no such thing as double jeopardy when it comes to impeachment

[unblock]

much of the talk about the impeachment process rightly focuses on strategy.

one element to consider is that there's no restriction on the number of times a senior official can be impeached.

now, it's probably not wise to impeach a president on the same set of charges and repeatedly failing. probably only makes it easier for republicans to paint it as partisan.

however, there are other ways to take advantage of this.

for instance, the house could launch ongoing impeachment investigations on russia collusion and electoral crimes, obstruction of justice, emoluments/embezzlement during office, and pre-candidacy crimes (tax fraud, money laundering, mob ties, etc.)

the house could then impeach him on *one* set of charges, as determined by, say, the russia part of the investigation, while announcing that they will continue to investigate him on the other areas and that if the senate doesn't remove him, he may be impeached on further charges.

this would put an end to the republican dream of being able to have a mockery of a trial in the senate and a quick vote not to remove and a partisan declaration that he's be "exonerated" and that it's all behind us and we should move on.



on the contrary, it would declare, ahead of time, that the scandal pain keeps coming if they vote to keep him in office.

[Chin music]

1. Why does ANY D care if it looks partisan? the gop run their whole program partisan,

but never pay a price for it. The dems always have to meet them in the middle, or give more, while they run rough shod over every rule in the book. This impeachment crap has been talked to death. By the time it happens, everyone will be so tired of it. Either do it, or admit they aren't ever going to do it. This daily back and forth on the media and elsewhere is merely talking it to death. (Not you unblock) GET CRACKING CONGRESS, earn the quarter mill a year we pay you guys.

[Claritie Pixie]

3. Have you made your wishes know to your congress person?

It's really up to us to make Congress do their job.

I totally disagree impeachment has been talked to death and don't understand why you would say that.

The more we talk about it the better.

[Chin music]

4. Mine are all red.

And they never answer the phone. If you think that really matters anyway, I have some swamp land in S Fla for sale.

[Claritie Pixie]

5. Well that tells me all I need to know about you.

[Chin music]

6. Thanks.

Now you know what life in a red state looks and feels like. Welcome to our world.
Welcome to DU.

[kentuck]

2. Good strategic thinking!

[StarfishSaver]

7. The country won't tolerate repeated impeachments

If he's acquitted, it's done.

If he does new things thereafter that warrant impeachment, that's a different situation. But we'll only have one bite of the apple to impeach and remove him for things that he's already done. That's why it needs to be done carefully and correctly.

[unblock]

8. i disagree. no one's tried it and we've never had a lawless a president as this one.

i agree that it wouldn't work to impeach him, have the senate acquit, and for the house then to say ok, let's try this whole thing again.

that's why i was careful to specify the sequence, and to say that the first impeachment would be accompanied by an announcement that this is an ongoing investigation.

put it another way (think theory rather than practice): once the house has found enough to impeach, why should they put those charges on hold and leave an unfit president in office while they investigate a long list of other potential charges?

[uponit7771]

9. Yes it will, it tolerated repeated Clinton investigations

[fescuerescue]

10. I don't see that happening

Congress is already unable to convince itself to impeach once.

I just don't see it having the stomach to spend 2 or 6 years voting for impeachment over and over.At some point, voters are going to want Congress to start passing laws and doing all the other things they are supposed to do.


Hell this country got bored with -moon landings-. I suspect that they will get bored with impeachments a little quicker.

But I could be wrong.

[unblock]

11. i'm not suggesting re-impeaching him for the exact same charges.

i guess referencing double jeopardy i created a point of confusion.

i'm suggesting multiple impeachments, each for different charges. not what republicans did by voting to repeal obamacare like 60+ times.


i think part of the current paralysis over impeachment is due to thinking we only have one shot at it. but my point is that if we set it up right, we can impeach multiple times given that he has committed multiple sets of crimes.

[kentuck]

12. He could be impeached about a dozen times...

...and each one with a deserving charge?

But water runs downstream and they are probably waiting for the next election to be over?

The people will decide in the next election what type of country they want?

Why would they want to destroy democracy?