Althouse: Do we have to talk about talking about impeachment?

July 28, 2014

Do we have to talk about talking about impeachment?

Who started it?

Who benefits?

53 comments:

John said...: This is a Democrat meme to fund raise, and that's all there is to it.; 7/28/14, 7:30 AM
Phil 314 said...: Been there, done that.; 7/28/14, 7:42 AM
Michael P said...: It's one thing to play the victim card. It's entirely another to do that when you're the POTUS and even the Speaker of the House says impeachment is a lousy idea. This seems like a ploy that is doomed to backfire.

How will the President react when both houses of Congress are held by Republicans for the next two years? Does he plan on doubling down on executive action, firing up his ever-shrinking base but driving away moderates who dislike the idea of an imperial president?; 7/28/14, 8:18 AM
Thorley Winston said...: I suspect it's the same trying to start talk about impeachment that originally brought up talk about Obama's birth certificate - Hillary Clinton supporters. What better way to help the most likely 2016 Democratic presidential candidate than to rally the base around a lame president?

So let me repeat what I've said a dozen times already: there aren't enough votes in the Senate to remove Obama now and there won't be after the 2016 election. If he's impeached but not removed like Clinton was, it will only embolden him for the remainder of his last term while rally his supporters to the next Democratic candidate. Better to focus on expanding the Republican majority in the House and retaking the Senate and focus on electing a Republican president in 2016 to undo the damage Obama's caused.; 7/28/14, 8:22 AM
furious_a said...: The White House and the White House.

Obama is such a miserable failure at everything related to his job that he's desperate to change the subject.

Except when he has to ditch work to make a tee time.; 7/28/14, 8:23 AM
Brando said...: "This is a Democrat meme to fund raise, and that's all there is to it."

Except a number of Republicans are also pushing this idea.

This does only benefit Democrats--it makes the Republicans look trigger happy, and sends the message that you can't have a Democratic president and a GOP House without an impeachment happening.

Which shouldn't matter of course if there was solid grounds for impeachment. But we're not there yet--this president has been abusive with his power, but not in a way that goes so far beyond the presidential norm that it justified impeachment.; 7/28/14, 8:28 AM
Diogenes of Sinope said...: Obama team propaganda to rally their base.

Next up will be trumped up "Republican" racist attacks on Obama,again. Joseph Goebbels could learn from Obama.; 7/28/14, 8:29 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: There has to be some way to reign in a president short of impeachment. That is why I support the lawsuit.; 7/28/14, 8:42 AM
Mr. D said...: There are always people calling for the impeachment of a president, any president. I remember that, at a minimum, John Conyers, Keith Ellison and Dennis Kuchinich all took a run at impeaching Bush 43. There was a congressman from Texas named Henry Gonzalez who spent large chunks of his career calling for the impeachment of Reagan and Bush 41 as well. The only reason Gonzalez didn't call for the impeachment of Bush 43 is that he died before Bush 43 took office.

Unless the leadership takes it seriously, it's not going anywhere. It's increasingly evident that Obama doesn't much care, anyway.; 7/28/14, 8:47 AM
Paul said...: 1/3 want to impeach.

Obama's popularity is at 39 percent.

He keeps issuing unconstitutional executive orders.

But give him time. Mid-terms are just 3 months away and he has plenty of time to alienate another 10 to 20 percent of the American VOTING population. Yes he night hit 30 percent popualith and 50 percent really do want to impeach.

And if Congress becomes totally Republican, I mean 2/3s Republican, it might just happen.

He just might get impeached. Even some Democrats want to throw him overboard.

Hope for change in 2014!; 7/28/14, 9:12 AM
Kelly said...: It drives me crazy. I hope Ted Cruz doesn't take it up. Before Clinton's impeachment his poll numbers were in the tank. Afterwards his polling was around 68% and I believe dems won the midterms. All unheard of for a second term President. That's why Obama is so eager for any serious talk of impeachment.; 7/28/14, 9:18 AM
Birkel said...: Brando's concern trolling is silly.
Sarah Palin ($9.99 a month) has mentioned impeachment.
Anybody else who says the word does so in response to a question from an MSM fluffer.; 7/28/14, 9:21 AM
MadisonMan said...: Fifty-seven percent of Republicans say they support impeachment and thirty-five percent of independents, with a very-confused thirteen percent of Democrats bringing up the caboose.

