MIKE PENCE privately counseled President Trump against releasing the rough transcript of the president’s call with his Ukrainian counterpart, but eventually sided with others in the White House arguing in favor of its release. The vice president raised concerns about the precedent the release would set, but ultimately fell in line behind Trump, who felt he had no choice but to release it. Trump told aides he felt the messaging had gotten away from the White House and that releasing the document was his only option in the battle for public opinion.

Pence said Wednesday the document shows that Trump’s threat to withhold aid in return for investigating Joe Biden and his son “just never happened.” During their call, Trump reminded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about military aid before asking him to examine actions by Biden’s son Hunter, according to the document.

Pence ignored reporters’ questions about Ukraine and impeachment on Thursday as he toured an Indiana machinery company and pressed Congress to pass a reworked trade deal with Mexico and Canada.

MITCH MCCONNELL SPARES NO EXPENSE to bolster the candidacy of Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Two of his former aides who are now lobbyists at the white-shoe Akin Gump firm hosted a breakfast fundraiser for her on Wednesday in Washington, according to an invitation seen by The Wall Street Journal. One of the lobbyists, Brendan Dunn, was a top McConnell tax adviser and, like Collins, was crucial to the Republican tax law passing the Senate in 2017.

McConnell himself will be the special guest at an Oct. 21 fundraiser for Collins, according to another invitation viewed by the Journal. Collins is also being aided by Blackstone Group LP billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, who gave $500,000 to 1820 PAC, an unaffiliated group that plans to spend heavily advertising on her behalf. Maine Momentum, an anti-Collins group, plans ad buys and won’t have to report its fundraising totals until next year.

A call record released by the White House shows President Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "look into" former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. WSJ reads the key moments from the rough transcript of the call.

A NEW POLL helps explain why Republican party leaders want Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to seek an open Senate seat from Kansas. The poll, by GOP pollster Chris Wilson for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, shows that former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the current leading Republican candidate, is viewed unfavorably by 50% of Kansans overall, and by a high share of independents and Republicans.

Kobach is viewed unfavorably by 83% of Democrats, 49% of independents and 32% of Republicans. His unfavorable numbers also outstrip his favorable ratings in every congressional district and among both men and women. Kobach’s campaign manager said the “numbers are inconsistent with every other poll we have seen.”

DEMOCRATS LOOK to the Securities and Exchange Commission to police political spending by public companies. Lawmakers press SEC commissioners to draft rules mandating disclosure of corporate political spending, which won’t happen under a Trump-appointed chairman, but could be a priority in a Democratic administration. Meanwhile, the Federal Election Commission can’t conduct high-level business because it doesn’t have enough commissioners—the Senate hasn’t confirmed new ones.

TRUMP’S STUDENT LOAN DEBT proposal, an update on an Obama administration plan, gets more support from Democrats than Republicans, according to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE, the top industry group for oil and gas, launches an ad campaign to fend off climate-change criticism. One ad highlights Democratic politicians including Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi praising natural gas and energy independence, another talks about the fall in carbon emissions as gas replaces coal for electricity generation. “We’ll point out that Democrats were for natural gas and oil before they were against it,” the trade group says.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU tries to assuage concerns about its door-to-door canvassers on neighborhood online forums. The bureau is working with local officials to reassure suspicious citizens that the clipboard-toting door knockers aren’t trying to rob them and are just collecting information for the coming decennial count. Still, some aren’t convinced: a posting on a Nextdoor suburban Virginia forum warns of a 60-year-plus man wearing a lanyard and snapping pictures of houses.

MINOR MEMOS: An Iowa voter says he likes that Sen. Bernie Sanders shops at J.C. Penney instead of wearing $2,000 suits; Sanders corrects him: “Actually, it’s Kohl’s” … Mitt Romney responds to Trump posting a video about his 2012 election defeat: “I forgot I had lost, so I appreciate the reminder” ... U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedmandons beekeeping suit in quest to find the best honey for Rosh Hashana.

Write to Gabriel T. Rubin at gabriel.rubin@wsj.com