BY FLORIDA BILL
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman has had his day in the sun, angling to help the Democrats put down his Commander in Chief, but it didn't work. For all of his twisted testimony and his alliance with the sneaky, lying Congressman Adam Schiff, he has been dumped from his prestigious desk in the White House and escorted by Secret service agents out the door-- "reassigned" to a paper shuffling position at army headquarters.
After monitoring President Trump's July 25, 2019, conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, career officer Vindman put together an inaccurate version of the telephone call claiming that the President, his Commander-in-Chief, had "demanded" that Zelenskyy dig up dirt on his political opponent, or else. The "or else" meant that millions in foreign aid for Ukraine might not materialize. Inappropriate, and improper, said Vindman.
Vindman promptly delivered his skewed oral version of the conversation and apparent "quid pro quo" to colleagues and skipped the normal chain of command. One went to a superior and another to his twin brother,Yevgeny, who also is an army officer working for the NSC. The dagger narrative went to an intelligence officer who had no real need to know of the conversations of President Trump, and whose identity is being kept secret. It appears that that recipient, reportedly a friend to Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden, had a consultation with Rep. Schiff, a Trump detractor who has vowed to take the President down and have him booted from office.
The unnamed carrier of the Vindman "spin" became the "whistle blower" and attached his name to a formal complaint filed with the Justice department alleging Trump's misconduct The complaint was drafted with all necessary legalese and appropriate background. It is strongly believed by Republicans, independents and even some Democrats that the actual complaint was composed for the complainant by the prevaricating Schiff or a member of his staff, or even by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Jerrold "Fat Jerry" Nadler, whose enmity for the President is widely known.
The filing of the complaint engendered a news frenzy with the biased media excoriating President Trump for his "quid pro quo," bribery and even extortion, and for endangering America's national security. The clamor reinforced the Democrats' demand for impeachment of the nation's 45th President.
But Trump surprised everyone by taking the unprecedented action of releasing for public consumption a transcript of the conversation, and it clearly refuted the Vindman version as false; and it countered "Trump-hate" screams from CNN, MSNBC and others in the biased media mob. President Zelenskyy held a news conference in which he said that his conversation of July 25 with President Trump was friendly with no "pressure" and that the subject of foreign aid was never mentioned. His comments confirmed all that the President had said, and it destroyed Vindman's make-believe version of the conversation.
The Democrats pushed for impeachment and took depositions in a basement office, sans representation on behalf of the President. Subsequently, the Adam Schiff Judiciary Committee held public hearings and called Vindman as its most important witness.
In the witness seat, the uniformed Vintman squirmed and frowned at questions from Republicans on the committee who questioned the accuracy of his version of the telephone call, and wanted the names of everyone to whom he told of the call and provided them with his "spin." He even became peeved at a congressman who addressed him as Mr. Vindman. Please, he snapped, "that's Lieutenant Colonel Vindman." When it was all over, his testimony fell flat.
At conclusion of the hearings. two feeble and lame Articles of Impeachment were voted by the completely partisan House and sent to the Senate for trial in accord with dictates in the Constitution. After long and lame question and answer sessions before the presiding chief judge of the Supreme Court, and following nonsensical arguments about calling witnesses, the Senate voted that President Trump was"not guilty" and was acquitted of all charges contained in the Articles of Impeachment.
Two days after the Senate acquittal, President Trump focused on Vindman and had him "reassigned." He predicted that the military may well investigate him for his false testimony, and his dodging of military protocol. The decision as to an investigation, he said, belongs entirely to the military. But he emphasized that Lt. Col. Vindman was through working in the Trump White House.
Asked by newsmen if he was being vindictive, Trump said "should I be happy about the way he has acted?" It appears that Vindman will be staying in the army since the army is his career, but his pitching of poisonous darts at his Commander in Chief will not be helpful in advancing his career as a soldier.
Vindman, 44, is a native of the Ukraine. He and his twin brother, and a sister came to the USA with their parents when they were children. Alexander Vindman is a recipient of a Purple Heart while in combat in the Middle East. It was his credentials as a brave soldier with an ability to speak the Ukrainian and Russian languages which apparently lifted him from being a line officer to a position of trust inside the Trump White House.
Former Trump Chief of Staff General John Kelly commented recently that Lt. Col. Vindman had spoken out as he was trained to do, indicating that criticism of him was misplaced. Perhaps Kelly is right in some ways. However, Kelly fails to confront the fact that Vindman's testimony and depositions were grossly inaccurate and aided Democrats in a completely partisan attack upon his Commander-in-Chief. The impeachment was undeserved and disgraceful and it was Vindman's tailored narrative which was key.
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