Anonymous wrote:First, this shouldn't be a political issue. Impeachment is serious, and should be done for the right reasons, not because it is politically advantageous.

Second, I despise Trump. I believe in the Constitution and the rule of law, and believe that he is a threat to both.

But I oppose impeachment based upon what we know at this time.

If we were to impeach Trump for attempts at obstruction of justice, then we should have impeached Obama for authorizing targeted drone strikes against American citizens, Bush II for authorizing domestic spying programs, and should have convicted Clinton for lying to Congress. As well as Johnson for lying to Congress. All of which were incontrovertably un-Constitutional actions. Obstruction of justice is bad, but it does not reach those levels.

Congress cannot and should not impeach a president because it does not like him. There has to be an indisputable basis for any attempt at impeachment. I don't see it here.

Sure, Congress can and should form a committee to investigate this further, pass a bill to censure the president, and so forth. But I oppose the use of impeachment for a crime that is less that other presidents have committed without punishment.

A ridiculous comparison. Trump is a criminal.

Anonymous wrote:this is an absolute mistake for the dems. right thing to do or not, i don't see how this pays off politically.

I think there can be no doubt that trump is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. The House has a Constitutional duty to investigate all of his crimes and impeach. It is immaterial that the Senate will not convict. Impeachment and conviction should not be based on party but on the crimes committed.

This is a Bill Clinton impeachment in reverse but Clinton was guilty of lying about sex. If we could impeach every male member of Congress who has lied about sex, there would be no men in Congress!

First, this shouldn't be a political issue. Impeachment is serious, and should be done for the right reasons, not because it is politically advantageous.

Second, I despise Trump. I believe in the Constitution and the rule of law, and believe that he is a threat to both.

But I oppose impeachment based upon what we know at this time.

If we were to impeach Trump for attempts at obstruction of justice, then we should have impeached Obama for authorizing targeted drone strikes against American citizens, Bush II for authorizing domestic spying programs, and should have convicted Clinton for lying to Congress. As well as Johnson for lying to Congress. All of which were incontrovertably un-Constitutional actions. Obstruction of justice is bad, but it does not reach those levels.

Congress cannot and should not impeach a president because it does not like him. There has to be an indisputable basis for any attempt at impeachment. I don't see it here.

Sure, Congress can and should form a committee to investigate this further, pass a bill to censure the president, and so forth. But I oppose the use of impeachment for a crime that is less that other presidents have committed without punishment.

Don't have time to sit down and read the Mueller report? It's available for free on audible.com.

Democrats are afraid of looking like they're picking on Trump, because of the way Starr harassed Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky stuff. But the Trump obstruction stuff is much worse than Lewinsky and Watergate. Trump's approval ratings are dropping, the more people learn about the Mueller report, I wouldn't be surprised if they continued to drop as people learn more through hearings.

Various House Committees should hold hearings and have witnesses on Trump's numerous issues. And it all needs to be televised, unrelentingly, day after day, just like the Watergate hearings were. And, then, they write about 30 articles of impeachment, pass most of them and send them to the Senate. And then the Senate must hold an impeachment trial - let them try to make a mockery of it. At that point it doesn't matter if they acquit Trump - irreparable damage will already have been done to both him and the GOP.

Just because the GOP made a joke of the impeachment process with the Ken Starr charade that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done in Trump's case, where the evidence is overwhelming and goes right to the very heart of the integrity of our government.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just read that Atlantic article by the Republican transition adviser about impeachment.

You might be on to something.

Here is the link you reference

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/gop-staffer-advocates-trumps-impeachment/587785/

It is really something else. I do not understand how anyone can defend this president.

Pretty damning on Pence, there.

Anonymous wrote:I just read that Atlantic article by the Republican transition adviser about impeachment.

You might be on to something.

Here is the link you reference

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/gop-staffer-advocates-trumps-impeachment/587785/

It is really something else. I do not understand how anyone can defend this president.

Anonymous wrote:this is an absolute mistake for the dems. right thing to do or not, i don't see how this pays off politically.

I disagree.

First, it is about our Constitution and Democracy in general. The Congress (GOP too) has an obligation to uphold the law. If it is obvious that there is a president who is breaking the law while in the white house or who broke the law to get into the white house in the first place, or who is blatantly violating their oath of office, then the Congress needs to take action.

Second, this isn't a witch hunt. A GOP appointed DAG appointed a GOP special counsel to investigation Russian interference. It has been demonstrated that there was interference and it is ongoing; and it is clear there was/is obstruction of justice around the investigation into the interference.

These are serious crimes against the United States of America. If a President can (rightfully IMO) be impeached for lying under oath about a blowjob, then this should be a no-brainer.

Third, it puts certain Senators in a position of having to either defend a no vote or face the voters in the 2020 election. History will be watching each and every one of these Senators.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not going to hold my breath but it's the right thing to do.

As an independent, I thought it would be a mistake but the right thing to do.

Now I'm leaning more towards the right thing to do.

Anonymous wrote:this is an absolute mistake for the dems. right thing to do or not, i don't see how this pays off politically.

Trump is longing for this ....... it will be a major distraction

this is an absolute mistake for the dems. right thing to do or not, i don't see how this pays off politically.

I'm not going to hold my breath but it's the right thing to do.

I just read that Atlantic article by the Republican transition adviser about impeachment.

You might be on to something.

Seem pretty inevitable now.

There was a little bit of floating and uncertainty last week and through the weekend as people processed the implications of the Mueller Report, but I'm sensing this week that there is a clearer understanding that the President did in fact obstruct justice. Congress investigations will not only confirm that by hearing key witnesses on the issues, but also keep the President's misdeeds in the spotlight, live on TV, for weeks or months. Trump has everything to lose in that scenario, because his approval rating has always gone down whenever his most egregious behaviors have been foremost in people's minds.

Seen in that light, it matters little to Democrats that the Senate will acquit the President. The important thing is for impeachment proceedings to start, to prove that Congress is doing the job it was appointed to do. If Republicans don't want to impeach, it will be on their heads, not on the heads of Democrats.

And to people saying additional investigations or impeachment proceedings take away from critically important (campaign) topics such as climate change, healthcare, gun control, etc, I don't think so. Democrats and Republicans have been pursuing their respective agendas throughout the roller-coaster ride of this White House administration. These people can multitask, and voters can pay attention to multiple topics.