Mulvaney just made Schiff look like a prophet. Sondland scared everyone or Mulvaney never would have offered his partial confession. Offering up a cover story relatively harmless, lying to Congress not a casual endeavor. Trump saw this train coming which makes his Pelosi meltdown quasi understandable.
14
love the guy.
11
Trump wants me to hate Adam Schiff? Sorry, Donnie. I'd rather hear more from him and nothing at all from you, except maybe an apology. You can afford to hire someone to find out what that means. Who knew?
12
"When Volker repeatedly declined to agree to Schiff's characterization of events, Schiff said "Ambassador, you're makig this much more difficult than it has to be." Who are the mafios again? Thanks to a real newspaper: The Washington Examiner.
4
Trump and his band of misfit malcontents can't stand that Schiff won't play on Trumps turf. It is literally driving him crazier than he already is. Steady, measured and locked tight is the best way to deal with a bully who is used to threatening and belittling to get his way. Welcome to your worst nightmare, Mr. Trump.
25
Watching Schiff in videos on internet, or in interviews with Maddow, he exudes the tone and posture of a hard-hitting, bulldog prosecutor. No doubt he is generally a low-key, mild-mannered guy, but the Trump-Barr situation has brought out the fighter in him. Against the overwhelming corruption and bully tactics of the Trump administration, you have to have, not just a lawyer or a Congressman, but a fighter, because criminals fight viciously if cornered. The look on Schiff's face and the tone in his voice when faced with serious wrongdoing communicates a capacity for moral outrage. That is a rare quality, yet without it, an investigation lacks the power to forcefully repudiate and expose criminality. There is only one Schiff in Congress and he's a godsend.
22
unlike RFK and Hoffa hearings, it seems that these politicians nowadays are more like to preen in the media limelight.
4
I watched the Watergate hearings live on TV. I recall laughing our loud when Sam Irvin commented that "...and, apparently, the telephone is an instrument of the Devil." He was right then and is again now. This all started with a telephone call that reminded someone that there is a right and a wrong. It is NOT all varying shades of grey.
Congressman Shiff's opening remarks in his committee several weeks ago on what is right, what is moral , and what is truthful was dead-on target. I trust that Congressman Schiff will Carry on the tradition that Senator Irvin embodied: do the right thing.
18
Depends on your point of view, I suppose. Schiff has demonstrated time and time again that he's anything but objective and has already made up his mind. Accordingly, he should not be leading any inquiries regarding Trump given his vehement personal animus against Trump. The same goes for Nadler. An inquiry needs to be conducted, no argument, but Pelosi needs to ensure that the inquiry is led by a neutral and objective individual with the GOP having the unfettered ability to also subpoena and question witnesses. Otherwise Trump is unfortunately right. The inquiry is a kangaroo court and a farce.
6
I live in a very safe Democratic district. Because of this politics can be a bit boring, except maybe during primaries. Some of us--certainly including myself--can become jaded because of this safe seat situation and the sheer familiarity with our own representative. But I am genuinely proud to be able to say that Adam Schiff is my Congressperson.
14
There is now an active smear campaign against Adam Schiff. It seems these days that this is all Republicans are capable of. You can find evidence of it all over social media, where as usual facts are constantly distorted to suit the Republican narrative of persecution.
All of this is just noise designed to distract from the matter at hand. The US government is in the hands of criminals who are subverting the law in order to enrich themselves, and the GOP, both elected officials and their voting public, really cares nothing about it as long as they can get their corrupt and racist policies passed.
Adam Schiff is a patriot. He has acted with more integrity, honor and backbone than the entire GOP (MAGA) combined. We are lucky that there are still congressmen like him, who understand not only what the law is but also their duty to uphold it.
83
"... some missteps, including misleading comments about his committee’s contact with the whistle-blower. "
Supposedly embellished remarks (about Trump or by Trump?) & that won't do. Serious misjudgement & hurtful.
3
Adam Schiff doesn't need Trump to get people to "hate" him.
He does that quite well all by himself.
11
@DB ….Perhaps you could provide some facts and give some examples. Otherwise your comment will appear to be nothing but a shallow echo of an unsubstantiated smear campaign.
13
Can’t stand either, tho more so Trump....
Bravo to Schiff!!!
It’s just too comical.
It’s like the kids in remedial math class making fun of the advanced AP Calculus kid who’s going to Stanford while their heading to a friends parents basement to play video games.
I wish Schiff can have a dialogue with someone on the GOP side to help move our country try forward after he knocks out POTUS and his side kick.
Go Nancy!!!
12
sergeant-at-arms arresting the perps and putting them in the house jail, is a good idea. What use are laws if not to put perps in jail? And sandwiches with the crusts trimmed off.
4
I don't need Trumps help. Anyone with concerns about an unchecked unaccountable central State and lying conniving politicians (feelings which ironically Times readers are fond of expressing.) who does not have TDS should be outraged at Shiff's behavior and fearful for the repercussions.
1
Adam Schiff went on television and announced he had seen actual evidence of Trump collusion with Russia. Mueller probe ended and no such 'evidence' was ever provided. So no one needs Trump to have a reason to dislike or even hate Adam Schiff. He is doing that just fine all on his own. His Deer in the Headlights look that he wears every time I see him on television alone is a reason not to like the guy. Some people are just inherently unlikable and Schiff is one of them
7
The statement you make about Schiff being unlikable is disproved by many comments from people stating that they like him and have deep respect for him. He is integral to the intelligence committee and Dems are very proud of him, and should be.
I correct you on this. Schiff is not 'Unlikable'.
Saying 'I don't like him because...' is you sharing how you feel.
You saying he is 'Unlikable' is hard not to rebuff because it takes less than one second to prove wrong.
19
@GregP …..Guess what. The Muller report didn't even mention collusion. What it said was they were unable to find sufficient evidence to support a charge of conspiracy. In fact, meeting with a Russian agent because they claimed to have dirt on Clinton is collusion. Giving Republican polling data to an oligarch friend of Putin is collusion. These acts were verified by the Muller report.
9
@W.A. Spitzer And, the legal definition of collusion is...?
Great Public Servant. Workhorse, not showhorse as was once said about Sen. Sam Nunn. Has my support 100%++ .
Hope he runs for President some day. We need more people like Adam Schiff.
15
Donald Trump does not need to make me hate Adam Schiff. Adam Schiff has done that all by himself.
He has proved himself to be a partisan shill, whether defending HRC's destruction of evidence under subpoena, lying, and mishandling classified material, or telling us for two years that he has seen conclusive evidence that Trump colluded with Russia ... only to have the Mueller report fail to find that evidence.
He has been caught spinning and selectively leaking material from the Intelligence committee to the point that he has poisoned a committee long-known for its bi-partisanship.
He has done Trump's work for him
15
@Liberty hound If you are using the Muller report to substantiate Pres. Trump’s innocence, than you have not been reading or listening. The Muller report listed damning evidence of Russian interference in our election. The act of collusion itself is not a crime and that is why Muller did not use that specific term. He did however paint a picture of malfeasance which Adam Schiff spoke to. Muller felt it was his job to present this evidence to the Attorney General and assumed he would do his job and take it further. Which he did not. Adam Schiff does us all a service by addressing this administration’s abuse of power and presenting it in terms we can understand. You are guilty of the same selectivity that you accuse Adam Schiff of.
30
Nadler ran the public hearings that formed much of public opinion during the conspiracy/obstruction hearings.Schiff's doing much better this time around,& trump is making it easy for him. You're misrepresenting what happened as a result of the investigation into conspiracy/Russia/interfere in 2016 election, & why it died off without the guy at the top directing the whole thing being held to account.
it wasn't because it didn't happen!
The Meuller Investigation never got where it should have due to trumps very successful stonewalling, Bill Barr's misleading representation of the Report (Remember Barr's letter where he wrote the lie stating that the report said 'No Collusion- No Obstruction?' For the month between the day that Barr got the report & put out the misleading summary of the report, & the day Barr released the report, the lie ran rampant & spread, forming public opinion based on the giant lie that informed people will think of as Barr's sordid legacy as AG. And so what doomed the whole thing to failure was that it was lacking true support from the speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi, who wanted to tread carefully and only proceed w/Impeachment if it was evident that the public were convinced & supported it. Trump's unethical appointee saw to it that the public judgement was skewed. OLC opinion: Can't indict sitting Prez.So it's not over! Wait till he isn't prez anymore!
I would more accurately say that trump is doing Schiff's work for him this time around!👌😁
17
I hear about integrity and determination and truth, but I'm at a crossroads in not knowing what to believe anymore. As an independent I sincerely try to look at the issues from all parties, but I'm perplexed about the obsessiveness on both sides to prove one another wrong. I was frustrated and upset at the comment made by Schiff about "Mafia tactics." For an educated, seasoned politician, his choice of words was tasteless and will continue to feed into the stereotyping of Italian-Americans, who are so much more than that "word." As I stated in my letter to Adam Schiff, "words matter" and once they're said, gives us insight into the character of the individual who articulated them. What Schiff and every other politician should be doing is to solve the many problems plaguing our country. If they put their energy and experience into our problems rather then politicizing every issue, our country and its citizens would greatly benefit.
5
@ Diane Snyder.....Sure is a nice business you have here. I would happy to provide you with fire insurance, but I need a favor though.
5
What does it look like to “drain the swamp?” Rabid fans chanting at a hyped up rally? No. Careful professional painstaking fact finding. Building a case brick by brick. Determined prosecution of things that are wrong. Trump is not a real swamp drainer he just occasionally plays one on TV. Schiff seems to avoid rallies and made for TV events, he is too busy getting things done.
14
Congressman Schiff is a warrior for Democracy and the US Constitution. I am deeply grateful for his steady, consistent efforts to uncover the multitude of lies/cons and identify the truth by peeling back layer after layer of the rotting Trump onion. Speaker Pelosi may have dropped a hint at what the layers reveal..."All roads lead to Putin."
14
Adam Schiff is exactly that 1960-70's moderate who is in the wide swath of Dems and Reps that would have been comfortable in either party back then. As such, he is a true democrat (small "d" intended). He was well regarded by people on both sides of the aisle in California and is still mostly well-regarded in the capital- except for those wild-eyed right-wing extremists that exist there too. I would love to see him as our President- having seen his work up close during the four years our time working in (I was a higher education advocate then) Sacramento overlapped. He isn't flashy, but he is dogged and gets the work done!
11
Thank you for this perspective on one of our hard working Representatives. We need to be reminded that there are those that are adhering to the oath they gave when they took office.
I often get discouraged when I hear our leaders from the president on down, not standing for the United States of America, and them determine many of 'us' are not true Americans. Please lets remind people of the ones in office that are defending and serving their country.
Again, THANKS
5
When I read the sorts of things Republicans are saying about Adam Schiff, I have to laugh. Who are they talking about?
Schiff fits my concept of the ideal public servant: smart, committed, intelligent, and moderate. I only wish there were more like him in both parties.
12
Adam Schiff has his priorities straight. This is not about a Democratic win or a Republican loss. It's about preserving the Constitution and the democratic institutions that operate within it. Take your time, do the job right, be public about it. The history of the last 2 impeachments (Nixon and Clinton) shows that the will of the citizens will eventually prevail, but we cannot rush to judgment.
9
We suffered a great loss today with the passing of Elijah Cummings. He also was a man who doggedly pursued the truth and I believe that for both men the objective is not to bring a particular person down, or for another to win, but about process, adhering to a set of values and supporting the institutions that [should] enshrine those values. Unfortunately, for Trump, and now most of the Republican party, it's about me, me, ME. Good bad or indifferent.
10
I'm reminded of another slightly nerdy, unflappable public servant that ended up being a hero of sorts for his service to the country. That would be Archibald Cox, the university professor that was named the first special prosecutor of the Watergate Scandal. His dogged pursuit of the truth got him fired at Nixon's behest, not by AG Elliot Richardson, nor by his deputy, William Ruckelshaus, both of whom resigned, rather than carry out what they considered to be an illegal order, but by Robert Bork, then third in command at the DOJ, much to his lasting infamy. The "inquiry" is in good hands with such a person in charge.
13
Schiff always comes across on television as relentlessly logical and calm. It must be unnerving to the Trumpists to have the face of impeachment in the person of one who appears thoughtful and driven by evidence, not by emotion or impulse. No wonder they seek to demonize him whenever possible. A typical Trump tactic.
Right now Trump & his fevered acolytes present a greater threat to American Democracy than ISIS. Thank God we still have people willing to put their reputations and even their lives on the line to expose wrongdoing by our highest officials. While the whistleblower may never be known, his/her courage in the face of an unlawful regime is heroic. It may take an Adam Schiff to fully expose all of the Trump machinations and misdeeds. We are probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg with what has been revealed so far.
14
People like Adam Schiff, Speaker Pelosi, Elijah Cummings and President Obama are an affront to the likes of Trump by their very existence. They exude the class, competency, legitimacy and plain decency -- while naturally commanding the respect -- that no amount of Daddy's dime can ever, ever buy for him.
19
The Watergate hearings were covered live on TV. Full gavel to gavel coverage with reruns in the evenings. Eventually Americans hit the streets to demand impeachment because they saw the story unfold in real time on televison and fully understood the situation.
Schiff and Pelosi by contrast are holding closed door secret investigations with select committess. While the NYtimes and Washington Post print quotes and excerpts on the days events which no one reads... Meanwhile Fox news has their viewers firmly believing it's all a witch hunt.
Schiff and Pelosi had one chance to get this right and they are blowing it. They don't have a clue what they are up against.
4
@William "While the NYT and WP print quotes and excerpts on the days events which no one reads..." I read all of them.
6
@William
Those of you who worry about the cry of "WITCH HUNT!", the mantra of both the current occupant of the White House and his town crier, Fox News, would do well to remember the story about "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." Things didn't work out so well for him, either.
6
If my grandson ask me, Grandpa how does a gentleman look like I would show him Adam Schiff. This country is lucky that we have men like Schiff in the era of Trump. Methodical, systematic , articulate and to the point. It is simply a pleasure to listen to his analysis of the events.
12
I do not understand how Mr. Schiff has any credibility with anyone at this point.
For months, he was on CNN nightly, claiming that he had evidence of collusion with Russia, and that he was waiting for the Mueller report to make it public.
The Mueller report found no such collusion, and Schiff has been silent about that since (although he now claims that it's all about obstruction of justice).
Given that the Constitution places virtually all foreign affairs in the hands of the Executive, it is hard to see exactly how the Ukraine affair is an impeachable offense. Trump's action may be stupid, undignified, and immoral, but that does not mean he lacks the authority to run the Executive the way he wants.
If people don't like it, vote him out of office.
16
@G , sorry, there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, that was what the meeting in Trump Tower between Don Jr. and the Russian envoy was all about. There was not provable conspiracy, however and that was a criminal charge, collusion is not.
21
@G People say, "Let the voters decide," but given the Russian interference in 2016, Trump's attempt to get the Ukrainians and Chinese to interfere in the upcoming 2020 election, Trump's open admission that he would accept foreign help, the Senate's failure to pass legislation to protect the integrity of our elections from foreign interference, and so much more, what makes anyone think we will get to have a fair election in which we get to "vote him out of office?"
8
@G ....."The Mueller report found no such collusion,"....Oh for goodness sake. The Muller report didn't even mention the word collusion. What it did say was they didn't find sufficient evidence to file charges of conspiracy. Meeting with a Russian agent because they have dirt on Clinton. What is that tiddlely-winks? Giving Republican polling data to an oligarch buddy of Putin. What is that, a little light night time reading? Those things were verified by the Muller report; and if you don't think that smells like collusion, you have a problem.
15
Adam has been spot on and steadfast. He knows as a former prosecutor that you don't ask questions you don't already know the answer to and that you never tip your hand. We are fortunate to have Adam quaterbacking this.
12
Third most dangerous man is McConnell.
5
You can always tell when Schiff is lying...his eyes widen and his lips move.
7
@Charlie
So you’re saying that Trump’s the better liar? I can agree with you on that...
7
Adam Schiff is a liar, pure and simple. If you want to sell your soul to get rid of Trump, by all means bow down to Schiff.
7
@99percent - you are so smart! Where do you get the inside information like this? Describe in detail Schiff's lies, so that we can all better understand them. Otherwise, you are just calling names.
14
i admire adam schiff for being able to remain so calm and for his solid and measured reactions and statements while he is being viciously and unjustifiably attacked. i wish him a lot of energy and hope he gets much support from his collegues and the american citizens for his important and difficult task.
12
Thank you. I am extremely impressed by Schiff. The Committee does need to find out what Trump and Putin have discussed in their relentlessly secret meetings. The fact that Trump repeatedly acts in a way that dovetails with Putin’s foreign policy goals while weakening America is a huge concern. The Ukraine matter is one more example.
27
I am grateful that Rep. Schiff not only appears to understand the gravity of this situation but more importantly the SCOPE. All of those white guys including the president who were sitting across from Nancy yesterday are knowingly in cahoots with a hostile foreign government and they are obviously all in.
