Sunday Morning Post (V.1, #39) - Reading the Transcripts

The impeachment inquiry started by and conducted by the House Democrats has grown out of the Constitutionally questionable language in a phone call between our President and the new leader of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky in September.  The President released the transcript thinking that it would exonerate him.  His supporters are urging everyone to read the transcripts for the same reason. 

 

Okay so we have read the transcript—declassified, redacted and otherwise.  The Democrats see a problem and a possible impeachable issue.  They do not believe the printed word exonerates the President. 

Unfortunately, I found the complete transcript is too redundant and, yes, I’ll admit, too tedious to reprint in its entirety here.  We can point out and analyze where the Democrats believe they have a good argument for impeachment.

Please see the complete, declassified transcript on the Politico web site:

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/25/trump-ukraine-phone-call-transcript-text-pdf-1510770

As we can see, the call between the President and the newly elected Ukraine President Zelensky included several moments of mutual congratulations and general ass-kissing between the two leaders.   Then Zelensky expresses his desire to purchase more weapons from the United States.  At this point the President states, “I would like you to do us a favor though…” 

(Cue dramatic music)

At this point the President requests that Zelensky and his people investigate the server Crowdstrike which had determined that the Russians had hacked in to the Democratic National Committee server and later hacked into a Ukraine military server.   Later on, the conversation moves on to the great work done by the former Ukraine prosecutor who was investigating corruption in the Ukraine, but was “shut down”.  A little while later in the conversation the President mentions a second item on his quid pro quo wish list: investigate the role of Joe Biden’s son in a Ukraine company which had previously been found to have carried out some shady dealings.

The President believes that Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to get rid of this prosecutor because he was investigating his son.  Joe Biden claimed that he wanted the prosecutor out because he was not pursuing corruption enough, which is a sentiment shared by the leaders of the other nations in Europe.  Also, Hunter Biden had been investigated and his actions were not found to be involved with the corruption previously found at the company he was doing work for.

Now, had the President asked for a national security favor in exchange for the funding to buy weapons, then there wouldn’t be a problem.  He could have asked the Ukraine leader for permission to establish a base within the Ukraine, then it would have been okay.  Unfortunately, the transcript appears to show that the President was asking the Ukraine leader to assist with digging up some dirt on a potential political rival for the President in 2020.  Now there’s a problem.

(Cue Hitchcockian screeching of strings ala Psycho.)

Now let’s compare the official transcript of the phone call with a copy of the President’s Ukraine call transcript distributed to his MAGA hat-wearing supporters.

MEMORORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

Subject: Telephone Conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine

Scene: The Ricardo apartment – late afternoon

(The door opens and Ricky Ricardo enters.)

Ricky: Lucy, I’m home!

(Lucy enters from the kitchen.)

Lucy: Hey, Ricky!  How was your day?  You know the President is totally innocent.

Ricky: I truly believe that, Lucy!

Okay, I think I see the problem.

For the record I have read the transcript, Mr. President, and speaking as an American tax-paying voter, you, sir, are guilty as hell!

At this point the impeachment inquiry will proceed and may God help us all!

(Thank you reading.  Please tune in next week when we will hear Lucy say: “The President will be impeached by Christmas?   WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”)