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Gothmog

(145,046 posts)
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 12:07 PM Sep 2020

Gloves Off: Mitt Slams RonJohn Ukraine Probe Comments As Illegitimate 'Political Exercise'




Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) slammed a Senate GOP probe into Joe Biden as a waste of taxpayer resources and a “political exercise” unfit for Congress on Wednesday.

Romney’s comment’s came one day after Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee chair Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told a Wisconsin radio station that “what our investigations are uncovering, I think, will reveal this is not somebody we should be electing president of the United States.”

Romney derided Johnson’s Ukraine investigation as having, “from the outset, had the earmarks of a political exercise, and I’m fearful that comments made in the media recently have only confirmed that perspective.”

“It’s the province of campaigns and political parties, opposition research, the media, to carry out political endeavors to learn about or dust up one’s opponent,” Romney added, in comments made directly to Johnson. “But it’s not the legitimate role of government, for Congress or for taxpayer expense, to be used as an effort to damage political opponents.”
38 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Gloves Off: Mitt Slams RonJohn Ukraine Probe Comments As Illegitimate 'Political Exercise' (Original Post) Gothmog Sep 2020 OP
Duh Takket Sep 2020 #1
While He Is Probably Just Positioning Himself For 2024, Sir The Magistrate Sep 2020 #2
Man,did you nail it. Wellstone ruled Sep 2020 #5
The bad news is, the republicans will never vote for him. Their cult is too far gone. BComplex Sep 2020 #36
Depends,not diapers, Wellstone ruled Sep 2020 #37
THIS malaise Sep 2020 #6
Well said. c-rational Sep 2020 #17
Yep. Self-interest will ALWAYS be a GOP North Star. calimary Sep 2020 #34
Good For Romney, He's Doing The Right Thing Skraxx Sep 2020 #3
Nope, he's doing the sneaky snake thing suegeo Sep 2020 #13
Now that we know the "evidence" came from a Russian spy wryter2000 Sep 2020 #4
ummmmm the media? spanone Sep 2020 #7
Good for him, pushing for decency. He's apparently the last holdout in that party. The rest are kysrsoze Sep 2020 #8
Nope Romney's a dirty partisan pig most def. not pushing for decency. suegeo Sep 2020 #16
zzzzzzzzzzzz this trump supporting hypocrite oughta write a sternly worded letter nt msongs Sep 2020 #9
Not a big fan of Mitt Proud Liberal Dem Sep 2020 #10
Mitt's on the committee and voted for the scam investigation suegeo Sep 2020 #14
I guess I missed that Proud Liberal Dem Sep 2020 #18
Mitt voted for it because he KNEW it would provide partisan campaign material. suegeo Sep 2020 #28
Disregard what I just said Proud Liberal Dem Sep 2020 #35
It's more serious than "political exercise" @SenRonJohnson has been working with long known Kremlin soothsayer Sep 2020 #11
Romney's on the committee that voted for this campaign event suegeo Sep 2020 #12
Mitt may be on a campaign to expose "free chickens" like Sen.Johnson. oasis Sep 2020 #15
I hope people know that not everyone from Wisconsin is like Johnson Poiuyt Sep 2020 #19
Ron "Fishlips" Johnson has never answered what he was doing in Moscow July 4, 2018 cp Sep 2020 #20
EVER! No phone, no FAX, no letters. A secure sycophant. usaf-vet Sep 2020 #23
"What he was doing in Moscow July 4, 2018" .... I would guess Kompromat Botany Sep 2020 #24
First of all RoJo is the name Wisconsin voters call the (R) sycophant. RonJohn shows to much..... usaf-vet Sep 2020 #21
I get the feeling Mitt's going to end up in Biden's cabinet, not sure why nattyice Sep 2020 #22
Oh please, Mitt Actions speak louder than words Cozmo Sep 2020 #25
Johnson announced back in 2018 that he will not be running again in 2022. Lonestarblue Sep 2020 #26
Romney showing a tiny sign of a spine. Pepsidog Sep 2020 #27
Mitt is doing the right thing. Dispute his motives if you want, but it is the right thing. Hekate Sep 2020 #29
Mitts Off? CaptainTruth Sep 2020 #30
Romney KNOWS what he should do: File as an Independent sandensea Sep 2020 #31
Well this just confirms the end of September/October tRUMP surprise. I wish SayItLoud Sep 2020 #32
K&R for, ah, am having nostalgia for my own late blooming (in other things)!1 UTUSN Sep 2020 #33
Ron Johnson, one our best in brightest from WI StClone Sep 2020 #38

The Magistrate

(95,244 posts)
2. While He Is Probably Just Positioning Himself For 2024, Sir
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 12:10 PM
Sep 2020

It is good that he has said this, just as it is good he voted to convict on impeachment. A good trimmer can often do the right thing....