I think a good question for those who support impeachment is to ask them what the Constitution specifies to be an impeachable offense. I suspect for most of them the answer given would be the moral equivalent of crickets chirping.

(Do we have to talk about talking about talking about impeachment?); 7/28/14, 9:29 AM
Hagar said...: They cannot get an impeachment together in just two years even if they did have the Senate votes, so this is about campaigning for 2016 or something, not actual impeachment.; 7/28/14, 9:30 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: What is absurd is the sudden Democrat fixation on impeachment. As much as I love both Sarah Palin and Mark Levin, they are very, very far from the halls of power at the moment. Not a single Republican who has any actual power to begin or even influence the process has said a word in favor of impeachment, and none will. The reason for this is simple. As richly as Clinton deserved impeachment, it was the Republicans who took it on the chin. Why was that? It wasn't because the public loved Clinton or hated Republicans. Rather, the American public has a very strong prejudice against impeachment itself. Add to this the fact that we currently suffer under the administration of the first affirmative action president, and the notion of impeachment, at least from Republicans' point of view, becomes politically ridiculous.

So where is the impeachment talk coming from? 1) The White House and 2) Partisan hacks like John Avlon. Democrats want impeachment so bad they can taste it. They desperately need a distraction from the endless train of failure that is the Obama administration, and they need it in time to avert the electoral calamities they see heading their way in 2014 and 2016.

I hate (not really) to disappoint them. Impeachment will never get off the ground. Impeachment will never roll out of the hangar. After all, nobody-- and I mean nobody-- wants a President Biden.; 7/28/14, 9:33 AM
Brando said...: "Brando's concern trolling is silly."

Not sure how what I wrote indicates "concern trolling." Unless perhaps you think I'm a closet Obamaphile who actually is afraid he will become impeached, which would disgrace him, perhaps leading to his early removal and a head start for Joe Biden?

I'm more "concerned" for why any Republican would think impeachment would be a good idea.

I'd agree that the "pro-impeachment" camp among Republicans is currently a fringe group--with Sarah of the North the most well-known among them--but they do exist.; 7/28/14, 10:01 AM
Fen said...: Brando's concern trolling is silly.
Sarah Palin ($9.99 a month) has mentioned impeachment.
Anybody else who says the word does so in response to a question from an MSM fluffer.

^^^ This. Palin is the only republican of note that has called for impeachment.

And its a stupid idea even if it is deserved. America is not going to impeach its first black president, and Obama knows that.

Hell, we'll be lucky if historians don't turn his 8 years of incompetence into myth like they did with Kennedy.

And I feel bad for whoever follows Obama - they're going to catch the blame for all his mistakes.; 7/28/14, 10:05 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Please, please, pretty please, do it, do it, do it:

I wanna see niggas try and burn this WHOLE place down,….; 7/28/14, 10:24 AM
paminwi said...: Brando says: except a number of Republcans are pushing this idea.

Please be specific as to who these Republcans are. Just saying some Republcans of the 300+ million citizens who live in our country say they want this is VERY different than House members who are saying this. Please name THOSE people because they are the first step in the process.

This is just Obama BS, but the idiots who vote Democrat are stupid enough to believe it and that is why we are in the mess we are in now. LIBERAL IDIOTS!; 7/28/14, 10:32 AM
kcom said...: Remember when Bush was president and the Iraq war was at its height. On of the memes of the day (by Charlie Rangel, for instance) was that the draft was going to be reinstated. He was using that to scare people and stir up anti-Bush sentiment. Of course, not a single official in the Bush administration ever advocated that or supported it. In fact, they were opposed to it. It was completely a Democrat invention meant to fool gullible voters.; 7/28/14, 10:37 AM
cubanbob said...: Don't talk. Shoot. If and when the Republican's get bullet prove majorities in both houses then and only then impeach and remove Obama and Biden.

Otherwise let the Democrats bring up the 'scare' tactics and reply with if the are afraid of impeachment its because of their guilty knowledge.

Crack that was one truly dumb comment you made. If you had your way there would be a lot of dead people-mostly niggas getting shot while rioting. Maybe you want that. I think most sane people don't.; 7/28/14, 10:55 AM
Scott M said...: I wanna see niggas try and burn this WHOLE place down,….

Sorry, but they're simply not enough of them. Being third place demographically sucks. You should have gotten what you needed when you were sitting pretty in second place. Guess what? The new number two's don't have half their population with any inherent guilt for your plight.

