Impeach? Not So Fast ...

Let me say at the outset that I believe Donald Trump is a complete disaster as a president. He has demeaned the dignity of the office, trashed our valuable alliances, cozied up to dictators, and given voice and cover to the worst elements of our society. On a scale of one to ten, with one being Millard Fillmore and ten being George Washington, Trump merits - on his best day - a minus five.

So, what do we do about him?

The first thing to remember is that he has very strong support among a significant part of the population, mostly in the "flyover country" of Middle America that feels its interests have been ignored by traditional political parties and politicians. There is some truth to that.

The main method we have in this country for getting rid of politicians we don't like is the simplest - voting them out of office. Unfortunately, we've gotten to a point where it's more important to some people to protect their party or their incumbent than it is to recognize their faults and vote them out. Republicans despise Democrats and vice versa. Fiendishly gerrymandered Congressional districts protect party politicians long after they've failed to deserve protection and re-election.

The other method we have of getting rid of politicians - specifically, presidents - is impeachment, which is enshrined in Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution:

"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

There are two important things to remember about impeachment:

1) Impeachment takes place in the House of Representatives. Conviction takes place in the Senate. If you insist that Trump be impeached, consider that it can be made to happen in the Democratic-controlled House, but that he will never be convicted in a firmly Republican-controlled Senate. Unless there is unshakeable bipartisan agreement on specific, proven-beyond-any-reasonable-doubt-or-objection-and-so-blindingly-obvious-that-even-the-worst-die-hard-partisan-can't-deny-them impeachable crimes*, the time and effort put into impeachment is wasted, and could have been better spent on other important issues.

2) The Constitution does not clearly define the terms treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors. Axis Sally and Lord Haw-Haw were clearly guilty of treason as it is traditionally understood; but does Trump's cozy relationship to figures like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un equate to treason? It depends on your politics and your degree of sanity. I think it's naive and dangerous, but I don't think it's treason. What's the difference between huge, anonymous campaign contributions from a Super Pac, a corporation, or a friendly billionaire and bribery? Again, it depends on your political point of view: defenders call campaign contributions (of any size) Constitutionally-protected free speech; opponents call it bribery**. And what is a high crime or misdemeanor? Murder, probably. Abuse of presidential power? It depends on your politics - what to one party is forceful and determined leadership can appear to be reckless abuse of power by the other.

Where am I going with all this?

I tend to agree with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the impeachment issue. In a recent press conference, Ms Pelosi said that

“. . . Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he’s just not worth it.”

That's not what most people who despise Donald Trump as much as I do want to hear, but it's the right answer - Constitutionally, procedurally, legally, and morally. The right way to get rid of Trump is not to waste time and effort on an impeachment fight that will go nowhere, but to come up with a legislative program that makes more sense than his, and addresses the problems of many Middle Americans in a rational, Constitutional, and economically sensible way. And, in 2020, to vote him out and let the courts decide*** any civil issues arising from his behavior in (and outside of) office.

People who think Trump doesn't just walk on water, but changes it into wine and then walks on it, will never change their minds. An impeachment fight will just let them blindly justify their support for a man who doesn't deserve it by allowing them to picture him as a heroic figure beset by evil and relentless enemies who don't recognize his greatness.

He's just not worth it.

Have a good day. See you back here tomorrow, when we name the Left-Cheek Ass Clown for March.

Bilbo

* And legal experts aren't quite sure what those might be, believe it or not.

** I call it "bribery," too, but I'm no lawyer. Thank goodness.

*** I find the legal idea that "you can't indict a sitting president" to be pretty stupid, as it implies that the president is above the law. Again, it's a good thing I'm not a lawyer ... I'd probably die of terminal cognitive dissonance.