CNN Morning Briefing: "Impeachment Probe... Into Election Year"

[real Cannabis calm]

Impeachment inquiry

Remember when House Democrats said they hoped the impeachment process would be wrapped up by the end of the year? Yeah, that may not happen. The ongoing probe into President Trump's relationship with Ukraine has ballooned in size and scope, with each witness so far providing more leads for investigators to chase down and new names to potentially interview or seek documents from. Up today is arguably the most important witness so far: the US Embassy in Ukraine's top official, Bill Taylor.

Democratic leaders say they want to conduct a thorough investigation, but prolonging the probe will continue to consume Washington and could push the whole thing into the presidential election year. That could create serious complications and risks for everyone involved. The public patience for Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Dems could run dry, or, on the Republican side, more attention to Trump's alleged dealings with Ukraine could turn public favor against him.

The latest on the Trump impeachment inquiry
Fact check: Trump's statements on the impeachment probe
From CNN's Daniel Dale and Tara Subramaniam

President Donald Trump delivered a blistering monologue to the journalists he allowed into his Cabinet meeting on Monday -- making many inaccurate or misleading claims. Here's a fact check on his statements on the Ukraine scandal:

The whistleblower's account

Trump said: "The whistleblower gave a false account." He also said the whistleblower's account was "totally false."

Fact check: The whistleblower's account of Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was largely accurate. In fact, the rough transcript released by Trump himself showed that the whistleblower's three primary allegations about the call were correct or very close to correct.
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/impeachment-inquiry-10-21-2019/index.html

[Mike 03]

1. Good! We shouldn't be rushed by artificial timelines.

Let the seriousness and number of criminal violations dictate the terms and length of the Inquiry! If it takes a year, it takes a year! Maybe we will need multiple impeachments. Perhaps even 15, 30? Who knows?

[real Cannabis calm]

4. It's great strategy for Pelosi

You are right Mike, dragging out the inquiry will allow other, impeachable Trump crimes to become public and could lead to other criminal charges.

[Bettie]

2. Good.

Let him squirm as more and more comes out.

[real Cannabis calm]

5. absolutely!

[Bradical79]

3. I had my doubts

I had my doubts this would be as quick and simple as Pelosi wanted. Trump is corrupt 24/7. Every stupid crime he commits leads to other stupid crimes, often involving his half witted cronies.

And while I'm sure there's enough to impeach, support keeps growing towards actual removal. Might as well let this ride for awhile longer, get more witnesses, and let Trump and his idiot squad undermine themselves even more.

[Brother Buzz]

6. The thought of impeachment being discussed at the dinner tables over the holidays....

is surely going to strain the sphincter mussels of every republican congress critter.

[gratuitous]

7. The whistleblower's account was "largely accurate"?

How about it tracked precisely on every point it had in common with the readout of Trump's call with Zelensky? Also, that "rough transcript" is nothing of the sort, it was a heavily barbered memorandum of the call, in no way considered to be a "transcript," rough or otherwise. The actual transcript of the whole call has been hidden away by the Trump administration, despite Trump's repeated insistence that it was "perfect" and totally exculpatory of any wrongdoing on his part.

Isn't it weird how the administration won't release the actual transcript? And yet CNN can't figure out what it's looking at.