Pelosi Not Budging on Impeachment and Her Colleagues Are Privately Screaming

[sharedvalues]

“She’s still holding back,” one pro-impeachment lawmaker said of the Speaker. “If impeachment isn’t for this, why is impeachment in the Constitution?”

“Colleagues in Congress: if this isn't impeachable abuse of power, what is?” asked Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) on Twitter Friday afternoon. “I'm sick of the parsing, dithering & political overcalculating.”

A Democratic aide, speaking anonymously to discuss the mood in the caucus, put it even more bluntly. “I don’t know why the hell any of us are here if we’re not going to impeach him for this,” the aide said. “Trump has no reason to change, because we won’t make him.”

But it remains the case that only Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will decide whether the caucus moves forward with impeachment. On Friday afternoon, she called on the Trump administration to end the stonewalling on the whistleblower complaint—and promised that her committees will move to get it if they do not comply. But, notably, she did not broach the topic of impeachment.

“Reports of a reliable whistleblower complaint regarding the President’s communications with a foreign leader raise grave, urgent concerns for our national security,” she said.

The comments sparked renewed frustration among the ranks of lawmakers worried that the failure to begin impeachment proceedings has effectively abetted more ethically-dubious activity from Trump.

“She’s still holding back,” one pro-impeachment lawmaker said of Pelosi. “If impeachment isn’t for this, why is impeachment in the constitution?”

...

One top Democratic party operative who has pushed impeachment in private briefings with lawmakers said he suspected Pelosi actually wanted to have her hand forced by her caucus. “That's why I don't think it is an act of disloyalty for Dems to put pressure on her,” the person said. “She wants them to do it so it is politically safe for if she does it.”

Others are doubtful that many more Democrats will move on impeachment unless or until Pelosi comes out for it. “She’s the linchpin,” said the House Democratic aide.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/nancy-pelosi-not-budging-on-impeachment-and-her-colleagues-are-privately-screaming

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Pour on the pressure. An email a day to the Speaker.

[mtngirl47]

22. Call her every day.

A flood of phone calls will take more staff time than emails...plus lots of calls could tie up the switchboard which catches more attention than emails.

Nancy Pelosi 202-225-4965

[Maven]

2. "so it is politically safe if she does it"

Ugh.

[elleng]

4. Right. 'Safe' for whom?

[Maven]

6. Her intransigence is reckless on a number of levels

It risks the loss of what is left of our democracy

It risks fracturing the Democratic Party

It is killing the morale and enthusiasm of the base

[elleng]

12. I agree. She hasn't been a reckless person,

has been very strategic in the past, so I wonder what's holding her up.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. Yes, it's time already!

I’ve been giving her the benefit of the doubt because I respect the helloutofher, but it’s finally my last straw as far as she’s concerned.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

37. It's mind-boggling!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[kacekwl]

3. Love to see a list of

Democratic house members who have yet to call for impeachment.

[elleng]

5. Those she's trying to 'protect'

from having to come 'out,' saving their seats?

[BigmanPigman]

17. Here's a list and it is up to date.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/23/politics/democrats-impeachment-whip-list/index.html

[mopinko]

29. that's the pros. who are the antis? they need to be targeted.

[Docreed2003]

7. We need two things right now regarding holding Trump accountable

Leadership and a clear concise message for the American people that can be repeated ad nauseam on every major media outlet.

Right now, we have neither of those things

[Catch2.2]

24. Exactly!!!!

[sharedvalues]

38. Yes we do have a message, read this

Link to tweet

[Zoonart]

8. Count the votes.

She does not yet have the votes in the house to pass.
I think the votes will start to move this week. Just MHO.

[elleng]

13. I hope you're right;

could be.

