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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Are Democrats So Scared of Impeachment?
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/why-are-democrats-so-scared-of-impeachment/"The truth, of course, is that no one actually knows how impeachment would affect Trumps popularity or the next election. Given the scope of his malfeasance, impeachment proceedings may well cause his approval ratings to plummet, replicating Nixons demise. Nixon began his second term with a lofty approval rating of 68%. But by August 1974following Senate and House hearings, respectively, on Watergate and impeachment, and the Supreme Courts ruling on the White House tapes57% of Americans thought Nixon should be removed from office.
In the end, the decision to impeach Trump shouldnt be based on predictions about poll numbers, however worrying they may be. It should be rooted in principle...
The truth, of course, is that no one actually knows how impeachment would affect Trumps popularity or the next election. Given the scope of his malfeasance, impeachment proceedings may well cause his approval ratings to plummet, replicating Nixons demise. Nixon began his second term with a lofty approval rating of 68%. But by August 1974following Senate and House hearings, respectively, on Watergate and impeachment, and the Supreme Courts ruling on the White House tapes57% of Americans thought Nixon should be removed from office.
In the end, the decision to impeach Trump shouldnt be based on predictions about poll numbers, however worrying they may be. It should be rooted in principle."
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,103 posts)Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!
earthshine
(1,642 posts)I've been enjoying the spectacle of him not being impeached, while he wants it to be so.
Napoleons maxim: Never interfere with the enemy when he is in the process of destroying himself.
FBaggins
(26,681 posts)Theyre afraid of a second Trump term with a continued Republican Senate replacing Ginsburg and/or Breyer.
myohmy2
(3,118 posts)...are afraid of the scorched earth, all or nothing tactics of the republicans...Dems are not willing to get down in the mud with the republicans and compete in kind...
...Dems are more than willing to fight a 'good fight' with one arm tied behind their backs as long as they can walk away from that fight feeling righteous...republicans don't care about 'righteous' with a 'win at all cost' mentality the Dems don't have...
...the average voter may not love trump or the republicans but they respect their willingness to wage political war and fight for what they want and believe...voters see this as strength which translates into security for themselves and the nation...
...we walk away looking weak, indecisive and slow...the pukes walk away thinking they've found a winning formula...
...they may be right...
Nuggets
(525 posts)For example
America was on the side of the Homestead Strikers until a supporter tried to shoot Frick. Public opinion went against the Homestead strikers immediately.
As soon as a Liberal starts to act like a Conservative they lose their support. Right wing behavior is what Liberals dont like.
Therefore you get the rw hating and fighting you as well as the moderates who think fighting like the rw horrible.
shanny
(6,709 posts)I don't think we need to murder anyone, just investigate the crap out of them and do it LOUD.
Nuggets
(525 posts)didnt give a hoot about Pinkertons being sent to kill them.
Its an example, but being obtuse is a specialty around here for some.
BlueWI
(1,736 posts)against a rogue president is getting in the mud?
It's one thing to oppose impeachment of Trump and another thing to say it's the equivalent of Republican political behavior.
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)in court, Pelosi besting baby, while investigationslotscontinue, and hearings!
We have an excellent fighting House, solid candidates, and despite some Bothsiders media, MSNBC hammers Trump day and night.
Support your Democratic leaders, your representation, in Washington
NewJeffCT
(56,827 posts)which really isn't true if you look at the weekly poll numbers through 1998 and 1999.
There were a few temporary bumps in polling numbers (once also attributable to a very popular at the time 4 day bombing campaign in Iraq) but the truth is that within 30 days after acquittal, Clinton was below his numbers for the entire 6 months before the initial impeachment vote in december of 98
enough
(13,231 posts)total exoneration. It plays right into their witch-hunt narrative.
It will not get him removed from office, and it will give him a huge win just in time for the election.
No one is afraid of impeachment. We're afraid of a second Trump term of four years.
uponit7771
(90,193 posts)wryter2000
(46,008 posts)If they have to run while all the dirt is coming out during the election rather than having it behind them for a year.
uponit7771
(90,193 posts)wryter2000
(46,008 posts)I think all of us want impeachment. It's just a matter of timing.
uponit7771
(90,193 posts)Not is there lack of vote in the Senate, don't need it to hurt the Republican party
Me.
(35,454 posts)The question is when.
The Dems aren't afraid of doing their duty but unlike traitor trump they are determined to do it correctly and hence successfully. And frankly, all the pundits, journalists beating the drums are doing so because it suits their purpose and they have something to gain. THey want to help the effort? Start writing about the Con criminals, what they''re doing to harm the country and do it everyday rather than casting insults at the Dems.
wryter2000
(46,008 posts)Amen
Me.
(35,454 posts)StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Last edited Sun May 26, 2019, 07:26 PM - Edit history (1)
Imagine where we'd be if they expended even a fraction of the time and effort they're devoting to obsessively asking "Why are the Democrats not impeaching NOW?!" to actually covering what he needs to be impeached for.
wryter2000
(46,008 posts)No matter how many crimes Republicans commit, it's always that the Democrats are doing things wrong.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Anyone pretending that we are not acting on the best of principles likely has a very unprincipled agenda. Certainly the vast majority of hostile agents throwing out a blizzard of this stuff do.
wryter2000
(46,008 posts)earthshine
(1,642 posts)You must be very insecure in your beliefs to react like this.
So, according to you, if I don't agree with your principles, I am unprincipled?
Pelosi bases her decisions solely on political calculation. Is that "acting on best principles"? Depending on how you look at it, maybe yes, maybe no.
But no one should be summoned to die by writing an article pointing out the complexities of the situation.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Btw, I never copy and paste hostile titles meant to influence all the people who don't bother to open the articles and read further. They're often the dirtiest attacks authors and editors think they can get away with, with ass-covering retrenching to more solid ground hidden inside where most don't read.
Response to Hortensis (Reply #36)
Post removed
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Last edited Sun May 26, 2019, 11:51 AM - Edit history (1)
The better question is why do some Democrats believe that impeaching without preparing the proper legal and procedural groundwork is the way to go?
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)I am sure that there is a lot of work to do and I'm willing to be patient.
With Clinton, the approach was that impeachment was a goal rather than an unfortunate and necessary response.
I think Democrats have more integrity and view it as something that should be compelled by evidence rather than an agenda item listed with a strategy to seek evidence.
Restoring credibility to the process could be the only positive result of Trump's presidency.
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)knowledge is addeda storm of whiny, incessant and sometimes intemperate complaints against
Dem leadership, such as one will never see aired in Republican quarters.
No, I am not for silencing the angry voices. And I feel shocked, angry, outraged ever day by the fact that the Russians overtook our democracy, Trump is an illigitemate president and a dictator, and a morally corrupt GOP leadership has allowed the Russians and Trump to prevail. Barr has enabled Trump to co-opt the judicial system and the intelligence community.
But impeaching without preparing the proper legal and procedural groundwork is NOT the sane way to go! ( StarFish)
Gothmog
(143,654 posts)How are you going to get 20 GOP Senate votes?
uponit7771
(90,193 posts)Gothmog
(143,654 posts)uponit7771
(90,193 posts)... reasons to NOT to impeach that are sound factually.
Dems have the politics on our side, Red Don will never be as popular to democrats as Clinton was to republicans.
Kid Berwyn
(14,522 posts)Senators who vote to acquit will be voted out in November, whether 2020, 2022 or 2024.
Jakes Progress
(11,121 posts)Those senators who defend trump do so to protect their election chances.
For example: lindsey graham was polling well below average when in the first year of trump's administration. graham took trump to task on several occasions. Since the senator has become a bone fide toady his ratings in his home state have risen dramatically. He was cruising to a loss until he sucked onto the trump train.
Facts and criminality mean nothing to the trumpers. I would love to think that people would have the scales dropped from their eyes and they would realize the orange pig for the fraud he is. I haven't seen evidence that that is happening. Intelligent people already know trump is a liar and crook, and they already want him gone. An impeachment only lets him play the victim card. Witness the kavanaugh and thomas hearings. Cry, whine, and throw a temper tantrum and you get support. Disgusting, but unfortunately that is reality.
Kid Berwyn
(14,522 posts)The facts have yet to be considered by many, if not most, US citizens. Televised, prime time hearings would change that.
No one wants to believe in a traitor, unless they want to be labeled as such themselves. Seeing what the disapproval numbers are now, 54%, its a good guess that 2/3-plus of country would support impeachment after seeing the crooks squirm live on TV.
If the MAGA morons still want to put party ahead of country, fine. Let them go. We the People dont need em.
Jakes Progress
(11,121 posts)Wonderful to think about. So beautiful.
But it won't get trump out of office and in jail. It doesn't matter if 2/3 of the people want trump convicted. A majority didn't want him as president in the first place. But there he is. And unless you have 2/3 or the senate - meaning about 20 republican senators - who will vote to convict, you are playing into trump's hands. You are right that the hearing would unite people. Just look at the clarence thomas hearings and the brett kavanaugh hearings. Those really united the people. Both are now supreme court members for life. Maybe hearings could make trump president or life.
Learn about gerrymandering. Learn about the reality of how people with no morals are currently in power.
