The criminal in the WH didn't get what he wanted from Zelensky but it worked with state gorvernors

[dajoki]

Trump’s Mob Boss Tactics Didn’t Work in Ukraine — but They Got Him Exactly What He Wanted from State Governors
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/node/90390

At the core of the Ukraine scandal that led to President Donald Trump’s impeachment was a simple quid pro quo. Trump wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce the beginning of an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, his likely 2020 rival, in exchange for U.S. support.

That scheme came very close to working, but it fell through and was exposed before it came to fruition. But as the coronavirus crisis has engulfed the United States, once again, Trump tried the same gambit — this time with state governors.

And this time, it worked.

<<snip>>

And on Wednesday, we can now see the culmination of all this pressure. CNN reported that the president’s 2020 campaign is releasing an ad that highlights the praise he has received from Democratic governors:

This new ad splices together statements from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. In the ad, each governor has something positive to say about Trump himself or the federal government.

“His team is on it,” Cuomo said. “I know a team when they are on it, and I know a team when they are not on it. His team is on it.”

The ad begins and ends with Newsom, who at one point looks at the camera and says “So, conversation, commitment, promise made. Promise kept.”

“Promises made, promises kept” is a slogan used by the Trump campaign in their pitch to voters.

The ad conveniently leaves out all the times these governors and others have been critical of the president’s response, of course.

And it shows that Trump was able to revamp the mob boss tactics that failed on Zelensky to apply to the states. Using the threat to withhold the support of the federal government — either explicitly or implied — Trump applied pressure on governors to go to the mic and deliver remarks helpful to his re-election. Then his team got to work and turned those very remarks into a literal campaign ad.

All the while, tens of thousands of Americans are dying — many of whom likely could have been saved with an earlier and more robust federal response.