Thread by @JewhadiTM

The Congressman Who Cried Wolf

If the Democrats were serious, @RepAdamSchiff would not be their face on impeachment. spectator.org/the-congressma…

When Geraldo Rivera found neither a treasure chest nor skeletal remains in Al Capone’s vault, he did not dare tease an encore special promising to surface the Titanic or interview D. B. Cooper.

Schiff possesses none of Rivera’s humility. He failed to substantiate loud (and oft repeated) claims of “direct,” “significant,” “clear,” and “ample” evidence of Trump colluding with Russians to steal the presidency.

Now Schiff is following up by accusing the president of forcing a foreign government to “manufacture dirt” on a political opponent.

“I hear what you want. I have a favor I want from you, though, and I’m gonna say this only seven times, so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it — on this and on that.”

Why make up a story when a transcript, or at least notes that read as a transcript despite the disclaimers, exists?

Like Schiff, the whistleblower with “an arguable political bias” (the “arguable” seems arguable) based his complaint on hearsay, which predictably led to numerous, significant errors of fact.

A strong will to impeach the president abounds in the deep state and in the House of Representatives. Offenses leading to such a rash action do not. So, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee resorts to putting words into the president’s mouth.

This pattern started when @HillaryClinton refused to publicly concede on election night. Then her voters immediately protested … an election. Her votaries urged recounts and unfaithful electors.

A website, ImpeachDonaldTrumpNow, appeared immediately upon Trump taking the oath of office. @RepAlGreen cited Trump’s “racist comments” in criticizing members of the self-called Squad in drawing up an impeachment resolution voted down this summer.

.@RepCohen pointed to the Constitution’s emoluments clause in announcing plans to impeach the president two years ago. Others relied on the Russian conspiracy theory and the president’s refusal to publicize his tax returns. Now Democrats unite on Ukraine.

Maybe next week his stewardship of the Trump Shuttle, his role in the USFL’s demise, when he said “You’re fired!” to Michael for interrupting criticisms of Stephanie, or his less-than-cromulent neologism “cofveve” works as the ostensible reason for impeachment.

Ironically, all this followed near-universal condemnation — even in this column — of Donald Trump refusing to commit to accept the results of the election in 2016’s third presidential debate. “That is not the way our democracy works,” Clinton scolded during that UNLV debate.

“We’ve been around for 240 years. We’ve had free and fair elections. We’ve accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them, and that is what must be expected of anyone standing on a debate stage during a general election.”

Schiff seems the wrong messenger to carry the impeachment banner. He comes across as a hyperpartisan more comfortable talking on cable news than in the well of the House of Representatives.

What did he think he accomplished Thursday in interrupting and hectoring retired vice admiral and acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire?

Impeachment alienates the majority (57% oppose impeachment and only 37% support). It highlights the corruption of former VP Biden and the last Democratic administration.

It reorients public attention away from Democratic presidential candidates (as the Squad already did) by making Trump the center of everything.

And by mantra-like affirmations that Trump wins by cheating — not because Dems abandoned the working class, condescend to religious Americans, and “bigot” is the default response to anyone who disagrees — robs the party of the soul-searching that enables losers to become winners.

Most of all, an impeachment inquiry stands zero chance of resulting in the removal of the president and a high degree of certainty to energize the president’s supporters.

Schiff and other Democrats safely ensconced in districts where elections act as mere formalities mislead their party into enduring consequences that they themselves do not suffer.

The prominence of a conspiracy theorist prone to fantasy (redundant?) essentially running the impeachment inquiry hurts Democrats, not Trump.

In some versions of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” only the sheep get eaten. In others, the liar does, too.