50
@Jenifer And those white guys sitting opposite Pelosi at the table were also thoroughly embarrassed. Some literally hanging their heads.
16
Adam Schiff is the the kind of politican we need in Congress. He has the integrity thatc could expect our politicians used to have. We knew they would put our country's interests before personal gain and/or party. As a senior citizen I mourn for our democracy. Mary Feller, Portland Oregon
11
Learning that this brilliant, ethical lawyer is a long distance runner explains his tenacity and endurance. He is the true patriot putting the country first with his pursuit of the truth. The dude abides! Wish he was my Congressman in stead of the spineless Trump sycophant I’m stuck with.
11
We are the best hope for salvaging democracy, is patriot Schiff's goal. True and godspeed. Between McConnell and 45, selfish greedy men, our Nation is at great peril.
9
Adam mislead America for two years throughout the Muller probe and lied that he had evidence to prove conspiracy - for that crime he should be impeached - he is an embarrassment to the House - he, along with many others on both sides of the aisle, are doing all they can to divide America, incite violence and discredit our government - it's a shame to see politics sink to this level - and to see news outlets make it worse - when will we return to objective journalism?
6
What will he do next?
We wake up to find out he gave up one-third of Syria for nothing and put Iran and Russia on Israel's doorstep.
What procedures do we have to prevent even worse military and political errors?
There must be a procedure to prevent the implementation off orders that are given without consultation or advice. The Joint Chiefs and Congress must be consulted before countries or allies are given away.
Today he has released hundreds of ISIS fighters. It must not be a nuclear strike tomorrow, done without advice or consultation.
Trump is destabilizing the world. The road he is following leads to nuclear world war.
8
This is the paradox of holding presidents accountable. By law and the Constitution, presidents have a great deal of power and authority. If they abuse their authority, they are still charged with the responsibility of managing foreign policy and faithfully executing the laws. It is extremely difficult to conduct foreign policy in the open; much of what a president and the State Department does is by necessity done in private. We ought to want to know what the president is doing or saying behind closed doors only when there is evidence that a serious abuse of power has occurred. The current investigation is justified, but our country remains in a precarious state.
3
Powerful interview, Nicholas! And your usual eloquence. Thank you. I am fairly confident I read some months ago that Rep. Schiff was an accomplished pianist. Perhaps I am mistaken.
5
No one needs Trump's guidance to hate Adam Schiff. Congressman Schiff is detestable as is. No instructions required.
8
That's odd. I think Schiff is great. Quiet, smart, articulate, persistent, unphased by unfair attacks, and primarily interested in justice, defending democracy, and in respecting and revealing the truth. On every single one of these points, the exact opposite of Trump.
21
@Mike
If Trump is so innocent, he should have no problem with an investigation....
11
Schiff is everything that despicable trump is not....and trump HATES him for that.
15
Thank goodness!
6
Anyone who stands up for truth will be hated and persecuted. Adam Schiff is no exception, especially from a vulgar, malicious person like Trump...
Democrats, do not give up raking Trump on hot coals...
11
If anyone should be accused of Treason it is Trump (not Shiff).It is Trump who is collaborating with Ergodan and Putin. It is he who tried to force the Ukrainians to investigate the innocent Bidens to damage VP Biden’s chance for election. It is Trump who is a criminal and aa mean and worthless heathen politician.
11
Disagree. Schiff is engineering a phony impeachment. Lies flow from his mouth like water from the faucet. He is rude and pathetic. A horrible example to the citizens of the country.
6
@rich williams
Trump just gave ISIS, Iran, Russia and Syria a tremendous advantage in the Middle East, and yet you think he’s a-OK? I’ll bet when Obama was Prez, you followed the GOP line that he wasn’t tough enough with Syria.
And what about that lame letter to Erdogan? Impressive...
8
Mr. Trump’s M.O. is he defends himself via personal attacks, slanders, name-calling, bullying tactics such as lawsuits whose intent is to run out the clock and intimidation. Mr. Trump never defends himself by providing evidence that accusations against him are false. In fact, Mr. Trump routinely takes extraordinary measures to conceal evidence and to prevent investigators from acquiring evidence.
Mr. Trump is a lovely piece of work. He is a prosecutor’s dream come true. Shouldn’t someone tell AG William Barr that a perp is loose in the White House?
7
History will remember Adam Schiff as one of the heroes of this dismal moment. We in California know that he's not partisan. He is, as Mr. Kristof says, clear-eyed, wickedly smart and very steady. He has a spine of steel.
20
Thank you for this fine and deserving tribute to this courageous and indefatigable public servant. It is distressing to see him attacked so viciously by the right, like a pack of crazed, rabid hyenas intent upon bringing down their prey. But that's a mark of how good he is at what he does that it terrifies them so.
I have confidence that he will expose the corruption of this malignant administration for all to see.
But alas, not so much that anything will be done about it.
8
So Schiff is being treasonous for investigating Trump’s treasonous acts. Okay got it.
9
trump's secret
Every time he yells "go there (i.e. Ukraine, China) & investigate my opponents". In his clumsy way, he reveals the same exact places where he himself may have broke the law & should be investigated.
7
I think he would make a great president.
5
I admire Adam Schiff very much. I have ever since the first time I heard him speak. He’s measured, cautious, capable, and devoted to the rule of law but devoid of drama and histrionics. He’s just what we need at this moment in history and maybe if we’re lucky he’ll run for president himself one day.
10
"The paradox of Adam Schiff is this: He is depicted by some Republicans as a fanatical partisan, with President Trump suggesting that he is a “radical left” “lowlife” who should be arrested for treason, yet in real life Schiff is a cerebral and mild-mannered moderate."
And he's able to leap towering obfuscations at a single bound.
6
I love Adam Schiff. Principled, disciplined people like he are the ones who time and time again save our country from crooks and wanna be despots. I once rode with a Pakistani cabbie in NYC, who told me what he loved most about America is the Rule of Law. Clearly Schiff feels the same way. It is truly what makes America great, and which 45 is trying to undo. Go Adam, and thank you to all whistle blowers!
13
I thought Rep Schiff's parody of The Call was unnecessary, and it has led to so many Trump put-downs of Rep Schiff. Rep Schiff is so good unvarnished; such words play into Trump's world and they don't work. Stay straight, stay serious, stay just the way you are. Rep Schiff is our stabilizer and I am comforted that he is the one leading the impeachment process. Now of course he has an additional burden after the death of our beloved Rep Cummings.
5
So he write screenplays. What an opportunity!
2
Exposing all the truth is important, but most important is restoring the balance in favor of the truth. It is in this respect that Adam Schiff is serving us best. Adam Schiff's simple example of common decency reminds us of what we as Americans really stand for. Thank you.
7
Without people like Adam Schiff, the Republic would surely fall.
G*dspeed, Congressman.
10
Trump tactics are always the same: deny the truth and then make ad hominem attacks against whoever disagrees with him.
To support his "claims," he makes things up.
Yet he refuses to acknowledge that we see through this every time he does it.
6
We share the positive notes about Adam Schiff. I never think of us as old as one writer referred to their grandparents taking notes; but, during our time in the military we watched the Watergate Hearings and learned a lot about our government after being confused by the dirty tricks of the Nixon election campaign. Using that as a standard, it is more frightening to see the events taking place today with our POTUS which reminds me of a bad, chaotic dream that can't be real and yet is when I wake up. Even more troubling is the impotence of the Republican Party.
6
Always easy to read Nick's pieces ... He is a master at capturing the essence of the story and presenting it in clear, concise prose. That said, I admire Schiff for his stalwart courage, for his commitment to the facts, and for his defense of our democracy.
3
It's no surprise that Schiff is a frequent Trump target - the congressman is everything that Trump is not. He's brilliant, hard-working, well-educated and thoughtful. And he's committed to ensuring that our democracy isn't destroyed by the sorry excuse of a leader that currently occupies the White House. His bravery, integrity and perseverance are what we need in a leader right now - and we should be grateful for his actions to protect whistleblowers and his steadfastness in conducting a proper investigation. As difficult as it is, we need to corral our desire to see quick action and let Schiff do things the right way. Despite the dark days, one of the reasons I have faith that our democracy will survive is that we have leaders like Mr. Schiff. Thank you for this profile in courage.
13
I respect others' viewpoints and reasons for voting in a different fashion than I do. I'd have been truly disappointed, but not crushed if John McCain or Mitt Romney had beaten Obama, because they are/were honorable human beings and capable leaders. However, I am truly astonished at the self-delusional abilities of Trump supporters who need to convince themselves that congressional investigators are distorting facts or that the Mueller Report yielded no evidence of wrongdoing. Mr. Narcissist will go down in history as the worst president in American history by a country mile, but those who live in the alternate universe of Fox News will keep deluding themselves for decades. I've been waiting to hear them claim that the world is really flat.
7
Nick Kristoff, I always learn something from your opinion pieces.
Today I learned why we can't have initial hearings in open settings: to keep witnesses from knowing what others have said. That seems obvious now. I am also happy to know that the transcripts are going to be made public.
I'm not happy to learn that Schiff is only considering fining those who refuse to testify. Isn't this refusal to honor a subpoena against the law? What penalties are on the books? I wish Schiff would throw those books at the lawbreakers.
A clear and firm signal of the seriousness of these inquiries is required: I'd go for jailtime or a stiff fine or both.
3
Schiff would make a fine attorney general come January 2021.
11
trump hates anyone who is moral and ethical and stands up for what is right.
9
Schiff was at his McCarthyist best when he proudly announced that he had proof that Trump colluded with the Russians. He never had it just like McCarthy. But he got away with the lie.
4
Excellent legislator. Need more men and women of his caliber.
5
Trump and his allies are naturally vilifying Rep. Schiff. They vilify anyone who stands up for rule of law and the Constitution, and thereby dares to cross Trump. We all need to remember, though, that Trump's core support is only around 40%. The 10% or so who voted him into office are slowly but surely abandoning him. Imagine that, in the next election, Trump gets 40% of the vote. The coming election will certainly be ugly, but the uglier and more un-hinged Trump's rhetoric, the likelier his defeat.
7
Schiff’s biggest problem is he is not a sympathetic figure, largely because he was never able to produce the “evidence” he supposedly had of Russian collusion, I don’t like Trump but Schiff is the wrong man, in the wrong committee, in the wrong job, to do anything credible on his biggest issue. Time for Nancy use her hook to pull this clown off the stage.
7
@Thomas Smith
Exactly. It is imperative that any impeachment have absolute credibility. Adam Schiff gives the impression of being such a pitbull out for blood, no matter what's required to get it, that even if the impeachment were to succeed Republicans for a generation would be calling it a political hit, with some credibility.
Someone who pushes the envelope as readily and aggressively as Schiff does is clearly the wrong man for the job. If someone like Schiff had been behind the Watergate prosecution, there would never have been bipartisan cooperation and Nixon would have remained president. That's exactly the lesson for right now.
Any impeachment undertaking must be 100% beyond reproach. Any criminal investigation requires aggressive pursuit of the truth, and to a degree even an adversarial posture. But it can't appear as scorched earth warfare, won at all costs.
3
@Thomas Smith
Corrected: Exactly. It is imperative that any impeachment have absolute credibility. Adam Schiff gives the impression of being such a pitbull out for blood, no matter what's required to get it, that even if the impeachment were to succeed Republicans for a generation would be calling it a political hit, with some credibility.
Someone who pushes the envelope as readily and aggressively as Schiff does is clearly the wrong man for the job. If someone like Schiff had been behind the Watergate prosecution, there would never have been bipartisan cooperation and Nixon would have remained president. That's exactly the lesson for right now.
Any impeachment undertaking must be 100% beyond reproach. Any criminal investigation requires aggressive pursuit of the truth, and to a degree even an adversarial posture. But it can't appear as scorched earth interpersonal warfare, won at all costs.
2
Adam Schiff is the quiet, courageous hero of our throughly corrupt age. He stands in stark contrast to the nefarious, self-serving President Trump and all the President's conniving, lawless henchmen.
The intellectual, personality, and moral contrast between the two men only further spotlights Trump's crassness, incompetence, and moral depravity. Schiff demonstrates integrity, while Trump probably doesn't even know what the word means or would likely not be able to spell it in one of his tiresome, obnoxious tweets.
Trump fans probably think Schiff is too dull, too intelligent, and too-much of a goody-two-shoes trying to hold their beloved show-off, showman, totally irresponsible president accountable for his incompetence, lies, and serious disregard for laws and our constitution.
I have admired Adam Schiff for a long while. Several times I thought about singing "I am in love with Adam Schiff," as Carol Burnett did decades ago in her song "I am in love with John Foster Dulles."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgTN13_bfXQ
I would like to see Adam Schiff run for president, because I think he is that much-needed, very smart, well-balanced Democrat of integrity and character, who sees both sides of an issue and is practical enough to steer a steady course through these tempestuous Trumpist times back to reality, normalcy, and decency. A 77-year-old girl can always dream...
10
I've come to appreciate Schiff's contribution to our democracy. His affinity for the Big Lebowsky is simply frosting on the cake.
8
Funny, the overwhelming support. He is a liar. He said "I have unequivocal evidence of Russian collusion". Why was this never brought forth by him since he was so confident? No one here has commented on this massive oversight. Yes, he is a partisan hack, a liar.
8
I love Adam Schiff. He says what everyone is (or should be) thinking. "It's the corruption, stupid."
What destroys nations isn't a "left-wing" or "right-wing" government. Whether it's Turkey or Venezuela, the poison for a nation's lifeblood is corruption -- it is leaders who hand out favors to loyalists and family members, who keep all the money with a tiny elite and hand their citizens lies, fear of outsiders, and phony national pride.
It's why Trump hiring his incompetent kids to bring "peace in the Middle East" and keeping his business interests should raise such alarm bells. Schiff is fighting for the soul of America. He should be proud of the work he's doing.
15
We are safe in Schiff’s hands. As he knows from the Dude’s wisdom, “This is a very complicated case, Maude. Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have yous.” The Dude got his rug back, and Schiff will get the House impeachment nailed down. Maybe some senators have seen the movie. There is always hope in Dudeland.
Also Walter knows his Bill of Rights!
9
"The Dude abides."
9
Bless you Adam Schiff, YOU ARE AN AMERICAN ICON AND HERO...and on a sad note, Bless you Elijah Cummings, you’ll watch over America from above to bring the long delayed Justice to this crime family abomination in the White House.
13
Mr. Schiff's measured competence is just the right counter-force to Mr. Trump's bombastic. insecure and corrupt incompetence.
Adam Schiff is vital if America is to restore the ship of state and vanquish the ship of fools.
12
The nastier Trump is toward a person, the more Trump fears that person. Sic him, Schiff! Go for the jugular!
11
Ok. I'm hating him already.
2
I don’t need Trump to hate Adam Schiff
5
Well Well and Actual Conservative Opinion Piece.
1
I can only wonder at the political stupidity of the decision to impeach Trump over the Biden issue
An investigation into this will inevitably expose Hunter Biden’s sinecure.
This leads inevitably to VP Biden’s corruption.
It inevitably exposes the US backing of an illegal violent coup d’etat in Kiev.
It inevitably exposes that Obama, Biden, Brennan, Nuland, Pyatt, et.al. supported Stepan Bandera idolising neo-nazis, who once that he had control of the government, unleashed war upon the people of the East of the country.
The investigation of the Biden issue exposes US corruption, an illegal regime change operation and leaves much of the Obama administration open to criminal charges.
The idea that these facts will provide the Democrats with a winning electoral strategy is beyond satire.
For a more complete profile of Adam Schiff I would recommend
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/02/adam-schiff-russia-intervention-raytheon-parsons
2
@Chris
Gee, you're losing me--don't most members of Congress do this sort of thing? I'm not endorsing it, but let's be honest for a change--what Trump has been doing is more corrupt than what has been done by any public figure in our nation's history, and there is plenty of information about it--if you're willing to look.
1
Trump puts lots of energy into maligning anyone who terrifies him. That’s what bullies do.
8
Mr. Schiff is like a great rug, he really ties a room together.
3
Adam Schiff is a liar. He has never produced “evidence” of trump’s collusion with Russia, as he said 52 weeks/year on Sunday talk shows...because he never had the evidence to begin with.
Impeaching the president is the most important issue today....it cannot be done behind closed doors and leaked information to the Media liberals. So far, the most serious “leaked” allegations seems to be that all witnesses dislike (hate) trump because of how he treated government employees. And where is the whistleblower? Sorry, Kristof snd Schiff, I want to hear or read all the transcripts/depositions myself. The only judgement I trust is my own. And the last person I would believe is Adam Schiff. He failed with Russiagate and he’ll fail with Ukrainegate.
8
Trump truly hates anyone that is more intelligent. A very low bar indeed, but here we are. I bet he’d resign immediately if offered a prime time “ Show “ on FOX. His true calling and safe space.
Sad.
4
Any American who listens carefully to Schiff and observes his devious, deceptive and sneaky tactics will hate Schiff, Pelosi and Nadler for their deranged political tactics.
