Nancy Pelosi just proved that she still had control of the impeachment battle

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As of Monday night, 59 Democratic House Democrats have either called for Trump's removal from office, or the opening of a dismissal investigation, according to CNN's count. And on Sunday, the parliamentary majority whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the third Democratic party in the House, seemed to suggest to CNN's Jake Tapper that Trump's removal was inevitable.

"It's exactly what I feel, I think we've already started," Clyburn told Tapper, adding that Trump would be dismissed "at one point."

The impeachment rock seemed to roll on the hill. Then Pelosi held a private meeting of his management team Monday night. And Clyburn immediately changed his tone.

"I'm probably farther from the impeachment than anyone in our caucus," Clyburn said Monday night. "We will not appear before our committees, we will see what the committees will propose, I have said it forever."

Riiiiiiiight.

Look, a politician goes too far on his skis and adjusts after realizing he is as old as politics himself. But what is remarkable here is the speed with which Clyburn changed his tone – and how he did it immediately after sitting down with Pelosi and the other party leaders.

This flip-flop clearly indicates that Pelosi is still firmly in charge of his caucus and his approach to Trump's accusations of obstruction – and broader investigations into the president's administration.

Yes, you now have 59 Democrats who are calling for the removal of Trump (or at least the beginning of an impeachment investigation). But this group represents only a quarter of the total of 235 Democrats in the majority of the party. This does not mean that the number is not significant, but it does mean that it's still (relatively) a small part of the Democratic caucus.

And it is important to look at the WHO these 59 people (and what they are not). The 59 are by and large the most liberal members of Congress – most of them representing districts where dismissal is already very popular. Pelosi knows that she will never stop, for example, the companies Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York or Maxine Waters of California to push for the impeachment. She does not spend her time trying.

Take a look, however, to those on whom Pelosi has clearly supported to keep them away from calling for removal.

Jerry Nadler, chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the New York House of Representatives, tops the list, and his committee would conduct any indictment investigation. Following Mueller's public statements, Nadler said the following: "With regard to dismissal, all options are on the table and nothing should be ruled out." Who is, of course, very different from saying "we have to start the impeachment inquiry now".
Another key voice that Pelosi kept online is Adam Schiff, president of House Intelligence, a fellow Californian. Here's what Schiff said when he was asked about the dismissal on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday:

"I think we are going to do what is right for the country, and for the moment, the speaker has not reached the conclusion yet and I, too, have not. it is no better for the country to go to the Senate for impeachment, which may change if the president continues to demonstrate his inability to hold a position. "

Then there is the Pelosi management team. The majority leader, Steny Hoyer, said immediately after the publication of the Mueller report that the impeachment was "not valid", although he slightly dismissed this statement. Clyburn has reversed in the last 48 hours to further align with Pelosi's privileged position. Conservatives have paid lip-service to comments from New York representative Hakeem Jeffries on a podcast released on Monday that "hearings should begin immediately" on the obstruction of justice, but did not really notice that the The fourth party Democrat party also said: convening these hearings – this is a decision that will be made in the last resort by President Nadler and President Pelosi. "

Look: Pelosi did not become the first woman to speak in the House (and claim that title eight years after losing it) by not being able to understand the direction in which the political wind is blowing. His position on dismissal – against him – is a fungible thing, which depends on what can be discovered (if any) about Trump and allegations of obstruction of justice.

But to paint Pelosi as losing control of his caucus on dismissal, is to misunderstand what the speaker is doing here and what control she retains. Unless and until you see major cracks among party leaders in the House, Pelosi is still very responsible.

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