memeorandum: Trump's interest in Ukraine ramped up as Giuliani pressed on Biden claims (CNN)

11:55 AM ET, September 21, 2019

Top Items:

Trump has done plenty to warrant impeachment. But the Ukraine allegations are over the top. — George T. Conway III is a lawyer in New York. Neal Katyal, a law professor at Georgetown University, previously served as the acting solicitor general of the United States.

Discussion: Daily Kos, U.S. Political News …, Political Flare, The New Civil Rights Movement and Mediaite

Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:

If This Isn't Impeachable, Nothing Is — The president of the United States reportedly sought the help of a foreign government against an American citizen who might challenge him for his office. This is the single most important revelation in a scoop by The Wall Street Journal …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Kos, Washington Post, Fox News, The Guardian and The Daily Beast

Washington Post:

Trump pressed Ukrainian leader to investigate Biden's son, according to people familiar with the matter — President Trump pressed the leader of Ukraine to investigate the son of former Vice President Joe Biden in a call between the two leaders that is at the center of an extraordinary …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Al Jazeera, U.S. Political News …, CNBC, Roll Call, Raw Story, Vox, Hot Air, Foreign Policy, The Week, USA Today and The New Civil Rights Movement

Susan Davis / NPR:

Pelosi Says Congress Should Pass New Laws So Sitting Presidents Can Be Indicted — In an exclusive interview with NPR, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has not changed her mind on pursuing impeachment but she is ready to change the law to restrain presidential power and to make it clear …

Discussion: Vox, Talking Points Memo, The Root, Hot Air, Raw Story, Breitbart, twitchy.com, The Gateway Pundit, Axios, Politico and The Week

John Solomon / The Hill:

Missing piece to the Ukraine puzzle: State Department's overture to Rudy Giuliani — When I was a young journalist decades ago, training to cover Washington, one of my mentors offered sage advice: When it comes to U.S. intelligence and diplomacy, things often aren't what they first seem.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Last Refuge, Althouse, New York Post, Breitbart, Washington Post and The Guardian

Kenneth P. Vogel / New York Times:

Behind the Whistle-Blower Case, a Long-Held Trump Grudge Toward Ukraine — WASHINGTON — For months this spring and summer, Ukraine's newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky, tried to deflect pressure from President Trump and his allies to pursue investigations into former Vice President …

Discussion: Politico, Alternet.org, Daily Kos, The Colorado Independent, Axios, Raw Story and Vanity Fair

Ashley Parker / Washington Post:

Ukraine, if you're listening . . .: How Trump tries to quell controversies by saying the quiet part out loud — The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights — Ukraine, if you're listening ... Much as he did three years ago …

Discussion: The Guardian, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, CNN and Daily Wire

Washington Post:

How Trump and Giuliani pressured Ukraine to investigate the president's rivals — When President Trump spoke on the telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late July, the Ukrainians had a lot at stake. They were waiting on millions in stalled military aid from the United States …

Discussion: Slate, Mediaite, Bloomberg, Politico, U.S. Political News …, POLITICUSUSA, Axios, Raw Story, VICE, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, FORENSIC NEWS, Hullabaloo and Hot Air

CNN:
Trump's interest in Ukraine ramped up as Giuliani pressed on Biden claims

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, Washington Post, U.S. Political News … and KTLA

David French / National Review:
There's an Obvious Problem with Rudy Giuliani's Spin on Ukraine

Discussion: Politico, The Independent, Rolling Stone, POLITICUSUSA and Power Line

Isaac Chotiner / New Yorker:
Can President Trump Be Held Accountable for the Whistle-Blower Complaint?

