WAPO: It's not the Democrats who'll have a problem addressing impeachment

[emulatorloo]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/03/23/its-not-democrats-who-will-have-problem-addressing-impeachment/

It’s not the Democrats who’ll have a problem addressing impeachment
By Jennifer Rubin
Opinion writer
March 23 at 6:00 PM

<snip>

However, let’s say for the sake of argument that the [Mueller] report shows: 1.) Trump hired multiple campaign officials who had, collectively, more than 100 contacts with Russians and solicited a hostile foreign power’s help in winning the presidency; 2.) Trump lied repeatedly about his pursuit of a business deal with a hostile foreign power while running for president; and 3.) Trump took a slew of actions (from misleading the public to seeking leniency for Michael Flynn to intimidating witnesses in plain sight) that, if committed by anyone other than the president, would be grounds for indictment. Do the Republicans plan on running in 2020 under the banner: Leave the Russian patsy in power — or What’s a little obstruction between friends?

If so, they will have to defend not simply Trump’s criminal innocence but also his fitness to serve after committing all of the above. They’ll have to explain why none of that rises to the level of “high Crimes and Misdemeanor,” and why the country should allow him to continue as the chief executive charged with enforcement of the nation’s laws and the Constitution. Even in the best-case scenario for Trump, the facts we know about already are damning; in a world without a political party reduced to know-nothing cultists, they would be disqualifying for office.

That’s not all. Maybe before the 2020 election we’ll learn the results of the Southern District of New York investigation(s) on allegations of conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws, defraud banks and cheat on taxes, and other possible crimes. Are Republicans going to back a president who’s found responsible for any or all or those, or, if the investigation is not complete, back a president who, in his second term, could be found to have committed multiple financial crimes? What’s the defense? Hey, everyone pays off mistresses and files false campaign finance statements!

What gets lost in the discussion of impeachment vs. indictment and the presence or absence of a felony is the reaffirmation that Trump’s conduct — be it lying about his Russian business interests or trying to decapitate investigations — is in no sense acceptable for someone sworn to “take care” that the laws are enforced. He’s a menace to the presidency and to the rule of law and patently unfit to hold presidential powers. The Fox News hosts and their zombie audience will deny this, but what about “respectable" Republicans who like the tax cuts and judges but find most everything else objectionable? I suppose they could descend further into intellectual hackery and support reelection, but you’d think they’d at least consider looking for a nominee without an ocean liner full of baggage.

As for potential GOP primary challengers, now is the time, not to wait for polls but to make the case that, even if not indictable or impeachable, Trump in no shape or form should be entrusted with another four years in office. You’d think a few Republicans would feel a moral obligation to say as much.

<more at link>

[uponit7771]

1. K&R, democrats for the sake of democrats can at minimum take Red Don's actions against the US...

... to the people

[PandoraAwakened]

3. All of what emulatorloo says makes sense...

...in a sane world. Unfortunately, as Dorothy speculates in the Wizard of Oz, "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

While any one of the excellent points you bring up should be more than enough to eject the Candycorn Skidmark from the People's House, I'm afraid none of those reasons will make it happen.

What IS going to happen though is the ushering in of a Democratic President for the same reason we always get Dem presidents: The nation will find itself in dire need of someone to do the heavy lift of cleaning up the economic wreckage every single Republican president since Reagan has wrought with their stupid tax cuts for the rich trotted out under the guise of "trickle-down economics."

Mark my words, we will be in RECESSION by 2020. And that's the only thing that will make ignorant Rethugs go "hmmm...." Then, we'll get a Democratic President who will bust her ass for 8 years saving their sorry asses. Then, like clockwork, after that 8 years is up and the economy is singing again, the low-information Rethugs will suffer mass memory loss about how they got there, while the "smarter" Rethugs make shit up to scare the brain-dead bigots into putting them into power so they can once again steal all the financial gains made for all by the Democrats.

Vicious, redundant cycle. But hey, cheer up. At least in 2020 we'll be at the point in the cycle where Dems take over---unfortunately this will come only after an unlucky generation of people coming up on retirement age see their 401K savings completely wiped out.

[Thunderbeast]

2. SDNY works for William Barr

Those expecting any justice from this Justice Department will be dissapointed.

The fix was in as soon as Sessions was finally fired.

State charges from New York may bring down the Trump businesses, but serious criminal charges against individuals are not likely.

In Trump's celebration of "victory", expect blanket pardons under the premise that the whole investigation was illegitimate. Why?...because he can.

In 2016, Trump was elevated to King by the Russians. This weekend was his coronation.

Tell me why anyone thinks Putin won't do it again next year. There are enough bible-thumping, gun toting racists for the formula to work again. The Democratic nominee will be painted with the same brush used on HRC.