(C) Washington.cbslocal.com Now that extremists in the GOP are claiming they have the votes in the United States House of Representatives to impeach Barack Obama, I found the silence from the leaders within the Republican Party deafening! Most informed citizens know that in order to impeach a president, the Constitution requires the House show a crime has been committed. The Framers clearly declared impeachment must be solely for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors." Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea what "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" are. In fact, most Americans don't even know that an impeachment is merely an indictment, with a trial held in the Senate required to determine guilt and removal from office. The vote needed to impeach? Only a majority in the House. The vote required to convict and remove a president? 2/3 of the Senate.
But up until the impeachment of Bill Clinton, only one President had ever been impeached by the House. Andrew Johnson was impeached but won acquittal in the Senate. No other President had ever been impeached. None! But Bill Clinton was impeached in a blatant political calculation to discredit his presidency when the GOP could not stop his policies from being administered. Despite the zero chance of successfully removing Clinton from office (due to Democratic controlled Senate), Republicans banked on hurting Clinton's legitimacy as a political strategy. This is the same strategy being employed by Conservatives and their ideologically supporting media to de-legitimize Obama.
So why are extremist members of the Republican Party telling their extremist base at town hall meetings they have the votes needed in the House to impeach Barack Obama? Why are people cheering them for these statements when none of those calling for impeachment cite any evidence of wrongdoing, let alone the commission of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors?" We all know these politicians are merely solidifying their extreme positions with their base (and collecting additional donations accordingly). But where are the Republican leaders when it comes to tamp down this type of anti-Obama rhetoric? Where have they been since Obama was elected? First it was the Birther Movement claiming Obama was not a legitimate president due to being born in Kenya (see recent hypocritical silence on Ted Cruz's birth in Canada) and now after every effort to selectively play games with the Congressional reports on Benghazi and the IRS, they want Obama impeached? Because of what? Obamacare - a law enacted by the Congress and signed by a President and upheld by the United States Supreme Court?
A recent poll by Public Policy Polling of Louisiana Republicans show they blame OBAMA for the failures of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina more than George W. Bush! And another 44% aren't sure who deserves more blame! Wow! Obama was a freshman Senator from Illinois in 2005 and had NOTHING to do with Katrina. So how could Louisiana Republicans possibly believe Obama was responsible for FEMA's failings? That's how effective the GOP revisionist propaganda machine has been. And now they will build momentum to have ideas entertained in the House to impeach the man! Moreover, 80 Republican members of the House of Representatives recently wrote Speaker John Boehner stating they would rather "shut down" the federal government than accept ObamaCare!
Which gets me to my point. Why are Republicans surprised when a majority of Americans look at the GOP as a party of nut jobs? If they actually had control of 2/3 of the Senate, they would impeach and remove Barack Obama from office even though there is no evidence of a commission of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" (and though he was just re-elected last November)! Will Republican leaders ever recognize most Americans are beginning to see the GOP as a party of hate filled extremist ideologues? If the Republican leadership does not start reining in the attacking, distorting, disingenuous and power hungry extremist elements of their party, they are doomed to become more and more marginalized to a vast majority of Americans. And they will have only themselves to blame! As President Washington once said: "It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company!"
But up until the impeachment of Bill Clinton, only one President had ever been impeached by the House. Andrew Johnson was impeached but won acquittal in the Senate. No other President had ever been impeached. None! But Bill Clinton was impeached in a blatant political calculation to discredit his presidency when the GOP could not stop his policies from being administered. Despite the zero chance of successfully removing Clinton from office (due to Democratic controlled Senate), Republicans banked on hurting Clinton's legitimacy as a political strategy. This is the same strategy being employed by Conservatives and their ideologically supporting media to de-legitimize Obama.
So why are extremist members of the Republican Party telling their extremist base at town hall meetings they have the votes needed in the House to impeach Barack Obama? Why are people cheering them for these statements when none of those calling for impeachment cite any evidence of wrongdoing, let alone the commission of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors?" We all know these politicians are merely solidifying their extreme positions with their base (and collecting additional donations accordingly). But where are the Republican leaders when it comes to tamp down this type of anti-Obama rhetoric? Where have they been since Obama was elected? First it was the Birther Movement claiming Obama was not a legitimate president due to being born in Kenya (see recent hypocritical silence on Ted Cruz's birth in Canada) and now after every effort to selectively play games with the Congressional reports on Benghazi and the IRS, they want Obama impeached? Because of what? Obamacare - a law enacted by the Congress and signed by a President and upheld by the United States Supreme Court?
A recent poll by Public Policy Polling of Louisiana Republicans show they blame OBAMA for the failures of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina more than George W. Bush! And another 44% aren't sure who deserves more blame! Wow! Obama was a freshman Senator from Illinois in 2005 and had NOTHING to do with Katrina. So how could Louisiana Republicans possibly believe Obama was responsible for FEMA's failings? That's how effective the GOP revisionist propaganda machine has been. And now they will build momentum to have ideas entertained in the House to impeach the man! Moreover, 80 Republican members of the House of Representatives recently wrote Speaker John Boehner stating they would rather "shut down" the federal government than accept ObamaCare!
Which gets me to my point. Why are Republicans surprised when a majority of Americans look at the GOP as a party of nut jobs? If they actually had control of 2/3 of the Senate, they would impeach and remove Barack Obama from office even though there is no evidence of a commission of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" (and though he was just re-elected last November)! Will Republican leaders ever recognize most Americans are beginning to see the GOP as a party of hate filled extremist ideologues? If the Republican leadership does not start reining in the attacking, distorting, disingenuous and power hungry extremist elements of their party, they are doomed to become more and more marginalized to a vast majority of Americans. And they will have only themselves to blame! As President Washington once said: "It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company!"
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