Jonathan Bernstein: GOP will impeach Obama

[impik]

What's at stake in the elections this fall? Energy/climate? Tax cuts? Management of the economy?

Well, sure, all those things. It's worth pointing out, however, that what's also at stake is the impeachment of Barack Obama. I continue to believe that if Obama sits in the White House for six years with a GOP majority in the House of Representatives that the odds are very good -- better than 50 percent -- that he'll be impeached. Not convicted, of course, but impeached, forcing a Senate trial.



The incentives all run to impeachment, as far as I can tell. The leaders of such an effort would find it easy to cash in (literally, I mean) with books and appearances on the conservative lecture circuit. It's hard to believe that Rush, Beck and the rest of the gang wouldn't be tripping over each other to wear the crown of the Host Who Brought Down the socialist gangster president. And we've seen the ability, or I should say the lack thereof, of rank-and-file GOP pols to stand up to the talk show yakkers. Besides, it's not as if a new Republican majority would have a full agenda of legislative items to pass, and what they did have would face an Obama veto (and most likely death in the Senate at any rate). Against all that is the collective preference of the Republican Party not to have a reputation as a pack of loons, but that doesn't seem to be much of a constraint in practice. Of course, also against impeachment is the lack of a serious offense by the president, but I don't see that as a major impediment.\

So, if you want to impeach Barack Obama, I'd very much recommend voting GOP this fall, at least for your local House candidate. I think you'll get what you want.



http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/here_comes_impeachment.html

[Peacetrain]

1. It is amazing they get the traction that they get.. LIES, pure lies, and people

have been blistering since before the Inauguration to bring the President down.

[jillan]

2. So is this going to be it? Everytime there is a Dem President, all the pigs are going to want to do

is waste taxpayer dollars and time spent on important issues to hopefully impeach the President?

And the Dems in congress just sat on their hands during the last administration?

This STINKS!!

[Zoeisright]

18. Yep. That's it in a nutshell.

[xxqqqzme]

57. That is a fine description if past actions

are any indications.

[calimary]

63. Yes. Unfortunately. Sore Losermen. So they're gonna throw tantrums like this every time

one of OURS gets in and sends one of THEIRS back to the Senate or the state house or the brokerage or private enterprise or whatever landfill they crawled out from.

This evidently IS their reason for being. And if they didn't get their way at the polls, they're going to do everything they can - to hobble the winner who did. Turn him (or her) into an ineffective, unsuccessful president who couldn't get anything done, mainly because THEY stood in the way and knew nothing of bipartisanship for the sake of solving the nation's problems. All because they didn't get their way.

And let's all remember - this is from the "Country First" crowd.

:sarcasm:

[msongs]

3. lol and the guy thinks appeasing republicans will make them support him. yeah, right nt

[CakeGrrl]

24. How do you know what he thinks?

I doubt he's as gullible as some of you like to believe he is.

[LeftyAndProud60]

4. IF they ever impeached Obama for for something so petty, there would be a race war

in this country. I don't know if they thought about that or not, but things could get really bad. Way worse than Clinton.

[MadMaddie]

16. Not just a race war

it wouldn't be just blacks and minorities. There are many whites who are sick of this shit too....

[BreweryYardRat]

51. Exactly. Any such conflict would be along ideological lines.

I'm one of those whites who's sick of this shit.

[MadMaddie]

64. Thank-you!

:hi:

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[IntravenousDemilo]

5. For what?! n/m

[Drunken Irishman]

6. Being black.

[Cha]

8. Presiding while being

Black.

[CakeGrrl]

26. They just want him out. They want him to fail. It's pretty clear.

You saw the petty bullshit they used to justify Clinton's impeachment. Now this uppity black man is showing them up? They'll conjure something out of thin air in their desperation to get to him.

[Cha]

7. I know the little mouth breathing shits want

to but they the fuck better not. Too many crises to resolve from the last time they had a majority.

[AndyA]

9. Anyone who goes after Obama but ignored the acts of Bushco should be damned to hell for all eternity

Anyone who looked away and did nothing while Bush wiped his diarrhea dripping asshole with our Constitution for eight long years, but would now entertain impeachment of Obama for what--being black?--can just go straight to hell.

Republicans are bigots. Racists. Homophobes. Hypocrites. They cannot be trusted. The have small minds and are tiny little people.

And if the GOP does try such a thing, maybe then--just perhaps MAYBE--Nancy Pelosi and the rest will realize THEY should have impeached Bush while they had the chance. But no, impeachment was off the table. Pelosi and the others who failed to go after Bush are as responsible as the GOP Representative who signs his or her name to the papers.

[KingFlorez]

10. That's been their main goal

That is why they want control of Congress.

[GoCubsGo]

11. "The lack of a serious offense..."

