Well, he definitely asked Zelensky to work with Guliani and Barr to look into Biden and his son. Then he reiterates it after Zelensky tries to set up a future conversation on energy independence. Funny how Zelensky drops that he stayed in Trump Tower. Apparently Guliani has been flying solo in Ukraine to the chagrin of some in the Trump administration. I wonder if Pelosi knows something about his activities?
Holy cow. Even odds that Barr not only recuses himself but resigns by the end of the week. Also: the White House agrees to release this transcript, but the DNI still holds fast (illegally, as it is, per whistleblower rules) to the original complaint. How much worse is the complaint? What more does it elucidate that the White House doesn't want touching daylight?
Supposedly, Barr didn't know about this conversation, which is possible. It seems clear that Guliani was active with Ukraine after this call, but maybe not Barr. The real issue will be establishing a quid pro quo. It seems if the Dems want to pin Trump down on this, they have to link the withholding of military aid to the pressure to investigate. Maybe they have that? The whistleblower apparently was concerned about more than just this one call. Maybe Pelosi has the link and ran a quick survey yesterday? Trump scheduled a 4PM news conference. He's definitely on the defensive.
From what I understand from all the talking heads, "quid pro quo" seems to be a construct- the most convenient one at hand for the White House at the moment- and doesn't really need to be established to underscore the severity of what's already come to light. Based on the most current reading, there seems to be a consensus (from everybody not on the right side of the congressional aisle) that a sitting president pressuring a foreign head of state to dig up dirt on a political opponent is... pretty dang bad. As for Barr, at this point it's his word against the written transcript: Whether or not Barr ever followed up is maybe immaterial. As the head of the department that would have to work hand in glove with Congress on an investigation of this magnitude, Barr is demonstrably compromised.Mr. Giuliani is a highly respected man. He was the mayor of New York City, a great mayor, and I would like him to call you. I will ask him to call you along with the Attorney General. Rudy very much knows what's happening and he is a very capable guy. If you could speak to him that would be great.
I agree that what Trump did is bad enough. However, I expect that it wouldn't be enough for Pelosi to move so fast. She didn't even wait for the transcript before she announced. The fact that Trump tried to appease Pelosi so quickly, and the fact that he is holding a news conference suggests to me that there is another shoe to drop.
Giuliani has been chasing this thing for quite some time. Kind of in the same way that you'd chase down an investment into a Nigerian prince who promised you some sort of fortune. Coulda started something like: --- "Rudyi, Things going slow. Ukranian powermen demand more, $5 mil (USD) to starting Biden talks, need tonight!! Corruption so bad here!! Tryed to warn U. Best, - Lev" --- And earlier today when Trump alleged that Ukraine now has Hillary Clinton's lost emails? You can't write fiction this sweet.It seems clear that Guliani was active with Ukraine after this call, but maybe not Barr.