Good luck with that.; 7/28/14, 11:04 AM
Michael said...: Crack:
"Please, please, pretty please, do it, do it, do it:

I wanna see niggas try and burn this WHOLE place down,…."

Try would be the operative word. Also, might need more words in all caps plus a link to a hanged black man to better make your points.

We get it, Crack, we get it entirely. Fire up another joint, dude, and just…hope.; 7/28/14, 11:31 AM
Brando said...: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/poll-impeach-obama-support-33-percent-109369.html

It is true that no GOP member of the House has gone on record supporting impeachment--probably because they know this would be a disaster unless circumstances change, like a smoking gun appears in one of the current scandals.; 7/28/14, 11:41 AM
n.n said...: It didn't work to address the problem of Clinton. Why would it work with the problem of Obama? Ironically, only Nixon had the integrity to resign his position.; 7/28/14, 11:49 AM
PB said...: Just another shiny object to misdirect the rubes.; 7/28/14, 11:54 AM
campy said...: "On of the memes of the day (by Charlie Rangel, for instance) was that the draft was going to be reinstated."

And since no repub was interested in a draft, Rangel went on to introduce legislation himself.

I suppose some dem will soon emulate him on impeachment.; 7/28/14, 12:00 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Scott M,

"Sorry, but they're simply not enough of them. Being third place demographically sucks."

Ah - you forget the maxim "stick and move, stick and move"….; 7/28/14, 12:04 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Michael,

"Try would be the operative word. Also, might need more words in all caps plus a link to a hanged black man to better make your points."

NOW THAT'S A FIRE!!!!!; 7/28/14, 12:06 PM
Scott M said...: probably because they know this would be a disaster unless circumstances change, like a smoking gun appears in one of the current scandals.

It would have to be a smoking howitzer. And even then...; 7/28/14, 12:18 PM
Scott M said...: Ah - you forget the maxim "stick and move, stick and move"….

No, not really. The fact that, I'm told, blacks aren't self-sufficient enough to have photo ID in this day and age tells me all I need to know about a possible insurrection.; 7/28/14, 12:19 PM
Gahrie said...: The White House is praying that the Republicans will try to impeach Obama.; 7/28/14, 12:40 PM
Birkel said...: Brando:
Awesome concern trolling, dude. The Republicans are totes going to follow the 33% off the cliff. Stop it. You're being silly.

Obama won't be impeached without a literal high crime: murder, arson, kidnapping. And it would have to be on six different security cameras. Still 40% of the population would side with Obama. And 5% might plan to riot.

Obama promised Putin more flexibility and Putin invaded a sovereign country. And nobody says boo. He's president until January 20, 2017. Come hell or high water, that's the way it is.

Dead Mexicans?
Dead Border Patrol agents?
Dead ambassadors?
Dead CIA officers?
Dead soldiers?
Dead US citizens from drones?
Not a peep.; 7/28/14, 12:41 PM
Anonymous said...: "I think a good question for those who support impeachment is to ask them what the Constitution specifies to be an impeachable offense. I suspect for most of them the answer given would be the moral equivalent of crickets chirping."

While this may have been a good question some time ago, it no longer applies, thanks to lawfare.

It doesn't matter what the constitution says is required for impeachment. Just as homosexuals were granted the right to marry in the constitution and all women were granted the right to an abortion, so too can elected politicians read into the constitution whatever they want.

In the end, majority vote rules. If a majority in the House vote for impeachment, he's impeached.

Just as, if a majority in the supreme court vote to redefine marriage because we just never saw it in our constitution all these years, it's there.; 7/28/14, 1:27 PM
Paco Wové said...: "Except a number of Republicans are also pushing this idea."

Who? Name names.; 7/28/14, 1:47 PM
Michael said...: Crack:

Your post again answers the question. Clearly the race that committed the vile and unconscionable act in the linked picture is not going to yield one penny toward reparations. Your belief that any white person walking around today could be substituted for one of the white goons in the picture is wrong and undermines your ability to think clearly.; 7/28/14, 2:12 PM
James said...: At this point, I think the president *wants* to be impeached. He thinks that is the best thing he can do to rescue his legacy (just as it did with Bill Clinton). He seems to be trying to be a bigger and bigger criminal SOB, upping the ante with each waiver and presidential directive.

