This column is rated R
The talking heads can’t even agree on what a favor is.
Does it require reciprocity? If a “favor” requires payback, is it still a “favor”?
That’s not how I roll. But I am not President Trump, who actually used the word “reciprocal” in deflecting it.
If you are new here, this is not a defense of Trump. This is an analysis of the likelihood this issue will drive Trump from office.
Spoiler alert: It will not.
Democrats, retrieve your exploded heads from the floor.
Republicans, use smelling salts to revive yourself.
The five-page transcript (not verbatim and not complete) is like a Rorschach test in which partisans see what they want to see. You are free to read it yourself.
The first thing to note is the conversation lasted a half-hour, from 9:03 to 9:33 a.m. Just for fun, read it aloud with a friend. Go slow. See if it comes anywhere near a half-hour.
It does not, so that is mystery No. 1.
For me, mystery No. 2 is why Ukraine President Volodymry Zelensky, best known as an actor and comedian, never cracked a joke.
But a re-reading of the pseudo transcript suggests I might be wrong.
I will go through it for you.
It begins with some mutual masturbation about how great each thinks the other is, and, boy, is Kim Jong-un going to be jealous that someone is flirting with his boyfriend.
Zelensky, apparently with a straight face, credits part of his recent electoral win to studying how Trump does it. “We used quite a few of your skills and knowledge,” the Ukie flatters Trump. He actually says “we wanted to drain the swamp here in our country,” which must be considered comedy.
Trump responds by reminding Zelensky how much the U.S. has done for Ukraine, while Germany and France have been AWOL.
Zelensky agrees and takes a shot at German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is Europe’s ballsiest leader. He then butters up Trump some more. This is what is known as acting.
In the next passage, Trump offers to hook up Zelensky with Attorney General William Barr and Trump’s lawyer and foot massager Rudy Giuliani because, “There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son…” Trump often uses the construction “a lot of people” when he means himself.
This is the part critics have seized on as proof that Trump is enlisting a foreign power to go after a political foe, and it sure looks like that.
The problem is that in a news conference today, the two presidents agreed there was no pressure put on the Ukrainian. There was no explicit quid pro quo.
For the record, there is zero evidence Biden’s son Hunter has done anything wrong, but the Trump forces want to turn this on Biden, who earlier had pressured the previous president of Ukraine to fire the state prosecutor.
In that case Biden was acting on instructions of the president and U.S. allies who believed the prosecutor to be corrupt.
The Democrats problem is to convince a majority of the American people, who have become inured to excessive and peculiar (if not illegal) behavior by their chief executive, that this time he has gone too far.
I don’t think they can.
While the Dems see this as simple and understandable, I think most Americans will see it as a political dirty trick, inappropriate and sleazy, rather than as a Watergate-style, impeachable crime.
And if the House does vote to impeach — and we are a long way from that happening — the Senate must concur and with its current Republican majority, that will not happen.
I read the transcript, all 5 pages. Seems like a 4 minute conversation. I was confused. Looks like it was not taken from a tape.
Now I find out it was taken from note of a 39 minute conversation. WHERE THE HELL IS THE REST OF IT?
You echo me, Ed.
Perhaps there were interpreters at both ends (Ukrainian-to-English for Trump, and vice versa for Zelensky, thus doubling the time of conversation length.
The cries for Trump’s impeachment are merely a ‘get even’ thing for Clinton’s impeachment. In Clinton’s case, getting blow jobs in the Oral Office did not rise to the level of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’ Hell, JFK was a bigger swordsman than Clinton, and yet a synecdoche for Camelot.
Politics makes prostitution look positively saintly.
The note takers are passive, it is said. They do nor speak, nor do they write down every word.
What is NOT written, I aak.
The only thing the Democrats are doing is disenfranchising their moderate base and independents to cater to the extreme left. They are handing Trump a victory in 2020 on a silver platter
Not if they choose someone sane. We will see.
I just listened to Adam Schiff make every wild unfounded accusation imaginable against Trump, NONE of which were supported by the wording of the transcript. Schiff did some backing and filling — lamely, I might add — but the damage had already been done. The half-wits who comprise most of the electorate (both parties) will believe what they hear without ever digging to find the truth. The politics of destruction drive good people away from ever running for office and do long-term damage to the nation.
He committed an unforced error by creating fiction and putting it in Trump’s mouth. I was listening with a liberal friend who agrees Schiff shot himself in the foot. Remember Joe Friday? Just the facts, ma’am.
Can’t let the facts get in the way, or something like that. Politics. Ugh!!
Politics now is crazier than ever before. As a former investigative report I agree more facts – not opinion – need to be brought out for a clear decision on where any Constitution violation or law was broken. After Congress’ and the Judicial branches have done their jobs we’ll know. Until then, a lot of the People’s business needs paid attention, wouldn’t you say Stu?
I agree. I have not yet read the whistle blower’s complaint.
A ‘favor’ in politics is like the ‘favor’ the John does when he hands the hooker the payoff.
HAPPY THURSDAY !!!
Here we go, again. The politics of today is thus. Do nothing to support OUR President. In fact, quite the opposite . Crucify the man for trying to drain the swamp. And (sarcasm) can you blame the rinos and dems for circling up and protecting themselves ? Those that were crooked before are still crooked. They’re just trying to get as much as they can before they get evicted from Washington, D.C.
Will we get the USMCA passed ? How about taking a look at health insurance, and the pharms. Gun intervention ?
No time for the important “people’s work”! Let’s throw away more time and money .
You probably guessed by now, that I am a deplorable ! President Trump doesn’t walk on water. He’s a very successful business man who is breaking records and destroying the myth that “Business and Politics doesn’t mix”.
Try this. Look at the achievements that this President has accomplished. Mr. Trump is doing this for the American people. All of the American people. Can that be said of anyone recent ?
Can we please try to leave this world in a better way, than when we came into this world?
My phone crashed yesterday so I’m a day late. Yes, deplorable, irredeemable, etc. too, therefore I concur with Anthony.
About what we currently know, I heard Rush Limbaugh say today, and I agree, the real Whistleblower is Trump and the crime is his victory in 2016.
Hang the bastard! Then, let’s have a trial.
After making him “Ride the Rail.”
Hunter Biden’s 50K per month stipend? – maybe not criminal but sure is fishy.
Key to me: Not illegal. Why should the Trump kids be the only ones to leverage their names? It is part of the swamp.