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<\/p>\nRUSH: Just before the end of the previous hour, John Ratcliffe of Texas was questioning Ambassador Taylor. And he said, “Can either of you, by the way, can either of you two guys \u2013” he didn\u2019t say that, but, I mean, you\u2019ve got these two foreign policy nerds up there, these Obama holdovers, and they\u2019re ticked off. In fact, some Democrat babe just asked them, “So, there are two foreign policy channels, there\u2019s the regular foreign policy channel that you\u2019re in and the irregular foreign policy channel that the president used?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(doing impression) “Yes, that\u2019s exactly right, Madam Congresswoman, exactly right, irregular and irregular foreign policy channels. Of course, we at the interagency group here needing to talk about assistance \u2013” use all this gobbledygook lingo. So Ratcliffe says, “Can either of you two guys name for me the impeachable offense here? Can you name for me the impeachable offense in the phone call?” Dead silence. Absolute dead silence. Taylor doesn\u2019t say anything, Kent doesn\u2019t say anything, they look at each other, nothing.<\/p>\n
Then Ratcliffe tries to make a point and Schiff moves in, and Schiff starts trying to stop the line of questioning, and a kerfuffle happens. While the kerfuffle is going on with Schiff trying to make sure that no damage occurs, Taylor is trying to get everybody\u2019s attention. He\u2019s raving around, he\u2019s pointing. He wants to say something.<\/p>\n
He finally wants to answer the question: Is there anything in this phone call impeachable? Schiff sees that, stops the kerfuffle. “Ambassador Taylor, did you want to answer this?” (impression) “Yes, I do, in my Walter Cronkite voice, I definitely want to answer the question about the impeachable offense in the phone call. I definitely do.”<\/p>\n
So Schiff thinks, my God, finally nirvana. And you know what Taylor said? “I want to remind everybody here, I\u2019m not here dealing with impeachment. I\u2019m not here to deal with partisan things. I\u2019m not here, I have no interest in the outcome.” You could have heard the lead balloon drop on the chairman\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n
So Ratcliffe finally finds his way through the goop. “Can either of you two guys tell me what the impeachable offense is here?” Nothing. Dead silence. And then Taylor says, \u201cI just want to remind everybody, I\u2019m not here for that. I don\u2019t know. I am not interested in partisanship or the outcome.”<\/p>\n
So the answer to the question, \u201cCould either of you two guys identify the impeachable offense,\u201d is, \u201cNo, we don\u2019t know what the impeachable offense is.\u201d Pelosi, are you getting close to making a decision on shutting this down? Look. That\u2019s not all. Then Jim Jordan. Jim Jordan was great. It might have been Ratcliffe. I\u2019m not sure. But I think it was Jordan.<\/p>\n
Somebody said, just observing to the two witnesses, somebody said, “Look, so here\u2019s what I\u2019ve picked up today. Four people are saying five different things in six different conversations, and that gave you your clear understanding?” Now, what Jordan\u2019s getting at here is that these guys don\u2019t know Trump, they\u2019ve not talked to Trump, that everything they\u2019re saying is their opinion based on what they have been told by others.<\/p>\n
Remember Taylor said in the last 40 minutes, “My understanding is only coming from people I talk to. My understanding of these events is only coming from people I\u2019ve talked to.” And then Kent chimed in with his being an expert in anti-corruption and rule-of-law issues for 16 years. That may be my favorite of the whole day. “Yes, I am a 16-year expert in anti-corruption and rule-of-law issues.”<\/p>\n
So Taylor admits that he only knows anything because of what people have told him. So Jordan summarizes it. It might have been Ratcliffe. Four people, and they would be Yovanovitch, Sondland, Kent, and Taylor, so four people are saying five different things, came out of six different conversations, and that gave you your clear understanding?<\/p>\n
And Taylor says, “I\u2019m not advocating either position. I want it known that I\u2019m not advocating –” So Taylor has been reduced now to two times, maybe three times in the last 35 minutes, imploring everybody to understand here that he\u2019s not advocating anything, which is classic diplospeak. It is classic diplomatic gobbledygook. And this is why I have a problem with him.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m not advocating either position.” Why not? If one position is clearly right and one is wrong, why not advocate the one that\u2019s right? But you see, diplomats can\u2019t do that. You know what the key to diplomacy is, folks? Honestly. Do you know what it is? Never solving anything. Diplomacy is pure one thousand percent devotion to process, not solutions. Because when solutions happen, bureaucracies are no longer needed. When solutions occur, diplomacy is no longer needed, and diplomats are no longer needed. And, folks, I am not exaggerating.<\/p>\n