4
Adam Schiff has been "Pelosified" by the great pretender, but to those of us in the impeachment cheering section, he has become "The Dude."
3
Imagine you are in a court of law, and the prosecutor is ready to present evidence.
But he sets it aside and gives you his own version of the facts, his own ideas about it and fails to actually reads the evidence at hand.
The case would be thrown out of court in that moment and the prosecutor would lose the case.
You know that. Say you ran a red light, and he up and tells the jury how you were driving like Mad Mx, swerving and playing a guitar as you drove around people and buses. The judge would hold you in contempt and the case would be dismissed.
But not here. This guy ad libbed his own version of the truth, to a partisan Congress who clapped at him like he just won an Oscar.
Take this thing to court, present the tape of this dude adlibbing this, the case is over the same day. Do it.
4
It is a badge of honor upon Adam Schiff to be Trump’s foil.
6
Schiff will end up being the reluctant hero in the biggest screenplay of his life. We are lucky to have him.
7
The pathological liar in chief, and his boot licking followers, are pulling out every play in the book of scoundrels and thieves to try to smear the people who expose their perfidy.
For the man in the White House, this is his standard mode of operation, but now he has powerful allies and an almost state run television station to support his behavior.
Indeed, democracy is at stake.
4
Why no talk of a President Schiff?
2
My goodness. Schiff lied to the American public for 2 years, proclaiming he had incontrovertible evidence that Trump colluded with the Russians. He never did. Mueller, after an invasive 2 year investigation, couldnt come up with any evidence - which means the entire premise was a hoax. A hoax that Schiff promulgated onto the American public on an almost daily basis.
Then he claimed he never spoke to this Ukraine phone call whistleblower, until he had to admit that he did. Yet another lie. He must have sold Pelosi a real bill of goods, since he had already spoken to the whistleblower, and convinced her to back an impeachment inquiry. The very next day, Trump releases the phone transcripts, proving this "whistle blower" was dreadfully wrong about key accusations. The WB said Trump mentioned Biden 8 times. Dead wrong. It was only once. The WB said Trump engaged in a quid pro quo. Dead wrong. No mention at all of holding back any money, unlike what Biden did. If any of this was so ironclad, why is the media telling blatant lies, that Trump asked for a "favor". they put "favor in quotes to insinuate that was the exact words he used. Trump asked for that favor in regards to the CrowdStrike DNC server. It wasnt until a page and a half later, that Trump mentions Biden. And why the secrecy in these inquiries? Then Schiff openly lies with that summation at the open committee? How many times does he have to openly lie for you folks to realize the harm he is doing to Democrats?
8
Beside all his other accomplishments, he also was helping Slovakia with a rule of law project when I was working there: https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0721/21181.html
2
Mr. Kristof,
Thank you for this little snapshot of Adam Schiff.
I have always admired him and these last couple of years have shown me what a GEM he is.
He is quietly intelligent and zealously determined to get to the truth. I am so glad he is leading the Intel committee.
What a load to have on your shoulders, knowing that we have all our hopes pinned on him much as we did Mr. Mueller. I wish him health and the peace of knowing that his mission is just and necessary and that millions are praying to the Creator for his success.
Thank you again for this bit of an inside view of Mr. Schiff. You make him seem much like I had thought he would be.
7
The biggest threat to democracy is the Trump supporters who have tossed aside morality, the Constitution and all but the second Amendment and replaced them with blind allegiance to a serial liar and authoritarian sociopath. All because he thinks like them. That's the scary part, they really do think just like he does; tens of millions of them.
5
Adam Schiff is truly a clown and a totally shameless lowlife, willing to destroy the country for his personal political gain. He and others like him are the real reason people in US so cynical about politics and any prospects of it improving their lives. Schiff and other bozos like him gave us Donald Trump. And if he continues in this vein he will give us four more years of Trump 100%. You can take that to the bank.
4
Oh, for God’s sake, Schiff is so smarmy and self-serving and cocksure and a shameless self-promoter. He keeps claiming to have the big smoking gun but then produces nothing of consequence. I can’t stand Trump but there is something so off putting about Schiff.
5
Yet another darn good move by Pelosi!
2
The Big Three threat to our democracy: Trump, Barr, and McConnell.
5
Thankfully, this Dude doesn’t simply abide.
44
That was awesome.
2
Adam Schiff is one of my political heroes. He is bright as hell, highly educated (Stanford A.B. and Harvard J.D.), personally modest and understated, and driven by principle rather than by self interest. There is no one better qualified to take on the central role assigned to him by Nancy Pelosi in this perilous time.
He spoke at a university in my area not all that long ago, and I told him after that talk that I would work for him for free if he would run for the presidency. For the moment, though, I'll happily settle for having him in his current position. Trump always goes hardest - and most absurdly - against those he fears the most. And here he has good reason to be quite worried.
8
Adam Schiff has my respect to the highest degree. It’s comforting to know that he and others with intelligence, integrity and a moral compass are taking leadership to counteract the current corrupt administration. Bravo Adam Schiff!
11
Right on for Adam Schiff. I wish some Republican senators would follow his example and do the right thing, though I don't hold out much hope for that. Having turned much of the GOP into a spineless personality cult, corrupted the Justice Department with a tame attorney general, stacked the Supreme Court with at least two illegitimate justices and undermined our free press with his own Fox Pravda propaganda organ, Trump probably feels confident of surviving impeachment. Thus his removal depends on a large, very large, voter turnout.
8
Adam Schiff has my respect to the highest degree. It’s comforting to know that he and others with intelligence, integrity and a moral compass are taking leadership to hold the current corrupt administration accountable.
Bravo Adam Schiff!
4
Trump always goes after those he fears most.
His fear of Biden caused the situation he's in now.
Only his base believes his unsupported, childish insults.
Sadly, however, his base constitutes 4 out of 10 Americans.
Why they cleave to someone who talks (and behaves) in ways they wouldn't want their children to talk/behave will be a topic discussed for a hundred years.
5
The more Trump attacks him, the more we like him. He's the hero we need now.
10
Thank goodness, yes, goodness, for people like Adam Schiff. We need more like you. Attention to detail and tenaciousness are just two qualities needed to combat what is probably the most corrupt president and administration in modern times. You have my "vote" Mr. Schiff along with millions of us who are sick of the White House circus and charade. Godspeed, Mr. Schiff.
9
@Nicholas kristof thank you for joining the conversation. Fascinating and so.respectful of your readers.
4
Steady as she goes, Congressman Schiff. The Dude abides!
6
Donald Trump has no idea how to cope with straight forward, decent professionals, as his natural inclination is to find weaknesses to exploit, everything from greed to opportunism to guilt, and to develop some kind of quid pro quo arrangement that he reserves the right to cancel at any moment.
Because he is a malignant narcissist whose ignorance is wide ranging, when confronted with a man of integrity like Schiff, he is incapable of adult criticism and reduced to pulling out his adolescent bag of tricks, from the old "rubber/glue" to mean girl insults to "deep state" conspiracy jabberwocky. It would be pathetic if he wasn't inexplicably still squatting in the Oval office wreaking havoc on all fronts.
10
Thank God for Schiff, he has one of the strongest moral compasses not to mention he will not stand for our democracy being destroyed. He knows that it won't be long before indictments will be coming down from the mueller investigation as we all know Trump colluded with Russia to steal our election. Now that Trump will be impeached he'll be recognized as the true hero he is. He has to be one of the most honest politicians in the USA. There's a good chance, in addition to all of his perfection, he's the whistle blower too!.
5
Don't let the nerdy awkwardness fool you. Adam Schiff is one smart cookie. And he is relentless in that obsessive way that one wants in one's researchers. He will make sure every "i" is dotted and "t" is crossed, and he will attempt to learn all that is knowable.
The fact that Trump and his cronies now this on some level helps to explain the virulence with which they're trying to tarnish him.
5
William Barr is “the second most dangerous person in the country,” Schiff said. “In his own way, he’s as much of a threat to the rule of law as the president.” Well yes...and no....
Representative Schiff went on to say, "democracy throughout the world is under threat. “This is bigger than Trump: It started before Trump; it won’t end with Trump.”
And that is because the biggest threat to our democratic republic is neither Trump, nor Barr, but Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republicans in Congress.
Trump does not exist except for the enabling and protection of Mitch McConnell and his team of conniving liars.
(And here let me say, thank you Times for moving to a much more adult delivery of the news...I'm talking here about moving past the politically correct "falsehood" terminology, to calling a lie a lie, a liar a liar. That is not name-calling, that is being factual, truthful. That serves all of us much better.)
5
Adam Schiff's intent is to remove President Trump from office and will stop at nothing to reach this goal. He is no shy retiring violet and he has been proceeding full speed ahead to dig up anything and everything to discredit our president. He wants to obtain the recording of the actual phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president and will not be content until he gets it. He will then demand other phone calls between leaders and try to use these against President Trump too.
Mr. Schiff will continue to request subpoenas against everyone and anyone who can further his cause. He is not to be trusted. He has lied about what was in the telephone call with our president and the Ukrainian president. He neglected to say he had prior information to the contents of the whistleblower's report. What else is he hiding. We should hear from those testifying before Congress. The secrecy is very suspicious and Americans should demand these hearings be out in the open. We must know what is going on. Otherwise it is awfully fishy.
15
Prosecutors sequester witnesses so they have less opportunity to coordinate their testimony. Ultimately it all comes out, as Schiff has said it will soon in this instance.
46
@KMW finding something to incriminate Donald Trump is like shooting tuna in a barrel.
18
@KMW
Weird fact: you can't impeach and remove a president without one key ingredient - high crimes and misdemeanors. Mr Schiff is working in a target rich environment. So is the U.S. Attorney in the southern district of New York.
26
Mission accomplished, President Trump. What else can I do for you?
If there was a recording of the call it's likely to have been given the Rosemary Wood treatment.
1
Therefore he persisted!! Adam Schiff's ability to synthesize the significance and the details has been critical. He acts with measured strength not passive-aggressive attention to the media and 45. He and the late Elijah Cummings are driven by principle and the right thing to do. May justice truth and legal principle stay front and center in this complex investigation.
5
Thank you so very much, Nicholas Kristof, for this excellent article on Adam Schiff. I now have a very real image of the man who in many ways is leading the legal march toward what many of us in this country want to be the denouement of our very dangerous and unbalanced president. A big hurrah to the open- minded people out there who recognize the many ways to view compromise, or compramot, as the Russians call it. Compromising positions on elections, tax records, climate and nuclear deals can get one to agree on important matters. It can also mean that some agreements are under the table and not as transparent as those agreed to in an open and transparent manner. Let the light shine in!
7
He is an admirable politician, and has my respect.
6
Exceptional reporting. This is by far the most important story now, but keep us up to date on Darfur. Suggest you go back to school on the science of global warming/climate change. What's most appalling is that with Trump and the Republicans, we are losing valuable time. When it's finally possible to tackle this head on, people will have to understand the science to know the urgency, and not just that it is happening. And someone will have to teach them this.
(one of the first things that you learn is that the warming that we already have will cause additional warming, and that the oil and gas industry are just waiting to help out--note burn offs of methane that appear elsewhere here today.)
2
Adam Schiff is a prototype for the kind of individual with whom we could securely entrust leadership over the difficult task of restoring integrity, pride and morale to a DOJ that has been battered, compromised and weaponized during the tenure of Donald Trump.
I long for the day when those who lead the institutions upon which our system of governance rests are men and women whose experience, intelligence and integrity once again both command and demand my respect.
Schiff would fall in that category.
271
@Rusty Inman Adam Schiff has been my Congressional representative since he was first elected in 2000. He is indeed a man of great intelligence, integrity and honesty. This country is very lucky to have him leading the impeachment inquiry as we can be assured that he will do a fair, thorough and transparent job.
17
@Rusty Inman there are many great politicians. We judge them very harshly, and let a few bad apples ruin a crop.
This is all part of the plan for conservatism, to preach that government is bad, and then to make it so.
5
I live in Schiff's district and I happen to live in the same apartment building as Johnny Nalbandian, his 2018 GOP opponent for the district seat. After the election I asked Nalbandian how much support he'd gotten from the RNC during the general election campaign. None, he replied. I wonder how they are feeling about that now.
2
Adam Schiff is doing us all a great service. We are lucky to have him. His perseverance will be key: the likes of Trump and Barr will never willingly cooperate with him.
We should think long and hard about why more of us in our lives do not step up in the same way that these courageous whistle-blowers have. They represent the best among us, because they realize that it is never wrong to do the right thing.
We need to learn from them. That is the best hope for the survival of our democracy.
1399
@Blue Moon Thanks for reading my column, and your point is well taken. I keep thinking that the Ukraine call resulted in so much uproar in the White House, yet if it wasn't for the whistle-blower's determined efforts, we might not know of it at all. How many other calls like that are there?
950
@Blue Moon
Yes, a great service indeed. I have always seen Congressman Schiff as a consummate professional and an officer of the court.
Even if he was on the other side, I would find him redoubtable. He's the product of Stanford and Harvard Law, and that comes through in his demeanor.
Now we have this griping and caviling about Schiff and the Democrats not bringing an inquiry vote to the floor. It is not mandated by law. Nor is it necessary to reveal the whistle blower.
Those are obscurantist tactics because the Republicans are afraid. They know when Schiff compiles a critical mass of information about the Ukraine situation, and presents it to the full House for impeachment, it will be very compelling, and most probably overwhelming.
When Senator Feinstein retires, Adam Schiff will be the guy. And then on to bigger things.
I'm sure Adam could have been working in private, making himself rich. But instead he is the public servant that we should all be grateful for.
360
@ehillesum Why do you call the whistleblower partisan when virtually everything he said has since been proven to be true? (Yes, I'm aware that truth has a liberal bias. Sorry.) Funny thing, the whistleblower is superfluous now. There are so many other witnesses testifying to Trump's wrongdoing that the whistleblower's testimony no longer matters.
259
Really, only a moral vacuity, after 1,000 days of CurrentOccupant's degradation of the nation's very principles, would not welcome the hatred of this tiny, tiny man.
Schiff is the prosecutor. His duty is to convict in that roll. He used “parody” to sum up a call that didn’t accurately describe the transcript that he used to persuade an audience. Accuracy was available, but he chose not to use it. His denial of his participation in an accusation is defiant of seeking truth, only to seek an inaccurate portrayal of facts in record. An honest prosecutor, seeking justice, would never use parody to attempt to prosecute any citizen or president of a crime. I thought American justice required proof, not amusing the public, and deceiving possible jurors.
10
@Jay What exactly was inaccurate about Shiff's paraphrasing of the Trump transcript.
11
@Jay Huh? Why don’t you ask the President about that? Isn’t parody and misdirection his standard modus operandi?
5
Impeachment is not a criminal proceeding, and Schiff is not exactly a prosecutor in this context. Schiff’s characterization of the Ukraine call is old news, don’t you think? Let’s hear the actual recordings of the call!
3
Adam Schiff does not need President Trump to invoke the aura of distrust the Congressman displays, since he provided that himself when he said he had evidence against President Trump of Russian collusion.
Then his attempt to combine his screen play passion with his passion to be the person that leads the Trump Impeachment by reading to the public a bad, third rate "B-rated movie script" of a mob story rather than factual information was self incriminating.
17
@MDCooks8
Robert Mueller provided a lot of solid unimpeachable evidence of the collusion between tRUMP and his campaign and Russia. Rep Schiff accurately restated that evidence uncovered by Mueller. Perhaps you are confused by Robert Mueller saying he didn't have enough evidence to state that there was a criminal conspiracy. Perhaps you also didn't read that Mr. Mueller documented 10 instances where tRUMP attempted to obstruct justice.
36
@MDCooks8
Believe me, I'd trust Congressman Schiff with my life more than I'd ever trust Trump, Pence, McConnell, Graham, Barr, and th entire Congressional Republican Caucus combined.
16
@MDCooks8 I see evidence everyday that Trump is colluding with Russia (the most recent- Syria).
14
"The bigger picture is that democracy is hanging in the balance, and we remain it's best hope," says Adam Schiff.
Will our partisan bickering matter if our democracy fails?
An intelligent, responsible, honorable person. And he is actually in the US govt! If only there were even a few Republicans with as much honor. Thanks for countering the propaganda from Trump. As for the investigation, all we can say is: Godspeed. Do it right, and soon.
8
Adam Schiff is the hero of this whole sordid episode. He will go down in history for his integrity and leadership. I admire him immensely.
7
Thank you for this more "personal" portrait of Adam Schiff. No wonder The Occupant vilifies him. He is the polar opposite of DT: fit, disciplined, intelligent, patriotic, principled and a gentleman. He is everything that DT has never and will never be. Thank you to Rep. Schiff for your courage and service, and Nick Kristof for letting us know more about him.
5
The Harvard degree is the only cavil I have. Considering the number of republican whackadoodles who sport Ivy League credentials, any mention of a background from those so-called august institutions gives me pause.
