By John Kass
Chicago Tribune (TNS)
When House Democrats began selling tickets to their President Donald Trump Impeachment Theater — shouting their outrage, preening on those late-night talk shows — it was much meatier business.
It would be full of collusion with Russia, blackmail of Ukraine. It would contain extortion and go heavy on bribery.
Americans were to expect some giant roast, bone in, with a rich, thick gravy, to feed a nation longing for justice from Orange Man Bad. At least that’s what Democrats promised. But that’s not what they delivered for consideration for a vote by the full House, was it?
What they offered weren’t High Crimes and Misdemeanors. They didn’t serve up alleged crimes. Instead, they offered only attitude and rhetoric, without meat and bone.
They promised everything and yet ended up providing nothing, like air sandwiches offered to feed that angry mob they’ve stoked since the day Trump infuriated them by not losing the election to Hillary Clinton.
So, where has the impeachment gone, the impeachment that was promised? Democrats ended up offering only two thin counts: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
But where were the serious crimes upon which to build a legitimate impeachment and convince Republicans to join them?
There are no crimes in this, only political arguments predicated on Trump’s great sin: He defeated Hillary with his 62 million deplorables, and the Democratic elites have hated him and them ever since.
The impeachment does accomplish two things. It drives independents to his side, even those who loathe his manner, his vulgarity and brutishness, because they see what the silkies of the left have done.
And it lowers the bar for impeachment, inviting some future Congress to impeach a president just because he defeated them.
Every president has been accused of abusing power. Consider Barack Obama, who promised to make his own laws when he felt like it, because, “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone.”
And the obstruction of Congress count? Every president has been accused of such by the opposition party in Congress.
Yet there was real abuse of power in this story, which starts in that debunked Russia-collusion fever dream and weaves into Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian president when he asked Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
Abuse of power happened when Democratic presidential candidate and then-Vice President Joe Biden was Obama’s point man in Ukraine.
Hunter was Joe Biden’s son, who received at least $50,000 a month from Burisma.
Per Obama, Joe Biden had
$1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees for Ukraine. But he demanded that the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating Burisma be fired.
“I said … I’m leaving in six hours,” Biden bragged on video. “If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money.’ Well, son of a b. He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.”
Quid. Pro. Quo.
So why were bribery and extortion removed from the Democrats’ articles of impeachment? Because Joe Biden is their presidential candidate. And discussing quid pro quo, or extortion or bribery, leads right to Joe and Hunter Biden.
As it shrinks in stature, the House Democrat impeachment is beginning to resemble those much-hyped products that you find, forgotten and dusty, in the “As Sold on TV” aisle in dreary discount stores.
ShamWow, Nancy Pelosi. Pull the Calming Comfort Blanket under your chin, Jerry Nadler.
Adam Schiff? Your easy-on Sock Slider is cheap at any price.
John Kass is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
