Schiff Show: Weaponizing Impeachment

Democrats have detonated the equivalent of a political nuclear bomb with their relentless impeachment "inquiries."  Whether they realize it or not, the fallout from their tactics will assure a mushroom cloud of partisanship,  leaving in its wake destruction of America's chance for unity.

After the special counsel investigation conducted by Robert Mueller failed to produce evidence of an impeachable offense, Democrats could have left the fate of President Trump in the hands of voters in next year's election.  But they decided Americans could not be trusted with the decision.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after months of sidestepping the issue, signaled she had surrendered to her party's progressive, socialist wing.  Impeachment of the president was greenlighted.  Rep. Adam Schiff was anointed the impeacher-in-chief as head of the House Intelligence Committee.

In past impeachment proceedings, the House Judiciary Committee had taken the lead, but Pelosi had not been impressed with chairman Jerry Nadler's recent performances.  Several top Democrats privately expressed their lack of confidence in Nadler.  That's how it became the Schiff Show.

And what a disaster it was.  Schiff began by announcing with much fanfare that a whistleblower would provide damning evidence of a quid-pro-quid deal between President Trump and his counterpart in the Ukraine.  Schiff claimed the whistleblower overheard a call between the leaders.

Then Mr. Trump released a transcript of the call.  The president of Ukraine made it clear there was no offer from the president to exchange information on Joe Biden and his son Hunter for American arms.  That never stopped Schiff from daily proclaiming new "bombshell" evidence.

The California Democrat interviewed witnesses in secret with a few Republicans present before trotting them out before his committee's public hearings.  Not a single "witness" ever heard first hand Mr.Trump offer a quid-pro-quid deal to the Ukrainian president. The hearings were a resounding flop.

Meanwhile, Speaker Pelosi vacillated almost daily about what "crimes" were being uncovered by her hand-picked impeacher.  She claimed Mr. Trump was guilty of quid-pro-quid.  But focus group testing revealed the obvious: the overwhelming majority of Americans had no idea of its meaning.

Then the speaker's narrative switched to "bribery," an easily understood sleazy description.  However, there was no proof.  Her terminology flipped again.  This time Mr. Trump was guilty of "extortion."  That didn't fly either.  Her latest: "Naked betrayal of American interests." Another wolf cry.

Nothing seemed to stick so the speaker has switched horses, handing Rep Nadler the reins for his own impeachment farcical hearings.  Any Americans paying attention are bored, cynical and antipathetic.  Impeachment has lost its seriousness as a legitimate exercise of the legislative branch.

The Democrats have succeeded in turning impeachment into a political instrument to bludgeon those the party opposes.  Even the most partisan Democrat must surely recognize this will backfire next time the Republicans control the house with a Democrat in the Oval Office.

The opening of this pandora's box will be akin to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's use of the "nuclear option" which emboldened Republicans to adopt it to thwart Democrats.  Likewise,
future commanders in chief will face the chilling prospect of impeachment, warranted or not.

Some Democrats may be shaking their heads and muttering: "Yeah, what about the impeachment of Bill Clinton?  It was purely political!"  They are, in this writer's opinion, correct.  But at least Republicans followed the norms of judicial protocol, transparency and Congressional procedure.

The sitting attorney general Janet Reno, an appointee of President Clinton, authorized the special counsel.  Prosecutor Ken Starr submitted his report and 18 boxes of supporting documents to the House of Representatives.  The House Judiciary Committee released 3,000 pages of evidence.

The Judiciary Committee conducted public hearings, recommended impeachment and the entire House voted 258-176 to authorize an impeachment inquiry.  None of those steps have been taken in this latest attempt by Democrats to overturn the 2016 election by impeaching Mr. Trump.

The lens of history will not be kind to Democrats for this sham process and it will render future inquiries nothing more than partisan political payback.  This will increase rancor between the parties, render bipartisanship utterly futile and sow more discord between Americans of opposing views. 

In the 243 year history of the U.S., only two presidents have been formally impeached by Congress.  No president has been removed from office by impeachment.  It is a grave undertaking that should only be invoked in the rarest of cases instead of being used as a political weapon of mass destruction.