November 16, 2019 | Reading Time: 2 minutes
Schiff shows how to handle fascists
Please support independent thought by becoming a paying subscriber.
Before I ask you to support the Editorial Board by becoming a paying subscriber, I want to draw your attention to the moment below. It relates to Friday’s edition. I said yesterday that the Republicans are trying to create a fake reality in which Ukraine, not Russia, attacked us in 2016, and the Democrats, not Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, et al, conspired with foreign saboteurs to undermine the will of the American people.
It’s nutty but also malicious. What to do? As I said, pay attention to the crazy though it makes you feel crazy. Also what Adam Schiff does here—enforce rules maximally.
The rule is that House committee members speak only when the committee chairman recognizes the committee member. There’s wiggle room here and there. Courtesy and tolerance for people being people. But those are at the pleasure of the chairman. If the chairman doesn’t want to recognize you, no one can tell the chairman that he must.
This is the way to handle fascists. They believe they are exempt from the rules, so enforcing the rules, and putting them on notice, takes all the gas out of them.
My point being …
Please consider becoming paying subscriber to the Editorial Board. For the cost of two Starbucks lattes, you get more than 20 editions a month, more than 200 editions a year, access to a growing community of thoughtful Americans who care about the common good, and the warm feeling of helping a nice guy with something to say.
If everyone who reads the Editorial Board helped pay for it, I wouldn’t ask anymore! So please do your part, and support independent thought to thrive in the future. If you subscribe for the year, you get a discount valued at two months free! Can’t beat that!
Many thanks.
—John Stoehr
John Stoehr is the editor of the Editorial Board. He writes the daily edition. Find him @johnastoehr.
Want to comment on this post?
Click here to upgrade to a premium membership.