Has the House Intelligence Committee become derelict in its duty because of its intense focus on the potential impeachment of President Trump? One lawmaker thinks that the committee could be compromising its mission.

“They’re clearly looking to ram this thing through as quickly as possibly. The calculation is that this will be better for them politically and they want to get it done in time to hurt the president as we approach the 2020 election,” Rep. Michael Waltz told Fox News.

The Florida Republican said he agrees with other Republicans that the committee’s chairman Adam B. Schiff is politically biased and his appointment to lead the impeachment inquiry should be called into question.

“Rep. Schiff has made his agenda clear and that is to impeach the president. This is the same person who pounded the table that he had beyond-circumstantial evidence that the president had colluded with the Russians — which we have now seen to be false,” Mr. Waltz said. “Meanwhile, he’s leading an intelligence committee with oversight of the intelligence community — while we have China stealing our secrets left and right. We have huge issues that we should be dealing with within the intelligence committee. And we’re not because it’s essentially become the impeachment committee.”

Oh, but it’s complicated. And dramatic. A look at major headlines from the last 24 hours reveals all.

“Schiff, House intel chairman, got early account of whistle-blower’s accusations” (The New York Times); “McCarthy signs on to resolution to censure Schiff for parody reading of Ukraine call” (Fox News); “Pelosi fiercely defends impeachment inquiry as Trump blows up” (Politico); “Why Trump wants Schiff arrested for treason, explained” (Rolling Stone); “Schiff: Deeply concerned by potential Pompeo interference”(CNN); “Trump Calls Schiff a ‘low-life’ who should resign” (Bloomberg); “Trump committed an impeachable offense just by threatening Adam Schiff” (The Week).

NOT OVERLOOKED: REPUBLICAN CIVILITY

“All of us at @TeamTrump offer @BernieSanders our prayers and wish him a speedy recovery.”

— Wednesday morning tweet from Tim Murtaugh, director of communications for President Trump’s reelection campaign, following news that Sen. Bernard Sanders had called off his campaign events following surgery and hospitalization for a heart condition.

MORE PEEVED AT THE PRESS THAN TRUMP

“Voters are mad at President Trump and his political opponents. But they’re angriest at the media these days,” says a new Rasmussen Reports survey released Wednesday.

It found that 53% of all likely U.S. voters are angry with Mr. Trump while 49% are peeved at his political opponents. The poll revealed, however, that 61% are mad at the media.

So there you go. For the moment, Mr. Trump is outpolling the press. How about that? The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted Sept. 29-30.

‘U.S. ELECTION-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX’

We already know that 2020 is predicted to be a $10 billion election. But wait. The war chests have opened, and this electoral money extravaganza has already begun. A new AdAge analysis reveals that the “deluge” of TV and radio ad spending has already hit $148 million, a bill run up “mostly by inevitable losers,” the research noted.

Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer leads the pack at the moment, having shelled out $19.6 million through late September, followed (distantly) by Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, who spent a mere $1.6 million. Two interest groups are tied in third place. The Judicial Crisis network has dropped $1.2 million, as has The Need to Impeach.

Democratic hopefuls in the presidential, congressional and gubernatorial races are currently making 44% of the ad buys, spending a total so far this year of $65 million. That includes $27 million on the White House bout.

Republicans are in for 35% of the spending, for a total of $51 million. The amount includes $31 million for governor’s races — but only $2 million on the presidential race so far.

All of these dollar signs are “just a portion of the cost of the ridiculously drawn-out, outrageously wasteful U.S. election-industrial complex,” writes AdAge columnists Simon Dumenco and Kevin Brown, who point out that Election Day in over a year away — and extend their sympathy to media consumers who must endure the onslaught of much negative campaigning.

NO LONGER THE GOLDEN STATE

More than half of California voters have thought about moving out of the state, according to a new poll from the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

“A full 74% of the state’s very conservative voters say they’re looking into moving, and 84% of those cite California’s political culture as their rationale for leaving. Unsurprisingly, the high cost of housing is mentioned by 71% of California voters who have considered moving out-of-state,” reports Chuck Devore, a contributor to The Federalist and a former member of the California State Assembly.

“When conservatives leave California and other states dominated by the left, they tend to move to states with lower taxes and like-minded people. Increasingly, these states are also the ones generating the highest employment growth, such as Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Texas,” writes Mr. Devore.

“While America is at risk of becoming even more polarized over time, due to the decennial reapportionment, liberal states are also at risk of losing electoral clout to places that care more about family, hard work, and talent than ideology,” he observes.

POLL DU JOUR

• 69% of registered U.S. voters “strongly support” President Trump’s nomination for reelection; 75% of conservatives, 73% of Republicans, 54% of moderates and 52% of independents agree.

• 15% of voters overall “somewhat support” Mr. Trump’s nomination; 13% of conservatives, 13% of Republicans, 21% of moderates and 24% of independents agree.

• 8% overall “strongly support” a different candidate’s nomination; 5% of conservatives, 6% of Republicans, 15% of moderates and 15% of independents agree,

• 5% overall “somewhat support” a different candidate’s nomination; 5% of conservatives, 4% of Republicans, 7% of moderates and 9% of independents agree.

• 3% overall don’t know or have no opinion; 2% of conservatives, 3% of Republicans, 3% of moderates and 2% of independents agree.

Source: A Politico/Morning Consult poll of 838 registered U.S. voters conducted Sept. 27-30.

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