the evening of February 4. In any event, the Iowa results, whenever announced, are not likely to help the Democrats defeat President Trump, November 3.

Speaking of Political Gifts

LPR is kind of curious that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not schedule closing statements  for the Senate trial of President Trump for Friday, January 31, with the Senate vote to take place Saturday, February 1.  This schedule would have made it possible for the president to be acquitted before he delivers the State of the Union address, February 4.   

Instead, with the closing statement given on February 3 and the trial vote to occur on February 5, Mr. Trump will be the second president to deliver a State of the Union Address, while is Senate trial is still underway. President Bill Clinton delivered his 1999 State of the Union address on January 19, that year. 

He did not mention the trial in his address. That trial ended with Mr. Clinton's acquittal on February 12, 1999.

LPR wonders if Senate Majority Leader McConnell decided to give the Democrats a consolation prize so that Bill Clinton would not be the only president to deliver a State of the Union Address while his Senate trial was proceeding. (Of course, in any event, Democrats would be expected to sit on their hands during the address.)

Chances are...

...anyone who says that President Trump asked Ukraine to look for  "dirt" on the Bidens" is anti-Trump and will keep on looking for ways and means to end his presidency, before or after January 21, 2021.  And anyone looking to have a chuckle these solemn days should look no further than the Wikipedia scenario of the "Ruthless People" movie.  Chuckles by the fourth paragraph are practically guaranteed.

Speaking of "Ruthless"

An anecdote included in a February 4 New York Times  article on "Pelosi's Impeachment Gamble" indicates that the House speaker might well be called "Ruthless Nancy."

A moderate Democratic House member told the Times that it was "undignified" of the speaker to distribute pens on the "solemn moment" of signing articles of impeachment.  This member of Congress was said to have "insisted on anonymity for fear of retribution from the speaker...."