DOUG SMITH: Author, historian and regular contributor to Free State Patriot.
3/30/15
The most powerful political tool the Congress has to wield against the other branches is impeachment. The threat of impeachment, whether spoken or implied, acts as a check against the Executive crossing certain lines.
Let us be honest: Congress sucks at it. They have impeached but not convicted Presidents, and have removed Federal judges. Richard Nixon resigned rather than put the country through the process of impeachment. It is considered probable, but is by no means certain, that he would have been convicted.
In the case of William Jefferson Clinton, he certainly had a number of potential impeachable offenses against him; perjury, improper monetary dealings, accepting bribes from Chinese Communist Army Officers in the White House, and letting them obtain missile technology, and of course, his out of control sexual escapades, which, to be kind, make Bill Cosby look like Fred Rogers. He was certainly impeachable, and convictable.
Yet the Congress, knowing his popularity, despite their distaste for him, chose a stupid and spineless approach. They impeached him in such a way that the defense could be “everyone lies about sex, the GOP is only interested in his sex life”, and in the age of Dr. Phil and Jerry Springer, there was not the will to convict him. Had they portrayed him as a money grubbing, sleazy, unethical politician , shown his pattern of lies, accepting bribes, pushing for bills that weakened the economy, enriching himself while portraying himself as the champion of the little guy, he could have emerged as a man as popular as Bernie Madoff. That President Clinton, it seems probably, but by no means certain, would have been convicted.
Now, Congress once more has a very impeachable President. The GOP has control of both houses, and without a doubt there are multiple issues, many of them winding through the courts, that constitute the high crimes and misdemeanors required to impeach a President. But, of course, they will never do so. They will never do so because Barack Obama happens to be black. Oh, don’t roll your eyes at me. He makes no bones about it. He wears his blackness like a sword, ready to hack at anyone who criticizes his lies, his incompetence, his lawlessness, or his failure. If Barack Obama were Jimmy Carter, and the GOP had both houses, he would be gone. But he knows how to play his race, and the GOP lacks the courage to take him on in spite of it for his crimes against the nation. As long as he does not push to the limits where the people feel compelled to remove him, he can rampage for 2 more years.
However, there is a move the GOP can make to strengthen the Republic, and hold the feet of the Democrats and the Executive to the fire: Impeach Hillary.
That’s right. Impeach Hillary Clinton. She obstructed justice, she lied to Congress, and she broke the law in a number of ways. She has no record of success to balance against her failings, and despite the sycophants who are so anxious to dance at another Clinton ball, even her own party is starting to see her for what she is. So, impeach her as Secretary of State. Even the Democrats won’t fight very hard for her, because they are nervous about her in her own right, and very nervous about another candidate who can be linked to Barack Obama.
Impeach her, before her run against the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, armed with the strains of Helen Reddy singing I am Woman, and I married Bill Clinton. Impeach her, convict her, and a few things happen. She loses her security clearance. Any files she may have can be subpoenaed. She loses her benefits as an ex Sec State. And she becomes ineligible to hold ANY federal office, including, that’s right, President of the United States.
The GOP Congress can pull that fang from the snake. And in so doing, remove a threat to the future of the nation, while sending a message to the President, without requiring the courage to directly confront him: You’ve gone far enough. We are not ready to impeach you, yet. But we are warming up to it. And perhaps that will temper his actions till 2016 just a bit. Congress can impeach Hillary. Congress should impeach Hillary.
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