Ex-Ethics Chief Gives Republicans A Much-Needed Lesson In Democracy
Walter Shaub on Tuesday night used a lengthy Twitter thread to attempt to make sense of the GOP-controlled Senate’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump over the Ukraine scandal.
The former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics used 16 posts to imagine “trying to explain democracy to someone who showed up at today’s trial with no knowledge of democracy except for (President Abraham) Lincoln’s quote about a ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’”
Shaub served under former President Barack Obama and resigned six months into Trump’s presidency. He has since become a vocal critic of the Trump administration.
“What they witnessed might raise a few questions,” he said.
Check out the full thread here:
Imagine trying to explain democracy to someone who showed up at today’s trial with no knowledge of democracy except for Lincoln’s quote about a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” What they witnessed might raise a few questions. (Thread)
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 22, 2020
Q. Is the judge inexperienced?
A. He’s the top judge in the country.
Q. Why doesn’t he have this thing under control?
A. Oh, well, he has no power. The Republican Senators are in charge.
Q. But they’re the ones saying there shouldn’t be any witnesses or documents.
A. Yes.— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 22, 2020
Q. It’s almost like they don’t want to uncover the truth. Shouldn’t they be objective?
A. Oh yes. They take an oath pledging to be objective.
Q. - -
A. It’s tradition.— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 22, 2020
Q. It’s weird that the president’s lawyers are not even challenging the factual basis for the charges. Also, why are they shouting?
A. There’s this thing called Fox News that likes to play vignettes of white guys shouting.— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 22, 2020
