Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calf., has turned himself into one of the left’s biggest media darlings, from his social media rants to his endless appearances on cable news networks.
Now, one of the leaders of the 2020 impeachment against then-President Donald Trump is looking to parlay that fame into a powerful new job.
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He’s reportedly hoping to be named California’s next attorney general, according to Axios – and Politico says he’s already secured the blessing of one of his state’s most powerful Democrats: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
But the move could backfire on the left, making it harder for them to maintain control of their increasingly raucous caucus and reduce their already-slim majority in the House.
Schiff is hoping to win the job without having to go through the time, trouble and expense of a primary and election.
The only vote he needs to win is that of embattled Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The current attorney general, Xavier Becerra, is about to vacate the seat to join President Joe Biden’s Cabinet as Health and Human Services Secretary.
In this case, the governor would be selecting the replacement.
But here’s the catch for Democrats: Gov. Newsom wouldn’t get to appoint a replacement for a House seat.
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It’ll instead go vacant until a special election can be held at least six months later.
During that time, the Democrat majority in the House will be down to single digits.
There’s also another problem for Schiff: The far-left is already lobbying against him, calling out his track record as a member of the state legislature.
“In his single term of four years, Adam Schiff made increased incarceration and punishment for poor parents the focus of his legislative agenda,” the ReImagine Justice California Coalition wrote in an open letter to Newsom. “He was not merely a ‘yes’ vote on bad legislation; he was the author of so many bills that were aimed directly at poor people, Black people, and people of color.”
They also called out his support for law enforcement, slamming him for being one of 48 Democrats to cross party lines to vote for the The Thin Blue Line Act of 2017. The bill didn’t get a vote in the Senate, but would have expanded to federal death penalty to include crimes of “killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.”
The group claims the bill “was part of a right wing narrative against Black Lives Matter.”
And Schiff has his name on it.
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In their eyes, he’s the enemy.
Schiff is also facing some stiff competition for the job, as other candidates reportedly include California Assemblyman Rob Bonta, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
“It’s pretty clear that there are advocates for their favorites,” California political strategist said Bill Carrick told Axios. “But it’s not clear that that will have any influence on the one person who will make the decision: Gov. Gavin Newsom.”
Newsom – dealing with a potential battle for his own career as a recall effort against him heats up – hasn’t tipped his hat either way.
But he did offer a line straight from the Trump playbook when asked about the decision.
“We can make this like a reality TV show,” he told the gathered press, according to KTLA. “You can ask them some tough questions and we’ll see how they perform.”
And that’s not the only similarity he has with Trump.
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Politico reports on one key reason Schiff may have an edge:
“One aide noted that the governor is a frequent cable news viewer and could be drawn to the idea of choosing someone with a national profile.”
Newsom said he will announce his decision shortly after Becerra is confirmed by the Senate.
— Walter W. Murray is a reporter for The Horn News. He is an outspoken conservative and a survival expert.