Courageous, thoughtful, honest, hard-working, decent and above all...brilliant. Congressman Schiff does you all proud south of our Canadian border with you and we’ll take him any day as our leaders (currently duking it out in a federal election) are too timid, dull and unimaginative to really talk about. Enjoy!
3
Let's see, so Schiff is a danger and needs to be impeached? On the other hand Trey Gowdy is an American hero who should be the president's defense lawyer? How about they both are doing their jobs. Gowdy, on the one hand, came up empty handed after grilling witnesses in public for hours on end. When the Democrats took over, he did the cowardly think and left town. And now wants to be Trump's fixer. We will see what Schiff accomplishes. What absolutely amazes me is the Democrats are looked at as being so, so terrible for 'going after an innocent guy'. Whereas what the Republicans did to Obama is patriotic?
5
Nick Kristof is at it again. This time, he tells us, with a straight face, that Adam Schiff is in real life "a cerebral and mild-mannered moderate." Kristof simply hasn't been paying attention, or else he just refuses to believe his lying eyes.
Don't be fooled by Schiff's "cerebral" manner. His brain is at most 1% cerebrum. The rest is purely the primitive seat of emotions. Ever since Trump's 3016 election, Schiff has been on a monomaniacal quest to reverse the result of that election and to get even with Trump for winning it.
Check out his Ahab-like pursuit of the Great Orange Whale if you doubt me. Schiff's career since 2016 has consisted in an ceaseless fishing expedition for "dirt" to use against Trump. Check out his over-the-top and definitely "uncerebral" accusations against Trump over the so-called collusion. His response to their debunking has been to redouble his fervor and to demand a do-over. His obsession has infected virtually a whole political party. Some cerebrum.
If you close your eyes and listen carefully, I guarantee you will hear the tap-tap of his peg-leg on the deck of the Pequod.
4
Adam Smith is an individual with the highest degree of intelligence, capability coupled with honorable traits of honesty, integrity, humility and fairness, the antithesis of occupant in the White house. Just so I am not accused of being a partisan I would just as happy having Steve Schmidt as my president.
1
A first in my lifetime. I know who is going to be the next Speaker of the House when Pelosi steps down.
1
Thank you for lauding Sen. Schiff's credibility in light of his repeated contentions of "ample," "significant," and "direct" evidence of Trump campaign "collusion" with Russia, his wonderful "parody" to open the grave Ukraine impeachment inquiry, and his "could've been a little clearer" explanation of prior contact with the leaker [now called "whistle-blower" to try to avoid prosecution].
How's this for a conspiracy theory: the minute the Horowitz and Durham reports are released, Sen Schiff will have a transparency epiphany and dump thousands of heavily redacted pages of transcripts from the impeachment inquiries in an effort to dilute the horrible revelations that our intelligence services were hijacked in 2016 in an attempted, and ongoing, coup d' etat.
1
It’s easy to hate someone who smirks all the time. Where is his “absolute proof “ of Russia collusion? He prattled about that every time he was in front of a microphone. Conducting hearings in secret shows what a low life he is. So why did the Ukraine contribute to his re-election? Funny how he suddenly wanted to send them money for defense after that.
I tend to do the opposite of whatever Trump wants me to do, so I think we're good on me not hating Schiff.
3
Mr. Kristof, I'm a pacifist, originally from Brooklyn, NY.
But one thing I learned on the streets was, if a bully keeps punching you in the nose, you eventually gotta plant a square one right on his jaw.
Mr. Schiff has shown amazing restraint, and I admire him for that. Maybe I should have been born in California?
3
Adam Schiff! Who knew?! GO ADAM.
3
It would be good if Schiff would share with the world the secret evidence he had on Trump’s collusion with the Russians.
4
@Meg
It’s all there in Mueller’s report. There was more than enough to impeach Trump based solely on that. Pelosi chose to hold back. And now this Ukraine biz...
4
Orwell understood that dictators need hate figures, so he had Big Brother direct his hatred at Emmanuel Goldstein, who may have been a creation of the Party rather than an actual opponent.
In our real world, trump would have a hard time creating a fictitious enemy, but he has a plethora of real ones in his head that he rolls out as needed, either singly or in multiples. Hate figures in his rotation include Hillary Clinton (of course), Barack Obama (who surfaced today), the media, the Bidens, Elizabeth Warren, John McCain, and now Nancy Pelosi. Tomorrow there will be another figure du jour.
It boils down to trump's inability to tolerate opposition. He thought he could not so much run the government like a business as to run it like he did HIS businesses.
20:40 EDT, 10/16
3
"He acknowledged some missteps, including misleading comments about his committee’s contact with the whistle-blower."
Some? Some? C'mon, Mr. Kristoff, you're better than that. What we need is someone with the intelligence, gravitas, and humility of Rep. Peter Rodino, not someone who hasn't met a TV camera he didn't love.
1
Schiff goes down in history as a 2nd rate Joe McCarthy and its incredible to witness this continued defense of his nonsense. Over and over and over, for years, he abused his position on the intelligence community to tell us there was more evidence than there was about Trump-Russia.
And only by refusing to acknowledge how wrong he was, how dishonest he was, and yes, how often he lie about it, can you continue this charade.
And now he's doing the same thing all over again and instead of earned mistrust....the same goofs just take him at his word all over again. Embarrassing.
3
Sorry Rep. Schiff but the second biggest threat to our country is Senator Mitch McConnell.
1
It is too late now for Trump to save himself by insults and derisive nicknames. And it is deliciously ironic that the alternate fact guy will be done in by irrefutable facts that demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that betrayed his oath of office and the Constitution. NO ONE is above the law. Not even the Donald!!
2
Trump is such a vile demagogue that it's tempting to consider any opponent as a nice person. That may explain why John McCain or George HW Bush were eulogized by the Times, why Michèle Obama quipped about George W Bush her candy provider was her "partner in crime" but this is wrong. McCain and the Bushes were or are terrible people.
Adam Schiff's main donor in 2016 was Northrop Grumman. He is clearly a player in the military-industrial complex. He even said something wrong about the famous transcript of the phone call between Trump and Zelinsky. Analysts and journalists should respect the very norms that Trump violates 24/7 and always tell the truth, including awkward facts.
It would be much better if the American people kicked Trump out and also eliminated Trumpism, at the ballot box but also in so many other spheres.
Fighting for Democracy should mean focusing on voter suppression, a totally racist trick by the GOP and the power of money in elections (not to mention trying to get round the also racist electoral college).
1
Trump and Schiff: A study of polar opposites. Trump: classless, corrupt, and impulsive. Schiff: dignified, ethical, and judicious.
4
trump name-calls because he knows that's the extent of his supporters' intellect on matters of national import. trump isn't fixated on people like Schiff but on those he knows he can get an easy rise out of: the lowlife radical right.
1
Nicely done. Thank you!
1
That guy sure sounds radical. Defend democracy, why I never!
3
America is in the midst of a crisis. That crisis is unique in American history, because it is totally unnecessary and because it was created by one man: Donald Trump.
Yes, Trump has had a lot of help, ranging from the Russians who helped him win an election in 2016 (and are still helping him) to the Americans who have assisted the improbable president in his onslaught on democracy. Chief among those aiders and abettors is our improbable attorney general, William Barr.
Still, it is Donald Trump – an amalgam of ignorance, narcissism, bigotry, greed and unbridled vindictiveness – who drives what resembles a criminal enterprise based in the White House and is the center of the crisis.
Crises not only feature and depend upon villains, they also create heroes. In the past several days we have heard or read the words of heroic women and men in the nonpolitical service of our country, standing up to the would-be dictator.
Those people came forward out of conscience, but they were encouraged by the protective wisdom of the person who may be our greatest hero in this crisis: Adam Schiff.
Without suggesting that the roles of Nancy Pelosi and others, including many intrepid journalists, have not been essential to the resistance, Adam Schiff deserves the everlasting gratitude of our nation, regardless of how this crisis ends.
3
Thank God there are people like him in congress at times like these.
4
Schiff is under Nancy's thumb or foot. He will do as he is told, don't you forget it. He is spineless, all huff and puff and letting the house down. And that reminds me of Richard Neal, why is he refusing trump's tax returns again? And also what just came out about trumps committing fraud in deflating and inflating the worth of his buildings to get loans or to get taxed at a lower rate? Nope Nancy and Richard want nothing to do with these crimes of Trumps that would put the rest of us in jail for sure.
Now why are our House leaders playing deaf and dumb about these crimes you have to ask yourself, well I guess you don't but I sure am curious. In fact you can go back to Michael Cohen's testimony and see AOC probe him about Trump's real estate crimes . And Cohen says Trump did commit fraud. And now why is Cohn in jail for campaign finance crimes and his co-conspirator Trump not?
If I were an exalted DC insider I would know the truth about all these transgressions. Ohh I am glad not to have the burdens of rampant chicanery on my conscious. I would be blowing whistles right and left, and have the added pleasure of being vilified as well. Get money out of politics and get honest politicians in congress is the only answer.
1
Schiff is just an other Democrat looking for a reason to remove Trump from office.
Schiff lied about his spy in the State Department and also hiding him, so we can’t find out their connection or motives.
He is interviewing people behind closed doors. His excuse is, he doesn’t want witnesses to learn from each other. This excuse is false. The people he is debriefing were not in the room when the phone call to Ukraine was made. Anything they have to say is immaterial to the supposedly treasonous call.
None of Trumps children benefitted from Trumps disputed call. Trump was right to make inquiries about the honesty of the next possibly president of the USA.
He should investigate the Biden family, and their finances and also any favors given to other countries where his family member was employed. This should include implied favors, just to be even handed
4
Trump lashes out the most at those who are his biggest threats. He seems to have a special place for Adam Schiff. It's amazing how intimidating quiet competence can be.
4
Trump and his victimized votaries always refer to the existence of the ‘deep state’. This debacle of which Ukraine is the centerpiece illustrates aptly how a ‘deep state’ exists and functions. We could not have crafted a better example.
Cry for the beloved country
2
Trump is appalling but is there any Republican politician Democrats and ‘progressives’ DON’T hate?
1
I'm sorry Schiff has ruled out inherent contempt. I think it would be entirely appropriate for the likes of Giuliani. As for Barr, I'd favor impeachment.
1
Of course Trump hates him; like Obama, Adam Schiff is everything that Trump is not. Respectable, hard working, articulate, smart, and earned everything he has on his own.
6
My advice to Representative Schiff: Don't take the bait from Trump and his trolls. Just do your work.
3
Thank you, Mr. Kristof, for focusing on Adam Schiff, who has become one of my heroes. I admire his courage, intelligence, and integrity, and he gives me hope that we will get to the truth and hold this “president” accountable. Instead of smearing Mr. Schiff, Donald Trump should emulate him. According to Henry Kravis, “If you don’t have integrity, you have nothing. You can’t buy it. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing.” Adam Schiff, unlike Donald Trump, has figured that out.
3
William Barr is “the second most dangerous person in the country,” Schiff said. “In his own way, he’s as much of a threat to the rule of law as the president.” Well yes....and no....
Representative Schiff went on to say, "democracy throughout the world is under threat. “This is bigger than Trump: It started before Trump; it won’t end with Trump.”
And that is because the biggest threat to our democratic republic is not Trump, nor Barr, but Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republicans in Congress.
Trump does not exist except for the enabling and protection of Mitch McConnell and his team of conniving liars.
(And here let me say, thank you Times for moving to a much more adult delivery of the news...I'm talking here about moving past the politically correct "falsehood" terminology, to calling a lie a lie, a liar a liar. That is not name-calling, that is being factual, truthful. That serves all of us much better.)
2
Schiff may appeal to the Times readers but a Sam Ervin would have been a better choice with a strong staff. There is a lot of optics in politics especially now. Trump is a showman. Trump called Schiff narrow necked which is equivalent to pencil neck and you know where that's going. It's ugly but it's reality in the US and the Democrats need to work with it. I cannot understand why inherently unpresidential people are still on the dais for the Dem nomination when they will be losing a significant vote just by their style. This is hardball but the Dems seem oblivious. In a sense it doesn't matter how 'smart' Schiff is it matters how 'convincing' he is. And he's no Sam Ervin there. If you look who Amnerica elects -- and rejects -- you get a sense of what the Dems need to do. Why don't they?
I give up if people buy into this... trump has got to go.
2
Now I like the guy even more!
1
We're seeing heroines and heroes emerge and it seems they are finally being listened to. When Trump insults you it means you're telling the truth. Even the cowardly Republicans know this.
The House vote on the Syrian withdrawal is the first big sign that there may be an end to the madness that is Trump.
Too bad that Mr. Schiff doesn't have the time to run for President, but what he's doing is far more important.
55
When the Special Counsel investigation was going on, every effort was made to disparage and insult the investigations. It was portrayed in such a manner to show people that the whole thing was a Democratic Party conspiracy, to negate the 2016 elections. Now, the same thing is happening with the impeachment investigations. This has nothing to do with Democratic Party Vs. the Republican Party. There is a reason for the Impeachment Investigation. The people are fully aware of this, extending overwhelming support for the initiative.
The Republican Party is aware as well, who should be asking themselves the question - as to the reasons and the cause for the Impeachment investigations.
2
His approval rating is something like 24%, Trump doesn't need to do anything - he isn't well liked, isn't trusted, and shouldn't be the face of the impeachment process.
1
First. it is his being the face, not him. Second, anyone who reads the Special Counsel's report understands that there was collusion, i.e cooperation.
2
Do we need any more evidence that the two-party system has failed our experiment in democracy?
1
This seems fair. What’s clear to me is that anyone even slightly to the left is depicted as a radical by right-wing popular media. (Not enough people to matter read center-right serious media, which is a shame because some of it is quite good.) We’re reaching a point where the explosion of the political center has made compromise nearly equivalent to treason, in the eyes of many voters.
Undereducated rightists and overeducated leftists are more responsible than anyone for this. The GOP is led by a fool, and I‘m quite pessimistic about Democrats. The Left’s influence is already evident. I see every reason to think that that influence will continue to grow.
Leftists get a pass for everything because their heart is in the right place, or at least that’s the excuse we’re fed. But most people see themselves as “meaning well.” And I’ve long noticed that liberals are afraid of the Left. Leftists treat liberals like garbage, while liberals meekly criticize radicals. I‘m worried about the future if we can’t stand up for our own economic system without endless qualifiers. Bernie Sanders is applauded for romanticizing the Castro regime, as well as the Sandinistas. The idea that this country can become “Scandinavian” is absurd. Even if we could, we shouldn’t want to. I don’t want us to lose our innovativeness, our entrepreneurial spirit. The world needs a place like America, even if it doesn’t know it.
And I don’t want the Gray Lady becoming the Left’s cheerleader, which is happening.
I saw this guy God knows how many times claiming to have evidence of Russia collusion.
How can one possibly think that him being the face of impeachment is helping their cause? Only if your cause is to create a boomerang out of it.
9
@no pretenses
I don't think Adam Schiff ever used the imprecise and legally undefined term "collusion."
It has been repeated ad nauseum, with little effect on the Fox News crowd, that the House is conducting an investigation. That is an important oversight function designed to check the President. It is in the Constitution. You should be angry if that was not done.
10
You’re kidding, right? More than 100 contacts between Trump campaign and Russians ... read the Mueller Report. Collusion abounds.
15
@no pretenses
Yes, but we don't know the full picture on Trump's Russian collusion because Trump obstructed justice by dangling pardons and intimidating witnesses.
17
Adam Schiff is a potential hero. He is all set up for it - doing the right things. All that is needed is for him to succeed, and along with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Jerry Nadler and other heroes in waiting, bring this illicit administration to its knees, out of power and into prison where they belong.
6
Why isn't the following remark slander?
"He’s the second most dangerous person in the country,” Schiff said. “In his own way, he’s as much of a threat to the rule of law as the president.”
2
Ha ha ha ha
Have you even heard What Trump calls people daily, including Schiff?
Hard to slander public figures ... as Trump takes full advantage of
2
@Mark s
Thanks for responding to my real question. I don't understand how we now, apparently, accept defamation as legally permissible.
So libel and slander are gone with the wind when dealing with public figures.
1
Just to be clear Adam Schiff is a political snake of the worst kind.
It is politicians like him that make the good people of America want to drain the swamp. Keep at him Mr President.
4
Trump has things teed up perfectly. The front runner Biden is destroyed. The impeachment process is to his reelection advantage as the country is outraged by it. And now the easily defeated Warren is the front runner. Can't wait to see her get smacked. I guess all that golf strategy pays off !
2
It is utterly unnecessary for you to correct misunderstandings of Adam Schiff. He is clearly a patriot and hero in the midst of this multilateral display of Trumpian traitorousness and corruption
4
Anybody who loves “The Big Lebowski” gains my instant trust.
52
Dishonest? Yes. Overreaching?? Absolutely.
2
I knew nothing about Congressman Schiff before the Trump debacle, though I lived and worked in his district years ago. I became impressed by his knowledge, wisdom and equanimity as I observed him on TV news. I considered him so essential, I donated to his campaign last year.
