As the impeachment clown show continues, there is much to unpack regarding former Ambassador Masha Yovanovitch and her testimony. Particularly telling is the comparison of her opening statement and her answers to Rep. Elise Stefanik’s questions regarding the Obama Administration’s concerns about Burisma and Hunter Biden.

Her opening statement is quite something.

It was bad enough listening to her on the radio while driving to Wyoming. It was infuriating to hear her compare herself to those who survived 444 days in captivity in Iran or to Ambassador Chris Stevens and the rest whom the Obama Administration and Hillary left to die in Benghazi.

It was bad enough that there was that weird bit of kabuki theatre at the end regarding that standing ovation from the audience. Yes, the circus performers with Emperor Schiff at the helm did very well. Vanity Fair quotes an unnamed former senior U.S. official as declaring that Trump is a gangster and Yovanovitch is the new hero of the day. 

“More in sadness than in anger, she laid the failure to insulate her against the Trump administration’s politicization of diplomacy in Ukraine at the feet of her bosses at the State Department, starting with Mike Pompeo. “I remain disappointed that the department’s leadership and others have declined to acknowledge that the attacks against me and others are dangerously wrong. This is about far more than me or a couple of individuals. As Foreign Service professionals are being denigrated and undermined, the institution is also being degraded. This will soon cause real harm, if it hasn’t already,” she said in her opening statement. “The attacks are leading to a crisis in the State Department…This is not a time to undercut our diplomats. It is the responsibility of the department’s leaders to stand up for the institution and the individuals who make that institution the most effective diplomatic force in the world.””

Trump is super seriously ORANGE MAN BAD! according to Masha. Were her feelings hurt and did her morale take a dive when Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration left Americans to die at Benghazi? That was different because, shut up.

About the Obama Administration. In 2016, Yovanovitch was tapped as Ambassador to Ukraine. This is what she said yesterday:

“In her opening statement before a House impeachment hearing on Friday, Yovanovitch said, “although I have met former vice president Joe Biden several times over the course of our many years in government service, neither he nor the previous administration ever raised the issue of either Burisma or Hunter Biden with me.””

There’s a bit of a problem with that statement. One, her admission to Republican counsel that she was made aware of the Hunter Biden/Burisma issue during her preparation for her 2016 Senate confirmation hearing. Secondly, there is this telling exchange with Elsie Stefanik.

A couple great points by @RepStefanik: pic.twitter.com/wOiXxTD1Yc

— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) November 15, 2019

Remember, Joe Biden bragged that he got his quid pro quo and then some by getting the Ukrainian prosecutor who was digging into Burisma fired. Which happened BEFORE Yovanovitch was tapped for the Ambassadorship.

That’s ok though, the media and the rest of Yovanovitch’s defenders immediately swung into action.

Stefanik has really trashed her reputation in these hearings and in ways that haven't actually advanced the Republicans cause at all. It's a very bizarre move. Why not just let Nunes and Jordan, who have little to lose by way of reputation, do the dirty work instead?

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) November 15, 2019

The problem with that defense is, Yovanovitch admitted under oath that Obama Administration prepared her for questions regarding Burisma and specifically Hunter Biden.

I don’t know about you, but that tells me that the Obama Administration KNEW that the entire Burisma/Biden relationship was seriously problematic for the U.S.

Did Masha Yovanovitch lie during her opening statement and try to provide cover for not only the Obama Administration, but the Bidens as well?

Given the totality of her statement,  it sure seems that she has an ax to grind. One that only includes Trump. All the missteps, Gumby-like red lines, deaths, and other issues by the Obama State department? Nothing to see here, move along.

Feature Photo Credit: U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine, September 23, 2016, public domain via Flickr, cropped and modified