I confess. For a variety of reasons (some obvious), I vowed to eschew the impeachment trial of President Trump. But, the political junkie that I am, I couldn’t resist.
Mind you, I managed to tune out much of yesterday’s legal wrangling over procedural resolutions. And thank God too, because that session droned on until 2 am this morning, which probably caused the senators who were forced to sit through it all to develop bunions on their butts.
But fate intervened today and I found myself alone with a TV remote control beckoning – the way I imagine a crack pipe beckons an addict. How could I resist? But nothing vindicated my relapse quite like finding that every major channel was airing the opening statements live. Clearly, it was meant to be …
Rep. Adam Schiff is the lead manager for the House Democrats who are prosecuting the case against Trump. Suffice it to know that I just finished watching him deliver a two-hour tour de force of legal argumentation, investigative distillation, and moral suasion.
I have seen many lawyers deliver opening statements. But, trust me, Hollywood could not have scripted a more gripping presentation. And I assert this with all due respect to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Perry Mason. But it speaks volumes that the only lawyers I could imagine giving me the high I felt watching Schiff are fictional ones.
Still, I feel obliged to give Schiff’s presentation the real-life allusion it deserves. This is why I’m hailing him as a cross between Clarence Darrow and Eliot Ness, the most famous lawyer and detective of the 20th century, respectively.
If you missed it, I urge you to google his opening statement and watch. Schiff laid out more than enough undisputed facts to compel any fair-minded senator to convict and remove Trump from office. And he did it with such thrilling ease, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching the best actor of our time regale you with the best (crime) story ever told.
That said, I fully appreciate the prevailing view that the fix is in for Republicans to acquit Trump. Indeed, you’d be forgiven the suspicion that, even if Schiff were Christ incarnate, he would still be unable to break the cult-like loyalty Republicans show their two-legged golden calf.
But I’m on record expressing the contrarian view that pangs of conscience might still move them to convict; or that it might finally dawn on them that this is the last best opportunity to rescue their party from Trump. Either way, Schiff’s persuasive presentation gave them more than enough inspiration to show profiles in courage.
Hail, Schiff!
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