The contrast between Mr. Schiff and the Republicans members is startling, We citizens are fortunate that we have a leader, who is determined to get to the truth despite the opposition's clown shows, massive propaganda barrages and usually-successful attempts to sow confusion.
His parents' disappointment in not having a physician son, was offset by a gift for all American, a man for the times.
I want to thank Nicholas Kristof for his interview and this very informative article. For me, Mr. Kristof is the conscience of the New York Times, someone who points us all to our better selves.
12
All roads seem to lead to Vladimir Putin. Following their invasion of Ukraine and annexation of the Crimea, the US and European allies slapped tough economic sanctions on Russia. Further sanctions were imposed following US intelligence reports concerning Russian meddling in the 2016 election. In both cases the consensus was that Russia got off lightly, not that the sanctions were unfair, yet Trump was willing to take Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s word that Russia was not involved in election meddling.
Now Trump has his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr travelling the world trying to enlist foreign governments to participate in investigations for the purpose of proving absurd conspiracy theories that exonerate the Russians from election interference. Trump is also working to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, on Putin’s terms, of course. And Trump's recent decisions on Syria benefit the Russians. Why is Trump so pathologically devoted to assisting Russian goals?
11
Kristol quotes Schiff as emphasizing that “[t]he bigger picture is democracy is hanging in the balance, and we remain its best hope.” As an ex-prosecutor, federal litigator, and author whose first novel explored the tension between civil rights and Homeland Security in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks, I have never felt as powerless and frightened for the continued viability of our Great Experiment.
Schiff frankly reminds me a little of the protagonist in my book, in that he finds himself redefined by extraordinary circumstances in ways that he could not have anticipated, and which present a profound challenge--not just to performing his sworn duty, but to staying true to who he is as a moral being. I think that throughout history, it has been--and will continue to be--people who can accomplish this astonishingly difficult act of faith in one's country and in oneself, who play the most important role in saving all of us from despotism and the worst parts of human nature.
15
Schiff is exactly who this country needs to lead a fair and effective impeachment inquiry. Like many folks, I also wondered why the inquiry was behind closed doors and why the house is taking a different approach than for Nixon and Clinton. I was around for the Nixon judiciary hearings which were riveting TV everyone watched at the time.
Yesterday Schiff wrote a letter to all US representatives that explained why. The Nixon and Clinton impeachments already had investigations completed that informed the House committees. Remember Ken Starr? In this case, WiIliam Barr refused to investigate US-Ukraine criminal activities by the president reported by CIA and State Department personnel.
Barr made the Justice Department a political tool of the president and conducted no investigation despite credible allegations. Therefore the House must do it's own investigation and begin with private questioning just as previous investigations of Nixon and Clinton were done.
At this stage the investigation must be private at this early stage so witnesses can't coordinate their stories and why Schiff's committee of Dems and Repubs must learn more before submitting the impeachment before the house.
Republicans can blame William Barr, the Attorney General who isn't, for this. Had he allowed a proper investigation, the House could have followed the same path as used for Nixon and Clinton impeachments.
15
Adam Schiff is working within the rules of our system in a thoughtful and considered fashion. For this, Trump's loyalists call him an extremist who is working to break the system.
Donald Trump is breaking the rules of our system in a chaotic and unpredictable fashion. For this, Trump's loyalists call him a great man trying to save the system.
I cannot even begin to express how galling the irony is.
11
Democrats need to run ads with Schiff's riff on "You might think it's OK..."
"My colleagues might think it’s okay that the Russians offered dirt on the Democratic candidate for president as part of what’s described as the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign."
"My colleagues might think it’s okay that when that was offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the president’s son did not call the FBI, he did not adamantly refuse that foreign help — no, instead that son said he would ‘love’ the help with the Russians."
Etc., just add one or two more about the Trump/Giuliani sell out of our country's election.
8
Love Adam Schiff, for his calm and his doggedness.
And I loved his "You may think it's OK..." speech. That was one of the few really encouraging and exciting bits of rhetoric the Dems have been able to muster in this whole business.
6
Serious man at a serious time. Fully support his efforts.
Curious though, what is his favorite line from the Big Lebowski, or most quoted.
6
He’s certainly no Jimmy Stewart, much too low key for comparing to Mr. Smith, but he has a plodding, dogged quality that is a strong foil to our gold plated “leader.”
He should tell his relatives to chill on the shape fitting suits and shiny shoes. We’ve got enough flash and dash already!
He often strikes me as someone who just finished a long run and is trying to keep a measured breath in front of the press. He’s attempting to keep his cool as if he’s just been party to an intellectual or emotional wallop in the most recent closed door session.
4
Representative Adam Schiff is a brilliant, honorable and honest man. Something the Donald Trump will never be!
13
@Mari And of course the Left Coast supports him. Lies are acceptable to them.
He won’t quit, and he won’t be dragged down. A consummate public servant who takes his oath of office to heart, and like me, will take it to his grave. This man IS the US constitution right now.
14
Was it his mild-mannered doggedness that caused him to falsely claim that he had non-circumstantial evidence that Trump had conspired with the Russians? Evidence that apparently eluded Robert Mueller and his entire investigative team. Or perhaps his character was better on display when he spewed a false account of Trump's phone call with the president of Ukraine. Or was it when he tried to pressure Kurt Volker to change his testimony when it did not fit Schiff's preferred narrative. Schiff is the last person who should be leading the investigation of Trump. He is engaged in a contest with Trump to become the least credible person in Washington.
4
I was hoping that Adam Schiff would consider running for President. But we need him now as he leads the investigations into Donald Trump. Mr. Schiff is rational and intelligent. One of the things he said that stayed with me was it is more important to do the right thing and save our democracy than it is to keep "our jobs in D.C."
6
This man is a warrior trying to save democracy and we should have his back. I have wanted him to run for president, but perhaps his investigation of the corruption in the White House is a more important pursuit.
11
Adam Schiff is quietly very impressive - just the right person to lead his committee's work on impeachment. It is calming to hear him speak - just what we need in this country.
10
What's telling about the closed hearings is that all Republicans can complain about is the process. None of them have attacked the witnesses or what they are saying. Not even that hack Jordan from Ohio.
This process has to be different than other impeachments because we do not have a special prosecutor here, as we did there. And since the DOJ is in the pocket of Trump, the only investigative body left is the House. So this process IS different, and has to be so.
I can't wait for the public hearings. I think they'll be devastating, though I'm sure the right wing media will sic their attach dogs, the truth will come out. I have to believe that.
9
I don't need Trump's help on this. Don't like Trump, but Schiff is an opportunist of the 1st order. Isn't he the one that publicly stated numerous times over the past few years that there was clear collusion evidence against Trump?
2
@RichardPVB That's because there was clear collusion evidence. But Mueller decided it wasn't enough to state definitively that it was collusion because collusion requires that you know you are doing something wrong, and it was unclear that the Trumps knew enough about the law to be aware of that.
So the short answer is: Schiff was right. Trump colluded with Russia multiple times. But legally, it may not matter -- because our president knows so little about the law that he didn't realize it was illegal when he did it, which makes it legally not "collusion."
12
@RichardPVB: Mueller could not prove the legal standard of CONSPIRACY which is the LEGAL term, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT; not "collusion"which has no legal standing. He also could not charge Trump because of the OLC OPINION that a president in office can not be charged.
4
Brilliant, thank you.
It is with gratitude, and pride, I have Adam Schiff as my Congressman. I’ve met him a couple of times at fund raisers and he is just as impressive off script, or camera, when meeting him in person. I look forward to the day when he’ll be Speaker Of the House.
15
I adore him. What would we have done without a Patriot such as Schiff who tells it like it is, and speaks truth to power?
16
Maybe Schiff is not "radical left", but he totally lacking in integrity.
3
@Grace While Nunes is the definition of integrity? Smh.
1
I'd like to thank the voters in Rep. Schiff's California district for sending him to Washington.
31
"Schiff has not even come out for impeachment, saying that such decisions should await the investigation."
If you really believe Schiff is maintaining an open mind on impeachment, I honestly don't know what to say to you.
5
The capable and patient Mr. Schiff, a man of great integrity, will work like a trained archaeologist, systematically exhuming all the skeletons.
As an aside, a kudo to my wife: Reading this article I asked her to guess what Adam Schiff’s wife’s name was. She though for a minute and said, “Ms. Schiff”.
13
I consider Schiff the real patriot in all this. That's why Trump is so angry. Schiff is everything Trump is not...measured, knowledgeable, decent, a real patriot. Trump---none of those things.
29
Congressman Schiff has always impressed me for his integrity and great ability to analyze facts and to make logical, intelligent arguments. One wonders whether someone with his character and abilities could be elected President in today’s America? I am not optimistic. I fear that the low level of civics education and engagement, combined with the influence of big money and widespread social media misinformation, will likely result in the election of additional unqualified ,corrupt and unstable media personalities in the near future.
7
His mention of “defending democracy” gave me hope. If America can overcome this scourge, can survive it and grow stronger from it, then we may once again become an exemplar, giving hope to other countries now in crisis. We need to reestablish the rule of law by exposing through proper, judicious judicial investigation the travesty that is Trump and his acolytes. We need to show that our system is resilient and ruthless against those who would destroy it. The we can give thanks for America anew.
7
Anyone paying attention over the past few years knows that Schiff has misrepresented matters of collusion with Trump. It’s not even close. His statements on Trumps pending guilt were fuel for the Democrats and the liberal press. He has a lot of the boy who cried wolf in him.
4
@Dady I've been paying attention over the last feast few years, and I disagree with you. It's clear to me that it has been well established that Trump colluded with foreign powers, especially the Russians, to gain election; the Mueller report specifically stated that they did not find evidence to exonerate him, and that if communications between his campaign and Russian operatives had not been encoded they believed that they could have done far more to implicate him. And of course, there are the multiple obstruction issues to be answered to.
Links to the Mueller report can be easily found (it's free) and you should take the time to read it, as I have.
In any event you should remember that Congress has the obligation of oversight, and when they ask for cooperation from the Executive the Executive is bound to provide it. Stonewalling is obstruction of justice. It didn't work for Nixon and it won't work for Trump. He needs to come clean, provide complete documentation, and clear himself. Or not.
4
@Dady
Apparently, you have not been paying attention.
From Trump during his campaing: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,”
Trump Tower meeting in which Don Jr. was trying to get dirt on Hillary.
272 contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russian operatives.
Several people associated with the Trump campaign jailed for lying about contacts with Russians.
2
Thank you Mr. Kristoff for another great column. We should be eternally grateful for heroes like the whistle-blower and Schiff. Sometimes I worry that our evil leader may get them arrested as he has been threatening. Worse still, the spineless republican leaders might even condone that. Please keep fighting.....
7
Adam Schiff has long claimed to have irrefutable evidence that the sitting President of the United States is a Russian vassel and a traitor, yet has never been forthcoming with that information.
That puzzles me, especially considering the difficulty his Party has experienced over the 999 days of the Trump presidency in trying to impeach him.
It would seem Rep. Schiff could greatly facilitate the process.
4
As an ordinary person, I would fear Trump's wrath. He has deep pockets, connections with powerful people, and possesses the bully's mentality of winning at all costs and the pleasure of ruining you. Not someone you'd want to make enemies with with.
Ironically, in the public realm of service, I fear a man like Schiff more than any corrupt businessman. I voted for Schiff twice. Schiff's a relentlessly honest man. Not a hero, he's just a man, but he has a keen intellect, a moral compass, and possesses a weird relentlessness, even pleasure, at squashing injustice. Something from his past? DNA?
Like all great dramas, heros and villains who face off are often mirror opposites of each other.
Given two men who share a strange commonality of "winning" at all costs, ultimately, the man who comes with an authentic and intellectual belief in their rghteousness will always have the upper hand.
Schiff's dangerous to his enemies.
11
Thank you for this insight into Adam Schiff
The only thing I do not agree with re Schiff is the fact that with the Republicans agreeing to this Obstruction of Justice by the Administration by not speaking out, he needs to use his position to get these subpoenas enforced.
The Capitol Police should be given orders to handcuff at least Barr for contempt. Forget fines. Am also wondering if these people who do not show up, like Barr actually pay the fines, or do they pay them out of the budgets each office has? Taxpayers should not be paying these fines
I say lock them all up until they decide to do what is best for this country, not Trump. What is the point of having this power at your disposal and not using it against the most corrupt Presidency we have ever seen.
6
Always refreshing to see an intelligent politician.
2
@Berry Shoen Where?
First of all --is six bankruptcies and three wives --stable? Nope. Then why would anything coming out of Exhibit A's mouth matter--especially on Schiff who actually has an ascending learning curve
5
I am not enthusiastic about Mr. Schiff. He lied about the whistleblower's contact with his committee. He improvised lines when reading from the summary of the infamous call to the Ukraine president. Maybe it is just me, but he seems to exude a more-than-healthy dose of self-righteousness. He says his role is to "defend our democracy." Oh really?
He sounds like a Democratic Comey, filled to the brim with his own importance. I think he inhales schadenfreude for breakfast and loves the limelight way too much. I want Trump out in the worst way, but I am not sure Schiff is the guy to do it.
5
A person like Representative Schiff is so confident in their integrity that nothing, not the slings and arrows of Republicans intent on hiding the truth,can sway him, a rare person indeed. Republicans have shamelessly bent to the bluster and lies of their master, Trump, and now integrity escapes them completely. Our country is in a sorry state and we need pillars like Mr. Schiff to give us the confidence that our country may survive despite Donald Trump and his enablers. We owe him all the patience and strength we can find in ourselves in order to support him in his hard position.
11
Simply put, Trump cannot comprehend someone like Representative Schiff. Trump deals with hyperbolic room-filling bombast, personal likes and dislikes (which quickly become hatred and fear), unquenched greed, "yes/no" absolute loyalty (with no appreciation for honesty or nuance), and relies on and promotes ignorance. In short, Mr. Schiff is everything Trump is not and will never be. Last, despite his current position title and however much wealth he flaunts, Trump will never gain legitimate access to, earn the respect of, or be accepted by "polite society" and he loathes and diminishes those who can and are.
6
We may have found our Sam Ervin.
7
Americans don’t need Trump to expose Adam Schiff’s many failings—he does it himself. Anyone who watched his self-described parody as it enfolded and in context knows that he was intent on misleading the public into believing Schiff’s words were Trumps. Add to that his lie about whether his office had spoken to the whistleblower, and—without a word from Trump, you know all you need to about Schiff. And we are still waiting for his promised evidence on Russian collusion. And to see what the witnesses he is hiding from us really said. He is his own worst enemy.
1
The sun will come up in January 2021. Assuming that the Democrats win back the White House, guys like Schiff will be vital to holding people like Barr and Pompeo accountable, in addition to Trump and his stooges like Guiliani. All of these guys think that they are above the law. We need to communicate in a clear way, and in a language that they will understand, that they are not. And Schiff will be a key to that effort.
9
Well, in fairness, Schiff did lie and and then told another lie to cover up his first lie. It seems the face of impeachment should be unimpeachable to be credible.
3
The same "intelligence community" that has for centuries been aimed at liberals, leftists (note the difference), black and brown people, i.e. everyone not in the "intelligence community", is now apparently poised to "save democracy".
It's beyond laughable how the mainstream media attack Russia for their supposed interference in our 2016 elections, yet there is scarcely a word about our extended, well-documented efforts to create regime change in Ukraine.
Trump provides a plausible (within bourgeois political circles) excuse for demanding an investigation. This is nothing new in Washington. Withholding aid, sanctioning, threatening war, it's all fair game in bourgeois politics. It happens all the time. It just wasn't endorsed by the CIA and other 'kingpins' of foreign policy. Nor would it have been since the investigation would expose things adjacent to their coup.
It amazes me how obvious the elites are in trying to oust this president. After perfecting their craft in "bloodless coups" abroad-usually under the guise of corruption, they seem intent on applying the same method on Trump.
Schiff, who personifies the link between foreign policy hawks and defense contractors, is indeed the right man for this farce.
Enough of this ridiculous farce.
It is time to realize Trump is a symptom not a disease
There's a very long history of attacking the symptom instead of the cause. It never works.
Otherwise the well-meaning wind up joining forces unwittingly with the malicious.
Adam Schiff is my image of a true American. He is intelligent, honest, hard-working and dedicated to his task of investigating corruption. He is grounded in the true values of America in an effort to save democracy, not only in our country, but throughout the world. What is remarkable about him is his measured demeanor, and his focus on uncovering the truth beneath these scandals, one step at a time. He is NOT an egotist, but is working for all of us ... for the best in all .. to lead us from darkness into the light. I can only wish him forbearance and the ability to ignore the Republican shills.
6
I appreciate you taking the time to pen this fair piece on Schiff. If we have learned anything over the last several years from the Trump playbook, it is that constantly smearing and branding critics with outrageous slanders is, sadly, very effective. If you don't like the message, knee-cap the messenger. I am hoping the media will turn don his microphone, way down. I mean, is it even news anymore? Every time he has a presser he turns it into a charade of an infomercial, full of false claims. There has to be a way to disrupt his scheme.
