I would like to think that, but I’m not so sure. Gerrymandering is helping them a great deal, and there is a portion of the population that just won’t vote anything but republican. The talking heads and Fox News help as well. They’re probably going to be the majority, or a very very strong minority, in the House for another 10 years. Statewide and nationwide offices are a different beast, obviously.
I feel that if they vote to impeach on those grounds it would be perceived as another instance of the House misusing its powers. It is the Senate that must try the president if an impeachment is voted for, and if an impeachment is voted for, I foresee a quick and easy Senate vote that the House is full of shit and no trial is needed.
I’ll admit I’m not well-versed on the impeachment process. If the agreement of the Senate is necessary before a trial, then that closes that door. Is that the case, though? Looking at Wikipedia, they say a simple majority of the House can pass articles of impeachment, then the Senate holds a trial headed by the Chief Justice, then they vote, with 2/3’s majority convicting. The Senate republicans seem to be on-board with negotiating for cuts to raise the debt ceiling (and causing Obama grief in general), so they might be fine with a show trial, and do what they can to help it along, even if it stands no chance in getting the necessary votes.
If the House tried anything as brazen as impeaching Obama over this, you’d see state-level redistricting reform that’d kill the gerrymanders, followed by the House getting booted out.
Do you think the Senate Democrats would simply sit back and let it happen? If they have any sense at all … which must be prefaced before anything dealing with members of Congress … they’d make the trial a de facto trial of the House Republicans. It would be insane for the Dems to not raise as much hell as possible during the trial process, and they’re not THAT crazy … I hope.
Or, the alternative would be simply to point and laugh, knowing full well that there is no chance, whatsoever, that Obama would be convicted by the Senate. OK, if a video surfaces of Obama sacrificing Malia to Cthulu, then maybe.
When someone is making themselves look ridonkulous, best move is to stay out of their way.
Exfuckingactly
Back in the 90’s there was a major question of whether or not perjury was an impeachable offense. With the conviction of Judges Nixon and Claibourne the Senate said it was. Then Clinton gets impeached on perjury and the same (for all intents and purposes) Senates decides that perjury by judges is bad and cause for removal from office but perjury by a President is different and not worthy of removal from office. The Dems in the Senate were as much bullshit partisan hacks as the Pubs in the House but think back:
What was the blowback for the Dem Senators? None
What was the blowback for the Pub Reps? We still havn’t lived it down.
The other point is that Eric Holder actually committed impeachable offenses and gave a big middle finger to the House during his contempt hearing and the House did nothing. Why would they dream of impeaching Obama when he’s done nothing wrong?
ETA: I actually think that Clinton going down in history as being impeached without conviction was sufficient punishment for his crimes. It’s just that given the circumstances, both sides played the political game rather than honestly evaluating the evidence.
Damnit, my post just went to the great bitbucket in the sky. Lemme try to encapsulate.
[ol]
[li]I don’t believe impeachment would succeed past the House. The Senate will not impeach, OF COURSE.[/li][li] The impossibility of success does not preclude the Republicans attempting it. (See: Michele Bachmann, Affordable Care Act)[/li]
[li]Wikipedia says there has to be a trial. I don’t know how much of a trial is necessary. I don’t know how quickly the Dems in the Senate can vote it down. I don’t know how long the 'Pubs can keep it around and stir shit. Suffice to say that, if it happened, the Dems will vote it down ASAP, and the 'Pubs will delay that as long as possible. I just don’t what procedures each side has to make these things happen. [/li][li]Point and laugh at the Republicans will ensue, at least by the people who are not prone to believing everything on Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. That won’t necessarily keep 'em from doing it. That’s been going on for years already.[/li][/ol]
Ill-conceived/irrational actions, mud-flinging, and intransigence seems to be the order of the day in Washington, and I don’t see why this would be any different. If the president tries to do something that hasn’t been done before, I fully expect shit fits to be thrown, and for it to be painted in the most unfavorable light. I’m not married to the, 'They WILL impeach" idea. As you can see in point #3 above, there is much I don’t understand about what can be done to drag out such a trial, or bring it to a swift conclusion. Either way, the Senate would never vote to impeach. Trying to impeach would be all about whether they’d like to clog up progress with a show trial, and/or throw mud.
Sadly the Treasury says the Trillion Dolla Coin is not to be:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/treasury-says-no-to-trillion-dollar-coin-report-86091.html
Well, the 14th is out according to previous Obama statements, so we’ll either get a deal, or we’ll default. Best get to making some popcorn.
Maybe Obama has a really good turn of phrase to educate the country that the GOP is literally threatening to do lasting and severe damage to the world economy, putting millions out of work, and dooming us to much, much higher debts in the future, unless they get what they want.
If he can inform enough people of that, in an easy to repeat way, it might turn the tide.
Why, yes! Surely they would fear that their popularity and approval among the people would drop! That will stay their hand from such insanity! Still, I had been meaning to stock up on Spam and ammo anyway, so might just as well…
Billion dollar idea: Spammo™ The only luncheon meat suitable for casting into bullets. Available at the batshit insane survivalist store near you.
Hey, have you ever seen the nitrate content of Spam? You probably could make gunpowder out of it.
Mythbusters tried to make a meat bullet and failed. Not that I’d be in favour of extreme solutions to House pork or anything.
But they did make a meat rocket, which is far less dirty than it sounds.
Not anymore; there’s been quite a run on it lately.
Bumped.
Obama now says the idea was seriously discussed, and that it was the “scariest moment” of his Presidency: Obama: This was the scariest night of my presidency
That article almost reads like he was talking tongue in cheek. He says that he envisioned some giant “prehistoric” coin that he could roll out.
I’m sure you could get Trump on board by designing the coin to bear his inimitable visage.