I doubt the Republicans will take his bait.; 7/28/14, 2:19 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: No impeachment. Don't create a martyr. We voted for him, and we get to live with the consequences. Don't let the President off the hook by removing him from office in his last year (that's how long it would take).

This President is a learning experience for everyone.; 7/28/14, 2:35 PM
Cedarford said...: The talk may be constructive. IT is NOT to actually get the guy impeached, the practicality and votes for that aren't there.

It is appropriate to talk about in the context of the effort that is sure to come by progressive Jews, liberals, black activists to get the guy on the Supreme Court as the 2nd greatest American Ever next to Saint Martin, and the 3rd Greatest Man in History if you place Black Messiah Nelson Mandela (worshipped by all as obligatory).

There should be a discussion to "poison the well" in the general public. Yes, he has flouted the Constitution and rule of law worse than Nixon ever did....but force Dems to back his imperial Presidency and join the debate with the argument that there are too many Democrats in Congress to ever allow The Smartest Man in Any Room to be shitcanned. So all the impeachment talk, whatever its merits, is a waste of time.

Force the public to contemplate how the prices of food or gas have doubled,,,but as bad as that is..you can't impeach.
Have the public debate that Obama may be affirmative action incompetency at it's worse - but that is not an impeachable offense.

Discuss if his deliberate loss of control of America's Borders is impeachable or not in the context of his rejection of his duties as Commander in Chief to keep the US sovereign against invasion.
Let the progressive Jews still running much of the media and entrtainment and financial industries make their case along with leftists and racist blacks like Sharpton and Holder.

Let Democrats argue with the Reagan Democrats that returned to the Democrat fold after it was widely thought Republicans betrayed them as workers to make the rich richer through globalization and free trade , Obama and Pelosi and the Greens vision as better...And argue with those middle class Dems that have lost 36% of their net worth that the real problems are the need for things to cost more to help Get Green....and the people that need the help are law school grades, illegal immigrants, and black thugs. Not them. But they "Can't Impeach Him - it would be Treason for a Democrat!"

Say that impeachment can't happen just because a President makes up laws (EPA appointees of his making rules they created into laws enforcable by government people with guns that will nab you or even shoot you if you resist the fines and jail threat..)
That like Nixon, what Obama does is never illegal if he does it as President.
That he does't have to discharge his duties to the Constitution by enforcing it and the laws of the land. Not if he doesn't feel like it...and he just can't be impeached because he is Black and the votes aren't there...

Have it out now, so when the SOB or his real bitch wife are trotted out as possible SCOTUS nominees or UN head or World Bank President.....not a chance in hell exists the Obamas will have major power and wealth after his Presidency ends.

That includes the progressive Jews wanting to give him his 1 hour primetime show and a million a speech fees with a media production company..have the impeachment debate so there is not a chance of that.; 7/28/14, 2:36 PM
Brando said...: "Awesome concern trolling, dude. The Republicans are totes going to follow the 33% off the cliff. Stop it. You're being silly."

I was more focusing on the over 50% of GOP-identified respondents who favor impeachment. As for whether the GOP House is smart enough not to impeach, I would have assumed a year ago they were too smart to do another government shutdown. Remember, a lot of these folks are more worried about primary challenges for not being "tough enough" on Obama than they are about alienating moderates.

I'll admit the GOP congressmen haven't gone on record supporting impeachment--which is smart of them; at this point impeachment would be a gift for Obama. Hopefully the Palins and Levins don't sway them.

Call it "concern trolling" if you like, but that would imply that I secretly support Obama and think impeachment would actually be a bad thing for him. I'm curious as to why that would be. It certainly wasn't a bad thing for Clinton. Maybe you think this time would be different, and the country would rally around the GOP?; 7/28/14, 2:55 PM
Big Mike said...: Who started it? Dingbats.

Who benefits? Dumbocrats

Really, every day that Obama is in office reinforces the idea in voters' heads that it is necessary in November to send a message to Washington by voting for Republican candidates. Why would Republicans do anything to jeaopardize that?; 7/28/14, 4:16 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Scott M,

"The fact that, I'm told, blacks aren't self-sufficient enough to have photo ID in this day and age tells me all I need to know about a possible insurrection."

And it tells me how little blacks and other minorities care about being "documented" by whites in the first place:

An insurrection, growing from the generalized "Who the Hell did they ever think they were?" feeling out there, isn't so far-fetched...; 7/28/14, 4:22 PM
Revenant said...: I think a good question for those who support impeachment is to ask them what the Constitution specifies to be an impeachable offense. I suspect for most of them the answer given would be the moral equivalent of crickets chirping.

