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Arcadia Weekly May 02, 2019
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Adam Schiff has been under extraordinary pressure as a result of his consistent belief that Trump has committed obstruction(s) of justice. – Photo by Terry Miller/Beacon Media News
Congressman Adam Schiff continues to confront Trump
By Terry Miller
Perhaps one of the best known names in politics, aside from our current POTUS, is that of U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff, D-Burbank; especially now, that the redacted Mueller Report is out.
Schiff has been in politics most of his life. So, it’s no surprise that Schiff maintains his well-honed, consistent grace- under-fire position when it comes to his critics.
In his position as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and the high-profile platform it provides; a recent appearance in New Hampshire produced more than a few raised eyebrows about a hypothetical run for president in 2020.
Co-hosted by the New England Council (NEC) and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIP) Schiff attended a breakfast there recently which is considered, by many, a compulsory campaign stop for virtually every major-party presidential candidate.
“I would never say never to something,” Schiff said at the time. “It’s fun coming up here, and I enjoy the idea that I might cause certain heads at Fox News to explode [if I ran.]” According to the L.A. Times, “it’s a horribly kept secret in Washington that Schiff is interested in a higher position. The question is what role that might be, and whether Schiff will risk his safe House seat to try for something bigger.”
Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Schiff completed a four-year term as State Senator for California’s 21st State Senate District, chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Juvenile Justice and the Joint Committee on the Arts. Before serving in the Legislature, Schiff served with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles for six years, most notably prosecuting the first FBI agent ever to be indicted for espionage.
Schiff now is the House Intelligence Committee Chairman and has, perhaps, been one of the most consistently vocal opponents of the President since the 2016 election.
However, lately the congressman has come under extensive condemnations, particularly from Trump himself, using the occasional expletive. During one such eruption, Trump called Rep. Schiff “Little Schitt” other Trump tweets refer to the lawmaker as “pencil neck” or “Sleazy Adam Schiff.”
After President Trump tweeted out his “Adam Schitt” besmirch, Rep. Schiff quipped: “Wow, Mr. President, that’s a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller’s questions, or did you write this one yourself?”
The relentless barrage of scathingly personal attacks against Rep. Schiff has not deterred the congressman from his beliefs, particularly regarding the content – or lack there-of – of the Mueller report.
“Regardless of whether the obstructive acts described by Mueller were criminal or whether the litany of illicit contacts with Russia rose to the level of conspiracy, they’re dishonest, unethical, and unpatriotic. Mueller’s report is not a vindication of Trump, but a condemnation,” Schiff said during a press conference held last week in Burbank regarding the Mueller report.
On CNN’s “State Of The Union” recently, Rep. Adam Schiff responded to comments from President Trump about the Democratic Party being an “anti-Jewish” party.
“I hate to even dignify those remarks, but look; it’s not the Democratic Party that believes that there are good people on both sides of a Nazi rally. There’s just one party and one party leader who believes that, and that’s Donald Trump,” Schiff said.
“If there’s anything that is likely to cement the relationship between the Democratic Party and the Jewish community, it’s the presidency of Donald Trump. The lack of character and values that are certainly inconsistent with Jewish values, I think, are only consolidating support in the Jewish community and I think the president needs to look inward when it comes to the rise of anti-Semitism in the country and his own actions and his own words and how that may fuel some of the rise in hate that we see.”
Last Saturday, the nation was again grieving after yet another attack on a house of worship when a gunman opened fire in a San Diego synagogue killing one and injuring three others. Lori Kaye, 60, jumped between the shooter and the rabbi. Kaye died a short time later.
In addition to Kaye, at least three others were wounded in the shooting Saturday at Congregation Chabad in Poway, north of San Diego. Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 57, had been shot in the hand when Kaye stepped between him and the gunman. The rabbi suffered what “looked like defensive wounds to both his index fingers,” a doctor at the Palomar Medical Center said.
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, referring to Republican attacks on Schiff, the House speaker on March 28 volunteered at her weekly meeting with reporters, “They’re afraid of the truth. They’re afraid of competence. They’re afraid of a leader who is recognized in our country for being calm, professional, patriotic. I’m so proud of the work of Chairman Adam Schiff, in stark contrast to the irresponsible, almost criminal behavior of the previous chair of the committee.” (Democrats allege that Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., worked with Trump to undercut investigations.)
In another media briefing, on Jan. 31, Pelosi paid Schiff the ultimate compliment: He was a worthy successor — to her.
“I’m very proud of Adam Schiff and the members of the Intelligence Committee,” Pelosi said, adding that she tracked his work “very closely” and noting that she was once in his slot.
Regardless of whether Congressman Schiff throws his hat into the murky presidential waters, one thing is undeniable: Adam Schiff will leave no stone unturned to get to the truth of the Mueller matter.
Referring to an overwhelming sea of information, in the [Mueller] report: “I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK,” concluded Schiff. “The day we do think that’s OK is the day we will look back and say that is the day America lost its way.”
