I’m confused: Isn’t this “transcript” a proverbial smoking gun?
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“Work with Barr…”
Earlier I imagined a crazy - far out screenwriter’s scenario. I imagined as the wheels came off, Pence was Dumped and Barr was made VP.
Pass the tinfoil.
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This is the version they chose to release?
Exactly.
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At first, I was puzzled. This document seems to me to absolutely confirm the bones of the allegations, and in context of the other stuff makes it seem like the whole story is extraordinarily damning. The withholding of the aid is an absolute, incontrovertible fact, and of course we’re going to find out a lot more about Rudy.
So why release this? I think it’s the same kind of theater as the Mueller report. Put it on the table, and then have the propaganda ministers “explain” it as an exoneration. The vast majority of Americans don’t read or think critically when it comes to political issues, much less read original source materials. It’s all about where they get their information.
It’s worked spectacularly well for them in the past. I don’t think so this time though.
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We should bear in mind that this conversation is part of a much longer series of conversations and events. This transcript is one the White House chose to release because it did not include an explicit quid pro quo involving military aid to Ukraine. The lack of an explicit quid pro quo is irrelevant, but the White House wants to make it somehow exculpatory. An elected official using his or her office to obtain a personal benefit is the definition of public corruption and is itself a “high crime and misdemeanor.” While that is bad enough, this matter is much worse than the White House is letting on.
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This is the good, exculpatory version. I can’t brain. 100% brained out.
Did Trump actually see this? Is a staffer trying to deep-six him? What the fuck?
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So Zelenskyy refers to a “company” Trump is supposed to have mentioned (page 4, seven lines into Zelenskyy’s comment). But I don’t see the mention of a specific company by Trump. I take it this is some evidence that the transcript is not a full record of the conversation. Or am I just missing the mention of the company? Or does the conversation presuppose some prior communication?
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There likely is NO recording of the call. MSNBC had the guy who ran the Situation Room for Obama on last night. He said calls are not recorded, people just take notes.
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There are apparently no recordings of calls.
For some reason, after Nixon, they don’t do that any more…
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What is the worse stuff they left out?
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What are the other parts of the whistleblower complaint?
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Literally the worst f—king damage control I have ever seen!
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Trump really doesn’t have a staff representing the brightest bulbs in the pack. It’s difficult to see how anyone, including Trump’s supporters, wouldn’t say that only an audio recording is sufficient.
The hell of all this is is that it is going to be really bad for Trump’s brand, and that’s really the only thing that matters to him.
We need to be very careful now, because as these strategies start failing, he’s going to be flailing around for anything that will distract from all this. The people closest to him may very well decide to pull the plug, and invoke the 25th amendment. That would let Pence bypass his involvement here as the country tries to heal, blah blah blah. Not a good outcome, necessarily.
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I bet Jeff Sessions, bless his foul little heart, is absolutely laughing his ass off right now.
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There are no original recordings. Apparently, recording such calls is not SOP and hasn’t been for several decades. These “transcripts” are alleged summaries/recounting from white house staff.
We need to hear from the whistleblower.
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The Russian Federation has one for sure.
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Yes! Let’s make it a two-fer!!! Impeach both Spanky and Barr at the same time!!!
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And this from a heavily bowdlerized version that makes Zelensky sound like Trump with his extreme badmouthing of Europe and his hyperbolic expressions: 100 percent! 1000 percent1
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This is absolutely damning.
The quid pro quo is clear. Ukraine wants to buy defense equipment and the next line is an ask for a favor.
And, then Gulliani and Barr to be asked to look into Biden.
Trump is fucked.
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Pretty much.
You will notice that he didn’t directly offer the funding that he had just denied Ukraine in exchange for anything, but there was a heavy implication about their “economy doing very well.”
“Work with me and I’ll make sure things go very well for you.”
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This will just whet Schiff’s whistle. Raises even more questions than it answers.
And also
ETA “Whet” should be ”wet”.
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