These people, it is clear, they are experts in process. They love the process of diplomacy. The substance, it\u2019s just an element of the process. And with every key juncture, William Taylor, “I\u2019m not advocating either position.” — even when asked, “Can you name the impeachable offense?” silence. “I want everybody to know I\u2019m not here for that. That\u2019s not why I\u2019m here.” You could surprise Schiff. Schiff thinks that you\u2019re here to help impeach Trump.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/APP-111319-Pelosi.jpg\")
Mr. Taylor, Schiff only cares about whether or not you can move the impeachment ball forward. That\u2019s all Schiff cares about. What did you think you were doing here today? I\u2019m only half seriously, half jesting asking that question. What do these guys think they\u2019re doing here today, if they\u2019re not there to advocate a particular position. And of course when does Taylor say that? He says that at every juncture the Democrats are gonna take it in the shorts. “I\u2019m not interested in either position. I\u2019m not advocating either position.”<\/p>\n
Okay. I\u2019m gonna go back to the phones. It\u2019s been a while. People have been waiting patiently, and I feel guilty that I haven\u2019t gotten enough in. So we go to Greer, South Carolina. This is Larry. I\u2019m glad you waited, Larry. Great to have you. How are you doing?<\/p>\n
CALLER: I\u2019m doing fine, and hello. I really was struck when they said — and I asked the call screener if you guys had caught it — when they said that these emerging and young democracies have to be taught not to use their justice system for political purposes and retribution. And I thought, why are you testifying in front of this body, then, if that\u2019s the case? And where the heck were they in 2012 when the IRS was stealing the free speech rights of the right-wingers during the election?<\/p>\n
RUSH: Wait a minute. See, that is a classic, classic example of diplospeak and devotion to process. Tell me again what one of them said.<\/p>\n
CALLER: Emerging and young democracies have to be taught not to use their justice system for political purposes and retribution.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Okay. Now, look at what\u2019s contained in there. First there\u2019s arrogance. Then there\u2019s condescension. And then there is the belief that these emerging and young countries don\u2019t know what they\u2019re doing until these two guys come in and tell \u2019em how to do things. And then they say they must be taught not to use their justice system for political purposes and retribution. Well, as you so correctly point out, then maybe we should use the FBI and the CIA and their involvement in the 2016 presidential election as an example of what shouldn\u2019t be done, right?<\/p>\n
CALLER: That\u2019s exactly correct. The Obama administration used every bit of the surveillance state to surveil a political opponent in Donald Trump and his transition and his presidency.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Right. So we, a big democracy in a big country, we can do it, but you little small fry, don\u2019t you do it, because I am an expert in anti-corruption and rule of law. And I\u2019m lurking out here to nail you with my expertise in anti-corruption and rule of law. And you young, upstart little democracies that couldn\u2019t get across the street without us, you better not use your Justice Department for political purposes. Classic illustration. Total classic.<\/p>\n
CALLER: It would seem to me if they truly believe that, they need to start teaching it in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Exactly.<\/p>\n
CALLER: They seem to be in the right spot to teach that lesson.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Exactly. But they don\u2019t believe it. They don\u2019t believe it. It sounds great. It\u2019s one of these things that\u2019s gonna get all kinds of great applause from politically correct liberals. See, these are brilliant people. They understand fairness, and they understand diplomacy. They understand how to treat people. In other words, what these guys are saying, if I may strip this bare, what these guys are saying is, to young democracies, like you people, you\u2019re running Ukraine, don\u2019t you dare ever act like the Democrat Party in the United States acts. That\u2019s what they\u2019re essentially saying. Of course, they would never admit that\u2019s what they\u2019re saying, but when they call out using the Justice Department to advance political preferences, why, what have we been dealing with here since 2016? Thank you, Larry, very much.<\/p>\n
Greg in Atlanta. You\u2019re next. Great to have you with us, sir. Hello.<\/p>\n
CALLER: Hello, sir. I\u2019ll make my comment quick. I\u2019ve read the transcripts. Millions of people have read the transcripts. That simple fact puts me and all of us who have read the transcripts at least two steps, I think it\u2019s more in the case of Taylor, closer to the call than either of these guys when they originally got their dander up or panties in a twist or whatever you want to call it.<\/p>\n
