First of all let me just preface this entry by saying this first: I am a huge fan of Speaker Pelosi. She shepherded through so much essential legislation in the Obama era, she is a political and tactical mastermind with years and years of experience. I don’t want to even come close to being one of these arm chair progressives who pretend to know the best. I think she is absolutely a fine politician who needs no advice from me on matters of strategy or tactics, and honestly I am not planning on doling advice out on those ends.
Besides that, I know what she is seeing and the tactical calculation she is making on impeachment. She sees an election coming up in 2020, when the electorate will once again get the chance to weigh in on the job the President is doing. She sees a deep democratic bench, filled to the brim with capable, hearty souls ready to do war against the Trump regime for months. If I were her, taking a look at all the resources at my disposal, I would be severely reluctant to play the impeachment card. I mean, strategically this is a trump card (good lord, just...I am not trying to go there). She knows she gets ONE bite at this apple. I mean, yes, you could make the argument that we could pursue impeachment AGAIN, but I believe and more importantly, I believe Speaker Pelosi herself believes that we would get absolutely hammered for that. So much so that a second impeachment trial would be a circus, and the American people would inevitably side with the republicans, who would play the harassed victim card, and have a pretty damn strong argument at that. So I believe Speaker Pelosi sees that her caucus has ONE BITE at the impeachment apple before its no longer credible. Playing by THOSE rules, I see her logic. Wait. See where this goes. Maybe we can take Trump out politically without even having to lift a finger on the impeachment front. Trumps voted out. Becomes a private citizen, Speaker Pelosi gets her wish when New York State goes after him for...well, many of the well documented crimes he has allegedly committed over the years.
Speaker Pelosi sees one bite. One chance to play the impeachment card, and absolutely no motivation tactically to play it. If I were a tactician, I’d say hell of a move.
Game has been changing though...talk of concentration camps. Extremely harsh conditions in massive tent cities. Human rights abuses…children being scarred for their young lives at the hands of the US government, ICE becoming, not hyperbole, a Trump paramilitary force at the border.
Talk of Trump obliterating Iran. Operation go bomb them bomb the shit out of them WAIT NO STAND DOWN THATS AN ORDER. Escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S.
Its becoming clear that we may not be able to afford to wait. That, despite the immovable force that is the Senate, we have to start the impeachment process, and call it impeachment. Trump is committing well publicized abuses, provoking countries into war, making policy decisions by twitter, and worse of all, TORTURING CHILDREN SYSTEMICALLY, not to mention talking openly of obliterating an entire country.
At what point is it time to say, ethically, enough is enough. I mean, its silly, we have been investigating Trump this whole time, but its time to give this teeth. Its time to show that we are serious about preserving some semblance of our constitution and our way of life against this absolute hell of an onslaught by people that would see it destroyed. Trump may have committed serious human rights violations, and not just in far flung place (not that that is any better, just not as tangible to the american sensibility, looking at you entire tenure of George W. Bush), but right here in the United States of America. Children in camps. Concentration camps, right here in the United States…….again.
I can’t think of a better reason to take yourself out of a tactical holding pattern and go on the offensive right now. This isn’t about political strategy or tactical advantage or even politics itself, its about these questions: can we really live with concentration camps on american soil in the Modern US? Can we allow the man who openly talks of obliterating entire countries control of our vast nuclear arsenal? Can we ignore the hundreds of professionals that openly question the President’s capacity to lead? Can we really ignore the president’s very public slide into malignant narcissism and proto-fascism?
Speaker Pelosi, again, I trust your leadership and judgment, but I respectfully disagree that slow rolling impeachment until the election is the correct course of action here. The times call for more than the Machiavellian back room wheeling and dealing of the past. We must be open and honest with ourselves and the American people. This isn’t a presidency, its a criminal regime. Allowing that regime to exist with impunity is acceptance and normalization of that regime. That acceptance and normalization of a criminal presidency will destroy the institution as we know it, and perhaps the great nation which it leads.
At this point, impeachment should not be seen as a vehicle for Democratic control of the presidency, that should be seen as, perhaps, a beneficial side effect, it should be seen as a constitutional duty to preserve any semblance for hope of American democracy.
Hopefully, as I type this, an impeachment inquiry into the president is already on its way over his administrations absolute ABHORRENCE of a border policy…
But, I wont hold my breath. Hopefully we can vote this pustule out of office. But I would FAR prefer he be removed from office. And the only way to begin is to lay this out to the american people in HIGHLY televised hearings where agencies like ICE, DHS, DOJ, etc are ROASTED for their failure to protect children.