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TomCADem

(17,378 posts)
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 12:24 AM Nov 2012

The Week - "Are fringe Republicans trying to impeach President Obama?"

So much for Republicans learning from the 2012 election to be more reality based. I guess they are going to move from President Obama being a secret Muslim, to birtherism, to "Fast and Furious being a conspiracy to take away guns," to Bengazi being a covered up terrorist attack even though President Obama called it an act of terror the day after the attack. Thus, we have John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Darrell Issa once again playing to the right's lunatic fringe.

http://theweek.com/article/index/236486/are-fringe-republicans-trying-to-impeach-president-obama

On Wednesday, in his first press conference since winning re-election, President Obama showed renewed swagger, answering questions with an easy confidence that was missing in the tense weeks leading up to Election Day. But perhaps Obama shouldn't let his guard down: Some conservatives are still plotting ways to oust him from power. Nearly 22,000 people have already signed a Nov. 11 petition to the White House demanding that Obama be impeached (never mind that their grievance targets the wrong branch of government). Impeachment has become a veritable battle cry on Twitter, with angry Republicans applying the hashtag #impeach to their complaints about the Obama administration.

Now, a conservative group has started a grassroots movement to make impeachment a reality. "The Conservative Majority Fund, a conservative group known primarily for its birther conspiracy spreading, has launched a robocall campaign to gin up support for the president's impeachment," says Sam Stein at The Huffington Post. The call says Obama is "guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors," citing the widely discredited claim that Obama is not an American citizen, among other accusations.

"Conservative Majority Fund is on the fringe of the conservative fringe," says Stein, "so it's not terribly surprising that they moved this quickly to start the drumbeats for the president's impeachment." Among such groups, the possibility of impeachment comes up often when the discussion turns to Benghazi, with many claiming that the Obama administration lied to the American people to cover up a terrorist attack. Far-right websites say Obama continues to lie out of fear he'll be impeached, while even mainstream conservative columnists are peddling conspiracy theories that suggest Obama used David Petraeus' affair to force Petraeus into participating in the cover-up.

Given these popular talking points, some liberals are bracing for a full-fledged impeachment campaign. After all, the last Democratic president found himself impeached not so long ago. "Whether it's on the basis of the supposed Benghazi cover up, or something else altogether, get ready for the looming extreme right wing war cry of "Impeach Obama," says Alex Marin at PolicyMic, "as the most stubborn factions of an aging Republican Party start to grasp the inevitability of an Obama second term."

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Hekate

(90,189 posts)
2. Sure. What else are they going to do with their time?
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 01:30 AM
Nov 2012

The GOP cultivated the loonies, they nurtured them in the bosom of the party, they egged them on, and gave them money.

If this ultimately brings down the GOP, so be it; but it sure is bad for the country.

Angry Dragon

(36,693 posts)
4. I really do not care if the republican party goes up in flames and finds themselves in the
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 04:13 AM
Nov 2012

Bowels of Hell

Diclotican

(5,095 posts)
5. TomCADem
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 06:03 AM
Nov 2012

TomCADem

Instead of trying to LEARN from the devastating election result, they is making their case more and more irrelevant - and now they want to make the attack on a US consulate into something to destroy the presidency for Obama.. How childish is not that?

If heads should roll over Benghazi - then the Republicans should look in their own mirror, and maybe look at the former Republican Administration, who was not even able to secure american lives at home at 9 11 2001... I was not hearing any republican trying to crucify Bush over that...

They are nuts - and most americans KNOW it by now.. What a scam the republican Party have become, after the tea-bandits got their way in the party.. I hope the president doesn't spend to much time on this, after all he have a NATION to run, not to continue playing fools game with a party who just doesn't can swallow the fact, that for the next 4 year, they will have a black man in the white house - as so many of them was angry in his first term in office..

They just hate the man - and have not show him any of the respect they demand when they are in the white house.. Someone should lecture them about the importance of treating their president with respect and dignity - regardless of a D or a R behind the name... This is just disgusting, and a farce...