Unlike Taylor and Kent, our opinion was not tainted by all the intermediate points of contact, you know, that little telephone game they played, \u201cOh, I heard it from someone who heard it from someone.\u201d But why wasn\u2019t I called to testify? Or any of us, for that matter, called to testify instead of these two guys —<\/p>\n
RUSH: Oh, come on now, you know the answer to why you weren\u2019t called to testify. These guys were called to testify specifically because — see, this is the danger. Let\u2019s go back to something, folks, that is very, very relevant and very important for you to remember when putting all of this in context. Whatever it was, two weeks ago, three weeks, it may be a month now, when Schiff was conducting a hearing, it was not officially an impeachment inquiry, he was conducting a hearing.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/APP-111319-Impeachment-001-Nunes-Schiff-2.jpg\")
And he read what he wanted people to think was from the transcript of Trump\u2019s call with the president-of-Ukraine in which he said that Trump told the president of Ukraine, \u201cYou\u2019re gonna dig up dirt on my political opponent. You\u2019re gonna make it up if you have to. And I\u2019m gonna tell you this seven times. And you don\u2019t get any aid from us until you do it. And furthermore, I don\u2019t want to hear back from you until you\u2019ve dug up the dirt or made it up on my political opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what Schiff said Trump told the Ukraine president. It was 30 minutes later that finally a Republican called him out on it. But the point is Adam Schiff totally made it up. Donald Trump did not order anybody to make up dirt or to dig up dirt. And he did not tell the president of Ukraine that you\u2019re not gonna get aid \u2019til you have found me some dirt on Biden, because they got their aid, and there still hasn\u2019t been an investigation.<\/p>\n
But the point is Trump didn\u2019t say it. Schiff made it up. So Schiff starts out with a lie because he doesn\u2019t have what he wants. He wants people to think that\u2019s what Trump said, but Trump didn\u2019t say it. So now he starts these hearings behind closed doors, leaking excerpts of depositions, and he does the same thing. He\u2019ll take Taylor in a 30-minute answer and leak two sentences from it out of context to make it look like Taylor said something he didn\u2019t say or any of these other witnesses.<\/p>\n
So they build a case that\u2019s based on lies, made-up lies that Schiff is hoping, then, in public to be able to make people believe are true. That\u2019s what he\u2019s doing here today. And Taylor and Kent can\u2019t come through because Schiff has set them up to do something they can\u2019t do. And that is name an impeachable offense that Trump has engaged in on that phone call.<\/p>\n
So Schiff starts out building a lie, then builds a case around the lie, gets the media believing the lie and the case, then feels they\u2019re ready to go public. And this is what Jonathan Turley means in his column today; they don\u2019t have a foundation for any of this. Because there isn\u2019t any evidence.<\/p>\n
Trump did not do what Schiff wants you to think he did. Schiff knows Trump didn\u2019t say those things. Schiff is making it up and he\u2019s lying. It\u2019s psychopathic. But it\u2019s also classically political. He\u2019s making it up and hoping, then, to build a case the American people will believe on the lie. And today we go public with it at all and this is where the magic is supposed to happen.<\/p>\n
At the end of this day what Schiff was hoping is that his witnesses would convince enough Americans that Trump had indeed said, \u201cYou make up the dirt, you dig up dirt, I don\u2019t care how you do it, you get dirt on Biden or you\u2019re not getting the aid.\u201d But that didn\u2019t happen. Schiff has an impossible task here. I wouldn\u2019t say impossible. I think it\u2019s been done. There are still people asking, \u201cWhat did Nixon really do? I\u2019ve never really understood what Nixon did.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Nixon was the victim of complete total bipartisanship. Schiff is pulling this off, trying to on the basis of a fabrication that he is hoping witnesses will, if he can control the questioning, which is he trying to do, he wants these two witnesses to actually confirm the lie that he told of whatever it was three weeks, a month ago.<\/p>\n
This is where the Democrats have been throughout this entire procedure with Trump-Russia collusion, the Steele dossier, whatever it is, they have never had evidence. Trump has not done anything they\u2019ve accused him of doing. He hasn\u2019t committed a crime, impeachable offense nowhere, anywhere, at any time, during any of this. At the end of the day that\u2019s why Pelosi\u2019s gonna have to do something about this because there\u2019s nothing underneath this to hold it up.<\/p>\n
BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n
RUSH: Here are the sound bites that I was paraphrasing earlier. Up first is John Ratcliffe. He\u2019s from Texas. And he is asking ambassador to Ukraine, William Walter Cronkite Edward R. Murrow Taylor, and deputy assistant secretary of state and expert in anti-corruption and rule of law, George Kent, about impeachment.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/APP-111319-Ratcliffe.jpg\")
RATCLIFFE: In this impeachment hearing today where we impeach presidents for treason, bribery or other high crimes, where is the impeachable offense in that call? Are either of you here today to assert there was an impeachable offense in that call? (:02 second pause) Shout it out. Anyone? (:02 second pause\/Ratcliffe then ruffles papers)<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: Mr. Radcliffe, if I can just respond, let me just reiterate that I\u2019m not here…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: I\u2019ve got one minute left.<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I know you…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: Let me just…<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I know you only got a minute left.<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: …make this point.<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I\u2019ve just got 30 — I\u2019ve got 30…<\/p>\n
SCHIFF: Please allow the witness…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: I – I…<\/p>\n
SCHIFF: …you asked the witness a question. The witness will…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: I\u2019ll withdraw the question.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Oh, I\u2019m sorry. I thought Taylor\u2019s answer was gonna be part of that. That was the kerfuffle. Schiff says, \u201cPlease allow the witness to answer the question.\u201d And Ratcliffe says, “Look. I don\u2019t have a lot of time here. I just wanted these guys to answer the question and move on.” And Schiff said, “You asked the witness a question. The witness will answer the question.” And Ratcliffe, “Okay. I\u2019ll withdraw it.” See, Ratcliffe thinks he\u2019s made the point. He asked the question, there\u2019s two seconds of silence, nobody said anything. And then Taylor finally did, after raising his hand and pointing, he did answer the question.<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I would just like to say that I\u2019m not here to do anything having to do with the country to decide about impeachment. That is not what either of us are here to do. This is your job.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Oh. Schiff could be bamboozled by that one. Do you think Schiff thinks that\u2019s why they\u2019re there? You think Schiff believes they\u2019re not there to have anything to do with the country deciding about impeachment? Ms. Pelosi, are you still down with this? Do me a favor. Plays these two things back-to-back, play 26 and 27 again as though they\u2019re one bite in three, two, one.<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: In this impeachment hearing today where we impeach presidents for treason, bribery or other high crimes, where is the impeachable offense in that call? Are either of you here today to assert there was an impeachable offense in that call? (:02 second pause) Shout it out. Anyone? (:02 second pause\/Ratcliffe then ruffles papers)<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: Mr. Radcliffe, if I can just respond, let me just reiterate that I\u2019m not here…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: I\u2019ve got one minute left.<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I know you…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: Let me just…<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I know you only got a minute left.<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: …make this point.<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I\u2019ve just got 30 — I\u2019ve got 30…<\/p>\n
SCHIFF: Please allow the witness…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: I – I…<\/p>\n
SCHIFF: …you asked the witness a question. The witness will…<\/p>\n
RATCLIFFE: I\u2019ll withdraw the question.<\/p>\n
TAYLOR: I would just like to say that I\u2019m not here to do anything having to do with the country to decide about impeachment. That is not what either of us are here to do. This is your job.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Well, then what the hell are you there for? Why are you there? This is an impeachment hearing, and you are not there, you have nothing to do with the country\u2019s decision about impeachment? Well, what did Schiff tell you your purpose is? Maybe I\u2019m the lone wolf on this, but to me this is rather profound.<\/p>\n
We got the two witnesses that are gonna nail Trump today, according to all the prepublicity, we\u2019re gonna have blockbuster news, we\u2019re gonna have one of the greatest dramatic TV shows ever, Adam Schiff and the Democrats are gonna finally nail Donald Trump. And the star witness says six hours into it that he\u2019s not there for impeachment.<\/p>\n
