The White House and the apologists for the Donald Trump are going after Michael Cohen’s credibility in the same manner that criminal defense attorneys go after the associates of mobsters who have cut a deal.

Cohen has, of course, admitted to and been convicted of lying to Congress. And he has filed false tax returns and engaged in other actions that would ordinarily put his veracity in question.

But what is true for mobsters is also true for Michael Cohen: when they testify against former associates after have struck a “deal,” it is always contingent on their telling the truth.

Let me repeat that: this testimony is contingent on their telling the truth.

Let me repeat that: this testimony is contingent on their telling the truth.

What that means for Michael Cohen (as for testifying mobsters) is that if they don’t tell the truth, then their deal goes south.

Also, for some who have led a life of crime, there is a certain release in being able to confess their crimes.

Watching Michael Cohen, he has the slightly exaggerated precision of an attorney (or former attorney) who is doing his best to be hyper-correct, so that no one will (in fact) catch him in a lie for his testimony today.

The Republicans on the Intelligence Committee have been haranguing the Democrats for “not bringing an honest witness.” Well, if the Democrats were restricted to bringing honest witnesses who were former associates of Donald Trump, they would not be able to bring any witnesses at all.

Mic drop.