The Banter Brief: The Self Impeaching Madman
Welcome to The Banter Brief, your weekly review of the news, what to watch on Netflix, and the positive stories much of the media misses!
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1. Most important story of the week
Texts released by three Congressional committees have shown that US diplomats told the Ukrainian President that a meeting with Donald Trump was dependent on him making a statement about investigating Hunter Biden’s company. This is a shocking revelation in the impeachment inquiry that proves without doubt the Trump administration sought a quid pro quo with a foreign leader in order to investigate a domestic political opponent.
Trump has now publicly asked China to investigate the Bidens, so it’s clear the president’s defense is based on the notion that this type of behavior is perfectly legitimate. As The New Yorker asked, “did Donald Trump just self impeach?”
The short answer? Yes, he did.
Go deeper: Impeach The Bastard - Ben Cohen analyzes Nancy Pelosi’s big gamble big that could pay off in unexpected ways.
2. Poll Analysis
As the impeachment process picks up pace, the public appears to be warming up to it. From USA Today:
Americans by a 45%-38% plurality now support a vote by the House of Representatives to impeach President Donald Trump, a USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds, as allegations continue to swirl around an embattled White House.
By a similar margin, 44%-35%, those surveyed say the Senate, which would then be charged with holding a trial of the president, should convict Trump and remove him from office.
It isn’t clear whether impeachment will help or hinder Trump in the 2020 election, but if the trend continues, it almost certainly will help turn independents against him.
In other news, Elizabeth Warren continues to surge, passing Joe Biden by 4 points in the latest Economist/YouGov weekly tracking survey.
3. Quote of the Week
“More than anything --and this is the key -- they couldn't control what Donald Trump said or did. Nobody can. And that was the unforgivable crime. So from day one, they planned to take him out. This Ukraine nonsense is just the latest pretext for doing that. There have been a lot of them: Russia, Stormy Daniels -- fill in the blanks. It's like Mad Libs.”
-Tucker Carlson on the “Nothingburger” Ukraine scandal.
4. What to watch on Netflix
‘Ozark’
Ozark is a riveting crime drama starring Jason Batemen and Laura Linney set in the Ozarks in Missouri. Financial advisor Marty Byrde (played by Bateman) has to relocate his family from Chicago to the sleepy summer resort community in the Ozarks after a money laundering scheme goes horribly wrong. Marty has to pay back a Mexican drug cartel, and along with his wife Wendy (played by Laura Linney), comes up with a scheme to create a huge laundering operation in the Ozarks. Needless to say, it doesn’t go as planned, and the Byrdes have to use all their guile in order to survive.
The series is as much a family drama as it is a crime one, and it does a superb job of laying bare the dysfunction of the typical nuclear family and the struggles they go through trying to hold things together. Series 3 comes out this year, so time to catch up if you haven’t started already.
5. Good news
(Image: The Ocean Cleanup project in action)
Humans are finally cleaning up the earth’s oceans in a meaningful way. Dutch scientists have created a large floating device that picks up discarded fishing nets, plastic waste, and micro plastic that finally set sail this week. The device will be used to clean up The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a colossal mound of waste floating in the Pacific that is three times the size of France. The Ocean Cleanup project, originally envisioned by Boyan Slat, has now successfully picked up plastic that will be brought back to land and recycled and sold.
Have a great weekend!
Read the latest for Subscribers:
Space Force or Nuking Hurricanes: How To Know Whether Trump’s Threats And Crazy Blurts Are Real - Bob Cesca’s ultimate guide to understanding Trump's never ending stream of bullshit and lies.
Impeach The Bastard - Ben Cohen analyzes Nancy Pelosi’s big gamble big that could pay off in unexpected ways.