"Good policy is good politics."



BComplex

(8,029 posts)
36. The bad news is, the republicans will never vote for him. Their cult is too far gone.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 04:24 PM
Sep 2020

The republican base has fallen off the rails altogether. They're going to want to run QAnon himself/herself/itself.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
37. Depends,not diapers,
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 04:33 PM
Sep 2020

Willard has a Missionary Army at his ready. How do you think we got Orin Hatch,Willard Romney,Bob Bishop,Jeff Flake,Jason Chaffetz,and others. Know the power of this Army,worked Southern Utah Campaigns. And this Army is National as well as world wide.

calimary

(81,181 posts)
34. Yep. Self-interest will ALWAYS be a GOP North Star.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 02:58 PM
Sep 2020

Glad Romney said this, but he’s still a republi-CON.

Talk is mighty cheap these days, Mitt.

suegeo

(2,572 posts)
13. Nope, he's doing the sneaky snake thing
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:23 PM
Sep 2020

He knows there is a pattern to turn the hearings into a circus/campaign event for the GOPee.

Yet, Romney, as a member of the committee that Johnson chairs, Mitt the shit voted along party lines to let Johnson conduct his witchhunt.

He knew the pattern, yet he voted for it anyway. That's far cry from doing the right thing.

wryter2000

(46,026 posts)
4. Now that we know the "evidence" came from a Russian spy
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 12:14 PM
Sep 2020

Will anyone with a brain take Johnson's "investigations" seriously?

kysrsoze

(6,019 posts)
8. Good for him, pushing for decency. He's apparently the last holdout in that party. The rest are
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 12:31 PM
Sep 2020

cowards and opportunists.

suegeo

(2,572 posts)
16. Nope Romney's a dirty partisan pig most def. not pushing for decency.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:33 PM
Sep 2020

He's on the committee that voted YES to having dipshit Johnson start his "investigation." He knew there is a developing pattern to turn the hearings into fodder for campaigns to use.

He voted yes KNOWING that it would turn into a witch hunt.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,401 posts)
10. Not a big fan of Mitt
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 12:52 PM
Sep 2020

but his criticism here helps Biden. Of course, what ROJO is pushing is definitely hogwash but Mitt, a Republican, saying it too helps give Biden some immunity to these partisan attacks.

suegeo

(2,572 posts)
14. Mitt's on the committee and voted for the scam investigation
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:30 PM
Sep 2020

Mitt's part of the launch of the partisan attacks. If he were not a part of the launch, there would be no need for Biden to be immunized in the first place.

He shouldn't have voted for an investigation that he knew would be turned into a witch hunt. He voted yes because he wants this shit to be used against Biden.

suegeo

(2,572 posts)
28. Mitt voted for it because he KNEW it would provide partisan campaign material.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 02:15 PM
Sep 2020

He voted for it because he WANTED it to turn into campaign fodder against Biden.

Here's the link to the OP that said that committee members voted for dipshit Johnson's investigation along partisan lines.

[link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142583207|

Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday to greenlight subpoenas and depositions as part of an investigation into the FBI’s Russia probe and the Obama administration.


Here's a link to show the members of said Committee (note Mitt's ugly mug.)
[link:https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/about|]

In the TPM piece, where the (not) tough guy Romney has taken off the gloves (jesus wept), he admits he knew there was a pattern to having committee hearings turn into mechanism to churn out shit that can be flung against Biden.

[link:https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/gloves-off-mitt-slams-ronjohn-ukraine-probe-comments-as-illegitimate-political-exercise|]

A separate investigation into different, unsubstantiated allegations that Obama administration officials interfered with intelligence reports around Russian interference in the 2016 election during the presidential transition to Trump would be okay, Romney said, so far as it stayed focused on allegations made by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz.

“I do think it’s very important that the committees of Congress, and ours in particular, not fall into an increasing pattern that were seeing which is using taxpayer dollars and the powers of Congress to do political work – that’s the role of campaigns,” he added.