There are not even any non-serious offenses he has committed that I am aware of, let alone a serious one. Let them try--that's IF they get control of the House. They can kiss that control goodbye in 2012. People won't put up with that shit.

[xxqqqzme]

58. Since when has the lack of serious offenses

ever stopped them? Jeebus there were about a brazillion recorded dimson offenses and they didn't even blink.

[Arkana]

12. Then we band together as Democrats of all stripes and we fucking stop them.

[stevedeshazer]

13. Piffle. Good luck with that. Ain't gonna happen.

[Jade Fox]

14. As usual, the Republicans have no sense of what the....

fall out of this move will be.

Most adults remember the Clinton fiasco, how the GOPers spent millions to prosecute a blow job. Most adults remember the disaster of the Bush Administration. Most Americans like Obama.

Trying to impeach Obama after the multitude of crimes Bushco got away with will make Americans (discounting the 33% or so who are kooks) hate the Republicans even more that they do now.

The current Republican Party is being run by crazy, vindictive, shameless fucks. They will probably try to impeach Obama. They may well get traction. But it will be just one more nail in the coffin of the slow death of the GOP.

[craigmatic]

15. It's funny bush really deserved to impeachment but the repubs impeached Clinton and want to do the

same to Obama. His only real crime is being a democratic president faced with a conservative boardering on retarded opposition that just knee jerk reacts to anything he proposes.

[WeDidIt]

17. May 8, 2010

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x290693

[theothersnippywshrub]

19. Impeachment - It's what republicans do. n/t

[butterfly77]

21. With help of the media..

[Jennicut]

22. Actually trying impeachment would most likely help Obama. Most people

don't want that crap right now, they want govt. to work for them. Getting mired in petty political crap is not going to endear the Rethugs to the public. It backfired on them with Clinton and he ended his Presidency with over a 60% approval rating.

[hulka38]

23. The latest attempt to pressure and guilt disgruntled progressives

into voting in November. It's a concerted effort and the timing of Conason's and this piece is no accident. All good Democrats rally behind Obama or else.

[The Magistrate]

25. So You, Sir, Are Not a Good Democrrat?

"Enquiring minds want to know!"

[hulka38]

28. I think I am.

But I need something substantive to rally behind. I hope I find it by November. And please, don't call me sir.

[The Magistrate]

29. Then You Should, Sir, Have No Trouble With Agit-Prop To Get Votes for Democrats In November

You do not have any problem with efforts to get the vote for Democratic candidates, do you?

Do you think the Republicans will not trump up an Impeachment bill if they have a majority in Congress?

[hulka38]

32. There's a truth problem in politics. It's getting worse

and these tactics don't help. Citizen voters should not be manipulated and treated like idiots. And stop calling me sir.

[The Magistrate]

37. It Is True, Sir, That A Republican Majority In The House Will Vote An Impeachment Bill

That there are no substantial grounds will make no difference at all. You, Sir, seem to be the one unwilling to face up to the trutyh of the situation.

[hulka38]

42. I don't think there will be a Repub majority which would make the point moot.

And if there is, nobody knows whether there will be an impeachment effort. And if there was and it was successful, the Democratic controlled Senate would not remove the President from office. That is the truth of the matter. Do the Republicans want to sink down south of 20% approval again for a hopeless cause? I don't think so. Cut the "sir" crap will you please?

[The Magistrate]

45. If There was Such a Majority, Sir, Such a Bill Would Be Voted

Their voters would demand it, and the little dears could not help themselves. Conviction and actual removal is not the point; hamstringing the process of government is, and in this, the effort would be quite successful, from its authors' point of view. While it is a long shot that the Republicans could secure a majority, the danger is worth serious effort to head it off, and this is a good line to press to that end. It will move a number of wafflers both on the left and in the middle, if cried up properly.

[hulka38]

49. It's such a long shot

and it would put them in the subbasement. Maybe you could push them down the stairs?

[The Magistrate]

50. You Do Not Know Much About Fighting, Do You, Sir?

[Raine1967]

27. Utter Bullshit pulled out of a so called progressive Tinfoil assHat.

[hulka38]

30. Must... eat... shit....they SERVE!

Tastes....too....good.

[The Magistrate]

31. Good For You, Sir: Most People Are Not Open About Copraphagic Tendencies

"Some people are a lot like Slinkies: they aren't really good for much, but it's a lot of fun to push them down stairs."

[hulka38]

33. Have fun with your slinkie tonight

Most people aren't too open about that either.

[The Magistrate]

38. Up the Stairs And Down the Stairs, Sir...Oooh-La La!

[hulka38]

40. Please stop

[The Magistrate]

41. Never Give An Order You Cannot Enforce, Sir

First rule of command.

