I’ve slowly come around to that opinion too. Launch impeachment hearings, and use that to endlessly flog the Trump administration in the pubic eye for the next 1.5 years. Don’t even worry about the Senate, just make the business of the House an endless exhibit on the fractal crimes of the Trump administration.
Also, I feel like Mueller has been educated stupid. His testimony is what, 3 days after Trump publicly said that he wants to execute the former director of the FBI for treason? How exactly does Mueller see things going for himself, personally, if Trump gets another term? Maybe Mueller should drop the overly fine legal language and start supporting the side that doesn’t want to murder him.
CraigM
3111
Hold the fuck on, what?! Did I miss this particular bit of crazy?
rowe33
3112
Well I’m sure Trump will realize what he’s doing to the country and halt his progress on this dark path at any moment. Way to take a stand, Joe.
vyshka
3113
Trump accused Comey and some others of treason, a crime punishable by death though it is a crime with a very specific definition that Trump himself doesn’t understand. I don’t think he called out Mueller in that rant, but I could be wrong.
As the eminent political scientist and public policy theorist Delmar O’Donnell once said:
“I’m with you fellas.”
There are two courts that can convict Trump through impeachment proceedings. One is the Senate, and we know that ain’t happening.
The other is the electorate in 2020. Might be easier to let this drip-drip-drip and make the case to them.
It’s always worth considering the source. Joe’s statement is Joe coming down hard – like watching a glacier move at 30 mph. It also clears the path for any reluctant candidates to come aboard, though I think by now most have.
Mueller shitting on his boss now too.
It’s time for the Democratic leadership to find their courage and act. If they were waiting for anything, this is it. At this point they are enabling
I think what the “elder” generation of statespeople running the Democratic party understand is that impeachment is a revocation of a government not just the removal of a corrupt politician, and the political aspects of impeachment have to be considered. Since Trump’s base seems convinced that he’s their man, and since the Republican party has signaled that they literally don’t care and will defend Trump to the political “death”, you’re basically declaring war on them as well and need to understand what exactly you’re doing, especially when impeachment is literally going to be impossible and only for show when the Republican party can convince themselves that any evidence brought to light against Trump is just “fake news” and is false.
It might just be this complicated and dangerous balancing act is beyond the ken of a lot of older, calmer types that are running things, and that the fiery anger of youthful electors that want justice seems to them not to consider all the implications of getting what they want. OTOH, these more considered politicians don’t know what to do when a dramatic break with convention is really necessary.
Oghier
3119
It’s not about ‘courage.’ Nobody is landing on Omaha Beach here.
This is political calculation of the best way to rid ourselves of Trump and Trumpism. Is that impeachment or drip-drip hearings to impact 2020? Which will produce a better result?
Terms like ‘courage’ imply this is primarily a test of one’s virtue. This isn’t heroic fantasy.
Hey, c’mon, JFK didn’t call his book “Profiles in Political Calculation.” If he had, he’d have built a time machine so he could put Paul Ryan in there!
You’re describing dynamics (a permanent Trump base, a craven GOP Senate) that are not going to change. If one can’t impeach in those circumstances for these crimes, are there any crimes that warrant impeachment?
Edit:
I think the question of Trump’s re-election ought to be a separate question here. I think that because I’m thinking about the larger picture. If Trump can do these things while the House declines to act, then future presidents will surely do these things and that will happen whether Trump wins or loses in 2020.
This is the lesson of Iran / Contra and the Iraq War and torture. If you don’t impose consequences, you’ve opened the door to future abuses.
No, and it sucks, but i think i edited while you were responding with a last comment:
The GOP has increasingly become the party of the political shit-eating grin, of knowingly and deliberately embracing hypocrisy and double speak and grinning happily as they win break after break for doing so. Conventional solutions have no real answer to this broad and widespread bad faith of political actors on both a national and local scale.
I do think - as much as it galls libertarian types - that we need to reinstate an even harsher version of the Fairness Doctrine and put boot to face on Fox News and the varieties of talk radio. If this kills off MSNBC and Rachael Maddow types as well as part of the bargain, so be it. If there is anything that can be done to really shake up the political discourse and stop the decline, that’s the one relatively easy “not blow up the USA as it exists” solution.
rowe33
3123
Besides emails and Benghazi? I’m guessing anything a Democratic President does is likely an impeachable offense if the GOP regains the House.
I don’t disagree, but this is not happening legislatively, so it amounts to doing nothing. Dems have control of the House and subpoena power. They have to use it. And they need to hire staff prosecutors to ask the questions.
Huh, how about that. Barr is a cheap fixer. Who woulda thought?
It’s a lot like when i listen to podcasts hosted and attended by whip-smart Ivy League / tech industry “ancillaries”, people in think tanks and blogospheres and academia, all talking about Effective Altruism - yet in the end, all this science and rational perspective depends upon convincing some tech billionaire yahoo to spend his money wisely and not, say, use it to launch a car into space.
If Impeachment can’t happen then it’s going to be political theatre. That’s… fine. Just be sure to know what you’re doing isn’t going to actually (in all likelihood) do what you set out to do and that it risks another 4 years of Trump and all that would entail.
