It has been quite a week (for me). For the first time in nearly 24 years, I have a new address and phone number, and a great deal more importantly, for the first time in nearly 21 years, there is news of an impeachment inquiry of an American President. People move all the time, and some folks change phone numbers more frequently than snakes molt, or for those of us who are just not that into Ophiology (the study of snakes), shed their skins. Contrast that with the fact that in 230 years, only two Presidents have been impeached, Andrew Johnson in 1868, and 130 years later, Bill Clinton (1998). To be clear, an inquiry doesn’t mean there will be an impeachment, but given the make-up of the current House of Representatives, there is a strong likelihood that the process would not have advanced this far, were the outcome were not all but predictable.
Having said that, my estimation is that when the dust settles, the House will adopt articles of impeachment. Moreover, owing my bias, in my view, it couldn’t happen to a nicer (read that more deserving) fellow. Of course, what is equally clear (to me) is that the U.S. Senate, also given its composition, is certain to reject any proposed indictment of Donald Trump quicker that one can say or spell Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis, the longest word (45 letters) in most major English Dictionaries. The hyper-partisan divide in the American body politic is palpable. In our contemporary USA, no subject is more likely to detonate the fractiousness that accompanies that chasm than Donald Trump.
Nancy Pelosi, in announcing a formal impeachment inquiry yesterday said:
"Today, I am announcing the House of Representatives moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. The President must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Actions taken to date by the President have seriously violated the Constitution."
Suffice it to say; there are many Democrats, liberals, independents, and even a few Republicans (his supporters write those off as Never Trumpers), who will argue Speaker Pelosi is late to the party. The Truth is Pelosi had been attempting to strike a delicate balance between her multidimensional Party’s varied interests. She frequently cited that the catalyst for Democrats regaining control of the House last November was it’s centrist messaging on healthcare (save and preserve Obamacare, e.g.), along with noting that most of the 40 seats Democrats picked up were in the suburbs where Trump made hay, unexpectedly, in 2016. In direct opposition to that narrative stood, among a few others, four women collectively known as The Squad, (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, NY, the best known of the four, Ilhan Omar, MN, Ayanna Pressley, MA, and Rashida Tlaib, MI); all of whom have figuratively shouted from the mountaintops that they believed Trump’s actions warranted impeachment.
Frequently, it appeared there was a schism in the Democratic Party, tied, implacably, to the I-word. As more of Ms. Pelosi’s Caucus came out in favor of upping the ante, it because more difficult, and finally perhaps simply untenable for the Speaker to swim upstream on the issue. Yesterday, she relented.
Meanwhile, as the march toward an impeachment inquiry, which was likely inexorable, continues, Trump carries on, seemingly oblivious to increasing concerns about his words, actions, policies, and indeed, whether he is in anyway tethered to reality. His rapid fire and boundless capacity to speak untruths and with a straight face, deny he said what he obviously said (because We The People have the receipts/there is often accompanying video/audio) doesn’t help his case. That is, unless you ask him, and his supporters. Team Trump will respond, “Obama said you can keep your doctor. With Trump well into the 5 digits, (over 12,000 lies in less than 3 years), deflecting to a pledge Obama made that was blocked by a recalcitrant GOP, is the ultimate in milquetoast responses. Of course, that hasn’t stopped…or even slowed Team Trump. Rather, they seemed committed (excuse the football metaphor) to run a sweep to the right side until the other team can stop them.
Well, it may not be successful, but alas, the Dems have formulated a defense. Increasingly, I am less concerned about the specific outcome than I am about seeing that someone is at least making an effort to preserve the concepts that were once widely viewed as the key strengths of our nation. Instead of raising the oft-repeated reprise of America, the exceptional nation, let’s call upon the nation that enslaved Africans, forced Native Americans across the Trail of Tears, burned down Black Wall Street (in Tulsa), lynched African Americans across the country, especially in the South, made redlining de rigueur, established Jim Crow as par for the course, and legitimized denying VA benefits to black soldiers returning home from World War II, to just be better. Own up to those and innumerable other wack, inhumane, and deleterious practices as being central to developing this country into the economic behemoth that it is, and yes, in a very un-Trump-like fashion, do the right thing, and apologize. But I digress.
Nancy Pelosi was right to resist her Party’s nascent urge to impeach Trump because he spoke in a bullying fashion, or even that he lied profusely. But, she is just a right to embrace impeaching a man who sides with Putin over American intelligence agencies, even when they are led by “the best people,” whom, incidentally, he chose. She is right to lend the authority of her office to impeaching a man who sought the aid of another country in investigating a political opponent.
Let’s be clear on this point. Politically this step has risky political implications. Many Democrats…and Republicans recall that the 1989 GOP House impeachment of Bill Clinton actually left him stronger. While it’s conceivable, Trump could turn this move into a winning hand, and totally certain he will try to spin it as the outgrowth of an angry left wing mob suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, and unable to get over having lost an election (he will say they should have won…which is interesting in itself), there comes a time to stand up and be counted upon to defend the principles one says one stands upon. Madame Speaker is saying that time is now. I concur. “Moving On: Nan Relents!”
I’m done; holla back!
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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Bill_Clinton
https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2019/09/moving-on-nan-relents.html
https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2019/09/moving-on-nan-relents.html
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