House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) said on Thursday that he doesn’t plan on issuing a subpoena for former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s testimony.
He will not respond to a House subpoena, citing executive privilege or some other such crap anyway. Let the Senate farce proceed without calling him and then make the purple state Repukes pay the price in 2020.
Schiff is the parent that takes away your car keys and grounds you for poor grades, yet somehow every Saturday night there you are, out on the town partying with your friends.
Well I guess there is nothing to see there.
But but but… if we’re doing this “rationally” we’ll admit that he’ll never be asked to testify in the Senate trial, so the House is the only shot. Sheesh.
GOP senators don’t seem eager to hear from the former national security adviser
The truth is Trump did it. He committed a major crime, tried to cover it up, and has obstructed the investigation of it.
If the truth comes out fully, Republicans would have to remove him.
Hard disagree. Schiff (and Pelosi) have been absolutely masterful at avoiding bogging-down in GOP-generated process battles and distractions. "You don’t want to come and testify, former Secretary? OK, no problem. Let’s see what everyone else has to say, on- and off-camera, in their various plea deals, about your involvement.
“We’ll talk again.”
I can’t believe the number of armchair prosecutors who presume that they know better than Schiff, an actual prosecutor who is actually read-in on the actual closed-hearings material and is actually leading an investigation, how to handle this constitutional crisis.
And that’s a perfect field goal from 55 yards out answer if there ever was.
Schiff has not prosecuted a crime in nearly 25 years. And what he’s “prosecuting” now is not a transgression subject to criminal law, it is a political exercise. Everyone presumes because he was a successful prosecutor back in the 90’s that somehow that skill set transfers to political matters. Maybe it does, maybe not. But I see scant evidence he’s procured the most valuable, most impactful evidence and testimony to date supporting his assigned task. Sure, Trump has stonewalled him. Maybe behind the scenes Schiff is a veritable wolverine flaying a rabbit in pursuit of his goals. But what the public sees is a bit too collegial for my taste.
Two words to keep repeating:
Fair. Trial.
And then hammer away when it’s not.
“There’s little to be gained by having him testify separately and then have the Senate get the stale records,” he continued. “If we’re doing this rationally and we’re trying to achieve a fair trial, he should testify before the Senate.”
What is to be gained is having his testimony on the public record. As it seems likely that McConnell won’t have him testify, House testimony may be the only chance.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I still don’t understand why at least asking him and having him refuse, and listening to his extremely lame and hypocritical response, would hurt. At least issue a subpoena.
Exactly! Get another headline about Trump obstructing.
Well, there is his forth coming book…
That’s fine until the Senate actually makes it official that there won’t be witnesses. The Subpoenas in the House should go out that same day.
Honorable Adam Schiff is applying pressure to Moscow Mitch.
Bolton is the lead headline in the news cycle for testimony. Harder for Moscow to say no when the news headlines say yes he should.
Maybe Schiff, Pelosi, Nadler–and their investigative and legal staffers–are aware of and taking into account additional factors beyond individuals’ “taste.”
At least they are not as collegial as Joe Biden. THAT would be terrible 
A mistake. I have great respect for Schiff, but I think the House should have held the door open for additional evidence, even voting for reconsideration of Art. I of the impeachment if necessary. The subpoena Bolton. There is no reason for him to avoid a House subpoena having said he’ll comply with a Senate one.
Part of my purpose is to string out the trial so that Trump is still under the threat of impeachment at the time of the SOTU, on Feb. 4. See how unhinged he is. If he’s acquitted before then, the speech will be an even more extreme example of the orgy of self-congratulation we’ve seen before.
I say call Bolton to the House. It allows for there to be more time to extend this before the fake trial in the senate. I want Trump to do his annual address feb 4 without the faux acquittal.