NOTE FROM NORM: “…look into…”
“…look into…”
With these two words Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, driven off her firm position that Impeachment proceedings against President Trump, has now committed herself and the future of her party’s majority to a course of action that is equal parts political and partisan.
Mixed in with this potentially devastating cocktail is a Democratic Majority that has thus far failed to construct a meaningful argument to bring impeachment proceedings against the President based on the results of the Mueller investigation.
In failing to construct a coherent argument that the President did something wrong -anything wrong – to justify impeachment, Pelosi understood the political ramifications of continuing to talk impeachment to her control of the House of Representatives.
In particular to those members of her House Majority that represent districts in which President Trump is viewed to be politically strong.
Now, though, in a rush to judgement fueled by those who have been frustrated with Pelosi’s recalcitrance and yet-to-be seen or heard allegations from a Whistleblower, Pelosi has succumbed to the pressure.
The President, in response to calls from Democrats and Republicans, agreed to release, without redactions, his call with the Ukrainian President in which he allegedly pressured him to investigate Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
For those wishing to see the transcript I invite you to go to https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/official-readout-president-trump-s-july-25-phone-call-with-ukraine-s-volodymyr-zelensky/4b228f51-17e7-45bc-b16c-3b2643f3fbe0/
The investigation the President has allegedly “demanded” in exchange for up to $400 million in U.S. aid to Ukraine was to look into the alleged role the Vice President had in assisting his son’s business operations in that country.
So, here’s what we have to date: The President allegedly pressured a foreign leader to look into alleged acts of corruption including the alleged role Vice President Biden had in helping his son allegedly reap millions of dollars in alleged acts of corruption.
Pretty thin soup by which to impeach a sitting President of the United States of America.
Republicans have seen this play before in their decision to impeach Bill Clinton. Lacking a strong and coherent rationale for why Clinton should be removed from Office, the House voted to impeach Clinton, but the Senate did not concur in his removal.
Republicans paid dearly at the polls.
With her decision to bring her caucus to a place where they will most certainly vote to impeach the President, Pelosi has crossed the Rubicon.
The impeachment train is on the track and she has become the Conductor.
There are 31 Democrat Members of Congress sitting in districts that Trump carried.
If their constituents believe that it’s not an impeachable offense to ask a foreign leader to address corruption, without any quid pro quo – then Pelosi and her team may face an enormous backlash.
She literally “bet the House” on this one. And may have done so without all the cards being played.
For those in elective office the stakes are high.
For all Americans, and the United States, they are even higher.
In November of 2020 they will most certainly “…look into…” whether the cost to the country was worth it.