And sorry to tell you that the mega morons are the ones the republican senators worry about. They aren't going anywhere. You may not need them. You may not want them. But those are the idiots that currently run things. We would find out nothing in impeachment hearings that we can find out without giving trump an extra ace.
But, boy would I love to feel all self-righteous and clean by reclaiming the idealism of my youth. Golly, it felt good. It didn't change things. Voting and campaigning and canvassing and working the polls did.
Kid Berwyn
(14,522 posts)Letting Trump get away with crimes is wrong for the country today, tomorrow, and the years to come.
If impeachment riles up his base and they vote out the moderates in the GOP, not my problem.
I may not know much, but I do understand impeachment is the Constitutional process for changing the reality of how people with no morals (who) are currently in power.
PS: You should return to try idealism again. It will help keep you young.
Jakes Progress
(11,121 posts)No one said he should "get away" with it.
So it's "not your problem" if trump gets back in for 4 more years?
So impeach. Once you can get the conviction. Anything short of that is like a DA going to trial without a chance of winning and turning the child rapist back out onto the streets with no double jeopardy.
It would be an escape to drop into the idealism hole. I did that when I was "young". It made me feel good, but it helped screw over a lot of other people. Now that I am older (and wiser) I know that it takes work to get something good done. It might feel nice to think you can just wish and have a magic swipe make everything all gooder. But this isn't about me getting to feel nice or me getting to feel superior. This is about other people and what will make the country better. I think it's worth the work.
uponit7771
(90,193 posts)... a second Red Don wont work with the Russians to do the exact same thing they did in 2016
Jakes Progress
(11,121 posts)working with putin to overthrow our constitution and wreck the world opinion of democracy.
But fighting and working for a better election actually has a chance to work. Right now. Without 20 patriotic and honest republican senators, impeachment hasn't got a chance.
Now it is worthwhile to work and getting those senators to change their minds, but just hollering impeachment will not get that to happen. Once there is a decent chance of getting conviction, I'll demand impeachment too. I think watching Nancy Pelosi will tell us if and when we might get those Senate votes.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)We need to ask when we will use inherent contempt to force cooperation. That's step one. Impeachment is something like step 50.
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Congress can't just go straight from a refusal to testify to inherent contempt in day - or even a couple of weeks. There's a process that must be followed with mandatory steps taken in a particular order.
The first steps have been taken and the process is bring followed.
It's still not clear if the endgame (forcing testimony) can be effectuated, but the Democrats are doing exactly what they need to do to take that path.
A primer on Contempt of Congress enforcement
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212116082
There are three methods Congress can use to enforce a Contempt of Congress citation in response to a witness' refusal to respond to a subpoena. All of them share specific requirements to get the ball rolling and then branch out into three different processes.
First, once the subpoena is issued, the witness or holder of documents has to definitively refuse to comply. That means more than just saying they won't, but to take some affirmative step to defy the subpoena, such as fail to appear or produce the documents by the deadline.
In McGahn's case, although he signaled yesterday he wouldn't show up, he didn't trigger anything until he actually didn't show up at the appointed time today. He has now defied the subpoena.
The Judiciary Committee now must make some effort to get him to comply. It might be by letter (the much-derided "strongly worded" letter is mocked around here, but it performs a legal necessity), conversations with him or his attorneys to try to negotiate compliance, or some other method. This is necessary because, down the road, before upholding a contempt citation, a court will require a showing that Congress made a good faith effort to secure compliance prior to issuing the citation.
If those efforts fail, the House Judiciary would hold an executive meeting - aka "markup" - to vote on a contempt recommendation. Markups usually require several days notice and usually, the minority can request a one-week extension.
At the markup, the Judiciary Committee members will discuss the measure and then vote. If a majority of Members agree, the contempt recommendation will be referred to the floor to be voted on by the full House.
When that happens, the measure will likely be referred to the Rules Committee which will set out the parameters for debate (how long each side has, etc.) and the vote. That usually doesn't take long and there may be ways to avoid having to do a rule on a contempt vote ( I haven't looked into that). The debate and vote are scheduled and then the full House votes. Simple majority carries.
If the measure passes, the Congress has now officially cited the witness for contempt. At that point, there are three different avenues that can be taken for enforcement. The first is already a nonstarter, so there's no point in even trying, unless they just want to make a point. That would be to refer the citation to the US Attorney for DC and ask them to enforce the citation with an arrest or prosecution. Since the US Attorney reports to the Attorney General, that ain't gonna happen. So let's move on.
