Will the House impeach Obama if he invokes the 14th amendment and fails to follow the law...

[Ozymanithrax]

This just occurred to me, an I was wondering what others think.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. However, the Senate will find him not guilty and give him a medal.

[kenny blankenship]

13. Acquittal will take about 10 minutes

including the 5 minute invocation before the proceeding begins.

The "defendant", Barack Hussein Obama, will have plenty of time to fly to NY for his ticker tape parade!

[MindandSoul]

2. Yes, they'll try. . .but they'll fail!

[FreakinDJ]

15. On what grounds : What Charges specifically

I would certainly like to know

this is a serious question

[murielm99]

3. No, and not because of Bush.

They will yell and scream and cry. They may try to take it to the Supreme Court. That is where things could get sticky.

They know already that people are angry with them. They are hearing from angry people more and more.

If they try this, they will bury their party. Some of them must know this.

[NYC Liberal]

5. If Watergate, the Clinton impeachment, and Bush's disastrous reign

didn't do the Republicans in -- I fear nothing can.

[Ozymanithrax]

6. You are correct that the Senate would never convict him.

They did not convict Clinton, either. I see it more as an exercise to attack a Democratic executive branch. Impeachment in this case is a political rather than a legal decision.

[WI_DEM]

4. Maybe and it would backfire on them just like it did when they tried to impeach Clinton

over a matter trivial compared to this. The public would applaud the president for doing something bold and decisive. The Senate would not find him guilty.

[Llewlladdwr]

7. Question: How exactly does the President "invoke the 14th"?

Could you provide a link to the relevant text in the 14th Amendment where it says that the Executive can usurp Congress' authority under Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution to raise revenues and borrow money against the full faith and credit of the United States? Thanks.

[negativenihil]

14. i think it's something like this.

"Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void."

basically saying that Obama has the constitutional power to make an executive order, authorizing the debt ceiling to be raised.

[fivepennies]

21. Ahem ... pardon my ignorance, but

doesn't this clause assume that the money is already in the hands of the US government? I don't see where it says a president can authoritatively raise the borrowing limit and force private bankers to give him the money to pay these bills. See, the way it works in the real world, force and bankers never appears in the same sentence.

[negativenihil]

22. *shrug*

i'm flying by the seat of my pants and trying to understand what's on wikipedia - i'm by no means an expert - kinda just tsking a stab at it heh

[fivepennies]

24. We're all flying by the seat of our pants

because we don't know the HISTORY of banking and how the US government got so swallowed up by these crooked financiers in the first place. And those few who do know don't seem to have any idea of what to do about it.

But the fact remains, we can kick this thing further down the road again but it'll turn around to bite us over and over and over again until we DO do something about the fundamental theft of this country's wealth. Raising the debt limit one more time so we cam get deeper in debt is just another band aid on a gangrenous amputation.

[Erose999]

8. They will threaten to but its all just theatre. They get more of their agenda passed with him in

the oval office than with one of their own.

[WI_DEM]

9. Obama won't do it anyway--it is too bold a move for him.

[BadgerKid]

10. Remember how Pelosi said impeachment of * was off the table?

I believe it was said that impeachment at that time would be a purely partisan play, or something to that effect. My feeling is that the current GOP would most certainly put it on the table, and the result would be more votes going to candidates with (D) after their names.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. I think you are most likely right about where the votes will go.

However, the Republicans promised no such thing. Since shutting down the government proved a bad idea under Newt, and they are likely to do this anyway, I don't think they learn from history.

[AndyTiedye]

11. Yes, and the Nooze Will Talk About Nothing Else for Months

DAYS of free airtime for the Republicans. :puke:

[Tx4obama]

16. Unrec.

The President CAN legally invoke the 14th amendment, under his 'emergency powers'.

And by invoking The U.S. Constitution it is NOT a 'criminal act'.

'To impeach' means to 'bring forth criminal charges'.

There will be NO impeachment because there will NOT be any criminal charges to bring forth.

[H2O Man]

17. Which one?

You ask two distinct questions.

[Ozymanithrax]

26. The Supreme Court is the sole arbiter over Constitutionality.

So, Obama could decide to interpret the 14th amendment to say that he can borrow money to pay debt, but it is still a violation of the law until Congress takes it to the SCOTUS to adjudicate.

Or, they could say that he is in violation of the law and the Constitution (Only Congress has the power to raise funds) and impeach him for violating the debt ceiling law and the U.S. Constitution.

It would have no chance of being upheld by the Senate, but they could make the charges and impeach him in the House.

It is more likely that they will go to the Supreme Court to force him to cease and desist borrowing money in violation of the law.

[mmonk]

18. What law are you talking about?

[JVS]

19. So what if they do? It won't go anywhere.

[krispos42]

20. Oh please please please let them try it

:rofl:

If the House is not going to accomplish anything, let's make it fucking SPECTACULAR!!!!

[Capitalocracy]

23. I think they'll probably try to impeach him at some point

And they'll come up with some BS excuse.

[rucky]

25. BRING IT!

The mere existence of a debt ceiling is unconstitutional on its face.