(Taylor impression) \u201cI\u2019m not here to do anything having to do with having the country decide about impeachment. I\u2019m not interested in the outcome here. That\u2019s not what either of us are here for. It\u2019s your job.”<\/p>\n
No, folks, I don\u2019t believe that. No, no, no. These are diplomats, (doing diplomat impression) \u201cOh, I don\u2019t have an opinion on anything other than I think Trump\u2019s a rotgut smear. No, I don\u2019t have an opinion, I don\u2019t know anything other than what I\u2019ve been told, and what I\u2019ve been told is that Trump and Giuliani are subhuman primates. I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m here.”<\/p>\n
Well, I\u2019ll guarantee you Adam Schiff knows why you\u2019re there, and you\u2019re the star witnesses. You\u2019re the first two witnesses. You are the guys nailing the coffin shut on the presidency of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Up next, this is Jim Jordan. This is about 15 minutes prior to the bite that we just played. This is Jim Jordan literally destroying Taylor\u2019s clear understanding. Taylor, remember, is saying: \u201cMy understanding is only coming from people I\u2019ve spoken to.\u201d Taylor hasn\u2019t talked to Trump, Taylor was not on the phone call, Taylor doesn\u2019t know anything other than what he\u2019s been told, and this is what Jordan is reacting to.<\/p>\n
JORDAN: What you have in front of you is an addendum that Mr. Sondland made to his testimony that we got a couple of weeks ago. It says: \u201cDeclaration of Ambassador Gordon Sondland, I, Gordon Sondland, do hereby swear and affirm as follows.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/APP-111319-Impeachment-001-Jim-Jordan.jpg\")
I want you to look at bullet point number two, second sentence. \u201cAmbassador Taylor recalls that Mr. Morrison told Ambassador Taylor that I told Mr. Morrison that I conveyed this message to Mr. Yarmack on September 1st, 2019 in connection with Vice President Pence\u2019s visit to Warsaw, and a meeting with President Zelensky.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this is his clarification. We got six people having four conversations in one sentence and you just told me this is where you got your clear understanding. This is what I can\u2019t believe, and you\u2019re their star witness. You\u2019re their first witness. You\u2019re the guy, based on this, based on, I mean, I\u2019ve seen church prayer chains that are easier to understand than this.<\/p>\n
RUSH: That was well done. That was bye-bye, Taylor. I want to play this again, because he\u2019s literally reading from amended testimony by Gordon Sondland. Now, Taylor has testified to all this stuff today, but he doesn\u2019t know anything firsthand. He\u2019s the star witness, he doesn\u2019t know anything firsthand. And here is Jim Jordan putting it in its proper characterization.<\/p>\n
JORDAN: What you have in front of you is an addendum that Mr. Sondland made to his testimony that we got a couple of weeks ago. It says: \u201cDeclaration of Ambassador Gordon Sondland, I, Gordon Sondland, do hereby swear and affirm as follows.\u201d<\/p>\n
I want you to look at bullet point number two, second sentence. \u201cAmbassador Taylor recalls that Mr. Morrison told Ambassador Taylor that I told Mr. Morrison that I conveyed this message to Mr. Yarmack on September 1st, 2019 in connection with Vice President Pence\u2019s visit to Warsaw, and a meeting with President Zelensky.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this is his clarification. We got six people having four conversations in one sentence and you just told me this is where you got your clear understanding. This is what I can\u2019t believe, and you\u2019re their star witness. You\u2019re their first witness. You\u2019re the guy, based on this, based on, I mean, I\u2019ve seen church prayer chains that are easier to understand than this.<\/p>\n
RUSH: Right. And what is this about? This is about a phone call. This is about a whistleblower\u2019s report of a phone call and the whistleblower didn\u2019t hear it, either. A phone call for which a transcript has been released and everybody knows what was said. And so all of this hearsay regarding the phone call is irrelevant. And the two star witnesses were not even on the phone call and are admitting that their testimony results from what other people have told them they think about what happened.<\/p>\n
Ms. Pelosi, how much life does this have left in it? What is the real objective here? Because if this was to be the beginning of nails in the coffin of the Trump presidency, your nail gun is shooting blanks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RUSH: Ratcliffe finally finds his way through the goop. "Can either of you two guys tell me what the impeachable offense is here?" Nothing. Dead silence. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":328443,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n