The House almost has to impeach. I'm seeing too many "man on the street" interviews...

[PeeJ52]

where people just aren't digging into the report and just hearing the headlines of "no collusion and no obstruction". Too many are saying they are tired of it, and I believe them. They have their heads in the sand. They aren't like us. They don't watch cable news. Only about 8 million people get their news from cable. That's not many out of 300+ million people. They get their news in 10 minute blurbs at 6 and 10 o'clock.

They aren't going to pay attention unless there are hearing on all the networks. That's what it took for Watergate. It took over a year after the public hearings started for Watergate until 50% of the public felt that Nixon should be removed from office. Even that took the release of the White House tapes.

Most people aren't going to pay attention unless it's forced on them.

[elleng]

1. The House Committees will be holding hearings SOON,

on many aspects of this stuff, so people on the street can be informed without the 'impeachment' label; that will come later, as it should, AFTER Congress has gleaned evidence of its own.

[Takket]

2. i'm tired of people saying they are tired of things.....

this is one of the ways the rethugs win. they just exhaust people to the point of them going "whatever, break the law, i don't want to hear about it, game of thrones is on"

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Exactly (I agree w/ you). This is the narrative that they are trying to drive us to believe (and...

according to Barr (per media)) they thought the hubbub and noise about the Mueller report would 'settle' down by this following Monday or so, and the next news item of the day would divert our attention.

Except it hasn't worked. There are tons of people very interested in the Mueller report (both the seen and unseen parts (eventually)), and it does interest me for it pretty well outlines where rump illegally asked for the Russian's help in winning the election. And all of the other crap he's done. What a joke.

Every day we hear about another rump remark or excess. I'm tired of him already. Enough! Give him his shiny metal to wear on his chest and ignore him totally and get him out of office in 2020. Then BAM, haul him and his crooked cronies into court and get them for their illegal doings.

[defacto7]

14. This! It's lazy and irresponsible.

[Thekaspervote]

15. Agree! They play the long game. It's something we must must learn to do as well

[airmid]

30. I don't understand the apathy towards the very mechanism that governs their lives and the lives of

all around them. Do I need a break occasionally? Of course. I just cannot comprehend being so self absorbed that nothing outside of my bubble should be my concern.

[SunSeeker]

3. Yes. It's called leadersip. Democrats must lead. nt

[spanone]

4. I'm tired of trump. Impeach him.

[rzemanfl]

7. +1. n/t

[qazplm135]

5. most people won't pay attention then either

you win at the ballot box.

Impeachment has never worked. The threat of impeachment has worked once.

Stop looking at impeachment as if it's going to somehow magically wake people up.

[Traildogbob]

17. Majic!

And our voting rights, Chinese Ivanka voting machines, Russia, suppression, dumping ballots, closing precincts, are all manically going to be fixed. Put all our faith into that as trump robes the elections at all costs, knowing statute of limitations run out in 2022 and he walks away free after re-election, from all the crimes Mueller left in plain sight for US to do something about. Great plan.

[qazplm135]

32. if you don't think elections will work

then why in the world would you think impeachment will??

[Traildogbob]

34. Exposure

Because the hearings are the only way people will hear the truth about how our elections have become so corrupt, to the point of an enemy country controlling them, with the help of one party. That could force people to demand we fix this shit. I have no expectations senate will impeach, but exposing the corrupted election process, and GOP, from public hearings and lawfully requiring Barr et al release all evidence is better than just hoping we all vote, or are allowed to, to out the GOPutins. Maybe Inanka's Chinese voting machines are completely secure. The whole "Witch Hut" is about corrupted elections, so we just allow it all to go without consequences and let our thoughts and prayers give us hope this regime will fix it? What has been done to secure the elections so far, how much time is left to do so. The Statute of limitations expire in 2022 for all Mueller's potential charges to be acted upon. You think trump and GOP will not cheat every way possible, even with Putin and China aid, for another 4 year term to protect him and their asses to let all this potential treasonous evidence expire? Doing nothing did what for Garland, and 2016, with all our top agencies knowing it was going on? This is all about securing our elections and voting rights, or voting is useless, i.e. Georgia, Florida 2018.

[qazplm135]

35. public hearings

will do the exact same thing, without the negative of an acquittal.

When you have "exposure" and the result of that "exposure" is acquittal, then what do you think was the worth of that "exposure" to the people who weren't otherwise paying attention to begin with?

[PeeJ52]

8. I wish people would wake up about this "ballot box". It's still electoral votes that win...

Republicans hold both houses of state legislatures of more than enough states holding the electoral votes to put tRump in for a second term. Republicans are very good at voter suppression. Voter suppression cases are settled in the courts. Republicans have just filled a record number of judicial openings with right wing judges. Do the math.

[manor321]

9. Those interviews are pointless at this point, and harmful for the media to do

[Flaleftist]

11. Something else consider about the interviews..

They may interview 50 people and show us the 3 or 4 interviews they want us to see.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. You don't "need to impeach". You DO need to hold hearings

The hearings would be pretty much identical to what would be done if we were going openly for impeachment.

I think we need to keep the word "impeach" out of our conversation.

[CaptainTruth]

12. Latest Reuters/Ipsos poll ... Congress' top priorities...

IPSOS / REUTERS POLL DATA
Prepared by Ipsos Public Affairs
Ipsos Poll Conducted for Reuters
Mueller Investigation Initial Reaction Poll 4.19.2019

https://tmsnrt.rs/2DjEq3R
[link:https://tmsnrt.rs/2DjEq3R|

What do you think Congress' top 3 priorities should be?