Discussion: New York Times, The Atlantic and illegal immigration …

Shannon Pettypiece / NBC News:
Deny, divert, discredit: Trump turns to his scandal playbook once again

Discussion: The Guardian, Washington Post, Slate and Roll Call

Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:

Cory Booker memo: May not be in race ‘much longer’ if he can't raise millions in days — The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign manager warned the NJ senator won't stick around without a viable chance to win. — WASHINGTON — Sen. Cory Booker must raise nearly $2 million …

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Beast, Political Wire, The Guardian, POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

Cory Booker / Medium:

Now or Never: Radical Transparency about the Next 10 Days of This Race — From: Addisu Demissie, Campaign Manager, Cory ‍2020 — Cory Booker decided to run for president because he believes that the only way to beat Donald Trump and heal our country is to bring people together — and he's the best person to do that.

Discussion: Fox News and Axios

Kel McClanahan / Just Security:

Intel Whistleblower Complaint Q&A Part 2: Constitutional Boogaloo — On Sept. 17, I did a deep dive into the legal issues raised by the Intelligence Community whistleblower complaint being withheld from the congressional intelligence committees by acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Joseph Maguire.

Discussion: National Review, Daily Kos and Lawfare

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
Pelosi Statement on Whistleblower Complaint

Discussion: Bookworm Room, Alternet.org, U.S. Political News …, The New Civil Rights Movement, Washington Post, CNBC and Lawfare

Washington Post:
Republicans echo Trump in suggesting whistleblower complaint is politically motivated

Discussion: IJR, Fox News, Mercury News, Slate and Raw Story

Stephen I. Vladeck / New York Times:
Why the Whistle-Blowing Process Is Breaking Down

Discussion: Daily Kos

The Hill: Pelosi urges Trump administration to release whistleblower complaint

Steve Leblanc / Associated Press:

Rep. Joe Kennedy formally announces US Senate campaign — BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III formally declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Saturday, becoming the first member of the Kennedy political dynasty to bid for the upper chamber of Congress since Edward M. Kennedy in 1962.

Discussion: Axios

Washington Post:
Massachusetts Rep. Kennedy announces Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Markey

Discussion: One America News Network

Rex Crum / Reuters:

Twitter removes 10,000 accounts for promoting political discord — San Francisco: Twitter has continued a crackdown on what it considers improper content by removing more than 10,000 accounts for spreading political misinformation and unrest. — Twitter said the accounts included …

Amanda Macias / CNBC:
Pentagon will deploy US forces to the Middle East after attack on Saudi Arabia oil facilities

Discussion: Al Arabiya and Jihad Watch

New York Times:
Trump Focuses on Defending Saudis, Not Striking Iran, for Now

Discussion: The Week, Townhall and Wall Street Journal

New York Times:

Bernie Sanders Calls for Eliminating Americans' Medical Debt — On top of his “Medicare for all” proposal, Mr. Sanders's new plan would wipe out an estimated $81 billion in existing medical debt and ignore such debt in credit scores. — WASHINGTON — Bernie Sanders has long wanted to remake …

Discussion: twitchy.com

Julie K. Brown / Miami Herald:

'When you are in, you can't get out.' Women describe how Jeffrey Epstein controlled them — For two decades, Jeffrey Epstein built a sex trafficking enterprise that reached across state borders and spanned the globe. Using an almost bottomless quarry of wealth and connections …

Discussion: New York Post

Myron Ebell / Washington Examiner:

Environmental apocalypse predictions have failed for half a century — Climate change activism is warming up this week with climate strikes, a U.N. summit, plus extra media coverage. Naturally, the apocalyptic rhetoric is warming up, too. To take only two examples among many …

Discussion: Breitbart and Washington Free Beacon

Lloyd Green / The Guardian:

Crossfire Hurricane review: tale of Trump and the FBI is a gas gas gas — Josh Campbell worked for James Comey - his book is a must-read indictment of the ‘mob boss’ in the White House — Few people had better seats than Josh Campbell for the drama that has shaped the Trump presidency.

Bob McManus / New York Post:

The end of de Blasio's not-so-excellent presidential misadventure — Bill de Blasio, the man who introduced the seven-hour work month to New York's how-to-be-a-mayor manual, went on “Morning Joe” Friday to deep-six his humiliating LSD trip of a presidential campaign. — “It's clearly not my time,” said the mayor.

Discussion: Mediaite and IJR