David Corn, DC Bureau Chief of liberal magazine Mother Jones, recently release a list of possible investigations awaiting House Democrats. It is a very long list. And it highlights a burning question within Democratic power circles – how to use the investigative power of the new Democratic majority.
I’m going to share a business-oriented approach that almost certainly will not be followed by the Dem leadership, because they don’t think this way at all (which is why they have lost so many legislative battles and elections over the last 20 years):
1, 2, 3. Goal, Strategies, Tactics:
GOAL: Removal of Trump and the GOP majority in the Senate.
Yes, that is two goals, but removing Trump & Senate majority are tied together because the GOP Senate majority will NEVER vote to impeach Trump. Both must lose at the polls in 2020. That’s the goal. That’s the timing. Nothing else is going to get rid of Trump.
STRATEGIES:
- Make the GOP defend Trump against clear evidence of crimes in VOTES that matter. All else follows this.
- Limit the number of investigations to ONLY those most likely to result in clear, hard evidence of CRIMES, primarily those by Trump and/or his family & business. Show he puts TRUMP FIRST vs AMERICA FIRST and that he does so ILLEGALLY and in ways that harm America.
- Do NOT needlessly give GOP openings to regularly claim “Presidential harassment.”
There are many opportunities to paint his Cabinet members as “unethical.” Ethics violations won’t turn enough people against Trump and GOP in an election. They are significant, but ultimately insufficient to reach the goal. And too many of those will undermine sense that the Dems are fair and reasonable.
TACTICS:
- The Leader must get buy-in from all Committee heads for this approach. These are powerful people with big egos who have been pushed around and insulted by Trump & GOP counterparts for years. They MUST be managed, directed, and limited.
- Subpoena materials before witness testimony. Republican witnesses will lie and know they face limited consequences with a Trump pardon and Senate protection.
- Go fast. No patience for executive departments dragging their feet. No patience for internal committee wrangling.
- Keep your powder dry. No press conference for every POSSIBLE violation of every POSSIBLE ethical lapse. Few public testimonies. No grandstanding in them. Keep saying “we don’t know if there is fire, but there is smoke and it is our job to look.” Or say nothing at all. Take Mueller’s lead.
- Build reasons to get Trump personal & biz info, no wild goose chases.
- Build indisputable cases of criminal activity, THEN FORCE VOTES.
- BE FEARLESS. If done right, charges of bias, etc. will not stick among independents.
Nothing from Dems the last 20 years says they’ll get this right. They will emotionally & loudly chase every ethical lapse to appease every voter segment & legislator with a topic they care about. The GOP will say “Presidential harassment” a million times while Dems showboat over smaller rules violations. No legislation will pass. The GOP will have a platform to campaign on in 2020.
(500 words)
Patrick On Politics 