Just do the right thing

    And we could actually win. For a change.

    No. We should not try to influence our representatives to impeach Trump. 

    1. We must win in 2020 Unless we really can´t avoid it, (see below)  we shouldn´t  do anything that prevents (1)

    2. Many  voters are offended by the process of impeachment .It´s a sensible position which some of them  held when Ken Starr abused his appointment as Special Counsel  or whatever he was called. Years ago  I described   sitting in a Boston hospital's major surgery  waiting room as a woman attorney ( ¨I´ve never voted for a Democrat ¨) volunteered to two of us - strangers, also waiting - that she was offended by Starr. So much so that when he was addressing the Oklahoma Bar Association she found herself writing ¨He must be removed¨ . 

    3. If we impeach we lose our chance of getting her vote. And we can´t afford that.

    Q.E.D.

    One of the reason for my  very high opinion about Obama -been challenged, fair enough- is IMHO he did the right things .  first.

    In 2009 he could have spent his bullets  seeking to encourage the prosecution of  the many known offenders from the sub prime fiasco. Deeply deserved. Check out Sarah Gordon in Saturday´s Financial Times.Instead he saved Chrysler. 

    Didn´t have to happen. In a room full of serious ,qualified advisors when a majority said ¨Let Chrysler fail¨he listened , also, to those who said ¨No¨ and decided the ¨No s had it.¨ Didn´t have to happen.

    Wall Street collapsed in August 1929. Then again in Sept 2008.

    Despite many well intentioned experiments there was no recovery worth the name the first time.

    Obama took office in the first quarter of 2009.Unemployment sky rocketing. For 3 quarters.  In the first quarter of 2010 unemployment turned down , and never turned up again. It didn´t happen because he punished  the stupid / evil players Gordon describes.  Mostly they never were . Pity.  They deserved it. But less than the whole world deserved to be saved.As didn´t happen after 1929 . We got Adolph instead.

    Meanwhile Obama , (I some times said to myself)

    ¨and on the seventh day he rested´

    was  doing whatever it took  to get  the final vote he needed to achieve Obamacare´s breakthrough installation .  The first serious movement towards giving  American citizens the protection from needless medical pain that Europe has enjoyed  for 60 years. 

    Wasn´t enough? Sure. But enough to start moving us in the direction of ¨enough¨.

    If that required courting Susan Collins, there are worse things than courting Susan Collins.  

    If we can´t avoid it.

    If the only way to prevent Boy Donald from doing irreparable harm- a War for example-was to impeach  we might be forced to do that. And pay the consequences of a President Pence. Whose chance of being  re-elected would be worryingly  increased  by the increase in his vote by  those like the Oklahoman lawyer  who disdained  impeachment. A high price to pay.

    But only if we can´t avoid it. Don´t impeach. Elect. 

     

    Comments

    Another good reason is thinking that he will go away if impeached: this is actually a delusional pipe dream that we indulge ourselves with. What's good for the goose is good for the gander and one has to admit reality at times: he and his fans would still be out there!


    Since the Senate has to be on board with actual proceedings of impeachment, and they are ruled by the Mitch, the caution given by Pelosi mostly pertains to giving the investigations underway by the House Committees cover to drag what they can into the light.


    It is not an impeachment proceeding, it is just curious people looking at curious things.


     Investigations-not impeachment -might help (us) , might hurt . But  no point  debating  because it´s the House´s duty so it should .And will. 

    But we shouldn´t  indulge ourselves in premature anticipation of  the coming  press clipping.

    If Nancy ,or someone, makes  sure  the chairmen perform like Cummings   my guess, FWIW,  is the Reps will  shoot themselves in the foot. (¨That 's right , take careful aim , don´t anyone jostle his arm!¨) 

    Provided we walk and chew gum:  also produce useful legislation.

    But that's not a gimmee. It was great  taking the House.  Pity about the Senate.

     


    Many people don't listen to poll questions and consider rationally what answer to give. Sometimes all they hear is are you a democrat or a republican. That's all their answer means. It often doesn't mean anything about the issue or policy question. When asked about impeachment some don't even think about it. All they think is I hate that motherfucken asshole. Impeach!


    Sure. The sobering fact that Trump only trailed Hillary by 3 million votes illustrates that. Given that the House  should do the right thing ,there ´s the separate  question of whether it´s winning politics.

    Personally I believe  the net effect on  votes would be  a loss , too many people will see an impeachment as too much like a shut down- an interference with the act of governing..

     


    Throw into this picture what the Senate GOP is doing right now to try to mollify bully Trump:

    Trump views the resolution of disapproval as one of the biggest fights of his presidency and has been telling Republicans that anyone who opposes him is being disloyal. https://t.co/bWVAVgmKjh

    — Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) March 13, 2019

    Pelosi et. al. have to play chess, think like the Senate GOP are thinking, put themselves in their shoes. Most of these guys probably wish Pence was there instead of Trump, but they have to deal with Trump's popularity with a significant portion of their own constituency.  They think they can't have the luxury of principles about Trump or they might not get re-elected. So successful impeachment with removal would all depend on how egregious the issues presented are, whether they turn off enough of Trump's base.

    Seems to me they are thinking big picture and time frame to do impeachment. Is it not better to just keep trying to court the majority of voters with what you do and not put a ton of effort into a very hard job to try to incite a few of Trump's base to turn in order to get enough GOP Senators? Hope that some GOP Senators will have such strong principles that they will fall on their swords? Etc.


    Another thing about the notion of Senate GOP turning on Trump is that such a thing would only happen if it allowed them an exit from the fall out. I think Pelosi is liking the way they are all tied to the mast of the sinking ship.


    Timing is all important - if Trump were impeached today, the Republicans will have recovered by Nov 2020.
    This trainwreck has to at least endure into the fall if not later - normal Joe/Joetta Sixpack is way too forgetful and forgiving.


    Looks like the fancy stuff didn't work, seeing more than one story like this, that the Dem resolution is going to pass and expecting Trump to veto:

    Senate to rebuke Trump on wall

    headline story @ TheHill.com - 03/14/19 06:00 AM EDT

    Senate also just dissed last night on Yemen/Saudis!

    Senate rebuffs Trump with vote cutting off U.S. support in Yemen

    Several Republicans joined Democrats to build a bipartisan majority for the measure.

    @ Politico. com, Updated 03/13/2019 06:51 PM EDT

    Edit to add: Politico is more blatant on the national emergency resolution, pointing out the irony that it is a like a coalition between the Dems and Trump to foil the GOP, hah:

    Trump and Dems destroy GOP effort to escape national emergency bind

    Updated 03/13/2019 04:19 PM EDT

    The president told Senate Republicans he would not agree to curtail his powers in order to stem defections on the disapproval vote.


    More-I shoulda looked at the home page first! Politico's current headline:

    'Extraordinary': GOP heads for unprecedented clash with Trump

    Republicans are preparing to force Trump to issue the first vetoes of his presidency.

    BY  AND  Updated 03/13/2019 09:49 PM EDT


    WaPo this morning-including he's tweeted he's going to veto:

    Trump renews veto threat as Senate prepares to rebuke him on national emergency

    In a morning tweet, the president said he is “prepared to veto” a resolution expected to pass on Thursday.

    BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE, help bracing the spines:

    Gary Cohn says Trump is ‘desperate’ for trade deal with China

    The White House is “living in chaos” on major decisions, according to the president’s former top economic adviser.



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