GOP Rep: Obama Impeachment Over Benghazi ‘Certainly A Possibility’

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said Monday that he doesn't want President Barack Obama to be impeached over the Republican-led investigation into last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya, but Utah Republican isn't ready to take the option "off the table."

"It’s certainly a possibility," Chaffetz said, as quoted by the Salt Lake Tribune. "That’s not the goal but given the continued lies perpetrated by this administration, I don’t know where it’s going to go. ... I’m not taking it off the table. I’m not out there touting that but I think this gets to the highest levels of our government and integrity and honesty are paramount."

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) last week called Benghazi the "most egregious cover-up in American history" and predicted that Obama will soon be facing calls of impeachment.

“People may be starting to use the I-word before too long,” Inhofe said.

###

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/gop-rep-obama-impeachment-over-benghazi-certainly-possibility

[Botany]

1. Whitewater 2.0

n/t

[DetlefK]

2. "The continued lies!" They are liars! I know it! I just can't prove it!

[CapnSteve]

3. When watching a slight of hand trick...

...try not to look where the magician wants you to look. What is he doing with the other hand? That is where you will discover the 'trick'.

What I wonder is what the GOP is trying to do under the cover of the Banghazi smoke screen...

[earthside]

9. Subtlety and nuance are not GOP strong points.

I don't think they are using Benghazi as a smoke screen -- they hate Pres. Obama and will use anything to try and bring him down.

Nothing clever or cunning about what they do ... they tend to always pick up a sludge hammer first off and start pounding away.

Repuglicans are notorious for overplaying their hand, they just cannot seem to control themselves.

You are seeing it here.
The smart politician would let these latest bad news stories develop on their own and let the public catch-up with them -- but, no, the Repuglicans almost immediately start blathering about impeachment which only makes them look like the extremist, radical haters that they are.

We saw it in their misdirected zeal to destroy Pres. Clinton and they haven't learned anything since then either (thank goodness).

[CarrieLynne]

26. I dont really think its Obama they hate....

they viciously attack any powerful dem, they were certainly vicious with Clinton, Clinton and Pelosi....Kerry...all of them....they will do this to ANY dem who bears any clout...because dems are counter productive to their agenda....

they are certainly counter productive to ours too but I just dont see us being as vindictive as they are....the shit Bush did was real...we didnt have time to make anything up or blow anything outta proportion lol

[Beacool]

4. Oh no, they don't!!!

They will NOT do to Obama what they did to Clinton. Lord knows he's not my favorite person, but he won his two terms fair and square and no amount of little turds in Congress trying to make a name for themselves will throw him out of office until January 2017. Furthermore, if they keep harassing our people, Obama, Hillary, Rice, etc. they can kiss goodbye any remote possibility that they had of winning the WH in 2016. People will not take that kind of B.S. once again.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. I hate to break it to you

not only will they do what they did to Clinton, but they have a good chance of convicting him. He pretty much just handed them the senate in 2014 by his bungling, and a GOP senate WILL convict.

Obama is a political and legal train wreck. By ignoring Bush's crimes, he failed to discredit all of the people who are going to take him down, back when they were vulnerable.

[Beacool]

23. Not over Benghazi, they won't.

If anything, the IRS scandal has more legs. Although I don't think that Obama directed them to audit Tea Party groups and talk show hosts like Hannity and Levin (I don't know if they also audited Limbaugh).

[Kelvin Mace]

25. The IRS and AP scandals will sink him

One fuels the Tea Party, the other sets the press dead against him (along with pro-transparency groups).

Benghazi is just part of the official soundtrack for his impeachment.

[Arkana]

40. The press was already against him. They've set a double standard

for him on every issue.

As for the Tea Party, their outrage is old news and no one gives a shit what they think.

