Republican inquisitors at yesterday’s House Oversight Committee hearing used the following lines of inquiry to undermine Michael Cohen’s testimony:

1. Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire. (Irony meter — Broken.)
2. Relitigate the entire SDNY trial, and all the crimes to which Cohen already plead guilty.
3. Imply Cohen’s potential future plans to negotiate a book deal demonstrate selfish motives, which clearly outweigh a Donald J. Trump-signed hush-money check.
4. Suggest Cohen couldn’t possibly be telling the truth because, “How long did you work for him? 10 days? 10 months? No you worked for him 10 years. If Donald Trump was really that bad, surely would’ve left him sooner.”

Now, where have I heard that before? 🤔🤔🤔

Oh yeah… “You stayed with him for so long. You were married to him. You had sex with him. You cooked his dinner every night. If he was really beating you, why didn’t you leave sooner? You expect us to believe he beat you regularly?” Gaslighting/victim blaming.

5. … and then this… Lord, this…
Racism, Part the First: Congressional Rep. Meadows, Trotting out a (willing/volunteer) black woman to be offered as token proof that Donald Trump cannot possibly be racist. (I make no comment on her participation or motive; only that Meadows orchestrated this shameful, tone-deaf maneuver.)

Racism, Part the Second:
When Congressional Rep. Rashida Tlaib expressed her disgust, that Meadows’ tokenizing use of a POC was a racist act, Meadows rapidly deployed the…

1. But Elijah, Mr. Cummings, you’re my black friend!
2. I have neices and nephews of color, and
3. “I’m a racist? You calling me a racist is racist!”

… gambits, in rapid succession, thus cementing Tlaib’s accurate observation in stone.

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So the Republican questioners had lines of inquiry based on hypocrisy, misdirection, victim blaming and racism. Nice. 🙄🙄

I’m shocked they didn’t roll with, “Mr. Cohen, what were you wearing when Mr Trump directed you to lie to Congress? Are you sure you weren’t asking for it?  Are you sure your slutty posing didn’t force Mr, Trump to suborn perjury, collude with Russians, cheat on his taxes, and misdirect Trump Foundation funds illegally? You whore.”

But I’m not betting we won’t hear that before this is all over.