Last night, Congress passed a “continuing resolution” to fund the government for the next forty-five days. It took the Democrats in both the House and the Senate to get it done. Absent from the resolution is increased funding to Ukraine. Democrats on both sides of the Congress believe they have a deal for that – but Speaker McCarthy seems unable to keep “handshake” deals, and besides, he might not be the Speaker for much longer. More to come…but last week the “charges” against Joe Biden were “obviously” more important to the House Republicans than keeping the government open.
What’s App
I didn’t spend a whole lot of time watching the “Impeachment Inquiry” in the House of Representatives Thursday, but I did catch the summaries. There were expert “lawyers” brought in by the Republicans, most prominent among them Georgetown Professor Jonathan Turley. He (and the others) made it clear that there is no evidence showing that President Biden committed a “high crime or misdemeanor” and should be impeached. Surely impeachment must require at least some evidence: none is none.
So what are the Republican Congressmen so fired up about? There are a series of text (or What’s App – I thought those disappeared when sent) messages where Hunter Biden, the cocaine-fueled son of the President, seemed to offer influence by “the big guy” or “my uncle’s brother” to potential buyers. Hunter seems to be trying to sell the influence of his father; first the Vice President, or later the former Vice President, or candidate for President.
Hunter Biden clearly tried to cash in on his last name. He wanted to ride the coattails of his powerful father. There’s not really a question about that. Hunter needed cash, and he had the connections to get it. It’s unseemly, it’s un-American, and it’s possibly illegal. That means that Hunter, already indicted for falsification on a gun purchase permit and an admitted tax evader, might be in further legal trouble.
Cashing In
But all of that begs the question: is Joe Biden, former Senator from Delaware, former Vice President of the United States, and the current President of the United States; involved? The Republican Congressmen on the House Oversight Committee pointed to Hunter’s messages as some kind of “proof” that the President was participating through his son in selling influence. At worst, maybe the President himself took bribes. Why would Hunter obliquely mention his father in the messages if it wasn’t so?
Well, Hunter might do that so he could cash in. Let’s look at some other similar activities in recent history. In 2017, Michael Cohen, the former attorney for Donald Trump, was literally “selling” his access to the new President on the open market. Rudy Giuliani did much the same thing. And the Trump businesses were booming – particularly the Old Post Office Hotel in Washington, DC. Nations looking to gain some influence with the Trump family spent millions of dollars on rooms and amenities, on golf courses and dinners. They were trying to “purchase” an “in”.
And Jared Kushner gained millions in investments from Arab royalty, while serving as a senior advisor to President Trump. As he negotiated the “Abrahamic Accord” at the end of the administration, he was also making sure his loans on New York City properties were covered, by some of the same governments he was dealing with for Middle-East peace.
It’s all ugly. But it’s also, mostly, legal (Kushner may well have crossed some lines). But Jared, or Don Junior, or Michael, or even Rudy trying to “peddle” influence, doesn’t constitute a crime by the twice impeached, four times indicted, former President of the United States. If it’s a crime, it’s a crime for those others. And every Republican on the Oversight Committee would “fight to the death” to keep Mr. Trump clear.
Trust an Addict?
Hunter was addicted to cocaine. He was so screwed up, he gave his laptop, likely with self-incriminating information and certainly near-pornographic selfies(that Marjorie Taylor Greene gleefully showed the Nation); to a blind computer repairman who wore a tam-o-shanter (you can’t make that up). Hunter was hard up for cash – a cocaine habit will do that to you. He was also an experienced lawyer, with a Georgetown undergrad and a Yale Law School degree. And he had a famous and saleable last name.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that he used that name to get cash. People on drugs steal things from their families all the time. One of the “clues” of a kid’s drug use, is all of a sudden money and valuables come up missing. Is it the parents’ fault that their child steals money out of a wallet and buys drugs? Of course not. The toughest part for parents of kids with drug problems, is their absolute loss of trust.
Hunter had something to steal, the appearance that he could get his powerful father to do something. He certainly wasn’t going to send “What’s App” messages saying he might be able to influence his father. That’s not saleable. What was a “real product” for him to sell was the absolute assurance that his father was “on board”.
$200 stolen from Dad’s wallet is not evidence that Dad was paying for drugs. The messages that Hunter sent is not evidence that Joe Biden was selling influence. It is evidence that Hunter was trying to.
And that’s a very different thing.