[Triloon]

45. It's the House Whips job to count the votes

and to enforce discipline within the caucus on voting in accord with party values. The current House Whip, James Clyburn, has the responsibility of herding the votes.
So what is Mr Clyburn's stance on an impeachment resolution?
“I’m probably farther away from impeachment than anybody in our caucus,” Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters Monday night. “We will not get out in front of our committees. We’ll see what the committees come up with. I’ve said that forever.” This is from June 3.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/03/clyburn-impeachment-comments-1352477

The third member of the House power troika is Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader. His stance is also "Let's wait and see what the comittees say".
The obstruction of the WH is successfully preventing the committees from saying much of anything. So should we just keep waiting for something?
Maybe the Whip could whip some votes.

[samnsara]

9. ive been solidly on her side until now....even if it doesnt go thru the Senate..

..its still a big ol FUCK YOU TRUMP and an * by his name... Tom Steyer will send you ImpeachNow postcards..pre-stamped and pre addressed to members of Congress.. you just have to fill in your message.

[babylonsister]

10. As much as I like Pelosi, she's looking to be as intransigent as

McConnell. It's not a good look.

[redstateblues]

11. No one has made a case that Impeachment will accomplish anything

Except making Democrats feel good. It would probably have unintended consequences like firing up Trump’s base and giving him another term. Vote him out!

[elleng]

15. The process itself will expose facts as yet unknown,

and many will learn facts they've missed.

[wasupaloopa]

40. That is wishful thinking and like most wishful thinking here at DU it will never come to pass.

Are you part of the they or are you privy to the facts that they don't know.

[elleng]

42. Logic.

[TreasonousBastard]

16. This! Unless and until there is a good probability that the Senate will find him guilty...

there is no upside to impeachment.

Remember that in our entire history we have had only two Presidential impeachments, and both of those failed. (We may assume Nixon would have been found guilty, but we'll never know for sure)

Granted that Johnson and Clinton had trumped up (sorry ) charges, and Trump's crimes are far worse than Nixon's, but it's still risky business.

[sharedvalues]

20. Yes they have

This
https://crooked.com/articles/democrats-impeachment-mueller/

And this
https://www.gq.com/story/democrats-impeaching-trump/

And this
https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/580468/

And this
https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/1212988001?__twitter_impression=true

Plus this
https://crooked.com/articles/a-plan-to-win-the-impeachment-fight/


Plus

Link to tweet

[SunSeeker]

18. Her colleagues need to scream louder. nt

[EveHammond13]

19. if she publicly said she was going for impeachment - the Members would move to impeachment

in a huge way.

[Catch2.2]

23. If there is no impeachment for this...

Then we need new leadership!

[cstanleytech]

25. To be honest I can see some of the potential merits of waiting. Why?

Well because if we wait until the Repugnants officially endorse Trump as their nominee it ties them all to him like an anchor.
After all look at how well tying him like that worked to win us back the House so we can force them to support him and then introduce evidence that clearly would require impeaching him we get two birds with one stone.
First would be if the Repugnants support impeaching him and then help convict him they hurt themselves with his base of morons and the second is if they refuse to then they hurt themselves with a significant number of potential independent voters.
Either way its a huge win.
On the other hand if we move to soon he could resign, Pence becomes President and then runs for office and given how much time we have before the election he could potentially pull off a victory after which he pardons Trump.

[Triloon]

28. If he is impeached he cannot be pardoned.

Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution which states that the President "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment".

[cstanleytech]

33. Impeachment has to be successful though for that to apply as you cannot impeach a

President that resigns however a future President including the one that takes the place of the one that resigns can pardon them.
But that aside my point is that Pelosi could simply be biding her time until the Repugnants step on the landmine of endorsing and choosing Trump as after that there is no way for them to take it back.

[Triloon]

44. does this mean that

you think its shrewd to postpone an impeachment resolution until after the Republican Convention next year where the Reps finalize their candidate? Doesn't seem so shrewd to me.
An impeachment is successful once the house makes its final vote on impeachment. At that point Impeachment has been accomplished. Any trial that the Senate puts on at its own discretion is a separate procedure. Trumps impeachment by the House would prevent Pence from pardoning him on those articles of impeachment, under any circumstances of Trumps departure, without regard to the Senates findings.

