What the public hearing is not about in a word: quid pro quo
OPINION by Mona Austin
On Wednesday a public impeachment hearing featuring two key witnesses of the controversial July 25 phone conversation between Pres. Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky of the Ukraine will be televised. There is something the American people should know before tuning in: while you are watching, Trump will be tweeting, "There was no quid pro quo. . .The call was perfect " The echo of this line lingers in the minds of millions who have heard it repeated to media over the last seven weeks from the Oval office to his shouted responses to questions when departing the White House under the loud propeller sound of Marine 1. The former reality TV star, knows how to hold audience with the masses and will continue to direct those watching about what to pay attention to.
The Democrats' goal is to prove the president betrayed his oath of office when asking Zelenskiy to investigate his political rival Vice Pres. Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden's business dealings in his country for personal gain.
Trump's goal will be to convince the public that he did nothing wrong. Trump loves attention and to be in the spotlight as long as he can control the narrative. He recently told reporters that House Democrats are going to put "never Trumpers" on the stand during the public hearing; suggesting bias and fake news are embedded in the process. In this scenario, the main defective message along with denying quid pro quo has been that he has done nothing wrong. Taking on the role of crisis manager he will attempt to mold the perception of the "jury" -- the American people. Viewers should be wise to this manipulation and keep in mind what the hearing is and is not about when watching because public opinion is crucial to the outcome. Today, the American people will be able to decide for themselves whether the president of the United States is above the law.
The Democrats' goal is to prove the president betrayed his oath of office when asking Zelenskiy to investigate his political rival Vice Pres. Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden's business dealings in his country for personal gain.
Trump's goal will be to convince the public that he did nothing wrong. Trump loves attention and to be in the spotlight as long as he can control the narrative. He recently told reporters that House Democrats are going to put "never Trumpers" on the stand during the public hearing; suggesting bias and fake news are embedded in the process. In this scenario, the main defective message along with denying quid pro quo has been that he has done nothing wrong. Taking on the role of crisis manager he will attempt to mold the perception of the "jury" -- the American people. Viewers should be wise to this manipulation and keep in mind what the hearing is and is not about when watching because public opinion is crucial to the outcome. Today, the American people will be able to decide for themselves whether the president of the United States is above the law.
A basic understanding of how to watch the public hearing, an important procedural step that will inform a future Senate hearing that could determine the fate of the presidency itself -- not just the fate of Pres. Donald Trump is necessary. Most crucially, viewers should know that the Democrats are after crime and corruption in the government in pursuing Trump. They want to determine, whether or not his dealings with the Ukraine rise to the level of an impeachable offense as they strongly suspect. If the president was not challenged for doing things that blatantly violate the rule of law, then the law would appear null and void in the future. The Democrats say they conducted a probe to discover and define the articles of impeachment and have been considering 3 to 4 of them.
House Democrats know the impeachment is not about a quid pro quo, but the public is still confused. To make the focus clear, it is going to be important for House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff and his team to simplify not only their objective, but the basis for the articles of impeachment they will present. Bribery. Ransom. Extortion. These are words to use in place of the over-used and slightly confusing Latin term "quid pro quo" in association with the impeachment hearing. In the minds of most people, the aforementioned terms are familiar and denote criminal thoughts or actions.
Americans and media, many who have a hard time pronouncing the words, had never heard of quid pro quo in news vernacular before the Ukraine call made headlines. Literally quid pro quo is defined as "this for that." In laymen's terms it means, "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine," i.e., a favor. Conducting business with a foreign government on a non-objective, favor basis is unacceptable in the face of the law. Requesting favors in the government and most business settings is an ethic violation. Literally, in a memo of the phone call that was released, president Trump said, "Do me a favor," which Republicans argues was wrong, but does not rise to the level of impeachment.
The essence of the Democrats' argument is that Pres. Donald Trump violated his oath of office and abused the power granted by the office. The nature of the president's request was conditional and that is what makes it wrong under the law. The majority of Republicans say they understand that Trump's behavior on the Ukraine phone call asking for the details about Hunter Biden This is at issue, not because the impeachment is ABOUT a quid pro quo, but because the president has denied it and the media has continued to explain what it all means. Trying to keep the focus on quid pro quo and whether it existed or din't is a distraction. This hearing is about far more than that.
From the moment she announced the probe, House Speaker Nancy Peolosi said this is about ensuring that no one is above the law.
The public impeachment hearing will be televised on CNN and other news networks.
From the moment she announced the probe, House Speaker Nancy Peolosi said this is about ensuring that no one is above the law.
The public impeachment hearing will be televised on CNN and other news networks.
