On Sunday, the Trump administration responded to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler’s invitation to partake in the Committee’s first impeachment hearing.

The reply: No thanks.

Jerry’d offered the invite on Friday — would the President be sending his lawyers to the December 4th hearing?

Additionally, in letters sent to the White House, he’d requested that Republicans provide a list of witnesses they want to subpoena.

On Tuesday, the following Nadler message reached 1600 Pennsylvania:

“I write to ask if — pursuant to H. Res. 660 and the relating Judiciary Committee Impeachment Inquiry procedures — you and your counsel plan to attend the hearing or make a request to question the witness panel.”

BREAKING: House Judiciary Cmte. announces that its first impeachment hearing in the next phase of the process will be held Dec. 4; chairman's letter invites President Trump and his counsel to attend the hearing. https://t.co/XN9soITpq0 pic.twitter.com/zQby8l00nz

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) November 26, 2019

The New York representative’s been at it for a long time, as per The Daily Caller:

In March, the House Judiciary chairman sent requests to 81 groups, people and organizations, searching for constitutional abuses and corruption by Trump. The New York representative said in March the requests for documents are to “begin investigations, to present the case to the American people about obstruction of justice, about corruption and abuse of power.”

Of course, the process will ultimately land in the hands of the Republican-run Senate, and — barring some kind of incredible gun smoking up Washington soon — it shouldn’t be hard to guess how that’ll go.

Steve Denning, senior contributor for Forbes, isn’t happy about it:

Sadly, there is no sign yet that Republican senators might be considering voting according to their consciences based on an honest assessment of the facts and the risk of the president continuing to seek or welcome further foreign interference in the 2020 election–the very misstep that the Founding Fathers held to be the quintessential impeachable offense.

…

Republicans may feel that, like the nobles in Andersen’s fairy tale, “The procession has got to go on” and hope–unrealistically–that no one notices or holds them accountable. As Republicans have already made so many accommodations to a lawless president, they may feel that one more will not make much difference. But if that does happen, the eye of history will not look kindly on their actions. The president is bound to go on messing with the 2020 election and committing more impeachable offenses.

Is that how “history” will view it? Not as Democrats trying to oust the President from day one via these and other means–

First it was Collusion🙄

When that failed

It became conspiracy🙄

When that failed

It became a cover-up🙄

When that failed

It became quid pro quo🙄

When that failed

It became bribery🙄

Etc etc. what’s next?

Democrats end the bullshit and do your damn jobs for a change!

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 15, 2019

Here’s my prediction: Just as with the Reagan and Clinton presidencies, Trump’s years in office will be framed according to one’s political preferences. And the argument will continue indefinitely.

What’s not indefinite is Trump’s interest in taking part in the hearings — It’s a definite No.

-ALEX

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