If you haven’t had an opportunity to read the transcript of the phone call between Donald Trump and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, let me suggest you invest a few minutes and do so. Just Google it; it’s not very long and it’s a real eye-opener. As I read through it, two things in particular struck me:
First, I was stunned by the drooling obsequiousness with which Mr. Zelensky addressed Mr. Trump. This fawning flattery would have been embarrassingly obvious to all but the most self-deluded narcissist. Clearly, Mr. Zelensky knew his audience.
But more important, I noted how clearly the connection between restoration of military aid and Trump’s desire for Ukraine’s help in investigating Biden was very obviously intended to be understood by Zelensky. Once the discussion finally turned from Trump’s many fine qualities to military aid, Zelensky concluded his pitch by saying, “We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.” To this, Trump responded immediately, “I would like you to do us a favor though …” Trump does not preface this by saying, “On an unrelated matter” or “apropos of nothing,” or even “by the way…”
We have all heard Trump’s request for a favor quoted in the news, but no one seems to bother include the word “though,” which I think is a significant part of the statement. That is unfortunate, as when read in its entirety, it is painfully clear that Trump wanted Zelensky to understand that this is a quid pro quo, related to the military aid of which they had just been speaking. Zelensky makes very clear to Trump that he intends to help out with the Biden thing, then goes on to close with more dripping flattery, and a comparison of their respective big kahuna presidential jets before ending the call.
We are all likely to need to have an opinion on this in the near future if this does come to impeachment. In that regard, keep in mind that criminal evidence standards don’t apply to impeachment. In this case, you don’t have to get caught in the act of eating the “democracy canary;” if you’re walking away from the birdcage with feathers on your face and an obnoxious, entitled grin, then that should be sufficient to remove you from your job as “leader of the free world and defender of democracy.” Please read the transcript and see what you think.
— Lou Nathanson
Anchorage
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