(See Scumbag and Scumbag, Part 2 for the earlier references.)

I’m becoming more and more impressed by Ambassador Gordan Sondland. He’s much smarter than many of the core people and at least as smart as the counsels questioning him. Sure, Sondland’s still a scumbag spit-bucket of a lawyer — don’t get me wrong. But Jesus, I have to sit back in something like awe. Love him (unlikely) or hate him, Sondland is a really fast dancer.

Sondland has managed to find a story where he’s just an innocent guy, completely in the dark about any crime that might get him arrested. At the same time, he manages to thoroughly implicate everyone around him. That’s a neat trick. Special Envoy Kurt Volker did the same thing, if at a lower order of dishonesty. Sondland, by comparison, is an artist, if you consider ‘sleaze’ a medium.

Sure, Sondland’s arguments are thin. Most of it rests on Sondland’s insistence that he had no idea that investigating “Burisma” meant ‘Hunter Biden.’ Sondland didn’t even touch we demanded the 2016 election investigation.

Here’s a hint: nobody honest tells prosecutors who they should investigate. The usual order is to investigate first; arrest second. You know? Otherwise, you’ve used your position for personal gain, which is literally the definition of corruption. Second, nobody in the diplomatic corps should have solicited a foreign government to investigate a US citizen, for personal gain or any other reason. Colonel Vindman, for example, got that right on his first try. Third, the U.S government actually hires people for investigations. That’s the Department of Justice. But, even in that case, nobody from outside the DOJ should be telling prosecutors who to investigate and most especially, who to put in jail. Corruption, corruption, corruption. Sondland wants us to overlook that part.

Anyway, Sondland’s arguments presented Republican counsel Steve Castor with a conundrum. Sondland was ratting out everyone around him. At the same time, his defense was fragile. The counsel’s job was to discredit where Sondland in general, and especially when he implicated other Republicans. In addition, the Republican counsel wants to keep any corruption findings down as low in the pecking order as possible. We know they’ll be throwing people to the mobs, but it’s Castor’s job to make sure it’s only the little people who fry. In particular, it’s Castor’s job to keep any hard questions away from Trump’s inner circle.

So I was squealing when Castor pushed Ambassador Sondland. How could Sondland not know what the true meaning of messages he delivered? Sondland answered by shifting gears. (And I’m paraphrasing because I’m still watching.) “I don’t know why people talk about a backchannel,” Sondland retorted, “when it includes the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, Special Envoy Volker, Secretary Perry, and Chef of Staff Mulvaney.” I’m fudging on the list, but the threat was obvious: “If I go down, I’m talking all of those headline players with me.” The Republican counsel took the hint and moved on.

Sondland might not be a mensch, but he’s da man!

Oh, wait!! It’s Rep. Nunes’ turn to ask questions. Yeah! One of the dullest people in the room. And now, for some godforsaken reason, Nunes is adamant about… uh, NATO debt? Really? That’s not even a thing. So, Nunes is mostly harmless.

But the village clown is playing with Sondland, a live grenade aimed directly at the Trump-Republican hegemony. Nunes could pull that pin just by accident!

This could be great theater. But should I make popcorn or pour good whiskey?