The Briefing Room
General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: mystery-ak on June 07, 2014, 11:41:46 pm
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http://washingtonexaminer.com/impeachment-off-gop-fears-it-will-rally-obama-democrats/article/2549416 (http://washingtonexaminer.com/impeachment-off-gop-fears-it-will-rally-obama-democrats/article/2549416)
Impeachment off, GOP fears it will rally Obama Democrats
BY PAUL BEDARD | JUNE 6, 2014 | 10:29 AM
Despite anger in many quarters of the nation over the president's prisoner swap, Republicans are backing off impeachment threats because they fear it would rally President Obama's Democratic base and kill the GOP's chances to win the Senate, according to congressional insiders and sources.
“150 days out from a general election is not a realistic time to begin such a solemn and Constitutionally important process,” said one advisor to House GOP leaders.
“That would have the opposite effect of what we are planning for in November. We are planning for fewer Democrats in the House and fewer Democrats in the Senate and less power for President Obama in January. Impeachment, which would never pass the Senate, and would rally Obama’s currently demoralized base, would limit, if not eliminate possible GOP gains in the House and Senate,” added the advisor.
A top Republican aide added, “that is an accurate assessment. The Democrats are divided on so many issues right now there's no reason to give them a reason to rally."
While some members have publicly warned that impeachment is on the table should the president violate another law like the one that required him to notify Congress prior to coughing up Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, discussions on the Capitol Hill have been limited to the impact it would have on the elections.
Still, the impeachment movement is picking up speed outside the beltway.
“My sense in doing interviews and talking to people around the country,” said Faithless Execution author Andrew C. McCarthy, “is that there’s a lot more anger about this in the country than the corridor between New York and Washington.”
He added: “I do get a very real sense that there is a lot more anger about lawlessness in the country.” And, said McCarthy, whose new book lays out the legal case for impeachment, “It’s been festering for a long time.”
The former prosecutor said that he has been surprised that the public is warming up to considering impeachment.
“Suddenly the world ‘impeachment,’ which I would say as little as three or four months ago, sent people certainly inside the beltway diving under their desks, now in polite society you are actually allowed to use the ‘I’ word,” he said.
“The point is, if you are going to combat presidential lawlessness under circumstances where it now looks like we’ve got two and a half years to go with an administration that seems to have thrown caution to the wind and is just moving ahead with the most extravagant parts of the agenda and is going to use its raw power to try to accomplish this, you can’t have a sensible adult conversation with how the U.S. Constitution deals with presidential lawlessness without at least broaching the subject of impeachment,” he said.
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Anyone who seriously considers impeachment of Obama is a brain-dead idiot. I see Andy McCarthy fits in that category.
Why do something that has NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS? Shades of the government shutdown.
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I agree....focus on the election and let's revisit this next year if and when the Senate is out of Harry Reid's hands...
:smokin:
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I agree....focus on the election and let's revisit this next year if and when the Senate is out of Harry Reid's hands...
:smokin:
Agreed - but one proviso. Scandals are like pets. They die if left alone too long. So keep up the pressure on every scandal. Keep it fresh in the average Joe's mind.
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Anyone who seriously considers impeachment of Obama is a brain-dead idiot. I see Andy McCarthy fits in that category.
Why do something that has NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS? Shades of the government shutdown.
This is worse. At least with the budget, you had something the Democrats wanted and could use for leverage—the fact the GOP bailed on the strategy before getting any concessions is their fault.
With impeachment, and a co-conspirator in charge of the Senate, there's nothing there that can get the Democrats to go your way. Now, come 2015, IF, and that's a huge IF, the GOP can take back the Senate, then they can go over the laundry list of crimes the Obama administration, with Reid & Co.'s help, has committed and move forward with it.
But not one moment before that happens.
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Agreed - but one proviso. Scandals are like pets. They die if left alone too long. So keep up the pressure on every scandal. Keep it fresh in the average Joe's mind.
