The Impeachment Hearings Are the Beginning of the End

Townhall.com ^ | November 13, 2019 | Paul Curry

[Kaslin]

Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you’re testing to see how deep the water is, never use two feet.” That’s a bit of simple wisdom many in the current Congress should have heeded. As the long-awaited public impeachment hearings kick off, one thing has become painfully obvious: the Democrats are in trouble. They have gone all in on their quest for impeachment and now they have to deliver, not just to their base, but to the country. After three long years of promising proof of Trump’s corruption, collusion, and contempt for the very basic institutions of our government, Democrats now have to turn over their cards and show the country what they have. If they can’t produce a smoking gun, if they don’t have a knock-out punch, then their party is in serious trouble.

From “quid pro quo” to “extortion” to “abuse of power,” impeachment hungry Democrats have tossed around plenty of buzzwords and innuendo, backed up by hearsay, supposition, and biased opinion. Through carefully coordinated leaks and a selectively stage-managed production of transcripts, Adam Schiff and his team have been able to paint a very fuzzy picture of what they would like the country to believe, that President Trump used the full force of his office to pursue a political end. Yet what they have not been able to do is close the deal. They have not been able to establish that any of their beliefs are facts, that any of their dreams are realities. And it is not going to get any easier.

Nancy Pelosi has consistently promised that she would not pursue impeachment absent clear and overwhelming bipartisan support. With all Members of Congress able to review the transcripts of the closed-door testimony, as well as consider any other evidence thus far collected, Democrats have failed to sway even a single Republican vote, not to mention move the needle with the general public. That is not a good sign considering that Democrats have held all of the cards and controlled all of the optics thus far.

Now, open, public hearings are to commence. Still under the control of Adam Schiff, yet televised to an entire nation. Now, the general public will see a cross-examination of witnesses. The public will hear “my opinion” nearly as often as they have heard “quid pro quo.” The pubic will hear “I learned secondhand” at least as much as they have heard a compliant media say, “witnesses have confirmed.” Perhaps most importantly, the country will witness every single time Adam Schiff overrules a Republican question or request to call a witness to refute the narrative. In short, even though Schiff and the Democrats will still have an iron clad grip on the process, their unfettered control of the optics and narrative will fade, along with any hope of bipartisan support – public or Congressional. Their one-sidedness will be exposed for all to see.

The question then becomes, after failing to garner any Republican support, or to bring the public along on their quest, would the Democrats still move towards a formal impeachment? They will undoubtedly be able to muster the 218 votes in the House, but where would that leave them? The matter must, Constitutionally, move to the Senate, where impeachment minded Democrats are not in control. A Senate where a formal impeachment trial would generate considerably more national attention than the House hearings. A Senate where each and every witness Adam Schiff declined to call will be compelled to testify. A Senate where dreams of President Trump’s removal may be dead on arrival, but a very public acquittal and exoneration would surely ensue.

To be sure, an acquittal in the Senate will mean more than just the avoidance of removal for the president. It will be an enormous campaign ad on the largest possible stage. It will prove to be the culmination of a pointless three-year crusade to oust a president and overturn an election. It will come as six U.S Senators vying for the Democratic nomination will have to stand and cast a vote. And it will all come in an election year. Anyone who doubts Mitch McConnell’s ability to play the long game in an election year need only look to Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

When all of this impeachment hysteria has at last come to a close, when the last gasps of 2016 denial have finally subsided, Adam Schiff and the Democrats can attempt to answer the next great question: What have you been doing for the past three years? The impeachment distraction has provided a rather tenuous excuse for doing nothing else. Nothing in terms of working with the president. Prescription drugs, USMCA, and illegal immigration have sat undisturbed on the sidelines while they have recklessly pursued an undemocratic fantasy. The kickoff to an election season is probably the single worst time to have to answer for that. Beginning with the impeachment hearings the Democrats are in serious trouble, but they’re too deeply invested to turn back now. Any way forward, they lose.

[outofsalt]

Spell check would not have caught, “pubic”. An editor was needed.

