If you believe the spin put out by even some reputable news outlets, Nancy Pelosi is a genius; a “master strategist.” We’re told she has Trump’s number; knows how to get under his skin; plays chess while Trump plays checkers; has Trump wrapped around her little pinky … and so on and so on.
The reality is Nancy Pelosi is none of the above. By not initiating impeachment proceedings, she is no better than her loathsome Republican counterparts. She is putting party above country … politics above the rule of law.
It’s pretty sad when some Republicans are calling for Trump’s impeachment … but not the Democratic Speaker of the House! If Pelosi had her druthers, Trump’s fate would be decided by the 2020 election.
A current Republican U.S. representative, Justin Amash (R-MI), has called for Trump’s impeachment. And now a former Republican representative, Tom Coleman, from the red state of Missouri, is calling both Trump and Pence ‘illegitimate.”
Said Coleman in an article he recently wrote for The Kansas City Star, “While Mueller did not find sufficient evidence that Trump or his campaign had violated a criminal statute, the net effect was that the Trump campaign encouraged a foreign adversary to use and misrepresent stolen information on social media platforms to defraud U.S. voters. Because the presidency was won in this way, the president’s election victory brought forth nothing less than an illegitimate presidency.”
Coleman goes on to say, “The political calculus not to pursue impeachment is understandable. Current polls show a majority of voters do not favor it. But critical times require exceptional leadership. Lawmakers of both parties should not blindly follow the polls but instead follow the evidence and their conscience. Politics should not rule the day. Partisan politics is what got us to this dangerous place — so dangerous, I believe, that the survival of our democracy is at risk.”
“Master Strategist” Pelosi needs to start, at the very least, an impeachment inquiry ASAP. Get the evidence out. The American people will be on board with formal impeachment once they learn the true facts contained in the Mueller report.
As Coleman noted, “This process would allow a full public review of wrongdoing, while providing Americans an opportunity to obtain a better understanding of the consequences to our national security and the lingering threat to our democracy.”
Tom Coleman concludes his opinion piece with this poignant observation:
I believe the public would conclude Democrats are no better than the Republicans who have enabled Trump for the past two years, putting party above country. It could hand Trump a second term. Failure to pursue impeachment is to condone wrongdoing. To condone wrongdoing is to encourage more of it. To encourage wrongdoing is to give up on the rule of law and our democracy. To give up on the rule of law and democracy invites autocracy and eventually dictatorship. History has taught us this outcome. In my lifetime, it has occurred in other places including the Soviet Union and Germany, as well as in Russia and Venezuela today.
Nancy do your duty, politics be damned.
Photo | youtube.com
Just saw this at Daily KOS; thank you. If Pelosi won’t get moving, and if our allies won’t get moving, then the rest of us need to take to the streets and demand that justice be done. Impeachment protests on June 1st, but they can’t stop there!
Pelosi needs to do her duty. What the Constitution calls for. Period!
Every day I become increasingly uneasy about the Dems’ inaction on impeachment. I have actually read the Mueller report. I think it’s quite clear, despite Mueller’s instinctive reluctance to charge or indict, that he and his team fully expected Congress to carry the ball across the line. The evidence, despite the redaction, could not be overwhelming. Trump and his allies are overwhelmingly guilty of obstruction and abuse of power. “Collusion” is not a thing, and the evidence perhaps does not quite add up to criminal conspiracy (though given more information it could). I’m old enough to remember vividly the corruption of Richard Nixon and HIS allies resulting in his resignation from office rather than go down the impeachment road. Trump is light years more criminal and corrupt than Nixon. Congress has a constitutional and moral obligation to start impeachment hearings. I find it increasingly unacceptable that Dems are dragging their heels on this, favoring political calculation over principle. That is why I send my campaign donations to congressional and presidential campaigns only to those who want to impeach
Couldn’t agree with you more, Lesley!
If the Dems do nothing, they are no better than the repugs. Need to stand up for something. The electorate will reward you.
Yes!
Pelosi had been the focus of Republican spin attacks for years. When the focus of those attacks shifted to Hillary Clinton before the last presidential election people were able to see plainly what an effective legislator she has always been (which is why the attacks were started).
Of course the problem with impeachment is that 30% of the country are ignoring Trump’s self dealing and collusion and are convinced that he is the best president since Lincoln ( see Scott Baio and John Voight). Because of this the investigations need to run their course so that all the facts are out in the open. Pelosi is just following protocol.
Very valid points.