Interestingly, the article does not mention the treason of not protecting the border, especially Arizona's as possible grounds for impeachment. Why does everyone refuse to see the gorilla in the living room?--rng
First, the republicans are not as smart as this guy thinks---there is a reason why the Republican party is called the called the "stupid party"(I'll explain in later columns). Second, the Republicans will find a way to let him slowly twist in the wind rather than use the thermonuclear option---impeachment. Third, Mr. Dao simply does not understand how low an opinion the general public has of Obama health care and how deeply flawed and unconstitutional this piece of legislation is that forces judges to declare parts of it not the entire act as unconstitutional. ------lee.
November 1, 2010 by Peter Dao
One glaring difference between Democrats and Republicans, left and right, is that the former is trying to win a debate while the latter is aiming for political annihilation.
The White House’s baffling message in recent days that if Republicans gain seats they’ll be more cooperative, is emblematic of that divide.
The reality is this: impeachment, not cooperation, is on the table if the GOP takes the House. I’ve been arguing for months that the level of anger and hate on the right, stoked by millionaire radio blatherers and fueled by a well-oiled rightwing attack machine, has created a fertile atmosphere to move impeachment from the fringes to the mainstream.
Democrats are constantly flabbergasted by Republican audacity. Republicans will say and do things that Democrats won’t; they’ll endure the initial outcry over outrageous comments to move the national discourse to the right, a process I described in a recent post:
There is a simple formula for rightwing dominance of our national debate, even when Democrats are in charge: move the conversation as extreme right as possible, then compromise toward the far right. Negotiation 101. And it’s completely lost on Democrats. It’s no accident that in 21st century America, torture has been mainstreamed, climate denial has taken firm hold, book burning, racial dog whistles and brazen religious intolerance are part of our discourse and par for the course. This is how the right plays the game, using Limbaugh, Hannity, Fox, Drudge, blogs, chain emails, talk radio, etc. to shamelessly and defiantly drag the conversation as far right as possible. … Democrats run away from the left like it’s the plague while Republican run to the right like it’s nirvana. The net effect is that the media end up reporting far right positions as though they were mainstream and reporting liberal positions as though they were heinous aberrations. And you wonder why America is veering off the rails?
Another chronic problem for Democrats is that they underestimate the American public’s responsiveness to rightwing talking points. Take this poll for example: “Likely voters in battleground districts see extremists as having a more dominant influence over the Democratic Party than they do over the GOP.”
In a word, the environment is ripe for impeachment. William Wolfrum elaborates:
A while back, my friend Sam Antar – a former key player in the infamous and egregious “Crazy Eddie’s” fraud – told me that it was just a matter of time before Barack Obama faced impeachment charges. “With all the stimulus money going out, the Republicans will eventually find some corruption charge they think will stick,” said Antar, now a corporate whistle-blower who tends to view things from a non-partisan prism. “It’s just a matter of time.”
In a purely Machiavellian sense, Republicans have always seemed to understand the game in ways Democrats don’t. Because while American Conservatism is an ideology with few new ideas or plans, it is also an ideology that understands that power is the only thing that really matters. And they have proven extremely adept at regaining power, regardless of past performances in governing.
Republicans can not beat Obama at the ballot box. But you can be assured that they will do all they can so that his legacy is terribly tainted in scandal. There is just no way the GOP will allow Obama to serve out eight years and leave office with a strong record of liberal accomplishment that he can hand over to a Democratic successor. Simply put, for Republicans, Barack Obama must be destroyed and completely invalidated before his term or terms are over.
Republicans will attempt to impeach Barack Obama. The “why” of the matter is completely insignificant. They’ll find something and work overtime to make it appear to be the Greatest Scandal Ever. It’s just a matter of time. Provided, of course, that they have the numbers.
Kevin Drum hypothesizes:
The topic here is, “What excuse will some insane tea party faction in the House use to bring impeachment charges against Barack Obama?”
Since we’re going for style points here, I’m putting my money on a scenario in which South Carolina decides to nullify the healthcare reform law and prohibit its enforcement. Obama nevertheless directs the IRS office in Charleston to dispatch tax delinquency notices to uninsured residents. Governor Nikki Haley instructs the state police to barricade the IRS in order to prevent it from delivering outgoing mail, at which point Obama sends in Army troops to reopen the office. This is taken as a tyrannical abuse of federal power, and Rep. Joe Wilson files immediate impeachment charges. The impeachment bill passes with 220 votes — 201 from the Tea Party, 18 from the rump Republican Party, plus Bobby Bright — and is sent to the Senate. Chief Justice John Roberts presides, wearing robes decorated with the scales of justice stitched in gold lame, but Tea Partiers and Republicans eventually rally only eight Democratic supporters and the charges fail by a single vote.
UPDATE: Even if impeachment doesn’t materialize, one way to hobble Obama’s presidency is to dismantle his signature achievement:
The question is not whether Republicans want to repeal the health-care overhaul. They do. The question is whether they’ll succeed.
It would be very difficult, if even possible, for them to win a repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. … But that doesn’t mean Republicans are powerless. If they control even one chamber of Congress, then they’ll have at least partial command over appropriations. And the health-care law needs appropriations. The bill specifically details about 115 of them, some of which are integral to implementation of the legislation. Moreover, Republicans could get even more creative, refusing, for instance, to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to spend staff time setting up the law.
As with full repeal, the GOP would need majorities they don’t have to pass any appropriations bills that sabotage the legislation. But unlike with full repeal, where only passing a bill would affect the Affordable Care Act, Republicans can still make their mark by simply refusing to pass any appropriations that would fund the law. And they have more than enough votes to keep any alternatives from passing.
to continue article
http://peterdaou.com/2010/11/the-impeachment-of-barack-obama/
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