There's too much material here for most people to process. Let the state candidates for office pick the thing that is most important for their state - some will focus on the carbon rules, some on the VA scandal, some on the immigration fiasco and so on. It doesn't matter if every scandal is covered. It only matters that the dims are out of power after Jan 20th.
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This is worse. At least with the budget, you had something the Democrats wanted and could use for leverage—the fact the GOP bailed on the strategy before getting any concessions is their fault.
With impeachment, and a co-conspirator in charge of the Senate, there's nothing there that can get the Democrats to go your way. Now, come 2015, IF, and that's a huge IF, the GOP can take back the Senate, then they can go over the laundry list of crimes the Obama administration, with Reid & Co.'s help, has committed and move forward with it.
But not one moment before that happens.
Not even then. There won't be 67 Senators who would vote to convict. No point in impeaching if you can't convict.
STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM IMPEACHMENT!!! The whole experience with Clinton soured two generations on impeachment, and the GOP can't win pursuing this strategy.
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I think there is a valid case to be made for impeachment. I also agree it would be a stupid move at this point. I can't help but think several of OPapaDoc's actions of late have been calculated to provoke GOP overreaction. No sense playing into his hands. Let the public express itself in November. It will be here soon enough.
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Why can't republicans be honest about this? They aren't afraid it will energize the left, they're afraid of the race card. It was almost the same situation with Bile Clinton but he was white so the house went ahead and impeached him.
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Why can't republicans be honest about this? They aren't afraid it will energize the left, they're afraid of the race card. It was almost the same situation with Bile Clinton but he was white so the house went ahead and impeached him.
They aren't afraid of anything other than loosing their jobs! They aren't smart enough to figure out that MOST Americans would get behind any impeachment effort with GREAT vigor!
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I think there is a valid case to be made for impeachment. I also agree it would be a stupid move at this point. I can't help but think several of OPapaDoc's actions of late have been calculated to provoke GOP overreaction. No sense playing into his hands. Let the public express itself in November. It will be here soon enough.
Agreed. And I also agree with sinkspur, why pursue something that can't possible do any good? EC makes a good point, keep the scandals fresh, November is on the horizon now.
I am seeing and hearing people in the blue part of Ohio expressing disgust with Obama. November has the potential to be good for the country.
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Agreed. And I also agree with sinkspur, why pursue something that can't possible do any good? EC makes a good point, keep the scandals fresh, November is on the horizon now.
I am seeing and hearing people in the blue part of Ohio expressing disgust with Obama. November has the potential to be good for the country.
What is concerning to me is, what will they do when it gets close to November and they are still mired in scandals? We saw what they did when Benghazi threatened to take Obama down a few more notches, at a time when he could not afford it. What have they got in the wings to bring out at the last minute to "save Obama" this time around? You know they have contingency plans - they have to.
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What is concerning to me is, what will they do when it gets close to November and they are still mired in scandals? We saw what they did when Benghazi threatened to take Obama down a few more notches, at a time when he could not afford it. What have they got in the wings to bring out at the last minute to "save Obama" this time around? You know they have contingency plans - they have to.
Sometimes you can dig a hole deep enough that even your contingency plans stink on ice. Let's hope that's the case.
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Sometimes you can dig a hole deep enough that even your contingency plans stink on ice. Let's hope that's the case.
I pray for that everyday. :beer:
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What is concerning to me is, what will they do when it gets close to November and they are still mired in scandals? We saw what they did when Benghazi threatened to take Obama down a few more notches, at a time when he could not afford it. What have they got in the wings to bring out at the last minute to "save Obama" this time around? You know they have contingency plans - they have to.
Obama's not running. It won't matter what they do. The damage is done.
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Let's be blunt here, the GOP can't organize an erection if you spot them a Viagra and couple co-eds.
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Anyone who seriously considers impeachment of Obama is a brain-dead idiot...
Why do something that has NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS?
:da man:
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bkmk
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I think there is a valid case to be made for impeachment. I also agree it would be a stupid move at this point. I can't help but think several of OPapaDoc's actions of late have been calculated to provoke GOP overreaction. No sense playing into his hands. Let the public express itself in November. It will be here soon enough.
agreed