Dear President Trump,

I suppose it really was necessary for Adam Schiff to specifically say that any foot-dragging, stalling, misdirecting, or protracted bullshitting (I’m just rounding things out here) will be considered further evidence of obstruction and will be impeachable in its own right. It seems absurd that you all have to be told this as though you’re recalcitrant toddlers who’ve pushed their parents’ patience right out the window such that reasoning, cajoling, and impotent fuming have finally given way to actual consequences. But here we are in a version of the universe where it clearly was necessary that the adults in the room laid down the law (as in what the Constitution says) very firmly, very clearly. Critically though, going forward, they have to follow through – if Schiff and colleagues are seen to waiver or be too accommodating of your self-serving timelines you all will continue to drag your feet, stall, misdirect, and engage in protracted bullshitting. You just will. No crystal ball needed to see that one coming.

Rather, we need to see some head-snapping, attention grabbing headlines that scream every time there is GOP/WH stalling, headlines that make it clear that such stalling is obstruction in its own right. I know this won’t curb your bat-shit crazy rants during press conferences and no one is seriously threatening to close down your Twitter account so you will continue to tell your base you are being unfairly persecuted by the out-of-control Dems. But what it does do is require you all to either pony up the requested information or have your failure to do so be considered part of the impeachment package.

Given that lots of nervous moderate Democrats and every scared-witless GOP person is insisting that they need to “see the evidence” you have committed impeachable acts, making clear that not cooperating is in itself an impeachable act is a terrific move. Even if you all yell every hour on the hour that you are cooperating, the people close to the investigation can see for themselves whether you really are or really are not cooperating. It’s trickier for those of us reliant on the news to know for sure what is and isn’t being produced and on what timelines. People listening to Hannity and Ingram will insist you all are being supremely forthcoming and people listening to Maddow and everyone else will insist you all are continuing to be obstinate, duplicitous assholes. But still – the people on the committees investigating you under the impeachment umbrella will know what has and hasn’t been produced.

In addition to it now officially being counted as obstruction, your foot-dragging, stalling, misdirecting, and protracted bullshitting is treating us all to a front row view of you diving head first into the deep end of an empty swimming pool. You may be able to convince your peeps that it’s totally above board for you to urge China (China!) to dish you dirt on the Bidens on national television, but holy cow, dude, it’s as though you’ve either got a very weird political death wish (as in you really are done and just want to hurry up and get to the season finale) or you are such a deluded megalomaniac that we need to have a parallel Article 25 track going in case we need to yank your ass sooner than the impeachment deal can unfold. I almost wish I could get inside that nutty mind of yours to see what gives in there – as in what the hell were you thinking? Were you thinking?

May we be safe from off the rails leaders.
May those who need to, be willing to hold the line on this new obstruction angle.
May anyone with any integrity and any influence with you step up and step in now.
May you not start a war.

Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson