The names Adam Schiff and Devin Nunes do not leap out at you but they may each enjoy more than fifteen minutes of fame as time unfolds. The reason is that they are charged with getting past the current stand-off between President Donald Trump and everyone who thinks there is more to the so-called Russia matter than has yet seen the light of day.

Why Russia matters

Russia matters because possibly half of America still has deep and disturbing questions about the President. Every day we hear some new analysis of this strange person in whose hands all of us exist as potential victims if he is one way or beneficiaries if he turns out to be as great as he says he is.

Is he like the fired Mr. Flynn? Is he a tool of oil interests and could that lead to a nightmare worthy of his powerful alter-ego Steve Bannon?

It does not get simpler

Devin Nunes heads the House Intelligence Committee. Adam Schiff is the committee's top Democrat. Their minds appear to be made up already. This is hardly different than when Obama was about. Instead of progress, we had investigations.The investigation is said to be about Russia's election interference. But everyone senses that a typed memo written by an ex-intelligence officer that has made the rounds and even appeared online is the elephant in the room. The memo notes all kinds of contact between Trump and Russia and a tawdry scene in a Moscow hotel room where Trump acted out his hatred for Barack Obama.

Why does Trump want to shut things down?

If there was no interference in the election, why would Trump not welcome an investigation? The answer is that he should embrace it with open arms. But because there is almost universal conviction that something went on, he stonewalls and wriggles and demeans the former president and otherwise acts the part of a guilty man.

Regarding the elephant, I have already surmised that even if the worst was proved, he might get away with it because it could be written off as personal craziness by his ever-faithful supporters,

A small ray of hope

There is a bit of hope in all this. It is that the internal workings of the House Intelligence Committee will be less contentious than what we see in public.

I will as always watch Trump. If he keeps on protesting too much, that will be a warning sign whose message is that until this matter is resolved it will keep everything else on hold.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED