Pittsburgh paper backs Republican in House race, warning of impeachment 'distraction' if Democrats w

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Pittsburgh paper backs Republican in House race, warning of impeachment ‘distraction’ if Democrats win

By David Weigel March 11 at 11:37 AM

The largest newspaper in southwest Pennsylvania endorsed the Republican candidate ahead of Tuesday’s special congressional election with a rationale unlike any cited in other races: Democratic control of the House would hurt the country by setting the stage for a presidential impeachment.

Neither Rick Saccone nor Conor Lamb, the Republican and Democratic nominees in the 18th Congressional District, has talked about impeachment during the campaign. Attack ads from Saccone and allies have portrayed Lamb as a Trojan horse for House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who is deeply unpopular in the district, while Lamb has attacked Saccone for voting for looser gun laws and against funding for opioid addiction treatment. In the House, several liberal members of the Democratic conference have introduced resolutions of impeachment, but just 66 Democrats voted in January to proceed to debate on one of those resolutions.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who would chair the House Judiciary Committee if his party won a majority, told The Washington Post this year that impeachment would not be pursued unless both parties agreed to it, as removal of the president would require a supermajority vote in the Senate.

Nonetheless, the editorial in Sunday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which endorsed Saccone over Lamb largely on grounds of experience (Saccone is a longtime state legislator), argued flatly that a Democratic House would drive the country to “distraction” by immediately pushing to impeach Trump.

“If Mr. Lamb, 33, wins, it could well be the start of a Democratic wave,” the editorial read. ...

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/03/11/pittsburgh-paper-backs-republican-in-house-race-warning-of-impeachment-distraction-if-democrats-win/

[dameatball]

1. We have a new "distraction" everyday. I guess some are okay and some are not.

[RandySF]

2. A Republican paper endorsed a Republican?

Next.

[beachbum bob]

3. Any talk of impeachment can not be part of the Nov 2018 campaign at all as we need

to do as little to give the batshit crazies any more reasons to come out and vote...This newspaper has been conservative leaning for years and no surprise they bring up impeachment as a reason NOT to vote for a democrat.

[packman]

4. I weep for my homestate of Pennsylvania

Born and raised there when steel mills and coal mines were booming and when unions were strong. It saddens me beyond the borders of sadness to see it even slightly colored red. Yes, the middle of the state was always conservative, but you could depend on the western and eastern part of the state to be Democratic.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. The Mellon Family is a big factor in Pittsburgh.

Of course, the newspaper's going for the republican candidate.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Damned right (based on last statement in snip).