In his opening statement Wednesday, Adam Schiff proclaimed that his impeachment show was about the survival of the American republic itself. Rep. Jim Jordan interrupted to ask when the committee would vote on the ability to address the vaunted âwhistleblower,â known only to Schiff.
âThatâs a false statement,â the intel committee boss said. âI do not know the identity of the whistleblower.â Viewers could note that Schiff was not under oath, and wonder what factual statements the Burbank Democrat might make.
Ranking Republican Devin Nunes described the hearing as a âtelevised theatrical performance.â The witnesses had âpassed star chamber auditionsâ and been cast in a âlow-rentâ Ukrainian sequel to the Russia probe that smeared Trump as a Russian agent. The whole show was an âimpeachment process in search of crime,â and Schiffâs first witness confirmed Nunesâ advance review.
George Kent bears some resemblance to actor Martin Sheen, but as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Kent is hardly a heavy hitter. Still, he touted his illustrious family and even dropped the name of Roger Staubach. As Kent testified, the brave Ukrainians were the equivalent of our own Minutemen, and American aid was an echo of French aid to the United States during the Revolution.
Impeachment players Vindman, Hill, Yvanovich and all were the heirs of Brzezinski and Kissinger, who âfled Nazi and Communist oppression.â For Kent, Hunter Bidenâs presence on the board of Burisma was a âperception of conflict of interest.â Kent was concerned that the USA not ask for prosecutions that âundermine the rule of lawâ or conduct âpolitically motivated investigations.â Later in his testimony, Kent conceded that U.S. aid, including security assistance, is always conditional.