ON THIS DAY IN 1998: Clinton Says Chinese Money Did Not Influence U.S. Policy. “President Clinton said today that reported political campaign contributions from China to the Democrats had not influenced his foreign policy, but he welcomed further investigation into decisions that made it easier for China to launch American satellites and possibly obtain sensitive technology.”

THAT’S BECAUSE IT’S AN IDIOTIC IDEA: Democrats, GOP show little appetite for Trump impeachment.

While a small group of lawmakers have raised the possibility of impeaching President Trump over allegations he tried to extinguish an FBI investigation, there is little interest among Republicans or Democrats to ousting the president so far.

“All we know is a newspaper headline,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Until we know much more, [impeachment] should remain where it is today. Off the table.”

Feinstein is among the shrinking pool of lawmakers who participated in proceedings against President Bill Clinton, who was impeached by the House in December 1998.

“I’ve been through an impeachment hearing,” Feinstein said. “And they are not good for the country, let alone the individual.”

House Democrats declined to call for impeachment Wednesday at a news conference on Comey’s allegations about Trump, although many are calling for an independent investigator.

There’s also the lack of anything even vaguely resembling high crimes and misdemeanors.

A NICE OBITUARY FOR MY FORMER TENNESSEE LAW COLLEAGUE NEIL COHEN.

MAYBE THEY’VE BEEN PENETRATED BY THE RUSSIANS: Democrat Asks, Why Is Intelligence Community Trying to Up-End President With These Leaks?

I mean, when Dennis Kucinich is the voice of sanity. . . .

VIDEO: Dem Congressman Al Green Just Called for the Impeachment of Donald Trump.

SECOND AMENDMENT PENUMBRAS: Is checking out visitors at home with gun behind your back ‘disorderly conduct’?

MAKE ARMS SALES GREAT AGAIN: Germany asks U.S. for classified briefing on Lockheed’s F-35 fighter.

The letter, sent by the Air Force’s planning command and seen by Reuters, makes clear that the German government has not yet authorised a procurement programme and is not committed to any particular aircraft to replace its current warplanes.

It said the defence ministry would carry out “an in-depth evaluation of market available solutions, including the F-35, later this year,” with a formal “letter of request” to be issued in coming months.

Germany’s interest in the F-35 – the Pentagon’s most advanced warplane and its costliest procurement programme – may surprise some given that it is part of the four-nation consortium that developed the fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon, which continues to compete for new orders.

Despite the aircraft’s troubled history, foreign interest has been increasing.

THE MASK SLIPS: Net Neutrality Supporters Want to ‘Ban Drudge.’

Alt-left advocates for net neutrality, who say they want a “free and open internet,” want to ban the Drudge Report.

Members of the alt-left who have been tied to violent protests in the past picketed outside the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday in protest of Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal to reverse net neutrality rules. The FCC will vote to undue the Obama era Title II rule that classified Internet service providers as utilities, subjecting them to more federal regulation.

Protesters covering their faces held signs that read “Ban Drudge,” with a no symbol over the Drudge Report, the highly trafficked news website run by Matt Drudge. Other protesters held signs to ban other news websites, including Breitbart and InfoWars.

If you’re covering your face while demanding censorship, you’re a fascist.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The Nightmares and the Realities of Never Trump.

Rarely in the last half-century have so many elite conservatives and intellectuals been so estranged both from a Republican administration and from those who voted for it—neither have they become so animated in their antipathy and disgust for a sitting president.

During the 2016 election, and the current Trump presidency, there have appeared four implicit tenets to the conservative “Never Trump” position that, we are supposed to understand, justified not voting for him, actively opposing him, or voting for Hillary Clinton:

1) The character flaws of the inexperienced and uncouth Trump would eventually nullify any positive agenda that he might enact; not opposing such a boorish character undermines one’s reputation as an empirical and fair-minded conservative;

2) Trump is a liberal wolf in conservative sheep’s clothing; at any given moment he will break his campaign promises and revert to his 1980s New York Democratic self. Or, Trump has no ideology and is an empty vessel willing to embrace almost any ideology he finds efficacious to his ambitions of the moment. Either way, he will do the conservative cause real damage;

3) Trump’s base supporters, while not irredeemables and deplorables, are prone to nationalist extremism and embrace certain prejudices that are antithetical to conservative values;

4) Clinton’s progressive agendas would not do as much damage to the nation as would Trump’s uncouth character. Thus the defeat of the Republicans in 2016, or the failure of an ensuing Trump presidency, would be cathartic. Only a Trump implosion would teach Republicans never again to allow such an untried and dangerous populist nationalist without political experience to highjack their party, while cleansing the movement of some odious figures and unpalatable ideas that have no business in it—or both.

How true have these nightmares so far played out?

Read the whole thing.

Plus, as I said yesterday: “The childish response of Democrats — and ‘NeverTrump’ Republicans — to the 2016 election has done more damage to American politics and institutions than any foreign meddling could do.”

GOOD MORNING: Liz Sheld has your morning brief posted.

GOOD: OPEC is Dead. “It’s an understatement to say that this is a major development.”

MARK RIPPETOE: Getting Played: Whose Fault is It?

DUH: It’s John Ashcroft I mean Fox News I mean, the Russians!

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE:
Trump Proposes To Dramatically Cut Law Student Loans. He should also, however, limit the amount of loans in a given year to about 70% of what it is now, which would have the effect of forcing tuitions down.

YOU KNOW, IF THEY JUST STOPPED TRYING TO APPROPRIATE THE CULTURE OF DEAD WHITE MEN, THEY WOULDN’T HAVE THESE HARROWING EXPERIENCES: UMich Student Says Minorities Are Oppressed by Wood Paneling.

UNTIL IT DOESN’T: Intolerance Works.

IF IT HAS CARTOON CHARACTERS OR “CLEVER SAYINGS” YOU DEFINITELY ARE:You’re almost definitely wearing the wrong underwear.

HECK, THINKING YOU’RE IMPOTENT MIGHT MAKE YOU IMPOTENT TOO: Or saying the word impotence.  Or reading about research on impotence.  Porn addiction can make you impotent.

I MET THIS YOUNG LADY AT CALLIOPE WRITERS’ WORKSHOP: A workshop for Liberty minded writers (incidentally taking applications for the next workshop, but I can’t find the link.)  Of the people in my study group, she’s the only one who has released two works since last September.  BLAKE SMITH: By the Light of the Moon.

OH, SURE, THIS WILL APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE AT LARGE: The EU Fairy.

DEREGULATE, DEREGULATE, DEREGULATE: If you give a man a fish…

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS.

Shot:

Chaser:

NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE: AWESOME: Liberal heads EXPLODE as Miss USA says Affordable Health Care is NOT a right!

ARTISTS USING THEIR POWER FOR GOOD: ‘Poverty Pimp’ Posters Hit Maxine’s Out-of-District Mansion.

TWEET TRUTHFULLY, GET SACKED: “Reporter and multimedia editor Andy Ngo was sacked [by his student newspaper, the Portland State Vanguard] for simply tweeting a video of a Muslim student characterizing his religion on an interfaith panel at Portland State University. In the video an unnamed Muslim student explains how under Islamic Law being a non-believer or infidel is not an option…Just another example of universities punishing those who dare expose uncomfortable truths.”

Gentlemen, you can’t expose uncomfortable truths here — this is a university!

Portland State’s tuition is $23,010 for Oregon resident students, and $39,525 for those out-of-state. Parents and students, choose where to spend your money wisely.