Thanks, Chairman Schiff
by tristero
Having watched both a significant amount of the Watergate hearings and about 2/3 of the public testimony this week, there is no doubt in my mind that Chairman Schiff performed an extraordinary public service. He was, in many ways, far more effective than Ervin or Rodino. The organization of the witnesses to tell a coherent narrative, the intense focus of the hearings on a single issue, the actual questioning by Schiff and Goldman — brilliant. The flow of the hearings was so seamless that it belied the immense amount of hard work it took to put these hearings together and keep them on track. And Schiff's summations were exemplary, both eloquent and and appropriately outraged.
It is surely the case, as Krugman writes this morning, that the GOP is too far out in La La Land to pay attention to the damage they are doing not only to the country but to themselves. But for anyone who is not a professional dissembler, Schiff's herculean efforts made it crystal clear that:
(1) Trump broke numerous laws re: Ukraine;
(2) The laws he broke were extremely serious;
(3) Trump's conduct, here and elsewhere, amounts to an egregious betrayal of his country; and
(4) Trump must be removed from office immediately.
For making the case against Trump so crystal clear, Adam Schiff, his staff, and the amazing people who risked their privacy and careers to appear, deserve our deep thanks.