Horowitz: We Should All be Thankful for Public Servants like Yovonavich, Taylor & Kent

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Rob Horowitz, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

George Kent PHOTO: US Dept. of State

In their compelling, thoughtful and highly credible testimony during the House Intelligence Committee’s public impeachment hearings, former US Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, current acting Ambassador to the Ukraine William Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent drove home what is at stake in President Trump’s withholding nearly $400,000 million dollars of needed military aid to a nation under constant threat from Russia in order to get the Ukrainian government to launch an investigation into Joe Biden, one of his more likely opponents in the 2020 presidential election.

As the three career diplomats and public servants detailed, Rudy Giuliani and other allies of the president in and out of government in working to advance the president’s personal political interests, emboldened and empowered corrupt former Ukrainian officials, spread untruths both in Ukraine and in the United States, and successfully smeared and brought about the dismissal of our ambassador to the Ukraine who was fighting corruption and inappropriate actions and as a result was in their way. This reckless behavior, sanctioned and encouraged by President Trump, weakened Ukraine’s new President Zelensky, decreasing his ability to stand up against Russian aggression.

As former Ambassador Yovanovitch told the nation on Friday, “Perhaps it was not surprising that when our anti-corruption efforts got in the way of the desire for profit or power, Ukrainians who preferred to play by the old, corrupt rules sought to remove me, What continues to amaze me is that they found Americans willing to partner with them and, working together, they apparently succeeded in orchestrating the removal of the U.S. ambassador.”

Acting Ambassador William Taylor on Wednesday highlighted how the holding up of military aid, overwhelmingly approved by large bi-partisan majorities in Congress, was counter to the national interest. He reiterated the points he originally made in a text to Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Scotland, one of the president's point people on getting President Zelensky to announce an investigation into Biden. “The message to the Ukrainians (and Russians) we send with the decision on security assistance is key. With the hold, we have already shaken their faith in us. Thus, my nightmare scenario, Russia has made repeated illegal incursions into Ukraine. As I said on the phone, I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign."

Testifying alongside Taylor, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent amplified these points: “It was unexpected, and most unfortunate, to watch some Americans — including those who allied themselves with corrupt Ukrainians in pursuit of private agendas — launch attacks on dedicated public servants advancing U.S. interests in Ukraine. In my opinion, those attacks undermined U.S. and Ukrainian national interests and damaged our critical bilateral relationship.”

These three patriotic Americans who have spent their adult lives serving our nation testified despite the fact that the White House and State Department ordered them not to. They put the country first, ahead of their careers and self-interest. Whether people believe the president should be impeached or not, the quality and dedication of these witnesses should make all of us proud as Americans.

That is why it was disappointing, but not surprising, unfortunately, to see the president and some of his allies in the right-wing media launch unfounded personal attacks on them. President Trump tweeted the following while the former ambassador was testifying. "Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.” This is the most prominent, but far from the only example of the president demeaning these admirable public servants.

Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, along with nationally syndicated conservative radio star Rush Limbaugh, joined in, calling Marie Yovanovitch a “snowflake” and “neurotic", among other choice insults. Given that the former ambassador has served in hardship posts at risk to her personal safety, while the most danger these three media personalities have ever been in was probably risking being hit by an errant golf ball, their unfounded personal attacks are not only disgraceful; they are tone-deaf.

I am confident that the overwhelming majority of Americans disagree with President Trump and his media enablers and appreciate the service and testimony of these three admirable public servants. They taught all whose minds remain open to the consequences of the president putting his political interests ahead of the national interest in Ukraine and remind all of us of the hard work and dedication of men and women who dedicate their professional lives to the service of our nation.

Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.