[hulka38]

43. The last thing I'm gonna to do is get in the way of you and your slinkie

[The Magistrate]

44. You Display, Sir, An Uncanny Knack For Missing the Point

Which can be dangerous in dealing with people who enjoy pushing people down the stairs....

[hulka38]

46. Well, good luck getting off the island.

[The Magistrate]

47. Not On an Island, Sir: In a Pleasant Neighborhood In a Large City, Surrounded by Family....

"As you make your bed, so you lie there
But who'll tuck you in when you do?
And if someone steps up
I'll be that one
And if someone gets stepped on that one's you."

[Jennicut]

34. The alternative is even worse, you eat the shit and then you die.

Seriously, when has not voting ever turned out well?

[hulka38]

35. At least we all seem to admit that this is bullshit

which gives me hope.

[DevonRex]

61. Progressive my ass.

[Ned Bro]

36. They won't be taking the House!

I'll guess a Dem loss of 22 seats come November.

[The Magistrate]

39. Partly, Sir, Because Issa Tipped their Hand With This Flapdoodle

Patience is not one of the right's virtues: they are always too eager to play....

[stevenleser]

48. There was never any doubt that they would try to find a reason to do this

No question about it.

[Kablooie]

52. When Clinton was impeached, things were pretty smooth. Right now things have to be fixed.

[SoFlaJet]

53. Unfortunately....for the republicans

they won't win back the House, which is where articles of impeachment have to start.

[depakid]

54. It certainly would be ironic

The party that the administration and the center right Dems in Congress willingly helped and extended a hand up back from the fringe through enabling legitimizing and even adopting their policies, comes back into power and impeaches the president.

Again.

Ensuring second term for a president that they might have been able to beat electorally, if only they hadn't all gone collectively insane.

Plots (and true characters) don't get much better than this in classic literature.

[olegramps]

55. If this happened of which I am very leery, it could be a tipping point:

There so much built-up hatred that has been manufactured by the Right Wing propagandists that if this was attempted it could result in open class warfare that the Republicans will have wished they had never instigated. It could make Watts look like a Sunday School outing. Hopefully, Republicans will come to their senses and realize that they are pushing the nation toward outright anarchy with there policies of absolute non-cooperation. They have become the enemy within and are in reality the greatest threat to our Republic.

[Prism]

56. No, they won't. Why? War crimes.

This is the great trump card President Obama holds over the Republican Party's most destructive impulses. When he came into office, there was some kind of tacit agreement or understanding that the Bush administration would be allowed to skate and AG Holder would let alone the most egregious offenses against the Constitution.

If Republicans were to gain Congress and even look at impeachment sideways, I imagine AG Holder would suddenly find all kinds of evidence he just couldn't in good conscience ignore any longer.

The Republicans would be charging up a hill with a toy pistol against Obama's entrenched artillery.

It will never happen.

[lordcommander]

62. Bingo! It would be kamikaze for the GOP

It would be suicide for the GOP to proceed impeachment proceedings, that would mean the end of the GOP, period.

[CakeGrrl]

67. Wow! How did you find this out?

:eyes:

[BlueIris]

68. Hee. Yes, Barack Obama wanted to punish Bush Co.'s war crimes.

Good one.

[Cosmocat]

69. Sure ...

cause waiting another 3-4 years after BO actually got elected to dredge up Bushco crap, THAT would play REAL well with people, and you KNOW the MSM would be on board with that, right?

The soft middle that MIGHT have been on board with fleshing out Bushco crape at the time would see the disconnect there, and the right wing propogandists (rushes) would just got balastic, and bring the MSM along with them ...

BO gave them the pass, that boat has sailed ...

[otohara]

59. This is How They Resolve Losing Elections

either steal it or impeach the Democrat who won!

that was a post from this article on WP and I couldn't agree more.

[and-justice-for-all]

60. They have no bases for impeachment...

it is something that again, is blow out of proportion and heavily exaggerated.

[depakid]

65. They had no legal basis for impeaching Clinton, either.

[Divine Discontent]

66. Exactly. They are crazy knuckledraggers & I worry for the safety of any GOP

representatives who did get in next year and didn't get him impeached because these tea nuts will scream they said they were going to impeach him.

Many of us are very upset with decisions of the WH on one or more issues - but if they impeach our president by getting control of the Congress, and it's over nothing - there will, I believe, be so much turmoil in this country that it will make these bigots heads spin.

They just hate this president - and I think it's denial over the fact that they know B*sh screwed all of their families future away, took their jobs and let the corporations rape us all, but they don't wanna blame themselves for backing B*sh - they wanna blame the black president...

Now, I only wish he'd get his justice dept to throw the books at BP and takeover this damned major environmental disaster before it swallows up the sustainability of our oceans. I am not impressed so far.