Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Lt. Col. Alex Vindman Is Living, Breathing Proof That The Deep State Exists, And It Is Corrupt
The Federalist ^ | 11/12/2019 | Jim Hanson

Posted on 11/12/2019 7:59:39 AM PST by SeekAndFind

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last
To: SeekAndFind

“I became aware of outside influencers promoting a false narrative of Ukraine inconsistent with the consensus views of the interagency”

So the president himself, the commander in chief, is an outsider?

This is insubbordination of the highest order and the whole interagency clique should be court martialled


21 posted on 11/12/2019 8:44:56 AM PST by aquila48 (Do not let them make you care!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

He’s also proof it reaches very low
In DC, a LTC staffer makes copies and fetches coffee unless they leech onto a power figure


22 posted on 11/12/2019 8:45:35 AM PST by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

This precisely goes to the source of policy. For the Deep State bureaucrat, policy is determined by the aggregate of bureaucratic procedure. Policy is what ever the functionaries in the government determine it to be. The Constitution says otherwise.
The Constitution places policy squarely on the President’s desk. The elected officer of the Executive branch is the sole arbiter of policy. This is the precise struggle in which our nation is engaged.


23 posted on 11/12/2019 8:54:55 AM PST by Louis Foxwell (A deep and terrible ignorance born of abject corruption is required to hate our president.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Vindman needs an Article 92.


24 posted on 11/12/2019 8:56:42 AM PST by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goodnesswins

I want to know if he is even an AMERICAN CITIZEN!!


25 posted on 11/12/2019 9:02:46 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Pillsbury Dough Boy should not be prancing around in a uniform that is two sizes too small


26 posted on 11/12/2019 9:07:11 AM PST by Chauncey Gardiner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

If the colonel was not the insidious, unethical, rebellious political activist that he is, he would have resigned right after Trump was elected.

Instead he desired to, and chose to be a disloyal employee - disloyal to the elected government - attempting to undermine the government he took an oath to serve.


27 posted on 11/12/2019 9:08:51 AM PST by Wuli
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’ve been typing up Ratcliffe’s questioning of Vindman, but gave up as too labor intensive. Here’s what I have:

_____________________________

MR. RATCLIFFE: All right. So you did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen. You used the work “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?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: 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.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. Well, and I understand that based on that answer that your opinion is that it was a demand. I’m looking for where in the transcript you think there are words used that justify the use of that term, “demand,” as opposed to what you just said, which was ask for.

LT. COL. VINDMAN: You know, I guess I didn’t — frankly, Congressman, I didn’t parse the words all that clearly. This is, you know — I’m not — I guess I — I’m not an attorney by training. This is — I just wrote it the way I kind of felt it. And that’s the way I described it.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Fair enough. The reason I’m asking you, though, is the word when we’re talking about an allegation that there was a quid pro quo has significance, and demand has a specific connotation. And in this case, President Trump has said there was no demand. President Zelensky has said there was no demand. Secretary Pompeo has said there was no demand. Vice President Pence has said there was no demand.

But, Colonel Vindman, it’s your opinion that there was a demand, and so I’m asking where in the transcript do you find words used that justify that term?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: Sure, I guess, Congressman, I’d go back to the fact that, you know, this whole matter has been unfolding over the course of months. On the 10th of July, this — it bacame completely apparent what the deliverable woudl be in order to get a White House Meeting.

That deliverable was reinforced by the President. There was no, oh, it’s okay — you know, I guess in my mind, there was no it’s okay, if you don’t want to do the investigation we can still do a White House meeting. The demand was, in order to get the White House meeting, they had to deliver an investigation. That became clear as time progressed from how this thing unfolded through the 10th all the way through the conclusion.

That’s my – I mean, that’s just the way I – it seemed clear to me, and that’s my – that’s why I said what I think. That’s just the way it seemed to me.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. So, again, clear to you, but you cannot point me to a specific place in the July 25th phone call that justifies the use of the word “demand.”

LT. COL. VINDMAN: If you give me a minute, Congressman, I’ll just –

MR. RATCLIFFE: Take as long as you want.

LT. COL. VINDMAN: And I’ll take a look and see if I can find something.

MR. RATCLIFFE: What the time? I just want to reflect how long the witness is looking for wirds to justify demand and the record reflect that.

What’s the time? All right. I’m going to let the record reflect that I’ve given the witness several minutes to look for words that justify the use of the word “demand.”

Have you found anything at this point?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: I think so.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. What is it?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: So I’m going to read the President’s words as they were in this – as they were transcribed in this record.

