It absolutely is nothing but trying to deflect attention away from Trump's problems, and the fact that the House and Senate couldn't organize a party in a Nevada brothel (my usual description is a touch more colorful).  

Unfortunately, I really think that the problem comes down to the Rs needing to somehow redeem themselves after Nixon.  They have been trying for decades to impeach or otherwise destroy any Democrat they can, the only thing I can think, is that they are somehow trying to show that the Democrats are just as corrupt as Nixon, so if they can remove a Democrat from office, then each party has had one removed in recent memory.