It is an old saying that has constantly proven true, especially in politics: Desperate people do desperate things. Following House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's announcement on Tuesday that the House would be officially launching an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, Republicans surely must have seen this coming. Democrats are fully prepared to play dirty when it comes to a possible impeachment of one of their own, and one of their staunchest allies has all but announced it. David Brock is a longtime Democrat operative. He stated on Thursday that he would be launching his own investigation into family members of Republican lawmakers, searching for any instances where they may have benefited from that member's position.

David Brock tells @tarapalmeri he is readying an oppo dump targeting the family members of Republicans who are investigating Biden’s son. “Gloves are off,” says Brock. “Families are on.” https://t.co/3kJnLJtYd3

— Puck (@PuckNews) September 9, 2023

Brock was a conservative freelance reporter in the 1990s but followed in the footsteps of others like Nicolle Wallace and former Republican Congressman from Florida Joe Scarborough, who also claimed to be Republicans during that time. He became a Democrat, going on to found such left-wing groups as Media Matters for America and American Bridge 21st Century. Brock has been a fixture in Democrat circles for 20 years or more. But as is often the case, the converts are more zealous than the originals. Neera Tanden, former President of the Center for American Progress and now a Biden aide, once described Brock as "bats**t crazy." When even the most left of those in the Biden White House White House portray someone in that way, you know it's bad.

Now David Brock, Democrat operative, begins a RETALIATION lawfare campaign against Republican lawmaker family members. Unequivocally states “Gloves are off, families are on. We’ve been looking into how the children of those same members may have benefited from their parents’…

— cAmi (@imapotatoOCJ) September 14, 2023

But Brock has decided to make punishing Republicans his personal mission and has made no bones about what he is doing, saying, "Gloves are off, families are on." He explained: 

We’ve been looking into how the children of those same members may have benefited from their parents’ position. We’re not shy about going after the members.

A spokesman for Facts First USA ironically stated: 

This work has been ongoing, and we will soon have more to share publicly about a key member of Republican leadership whose family has gotten multiple jobs from their Congressional donors. If people want to investigate the Biden family, then what's good for the goose is good for gander. But no one should feel intimidated if they aren't doing anything improper.

If you believe the Bidens are being unfairly targeted, why do you need to investigate Republican family members? But the complete and total lack of self-awareness appeared to be lost on Brock and his associates. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) had a perfect response to Brock's activities, saying:

Nothing says desperation like threatening to sic a smear merchant on innocent families. This is all you need to know about how worried Democrats and the White House are about having to answer for Joe Biden’s culture of corruption.

Congressman Issa rightly pointed out what the mindset of Democrats appears to be, and Brock's pursuits seem to fit right in with the Democrat playbook. The White House has set up what it is calling a "war room" to deal with the impeachment inquiry and has brought on dozens of lawyers, legislative assistants, and communications staff. Again, why all of this for an innocent President?

But even before David Brock and his minions begin to target the families of Republican House members, Democrats have insisted that the impeachment inquiry is "illegitimate."  House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the inquiry as an "illegitimate impeachment inquiry." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also called the inquiry "illegitimate," and in still more irony, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called it a "witch hunt." 

The official line is that Brock is assisting the White House with "counter-messaging" related to the inquiry. But perhaps if Democrats really want to play hardball, Republicans should take them up on it. It could be a move that is more respected than maligned. 

The old saying, "If you're getting the flak you must be over the target." Now comes the dirt from the #Democrat opatives like vicious David Brock.

House GOP fires back at 'smear merchant' Dem operative targeting families of lawmakers investigating Bidenshttps://t.co/MSJXIWzQVf

— Mark Winters (@MarkWin0420) September 14, 2023