I would like you to do –

MR. RATCLIFFE: What page?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: This is page 3, Congressman. I would like you to – top of the page. I would like you to do us a favor, though, because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine. They say CrowdStrike. I guess you have one of t hose – one of your wealthy people, the server, they say Ukraine has it. There are a lot of things that went on, and the whole situation. I think you’re surrounding yourself with some of the same people. I would like you to have the Attorney General call – I would like to have the Attorney General call you or your people and I would like you to get to the bottom of it.

I’ll go on. As you saw yesterday, that whole nonsense ended with a poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller, an incompetent performance, but they cay a lot of it started with Ukraine. Whatever you do, it’s very important that you do it – that you do it if that’s possible.

And then next time he speaks at the bottom of the page, good, because I heard you had a prosecutor –

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. Let me stop you right there, just to address it paragraph by paragraph. In that sentence, does the President mention anything about Biden or Burisma? Does the President mention anything about Biden or Burisma?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: No. No, Congressman.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. Are the President’s comments in that paragraph that you just read where he asked for a favor that you’re interpreting as a demand relate specifically to the 2016 election and whether there was interference involving the DNC server?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: Sure, Congressman, I’ll simply say – I’ll simply say that the demand, the way I wrote it in the – my testimony or opening statement is my assessment of the entirety. I just read the first paragraph. It’s the entirety of what the President communicated. And when the President of the United states makes a request for a favor, it certainly seems – I would take it as a demand.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Fair enough.

LT. COL. VINDMAN: As a military officer, Congressman, as a military officer, if my superiors tell me to do something, I take that not as a request, I take that as a demand.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay. Do you know whether it’s proper for a President, whether he is asking or demanding assistance, to investigate a U.S. citizen?
LT. COL. VINDMAN: The – so, Congressman, when I spoke to Mr. Eisenberg, I was expressing concerns about the entirety of the conversation. I was relaying to him my concerns. Was I making a judgement on anything outside of that, for instance, criminality? No. All I was doing was, through the chain of command, expressing concerns.

MR. RATCLIFFE: Okay.

LT. COL, VINDMAN: Did I in any way foresee that this was going to unfold the way it did and it was going to be in the public record? No. I was just expressing concerns.

And frankly, there was a reason for this. Because these are senior officials within the Department that provide him counsel. That they could then say, Mr. President, this – you know, we might want to stay away from this topic. And that’s what I’m doing when I provide my best advice.

MR. RATCLIFFE: I appreciate the explanation, but the answer is that you didn’t know, correct?

LT. COL. VINDMAN: I thought it was wrong. I thought it was wrong for the President of the United States to call for an investigation of – call a foreign power to investigate a U.S. citizen.


28 posted on 11/12/2019 9:15:05 AM PST by Yo-Yo ( is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TakebackGOP

Trump would have to fire 50%(or more)of the people that work in DC. The government would grind to a halt. Not that it would be a bad thing. That is, until the first SS check did not show up in grandma’s mailbox.


29 posted on 11/12/2019 10:01:15 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: woodbutcher1963

If he was working with Biden on Ukraine, he should have been fired.


30 posted on 11/12/2019 10:09:05 AM PST by TakebackGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: goodnesswins
And Vindman is UKRANIAN!!#!

In the Ukrainian language, "Vindman" means "lard ass"

31 posted on 11/12/2019 10:30:28 AM PST by CDB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Da Coyote

That guy is a light bird??? What a disgrace!!!


32 posted on 11/12/2019 11:05:03 AM PST by MGunny (l)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: UCANSEE2
Were I to be his commanding officer, his officer efficiency report would be banned due to an excess of colorful descriptors.

In his case, he was doing exactly what his raters wanted (Fiona Hill and Tim Morrison). I’m sure that he received glowing words of praise from both of them.

33 posted on 11/12/2019 11:54:51 AM PST by centurion316
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
“In the Spring of 2019, I became aware of outside influencers promoting a false narrative of Ukraine inconsistent with the consensus views of the interagency. This narrative was harmful to U.S. government policy.”

Benedict Arnold thought he was serving the interests of the country too.

34 posted on 11/12/2019 1:42:39 PM PST by gogeo (The left prides themselves on being tolerant, but they can't even be civil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Vindman was always the designated whistleblower. Ciarmella’s only function was to blow a hole in a wall that Vindman could not breach without being courtmartialed because of his military status.

Anonymity is needed for Ciarmella in order to protect Vindman.

The whole thing is putrid.


35 posted on 11/12/2019 3:58:10 PM PST by Tom Bombadil
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Corrupt Deep State - bump for later....


36 posted on 11/12/2019 5:17:48 PM PST by indthkr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson