# If the GOP wins the House, how long before they start Impeachment against Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 27, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531 "2010-10-27T15:18:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/101 "2010-10-31T18:51:34Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > Uh, I don’t think it’s correct to say that Clinton lied under oath – what he was ultimately censured for was “misleading testimony.” As I recall, what he did was to pin down the prosecutor/questioner/whoever-the-hell-it-was to a specific, very technical, and not-very-well constructed definition of “sexual relations” which he could truthfully deny having engaged in. The fact that a blow job does not meet the definition used during that session (arguably) protected Clinton from a criminal charge of perjury, but not from the more administrative charge of misleading the court. > [@Bricker](#): > > Not true. > > And cited many many times here, to boot. One more: > > Lewinsky testified that she performed oral sex on the President on nine occasions. On all nine of those occasions, the President fondled and kissed her bare breasts. He touched her genitals, both through her underwear and directly, bringing her to orgasm on two occasions. On one occasion, the President inserted a cigar into her vagina. > > The definition of “sexual relations” used for the President’s civil deposition was: > > For the purposes of this deposition, a person engages in “sexual relations” when the person knowingly engages in or causes . . . contact with the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks of any person with an intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. . . . “Contact” means intentional touching, either directly or through clothing. In his testimony, Clinton denied that any such contact had taken place, and otherwise refused to discuss details. I admit, this makes “truthfully” the wrong word here; more like “without fear of proof arising to the contrary.” As far as the court, and anyone not in the room, knows, Lewinsky serviced Clinton without reciprocation – a scenario that, while perhaps less likely than Ms. Lewinksy’s, is hardly unprecedented. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/102 "2010-10-31T23:51:43Z")
Ken Starr was not given a mandate to investigate Clinton’s sex life. He fell into it by a message from Tripp. He should have thrown it in the garbage. Vitter got busted for going to whore houses and wearing diapers. He is still in office. If we tossed out every politician who did some sexual indiscretion the seats would be practically empty. Clinton lied, but he should never have been forced to endure the questioning. It had nothing to do with his job. It was a witch hunt of the Republican party. They should have been ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/103 "2010-11-01T00:01:44Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’ve been mulling the same thing over in my head for the last few weeks but with a different spin. The economy is cyclical and I think that we’re on an upswing right now. I actually think that the economy will be doing much better in the next two years just because of a natural cycle. I think that unemployment will drop and the stock market will be up. With respect, I imagine that you have not studied macroeconomics. Most recoveries are built upon cuts in interest rates by the Federal Reserve, growth in the housing sector and growth in personal consumption. But the conventional monetary policy is maxed out: you can’t cut interest rates below zero (setting aside oddities). And the strength of unconventional policy is …untested. Understand me: the Fed has not cut rates to 1/4 of one percent since WWII: they have never run out of conventional ammunition before. I fear a lost decade, like Japan experienced. And if the US is hit by a substantial adverse economic shock, I can’t rule out a depression, though admittedly 15% unemployment might shock even Republicans to embrace conventional economic theory, as practiced by paid professional business analysts and forecasters, among others. My views on political economy have changed a lot since 2006. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/104 "2010-11-01T00:24:53Z")
I don’t see any good times coming. if the Repubs get the house, they will toss a monkey wrench into all the potential progress. They will try to get even more money into the wealthy class. They will exacerbate the financial problems with tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. It is a dangerous policy they have followed and I wish they could see it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/105 "2010-11-01T01:06:41Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > With respect, I imagine that you have not studied macroeconomics. You are very perceptive. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Most recoveries are built upon cuts in interest rates by the Federal Reserve, growth in the housing sector and growth in personal consumption. But the conventional monetary policy is maxed out: you can’t cut interest rates below zero (setting aside oddities). And the strength of unconventional policy is …untested. Understand me: the Fed has not cut rates to 1/4 of one percent since WWII: they have never run out of conventional ammunition before. > > I fear a lost decade, like Japan experienced. And if the US is hit by a substantial adverse economic shock, I can’t rule out a depression, though admittedly 15% unemployment might shock even Republicans to embrace conventional economic theory, as practiced by paid professional business analysts and forecasters, among others. My views on political economy have changed a lot since 2006. I appreciate your comments. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/106 "2010-11-01T01:45:38Z")
**hajario** : Let me summarize: if we weren’t in a [liquidity trap](http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquiditytrap.asp), this wouldn’t matter so much and your take might be roughly accurate. This is actually the 2nd time the US found itself in a liquidity trap: but case #1 was during the Great Depression. The irony is that big business supports these clowns. In early 2009 Martin Feldstein, head economist under Ronald Reagan, advocated placing additional military spending into the stimulus package. No problem I say. Spending money on anything stimulates the economy. Want to build an electronic wall on the Canadian border and stock the Rio Grande with laser-guided sharks? Great! The only tricky part is that you want to give money to those who will actually spend a big chunk of the funds. You can ground economically sound policies on conservative priorities and even conservative pork. You can build a coalition with know-nothings and throw them some raw meat every now and then. Just don’t put them in charge. It would be acceptable to me if reality-based conservatives dominated the GOP as they used to, instead of being thoroughly marginalized and dismissed as RINOs. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/107 "2010-11-01T02:39:56Z")
If you work at it hard enough, you can convince yourself that is good for you is, by lucky coinicidence or divine intervention, good for the country. That attitude has been a ruling class talking point for damn near forever. Al Capp’s plutocrat character General Bullmoose: “Whats good for General Bullmose is good for America” is but a parody of Calvin Coolidge’s “The business of America is business.” It is the source of the faith in trickle down economics, and the equally unfounded faith that tax cuts that favor the rich are good for employment. They believe it because they want to, when half an hours research, if it did not convince them otherwise, would at least give them pause. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/108 "2010-11-01T02:48:02Z")
> [@Rafe\_Hollister](#): > > That’s impeachable and I believe it was certainly justified. And it was quite successful, wasn’t it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/109 "2010-11-01T03:30:04Z")
1. He hasn’t done anything impeachable. Yet. 2. That would put Biden in the White House. That’s going to suck just as bad, but in a different manner. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/110 "2010-11-01T05:45:57Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > If you work at it hard enough, you can convince yourself that is good for you is, by lucky coincidence or divine intervention, good for the country. Sure. But a marginal tax rate of 36% rather than 39.6% will only get you so far. Stock markets perform better under Democratic than Republican administrations. Rising unemployment and lost decades tend to crimp profits and executive pay packages. Or so I imagine. I miss the Robber Barons of the nineteenth century: their attitude was, “The public be damned”. Today’s milqtoast suits complain that a rather mildmannered Obama is being mean to them: they feel like _pinatas_! Frankly, [they need to Man Up](http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/10/ideology-vs-self-interest). ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/111 "2010-11-01T07:03:45Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > 1. He hasn’t done anything impeachable. Yet. > > 2. That would put Biden in the White House. That’s going to suck just as bad, but in a different manner. I suspect the GOP would feel more confident in their ability to beat Biden than Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/112 "2010-11-02T01:55:13Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > If you work at it hard enough, you can convince yourself that is good for you is, by lucky coinicidence or divine intervention, good for the country. That attitude has been a ruling class talking point for damn near forever. Al Capp’s plutocrat character General Bullmoose: “Whats good for General Bullmose is good for America” is but a parody of Calvin Coolidge’s “The business of America is business.” Actually, it’s a parody of a far more similar statement: “What’s good for General Motors is what’s good for America.” This may or may not have been as arrogant as it sounds, but it is what Capp was riffing off of. ---
**Author:** ![SantaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SantaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/113 "2010-11-02T05:37:57Z")
one of the more interesting misquotes that I know: What he said (which is close, but not as problematic, gutwise) "Wilson’s actual reply, in full: “I cannot conceive of one, because for years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors and vice versa. The difference did not exist. Our company is too big. It goes with the welfare of the country.” [linky](http://www.freep.com/article/20080914/BUSINESS01/809140308/GM-s--Engine-Charlie--Wilson-learned-to-live-with-a-misquote) ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/114 "2010-11-02T06:15:28Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > 1. He hasn’t done anything impeachable. He has, but you’d have to attack him from the left. For example, he’s bombed countries we’re not even at war with. Or the torture. Or clandestine operations that probably break every international law there is. It would be high comedy to see the Repubs go down that road, but alas. > [@Chefguy](#): > > If there is any fault to lay on Obama, it’s his failure to adequately inform the public on a regular basis as to what progress his administration was making in regards to stabilizing the economy, etc. It’s interesting to watch Dems switch tropes with Repubs. Refer to Repubs several years ago mourning over how Bush failed to convince the public of all those super secret terror plots he was preventing all the time. If only we knew how awesome he was! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/115 "2010-11-02T13:35:28Z")
> [@SantaMan](#): > > one of the more interesting misquotes that I know: > What he said (which is close, but not as problematic, gutwise) > "Wilson’s actual reply, in full: > > “I cannot conceive of one, because for years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors and vice versa. The difference did not exist. Our company is too big. It goes with the welfare of the country.” > > [linky](http://www.freep.com/article/20080914/BUSINESS01/809140308/GM-s--Engine-Charlie--Wilson-learned-to-live-with-a-misquote) …and everyone has a share! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/116 "2010-11-02T18:06:52Z")
Boehner already announced that he will have a series of investigations as soon as he gets power. The Dems keep doing government business instead of political business. They will never learn to play dirty enough. Repubs love that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/117 "2010-11-03T15:43:26Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I don’t think the GOP will try to impeach Obama for real unless he’s reelected. There ya go, that’s the winner. To do otherwise would be politically stupid, and the GOP is far from politically stupid. If anything does happen on an impeachment front, it’ll be investigations/subpoenas sporadically – if not consistently – cropping up over the next two years. It’d serve as a way to keep “Obama embattled” and “Obama corrupt” memes in front of the populace, a set of go-to talking points for those who rely on such, and potentially serve as a fund-raising line (especially leading up to the 2012 elections). If, in 2012, Obama doesn’t get re-elected, it all gets dropped. If, OTOH, Obama wins a second term, the foundation is laid for moving forward. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/118 "2010-11-03T15:56:44Z")
Do we start the clock from now, or from when the new congresscritters are seated? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/119 "2010-11-03T16:25:16Z")
> [@](#): > > There ya go, that’s the winner. To do otherwise would be politically stupid, and the GOP is far from politically stupid. This past election cycle has plenty of examples of GOP political stupidity. Look at all the races where the conventional Republican would have won, but got primaried out by a Tea Partier who lost. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531/120 "2010-11-03T16:42:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Do we start the clock from now, or from when the new congresscritters are seated? Jan, of course. The big real crazies don’t get seated until then. I am taking March in the spread. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-gop-wins-the-house-how-long-before-they-start-impeachment-against-obama/558531.md?page=7)