The asshole knew it would stir the shit, SO HE VOTED FOR IT. It's what he wants. Don't listen to what he says, watch what he does.

ON EDIT: Do listen to what he says. More importantly, watch what he actually does. Then 2+2 = what he is saying is a bunch of lies.

soothsayer

(38,601 posts)
11. It's more serious than "political exercise" @SenRonJohnson has been working with long known Kremlin
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:00 PM
Sep 2020

?s=21


Olga Lautman
@OlgaNYC1211
.@SenatorRomney
It's more serious than "political exercise"
@SenRonJohnson has been working with long known Kremlin operatives in Ukraine for a year to attack our upcoming elections on behalf of Putin. Last time I checked that's a crime

suegeo

(2,572 posts)
12. Romney's on the committee that voted for this campaign event
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:12 PM
Sep 2020

Romney's not honorable or decent. He's on the committee that voted 8-6 for this "hearing" (campaign event). If he were truly a good guy (instead of a fascist pig) he'd have sided with the Democrats leaving the vote at 7-7.

Sure sure he can try and hide behind his statement

A separate investigation into different, unsubstantiated allegations that Obama administration officials interfered with intelligence reports around Russian interference in the 2016 election during the presidential transition to Trump would be okay, Romney said, so far as it stayed focused on allegations made by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz.

“I do think it’s very important that the committees of Congress, and ours in particular, not fall into an increasing pattern that were seeing which is using taxpayer dollars and the powers of Congress to do political work – that’s the role of campaigns,” he added.


So he sees the pattern but votes for it anyway. And now he's shocked, SHOCKED that it's becoming a campaign event. Fucking spare me Mitt. And fuck the dude who wrote the headline "Gloves off". Mitt's such a tough guy, ah nope, he's not.

For what it's worth, the nazis on the committee are:
Dipshit Ron Johnson
Rob Portman
Asshole with his own Russia connections Rand Paul
James Lankford
Mitt Romney (not a stand up guy)
Rick Scott (jesus wept)
Mike Enzi
Josh Hawley

oasis

(49,365 posts)
15. Mitt may be on a campaign to expose "free chickens" like Sen.Johnson.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:32 PM
Sep 2020

Slow purge the GOP of Russia influence.

Poiuyt

(18,122 posts)
19. I hope people know that not everyone from Wisconsin is like Johnson
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:48 PM
Sep 2020

He's an embarrassment to the state.

cp

(6,622 posts)
20. Ron "Fishlips" Johnson has never answered what he was doing in Moscow July 4, 2018
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:48 PM
Sep 2020

Does not respond to his constituents, ever.

Botany

(70,483 posts)
24. "What he was doing in Moscow July 4, 2018" .... I would guess Kompromat
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:59 PM
Sep 2020

Putin might have got a video of him in a bath tub of warm oatmeal as a S.&M. girl in black
cowboy hat spanks him and tells him to call her, "boss lady."

Johnson knows that Putin/Russia put him back into the Senate in 2016. Russ Feingold was
@ > 90% of winning back his seat.

usaf-vet

(6,178 posts)
21. First of all RoJo is the name Wisconsin voters call the (R) sycophant. RonJohn shows to much.....
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 01:56 PM
Sep 2020
..... undeserved respect.

Lonestarblue

(9,959 posts)
26. Johnson announced back in 2018 that he will not be running again in 2022.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 02:09 PM
Sep 2020

Assuming he sticks to that decision, Wisconsin will have an open Senate seat in 2022. As soon as this election is over, the DNC needs to start grooming a couple of good candidates for that seat and helping them get name recognition. Republicans might choose slime-ball Scott Walker, though surely Wisconsin voters are tired of him by now.

Hekate

(90,617 posts)
29. Mitt is doing the right thing. Dispute his motives if you want, but it is the right thing.
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 02:21 PM
Sep 2020

The person who has already contributed a dozen negative reactions can just please pass me by.

sandensea

(21,615 posts)
31. Romney KNOWS what he should do: File as an Independent
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 02:56 PM
Sep 2020

And he'd have to caucus with Democrats whether he wants to or not, since all GOPee doors would be closed to him from that point on.

They probably pretty much already are.

SayItLoud

(1,702 posts)
32. Well this just confirms the end of September/October tRUMP surprise. I wish
Wed Sep 16, 2020, 02:57 PM
Sep 2020

@Biden team get ahead of it and doesn't come out with defense, justifications etc.

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