[cstanleytech]

46. Depends on the goal. If the goal is to force them to spend their time, money and resources

both protecting Trump and their own decision to support him still then yes its potentially very shrewd.

[wasupaloopa]

41. I think that means he can't pardon someome who has been impeached like a judge.

[Triloon]

43. Yes. If trump is impeached,

(a mighty big If) Pence will not be able to pardon him.

[PatrickforO]

26. The time to impeach is NOW.

It's gone on too long already. Let's get the hearings going and nationally televised so everyone can see what a dirtbag Trump is.

[CaptainTruth]

27. First, investigate, interview sources & witnesses, gather evidence.

Make it a high priority & do it as quickly as possible.

I'm a more than a little bothered by calls to immediately move forward with impeachment based only on news articles.

[BigMin28]

30. What immediately?

They should have had a plan from day one. Ready to go. Something, anything . With what has gone on, subpoenas ignored, the House's oversight blatantly ignored by this administration, they are looking a bit impotent in their response. Now just imagine the situation were reversed. The repukes would have been screaming bloody murder , all day, everyday to whomever would listen. We have got to learn to fight just as hard or we will lose.

[cstanleytech]

34. All the plans in the world will not matter without rock solid evidence that forces the Repugnants

to actually do their job and support removal of one of their own.
After all look at how hard they tried to protect Nixon until the bitter end and even then one of them pardoned him.

[BigMin28]

36. We can forget the repubs.

They will never turn against him . They just won't. We can't force it upon them. We can't just sit idly by while trump and the repukes dismantle this country. That is what they are doing.

[cstanleytech]

39. Of course most of them wont but think about it. If we wait a while longer we potetially stand to

gain far more.
How? First by Pelosi making sure we have solid irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing on Trumps part.
Second is Pelosi has to keep quiet that she has the evidence and only reveal it after the Repugnants nominate Trump and go on the record of endorsing him.
Why? Because we cannot give them the time to spin doctor it before the election which doing it now would likely occur and given the time to the election it would greatly reduce the impact.
Waiting until its much closer though forces the Repugnants to go on the defensive in a short period of time and makes it difficult for them to muster the resources they would need to both defend Trump and themselves.
Thus we stand a chance at winning a number of seats and if we pull it off right we wont have to impeach him as he will lose the election and hopefully shortly thereafter be tried, convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

[yaesu]

31. if tRump was a Dem and pulled 1/100th of what he pulled his ass would have been impeached months ago

[Baked Potato]

32. If Trump stays on the ballot, the Republicans will lose down ballot races too

If he gets replaced too soon it will enable them to get a new candidate, regroup, and rally behind a new and improved candidate. IMO, they would love to run Nikki Haley. They could run her with some squeaky clean republican and it could get rough. The longer Trump is there, the deeper he pulls down the ever-loyal GOP.

He *could* be pressured to resign. Maybe some medical BS to save face. I would think if they were gonna do that it would have to happen quickly so they could recover for 2020.

[cstanleytech]

35. Exactly what I said earlier. The best plan is to hold off a bit longer and let them paint themselves

into a corner and then spring the trap after they are committed so it forces them to divide both their energy and their resources including the millions of dollars they will have to spend to defend both Trump and themselves.

[MadDAsHell]

47. Never fool yourself into thinking we are more important than their personal political ambitions.

Our country is not important. Our country's people are not important. Their political careers are the ONLY thing that's important.

If there is ever anything done by American politicians that SEEMS like it was done in your or the country's best interest, it's only because that best interest happens to align with those politician's personal political ambitions and aspirations. As soon as the two diverge, you are a peasant to them.

[PufPuf23]

48. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) is my House representitive.

“Colleagues in Congress: if this isn't impeachable abuse of power, what is?” asked Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) on Twitter Friday afternoon. “I'm sick of the parsing, dithering & political overcalculating.”

Jared Huffman expresses my view and I am glad Huffman is my rep.

I believe these Democrats express the truth of our party in DC at present.