As a favor to those upset at the Impeachment Hearings pre-empting their soaps, Adam Schiff offered Tuesday an astounding mind-numbing dramatic twist that would make Susan Lucci proud. In an effort to protect the Whistleblower, he outed the Whistleblower! Dun-dun-duuunnnnn. 

The Soap Scene

You know the stereotypical soap scene: Ada’s got a secret lover. Nobody knows who it is. Well, more accurately, everyone’s pretending they do not know who Ada’s lover is. Because everyone knows who Ada’s lover is, but none dare speak his name. 

Alexandra is asked directly by Ada’s jilted husband, “Do you know who Ada’s lover is?”

“No.”

“Who did you have dinner with Friday night in Georgetown?”

“Don’t answer that, Alexandra!,” Ada shouts. “That gives away who my lover is!” 

Dun-dun-duunnnnnn. Shocked look on everyone’s faces. Fade to commercial.

Adam Schiff as Ada 

In Tuesday’s hearing, Rep. Devin Nunes was questioning Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.

Vindman testifies under oath he does not know the whistleblower. 

Nunes presses him on whom he spoke to about the president’s call. After mentioning one person by name, Vindman says he also spoke with another individual in the intelligence community. He refuses to name him.

Adam Schiff breathlessly interrupts:

We need to protect the whistleblower. Please stop. I want to make sure that there is no effort to out the whistleblower through these proceedings. If the witness has a good faith belief that this may reveal the identity of the whistleblower, that is not the purpose that we are here for.

Dun-dun-duuuunnnnnnn. Cut to a stunned Devin Nunes. But no fade to commercial.

Instead Nunes responds with the obvious question: How is it possible that answering the question would out the whistleblower if he doesn’t know the identity of the whistleblower?” How would Alexandra be outing Ada’s lover unless Ada’s lover is the person Alexandra had dinner with? 

Still no fade to commercial. Instead, Vindland gives an answer only the Deep State could love:

Per the advice of my counsel and instructions from the chairman, I’ve been advised not to provide any specifics on who I have spoken with inside the intelligence community.

Adam Schiff has just told us that Lt. Col. Vindland was a source for the whistleblower. And by extension, implies that Vinland knows darn well who the whistleblower is. 

Rep. Jim Jordan brought this point home, directly questioning Schiff. 

The witness has testified in his deposition that he doesn’t know who the whistleblower is. You have said, even though no one believes you, you have said you don’t know who the whistleblower is — so how is this outing the whistleblower?

Schiff refused to answer, his cherry cheeks turning a bright red.

Crimes? What Crimes?

In another little bit of theatrics, Rep. John Ratcliffe stacked high a pile of released depositions and declared that none of the witnesses thus far has even mentioned the Democrat’s new favorite word: “bribery.” Actually, that’s not quite true, said Ratcliffe. The word was mentioned once, but in conjunction with former Vice President Biden’s actions regarding Ukraine. 

We also learned all about talking points … and Trump’s obvious fondness for going off script. For your amusement, check out this video between Rep. Will Hurd and Lt. Col. Vindman:  https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4831317/user-clip-trump-talking-points

Then there is this head scratcher of a moment. Jim Jordan asked “Why didn’t you go directly to your superior with your concerns?”  Answer: “It was a really busy week.” 

.@Jim_Jordan asks Vindman why he didn’t go directly to his superior with his concerns about the phone call instead of George Kent and an unnamed CIA person.

“It was a really busy week…”
pic.twitter.com/QKdCmPjOjm

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 19, 2019

Love to see a soldier in wartime try to say that. 

Vindland also said “the lawyer told me not to talk to anyone else.” Responded Jordan, “And yet you talked to your brother, to George Kent, and a CIA person you won’t name.” 

What else did we learn that actually has some relevance to an actual impeachment? As The Blaze summarized,

The transcript of Trump’s Ukraine call is accurate.  (So much for that popular charge by the TDS mob.)

Lt. Col. Vindman confirmed no one in Ukraine indicated they were feeling pressure. (So much for that Democratic talking point.)

The PRESIDENT SETS foreign policy, not bureaucrats. (So much for Vindman’s delusions of grandeur.)

The Blaze’s other revelation was humorous :”Epstein did not kill himself.” Over in another hearing room about the Epstein death, Rep. John Kennedy offered this line for the ages: “Christmas ornaments, drywall and Jeffrey Epstein — name three things that don’t hang themselves.”

However, in the impeachment hearing, Adam Schiff did hang himself … and Vindman … and the Whistleblower out to dry.

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.