[John2]

41. They will impeach

because they have the power to do so but they can't convict. It would just be another frivolous attempt by Chaffetz. First Clinton and now Obama. Two Democratic Presidents in a row that won two Terms. The only other President impeached was Andrew Johnson after the Civil War and they had a better chance to do so. Johnson wasn't elected to office either. Chaffetz's threat is an empty one. It could backfire on him. I'm pretty sure he has some skeletons somewhere and Issa too. The GOP is crooked as far as I'm concerned. The Democrats have enough ammunition to go after the entire GOP. They can threaten impeachment all they want because I think the two Parties are at War. The Republicans started down this road and the Democrats should end it. The Dems just need to grow a pair.

[Beacool]

57. Maybe so, but they will lose the American people in the process.

Typical Republican overreach. Even when they have a kernel of legitimacy in their investigations, they will go for the throat and overreach. With Whitewater they should have called it a day and packed it up. Instead, they were so intent in destroying Clinton (and his wife too) that Starr accepted illegally taped conversations between Monica and Trip. He used them to entrap the president and Congress impeached him for lying about a woman performing 9 times a sex act on him.

[global1]

5. So How Soon Will The MSM Pick Up This Battle Cry By The Repugs?......

How soon will it be before we hear the MSM using the "I" word and pushing it into the consciousness of the American People? How soon will the MSM be doing the dirty work for the Repugs and Fox News?

It will make a great story and it will get people to watch. Isn't that what its all about? Ratings? Selling ad time?

This just sickens me. We've come off one of the most corrupt and despicable administrations ever with BushCo and the MSM is helping BushCo rewrite history to make them look like saints.

We have one of the most honest and genuine Presidents ever to hold the office and soon the MSM will make mincemeat out of him because it sells.

[Kelvin Mace]

14. Given the fact that they just caught him spying on them

he has poisoned his relations with the press.

Even John Stewart has turned on him.

Also, how can BushCo have been "corrupt and despicable". If they were they would have been prosecuted and Obama declined to prosecute anyone from BushCo. Obama dug his own grave and hand-picked his political executioners.

[dennis4868]

55. Wait a minute

This is big news. When did they catch Obama spying on them? Are u saying there is evidence that Obama was involved in the spying? Please do tell because you are breaking big news.

[Kelvin Mace]

60. Let's see

the Justice Department was after a leaker. Given Obama's attitude toward leakers and whistleblowers, I find it hard to believe he didn't know. I am sure he maintained "plausible deniability", but all of that is irrelevant.

AP thinks he spied on them, as does the rest of the media, and they will act accordingly. All we have to look forward to over the next 3+ is investigations, hearings and impeachment proceedings, the Obama administration is done as far as "effective" governance is concerned.

[samsingh]

6. really? bush didn't get impeached for lying and stealing the election?

these idiots live in a dreamworld and still get elected by bigger idiots

[William Seger]

7. Hey, some people are already using the I-word -- idiot (n/t)

[Baitball Blogger]

8. You almost saw it coming.

Because W's Iraq was not used as the "egregious cover-up in history." It gave them an opening to project their fears on something they could try to attach to Obama.

[liberal N proud]

10. Go for it you fucking fools

This is getting fucking old, every time a Democratic President beats their ass in an election, they come up with trumped charges to impeach.

The public will catch on to this shit! The right wing assholes can keep digging them selves further into that hole.

[Kelvin Mace]

15. Uh, Obama just handed them the senate

and they will wait until they control it to impeach him.

[liberal N proud]

19. What did I miss? There is still this little thing called an election

And the President doesn't have but one vote in one state.

[Kelvin Mace]

22. By following his strategy of

not prosecuting BushCo era crimes, by constantly giving in to the GOP, by alienating his base while continuing to embrace Bush's police state policies, by persecuting whistleblowers, and now, by mishandling these scandals, he has placed the media and even folks like the ACLU firmly against him.

Yeah, he handed the GOP the very tools they need to re-take the senate in 2014. And he will be impeached and convicted for his political incompetence and utterly tone-deaf disregard for liberal policies.

