President Trump is on the cusp of being impeached for asking Ukraine to investigate 2016 election meddling — and possibly Hunter Biden’s work with a natural gas company — as a precondition for receiving U.S. foreign aid.
This, Democrats say, is a classic case of a “quid pro quo” (the Latin term for “this for that”).
Whatever one thinks about the case against Trump, it’s worth asking: Is a quid pro quo automatically scandalous?
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After all, Democrats’ leading 2020 candidates have repeatedly pledged to use exactly this technique to advance their own political interests.
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Last night during a Weather Channel special on global warming, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said he would tell foreign nations that aid is “contingent” on adopting U.S. climate policies.
“This is not just rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, which I will do right away, it’s actually using every lever of foreign policy we have for more foreign aid to countries, making a contingent on climate action,” Booker said. “It means using our diplomacy, our alliances, our trade deals, centered to that must be labor and climate.”
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Mayor Pete Buttigieg has repeatedly said he would withhold aid to Israel until the country agrees to stop building new settlements in disputed territories.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said aid would be “on the table” if Israel doesn’t halt settlement construction.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he would “absolutely” use aid to Israel as leverage to push through policy change within Israel.
Rep. Julian Castro (D-Texas) said he would, too — although not as a first resort.
“You would not necessarily want to leverage U.S. aid to Israel to push him to do that, is what you’re saying?” CNN’s Jake Tapper asked.
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“Well, that would not be my first move,” Castro replied, but added: I’m not saying that would never happen.”
Reprinted by permission – Grabien News