Trump is concerned about corruption? Howls of derisive laughter please

It is beyond any level of belief that Donald Trump, a juggernaut of sleaze, would be so concerned about corruption in Ukraine that he would urge its president to take action. This is like a porn star being concerned about promiscuity among teens. So Trump’s statement about why he made the phone call deserves all the derisive laughter we can muster: “The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, with largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place and largely the fact that we don’t want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine.” The whole Biden corruption thing — up until now there has been no call, except in the crazy right-wing echo chamber, to investigate what, if anything, Biden or his son did wrong with regard to business activities in Ukraine. Trump would only raise this now because there’s an election coming up next year, and Joe Biden is still the Democratic front-runner for the nomination. A whistleblower felt a need to report Trump making some inappropriate (if not criminal) promise, apparently to the Ukraine president. With the Trump administration holding up $250 million in military funding to Ukraine, and knowing what we do about Trump — way too much, if you ask me — then the temptation to conclude that an impeachable offense took place is not only irresistible but well-grounded. You can just hear the guy making a deal, suggesting a quid pro quo: Reopen the Biden investigation and you can have the military aid. If it seems too obvious, it probably is. We think the worst of Trump because he is the worst — a sleazy businessman who sees the presidency as a temporary position, like hosting a reality show, that will be good for his family’s fortunes. Whatever Nancy Pelosi was thinking — that if the House impeaches Trump, the Senate will not convict, and he’ll emerge a martyr just before the 2020 election — is out the door. If he made a deal with Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political opponent, he should be forced from office. Otherwise, the laws of executive governance mean nothing.