In an effort to evade the constant finality of the Republican debunking machine, the Democrats have been engaging in a concerted and consistent effort to move the goalposts.
The idea here is that, every time the Republicans notch a win, the left simply decides that the culpability of the President comes at a different level.
The latest incarnation of these adjustments comes to us in semantic form, as the Democratic party and their partners in the mainstream media push the word “bribery” into the forefront, since this specific terms actually appears within the Constitution’s explanation of the need for impeachment.
Just days after Nancy Pelosi began insinuating that bribery had occurred, USA Today has jumped on the bandwagon.
From their article covering Gordon Sondland’s Wednesday testimony:
Quid pro quo is an element of bribery, which is specified in the Constitution as an impeachable act. While it is not necessary in the impeachment context to prove the elements of a crime as defined by statute, such proof certainly makes for a compelling case. Bribery is defined by statute as demanding a thing of value in exchange for the performance of an official act.
An announcement of investigations against Trump’s political rivals was a thing of value for Trump. He could have used the announcement to attack former Vice President Biden, a top rival in the 2020 presidential election. On the other side of the equation, an official White House visit and the release of military aid could each constitute the performance of an official act. In other words, a quid pro quo.
It all adds up.
We mustn’t be lulled into believing that the bar won’t be lowered again, either, as House Intel Committee Chair Adam Schiff has handcrafted the rules of engagement during this inquiry to the behest of the Democratic Party – a reality that ranking Republican member Devin Nunes has reminded the nation of as often as possible.