[Maris Crane]

It boils down to what we, here on Free Republic, have said many, many times...that the dims ACCUSE US OF DOING WHAT THEY ARE, IN FACT, DOING.

They claim President Trump “demands, bribes, threatens the Ukraine government about the Hunter/Burisma affair.

In reality, they are holding meetings, with Ciaramella hosting, at the WHITE HOUSE with the sole purpose of “demanding, bribing, and threatening” the Ukraines about the Hunter/Burisma affair.

It staggers the imagination.

[PLOM...NOT!]

I do hope Adam “Henny Penny” Schiff ends up having to hide his face in shame and is never allowed out in public again.

[lurk]

The impeachment effort will end by hitting a brick wall in the Senate. But there will be many low info voters convinced of Trump’s guilt, as they were with the slanders of the Kavanaugh hearings.

[1Old Pro]

Beginning with the impeachment hearings the Democrats are in serious trouble, but they’re too deeply invested to turn back now. Any way forward, they lose.

I agree with only one caveat, the GOP needs to man up and do their job well.

[lurk]

The dem presidential candidates in the Senate should recuse themselves.

[stonehouse01]

“...turn their TV’s OFF”.

Agree! I would not even consider watching this circus.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

If there's one thing we can rely on, it's that the Democrats will overplay their hand. We saw it with the Kavanaugh hearings,and then with the Mueller testimony.

Once again, the Democrats brains are so warped with derangement that they have no way of looking at things with a rational point of view. They truly believe they see an illegal quid pro quo, when everyone else sees a partisan interpretation that doesn't match the facts.

Get ready for another Democrat crash and burn. It won't stop them, though, because the media will carry them once again.

[Verginius Rufus]

I hope this backfires the way that Sen. McCarthy's televised Army hearings backfired on him. Schiff has the media on his side but that may not be enough.

Kevin McCarthy on "Fox & Friends" this morning was talking about how Schiff has threatened anyone who mentions the whistleblower's name, but since he is the only one who knows for certain the whistleblower's identity, that could mean that the Republicans can't mention anyone's name--how do they know it isn't the name of the whistleblower?

[kabar]

The Dems are counting on Trump being roughed up prior to the election. They will select bits from the public hearings in their campaign ads. And they will have stained Trump as being an impeached President.

We have never had an elected President impeached in his first term. Andrew Johnson was not elected President. Nixon (never formally impeached) and Clinton were in their second terms. In essence, the Dems are trying to influence the 2020 elections with their phony impeachment proceedings.

Beyond the politics of the moment, this is a serious constitutional issue involving the powers of the Executive and Legislative branches of government. Is Congress moving towards a parliamentary form of government where the legislative branch can nullify the election of a President by the people? It is worth noting that since 1970 there have been three impeachment efforts against the Presidency. In the almost two hundred years prior to that, there was one.

[boilerfan]

Better yet, they will be forced to make a public vote to remove with no evidence at all of wrong doing which will show that no Democrat can be trusted to be reasonable ever.

This will be the biggest Campaign Add generator in history to see the Dems vote to impeach and remove a duly elected President because they don’t like him, period.

[lodi90]

I disagree. I want each and every “witness” the DemoKKKrats called in their super-secret “hearings” hauled up in front of the Senate and forced to testify.

---

Not so easy. Recall the Kavanaugh hearings. The Democrats will make every process excruciating and a Senate trial would drag out for months. The time to call coup operators to account in the Senate was last month. Now that the GOP Senate has refused we’re just in a waiting game while the Dems drag this out as far into 2020 as they can.

[lodi90]

If there’s one thing we can rely on, it’s that the Democrats will overplay their hand. We saw it with the Kavanaugh hearings,and then with the Mueller testimony.

---

I don’t see how the Dems overplayed their hand. They won the midterms and Mueller blocked a real investigation into the coup and jailed/bankrupted a bunch of Trump supporters. Both those look like big wins for Team Anti-America.

[stillfree?]