I just hope McCain en all, rot in the deepest corners of hell when this is over.. The current President doesn't deserve to be treated like this... He is a good man, in a horrible job, who have to try to make good on so many problems..

Diclotican

NewJeffCT

(56,827 posts)
6. The "fringe" is the mainstream of the GOP nowadays
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 07:40 AM
Nov 2012

you know they're dying to impeach over wrongdoing with even the slightest hint of ties to Obama.

Nonhlanhla

(2,074 posts)
9. You beat me to it
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:34 AM
Nov 2012

I was going to say the same thing. "Lunatic fringe" seems to be the best way to describe the entire GOP these days. They've alienated their few remaining moderates, and all they have left are the crazies. Just think of who ran for the presidency this year. Except for Huntsman, and...gasp...Romney (although he was awful, as we know, and still had crazy ideas - as far as we could tell), all the others were fringe types.

NewJeffCT

(56,827 posts)
10. I think Romney is really a moderate
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:50 AM
Nov 2012

however, he's so cynical and without any firm core beliefs that he spouted far right platitudes for years in hopes of winning the GOP nomination, which he finally did. And, he threw them under the bus at the first debate, though he had Paul Ryan on the ticket as a wink wink to the right.

Nonhlanhla

(2,074 posts)
13. Agreed except when it comes to economics
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 06:41 PM
Nov 2012

I think Romney is more moderate when it suits him. But when it comes to economics, I think he really does have extreme ideas - he thinks like a total 1%er, as we saw in that video.

Actually, on some other issues I also don't trust that he is a moderate. That story about the woman in Boston who had to have an abortion for medical reasons (her life was at stake) and he visited her and chastised her for it, gives me the creeps. That poor woman was in a heartbreaking situation, and this man showed zero empathy for her situation. That is not the mark of a moderate. He might not be entirely lunatic fringe like Santorum or Bachman, but he shows some serious psychopathic tendencies.

TomCADem

(17,378 posts)
14. I don't. A moderate does not use 800 vetoes in one term
Tue Nov 20, 2012, 01:17 AM
Nov 2012

I think one of the biggest myths that was pushed by the corporate media is the idea that Romney was a moderate. A moderate Governor would certainly not have to use his veto 800 times in a single term.

http://www.npr.org/2012/06/13/154583216/romney-as-governor-confrontation-one-big-deal

JHB

(37,128 posts)
7. Of course they are. It's what they did with Clinton.
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 08:00 AM
Nov 2012

Scrounge around for any bullshit charge they can puff up, aided by an MSM that "reports the controversy" without a reality check.

union_maid

(3,502 posts)
8. Seems like a good plan
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:34 AM
Nov 2012

Put pressure on their congresscritters to take a position on a totally bogus impeachment effort. Oh, I really can't see a downside to this from where we sit.

Corgigal

(9,291 posts)
11. One trick pony
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 11:49 AM
Nov 2012

gotta trick. The American taxpayer doesn't want to deal with this stupidity and won't tolerate it. However the pony goes on and tries. It's all they know.

Texin

(2,585 posts)
12. I expect this is going to be the GOP agenda du jour for the next four years
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 12:50 PM
Nov 2012

with Darrell Issa leading the troops like he has been the previous four. Did he stand for election this year or is he up anytime soon? This guy has jumped on every possible snafu or miscue he perceives has happened to beat the drums for Congressional investigations and threats of impeachment. Why would this assclown stop now? If the people in California he calls his constiuents have stood for this kind of behavior, - and he's been at a lot longer than during Obama's term - I can't see them booting him out now. But the tenor has changed around the country and legislators who are burning up tax dollar on black hole so-called investigations instead of, ya know, legislating postive change are beginning to work their last collective nerve.

qwlauren35

(6,110 posts)
15. I've been prepared for it since November 7th.
Wed Nov 21, 2012, 01:53 PM
Nov 2012

It was inevitable. I was more surprised by the secession petitions.

We are a very divided nation, and the half that doesn't want President Obama in office is very vocal. Luckily, it takes a majority in Congress and the Senate to impeach a president.

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