According to Cockburn’s source about the seven whistleblowers, there’s more. It is that Kushner (allegedly) gave the green light to MBS to arrest the dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was later murdered and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A second source tells Cockburn that this is true and adds a crucial twist to the story. This source claims that Turkish intelligence obtained an intercept of the call between Kushner and MBS. And President Erdogan used it to get Trump to roll over and pull American troops out of northern Syria before the Turks invaded. Cockburn hears that investigators for the House Intelligence Committee know this whole tale and the identities of some of the people telling it. Whether any of is true is another matter but Adam Schiff certainly seems to be smiling a lot these days.

President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters from the South Lawn of the White House Sunday afternoon, refused to rule out shutting down the Federal government if Democrats don’t end the impeachment inquiry.

The president took time to erroneously frame the impeachment inquiry, falsely claiming it is over just his July 25 phone call during which he attempted to extort the president of Ukraine.

Asked if he would “commit to no government shutdown,” President Trump refused.

“It depends on the negotiation — I wouldn’t commit to anything,” Trump replied, after taking several swipes at Democrats.

False stories are being reported that a few Republican Senators are saying that President Trump may have done a quid pro quo, but it doesn’t matter, there is nothing wrong with that, it is not an impeachable event. Perhaps so, but read the transcript, there is no quid pro quo!