Whether we’re talking about the President Trump/Russia “collusion” hoax or the current impeachment drama involving allegations of “quid pro quo” against Trump regarding his July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Republicans have long argued that the process Democrats were using to go about getting Trump thrown out of office was deeply flawed and partisan in the extreme.
They’ve also banged the drum about how Democratic “clown show” tactics to date have gone against the precedent set during the impeachment probes involving Presidents Richard Nixon (R) and Bill Clinton (D) respectively.
As it turns out, a man who the New York Times described in 2018 as “arguably…the nation’s leading impeachment lawyer” largely agrees with them.
Ross Garber, an adjunct professor at Tulane Law School where he teaches about political investigations and impeachment law, wrote in a series of tweets over the weekend that the current impeachment road both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intel Committee Chair Adam Schiff were on is a “path to disaster” for the Democratic party going into 2020.
Here’s what he said:
An impeachment process that is perceived as partisan is a win for Trump.
Pelosi, Schiff and their surrogates need to appeal to moderate Rs. But they are still preaching to the converted.
That’s a path to disaster for them.— Ross Garber (@rossgarber) November 3, 2019
When asked how Democrats could make impeachment “appealing” beyond their base voters, here’s how Garber answered:
Genuine Q: how do they make that appeal?
— Pret L’Etranger (@PretEtranger) November 3, 2019
Naturally, because he was critical of the process Democrats were using, liberals lined up to criticize Garber’s comments, including Marie Claire magazine contributing editor Karen Schwartz:
LOL Ross if GOP wants to hang the lack of bipartisan comity on Pelosi they better start reigning in the guy who just stood in front of the WH and threatened to shut down the govt over impeachment. Also maybe build a time machine? Are there any leftover DeLoreans?
— Karen Schwartz (@pithywidow) November 3, 2019
Instead of arguing with her, he simply restated his original point, but reframed it, and then pointed out in a later tweet that the appearance Schiff and Co. are giving off with their antics will do them no favors:
My point is Trump and Rs will benefit from perception of partisanship regardless of who actually caused it. So Pelosi can’t lose opportunities to demonstrate that the impeachment inquiry isn’t a partisan hit. Last week’s vote (and one-sided process) was a huge miss.
— Ross Garber (@rossgarber) November 3, 2019
My experience. And Clinton/Gingrich example. Ads write themselves. Impeachment is extreme and disruptive. Little (or nothing) else gets done legislatively. Process controlled by Ds.
— Ross Garber (@rossgarber) November 3, 2019
Garber, a CNN legal analyst, doesn’t come off as a partisan gunslinger, in spite of representing four Republican governors who have faced the possibility of impeachment, including former South Carolina Governor/U.S. House Rep. Mark Sanford. So his opinions on the left’s current drive to oust Trump in the weeks/months ahead will be worth paying attention to.
Via RedState