I suspect most would say "for breaking the law", which is the correct answer (though not the correct wording).; 7/28/14, 5:03 PM
Revenant said...: I was more focusing on the over 50% of GOP-identified respondents who favor impeachment.

The question asked if they support impeaching and removing Obama. It did not ask "do you want your Representative to vote to impeach Obama". Those are two very different questions.

"Impeach and remove Obama" is a hypothetical. "Impeach Obama and have the Senate find him innocent of all charges" is what is actually possible. The poll didn't ask who supports that. :); 7/28/14, 5:24 PM
Anonymous said...: You know what the really funny thing is about Crack? I mean, I know it's funny watching him beg for money like a bum asking for change. But what's REALLY funny is what's going to happen if we ever have real racial riots in this country.

Because if we do, the people who are going to have real power are the Latinos. We probably won't ever come to that, but if we do, I hope I'm somewhere where I can watch what happens to black power folks like Crack.; 7/28/14, 6:03 PM
Michael said...: crack:"
An insurrection, growing from the generalized "Who the Hell did they ever think they were?" feeling out there, isn't so far-fetched…"

I wonder who will lead the insurrection over here in Atlanta? The black doctors or the black lawyers? The black mayor or the black police chief? The mostly black City Council members or the black entrepreneurs or the musicians or the movie producers or the pro football and basketball players? Will they drive their Bentleys or their Maseratis or their Cadillacs to the revolution? Will they lock the gates to their gated communities before they sallie forth behind your call to arms? Will they put aside their charities and their churches and their businesses for the revolution?

Dude, there is no reason for them to revolt. They run the fucking place. They are not, by the way, stoned out of their minds from dawn to the gloaming.; 7/28/14, 6:46 PM
Mart said...: As Pelosi was taking the mid-term reigns she sad early and often - impeachment of Bush was off the table. Name one GOP leader that has stated Obama's impeachment is off the table? Theere ain't none as they know impeaching Obama plays to their base.; 7/28/14, 8:49 PM
Saint Croix said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/29/14, 3:05 AM
Saint Croix said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/29/14, 3:17 AM
Saint Croix said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/29/14, 3:18 AM
John henry said...: The Crack Emcee said...

I wanna see niggas try and burn this WHOLE place down,….

Yeah, I am sure you do. This has to be the most boneheaded thing you have said yet.

Burnig the place down has worked out so well for you "niggas", hasn't it?

The problem is y'all always burn the wrong places down. There is a saying "don't shit where you eat." "Niggas" seem to be in the habit of burning down the places where they live.

Many of them have still not recovered from "The fire next time" in the 60's.

Watts, Compton, Harlem, Newark, Detroit, DC and the list goes on.

Blacks burned down the grocery stores in Watts and Compton back in the 90's when rioting over King. Now, 20 years later, they are complaining that nobody has rebuilt the grocery stores and they live in a "food desert" or that there is no place to work because people won't open businesses in these neighborhoods. Or that they can't get mortgages and so on.

Why are you so anti-black, Crack? Self-destructive is one thing. Sad to see you doing it but why do you want to destroy your whole race?

Seek help, Crack.

John Henry; 7/29/14, 10:43 AM
John henry said...: Also, Crack, if your "niggas" do decide to burn stuff down outside of your neighborhood you might recall that there are not that many of you. There are many more non-"niggas" black and white. Lots of them are not going to be happy with the idea of getting burned out and may resist.

For all the guns in the hood, my impression is that the folks who seem to have them are not very competent with them. They do not spend a lot of time at the range running hundreds of rounds a week at targets. They do not seem to know how to clean or maintain guns.

It would not be much of a fight if it ever occurred.

John Henry; 7/29/14, 10:47 AM
Revenant said...: As Pelosi was taking the mid-term reigns she sad early and often - impeachment of Bush was off the table. Name one GOP leader that has stated Obama's impeachment is off the table?

Pelosi had to say that because her party had been calling for Bush's impeachment for six years, and after taking Congress were finally in a position to impeach him. Obviously Pelosi had to address the issue.

Republicans have been in a position to impeach Obama for over three years and haven't done it. None of their leaders have suggested doing it. Do the math.; 7/29/14, 4:23 PM