4
In the midst of so many self-serving public officials, I truly hope that Adam Schiff is as good as he appears in this article.
3
Schiff has been lying to create a perception of guilt against Trump without having to provide proof. He did the same with Kavanaugh, lie without concern for his victim. I'm far from a Bible thumper but doesn't it say something about bearing false witness. Republicans and Democrats are always staking claim to a higher morality. Lying has become the moral thing to do.
Schiff was a prosecutor? I'm not so sure I like prosecutors. Giuliani, Harris and Mueller all were proscutors in the news. Don't like them. The South District of New York. mostly Democrats trying to depose an elected president for political reasons and spending millions to do so. That's not good. Wouldn't we be better of if they prosecutors corrupt bankers, CEO's and tech companies?
No, Trump doesn't tell me who not to like.
1
Nick writes: "Now he’s again investigating alleged Russia-related wrongdoing by a federal employee, only this time the employee is the president."
Interesting, and true. Trump is but a federal employee. This is the catch, the thing Trump did not take into account as he embarked on his journey to tyranny.
Suddenly, I am reminded of Jafar, the evil magician from "Aladin," a creep who also sought unquestioned power. His downfall was to become that strongest of strongmen, a genie. Yes, he had unlimited power, but also the wrist shackles forever placing him at the disposal (literally) of the common man.
Trump's wrist shackles derive from the same source as his great power: us! He is our employee. And he's about to be fired for cause. Do your job, Mr. Schiff.
3
Only place we disagree is around arresting those in contempt. Todays Republicans would do it in a heartbeat if the tables were turned. One of the failings of the democratic leadership is in underestimating the dogged determination of their opposition. Get serious, put teeth into your words, send a message.
Lock them up!
3
I admire Congressman Schiff with all my heart. He has kept his cool and is doing so despite threats from right-wing fanatics. He is a true patriot. I salute him and his staff.
7
There are several reasons to admire Mr. Schiff, not the least of which may be his knowledge of the script for The Big Lebpowski. The greatest reason may be his ability to maintain composure and civility while serving with the likes of Devin Nunes and Andy Biggs.
5
I was eating my breakfast in Oslo, Norway at a hotel next to the country's Parliment building when I saw Adam Schiff talking to several dark suited men out the window. They stepped inside a black van. I wanted to tell him how much I appreciated his efforts, but it seemed the van would probably take off quickly. The vehicle just sat there, so I ran outside, right to the door of the van. I yelled, "Adam Schiff, I LOVE YOU!" All the men laughed heartily and I heard Rep. Schiff say, "Who is that?" I replied, "Never mind about that. Just keep doing the work you are doing. We need you!"
Since I had no desire for personal attention and I did not want to disturb their schedule, I beat a hasty retreat. My ample Norwegian breakfast was cooling off and it seemed like the best idea to get back to it. With all the complicated events that have swirled around Mr. Schiff since then, I am so glad I took the opportunity to start his day by giving him a little unexpected positive affirmation.
More and more, I do love Adam Schiff!
6
Nice story, I hope that you enjoyed your ample, if not hot, breakfast.
2
Adam Schiff couldn't decide between being a doctor and lawyer, eh??? In my line of work, I see a lot of kids who "can't make up their minds" between med school and law school -- between doctor and lawyer. These kids are almost always driven more by ambition (not the good kind), greed and status instead of talent and authenticity. In my life, I avoid doctors like this because they will ever only see you as a "patient," and part of their lucrative upper-middle-class livelihood. I can smell a doctor whose parents wanted him to go to med school, mostly for social or economic reasons.
I transfer my medical records immediately because you can NEVER trust anybody like that. It's sad that Adam Schiff -- one of the most important people in Congress -- has that kind of hard-charging background. He's the epitome of an upper-middle-class careerist, coupled with a ruthless, vicious instinct to cut the throat of anybody who gets in his way, e.g. Donald Trump. His parents should be ashamed of the hollow, selfish, hard-charging child they raised.
2
Adam Schiff has the ideal personality and style to be the public face and spokesperson for all the impeachment investigations: tempered, careful, low-key, although at times one can sense just under the surface his revulsion at the contempt for the law and Constitutonal processes by Trump and his numerous stonewalling appointees and assorted toadies and sycophants.
I remember well the contrast with a young Representative Lindsey Graham during the phases in both House snd Senate of the impeachment of Bill Clinton:
Graham was an emotional Inspector Javert, exaggerating hyperbolically the sins of the accused in his relentless pursuit to remove him from office for lying about sex.
Oh, how I wish the networks will pull up footage from their archives to contrast Graham then and Graham now in what will likely be his certain defense in the Senate trisl of Trump's felonious acts and lying 24/7/365.
3
Republicans seek to paint Adam Schiff as anti-Trump when in reality he hold on tight to his objectivity and professionalism while peeling back the layers of a most unpleasant political onion. If anything, Representative Schiff is the AntiTrump, his opposite; intellectual, forthright and honest to his core. Mr. Trump, the one thing your money can't buy back is your integrity. You gave that away without a negotiation or a second thought. I don't blame you for fearing Adam Schiff, for he is your worst nightmare. A man of courage with a moral compass and a steely determination. I can't wait to read his autobiography. Perhaps Mr. President would like me to read it to him, but I might have to skip the ending. You know, the part where VP Pence forgets to pardon our next ex-President.
6
Adam Schiff is a great American, focused and fearless. I can't imagine him trying stand-up comedy, much less spewing quotes from The Big Lebowski. I assume his favorite line would be "Donnie, you're out of you're element."
4
Adam Schiff's parody of what Trump said was a terrible mistake. Hillary's emails, Hunter Biden's "job" - the Dems just
keep providing Trump's howling horde with shouting points. Shape up Dems or the Highchair King will be reelected.
1
Schiff is a dishonest destroy Trump partisan .It would serve the country better if a reasonable, by the book investigation would be done.To provide the same courtesy and due process shown to Clinton would increase the likely hood of garnering public support for impeachment.
1
Has the NYTimes published Rep. Schiff's "Dear Colleague" letter explaining why investigations need to be non-public for now? Or can someone point us to it?
Your column points out secrecy is problematic. But the President chose to follow a path involving a foreign country, implicating national security and intelligence concerns. The whistleblower law is is being followed. It would be good to understand the closed-door investigation is a normal and necessary part of the criminal process and not a personal decision by Chair Schiff -- to counter a frightening effort going on to normalize unlawfulness.
3
If he has not done so already, Schiff should make sure those summoned to testify know that the failure to cooperate is a federal crime, obstruction of Congress, and they will eventually be prosecuted for it.
3
We watch MSNBC a lot, and Rep. Schiff appears often. I flipped to Fox a while ago when the smear campaign began. I was shocked to hear the descriptions as some wild eyed, frothing radical partisan, on and on. Almost amusing, what they had to invent to describe one of the most sober, level headed people I have seen. But this description of biased fanaticism can be found by the president's defenders on these pages.
8
@gratis Please tell us when you saw that on Fox. Bet you can’t.
Adam Schiff is a mensch. I recently sent him a letter thanking him for his service.
7
I am eternally grateful to Congressman Schiff. He is a shining example of what a congress person is supposed to be. Objective, rational, even-keeled and dedicated to the truth.
Godspeed!
15
"He said that his committee is investigating whether there is a recording of the call between Trump and Ukraine’s president, either in the U.S. or in Ukraine. 'We are determined to find out,' he said."
Only a measured, methodical former prosecutor would speak this way.
OF COURSE there is a recording of the Trump-Zelensky phone call. I should think there are at least two: one in the White House system (nobody named Rosemary Wood is employed there), the other in the National Security Agency's vast data-farm of scooped up telephone conversations.
If the White House won't comply with a subpoena to produce the recording, then perhaps Schiff's committee should obtain a FISA warrant and compel the NSA to produce theirs.
8
Adam Schiff is doing is job properly and Americans should be grateful.
Just think of the vile characters that Trump heaps praise on; Putin, Duterte, Kim Jong-Un, MBS, Erdogan, etc.
What do they all have in common?
Remember the proclamation for all the world to see? "Kim and I fell in love."
Anyone that Trump openly dislikes or castigates is more than likely a true friend and champion of democracy.
26
First of all. It's hard not to miss the fact that Donald Trump has it in for California.
His laser-like focus has been trained on that state ever since they took steps to ignore his mandates rolling back restrictions on auto emissions, and it also doesn't help that they overwhelmingly didn't vote for him -- just like his hometown of New York City, which he also has a tenuous relationship with.
That Adam Schiff, along with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi form the triumvirate that he chooses to despise is not surprising, but his choice of vernacular in describing them certainly is.
There's no way that Schiff, or for that, any of them could be described as a "radical left", especially when you have so many truly radical left folks on the political stage these days.
But then again, Donald Trump does have a rather limited vocabulary, which probably helps his appeal to the snarling red-hatted right-wingers at his rallies.
At this point, the only thing we can take away from any of this is that if Donald Trump doesn't care someone or something -- that's all the more reason for the rest of us to like and support it.
8
Mr. Kristof:
Thank you for this article. I, for one, admire Mr. Schiff very much and perceive him to be a man with high morals and integrity. I've listened to his statements about President Trump, and I agree with him wholeheartedly. I know Mr. Schiff is in a very difficult position, as are others, who are trying to protect our democracy and I appreciate the stand that they are willing to take, and the insults that they are willing to endure, in order to do so for this great nation of ours. And I agree with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, when she states that "no one is above the law". We must endeavor to remember that, no matter what Republicans standing behind this President try to brainwash us into believing. The truth must come out and justice must prevail. I feel certain that the framers of our Constitution would totally agree with that.
11
Though Schiff is doing a good job, his refusal to use the House's inherent power of contempt to jail uncooperative witnesses who ignore subpoenas is hard to understand. No judge would tolerate witnesses ignoring subpoenas. They would be held in contempt.
The House used its contempt powers to force reluctant witnesses to testify from the earliest dates of the nation until 1930. The House followed the precedents set by Parliament to secure witness cooperation with investigations.
So why allow the Trump Administration to make the House look like a bunch of ineffective neophytes scared of their own shadow? It is time for vigorous enforcement of the House's subpoenas if all the evidence is to be produced. Fines will not do it, but incarceration, subject to the witness seeking a Writ of Habeas Corpus to challenge his detention, will cause reluctant witnesses to cooperate. The American people are entitled to know all the facts.
7
Excellent column, Nicholas.
Given the loss of Elijah Cummings today, Adam Schiff is even more important a bulwark against the corruption in the White House, DOJ and Senate leadership.
May Nancy Pelosi choose someone half as clear headed and honest to lead the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
24
We must remember that Trump runs the presidency like a reality tv show for his base. It becomes a punchline at his rallies to have a few villains for a sizable swath of the U.S. public just like he used to fo when he ran a wrestling organization more like a circus.
That’s who we have as president. Adam Schiff fits the profile of everything Trump is not: thoughtful, careful, thorough, cerebral, respected and effective in doing his job
20
Republicans use the term "fanatical partisan" to distract away from someone who's a patriotic, ethical, measured congress person who believes in the rule of law, and serving his country and his constituents. In other words, everything they're not.
We need a thousand Adam Schiff's.
38
Mr. Kristof, thank you for this column. At a time when so much seems uncertain, and cynicism seems at an all time high, this is restorative. And thanks to Mr. Schiff for his patriotism.
15
“The bigger picture is democracy is hanging in the balance, and we remain its best hope.”
We were its best hope since America's founding. Let's be true to our heritage and values. We must.
8
Thank you Mr. Kristof.
Congressman Schiff is a true American hero who brings dignity and class to his office vs. disgrace and grave danger as he-who-will-not-be-named has brought to the presidency.
Schiff has been at the top of my list for the Democratic presidential nomination ever since I saw his measured interview with Bill Maher earlier this year. He’s done nothing in the intervening months to dissuade that decision, in fact I’m more impressed than ever.
13
The larger issue, he said, is that democracy throughout the world is under threat. “This is bigger than Trump: It started before Trump; it won’t end with Trump,” he said. “The bigger picture is democracy is hanging in the balance, and we remain its best hope.” Is Mr. Kristof writing a sequel to this column and if so, I hope we find that there is a superman or woman who saves the day.
6
The Constitution cannot defend itself. It is up to the citizens to defend it as Benjamin Franklin said, "A Republic Madam, if you can keep it." Write to your representatives in Congress and insist that they declare that they either support the impeachment investigation or not, a simple yes or no.
12
Closed door hearings, leaking only the incriminating stuff, finally the Dems are giving the Reps their own medicine.
Looks like they finally woke up to the new game, pretense and fairness are gone.
Keep it up Dems !
5
One major difference, though, is the integrity by which Schiff runs his committee. The Republicans were always challenged in that department.
18
@SMcStormy, sigh. Closed door hearings are not secrecy. In every court, in every county in every state of America, closed door hearings convene so the witnesses don't know what the others are saying. I know, it's not on FOXTV, so you might not know this. ZERO actual information is being leaked; only speculation, and if it's bad for the president, that's because he's running your nation like a mob boss would.
It's amazing how trump supporters just forget there are actual laws here, and history, facts and precedent. You know, reasons. As far as trumpies are concerned, there is no way trump could ever commit even an error, let alone an impeachable crime. What constitution? It's unfair for Dems to investigate stuff trump just said last week, but you're going to be onboard another Benghazi hearing, and Hillary's emails need more investigations, amirite? And honestly, if trump suddenly told you Rudy never even heard of Ukraine and certainly never went there, you'd accuse Dems of lying if they objected. When trump admits he asked a Communist nation to dig up dirt for his political gain, you justify it. When he claims no camera ever recorded him saying that; it's just Dem lies, you solemnly forget his lips saying words. Has trump become like a little god-man who can never ever say a wrong thing?
No American citizen has ever been entitled to the Dearleader status you folks give him. The more crimes he commits against this nation, the more you point at Democrats. Very odd.
2
@Waste /True that.
How calm and measured Adam Schiff appears compared to the rantings and ravings from the Republican side including Trump himself. For some reason class, intelligence and integrity has deserted Republicans or they have deserted these qualities themselves. The name calling and insults from them against Adam Schiff demeans them and shouts desperation.
15
Schiff was made for this moment. The guy to replace Feinstein before long.
9
Adam Schiff, particularly his intellectual heft, moral courage, and adroitness, is one of the few and final lines of defense preventing the USA from becoming a full blown dictatorship. Infinite Gratitude to Congressman Schiff!
16
Where is the transparency from the Democrats in Congress on their so-called Impeachment investigation, starting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi by allowing closed door hearings?
4
@MDCooks8 I don't understand how some commenters cannot offer a comment if they haven't read the article with thought. Schiff explained the hearings must be closed door at this moment to keep the witnesses from possibly influencing the testimony of future witnesses but that all transcripts would be made public in due time. It's not as though there are only 3 witnesses to an event who will all be questioned in order on the same day and can be held in solitude until their time.
I'm grateful they are closed door. The open hearings always seem to devolve into individual Congresspeople grandstanding and not getting to the bottom of anything.
15
@MDCooks8 if the hearings were open-door then you would scream that all witnesses collaborated their testimony because the testimony would have been heard by each prospective witness.
The way that ALL GRAND JURY HEARINGS are done, as this one, is to have witnesses testify in closed sessions so their testimony is not tainted.
When the evidence is complete the transcripts will be released. And rest assured, there are an equal number of republicans as democrats in the hearings and both parties have equal time for questions.
The democrats are handling these depositions exactly as the law requires. PERIOD.
14
@MDCooks8 , can it be that you folks think 'closed door' means no republicans can attend? It sure seems so, from the many objections here. Closed door means no cameras. That's all. It's not public during testimony, cuz then the other witnesses will know what was said. It will be MADE public, but it's government agencies doing their job without the circus that politicians engage in when the cameras roll.
In fact, this has been the way Congress does it's job for over 200 years. Really, there is no nefarious plot, unless you consider your constitution to be trump's enemy now, too.
11
Most of Trump's insults are self-referential, describing himself more than they describe the intended victim. This week he has added two more to the list: "clown" and "low-life";. Democrats should be keeping track of his self-insults, because they'll come in useful when the election season starts;
11
We need more of this type of Representative: not grandstanding, just perseverance towards finding the truth. Trey Gowdy, take note.
14
Congressman Schiff gives me hope that government service really can attract some of the best American citizens, a belief that's sorely tested by the likes of Trump's cabinet of horrors.
13
Schiff is a decent fellow but he's in over his head. The impeachment will fail, sooner or later.
1
@Michael Livingston’s It's pretty funny for a trump supporter to opine that a politician is in over his head. Go ahead and think that all quiet, competent officials are silly nerds, but know that most Americans don't share your attraction for bombast over lawful conduct. If impeachment fails, it will be because Congressional republicans will not obey the law or the oaths they took. It's not as if trump hasn't already admitted more than enough stuff to impeach him!
