Nov 11, 2019
I took some time recently trying to wrap my head around the impeachment discussion related to the "whistleblower." I put that in quotes because I am still trying to understand how someone with no first-hand knowledge of a situation can possibly weigh-in on any wrongdoing? As we discover more, we are starting to see a similar pattern emerge that once surrounded the Mueller investigation. Information was planted, someone makes an accusation based on that information, senior officials are contacted and an investigation is launched. The headlines get written based on bits and pieces of the whole. More often than not, what gets leaked to the media ends up getting watered down, massaged, walked back or retracted over time. New information comes to light and it helps to fill the gaps.
As of this moment, the whistle blower seems to have strong ties to the prior administration, specifically Vice President Joe Biden. He was hand-picked by for CIA Director John Brennan. He had been in the White House and was allegedly removed as a possible source of the many media leaks early in president Trump's term. He has been seen in pictures taken with high-level DNC members and is an avowed Democrat supporter. And, not surprisingly, he does not like Donald Trump. Add to this the lawyer representing him, Mark Zaid, started tweeting about the coup beginning within a week of the president's inauguration. Committee Chair Adam Schiff refuses to let any Republicans in on the initial hearings and has been caught on multiple occasions twisting, fabricating or cherry picking information leaked to the press.
And, let's keep in mind, there is no official impeachment charge as of yet. The word is used breathlessly by the talking heads nightly, but there are no formal articles of impeachment drafted for a House vote. So, what are we to make of all of this? What follows is my attempt to work my way through where we are today.