PHARISEES, SADDUCEES, AND THE SANHEDRIN, OH MY!

I'm reluctant to endorse Kurt Schlichter's hypothesis that liberals and their lackeys want people who don't see things their way dead, and yet a series of commentaries that hit cyberspace during the Festive Season give me pause.  First up, Common Dreams regular Chris Hedges, who has long been calling for some sort of insurrection, makes a number of points about the ongoing impeachment that well might be right wing talking points, although his primary point is that the credentialed elite won't give up their powers voluntarily.

No party or elected official dares defy the military-industrial complex or other titans of the deep state. The Democrats through impeachment have no intention of restoring constitutional rights that would curb the power of the deep state and protect democracy. The deep state funds them. It sustains them in office. The Democrats are seeking to replace the inept and vulgar face of empire that is Trump with the benign and decorous face of empire that is Joe Biden.

The kindest thing Mr Hedges can come to say about Our President is that he's not exactly an effective face of empire, vulgarian or not. "This truth binds half the country to Trump, who although a con artist and himself flagrantly corrupt, at least belittles and mocks the ruling elites who have betrayed us."

CNN columnist Scott Jenning takes a more nuanced view.

Donald Trump wasn't elected to fit in with these people — the political, intellectual class -- to make them happy, or to become one of them. He was elected to break them. And that's apparently what he's done.

Donald Trump will be the third president in American history to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

And honestly, that's just fine with Trump's supporters. What better evidence is there that you've shaken Washington to its core when the minders of a system you've come to despise are leveling the gravest punishment the system permits against the very President who is doing the shaking up?

We can lawyer this to death, but for many Americans this comes down to a simple observation -- Trump said he was going to rattle their cages, and by golly they seem rattled.

Not to mention, he's fund-raising off the impeachment, and going to Davos to turn over the money-changers tables, or at least mock them for excess process and insufficient employment.

He concludes with several sad predictions.

That partisanship is more important than policymaking? That House Democrats have no confidence in their party's ability to beat Donald Trump in an election?

And, perhaps most alarmingly, that impeachment — once reserved for the gravest of situations — is now just another tool to inflict damage on their political opponents.

The funniest thing I heard all weekend was a quip to the effect that Congress has a very low approval rating, lower than even replay officials, and perhaps more obstruction of Congress might be desirable.

The more troubling possibility is that future Congresses might hold over future presidents the threat of articles of impeachment whenever that president invokes national security or executive privilege.  Think I'm kidding?  Late Tuesday night, the Senate tabled an amendment proffered by the Democrats that would have authorized the sergeant at arms of the Senate (backed up by jackbooted government thugs if necessary?) to compel former ambassador and national security advisor John Bolton to give testimony.  That's supposedly necessary because the usual dance of subpoena - invocation of executive privilege - court decision is too slow.

Our Political Masters, though, notes J. D. Davidson of The Federalist are losing their patience with those uppity Normals.

Because we the people have, by electing Donald Trump, proven ourselves incapable of governing ourselves. We can’t be trusted with such a momentous responsibility, and so we should defer to the expert careers officials who know better. This is really the ultimate aim of left-wing ideologues: to protect the people from themselves and look out for their best interests, whether they like it or not.

He uses a different Roman era reference, "[L]ately it seems our unelected officials think of themselves less as public servants and more as a Praetorian Guard." Praetorians, Pharisees, either way it's people who decided that preserving their privileges by screwing ordinary people was a pretty good gig.  That is, until the masses show up with pitchforks, torches, tar, and feathers.