Sometimes you need a really good lawyer to understand what’s what but with this impeachment you just need commonsense. Let’s think about the Democrats’ impeachment case against President Donald Trump. It’s obvious the Democrats do not have an offense sufficiently grave for impeachment.
If they had one their shenanigans, the House rules, and the posturing would be unnecessary. They are simply ridiculous.
Riddle me this
Why is the media talking about how Schiff, Pelosi, and House Democrats rushing this thing. Throughout the House impeachment they were in a hurry. They rushed the inquiry without making an effort to interview key witnesses, really? Do you buy that?
The House case is at best tenuous. Maybe it is simply that hatred plus partisan politics does not help fashion a thoughtful, complete investigation. So; why was the Democrats’ impeachment gambit driven by the election calendar? What in the nature of the president’s offense required speed? What was up with the timing of hearings?
Were the unreasonable limits imposed on Republicans’ ability to call witnesses necessary? If so, why? Was the push to finish dictated by the frantic rush to get done before Christmas recess? Why does that make sense? The Democrats cynically vacated a subpoena they’d served on a relevant administration witness. Did they fear a few weeks of court battles that they might lose? Due process completely disregarded, why? Sometimes you just need commonsense to arrive at the correct conclusion.
Why the struggle after the rush
Why did Democrats grope from week to week in a struggle over what to call the misconduct they accuse the president of committing – campaign finance, extortion, quid pro quo, bribery? How did they end up with an amorphous “abuse of power” case? How did they conclude that an administration that goes to court rather than instantly surrendering potentially privileged information commits obstruction?
Why did the House indulge in such tedious recriminations over adoption of Senate procedures? Procedures approved by a 100–0 vote the last time there was an impeachment trial. It’s a question that needs asking? Why all the hand wringing over whether witnesses will be called? The Senate procedures provide for the calling of witnesses in the event 51 senators want them.
The only caveat is they have to sit through nearly two weeks of presentation and argument from both sides. So what if they want to hear from one or two or none of them? None of this would have happened if there had been an impeachable offense. The founders reserved impeachment for ‘extraordinary wrongs.’ You don’t need to be as smart as the founders, you just need commonsense.
Due process and precedent
If the Democrats suspect Trump of committing truly impeachable offenses, wouldn’t they have allowed his lawyers to be present during the House hearings? Wouldn’t the Democratic leaders have worked cooperatively with their GOP counterparts? Wasn’t that what was done in prior impeachments? Why wasn’t following precedent reasonable?
Wouldn’t they have told the president: ‘Sure, you can have your lawyers here, and call whatever witnesses you want.'”? The framers of the Constitution expected presidents and federal officials to abuse their powers. They also intended impeachment and removal from federal office was only intended to be used for “extraordinary” crimes.
In America we don’t leap from abuse to expulsion.
We don’t expect routinely to expel members of Congress or impeach presidents and judges. Expulsion we reserve for historically extraordinary wrongs. Other branches of government and elections, not impeachment, are what we use to check lesser abuses of power. Trump’s dealings with Ukraine are a legitimate 2020 campaign issue.
Exaggeration and rush to judgment
In exaggerating their severity, the Democrats underscore the facts. On the facts they do not have the kinds of “extraordinary wrongs” that merit impeachment. They know it. They fear the likelihood of losing at the ballot box. If there were real impeachable misconduct, there would be no time or place for games.
This is partisan. It is political. It is also unfair in that the House investigation was without due process protections. Worst of all it was done without basis or cause. Still doubt it? Why is liberal lifelong Democrat Alan Dershowitz working for the defense? Sometimes you need a really good lawyer to understand what’s what but with this impeachment you just need commonsense.
