Now showing on Capitol Hill - part entertainment, part political theatre

ANYONE who has been watching CNN or reading The New York Times and The Washington Post in the last three years is probably familiar with these recurring dramatic scenes.

A witness testifying on Capitol Hill that members of Candidate Donald Trump's campaign met secretly with Kremlin officials. "This is a bombshell," announces a CNN reporter with pundits following with "It is probably over now for President Trump."

The New York Times publishes on its front page a report that a Russian oligarch with ties to President Vladimir Putin has donated money to Candidate Trump's campaign. That leads a NYT columnist to conclude that "the walls are now closing in on President Trump, and the countdown to his resignation is starting".