tiedrich in the morning (on merrick garland)

[StarfishSaver]

77. There were plenty of them - actually more than plenty. That argument was all the rage around here

Last edited Sat Sep 18, 2021, 12:44 PM - Edit history (1)

I remember them well because I joined DU in April of 2019 to help provide useful information about the process of impeachment and I spent much of my early time here trying to explain the process, pushing back on demands that Democrats must impeach NOW and fighting off predictions that Pelosi and the Democrats would NEVER impeach because they hadn't yet done it. At the time, many DUers accused Pelosi of being weak, not up to the job, etc. Sound familiar?

And when I and others tried to calm their fears by explaining that Pelosi was working to build the votes, that this takes time, and the fact that she wasn't publicly telegraphing her every intention and move and that impeachment hadn't yet occurred didn't mean it wasn't in the works and wouldn't happen, we were met with the same arguments we're getting now. The only difference is that people have replaced the House Dems with DOJ as the lazy institution and Pelosi with Garland as the Democrat they accuse of being weak, ineffective, cowardly and slow.

Here are just a very few of countless examples (and, interestingly some of these comments are from posters who are now saying the same things about Garland that they said about Pelosi two years ago.

Trump isn't getting impeached

Do you really think Dem leadership will allow impeachment proceedings to begin in the middle of a presidential campaign season? If there was any intent to impeach him, there would be preliminary hearings already. Instead, we have Nadler spending time "deliberating" on whether or not to issue subpoenas. We're locked into a "score political points and run out the clock" strategy.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212087188#post19

she has no intention

Her strategy is plain. She's going to make him look just as bad as she can, and do everything in her power to defeat him in 2020. She will never support moving forward with impeachment.

Democrats have until September to impeach, after that it will be too late.

What's magical about September?

Is there a rule somewhere or did all of the other impeachments in history tell us this should be the deadline?

And, btw. It's May. September is three months away. Who knows what will happen between now and then - or even in the next two weeks? We're not exactly working against a stopwatch here.

because then the hue and cry will be against any actions in an "election year"

It won't happen.

Why don't you tell me why you think she has impeachment

on her mind. Let's see, she said no impeachment yesterday, concentrate on legislation. The Mueller report has been out for a month this Saturday. We are being stonewalled everyday for witnesses and documents. The window is closing before it's too close to the election. Okay you go.You explain how you think impeachment is still on the table unless he murders someone that is.

If you really want impeachment to start now, here's my humble advice for helping to make that happen

1. Stop yelling at Nancy Pelosi, calling House Democrats "weak" or "cowards" and accusing them of "doing nothing"

First, they're not doing "nothing" - they're doing plenty. They're neither being weak nor cowardly. They're trying to get this right - and, if they don't, the people who are fussing at them will be the first to pile on because "they did it wrong."

And beating up on Nancy Pelosi gets you nowhere. She's not the problem. If she had the numbers and support, she'd probably be all over impeachment now. But she knows the landscape she's operating on and knows that she doesn't yet have the votes needed to move this. So, she's probably taking the hits in order to give time and space some members of her caucus need to get where you want them to be. Most members who don't publicly support impeachment aren't there yet because their constituents don't support it. Going after Pelosi won't change that and doesn't help anything.
...
We can all take the constructive steps to move toward impeachment sooner than later. Ranting and venting is fine and we all need to do it at times, but unless you're going the next step and actually helping to work the problem, you're simply exacerbating it.

Please - do something positive if you want to help make this happen

https://democraticunderground.com/100212141571#post1

Some of the responses to my OP:

I want an impeachment inquiry
It would really be the same as now, except there is a greater chance judges would rule in the House's favor.

I just don't think Pelosi wants to do impeachment at all, and is stalling to try to prevent it.


Why isn't Nancy Pelosi doing what she needs to do to get the votes?
The Democrats I know in meat space are overwhelmingly for impeachment. I know no Democrats (plus many independents) that are not for impeachment.

How do you know she's not?
Pelosi is the best at inside persuasion and whipping Congress has had in generations. But the key to her success is that she does it behind the scenes.

Don't assume that just because you don't see her doing it that she's not. People have lost their careers underestimating her skill at this.

Here is the thing,
...I'd like to hear more "this should be done" and less "why this can't be done now" from Pelosi.

From my perspective Pelosi does too much in her public statements to dampen the vote she needs to rid ourselves of Trump.

Yes but...
To my point above, the American people deserve to see real leadership on this, not just back room six dimensional chess. Right now that leadership is being muddled by convoluted and complex messaging.