I think the republicans ( some) will give us several tasty beat downs of their esteemed colleagues.

[CIB-173RDABN]

It is my opinion removing President Trump from off is not (and never has been) the purpose of all these “investigations”.

The Democrats were so sure they were going to win they did not bother to cover up the crimes they and the Obama committed. With Hillary in charge no one would investigate the their crimes.

When President Trump was elected they knew one thing, they could not control him. So the plan was to make it so that he could not investigate their crimes and if he tried they would scream obstruction of justice or like in the case with Ukraine charge him with the crimes they have committed.

Since the President has not committed any (high crimes or misdemeanors) the Democrats are free to invent any they wish, and when one charge is pushed aside a new one is created. They can do this since the media is the propaganda arm of the Democrat party.

So will this tactic be used all the way up to the 2020 election? Yes if they could they will.

However, we do not the cards President Trump is holding. I have always said timing is everything and this President is a master of timing. He will begin playing his cards when the pot is big enough to bankrupt all of them.

At least that is my opinion.

[dartuser]

This sure would be a good day for the IG report to drop.

Would be cool if every witness the Dems plan to call was indicted.

[Getready]

Just say...” I do not know the “whistleblowers” name...but it could be anyone of the following”....then name off about 4 or 5 names including the real whistleblowers name...”could” is not an accusation. Use peter strzock...or Lisa page...or blase ford...vindman...said...etc..as possible WB.

[usconservative]

Not so easy. Recall the Kavanaugh hearings. The Democrats will make every process excruciating

How did that work out for the Democrats? Not well based on several of the women I work with who HATE President Trump and yet saw a good man (Kavanaugh) get trashed relentlessly using baseless and unverified statements.

NONE of them liked what they saw then. They're in my age group and they all have sons. Their opinion of the Democrats was if they can do that to a Judge, what will they do to their sons and husbands?

I think you under-estimate the impact the Kavanaugh hearings had... my own opinion and limited experience of course.

[DoughtyOne]

.
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So Mr. Witness, we have been told you have the goods on Trump. Could you please tell us what you know?
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Well yes, but first I want you to know I have been very troubled by this. It has been a heavy load on my shoulders. My whole family has been affected by the pressure for me to testify. I am sure the president’s henchmen are waiting to pounce.
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Mr. Witness, as a democRat Congressman I can assure you we’ll take care of you.
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Thank you.
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So please tell us what you know.
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Just seven short weeks ago I was talking to my Barber, and during our conversation I learned of something that could result in President Trump being kicked out of office.
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Please continue...
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My barber’s third cousin has a friend whose uncle knows an auto mechanic whose wife’s boyfriend’s son’s ballet teacher’s aunt had consulted with a Caribbean psychic’s massage therapist.
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That therapist told her she also services a certain congressman in Washington, D. C. That congressman told her this top secret information, with the instruction to never tell anyone.
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On March 17th, 2017, he was invited to the White House for an event. He attended. In a room filled with 128 people, he sat half way from the front.
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You can verify Trump was there.
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About the seven minute point in Trump’s comments that day, it became evident to him that someone had passed gas. It seemed like it wasn’t someone near him, but who can really know those things.
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Still, there were 128 people in the room and one of them was Trump. Everyone knows how crass he is. He states Trump was likely the person who did it.
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Further, he states the odds were 1 in 128. Everyone else there had impeccable character. It had to be him.
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Ah thank you Mr. Witness. It’s good citizens like you with an obvious dedication to your civic duty, that make this nation great.
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Nothing further Mr. Chairman. These grave charges reflect what an incompetent evil fool we have for a president. He must be impeached and convicted, removed from office. I yield back the remainder of my time.

[Missouri gal]

There are a thousand reasons that Eric Ciaramella’s name should come up early and often in this farce. He doesn't have to be called “whistleblower.” Just refer to him in his prior roles in Ukraine business. So Schiff threatens pubbies with ethics charges? I would answer, “Just add it to the list, Mr. Chairman. I could never equal your ethics violations, if I tried.”