2
Job done, Trump. You revile Schiff and it makes me appreciate his level headed and methodical approach to his job. It works every time, Trump is scared and lashes out. Trump just highlights the great job that Democrats are doing. P
10
Slow and steady wins the race. Aesop knew this and clearly Schiff does too. Thanks for this piece Mr. Kristof.
13
Congressman Schiff is a man of unmarried hed integrity as well as probity. He will find the truth by pursuing it doggedly.
5
Mr. Trump wants us to hate anyone who dares to question his performance at the White House. That's the hallmark of a person with dictatorial tendancies. Mr. Trump's enemy is himself, not Mr. Schiff.
11
Adam Schiff defines integrity, sterling character, and decency. He literally shines with these qualities. Thank God for men and women like Adam Schiff. I cannot bear the assaults upon him from people who do not understand, or who do not want to understand, the grave peril in which our nation finds itself, from a disordered, hateful, rogue president, and his equally subversive cohorts, engaged in criminal, corrupt, and treasonous activities against all of us, as well as against our allies. Schiff is what a patriot looks and acts like. It is not easy to stand where he stands, and one can only imagine the unbearable gravity upon him of that with which he is tasked. To be on the side of right, good, and truth...and yet, everyday, to be pummeled by those who are not.
15
This profile of Adam Schiff reminds me of the role that Claude Lebel played in "The Day of the Jackal." Ruffled, rumpled, modest about his physical appearance and impatient with the showy trappings of his responsibilities, he stayed low, assembled a team of competent people and smoked out the jackal.
While the above seems melodramatic, what is not is the current drama being played out in our nation's capital. Congressman Schiff is also a Jew and it wouldn't surprise me in the least that the president is inciting hatred for Mr. Schiff for precisely that reason. I hearken back to "Jews will not replace us" at Charlottesville in 2017 and the president's cover for them: "very good people...on both sides."
It looks now, for all the world, that the walls are closing in on the president, primarily because of his ignorance of foreign affairs and his casual dependence upon his "very stable genius" and his grossly distorted belief in his intellectual apparatus. It is the duty of Congressman Schiff to ferret out the dangers that mean to destroy us--from without and from within.
It must be added here that the Congressman was among those not invited to the White House today with the Democratic leadership to meet with the president about his decision to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria. Pointedly disinvited by the president, Mr. Schiff's absence highlights No. 45's realization that his tenure might be shorter than he wished. He blames everyone and everything for his epic failures.
13
Adam Schiff and other Ds want to achieve through a partisan impeachment what they cannot achieve at the ballot box. This whole thing is a political hoax—reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, “first the sentence, then the trial.” Trump was to be impeached with the Mueller Report and when that was a bust, a new reason must be found. When this, too, turns out to be a bust, another new reason will be found. It will never end.
Who is more of a threat: a President who is unconventional and shaking things up, or third rate politicians who want to replace the will of the people with their “We know best” attitude?
Adam Schiff, almost by definition, is a threat to democracy! Where is the vote authorizing the impeachment investigation, Adam?
5
@John Galt A vote is not required to begin an impeachment inquiry. If the inquiry results in articles of impeachment being brought forward, the hearings in the House will be public. It has been stated many times by Adam Schiff and others that the reason the inquiry hearings are not public is so witnesses cannot coordinate their answers in advance. He has said that all transcripts of these hearings will be made public.
The Mueller Report in fact did detail multiple efforts by Trump to obstruct justice. Trump himself refused to be interviewed, as his own lawyers said he couldn't be trusted not to lie. His answer to most of the written questions was that he didn't remember.
7
@John Galt
I pray for you, my son, when the day of reckoning is upon us.
3
The biggest threat to republicans is finding out the truth. That will be a tough one to swallow.
4
After this nightmare with the administration is over and assuming we are all still here, would love to read his next play. Truth is better than fiction.
3
He doesn't care about money; he's intelligent, diligent, and scrupulously honest. In other words, Schiff is the Anti-Trump. Lets hope they never shake hands because it might mean the annihilation of the universe.
3
Many nights watching the news, I have remarked on how calm, precise and noble Adam Schaffer’s comes across.
Trump has the habit of tossing labels out that should return in boomerang fashion and be applied to himself instead.
13
Adam Schiff would be the front runner in the Democratic primaries if he chose to run.
He is the silver bullet that Democrats need.
No doubt he has not considered pursuing that role as it would open the doors to Trump saying Schiff's investigations are an attempt to advance his presidential ambitions.
I only wish we could put Mr. Schiff up against Trump in 2020.
10
Sometimes I compare Adam Schiff with Jim Jordan or Kevin McCarthy. The Republicans seem to shout, provide non-sequiturs, bring up Obama, deflect, and change the subject. So often the Schiff detractors engage in personal attacks. And yet Adam remains calm, focused and dogged. Pretty amazing. Thanks for the profile.
21
This is an important article, providing very interesting background information on Senator Adam Schiff.
His "quirky" multi-faceted interests help us understand, and put in context, his much maligned mocking of the president's manipulative phone call to Ukraine's president.
Surely, everyone but Trump recognized it as comic relief. Instead, Donald Trump's reaction was that it was "treasonous" and has not let go of his hurt feelings, and has suggested all manner of remedies and revenge, as is his wont.
6
@Saam
Actually Adam Schiff is a U. S. Representative from California's 28th district, not a Senator.
2
I have had a hard time keeping up with politics, but Adam Schiff has been on my radar as a favorite. I admire his calm and cogent point of view. I am happy to learn more about him in this column and in comments, particularly his championing green space in his LA hometown, which furthers my instinct about him as a forward thinker and a leader with integrity.
16
"The larger issue, he said, is that democracy throughout the world is under threat" Schiff is right. The two newest forms of government invented by mankind are Democracy and Communism. One a reaction to the other. One trades power for trust, the other seeks power through authority. Trump may live in the former but believes in the latter.
8
@Stephen George So where does fascism fit in this scheme?
Throughout our history, when the hour is darkest, good men and women stand up, subordinate their self-interest to the national interest, and do their duty to the Republic. Adam Schiff is such an American. And the reason all the President's men are keen to take him down is precisely because he is the antithesis of Trump - steady and resolute, measured and not prone to excess (his paraphrasing of the whistle-blower's account aside), and not a preening, self-righteous scold. They simply do not know what to do with someone with integrity. Thank you Mr. Kristof for humanizing this American hero.
20
Adam Schiff is a Man for All Seasons. Kristof's column reveals a person who is representing the moral conscience of our nation. Schiff's perseverance, temperament and fearlessness are serving our nation's need for true political leadership. I particularly admire Schiff's calm reassurance and focus as our democracy embarks on the rollercoaster ride of its life.
24
Andy Biggs needs to be sent out of congress in Nov 2020. As with the other members of the GOP, he is a Trump defender, no matter what Trump does. As with Trump, he is focussed on short term goals, like getting a federal pension after 10 years in congress, and little else. His constituents need to consider the harm to the nation and the world what Biggs, Trump and the GOP are doing in regard to honesty, international politics, environment and common decency.
6
Great interview, thank you. Schiff articulates a crucial point: Trump, Johnson, Orban et. al didn't spring forth from nothing. Western democracies have been rotting from the inside for a long time and these "leaders" are only the manifestation of a less visible disease. The challenge for our time is to ensure democracy wins out but there are many stable cleptocracies, semi-dictatorships, and oligarchies in the world right now. Once established they are hard to dislodge.
12
Mr. Schiff has proven to be consistently dishonest and unreliable in his campaign to overturn the 2016 election. His latest gambit running a star chamber in the basement of the capital only adds to his discredit and is likely to end badly for him.
9
Jim, you and I were part of a Saturday morning softball game in Saratoga back in the ‘80s. Reassuring to see you’re as thoughtful and well-reasoned now as you were then.
1
Jim, you point to the alleged "dishonesty" of Congressman Schiff - please elucidate. What examples of "dishonesty" are you referring to? I am curious if you are so concerned about dishonesty - are you at all bothered by the 13,000 (and counting) lies told by Trump?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news. However, Adam Schiff will prevail in his inquiry / investigation. Donald Trump will be exposed for being a Manchurian president who does the bidding of Putin and MBS. Everything Trump has done can be traced back to Putin. The Ukraine scandal is less about dirt on Joe Biden and more about getting Ukraine to play the "fall country" for interfering in our 2016 election - so that Russia is absolved and the path is cleared to lift the sanctions. In the same vein, the travesty and debacle in Syria wasn't Trump following his gut (as it has been erroneously framed in this paper), but rather Trump following Putin's wishes/order for the US to withdraw our troops from the NE Syrian border.
3
Unfortunately, restoring faith in our country amidst those whose lawlessness threatens its destruction is no small feat, demanding unimpeachable wisdom, decency and expertise.
Fortunately, there are patriots who are ready, willing and able to accept that responsibility. Adam Schiff is one of them.
Thank you, Sir.
Keep up your good work.
19
The problem with congressman Schiff is he starts with a narrative and listens to nothing that does not support it.
5
Adam Schiff is a patriot. He is careful and measured and exactly what we need in this moment. Each day I thank him as well as our press for their extraordinary reporting. History will not be kind to this administration and the GOP enablers that tried to cover up the breathtaking corruption.
40
Seems a major concern at this stage is when will the House vote. The Schiff investigation could continue for months as testimony takes us deeper into the "inner circle" behind Trump's unlawful telephone call. The longer we postpone the better it is for Trump as it would appear as if the House isn't sure of their evidence. Hopefully they will remember the importance of the nation's feelings at this time, and how easily people change their minds, especially when there so much disinformation out there.
Thank you for the profile of Adam Schiff. The composer, restraint and intelligence he possesses has brought sanity and dignity into Congress, a calming effect considering the constant turmoil. He must have an abundance of patience to sit next to Nunes and not flat out tell him to shut up.
17
I wish there was a GoFundMe site to help the Civil Servants and State Department officials who have bravely come forward. They must be dealing with staggering legal fees.
19
Schiff seems to have an orderly mind and an ability to impose some level of structure on the chaos. This is important because chaos is Trump's best friend. Helter-skelter confusion and overreaction makes the public peevish and apathetic. Maintaining a clear and simple story line is critical to keeping the impeachment process on track and bringing it to an expeditious conclusion.
25
I am represented by Adam Schiff and I am so proud to shout that our anywhere I can. Reasonable, stable, intelligent, dogged, honest. He is coping with all of this and still representing the district with compassion and authority.
Would that all of you had such a representative in the people's house.
49
I saw Adam Schiff's stand-up gig this year. He was pretty good! But I don't want him to give up his day job.
35
Thank you for profiling Adam Schiff; as others have said he's a true patriot and a hero.
37
Any official, any argument, any evidence that brings us closer to a Trump-less White House is going to have my strong enthusiam -- usually.
But let me suggest my problem with Adam Schiff by way of a small excusion on, of all people, Ted Koppel.
Unlike most Trump opponents (i.e., Democrats), of which I am among the most ardent, during the Lewinsky scandal I was similarly anti-Clinton, and wanted him removed. I viewed him as corrupt and a Republican in disguise, and still do. In any case, at the height of the investigations, Mr. Koppel announced on Nightline that The Dallas Morning News discovered and was going to report the following day evidence so devastating to Clinton that his defense was no longer viable and presidency unsalvagable. He looked directly into the camera and staked his professional credibility on this promise, that the following day a DMN report would basically seal Clinton's fate. The next day (or any time thereafter), nothing was heard from that paper along the lines of Mr. Koppel's promise, nor from the journalist himself excusing or explaining the unfulfilled promise (he simply acted as if it had never been made.
On at least one occasion Mr. Schiff similarly promised a Russia bombshell, evidence so devastaing against Trump, that his tenure was imminently going to end. It never materialized, and like Mr. Koppel, Mr. Schiff simply ignored the promise he'd made.
Others may know more details, but it seems credibility was severely damaged.
11
"excursion" not "excusion"!
But while I'm following up my own comment, seriously let me ask: Did others not notice Mr. Schiff over-promising as to evidence during the Russian collusion investigation? Frankly, it's too much for me to do personally, but has there been any kind of audit on Schiff's public claims during those proceedings? And how about the Washington Post's "4 Pinnochios" on his claim not to have spoken to the whistleblower?
Again, it's because I want Trump removed from office that I'm so frustrated by one of the main impeachment actors getting caught in exaggerations, half-truths and distortions.
I don't think anyone can look at Mr. Schiff honestly and not conclude that his anti-Trump zeal, and willingness to push the envelope in tripping Trump up, is a bit too obvious. It's one thing to think a president corrupt and unfit for office and soberly make that case; it's another to enact a Javert-like fanatical determination to the point of getting caught bending the rules to trap his quarry. If Trump is as dangerous as he seems, "Pinnochios" shouldn't have to come into the picture, undermining public trust in the investigation or its outcome.
Get Trump out, but without becoming Trumplike in the process.
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@Andrew
Maybe if we could see the redactions we'd have a better grasp on Mueller.
Regardless there is plenty of deep black smoke in Part I and Trump could be impeached on obstruction alone.
As for Russia, all you have to do is watch him. If he isn't a Russian agent he should be. And his actions in Ukraine reinforce the sense that he actively conspired with Russia in 2016.
6
It’s funny that people swear that they’re anti-Trump, and yet somehow manage exactly to repeat Trumpist claims, all the way down to the same misrepresentations and errors.
4
One of my heroes interviews another one of my heroes.
Thank you both for your lives of dedicated service.
16
Mr. Kristof has just reinforced my opinion of Congressman Schiff. Without knowing any personal information, one can just tell he’s exactly the low key but meticulous kind of prosecutor to be trusted with this inquiry. I get the impression that none of trump’s maniacal assaults on him have any effect but to convince Mr. Schiff of the importance of getting the process done, excuse the pun, unimpeachably. Nancy Pelosi used her best judgment appointing him to be in charge. Enjoyed learning more about his past, thanks, Nick.
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Mr. Kristof,
Thank you for interviewing Congressman Schiff. I learned an important bit of information here - "that initial hearings need to be closed to keep witnesses from knowing what others have said." This is a very important point that should be shoved in the faces of the Republicans who are complaining about a supposed lack of "due process."
30
How proud his parents must be. Adam Schiff is of such character and brilliance we should all be grateful. How will those who smear him feel when the whole truth is known? Great article —much gratitude.
25
Just to play a sort of devil's advocate here, I do wish that the honorable Mr. Schiff had not said there was such clear of evidence of impeachable offenses prior to the Ukraine scandal. That was a bit premature given the gravity of removing a president from office. The facts of Trump's offenses must be viewed through the lens that voters knew Trump was shady when he was elected. He'd have to do something really terrible, then, to be impeached, and the Mueller report just shows that it was pretty typical Trump unethical behavior.
To Mr. Schiff: if Trump made his Syria decision for any reason other than a sincere (however misguided) belief that it was the best thing for the United States, the American people need to know. Please find out the truth about Ukraine and the call between Trump and Erdogan, for the sake of our few remaining allies and our beloved country. Thank you for leading the charge.
6
@Jon The problem with the list of impeachable offenses by this president is that it is almost overwhelming. He cooperated with a foreign government to get elected, and then made multiple (at least ten) efforts to obstruct the investigation into same. He is receiving unconstitutional emoluments - something that started his first day in office. And now we know that he has been extorting foreign governments to assist his own political fortunes. See, e.g., http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/10/the-full-case-for-trump-impeachment.html
9
Schiff, whose district includes Hollywood, is straight out of a Frank Capra film. He is Mr. Smith gone to Washington -- an honorable and decent public servant who wants to do what is right even when the corrupt and powerful conspire against him. Only this time it is the bad guys who are using the legal equivalent of filibustering to keep justice from prevailing. Time will tell whether this story has a feel-good ending.
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Cmon
Schiff is the Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos founder) of Congress.
Fantasize about it, say it enough, and then, of course, it will become true.
The dependency, championed by Schiff (and others), on finding the "other shoe to drop" in this massive conspiracy theory is undermining the chances of the Dems getting Trump out of the White House.
Bad politics.
7
@Home State
The investigation is not about winning the next election. It is about drawing a hard line against everyone else in the future willing to break the law and solicit foreign interference in our elections. You've got to care about that.
33
Rep Schiff is running his investigations in a way that will maximize the political split in the country and convince those who are not Trump opponents that the process Rep Schiff runs is dishonestly political with no concern for truth. He comes across as having an obsession to defeat Trump by any means, even means toxic to democracy and the Constitution
For Rep Schiff to run a credible process, so the impeachment investigation will be seen as a credible source of what happened instead of being proof of Democrats running a dis-honest process, he must:
1 - Hold all hearings in public with complete recordings readily available on the Internet
2 - Make complete transcripts of past hearing public immediately, and include any video
3 - make public complete information on who all the witnesses are, and background about them so their credibility may be considered
5 - make public all evidence and records
6- Republicans must also be allowed to call witnesses, even those who may give information in conflict with what Democrats want to hear.
