On my radio show in recent days I have been asking beltway reporters if they think House Democrats run the risk of turning their impeachment “inquiry” into a kangaroo court by repeatedly breaking with the precedents of impeachments past?

They all agreed. Yes: There is a risk, though each evaluated the size of that risk differently.

Simply put: Democrats are moving forward without a full floor vote and without the legal standards that have marked impeachments throughout our nation’s history.

White House Counsel Pat Cipollone points out—and I quote—“precedent for the rights to cross-examine witnesses, call witnesses, and present evidence dates back nearly 150 years. Yet the Committees have decided to deny the President these elementary rights and protections that form the basis of the American justice system …”

This is not just about the president.

Speaker Pelosi and her party are rejecting the deeply embedded ideals of due process for the accused.

It’s a terrible mistake.

Townhall Review – October 12, 2019

Hugh Hewitt and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton discuss Turkey’s intervention in Syria.

Hugh Hewett and Middle East expert and scholar Michael Rubin talk about President Trump’s decision to reduce troop strength in Syria.

Sebastian Gorka and Fox Sports host Clay Travis talk about the NBA controversial support of China.

Hugh Hewitt and Kristen Waggoner, Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, discuss landmark cases now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dan Proft talks with Margot Cleveland about a Louisiana pro-life law that is now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sebastian Gorka talks with New York Congressmen Lee Zeldin about his impatience with Congressional inaction.

Dan Proft and Douglas Murray, British author, journalist and social critic discuss his recent book, “The Madness of Crowds.”

Mike Gallagher talks with Fred Fleitz, CEO of the Center for Security Policy, about his recent lively exchange with CNN’s Chris Cuomo.

Dan Proft talks with Margot Cleveland about a Louisiana abortion case that is now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hugh Hewitt and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton discuss Turkey’s intervention in Syria. They also discuss the Open Sky Treaty and how Russia is abusing it.

Dan Proft and Douglas Murray, British author, journalist and social critic discuss his recent book, “The Madness of Crowds.”

Our capitalist system generally rewards companies for manufacturing quality products, but that’s not always true of Hollywood. The new movie “Joker” is a vile concoction about a comic book villain, but set an all-time October record by earning $234 million in its opening weekend worldwide. Some hailed the film for its bleak, desolate view of society and humanity, and its portrayal of a lonely, bullied, mentally ill protagonist achieving empowerment through murderous violence.

Jeff Yang, however, derided the movie’s exploitative nihilism as “an insidious validation of the white male resentment that helped bring President Donald Trump to Power.” He described the anti-hero as a victim “who has been crushed underfoot by the elite, dragged down by equality demanding feminists, and climbed over by upstart nonwhite and immigrant masses.”

The president’s critics blame him for a lot, but a tortured effort to connect Trump to “Joker” is as loathsome and irresponsible as the film itself.

Hugh Hewitt talks with Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, about how the pulling of U.S. military out of Northern Syria may spawn the rebirth of ISIS.