Veterans Day 2019

By Mickey Friedman
November 23, 2019

The words pour down from the heavens. Thanks and more thanks. A grateful nation. Perhaps a Presidential Proclamation. But please swat the words aside.

Instead, take a cold hard look at what politicians do, not what they say.

Two veterans will soon testify before the Impeachment Inquiry. Ambassador Bill Taylor, a West Point graduate, an infantry officer for six years, including serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. For fifty years, he worked for the Department of Energy, the Senate, NATO, then the State Department in dangerous places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Jerusalem, and most recently Ukraine.

Because Ambassador Taylor respects the oath he’s taken multiple times to support and defend the Constitution, he wasn’t willing to stay silent as bozos like Rudy Guiliani and his Ukrainian paymasters, and the President tried to extort the President of Ukraine. Denying much needed military aid in return for a bogus investigation into non-existent servers and the small-time hustle of Hunter Biden.

Not when Ukraine needed the missiles to defend their country against Putin and Russian aggression. A soldier, he knew that every day these bozos delayed that aid – aid Congress overwhelmingly voted to deliver – real brave Ukrainian soldiers would die.

The President didn’t care. Rudy Guiliani, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Rick Perry and Mick Mulvaney didn’t care. But Bill Taylor cared.

The President who brags about rebuilding the military, decided to attack the honor of Ambassador Taylor, lying about him and his attorney: “Never Trumper Republican John Bellinger, represents Never Trumper Diplomat Bill Taylor (who I don’t know), in testimony before Congress! Do Nothing Democrats allow Republicans Zero Representation, Zero due process, and Zero Transparency … The Never Trumper Republicans, though on respirators with not many left, are in certain ways worse and more dangerous for our Country than the Do Nothing Democrats. Watch out for them, they are human scum!”

Who on this past Veteran’s Day honored Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, an infantry officer who served in South Korea, Germany, was wounded in an IED attack in Iraq and received the Purple Heart. He serves as director of European Affairs for the National Security Council. Having listened to the phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, Lt. Col. Vindman was deeply concerned that the President was subverting American foreign policy for his own political ambition.

Here is some of Lt. Col.Vindman’s testimony: “You were listening in real time to this call along with President Zelensky when President Trump was speaking?
A: Correct.
Q: And was there any doubt in your mind as to what the President, our President, was asking for as a deliverable?
A: There was no doubt …
Q: So you did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen. You used the word ‘demand,’ it was not proper to demand. Where in the transcript do you believe that the President made a demand to investigate a U.S. citizen?
A: So, Congressman, the power disparity between the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine is vast, and, you know, in the President asking for something, it became—there was—in return for a White House meeting, because that’s what this was about. This was about getting a White House meeting. It was a demand for him to fulfill his—fulfill this particular prerequisite in order to get the meeting.”

According to the Washington Post: “Vindman said he relayed these concerns to Eisenberg [the top legal adviser for the NSC] within hours of the phone call ….While meeting with Eisenberg, Vindman said he heard the legal adviser turn to another attorney in the room and propose steps to restrict access to the rough transcript …Vindman also testified that the transcript failed to capture several potentially important words or phrases, including a reference by Zelensky to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, that had employed Biden’s son …”

President Trump tweeted: “Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call ‘concerned’ today’s Never Trumper witness …Was he on the same call that I was? Can’t be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!”

Some Trump supporters stressed that Vindman was born in Ukraine, questioning his patriotism in a manner that drew condemnation from legal analysts.

Ex-U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisc told CNN Vindman has “an affinity” for Ukraine and 
“it seems very clear that he is incredibly concerned about Ukrainian defense. I don’t know that he’s concerned about American policy.”

Contrast that nastiness and innuendo with what Lt. Vindman told Congress: “I am a patriot and it is my sacred duty and honor to advance and defend our country irrespective of party or politics.”

Two veterans who served our nation. Two veterans attacked by the President and his allies. I’m betting these politicians were all puffed up and sanctimonious for their Veterans Day speeches. But shame on them.

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Veterans Day 2019 was first published in the November 14, 2019 issue of The Berkshire Record.