7- Rep Schiff should explain why his repeated claims of proof of Trump colluding with Russia were never made public, and explain where his info was wrong
It’s not too late for Rep Schiff to make the results of his investigation credible beyond just hard core anti-Trumpers
7
@Richard P M In a trial, witnesses are not allowed in the courtroom while other witnesses are testifying. Did you read why these hearings aren't public? And if you don't think Trump "colluded" with Russia (not a legal term, BTW), maybe you should read volume 1 of the Mueller report.
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RMS, an Impeachment investigation is very different than a criminal investigation in countless ways - equating them is either dishonest or ignorant.
Most importantly is the need for the complete range of voters to have the opportunity to see the full set of information that may be used to reverse the outcome of an election. The stakes in criminal trials never reach the level of presidential impeachment.
Another major difference from a criminal investigation is that all members of the House have conflicts of interest that would prevent any if them from working the investigation or serve on a grand jury in a criminal investigation.
Except for die hard anti-Trumpets, a secret process will not have the required transparency needed to be considered as legitimate.
An impeachment process seen as illegitimate by a large fraction of citizens will dramatically increase political conflict, social conflict and make the federal government even less effective than it is now for decades.
5
@Richard P M
The Senate, if they vote to remove a president, cannot be said to have overturned an election. They act in response to high crimes and misdemeanors of the President. This "overturning elections" trope is way off base.
6
I think Schiff's job is about to get easier. The Trump Organization was not set up to withstand scrutiny, and from international intrigue to tax evasion there is simply too much to hide, too many cover stories to finesse. Too many characters like Rudy. Ok, Rudy is in a class by himself. All Schiff has to do is make sure the president's lawyers don't get away with running out the clock.
If anyone gets to utter the words "At long last, have you no decency?" it will be Schiff.
35
One aches for Adam Schiff - doing his utmost to protect democracy because he believes America is democracy's best hope. I argue that those days might very well be behind us because you still have a very corrupt, very non-democratic GOP. Right now there are leaders in the middle powers who offer more hope for democracy's survival. Yet I believe that if your country gets behind the democratic nominee, whomever that will be, and votes blue no matter who...then that is truly the best hope for democracy. You have your work cut out, but that leadership could be America's again - especially with the experience of people Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Charles Schumer, the passion of those who created the Green New Deal, and the raft of good candidates on the horizon.
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@CB
Thanks for your words of hope.
1
I would like to see some of the hearings made public. Part of the process is convincing the public to agree impeachment is needed. Nothing works better than seeing and hearing people speak the truth.
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@EdyRae That will be coming. What is going on now is like the necessary private procedures of a Grand Jury. But we fortunately have a man with the highest moral integrity leading it.
6
@EdyRae Soon, soon so please some more patience.
In 2017 when the Intelligence Committee began looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election I did not know who Adam Schiff. But quickly realized that Nunes was involved in a cover-up and Schiff had integrity.
Schiff will get to the truth and the public will know the depth of Trump's crimes. When Pelosi is ready to step down, I hope Schiff steps up to take the Speaker's gavel.
44
I cannot say how many times I am reminded how important it was that the Blue Wave occurred last November. What a difference to have Democrats in the majority and serving as committee chairs in the House. None of these steps to call out Trump would have been possible. And special kudos to Adam Schiff whose leadership of the Intelligence Committee is a beacon of good governance compared to the odious Devin Nunes. I am a big fan.
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Went to law school with Schiff. Utterly unremarkable in every way. Would not have predicted notable success for him. He entered law school at age 22, long before his political career. And yet we all knew him as the guy who was going to be a California Congressman some day. Have no idea why we believed that. If anyone knows let me know. Have wondered about that now and then for many years.
10
@michjas
In the same vein we knew the climbers would climb, the doctors, lawyers and scions would grow to some stature. Mr. Wonderful is on his fourth wife, blah.
Your future as a writer of cranky argumentative pieces may have been obvious to AS. Right now he seems to have better things to do.
Desperate for any sort of hero here. It shows. He'll do. At least we're not comparing sizes.
@michjas
It's the integrity. It shows.
I never weary of listening to Mr. Schiff. In fact, just this evening on NPR three of our California congresspeople were interviewed: Adam Schiff, Jackie Speier, and Eric Swalwell. After hearing them, one can indeed be reassured that they with Speaker Pelosi have our nation on the path toward law, order, security, and most especially justice.
I have always liked and respected Schiff. But after reading this short bio - thank you, Nicholas - I am so very proud of this man. How blessed we are that we have him at the head of our Intelligence Committee at this most ominous of times. He is so above Mr. Trump in ethics and morality, intelligence, and integrity. To even compare the two is an absurd impossibility. When asked tonight if he was offended by Trump's vile insults now directed toward him along with the Speaker, he replied and to paraphrase, Oh no. Not at all. Never. If this is what Nerdom means, I say, "Bring them on. We need you now more than ever it seems."
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Adam Schiff would be a great choice for attorney general in the next administration. He is a man who can restore much-needed integrity and trust in that office.
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@Robert O.
I heartily concur.
32
@Robert O. I agree-like his namesake on Law & Order!
Thanks for this illuminating profile of Adam Schiff, whom I have admired for years. I’ll just quote from other commenters who cogently identify Adam Schiff as a “hero” and a “patriot.” He is a role model for all citizens, especially young people.
How he keeps his cool I now think I understand—he runs marathons.
I hope he reads all these laudatory comments by ordinary Americans, who are grateful for his leadership, and that helps him continue to do his job under unbelievable pressures.
92
Thank you for this profile and thanks to the congressman for taking on this difficult, thankless, but very important task!
52
I am, and have been, a supporter of Congressman Schiff. He's the ideal person to lead the impeachment inquiry and it's obvious that he's striking fear in both the White House and the Republican leadership in Congress with the progress that has been made to date in the inquiry.
I certainly agree with Mr. Kristof's characterization as to Congressman Schiff's personal and professional traits and demeanor. I look forward to Congress approving the unimpeachable articles of impeachment against the President, which will be due in large part to the Congressman Schiff's steady stewardship of the impeachment inquiry.
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Thanks for writing about Congressman Schiff. The Trump and Republican attacks on him (and Speaker Pelosi) are relentless and serve to keep Trump's base fired up, not to mention Fox.
We need to keep telling people he is good and what the committees are doing is being done right and is important for the future of the country.
I wish more Democrats in both chambers would step up to support the impeachment work. There are opinion pieces, but I'd like to see more quotes/statements in the news articles.
And he is absolutely right about Barr, who is a disgrace to the office he holds, and very dangerous.
125
Excellent article. Excellent event at the 92 y. In a room of 900 people, you led a warm , personal and thoughtful interview. Thrilled to have a ticket to the hottest ticket in town.
Congressman Schiff ended his interview with an excellent quote by Martlin Luther King. I tried finding it .. no luck . Do you remember ? Thank you.
17
@Patrice
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
i was at the y, too. thank you nicholas kristof and adam schiff!
;-)
5
@jls228
Thank you !
1
@Patrice
you're welcome! coincidentally, this same quote appeared as a clue in last friday's nyt crossword puzzle at 38-across:
[“The ___ of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”: M.L.K.]
and yes, it generated sympathetic commentary.
ah, synchronicity!
;-)
Thank you, I have long admired Adam Schiff. It's great little portrait of a smart, serious, and thoughtful man who gives that often difficult word; politician, an honorable shine.
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May I just say how impressed I am that Mr. Kristof responds so articulately and sensitively to EVERY comment made on his column? It is such a reassuring gesture, and one that he obviously takes seriously that we are gratified. Thank you, Nicholas Kristof!
48
Thank you so much for this profile. I knew little of this man beyond his even-tempered demeanor and his hyperbole-free statements.
Yet the campaign against him is working, bizarre as that seems. Just the other day the Morning Joe hosts agreed that the Democrats need a calmer, less partisan spokesperson on impeachment. Really.
57
@Jonathan Baron just remember before the "Morning Joe" hosts decided that Trump was as bad a president as many of us had feared he would be, they gave him countless air time-including phone interviews with softball questions during his 2016 campaign. That Joe has since seen the light does not mitigate his part in enabling Donald Trump's ascension to the White House.
That they would go after Adam Schiff is a reminder that sometimes Joe Scarborough's inner "R" just has to manifest!
6
@Jonathan Baron
I would tell those hosts, if you want anyone more calm, they would have to be dead.
5
There is one simple rule on how to respond to Trump's disparaging remarks about anyone. Assume the opposite.
In this case Mr. Schiff is a Representative that is leading the Intelligence Committee in a professional, thoughtful manner that clearly demonstrates that his job is to protect the US from all comers including those attacking from within.
94
Adam Schiff would be an excellent VP candidate, running with future President Elizabeth Warren.
35
@Jim
Yes he would, but I think Speaker of the House would be great, too, when Speaker Pelosi leaves.
I think, by now, we can see the value in having the best person in that position.
14
I love Adam Schiff. Of all those fighting to protect our country from evil, he is the star. Relentless, calm and persistent. Schiff exudes dignity, brains and honesty. I love him.
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@Harry
He is like the real-life Dick Tracy of the old days. Public Hero Number 1!
2
Schiff is a hero. I hope he’s thinking about running for President in the future.
38
Mr. Schiff continues to relentlessly search for evidence.
Relentlessly.
Very relentlessly.
And when he finds it, he will hopefully share it, not hide it behind closed-door hearings. In a relentless manner.
14
Congressman Schiff has a regular column in our monthly neighborhood newspaper. He gives an update on his local work, like increasing green space and improving access and protecting the Los Angeles river. Our family looks forward to reading about his latest projects to improve our neighborhood.
We are lucky to have him represent us in Congress.
Thank you for all the hard work you do locally and for our country, Congressman Schiff. You make us proud.
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@PM
What has he done about the homeless? The illegal immigration invasion? Inferior public education?
Oh, yes...more green space for the elite...clean up the river for the kayakers....all issues that appeal to those who appeal to his wealthy Hollywood constituents.
The man is a one trick pony...get trump.
3
Wow! Will Mr. Schiff be running for president anytime soon? Sounds like a winner! Thank you for a very illuminating article!
35
Very nice article about Schiff. He would have been a great physician! But I'm glad he went into law. He seems straightforward, honest and completely committed to defending the constitution. Clothes don't matter; integrity does. And Schiff has integrity.
181
The Deep State is the invention of Donald Trump. The purposes are to enrage his supporters against invisible enemies, and to confuse any discussions that might harm him
107
@Mike Actually, the “deep state” is attributed to Steve Brannon, but yes, you’re right about its purpose.
4
Has anyone seen the type of integrity and determination on the Republican side that Schiff displays?
What I see is a cult like effort to smear him personally and do everything possible to stop his investigation. The Republican party and it's propaganda media outlets are making incredible efforts to coordinate these attacks to keep the truth about Trump and staff from coming out.
No one talks about the desire for truth from the Republican party because no such thing exists. They fear the truth, and want to bury it.
The comparison between them and Schiff is just breath taking.
999
@Joe c I agree that we're lucky that he's in charge. The House leadership deliberately chose him because he seemed less partisan and a more convincing leader of the inquiry than Nadler or some other possibilities. And I'm impressed by both Schiff's even keel and by his relentlessness to get to the bottom of what Trump did.
597
@Joe c
Always the question we need to ask is, what do they have to hide? Why are they so persistent in their stonewalling and not cooperating. There has to be some patriotic Republicans, where are they?
29
@Joe c
"Has anyone seen the type of integrity and determination on the Republican side that Schiff displays?"
OK Joe, I got one. Devin Nunes. Remember his courageous "midnight run" where he found documents of the Democrat's wrongdoing and turned them over to the White House and the press? What integrity!
(John Oliver, move over.)
2
Last NRch, while I was running the LA Marathon I stopped and took a picture in front of Congressman Schiff’s offices. A volunteer looked at me oddly and pointed out that Grauman Theater was just up the block. I replied that the theater may be a Hollywood icon, but Congressman Schiff was an a American hero. This was before the current hearings, my appreciation of him has only grown.
645
@Aubrey Mayo Almost half a century ago, Senator Sam Ervin played that role in the Senate Watergate Committee. Today it's Adam Schiff's turn, and I know he feels the responsibility. The problem is that for every American who sees him as a hero, there's another who sees him as a traitor; I think , though, that a year from now the former group will have multiplied and the latter group largely evaporated.
555
@Nicholas Kristof
The last sentence is reassuring. Sure hope you are right. But, I’ve had this fear that this time might be different. We live in a rearranged world where large numbers of people embrace an alternative view of reality. “Democracy hangs in the balance “ is not hyperbole.
66
@Nicholas Kristof My grandmother and her boyfriend watched the Watergate hearings and took notes on yellow legal pads. I loved to visit them and hear the latest. They had photos of Sam Ervin and Barbara Jordan on the wall next to the TV.
18
I see quite a bit of Rep Schiff on PBSNewshour ever since the Mueller investigation started. He's always come across as even handed, and articulate.
What I cannot understand about him is, how in God's name has he been able to put up with his counterpart Republican Nunes? The man that was running to the White House with information from his committee meetings.
Adam Schiff will be a good candidate for Sainthood if he can get through this mess intact.
364
@cherrylog754
You are so right. ...and I am very glad that the Whistleblower may not need to testify to the committee.
The idea of Nunes knowing his identity (or does he already) is horrifying.
To think that we have to worry about keeping people safe from our own elected officials. Not just Nunes, but Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, etc. There are so many that are just plain scary!
24
@cherrylog754
"...how in God's name has he been able to put up with his counterpart Republican Nunes?"
Two reasons: 1) They are both in the same governmental body. It's much easier to unreservedly criticize the President or Senate Republicans than fellow House members. Collegiality is important.
2) As the Trump administration goes on, he's been less and less able to "suffer fools". Just look at his most recent interviews.
1
@cherrylog754
Dude, Schiff is Jewish.
Jews don't do sainthood. As Jews we're all commanded to behave as saints by following Torah. Instead of sainthood, we celebrate menschkeit here, now and for the hereafter. We inscribe men and women of honor and decency in our collective memories which we revere as the book of life.
I pray for Mr. Schiff and his friends and family that he will stay safe from the barbarians storming the gates of our liberal democracy.
10
"Schiff was particularly scathing about Attorney General William Barr. “He’s the second most dangerous person in the country,” Schiff said. “In his own way, he’s as much of a threat to the rule of law as the president.”"
This is about the only thing I disagree with Schiff on, because Barr is smart, devious, and totally onboard with enabling a president-dictator. By operating the the shadows with the full power of the DOJ, he can derail, pursue, re-orient, and launch investigations of his own, at the command of a boss he clearly loves protecting.
That said, I've long admired Schiff for his low-key but passionate convictions. He's the perfect leader for these dangerous times. While I wish he would hold some open investigations after the initial depositions--live TV is more compelling forcing the non-reading American people to rely on transcripts--I trust his instincts to get the job done.
98
@ChristineMcM
Until recently, I thought Barr was just a right-wing ideologue who had drunk the Trump kool-aid. But now that I see he’s been squelching investigation after investigation and running around the world as part of the team of “corruption investigators” trying to dig up dirt for Trump, I wonder if he is actually trying to cover his own behind.
Follow the money.
13
@ChristineMcM
Don't think I understand when you say "this is about the only thing I disagree with Schiff on" and then you state how devious he is.
I believe that was Mr. Schiff's belief too?
My only thought is that Barr is more dangerous than Trump because he is smart in a Machiavellian kind of way.
9
@Blanche White: poorly stated. I meant, Mr. Kristof says "Barr is the second most dangerous man in government" and I say he's the first most dangerous man. Trump is on a power trip, but he's ignorant and incompetent. Barr knows his way around, and uses every trick in the book in pursuing conspiracy theories and protecting the president.
5
Adam Schiff is the honest patriot we need so badly. He is an American treasure.
346
@Barb Fool’s gold at best.
Very interesting article on Adam Schiff. Great article. Sounds like a likable genuinely good person.
Correction: Democracy in America actually ended when slaves were bought and sold in America even after the Constitution was written. The Constitution establishing the electoral college also put a major dent in Democracy, as did Trump asking Comey to drop "this Russia thing".
41
Thank goodness for the honorable and extremely competent Rep. Adam Schiff.
It gives me comfort to know he is steering the ship of justice in this turbulent time.
381
If Adam Schiff is still writing screenplays, the president has presented him with a definite script that could prove to be his own undoing. What's more, Schiff cares about America, unlike Trey Gowdy who oversaw the Secretary Clinton/Benghazi hearings solely to grandstand and destroy her presidential aspirations.
The president fears and loathes Schiff because of his professionalism and knowledge of law, how government works and the Constitution. Schiff has rolled up his sleeves and is standing up for the country. Like any bully, the president wants no part of a fair fight.
553
@silver vibes It's the same old story: Republicans can't attack the message so they attack the messenger.
17
@silver vibes
Well said, "the president wants no part of a fair fight".
6
@silver vibes and @jack Strausser:
I also appreciate this timely quote, "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers."
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize the losers of this debate.
3