It really shouldn't need to be said at this point. I don't think anybody participating in this discussion is under any delusion that a Republican Senate would ever impeach Donald Trump. I don't understand why this keeps coming back to that. The people who want to see Trump impeached know that this will die in the Senate. This is news to absolutely nobody. What we want is the 2020 energy that would come not just from the desire to see Trump voted out of office, but from the real gut feeling that we're fighting on the behalf of the party that will stick its neck out to do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. That will prove their rhetoric on the sanctity of American institutions and governance. Not cowards, pitiless number crunchers and reactionaries who we have to prop up because the alternative is worse. I want to go out on the field and say STAND FOR DEMOCRATS BECAUSE WE'LL STAND FOR YOU. Not STAND FOR DEMOCRATS BECAUSE...hold on, let me check the latest polls.
The even bigger irony here is that Democratic leadership is refusing to pursue Impeachment because it won't survive the Senate in favor of...pursuing legislation that also won't survive the Senate. If they won't do this then all of that is meaningless. Might as well just sit back, block bills, eat more fried chicken, and pray 2020 goes our way.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
A month or so ago, I was for the cautious approach. But after reading the Mueller Report and then the complete stone-walling of information and witnesses by the WH/DoJ, and the latest revelations from Michael Flynn filings and Michael Cohen testimony on Obstruction of Justice, Democrats have to AT LEAST start an impeachment inquiry. There is strong evidence of clear crimes and the WH is acting completely lawless right now. This isn't the time for DEMs to make decisions based on 538 polls. It's now about exercising real oversight and accountability even if the public isn't there yet. As you said, if Democrats can't take a stand when it's tough even though they have the moral and legal high ground, how are we suppose to trust them to institute bold climate change or healthcare policies???
I mean Pelosi can't even give a legitimate reason for not beginning impeachment proceedings. She's basically giving veto power to 538 polls and the GOP on oversight. If the polls don't look great and if the GOP isn't onboard, then "oh well". Just let the administration keep being lawless and systematically defy Congress on every level. Just lie back and Think of England.
I know Pelosi and a lot of the DEM leadership have PTSD of 2010 when GOP razed the DEM majority to the ground in the midterms. Yes the DEM majority is a bit fragile this time, but Trump is extremely unpopular. If they move quickly on impeachment, they can get it off the books before the primaries begin. More importantly this isn't a witch hunt, there are serious issues and so far they've been able to be obscured because the majority of the public hasn't read the Report and they're just going off Barr/Trump spin. If we get to the point of putting articles of impeachment on paper (I nominate Amash to author it), then it will be extremely difficult to spin away especially to 55-60% of the public. If the Senate doesn't want to convict Trump, then that's on them. But at least Trump's legacy will be tarnished, which is extremely important in making sure Trumpism is disgraced and short-circuited. Impeaching Trump even without a conviction is way to prevent having another Trump/Sarah Sanders in 4-8 years from now. We have to make blatant corruption, lying, and lawlessness have consequences, otherwise Republicans will just learn they can just keep doing those things as long as they stonewall. Imagine Child Separation, Hurricane Maria Response, Denial of Asylum and times it by 10. This WH administration is using the DoJ as their own in-house legislative body and just making up their own rules.
