Here are my observations and opinions from my selected news of the day.

THOSE CAREER DIPLOMATS in the Swamp probably didn’t like Sharyl Attikisson’s reminder in her opinion piece published in The Hill, the popular political website.

Citing quotes from several papers stating that President Trump interfered with U.S. foreign policy in Ukraine, Attikisson opines, as I have here on previous occasions.

“Under the U. S. Constitution, it is the president of the United States who determines foreign policy.  How can President Trump be ‘at odds with foreign policy’ when he’s the one who determines it?

“President Trump may well have been altering foreign policy on Ukraine.  It should be no surprise that he wasn’t operating ‘business as usual.” Since he ran on that platform and has executed it from day one.

“It’s clear that Kent and Taylor didn’t like or agree with Trump’s ideas and believe they know what’s best.  Taylor rankled, contradicted and ‘embarrassed’ them by operating outside the ‘regular’ chain.

“The diplomat must execute the president’s wishes or resign from their posts if they feel they cannot bring themselves to do so.”

WERE YOU IMPRESSED with the first public interview subjects in the Adam Schiff show trial?  You were supposed to be.  Unlike the appearance of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified in full military dress for his deposition behind closed doors recently in an obvious attempt to appear to be a patriot, the two career diplomats took advantage of their opening remarks to impress you.

 William B. Taylor officially retired from the State Department in 2009 to join the U.S. Institute for Peace, a federally funded bipartisan organization that deals with conflict resolution and prevention, however, Secretary of State Pompeo lured him  back as Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine because of his previous experience there.

While Taylor stated that he was neither a career member of the Foreign Service nor of the civil service, Wednesday he took viewers through his 50 years of service to the country, starting at West Point, six years as an infantry officer, including with the 101^sT Airborne Division in Vietnam.  Then at NATO, with the State Department her e and abroad – Afghanistan, Iraq, Jerusalem and Ukraine.

“What I can do here for you today is tell you what I heard from people.” -Ambassador Taylor

Then there was George P. Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, who looked like an Ivy League professor, complete with a vest and a bow tie.

But Kent, too, wanted you to know of his long service – 27 years – as a non-partisan career Foreign Service officer under three Republican and two Democrat presidents.  Moreover, he made it known that he represented the third generation of his family to have chosen a career in public service.  “Indeed, there has been a George Kent sworn to defend the Constitution continuously for nearly 60 years, ever since my father reported to Annapolis,” pointing out that he graduated from the Naval Academy the year Roger Staubach was “his Heisman-winning classmate.”

He went on to relate that his father served 30 years as a captain of a nuclear submarine and five of his great uncles served in the Navy and Army in World War II.

Both opening statements were obviously designed to make the point that these were highly-experienced men with long traditions of public service, challenging the foreign policy of an “outsider” president who they, and others, seem to think makes decisions on a whim.

They were opposed to Trump’s formation of an irregular channel of U.S. policy-making with respect to Ukraine, unaccountable to Congress, that included Special Envoy Kurt Volker, Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Rudy Giuliani.  Sen. Ron Johnson also participated.

With an administration rife with Obama holdovers, it isn’t hard to imagine that the president sought out people he could trust to look into corruption in the Ukraine.

As star witnesses, who have not met the president and heard about the president’s phone call with Ukraine President Zelensky second, third and even fourth hand, Taylor and Kent’s testimony did not excite.

“Day One of the public House impeachment hearings on President Trump is in the books,” writes Scott Jennings in the Los Angeles Times, “and nothing that happened will move public opinion in a meaningful way.  It’s a lost day for Democrats.”

IF YOU DIDN’T WATCH the hearing – I don’t blame you – but you missed seeing the young Rep. Elsie Stefanik, who represents New York’s District 21, calmly question and object to Adam Schiff’s process for the hearings.

You just know she was a hit because ABC News commentator Mathew Dowd attacked her on twitter: “Elsie Stefanik is a perfect example why just electing someone because they are a woman or a millennial doesn’t necessarily get you the leaders we need. (The) first order of business should be electing people with integrity.”

Dowd made matters worse with this tweet: “Hey Elsie Stefanik, I just want to apologize for a tweet that is being misinterpreted.  I didn’t mean to suggest you were elected only because you were a woman or millennial.  I deleted the tweet.”

Stefanik graciously accepted his apology after saying he and ABC “should be ashamed of your comment.  This is one of the reasons young women don’t run for office.”

BUT WAIT – The headline on left-leaning columnist E.J. Montini’s Thursday column in the Arizona Republic, says, “Relax, TV’s impeachment hearings just opening act,” as he refers to Adam Schiff’s claim that “We intend to conduct these hearings with the seriousness and the professionalism the public deserves.”

Meanwhile, Montini takes the opportunity to attack Arizona’s Republican congressional delegation of Andy Biggs, Debbie Lesko and Paul Gosar for their “pitiful fealty” to Trump.

In Montini’s weird ideological world, Republicans who support their president, are somehow unpatriotic.

DID YOU HEAR about the remark made by the Democrat Rep. of Illinois, Mike Quigley, during the impeachment hearings?  “Hearsay can be much better evidence than direct (evidence).”   You can’t make this stuff up.

HOW CONVIEEEEENIENT – Readers who use to watch Saturday Night Live when it was funny, will recall comedian Dana Carvey’s character, “The Church Lady,” who used to say, “How convieeeeenient,” in her/his sketch.

I was reminded of this when I read that former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was suspending his race for the presidency because the impeachment noise has made his goal of putting forth his goals impossible.

“Nearly everything in Republican party politics is currently viewed thought the prism of impeachment,” he said. “This is hardly a lens through which I want to look at things I believe the debate of ideas is vital for both the conservative movement and for the American voter.”

How convieeeeenient.  He knew he had no chance of unseating President Trump.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.