Dems talk about impeachment 20 times as much as Republicans
By Molly K. Hooper - 08/07/14 06:00 AM EDT
Congressional Democrats have talked about the impeachment of President Obama 20 times more than Republicans have on the House and Senate floors.
Since the start of the 113th Congress last year, Democrats have used the word “impeach” or “impeachment” regarding Obama 86 times, according to a review of the Congressional Record by The Hill.
Utterances on the floor from Republicans about impeaching Obama, in contrast, have been relatively rare. Only three Republicans in this Congress have raised the subject on the House floor, and the words have been used a total of four times by GOP members.
Most of the talk has come from House Democrats, with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas) alone using the words 18 times in two separate speeches late last month.
In the Senate, where the GOP hopes to retake a majority this fall, not a single Republican has mentioned impeachment on the floor over the last couple of years.
The figures highlight how impeachment has been a hot topic for Democrats, and one most Republicans want to avoid.
The campaign arm for House Democrats raised $2.1 million in online donations over a single July weekend while talking up the possibility that Republicans would impeach Obama.
Most Republicans have sought to avoid the topic, which they see as a lose-lose situation.
Talking up impeachment, the theory goes, could increase turnout among Democrats at the polls and sabotage GOP efforts to take back the Senate. But pooh-poohing the idea of impeachment looks bad to the GOP base.
Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who Republicans hope will defeat Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) this fall, dodged questions Tuesday night about impeachment on Fox News.
Asked by host Neil Cavuto if Obama would warrant impeachment by issuing executive orders giving legal status to undocumented workers, Cotton wouldn’t even mention the word.
“Neil, I don't want to engage in speculation about hypothetical actions the president may or may not take,” Cotton said.
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