SCHIFF HAPPENS

I have a hat from Hagerty Insurance. Hagerty specializes in insuring classic and exotic cars. It has a logo showing a shift pattern and says shift happens. I think the same slogan, with a minor change in spelling, is appropriate today. The House Impeachment hearings are already a complete disaster.

Day one, Democrats called their two star witnesses. Both of them looked fairly impressive, in responding to leading questions from the DNC counsel, but were humiliated in cross examination. If anything, they made a strong case regarding why Joe and Hunter Biden needed to be investigated. In addition, when Ratcliffe asked them if the President had committed any crime worthy of impeachment, they were both absolutely speechless.

This is so bad even CNN is starting to back off. Wolf Blitzer was reduced to trying to show Kelly Ann Conway videos of her husband bad mouthing Trump on another network. She ate his lunch. She made Blitzer look ridiculous. She told him she was embarrassed for him and she was right. It was beyond bad.

Yesterday Kevin McCarthy was speaking to reporters when MSNBC report Garrett Haake said this:

“You just asserted that several Republicans did yesterday at the hearing – Adam Schiff either personally met with the whistleblower or knows the identity of the whistleblower, which he continues to deny. Can you just say it plainly? Do you think him lying?”

McCarthy said: “Yes, and I don’t think it’s the first time he’s liked to us either.”

The gloves are off regarding Adam Schiff. Republicans are not playing the game anymore. Who knows where this will end, but right now the Republicans are the ones who act like they smell blood in the water.

Republicans are thrilled with the performance by Adam Schiff. This is so bad the RNC would probably consider sponsoring the broadcast of these hearings. If there are any smart Democrats left, they have to be appalled. A lot of them are probably dreaming of ways in which Schiff could gracefully exit stage right. He would be wise to consider what happened to Jeffrey Epstein and take heed.

We can summarize the hearings this way. Democrats have done a good job of giving people who already hate Trump a reason to hate him more. They have managed to make Yovanovitch look sympathetic. But they have not come close to providing any evidence of Trump being guilty of a crime. Being a rude bully, yes. Being guilty of a crime, not even close.

In addition, Schiff has been absolutely hammered. He routinely cuts off Republicans from asking questions and fawns over Democrats. The problem is not that he does this, but that he is so obvious. He clearly is trying to micro-manage this hearing and is failing.

Ultimately the big loser is Joe Biden, because even Yovanovitch helped make the case regarding why Joe and Hunter Biden needed to be investigated. She also made the case that it was Trump, not Obama, who actually helped Ukraine.

The bottom line is that Trump looks like Trump. Those who hate him, will hate him more. Those who love him will love him more. There is no chance that he will be impeached and removed from office.

It should also be pointed out that this is the high point of the hearings for Democrats. It can only go downhill from here. Combine that with the very real possibility of the IG report being released and some people being indicted and it is hard to see this helping Democrats.

At best, Democrats have put their full hatred of Donald Trump on display. It is easy to understand, but what they have not done is make a case for impeachment. Instead, they have once again demonstrated that Trump continues to control the agenda, every day, on every subject. I have a saying on my desk: “The size of the person is directly proportionate to the size of the person or thing that makes them angry.” In their attempt to destroy Donald Trump, at best Democrats have done nothing more than prove they are no bigger than him.

In the meantime, while this hot mess is going on, the fourteen thousand candidates for the DNC are desperately trying to get a word in edgewise. It is hard to imagine anything that would do more harm to Democratic changes to win the 2020 election. The DNC is desperately left with a choice between Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. No one, in either party, really thinks these people can possibly beat Trump. That is why Michael Bloomberg and now Deval Patrick are entering the race. It is why Hillary Clinton is waiting desperately in the wings.

Democrats were already in deep trouble. Then Schiff happened and it is now going rapidly downhill.

TDM