NY Times posted the transcript. [alternate pdf online source]
Read the transcript, and note that it is disclaimed as to being verbatim. But it says enough. Clearly, Trump took Rudy and Barr along for the ride. Barr disclaims knowledge of the call, but has he denied conspiring in advance with Rudy and Donald?
Bill B.? What is your version about prior plans and participation?
To let Barr skate on this one would be to disarm and disavow the rule of law. The rule of law must apply to the nation's lawyer. The nation's! Not the Republicans'. Not the President's. Ours. And dishonored by the very inclusion of Barr as a named co-conspirator within that phone conversation.
______________UPDATE______________
Does this Trump step poison the well as to Biden family bribe-taking, as a possibly reasonable inference to be drawn by fair minds from what was known evidence prior to any Trump phone mischief? Hunter as a questionable cut-out, given his not being versed in energy matters where the Ukrainian natural gas baron had to have cause to give decently large sums of money to have Hunter "on board." When dad Joe was managing the Obama administrtion's Ukraine portfolio. That whole situation has a miasma suggesting Biden is the least likely Democrat to defeat Trump, November 2020. Denials are to be expected, while the circumstantial evidence is what it is. How should fair minds weigh things? Fair and cautious Democratic Party minds, not wanting a misstep?
________FURTHER UPDATE__________
A Marketwatch item.
________FURTHER UPDATE__________
Two immediate questions touch upon that transcript, itself. First the footer, p.1, "Classified By: 2354726," who 'dat?
Second, p.2, the Ukranian President, top of page, saying:
[...] I'm able to tell you the following; the first time, you called me to congratulate me when I won my presidential election, and the second time you are now calling me when my party won the parliamentary election. [...]
We are owed another transcript, obviously. It might be irrelevant, but there is absolutely no cause to have that hummer remain classified. As the one released was transcribed, then in the ordinary course of things there has to be a comparable memorialization of that first phone call. Release it too, or let us guess how damning it might be. Either/or.
When was the first call? Was Rudy mentioned and if so how? Was Barr mentioned, and if so how? Was either of the Bidens mentioned, and if so how?
Trump did not mention aid funds in the second transcript, or so it appears. What of that first call?
FURTHER: Trump says the conversation was about urging the Ukranian to do something about corruption. Do the word search there = corrupt. Nowhere in there. A curious omission. Not necessarily determinative of anything, but curious.
FURTHER: When is the whistleblower complaint to be released and the whistleblower identified so as to be made to testify to Congress? TMP noted:
While the contents of the complaint are still largely shrouded in mystery, multiple reports indicate that the complaint focuses on President Trump and an apparent “promise” he made during a phone call with a foreign leader. A member of the intelligence community who was aware of the call was so disturbed by the conversation that he filed a whistleblower complaint, the Post was first to report earlier this week.
During a closed-door briefing with the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the intelligence community inspector general revealed that the whistleblower complaint centers on a series of actions, not just a single phone call. Inspector general Michael Atkinson did not answer questions about who was referenced in the complaint.
It’s unclear whether all of the actions allegedly mentioned in the complaint involve President Trump. CNN’s Jim Sciutto reported that Atkinson confirmed the complaint focused on multiple instances involving the President. Yet, the New York Times reported that Atkinson declined to confirm whether the complaint involved Trump. Atkinson also revealed in the Thursday session that he was unhappy with the way the Justice Department and the director of national intelligence handled the complaint.
[links in original] "Series of actions" suggests one phone call transcript is helpful to an understanding, but insufficient by itself.
Present all evidence, now or later. The sooner everyone comes clean, the sooner the House can reach determinations and move to actions. Phrased differently, one transcript alone doesn't cut it.