Though the “bombshell” New York Times hit piece against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has collapsed under the weight of its own deliberate omissions, that hasn’t stopped some impeachment-happy Democrats from demanding a formal impeachment inquiry.

But while the discredited report hasn’t prevented opportunistic Squad members and Democratic presidential candidates like Sen. Kamala Harris from hitting the gas on the Impeach Kavanaugh bus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a giant red “STOP” sign in hand – and is already using it:

House Democratic leaders and rank-and-file members are dismissing calls to impeach Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, with some arguing the House has limited investigative resources and others saying it is a politically toxic issue.

Asked on Tuesday night if she sees the House spending any time on the Kavanaugh matter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded with a simple “no.”

Pelosi didn’t elaborate, but other House Democrats boiled it down to fears a Kavanaugh impeachment show trial could hurt them in 2020:

Rep. Katie Hill, a California freshman, said she believes talk of impeachment could hurt Democrats on the campaign trail.
[…]
“… I know that this is not the issue that we want to be talking about just in terms of election,” she added. “I would like us to be able to just do what’s right, but I know that for many of my colleagues, it’s a really, really tough one.”
[…]
Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Cartwright also said his party should not prioritize the issue.

“Democrats are focused on the bread and butter, kitchen table issues facing ordinary Americans,” he told CNN.

Meanwhile, Politico reports on the “impeachment schism” that has grown between Pelosi and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler over the committee’s slow Trump impeachment waltz:

In a closed-door meeting last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stunned lawmakers and aides with a swipe at Democratic staff on the House Judiciary Committee.

Pelosi criticized the panel’s handling of impeachment in harsh terms, complaining committee aides have advanced the push for ousting President Donald Trump far beyond where the House Democratic Caucus stands. Democrats simply don’t have the votes on the floor to impeach Trump, Pelosi said.

“And you can feel free to leak this,” Pelosi added, according to multiple people in the room. Pelosi’s office declined to comment on the meeting.

Politico Playbook reported this morning that Democrats are far short of the votes they would need in the House to be able to impeach Trump. According to Democratic insiders they’ve talked to, 175 Democrats would vote today to impeach Trump if the issue came before the floor. That’s 43 short of the 218 needed.

So Pelosi is right to be concerned about how it would look for members if they tried and failed to impeach Trump in the middle of a crucial election cycle after months of Democrats like Nadler and AOC screaming “IMPEACH!”

They don’t have the votes now. They won’t have the votes later. Not for a Kavanaugh impeachment nor a Trump impeachment. Pelosi knows it.

(Hat tip: Ed Morrissey)

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— Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter. –