Yes, read the transcript

I read the letter to the editor from Chris Lauzen "Take time to read the transcript" on Oct 1. While I'm not surprised Mr. Lauzen is spouting the party line, he doesn't actually quote anything from the transcript to defend President Donald Trump. If he actually read the transcript along with the whistle-blower complaint, he would learn a few things.

Everyone's focused on whether or not there was a quid pro quo - or an explicit offer to exchange U.S. aid for dirt on Biden. Was there one? Yes, even if some of Trump's defenders want to ignore it.

What did it look like? Trump begins by stressing that Ukraine depends on U.S. aid, but warns that the support isn't "reciprocal." Zelenskiy says, "we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes." Trump replies, "I would like you to do us a favor though." That's a quid pro quo.

Zelenskiy says what he needs from the U.S., and Trump responds by demanding something in return. There's quite a bit more to be unraveled, but the case is straightforward: The president used his power, and the power of our country, to demand a foreign government help him defeat his leading political rival, and then hid that conversation to protect himself. That is corruption, pure and simple.

No matter how long it takes for us to learn the full truth, we cannot let the president get away with his brazen corruption. Congress must pursue this and other allegations in their impeachment inquiry, reporting the facts to the American people.

So far, only one party has proved willing to earnestly investigate this criminality. But every member of Congress should be concerned, and every American should take it seriously.

Steve Anderson

Schaumburg