The next possibility is for Congress to exercise its "inherent contempt" power, a rare tactic, which Congress hasn't done in nearly a century, but is being seriously considered. That could mean imposing a fine or instructing the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest the subject and bring them before the body to answer the contempt charge. If they still don't comply, they would be held in custody until they do or until a judge orders them released. While it's possible to do this, it would be very difficult to pull this off logistically in many instances. It might be easier for a McGahn, who is a private citizen. But it's not clear how the Sergeant-at-Arms would go about arresting the Attorney General or other federal official under 24-7 protection of federal agents and whose homes and workplace are virtual fortresses. It will be interesting to see what happens if they go that route.
The third possibility is to go to court and ask it to enforce the citation. If the court rules that the subject must comply, failure to comply would result in a contempt of court citation, in addition to the contempt of Congress. In such cases, the court could enforce by, among other things ordering the US Marshals to arrest a subject.
The bottom line is that contempt of Congress citations aren't simple things and Nadler can't just snap his fingers and throw someone in jail because they didn't show up this morning..
I hope this is helpful. You can read more about the enforcement of Contempt of Congress citations here: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45653.pdf and here: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-congress-subpoena-explainer/explainer-how-hard-hitting-are-u-s-congress-subpoenas-contempt-citations-idUSKCN1SC1YE
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)I knew there was a process to inherent contempt, but I didn't know all the steps involved or how long it would take.
There are so many ways this could play out. I do agree that making an example of McGahn would be the obvious first choice. Who knows if it would have the desired effect, though.
Gothmog
(143,654 posts)Thank you for posting the above article
uponit7771
(90,193 posts)... than timing
doc03
(35,078 posts)that time on to accept help from a forighn enemy. Any president can obstruct justice. Any president can charge his political enemies with treason and execute them. Any president can appoint an attorney general that obstructs justice. Most of all if nothing is done and the economy holds he will get a second term anyway.
Aristus
(65,985 posts)We all know Trump has committed crimes. Even his most demented supporters know he has, and they don't care. What we need to do is prove those crimes before we ever start impeachment proceedings in the House. Let the impeachment proceedings be a mere formality.
Prior to that, let's have months of hearings. Subpoena everyone. Investigate everyone Trump ever spoke to, or was even in the same room with. Get his tax records. Find every former employee of his whose NDA has expired, and get them under oath. Get every current member of his adminstration on the record and under oath. Ask everything. Leave no stone unturned. Then bring them back a month later and ask the same questions again. If their answers change by so much as a syllable, threaten them with perjury charges. Then offer them a deal, or even immunity for evidence of Trump's culpability in anything, no matter how petty. Jaywalking, doing 45 in a 25 zone, spitting in the subway. Get Trump under oath to answer those charges, then hit him with the big guns; tax records, giving classified info to the Russians, violation of the emoluments clause. Hammer him until he wants to die.
Sentence him 'to the pain'.
By that time, Election Day 2020 will be looming, and Trump will have this massive millstone around his fat ugly neck for the whole event.
If we win in 2020, we can turn ex-President Trump over to the Southern District of New York for skinning, rendering, and butchering.
If Trump wins, but we take the Senate, vote on impeachment before he has a chance to plan his inauguration. We'd need 2/3rds of the Senate to vote, and we won't have enough Democrats to bring it. But we'll have a mountain of evidence from the hearings. Any repuke who balks will have every skeleton in his closet paraded around in public. Drop a neutron bomb on anyone who protects Trump.
Ladies and Gentlemen of Congress: Start the hearings!
wryter2000
(46,008 posts)I like the way you think.
I'm a pussycat.
I just want justice for our country.
I can't imagine being angry with you. An admirer of Kamala Harris is always a friend in my book...
wryter2000
(46,008 posts)Hekate
(89,977 posts)Hekate
(89,977 posts)Gothmog
(143,654 posts)Link to tweet
While McConnell is required to act on articles of impeachment, which require 67 votes or a two-thirds majority to convict the president, he and his Republican colleagues have the power to set the rules and ensure the briefest of trials.
I think it would be disposed of very quickly, said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)....
Why on earth would we give a platform to something that I judge as a purely political exercise? said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another member of the Judiciary Committee. We have to perform our constitutional duty, but if people think that were going to try and create a theater that could give you the perception that this is a matter that rises to the level of Watergate, thats nonsense.
Tillis said he would support McConnell bringing the impeachment process to a quick close, and that any kind of extended trial would be rewarding what I view as bad behavior on the part of the House.
SWBTATTReg
(21,811 posts)explaining it away as simply his knowledge of the process is still in a learning curve. Personally I think rump knows what he did was wrong and we have convictions and the like to prove it. Justice is being shortsighted and slighted. Remember this later when we retake the executive branch and senate. Energize ourselves by the thought that we are in the right, and we will prevail. Our time is coming.
still_one
(91,807 posts)Initech
(99,881 posts)The GOP lowered the bar big time on that one. They're lowering it further by continuing to back the fucking asshole they have in there now.