In a photo taken Wednesday, June 21, 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs after a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russian meddling in the election and possible connection to the Trump campaign, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The media and Democrats are currently in the process of hyping up Robert Mueller’s coming testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. He will appear on Wednesday morning to answer questions about his report, which has already been shown to be suspect at best.

As has happened so many times over the last few years, we are being assured that this is finally it. Robert Mueller is going to lay bare that Donald Trump is a criminal, colluded with the Russians, and should be charged with obstruction of justice.

This week Mueller will testify and say:

1. Trump committed numerous crimes
2. Trump’s team conspired with Russia
3. Trump obstructed justice
4. Trump should be indicted#MuellerIsComing

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 20, 2019

Trump’s freaking out, because he knows his impeachment trial is coming. He knows the Mueller Report is never going away. He knows he’s committed other crimes on top of obstruction and conspiring with Russia. He should resign then face trial. Retweet if you agree. #MuellerIsComing

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 20, 2019

Trump knows #MuellerIsComing pic.twitter.com/p5MLf7zcrl

— Peace Is Active (@peaceisactive) July 20, 2019

#MuellerIsComing and it can't come soon enough pic.twitter.com/EBAcpkrAIc

— Curlytopqt❤ (@curlytopqt69) July 20, 2019

If you’re still on the fence about why we need an #ImpeachmentInquiryNow then watch this video. #MuellerIsComing pic.twitter.com/ZkjGtu1zgX

— Ryan Knight 🌹 (@ProudSocialist) July 20, 2019

Are we really doing this again?

The above list posted by Scott Dworkin is pure delusion. If Mueller were to do even one of those things, he’d show himself to be a liar and his report to be irrelevant. His report clearly did not charge that the president committed any crimes. It also established absolutely no conspiracy between Trump campaign officials (or himself) and the Russian government. On obstruction, even as Mueller’s report showed itself to be massaged with false framing to create that impression, the special counsel still did not arrive at a conclusion of a crime there. The idea that Mueller, after failing to recommend indictments in his actual report, will now do that for Jerry Nadler is asinine on its face.

In a phrase, none of this makes any sense.

In fact, we know what Mueller is going to say because he’s already told us what he’s going to say. Take this line from a hand wringing NBC News editorial worrying that Democrats are about to sabotage their impeachment case.

However, Mueller’s stated position that he will not testify to anything beyond what is contained in his written report injects serious risk to the success of the Democrats’ strategy. “There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report,” Mueller said on May 29.

Known as a man of his word, Mueller is unlikely to budge from that limitation.

Democrats on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees may — and, in fact, almost certainly would — nonetheless ask Mueller open-ended questions in the hopes that the normally-taciturn witness would give quote-worthy narrative answers laying out a case against President Trump for obstruction of justice. That outcome is unlikely.

While that article boils down to partisan concern wrapped in analysis, it’s not actually wrong. Democrats have almost nothing to gain from Mueller testifying and everything to lose. He is not going to say anything outside the bounds of his report because to do so would show him to be a partisan actor and invalidate the report itself.

So why do it? Because they’ve got nothing else. This is their Hail Mary from the 50 yard line with five seconds left. The hope is that some intrepid Congressional member can trap Mueller and force him to say something he hasn’t said before. To be frank, given the lack of intellectual heft we’ve seen from Jerry Nadler’s committee before, the chances of that approach zero.

In the end, Mueller’s testimony is going to be a dud. It’ll offer nothing new and disappointment will come crashing down onto the heads of the #resistance yet again. Just last week, the SDNY crushed one of their last great hopes by closing their case involving Michael Cohen and campaign finance violations. For years, we’d be assured the real fight was in the SDNY and that they’d certainly take down Trump. Nope.

It’s all just getting pathetic at this point. There’s an election in a little over a year now. These people would be far better served to put their energy into that contest rather than continuing to flail about, desperately hoping that the heavens open and lightening strikes from above.

I’ve got a new twitter! Please help by following @bonchieredstate.