It Was Only A Matter Of Time
There was no avoiding this.
In fact, impeachment talk moved yesterday from Tea Party rallies to at least one Republican Member of the House, Darrell Issa. And Issa’s not an obscure backbencher; he’s the ranking Republican on Oversight and Government Reform, and he also sits on the Judiciary Committee.
The incentives all run to impeachment, as far as I can tell. The leaders of such an effort would find it easy to cash in (literally, I mean) with books and appearances on the conservative lecture circuit. It’s hard to believe that Rush, Beck and the rest of the gang wouldn’t be tripping over each other to wear the crown of the Host Who Brought Down the socialist gangster president. And we’ve seen the ability, or I should say the lack thereof, of rank-and-file GOP pols to stand up to the talk show yakkers. Besides, it’s not as if a new Republican majority would have a full agenda of legislative items to pass, and what they did have would face an Obama veto (and most likely death in the Senate at any rate). Against all that is the collective preference of the Republican Party not to have a reputation as a pack of loons, but that doesn’t seem to be much of a constraint in practice. Of course, also against impeachment is the lack of a serious offense by the president, but I don’t see that as a major impediment — if offering a job to a potential Senate candidate is an impeachable offense (and see Jonathan Chait if you think it really is), then they’ll have no trouble at all coming up with something.
Do you know when Republicans decided to impeach Obama? November 4, 2008.
(Oh, they would be pulling this crap on Hillary, as well. Actually, I think they would have pulled it sooner. Also, I added a new “impeachment” tag. I have a feeling we’ll be using it… a lot.)
Tags: Impeachment, Obama, Republican Crazy
Thank you Teapublicans, for motivating Democrats to vote.
I used to split my ticket, but the Clinton witch-hunt and impeachment made me resolve never to vote for another Republican. I’m sure there are plenty of young folks out there who will take the same message from another attempt to impeach a Democratic president.
You have to agree with Duncan Black that if Republicans take over the house it is going to be wall to wall impeachmentpalooza.
I agree. Completely.
This is the same script as the last time we elected a Democratic president. They say consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Lots and lots of little minds in the GOP. The party of No. The party of impeachment. The party that doesn’t give a rats behind about democracy. The party of BP and Exxon.
I don’t think many Dems care much more about Democracy either.
If they really go for impeachment, outside of an impeachable offense (of which there is NONE), I will be very quick to condemn it, much like I did back when it was done to Clinton. Of course, blogs weren’t around then, but I condemned it to whomever would listen, then get told I was a traitor, but whatever. My dignity remains in tact.
Let’s remember that Mike Castle voted to impeach President Clinton. I hope this will be brought up in the Senate campaign.
About this statement:
Let’s remember that Mike Castle voted to impeach President Clinton. I hope this will be brought up in the Senate campaign.
Er…uh…I have this argument with a friend of mine all the time. It would take a vote to impeach on all three articles, which he did not affirm all three. It was yet another point Castle took a hit on from the purists at the time, because he didn’t toe that line of partisan foolishness, either. Which, by the way, that impeachment was very instrumental in igniting the most destructive flames of partisan divide we still deal with today. Thanks Newt, you prick.
Smitty, that’s a distinction without a difference.
Mike Castle – only 2/3 as crazy as Newt Gingrich. Vote Castle for Senate!
Well, sometimes I forget where I am, so impeach me for that.
OK, I just had to go refresh my memory on this. There were four articles, (1)Perjury to a grand jury (this one probably had the most contentious and unresolvable debate as both sides of the perjury claim had strong arguments), (2) Obstruction of Justice, (3) Perjury in the Jones Case (this, I believe, is what later led to the contempt allegation against him), and (4) Abuse of Power.
Understand, too, that I was a Clinton supporter and volunteer (DP just had a heart-attack) and thought this was a ‘stupid and wrong’ action to begin with that would lead to nowhere but down. The only thing I thought that had legitimacy to be heard, as it was contentious and at least had tangible points to debate, was that first article. Guilty or not, I had no idea, but it had substance to debate.
That said, since it’s open-political season and anything is fair game, here is how Castle voted: 1 Yea, 3 Nay. Here is the rundown (the links to the votes are http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1998/roll546.xml, but replace the number – 546, in this case – with the vote number I provide):
543 – perjury to a grand jury – Yea
544 – perjury in Jones case – Nay
545 – Obstruction of Justice – Nay
546 – abuse of power – Nay
And, if I remember correctly, didn’t Castle use that old I voted my conscience line to justify his impeachment vote?
There are not enough words to describe how much I hate that line.
The perjury charge should have been thrown out on the principle of prosecutorial misconduct. The questioning that led to the perjury should not have been part of the investigation.
The lead voices in the House impeachment hearings (Livingston and Hyde) both were caught with their own infidelities. Livingston resigned, and was succeeded by David Vitter (which argues for the concept that Louisiana is being punished by God for its stupidity).
Hyde famously excused his affair as “youthful indiscretion” (he was in his forties when it happened). Hyde was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bush.
we’re really having the “Republicans were dicks and hypocrites for trying to impeach clinton” debate?
When they mention impeaching Obama, it kind of works its way into the conversation.
OMG. “truthatlast” brought it up, but the republican in the room was the one who made the comment Which, by the way, that impeachment was very instrumental in igniting the most destructive flames of partisan divide we still deal with today. Thanks Newt, you prick.
Kinda fucks with the stereotype in full bloom today, doesn’t it?
i hear chris christie and erik erikson are, in their own way, fat.