Briar Patch

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why the House Democrats would have brought such a partisan, slap-dash attempt at impeachment to the Senate. Why would they have made it such a point to insist that the president’s request to Ukraine to investigate Burisma and Hunter Biden was an attempt to handicap his (potential, they never say) political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden? On the surface, that appears to be a tactical blunder of amazing proportions, especially given the devastating presentation of Pam Bondi regarding the substance of the corruption allegations in response.

It strikes me as a modern day retelling of Br’er Rabbit and the Briar Patch.

Despite early polling showing Mr. Biden as the national front-runner, the Democrats have to know that he is … somewhat past his prime, to put it as kindly as possible. While on the campaign trail this time around, he has flip-flopped on several of his earlier opinions and is obviously pandering to various groups of voters to encourage their support for his campaign. Nothing new there for almost any politician.

But Joe is dragging a ton of baggage as pointed out in the recent impeachment proceedings and the Democratic strategists have to know that the Trump team will exploit that to a massive electoral college victory. The media could provide some cover, but I doubt if that would be enough to convince enough Americans that Mr. Biden (now) has only their best interests at heart.

Additionally, Senator Graham has promised an investigation into the former Vice President and his son and their dealings with foreign countries and foreign companies. Whether or not that happens, and the timing of it if it does, remain to be seen. Again, why would the Democrats open themselves and their potential candidate to that degree of scrutiny?

Could it be that they know, or at least suspect, that Mr. Biden would be unsuccessful in a run against Mr. Trump – who according to some in their party “Must be removed at all costs in order to save our democracy”? And, at the same time, waiting in the wings, campaigning from the sidelines at the moment, and more importantly “feeling the urge”, is Hillary Clinton? Is that the briar patch play here?

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It would appear that I am not the only one whose breadcrumbs led to the same – or at least a similar – trail. See the op-ed by Douglass MacKinnon over on The Hill

and another – (not that I think that Bannon is infallible… but he is sometimes not wrong)

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