Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Who done it! Date:   9/26/2019 9:27:43 PM

I watched all of it today, and read though the whistleblowers complaint.  As part of the normal interagency process, the details of the conversation would normally be made available for those with a need to know.  People might have discussed it within the interagency - in this case, WH, NSC, DNI and State.  That is not unusual.  When the Whistleblower said that they "locked down" the transcript, and put it in a special data base, I have a feeling they are talking about something under "special compartmentalized" information which someone would have access to only if they were "read on" and had a need to know.  Why would that step be taken based on the phone call that was revealed?

Let's face it, the DNI realized he had a hot potato, and he was getting as much legal cover as he could before he turned that complaint over to Congress.  Another note:  Congress is like a sieve and one of th biggest leaks to the media.  So he consulted his own lawyers, WH lawyers and Justice Department lawyers and that took longer than the designated time line.  

I don't think the phone call in and of itself is the problem- it is the actions taken after the phone call, ie. Guiliani and the American Ambassadors involved - despite what the President Ukraine is now saying, he clearly got a message that needed to be "navigated" vis a vis Trump's "request for a favor".  The fact of Trump getting Guliani involved is bad - as G. is his personal lawyer, not a special Ambassador for Ukrainian favors.  He's not a USG employee.  

One other thing to think about.  Around the time of this John Bolton, who was involved with Ukraine was abruptly fired.  Was it his idea for the call?  Or did he counsel against it?  Trump said he made "grave errors".  

I'm sorry to say that it is going to take a miracle for Trump to get out of this one.  He has screwed the pooch.  His only real hope is that with a majority in the Senate that they can have enough votes to keep him from being impeached.  If you watched his speech at the UN and the press conference after, it's clear that some thing is weighing heavily on him.