Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Left Gets Sidetracked With Impeachment

Figuring that the best defense is a good offense, The New Republic and its cruder, less sane cousin, Daily Kos, have already decided to prove Republicans crazy by imagining a "sure thing" Obama impeachment. Reliving the glory days of the unsuccessful impeachment of Bill Clinton, both publications are counting on the Republicans repeating their past foolishness. In fact, they're absolutely sure it will happen, and save Obama's presidency and the future of the Democratic Party in the process.

The liberals in the Democratic Party also assume that unlike the Democrats, Republicans can't learn from their past mistakes. They also count on the Republicans being unable to control their own fringe and impose party discipline. In the latter case, they're probably at least partially correct. Still, they count on the angry outbursts of a Darryl Issa (R-CA) and several other loose-cannon Republicans to convince the party to act on impeachment. More importantly, after two years of a social engineering presidency and six years of a leftist-dominated Congress, they think the Republicans will have nothing better to do than chase Obama's incompetent butt.

Says the execrable Jonathan Chait at TNR: "Hear me now and believe me later: If Republicans win and maintain control of the House of Representatives, they are going to impeach President Obama." Says tc59 at Daily Kos: "If the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, Barack Obama will be impeached in 2011. Bet the house on it. How do I know? Because that is what Republicans do."

Why would Left and Lefter bother, with such certainty, to predict an impeachment in the middle of a battle for Congress? First, the obvious. They're going to lose the House (bet the house on it) so they might as well start planning ahead. But the real reason is that they have to set the stage for a do-nothing Republican House that will shoot itself in the foot by trying another time-wasting impeachment. They are hoping for that. They are goading Republicans to do that. And it's really not much more than whistling past the graveyard. If they can't count on those ignorant, foolish, racist Republicans trying to impeach the Messiah, they can't count on the Messiah fooling the American public twice in a row.

The Democrats need exactly such a distraction, so they're predicting it in hopes of making conjecture into fact. An impeachment would narrow the misdeeds of this president to a few specific charges that could not be adequately proven at the trial in the Senate. And that would mean the Republicans wouldn't have time to point out all the failures, devious deals, sneaky socialism, and government overreaching for which Obama actually is responsible. The political facts of the abominable Obama administration would get lost in the midst of procedure and legalisms.

There's a much better way of getting rid of Obama. It's called good Republican governance, political exposure of the many misdeeds of the Obamists, and earning and keeping the respect, hearts and minds of the American public. In other words, the presidential election of 2012. Unless the Republicans turn into Democrat-Lite again, or waste everybody's time with a hopeless impeachment, or nominate another muddled RINO like McCain, the presidency is theirs for the taking. Short of some absolutely devastating and unpredictable happenstance, Barack Hussein Obama is just another one-term wonder.

Although my opinion of the smarts of many of the movers and shakers in the Republican Party has not improved much recently, I still think that in the long run, they won't allow something as stupid as an impeachment to distract the public from the true failings and machinations of the Democratic Party and its hapless "leader."

Oh, sure. If it can suddenly be proved that Obama is taking personal money under the table from the Saudi King, or privately dealing away American security with the Red Chinese, or turning top-secret American military information over to the Russians, then let's impeach him and remove him from office. But ignorance, stupidity, arrogance and socialist leanings are not impeachable offenses, no matter how much the Republican fringe might think they are. Republicans need to ignore leftist goading and predictions of impeachment, control their own members, and get on with the business of running the government and returning Obama to the South Side of Chicago at the polls two years hence.

20 comments:

Notawonk said...

impeachment is low on my list of republicans to-do list should they regain power. at the top? repeal health care, make sure the internets remains out of the fcc's hands and keep bush's tax cuts.

i can't imagine what will become of this country if the repubs waste their LAST opportunity on frivolities like impeachment. (unless, of course, barry is guilty of those items you listed).

Tennessee Jed said...

I don't think Republicans are that stupid, but one never knows. I am with Patti, though. The number one priority needs to be repealing Obamacare before it becomes to entrenched. It has the most potential lead to the bank breaking single payer system that will sound the death knell of the Republic.

Tam said...

Top of my list is Obamacare, then slashing through the budget Christie style: Can't afford this, or this, or that, or this, or this, or that, or this. Impeachment is completely off my radar.

Unknown said...

Patti: I'm with you, Patti. Impeachment isn't even on the radar for me. But isn't it interesting how two (and there will be more) liberal/radical publications suddenly discovered the "inevitability" of an impeachment proceeding? It's another desperation move. Tell the disciples that their messiah is on his way to Calvary, and perhaps this time, they'll stop it.

Unknown said...

Tennessee: I've never gone wrong underestimating the occasional fecklessness of the Republican leadership, but this election isn't a message to the Democrats only. The people are up in arms, and the mood is clear. "We'll give the Republicans a chance, but if they blow it, we'll get rid of them too." This is no time to repeat previous foolishness that interferes with the ultimate goal of dismantling the Obama socialist government. I agree with you. Obamacare has to be gutted before it becomes just another oppressive and debilitating "habit" that can't be undone.

Unknown said...

Tam: I hadn't thought of getting an informal poll of what Republicans should be doing first while ignoring the silly prospects of impeachment. But so far, it's three for three. Obamacare has to go first. Actually, with my vote, it's four for four.

Not only do I think it's highly unlikely that there will be impeachment proceedings, but I suspect even the incendiary fringe talk about it will die down once the serious business of restoring sanity to government becomes job one. Talk of impeachment makes The One into a popular martyr. Undoing his programs would make him an unelectable fool (well, he's already that, but it makes it more obvious).

BevfromNYC said...

Man, the Dems just all over the place with the "fear-mongering". A charge they keep leveling at conservatives, as we all know. And DNC Chaiman Tim Kaine leveled the full-throated unsubstantiated allegation again of "anonymous Conservative donors" (translation: foreign).

"I think this is a huge story, it might end up being -- I'm not in the [journalism] business -- one of the biggest political process stories since Watergate," said Kaine. "As we see this trend toward funding campaigns through non-reportable entities, the Democrats stand squarely for requiring disclosure of who is funding campaigns...

What's more scary than Watergate?

Unknown said...

Bev: Uniongate, that's what. LOL The fake indignation that the Democrats are always pulling out of their hats (or parts lower) has turned into hysterical indignation as the tsunami approaches. The Democrats don't even realize just how foolish they look when denouncing these mysterious, unidentified, and likely imaginary "foreigners" who are allegedly funding Republican campaigns. This comes after decades of painting Republicans as xenophobes. Well, who are the xenophobes now? To arms, to arms, there are foreigners under the bed!

Game Master Rob Adams said...

If we impeach then we end up with Biden and if we impeach him then it's Pelosi... No thank you.

Unknown said...

ACG: I've thought about that scenario as well. It's sort of a humorous nightmare. In actuality, though, we would get Biden, but if he was thrown out, then we'd get Boehner (most likely). Pelosi will not be the Speaker after the new Congress is seated (the Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise).

We have to remember that impeachment is one thing, removal from office quite another. No president has ever been impeached and removed. I know it doesn't seem like it at times, but the Senate is there largely to act as the brake on the engine of the volatile House.

Ponderosa said...

Impeachment?

The fun is just beginning.

Come the evening of Nov. 2nd the Dems will implode all by themselves.

I just hope he is still around to be the '12 nominee.

Even if the economy is humming - as much as he's tried to vote present - he's on record now.

Unfortunately, Hill-Bill will around shortly to pick up the pieces.

AndrewPrice said...

Impeachment? Talk about the boogeyman.

Unknown said...

Ponderosa: The Democrats are in such disarray that they don't know which straw man to set up next.

After Bill Clinton managed to take credit for the economic turnaround that actually resulted from the election of a Republican Congress in '94, I'm hoping the Republicans will not again make the mistake of letting a Democratic president steal their thunder by taking credit for their success.

On the other hand, Clinton is an accomplished politician who knew how to change horses in the middle of the stream. Obama is a messiah, and they don't change horses. In fact, they don't need horses to cross streams--they just walk across (or sink).

Unknown said...

Andrew: So true. And boogeymen only scare small children and leftist Democrats.

StanH said...

Impeachment would be boneheaded. What’s taking place with the electorate is historical and does not need to be squandered with political witch hunts. By the same token, the congress has a Constitutional obligation to act as the watch dog of the executive branch, some investigations are appropriate.

I agree Barrycare must be eliminated before it can take root, but do not forget the Financial Reform bill. I spoke with my accountant a couple of days ago, he’s been my financial guru for twenty plus years, a brilliant man. Part of his service are my corporate/personal tax returns. He says he’s been informed that he’ll need to attend classes at the IRS, and become a registered agent of the IRS, he refuses. He’s 64 and doesn’t need another dime. What the government wants is everyone doing their books with HR Block he says, huh! …do what! As a business owner, this is alarming to say the least. These are the kind of things I want the Republicans to end, before they start.

Joel Farnham said...

LawHawk,

Hopefully the Left stays on message of impeachment. It will give them something to do while the adults conduct the affairs of government.

Unknown said...

Stan: Obamacare is only the most obvious item. Financial reform is equally important, if not more so, but it's not as "sexy." In politics, the show is almost as important as the goal. But you and your accountant are absolutely right about the so-called financial reform. It should be called the governmental financial takeover act.

I fully expect the Republicans to launch investigations on many fronts. Some will go nowhere, others may result in legal charges. Impeachment is much more of a political issue, and such an effort would smack of the banana republic political trials we strongly oppose.

The two publications both pointed to the "pay-to-play" Sestak investigation that went nowhere. Their conclusion is that the investigation was a foundationless witch hunt. I believe there was some serious substance to that charge, but multiple factors, including the unwillingness of the claimant himself to pursue the matter, put the investigation on the road to oblivion. OK, end of issue (at least for now). But if something similar had occurred in an impeachment, the cry of "banana republic" would have gotten serious traction from it.

Unknown said...

Joel: Let's hope the Republicans do stick to the proper course and do not get distracted by an impeachment that would be great fun, and would spell the end of the Republican Party for the next decade. Several of the leftists who commented on the articles caught the first obvious anti-Republican charge: "By trying to impeach Obama, they would just be proving that they're racists." That is both ridiculous, and compelling for a substantial number of voters. Those are exactly the kind of voters they need, and it's precisely why they're conjuring up the impeachment boogeyman.

Ponderosa said...

A crushing defeat will morph disarray into a purge.

As nasty as they are in daylight to opponents - they are far worse to each other.

Impeachment isn't so much as a boogeyman as it is a hope, a plea. Don't throw us in the briar patch...again.

It would unify them and help remove dear leader all in one go.

But ignore them and leave them to their own devices and they can't help but turn on each other.
Idle hands...

And yes, Clinton was pitch perfect that I recall.

But so far, Obama has been completely tone-deaf and shown zero ability to learn.

Don't like X? Well either he repeats what he just said, only LOUDER.

Or he uses the “heads I win, tails you lose” argument. Pass Ovomitcare and he wins, fail to pass it - he wins. The GOP takes both houses in Nov. he wins, only capture one and he wins.

Look! It's Obi-one Cannotsaynotome. What a dope.

Two years of Republicans saying "no" will make him even more brittle.

Can he change? Theoretically sure.
But it won't matter. The wind whispers...HCR.

Unknown said...

Ponderosa: Excellent points all. The Democrats have to do something to cover their arses (and his) because it would take a savvy, intelligent politician like Clinton to triangulate without looking like he's giving up his principles. Obama is neither savvy nor intelligent. Obama can't change his message unless some smart Democrat gets control of the TelePrompter.

One thing you mentioned that I've notice the past few weeks. Daily, Obama drops more g's, and the volume goes up a few decibels each time he makes a speech trying to become relevant again. By election day, he'll simply be screaming unintelligibly. But he'll be screaming at the choir while most of the congregation will have moved to the church across the street.

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