ANDREW C. MCCARTHY @ The Hill:
There is no impeachment inquiry. There are no subpoenas.
You are not to be faulted if you think a formal inquest is under way and that legal process has been issued. The misimpression is completely understandable if you have been taking in media coverage — in particular, reporting on a haughty Sept. 27 letter from House Democrats, presuming to direct Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on pain of citation for obstruction, to cooperate in their demands to depose State Department officials and review various records.
The letter is signed by not one but three committee chairmen. Remember your elementary math, though: Zero is still zero even when multiplied by three.
What is portrayed as an “impeachment inquiry” is actually just a made-for-cable-TV political soap opera. The House of Representatives is not conducting a formal impeachment inquiry. To the contrary, congressional Democrats are conducting the 2020 political campaign.
The House has not voted as a body to authorize an impeachment inquiry. What we have are partisan theatrics, proceeding under the ipse dixit of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). It raises the profile, but not the legitimacy, of the same “impeachment inquiry” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) previously tried to abracadabra into being without a committee vote.
Moreover, there are no subpoenas. As Secretary Pompeo observed in his fittingly tart response on Tuesday, what the committee chairmen issued was merely a letter. Its huffing and puffing notwithstanding, the letter is nothing more than an informal request for voluntary cooperation. Legally, it has no compulsive power. If anything, it is rife with legal deficiencies.
The Democrats, of course, hope you don’t notice that the House is not conducting a formal impeachment inquiry. They are using the guise of frenetic activity by several standing committees — Intelligence, Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, Oversight and Reform, Financial Services, and Ways and Means — whose normal oversight functions are being gussied up to look like serious impeachment business.
But standing committees do have subpoena power, so why not use it? Well, because subpoenas get litigated in court when the people or agencies on the receiving end object. Democrats want to have an impeachment show — um, inquiry — on television; they do not want to defend its bona fides in court.
They certainly do not want to defend their letter. The Democrats’ media scribes note the chairmen’s admonition that any failure by Pompeo to comply “shall constitute evidence of obstruction of the House’s impeachment inquiry.” What a crock.
This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco,
This ain’t no fooling around
This ain’t no Mudd Club, or C. B. G. B.,
I ain’t got time for that now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jShMQw2H2cM
Outstanding article. Thank you for posting!
It’s public perception that counts, nothing else.
Ask that average man on the street if there is an impeachment inquiry going on and see what he says, that’s what public perception is.
ANDREW C. MCCARTHY for AG after Trumps 48 state landslide. 🙂
/Salute
Fortunately for the Democrat leadership, the Hollywood ho’s and the media talking heads would not know the difference between a partisan clown show and an actual impeachment inquiry. All that the Democrats care about is that they be seen flailing their arms and using “Trump” and “impeachment” in the same sentence. The fact that their base doesn’t really know what’s going on is not only immaterial – it is desirable.
It’s articles like this that allow me to come across as informed while trying to explain to them that it is all a show by the dems to throw spears while doing nothing for the country.
Very slowly I am convincing so many people to not listen to the MSM and read. Read and educate yourself. It is paying off. I am showing others the way to find the truth.
It would be nice if all of us could convince 5 voters to keep Trump in office and throw the useless bums in congress out. Both D’s and R’s.
This non-impeachment show is nothing but a clown car and the more I ridicule them the more I hear others clamoring for and end to this ridiculous waste of our tax money and a do nothing congress.
This is only going to hurt Pelosi and I hope she keeps it up.
I always ask those I am trying to sway, “is your 401 doing better now than it was 3 years ago? Are your children better off now and working than 3 years ago?”
If your quality of life has improved since DJT has been in office then lets continue to make America great.
Of course 2nd Amendment rights and showing them video’s of Antifa are always fun. People are amazed they don’t see it on T.V. and wonder why.
Impeachment by committee: how disappointing! No House vote for the record to begin? No one’s got any balls, eh?
Alrighty, then. Let’s get back to the main show: indictments against Russiagate conspiritors.
It would be nice if a justice from the High Court stepped forward and said:
“Produce the evidence or stop this unconstitutional BS right now, or all you buffoons are under arrest!
NPR today is referring to activity in this area “An Impeachment Inquiry”. So at least their listening audience is taking this as fact. I’d guess less than 5 out of 100 would know the ‘Inquiry’ has yet to be codified.
Pesky rules.
IT IS ABOUT IMPEACHMENT! But the reason, as Andy obliquely mentions in another post, it to get the choice of robe/bush cabal in Oct 16 to run and be elected in ’20!
The entire Bush Clan (all 8!) said VOTE CLINTON in oct 16! the GOP left is bringing her back!
Impeachment has mortally wounded the President’s party in the next election. Nixon then Dem; Clinton then GOP! Rove is lokin at 2020!