[John2]

46. Most people I know don't,

care about the media and think they are bias. As far as the ACLU, where were they when Democratic groups were being attacked by the Republicans. Did they help the NAACP! The ACLU doesn't have any political power. They are just a law firm and suppose to be impartial. They even defend racists.

[Kelvin Mace]

61. What issue with NAACP did the ACLU fail to act upon?

I recall and the record shows that the ACLU was VERY active suing BushCo during the reign of His Chimperial Majesty. The ACLU doesn't "defend racists", it defends civil rights, even those belonging to racist, a subtle but distinct difference.

If people on this board are now attacking the ACLU in order to defend Obama, then the corporate wing of the party has won.

The corporate media has never been on Obama's side, but they will now actively and vigorously attack him.

As to what people think, that is irrelevant. What matters is what happens in the senate races in 2014. We are not going to take back the House, and now we will lose the Senate. Once that happens, Obama will be impeached and convicted. They will go after Biden as well, which will leave Boehner as the new president.

Way to go Dems!

[Posteritatis]

45. Remember, this is DU. Everyone is doomed all the time. (nt)

[liberal N proud]

49. Only with the paranoid and trolls

Sometimes you can't tell the difference.

[CBHagman]

51. Thank you.

You put a smile on my face even as chew-through-the-restraints craziness erupts in various enclaves in American politics.

[Stainless]

20. The Media Will Crucify Obama

Pounding Obama 24/7 will allow them to ignore the real issues that affect most Americans. The Corporatist Fascist criminals will be able to carry out their thievery without worrying about someone looking over their shoulders. The media will be able to complete their transition from public watchdogs to corporate lapdogs.

[Kelvin Mace]

24. Yep

and he has no one to blame but himself. I am constantly amazed when I see people like Obama (and Bill Clinton) who badly mishandle their political opponents, being described as "politically astute".

Obama courted Wall Street and gave them what they wanted. He courted insurance companies and gave them what they wanted. He sucked up to the GOP in the name of "bi-partisanship" and gave them what they wanted. He alienated civil-libertarians, human rights activists, the LGBT movement, the Occupy Movement, and pretty much anybody in the Democratic party to the left of Nixon.

Who does that leave to "have his back"?

[Kelvin Mace]

64. Precisely!

And the GOP at the state level is busy rigging the election process to assure that poor/minority voters will be prevented from voting.

[John2]

42. No he didn't, and

you need two thirds of the Senate to convict.

[Kelvin Mace]

63. And how do you think the Vichy Dem wing is going to vote?

The ones owned body and soul by Wall Street?

[Kelvin Mace]

11. Obama has no one to blame but himself

He decided to allow all of Bush crimes to go unprosecuted knowing full well that no such similar courtesy would be extended to him (and if he didn't know this, he is an idiot). His crimes WOULD be punished. Didn't he learn anything from the Clinton years?

And it doesn't matter if any of this is "technically" legal or if BushCo did it first. Obama has handed his enemies mountains of political/rhetorical/legal ammunition to use against him and so alienated his base that numerous key groups will NOT have his back. In fact, groups like the ACLU will be actively working against him since he has shown such contempt for civil rights.

[Arkana]

17. We heard this tripe before the 2012 election. Wasn't true then, either.

[Kelvin Mace]

27. in 2012 he didn't have three major scandals boiling over

and he was at least pretending to make nice with the left wing of the party.

Also, he hadn't thrown Social Security to the wolves in the name of "compromise".

The AP scandal will set the beltway press after his ass 24/7, digging into EVERY misdeed, real or imagined.

[Shivering Jemmy]

30. I would like to make a wager with you on this?

Are you game?

[Kelvin Mace]

38. What would we be betting about?

Looking back at my post:

"He decided to allow all of Bush crimes to go unprosecuted"

Established fact. If you know of any Bush crimes that were prosecuted by Obama's DoJ, let me know.

"knowing full well that no such similar courtesy would be extended to him (and if he didn't know this, he is an idiot)."

