Blog Credo

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

H.L. Mencken

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Let The Handwringing Commence!

It looks like House Democrats will draft two articles of impeachment against President Trump: obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.  This articles will pass the House and die in the Senate. We've sort of always known this.

The usual caterwauling has commenced on Twitter among the same people who decried the fecklessness of House leadership back in August. Those that felt that Pelosi would NEVER impeach Trump are now pissed about HOW she's impeaching Trump.

The argument that Trump has committed numerous impeachable offenses is compelling on the surface. He has taken bribes via his hotel properties. He has conspired with foreign autocracies. He has sexually assaulted dozens of women. The man is a catalog of criminality.

However, if it isn't clear to everyone by now, Trump will simply not be removed from office via impeachment. Drafting a half dozen articles or more won't make the Senate any more likely to convict.  Instead, by NOT impeaching him on Trump properties or tax evasion or money laundering or any of his other crimes, Democrats will retain those arrows in their quiver for the terrifying possibility of him winning a second term.  Or perhaps even doing this again this summer, if the necessary evidence comes forward as it did with the Ukraine scandal.

Pelosi knows Trump will be acquitted in the Senate.  It's why she was always reluctant to impeach; it will not accomplish his removal.  Republicans are in lockstep with Trump, and this will require them to defend him - both in the trial, in November and in the history books.  The number of articles is largely irrelevent.

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