IMPEACH NOW...NO..................IMPEACH EVER...PROBABLY
As the rhetoric over the Trump administration policies regarding immigration, administrative competence, SCOTUS nominations, foreign policy, legal liabilities, along with numerous other potential pitfalls and pratfalls, increases, the discussion of presidential impeachment is coming to a boiling point.
As an individual who believes that this president is the worst we have ever elected, and one who has engaged in criminal activities both prior to his presidential victory and during the first two years of his administration, one would think that I would be strongly in the “impeach now” camp. I am not!
Impeach now, no.....impeach ever, probably. The question is whether impeachment is the appropriate avenue to use when going after this particular presidency. Impeachment is a political action, not a truly legal action. It is the action that is used to remove from office an official who has committed a vague listing of “high crimes and misdemeanors”. It is a two step process, the house votes to present the articles, and the senate holds a trial. The ultimate result is the removal of the offending president.
Historically, we have, as a country used impeachment to move against “political” crimes that have occurred during the administration of the presidency. They were sometimes obvious, and sometimes less so. The potential impeachment of Richard Nixon over Watergate was obvious. The voting of articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton was a little less clear. The indictment was actually for lying about sexual misconduct in the oval office. While lying under oath was clearly a problematic activity and the sexual misconduct was, in many eyes, abhorrent. What was clear, however, was that the behavior occurred in the White House and fell under the auspices of impeachment. What was also clear was that, if impeachment was successful, the successor in the presidency would pardon the president.
The case that is developing against Donald Trump is far more complex. Not only are many of the charges federal, but some are state, and some are both federal and state. It involves more than just the president, but also his immediate family and even, possibly the vice-president. Whether or not the power of the pardon would work in this situation may be ultimately decided in the courts. That would bring us to another constitutional issue. Can a sitting president be prosecuted while in office. It would appear that the answer to that on a federal level may be no, the question of prosecution on a state level may be less clear.
But there is an even bigger picture. Impeachment today would fail, not because there is not enough evidence, but because the collective congress has become so partisan that the votes could be counted before the procedure even starts. The only time a legitimate impeachment hearing may take place would be after the mid-term elections, when both democrats and republicans will understand the pulse of the nation. That understanding is critical if an impeachment would happen and be deemed as legitimate.
For better or worse, we have a rogue presidency. That type of presidency was what many people hoped for……clear the swamp and start anew. Unfortunately, the swamp was drained of little critters and restocked with large predators. The country is beginning to understand that they bought a bottle of snake oil from the consummate snake oil salesman. They didn’t realize that they’ve been had, until their heads stayed bald, their bellies remained too large, and their thinking was still clouded. By then the president was in office and fleecing the country rather than individual voters.
Don’t move for impeachment now, there will be plenty of time after the midterms.
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There is going to come a day in the relatively near future that the President and his entire administration will rue the fact that impeachment proceedings didn't occur during his first year. As the presidency goes on, this administration's chance of survival decreases every day.
Why are we waisting millions on chasing the boogieman. We should be celibrating some of the greatest sucess of this president. I wasnt a fan of Obama but I wanted him to suceed so America would. Think if Hilary would of won everything that was achieved would be gone. We be a welfare state and the FBI would still be covering everything up
Just out of curiosity, where do you get your information? Be as specific as you can.
The "successes" of this administration are, unfortunately two faced. What do I mean? There is no doubt he got his tax cut for the rich through congress. The problem is that 81% of the money went to the top 1% of the nation. Then to boot, the president, with the aid of his republican cronies gutted provisions of the affordable care act and have opened the floodgates for much higher premiums for the 99% who received 19% of the tax cut. The resultant bottom line for most people is that the tax cut has been far exceeded by health care increases. So we have two of his key pieces of legislation passed, but almost universally despised. We then have the "brilliant" tariffs being waged which will hurt the job market, eventually increase unemployment, and turn into a tax increase for most Americans. We have to always look at the bait and switch in this administration. Successis there if you are already rich......not there if you are still hoping for a miracle.