You can argue that this is conjecture on my part, but seriously, if he was so naive as to believe that any error by him would be overlooked/forgiven and not conflated into the "crime of the century" by the GOP, he not only should never have been allowed to run for president, he shouldn't be let out of the house without a babysitter.

"His crimes WOULD be punished."

In hindsight, I would amend that to read:

"His crimes, real or imagined, WOULD be punished."

"Didn't he learn anything from the Clinton years? "

This is a serious question. The Clinton years taught that the GOP has no shame at their own immorality or hypocrisy. All that matters is taking down the Democrat, and anyone who failed to learn that lesson, again, is an idiot.

"And it doesn't matter if any of this is "technically" legal or if BushCo did it first."

Again, see GOP lack of shame and hypocrisy noted above.

Obama has handed his enemies mountains of political/rhetorical/legal ammunition to use against him and so alienated his base that numerous key groups will NOT have his back."

Would you like a list of the liberal base that Obama has alienated?

"In fact, groups like the ACLU will be actively working against him since he has shown such contempt for civil rights."

The ACLU has sued the Obama admin, what, a dozen times now? Again, Obama's persecution of whisetlblowers, lack of transparency, adoption and expansion of Bush spying and war crimes policies, clearly demonstrate his contempt for civil liberties.

[John2]

44. You are imagining things if you

think many of the voters that voted for Obama would run to the GOP over this crap! They don't give two cents about this stuff! What they care about is immigration, gun laws and more important issues than the rights of the GOP or Press. And what has the GOP been trying to do to their rights! The rightwing is not the majority in this country anymore. The same people that voted for Obama will vote for Hillary Clinton unless the GOP treat them with some respect and start doing something about their issues. The next GOP candidate will end up whining just like Romney\Ryan.

[Kelvin Mace]

62. You are not paying attention

2014 is an off year election, and off year elections are generally bad for the party in power.

Add to this that the GOP has spent the last five years rigging the system and it doesn't matter who how many liberalks go to the polls in 2014 if they are not permitted to vote, which is how the system is rigged.

The right-wing may not be the majority of the people in this country but they ARE the majority of the legislators at both the Federal and State level. My own state (NC) is now completely controlled by GOP extremists, despite the fact that hard-core conservatives are only about 30% of the population.

We have ZERO chance of re-taking the House. We now are in real danger of losing the Senate. Once we lose the Senate, the House will impeach Obama and Biden. The Senate will try and convict them both, leaving John Boehner as the new president.

Obama and the Dem leadership have utterly screwed the country and themselves.

[niyad]

12. I ask every single one of them why they weren't howling for impeaching bushco over 9/11--

never do get an answer.

just looked up chaffetz bio--very interesting. apparently, his father was once married to katherine dukakis, and he was a dem. and, of course, he is one of those oh-so-fiscally conservative types who, we are to believe, sleeps on a cot in his office.

[Arkana]

16. Go ahead and try, Mr. Chaffetz. After all, the last time you tried

to impeach a Democratic President over a bullshit "scandal", it worked out SO well for your party, right?

Right?

[BayouBengal07]

35. Actually, it did.

Clinton was damaged goods in the 2000 election, forcing Gore to run away from him.

[Stainless]

18. Chaffetz is an Ideological Fool

He was elected to office in Utah because he's a Republican, he's a Mormon and he played football for BYU; not because he is intelligent and capable of solving problems. Inhofe on the other hand is just a moron.

[midnight]

21. Why do I feel like they are distracting us with this nonsense while they roll out the real deal like

another colossal bank bail out?

[graham4anything]

28. Between the haters on the right and the haters on the left, it is their dream come true

too bad 80% of the country sees the extremists for what they are and is about to
render the 20% obsolete in the voting booth.

These extremists are fighting as badly as Custer fought (which was the worst incompetency of all time and like Ralph Nader, ruined any good he might have done in prior times when the north kicked the south's ass which is what the repubs are still fighting to avenge)

[TwilightGardener]

29. Because which law was broken? The law of talking point changes? The law of not sending

in F-16's? The law of good people are never to die in terror attacks in foreign countries?

