If Democrats win back the House, they must impeach Donald J Trump.

[kentuck]

It doesn't matter how they might think the Senate will vote.

They would have an obligation to get rid of this tyrant at their very earliest convenience.

If the Senate refused to convict, then that would be on them.

Impeachment is the only patriotic and responsible action that Democrats can take if they win back the House.

There is no time to dicker or argue.

They must do it.

[onenote]

1. They aren't doing anything until Mueller completes his investigation.

It's silly to think otherwise.

[kentuck]

2. Don't you think Mueller will be finished by election day?

I would think that would be his personal goal?

In the end, the judgment will have to be political. Trump is not going to be criminally convicted. It is up to the House and Senate to serve the punishment.

[onenote]

5. I would think so. And the political judgment will by guided by what he finds.

[DangerousUrNot]

3. I think if they pass the tax bill, Dems will get the house back.

I thought Al Green was starting impeachment proceedings pretty soon or at least take a vote to see if they should. I would wait to see if we get the house back first.

[brooklynite]

14. "Starting impeachment proceedings"?

His resolution has no special precedence. It'll be referred to the Judiciary Committee where no action will be taken.

[DangerousUrNot]

17. I wasnt sure what he meant

i Know he drew up articles of impeachment but just the other day he said something about taking a vote on it. He said this on Roland Martin’s show.

[Hoyt]

4. Let's win back the House first, then trust them to do the right thing.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Here's the thing: you're forgetting the Senate.

The House can only bring the charges and the Senate holds the trial and either convicts or acquits.

If you have less than 67 democrats in the Senate (2/3 majority), it would almost be a waste of time to impeach Trump to begin with.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment#Process

[kentuck]

7. I disagree.

It doesn't matter how many votes they get in the Senate.

They have a duty to impeach. The Senate will do whatever it might do. But the Democrats should act on behalf of the American people and the Constitution of the United States and our democracy.

[brooklynite]

15. Probably what Republicans were telling themselves in 1998.

[Scruffy1]

16. 1998 is irrelevant.

It was all kunki theater. if it would have gotten closr some votes would have switched. They just wanted to make a lot of noise for electoral purposes.

[onenote]

29. If he's impeached along a party line vote but is then acquitted

The public perception will be that he "won" and the Democrats lost.

[unblock]

12. Itll never succeed, but that doesnt mean its a waste of time.

It’ll distract them from their agenda and help us in the election.

Moreover, by not impeaching, it normalizes this that should not be normalized.

[dalton99a]

21. +1

[onetexan]

22. +1

[no_hypocrisy]

25. Cross-post: Harder to Impeach

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029923052

[Chasstev365]

27. You don't think getting Republican Senators on the record supporting a law breaker is important?

[still_one]

8. I agree kentuck, but it sure would be nice if we won both the Senate and the House

[shanny]

10. Winning the Senate wouldn't be enough.

We'd need 67 votes to convict.

[still_one]

11. I know, but it would prevent the SC from getting another grouch

[shanny]

23. Good point.

Btw, what have you got against grouches? Some of my best friends are grouches, particularly now.

(darn that auto-correct!)

[still_one]

24. Damn auto auto correct. However it also applies

[shanny]

9. So he can be "exonerated" by the Senate?

What will Nancy Pelosi say?

[brooklynite]

13. So, acquitting Donald Trump would be okay with you?

Because a failure to convict, regardless of who's responsible, would be seen as an acquittal.

[pnwmom]

18. And Bill's acquittal just made him more popular. That would be a terrible outcome!

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

19. On "State of the Union" Pelosi said she wouldn't do it

On CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday, Rep. Nancy Pelosi said that impeaching President Trump "is not someplace that I think we should go." She added that many on the left were upset at her for not impeaching President Bush in the wake of the Iraq War. "What could be worse than that?" she asked.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/11/05/pelosi_on_trump_impeachment_we_didnt_impeach_bush_for_iraq_war_what_could_be_worse_than_that.html

[onecaliberal]

20. Read somewhere today Pelosi isnt down with impeachment

[Kentonio]

26. If Mueller comes back with proof of crimes then they have a duty to impeach.

I don't care what political calculations are in play, this is a very clear question about whether the president is or isn't above the law. If he is, then America gives up any pretense of being a democracy.

[oberliner]

28. Zero chance of this happening

We must defeat him at the ballot box.

[vi5]

30. My feeling is.....

Last edited Mon Dec 4, 2017, 10:33 AM - Edit history (1)

..that if we take back the House and Senate that this puts enough of a check and balance in place that we should keep Trump in place and let the Republicans own him.

I agree that without the House and the Senate in our hands that getting him out is priority number one because nobody in charge is willing to hold him accountable or keep him in place.

But once we have some semblance of a hold on him we're better off with him in there come 2020 than Mr. Reasonable (ha!) Mike Pence.

[kentuck]

31. That is a reasonable argument but...

...does not the Congress have a responsibility to impeach under their Constitutional requirements?

[vi5]

33. Yes, but as we've seen the past 20 years (if not longer)...

All the rules and responsibilities are out the window, thanks to Republicans.

So yeah, if Dems abdicated that one particular specific responsibility in the interest of long term political goals, that wouldn't even be in the same stratosphere of what Republicans have done with their power.

Our elected Democratic politicians have to realize that taking the high road has gotten us nowhere and nothing. Every "right thing" they did when we had power was summarily dismantled with the swipe of a pen. We need to stop worrying about being the "better" men/women in terms of DC beltway insiderism and more about being the "better" men/women in terms of creating a lasting, stronger, and better country for everyone. If that means hanging Trump around the necks of Republicans like a fetid, rotting, stinking dead albatross for a year or so, and not letting them get away with dropping him down the memory hole as soon as President Pence is sworn in then I'm more than o.k. with that.

[Lulu KC]

32. my gut tells me

that a worse fate awaits him than impeachment.