THE TIGHTENING NOOSE:

Don't let anybody fool you: We are engaged in an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's "high crimes and misdemeanors," to quote the Constitution. The inquiry began on Friday, July 26. No fireworks, no fanfare -- omitted for fear of frightening the natives. But the message was loud and clear in the House Judiciary Committee's court petition for access to redacted material in the Mueller report, and its intention to compel testimony from relevant witnesses.

Articles of impeachment have been formally referred to the Judiciary Committee for its consideration, House counsel Douglas Letter said in the Friday filing to U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. That consideration, the committee has now informed the court, is underway, as is consideration of whether to recommend its own articles of impeachment.

Savvy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to spare the Democrats in red and purple congressional districts from facing electoral revolt, gave Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler the go-ahead without first holding a floor vote on whether to conduct hearings into the president's impeachment. 

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