[IADEMO2004]

31. and the vote will be 234-201

Because they can

[Blue Owl]

32. Masturbatory Fantasies

n/t

[Dawson Leery]

33. The GOP will make up their own charges based upon their hatred of Obama.

This is a repeat of the 90's.

[riderinthestorm]

50. +1. Agreed. This baying for blood by the GOP already over stupid shit

doesn't bode well.

They will simply manufacture some stupid shit over Benghazi into some national crisis to start the impeachment proceedings. Ugh. I can't believe I'm watching this re-run...

[BlueStater]

34. As I recall,...

...one of the arguments against impeaching Bush was that it would just make the Repukes vengeful and determined to impeach the next Democrat who took office.

Well, we now see just how full of shit those talking points were. We didn't impeach Chimp-boy and they're still trying to impeach Obama regardless. To all those of you who were against impeaching Bush, I say to you "nice fucking job".

[and-justice-for-all]

36. LOL!!! what a joke.

[Gregorian]

37. Well, they'll end up with president Biden. I wonder if they really want that.

[Brigid]

56. They don't want that.

But they don't think that far ahead; their hatred for Obama won't let them.

[Hekate]

39. Oh Gods. Have I mentioned yet today how very much I hate the GOP?

By the time they are done with us, they will have brought down the US government completely. They've been working hard at it since the Clinton administration -- really unceasingly -- so that's what? 20 years? And the fools here think what's going on in Washington is all Obama's fault?

[rexcat]

43. So everytime there is a Democrat in the WH...

we can expect that person to be impeached? I am so tired of the stuff that comes from "Bullshit Mountain" as John Stewart has so aptly said in the past.

[treestar]

47. For what?

[Wolf Frankula]

48. For What?

For being Black, for being a Democrat, for not being Johnny the Mummy McCain, for not being Willard Rmoney.

Wolf

[cstanleytech]

52. You forgot the part of him being such a deep undercover secret muslim socialist

that the FBI, CIA, NSA, IRS, NASA, FDA, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, NPR, NOAA and the Boy Scouts all failed to uncover.

[NewJeffCT]

58. They impeached Clinton for a misleading answer about a blowjob

They'll need even less to impeach Obama, I'm guessing. All they need is a simple majority, and they have it.

However, I think they need 2/3 in the Senate to convict, and I doubt they'll get that, even if the conservative Democrats defect.

[BlueStreak]

53. Q: What is the easiest way for Dems to win the House in 2014?

A: A most irresponsible, reckless demonstration by the House Republicans against a very popular sitting president. Impeach President Obama? Please proceed, gentle Republicans.

[NewJeffCT]

59. What are Obama's current popularity ratings?

Bill Clinton was probably more popular, but that didn't stop Republicans.

And, with all these scandals to hammer away at Obama, I'm guessing that his popularity will slip at least a few points.

[BlueStreak]

65. RCP says it is 53/43 which is very high for a sitting President in his 5th year

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_favorableunfavorable-643.html

Clinton was about 47% when articles of impeachment were passed, and he went *UP* from there, finishing his Presidency at 57%



This is a no-brainer. The best thing that could happen to our chances in 2014 and 2016 would be for the teabaggers to impeach Obama.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

54. My outrage meter is broken

my exasperated fan is shot, my ability to absorb incredulous claims exhausted. Yet I still think we are going to have to say 'enough is enough' regarding both Benghazi and now the I word.
They will drag this dead horse out every few weeks between now and the election and beat on it until they've convinced the know-nothings, the don't cares, the fence sitters that the R's must be put back in office to restore the nation to its rightful place in the world.
We are going to have to rise like a tidal wave and wash these sewer dwellers back to where they belong. No person with common sense and a sense of what's good for ALL Americans and the country can go along with this shit.
We have to stop it. Now.

edited for spelling and syntax