Trump has something to hide, or he would have released his tax returns already. Well said. Concur. Another factor to consider is Trump's potential impeachment does not mean he's been criminally charged. That cannot happen to a sitting president. The statute of limitations for obstruction is 5 years and would expire in 2022. So if he get re-elected, he can't be criminally charged. Of course Team Trump will attempt to confuse the public by saying Trump hasn't been charged with a crime so he shouldn't be impeached when in reality it's the inverse. He must be impeached and removed from office before he can be charged. So yes, I agree the Dems have a constitutional duty to open Impeachment proceedings regardless if they think they'll succeed. Do your duty and let the chips fall. The obstruction charge is enough to start the proceedings and we certainly will learn more facts during the debate at which point the Senate may uncover the smoking gun (I think in his finances). You gotta do it.
The Mueller Report Was My Tipping Point I was a Trump transition staffer, and I’ve seen enough. It’s time for impeachment. 8:22 AM ET J. W. Verret Professor of law at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
I'm actually more open to impeachment but I still think it takes up to much energy in Congress when elections are right around the corner and Democrats are better served showing that they can govern better and actually have a plan for the future. My main problem is that investigations will do the same as impeachment since there is no chance he is removed from office, just really don't want impeachment being the top story 24/7 when it will largely be a symbolic gesture.
Again, stating opinion. "no chance"? If they uncover bribery, embezzlement and campaign finance violations, then the chance is greater than zero. Regarding your 2nd point that America should simply focus on the campaign issues? 1. The winner of our last election brazenly sought the support of a hostile government 2. No commission has been established to combat the attack on our election Note: After Sept 11, GWB established the 9/11 commission. After Pearl Harbor, FDR established the Roberts Commission. Why hasn't the government taken any steps to avoid election interference again that was clearly highly orchestrated and very broad? It is naïve to think it won't do it again. What will we do different? Trump has every motivation to maintain any advantage he gained including help by the Russians. ...and he's the guy we are relying on to block future election interference? His lack of concern on investigating the Russians should be a campaign issue. The best way to have that discussion will be through impeachment proceedings. It may not come soon enough but it is what it is. We can't sit back and be passive and just say "oh, it'll be hard so let's just not bother". Yes, it'll be hard. Let's pull up our panties and deal with it.
There is zero chance that the Senate would vote for impeachment of Trump ZERO. They can uncover that stuff through investigations why can't you acknowledge that. Why does anything other than impeachment mean we are passive? impeachment will do nothing to allege your concerns about Russian interference and why can't we have ongoing discussions during the investgations? This whole passive argument can miss me, you are sounding like republicans who care only about a pound of flesh.
You and I have differing opinions. That is fine, we can disagree. I think I understand your position. You don't think Trump's actions are severe enough to warrant attention by the Senate to remove him from office, so why bother? Got it. On a technicality, the senate can't impeach Trump ...only Congress can do that. I don't actually care if the Senate removes him. It's a moral thing. My belief that if Trump is a crook, congress should do their constitutional duty and fully investigate Trump which, before looking at his finances, already has enough to impeach. The ball is in Congress' court, not the Senate. Because "nobody is above the law". -source: multiple supreme court rulings I guess I don't understand what you mean by an investigation. If Trump is a crook, he should be impeached. Period. If in preliminary investigations or the impeachment investigations, they find no additional criminal activity then so be it. If they do, they are bound by the constitution to act. Because Trump has a vested interest to suppress investigations into Russian election interference since he's a beneficiary So my opinion is the best way to learn more about Russian interference is investigate Trump ...since the two topics seem to be fundamentally intertwined, albeit different. You don't see it that way. Fine.
Why are you not acknowledging that Congress is continuing to investigate Trump. You act like they have just stopped everything. i agree that the best way to find out more about Russian interference and Trumps criminal acts is to investigate and Congress is doing just that. You seem to think the only way to do that is impeachment that's where we disagree.
I think for the most point there is not a strong chance at this point even with the Mueller report the best thing to do is beat him in 2020.
Yep, I believe they should still move to impeach, following the process, because the current evidence is enough to bring criminal charges once he leaves office if the statute of limitations hasn't expired. Any new findings may have enough meat to convince the Senate. If they find nothing new, impeach anyway and hold the moral high ground. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
They can bring criminal charges anyway without impeachment. I don't understand why impeachment is the only way to hold the moral high ground not that I think that matters anyway.
Wrong. A long standing OLC policy states a sitting president can't be charged for a crime. He must leave office first. Again, the statute of limitation on obstruction would expire in 2022. Should he get re-elected, he potentially gets off clean for the alleged crime due to a technicality. I believe he should face those charges.
trump seems to be obsessed with impeachment risk... Of course, the market did well the last time a president faced impeachment... When Clinton Was Impeached, Markets Gained; With Trump, It Might Be Different https://www.thestreet.com/story/141...-gained-with-trump-it-might-be-different.html
Congress has a moral and ethical imperative to excise this cancer to our institutions of government. The House should do their civic duty to make the case for impeachment and then let the GOP Senate pay the price for failing to take out the trash.
Exactly. The expanse of Presidential power is reaching a critically dangerous level. If this President can welcome a foreign power to hack political adversaries and obstruct justice then what's the point of Congress and the Judiciary having checks on the President?
Even the National Review is mocking the Democrats now for backing themselves in a corner on the impeachment issue: "Democratic Leadership Can’t Find Its Backbone on Impeachment." https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/04/democratic-leadership-cant-find-its-backbone-on-impeachment/
So has your stance changed from “Lol keep hope alive Dems!” to “Its so obvious that there was wrong-doing that Dems need to impeach! And they aren’t. Lol Dems” It seems that those two opinions are a bit contradictory. Especially coming from a self proclaimed moderate Democrat.