Healthcare reform 53% (#1 priority)

Impeaching Trump 18% (#7 priority)

[PeeJ52]

13. They forgot one more question...

Of those priorities, what will Congress be able to actually accomplish by 2020?

Impeaching tRump 100%

Nothing else will get past the Senate so it might as well not even be taken up in the House. At least Impeachment hearings will get the attention of the voting public. Any hearing on any other priority would never see the light of day.

[Thekaspervote]

16. Thx for clarifying the issues!

[Traildogbob]

18. Wake up

If trump is allowed to free roam, you can damn well bet he will reform health care, his way. He will steal elections again with all the previous help and much more. Expose his ass with impeachment hearings for all to see. For those afraid to rile the base, have you seen his KKKlan rallies, death threats, churches burning, trump fed domestic terrorism? They are riled already. Time to squash that treasonous bullshit. Wonder why we are considered snow flakes. The damn female candidates are the only ones with the balls to not back down from these thugs.

[prodigitalson]

19. yes! nt

[yaesu]

20. there is no argument strong enough against impeachment, its up to our reps to do the right thing nt

[Firestorm49]

21. And how likely will McConnell's Senate be to go along with Impeachment?

It’s becoming a delicate line - when does pursuit of impeachment begin to harm the party before the next fiasco of an election? Personally, because he’s been such an Idiot In Chief, I’d like to see him removed, but the likelihood is next to nothing. Republicans are too corrupt to “see the light” of what the moron has done to America. I still believe that we are witnessing their master plan unfold.

[sop]

22. Why should Democrats always have to clean up Republican messes

I'm tired of all the conservative columnists, preachy media talking heads and members of the so-called moderate Republican Party exhorting only the Democrats in the House of Representatives to immediately begin impeachment proceedings. They keep saying "it's the right thing to do," and "Democrats must fulfill their constitutional obligation."

Why don't these patriotic conservative constitutionalists, so concerned with "doing the right thing," also demand Republicans in the Senate begin impeachment hearings immediately? Why do Democrats always have to clean up the messes Republicans create, then later take the political heat for having done so?

Democrats are always the ones expected to wind down illegal Republican wars, balance huge budget deficits created by Republicans, raise taxes after huge GOP giveaways to the wealthy, restore gutted environmental policies, and on and on. Pelosi's Democrats should only begin impeachment proceedings after McConnell's Republicans call for Trump's ouster.

[JAD]

23. If trump doesn't follow the law....

.....then we have a king. My ancestors didn't fight in Washington's Army in the Revolutionary War to install a king but to remove one.

[Duppers]

24. Exactly! Too many voters are "Jay-walkers"

Reference to Jay Leno's street interviews of know-nothings who actually vote.

[sharedvalues]

25. YES. And better hearings. Stop the 5min rotation!

[Poohbearpicnic]

26. I agree

Problem I see is that the crimes of obstruction are less a worry to the average Joe if there is not an underlying charge of collusion.

My honest assessment is that I am worried this is a trap - given as you say most people are not capable of handling complex legal manuevers and just want someone to tell them how to vote. I’m not sure of the phrase. “Red herring” or decoy but if too much time is spent on the past. - many will check out .

I just don’t see this playing out to remove the man with the tin foil hat

[gopiscrap]

27. welcome to DU

[PatrickforO]

28. Americans are the 'great Stupid,' or so says Stephen King.

Sometimes, in horror, I'm inclined to agree with him.

The Republicans are desperately trying to advance the 'Americans are tired of it' meme, and you know, I'm tired of it too.

But we have a criminal in the WH who needs to be impeached.

[Poohbearpicnic]

31. At the cost of the presidency?

Eom

[PatrickforO]

33. Impeachment hearings will not cost the Democrats the presidency.

Instead, they will serve to educate more Americans about just how corrupt and evil Trump and his administration has been.

No, that Mueller investigation had a crystal clear message - I am not indicting Trump because it is DOJ policy not to indict a sitting president, but “The conclusion that Congress may apply obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law.”

That, and the other content, as well as the numerous investigations Mueller farmed out to other federal districts, obligate House members under 'oath and affirmation' to impeach. This regardless of what the Senate may or may not do, and regardless of whether it is popular or not. It is their duty by virtue of their oath of office.

Here are three quotes from Republican Senators about impeachment:

Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
"... And, again, the undisputed evidence shows that the president took the path of lies and deceit...I am completely and utterly perplexed by those who argue that perjury and obstruction of justice are not high crimes and misdemeanors."

Chuck Grassley, Iowa
"It is clear to me that the president committed serious crimes… These actions weren’t just outrageous and morally wrong. They were also illegal. They were a direct assault on the integrity of the judicial process."

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
"...Nobody because of their position in society has the right to cheat and to get somebody to lie for them, even as the president. That means we’re not a nation of men or kings. We’re a nation of laws, and that’s what this case has always been about to me … He turned the judicial system upside down, every way but loose. He sent his friends to lie for him. He lied for himself."

OOPS! Those quotes were made in 1998 about Bill Clinton. Gosh, are we sensing a double standard here? It is definitely NOT OK for a Democrat to have even the appearance of impropriety, but Trump can ride roughshod over the law and tear apart the moral, social and economic fabric of our society piece by piece without being held accountable?

I think not.

[NurseJackie]

29. Unfortunately, what you're seeing is determined by producers and editors.

I'll bet there are a LOT of interviews where the "man on the street" has no clue what the interviewer/reporter is talking about. (That's the kind of clueless stuff that makes it into Late Night Talk Show comedy bits.)

Most people aren't going to pay attention unless it's forced on them.

I'm totally in favor, and looking forward to, public hearings. That will help.