By MARSHA MERCER
Last June, I wrote that impeaching President Donald Trump was a bad
idea for Democrats because most people opposed it.
I also thought House Democrats would not go for impeachment unless and
until public sentiment changed.
I was wrong on both counts.
As the House moves toward a vote on impeachment next week, most
people still oppose it. I no longer think it’s a bad idea for Democrats, though
it is politically risky.
Not impeaching Trump would be smart, practical politics, but allowing
his corruption to go unchecked would harm our democracy. Sometimes you have to
take a stand.
The testimony of courageous former federal officials before the
House Intelligence Committee persuaded me Democrats are right to hold the
president accountable for his conduct regarding Ukraine.
The House will vote on two articles of impeachment -- abuse of
power and obstruction of Congress.
“They said these two things – they’re not even a crime!” Trump
shouted Tuesday at a rally in Pennsylvania, apparently disappointed Democrats
didn’t hit him with more. He sees impeachment as a political plus.
The constitutional standard for impeachment includes “high crimes
and misdemeanors,” which Congress, not criminal statutes, defines.
Democrats charge he abused the power of his office when he tried to
force a foreign government to help him gain personal advantage over a political
opponent, and he obstructed Congress in its investigations.
Trump has continually flouted norms of personal behavior with
impunity. Now, House Democrats are saying we have a president, not a king, and
no one is above the law.
Reflecting our hyper-polarized country, almost all House Democrats
will vote for impeachment while House Republicans en masse likely will vote
no.
The Republican-controlled Senate will hold a trial after the first
of the year. Whether it will be the longer show
trial Trump wants or a shorter one favored by some senators isn’t clear.
Under the Constitution, removing the president from office requires
a vote of two-thirds of the Senate. The Senate will vote to acquit Trump,
keeping him in office.
He then will declare vindication and play the victim to rally voters
next November.
Public opinion hasn’t changed much over the last six months. Last June,
54% opposed Trump’s impeachment and removal from office while 41% favored it, CNN
reported.
That was after Robert Mueller’s report investigating Russian
interference in the 2016 election was released. Mueller’s report did not
exonerate Trump, as he and his allies repeatedly claim. Nor did it move public
opinion.
Since then, news broke of a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump’s
July 25 phone call to Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the
House Intelligence Committee held hearings that laid out the case against Trump.
Trump asked Zelensky for “a favor”: investigate leading Democratic
presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who had served on the
board of a Ukrainian gas company.
Trump also held up hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid
to Ukraine, releasing the funds only after he learned of the whistleblower’s
complaint.
Support for impeachment has inched up. For example, 45% of voters believe Trump
should be impeached and removed from office, but 50% say he should not, the
latest Monmouth University Poll reported Wednesday.
Trump remains defiant, insisting he has done nothing wrong, stonewalling
congressional investigations of his actions. That suits his coalition just
fine.
Evangelicals like his Supreme Court and other judicial
appointments. The rich like his tax cut and their healthy stock portfolios. Gun
makers and enthusiasts like his stand against gun control. Business likes his
rollback of environmental laws and other regulations.
Even vapers like Trump because he walked away from his promise to
ban some flavored e-cigarette products.
In the past, Republicans would have been uncomfortable with the
president’s coziness with Russia – especially as it interferes in another election.
But Trump’s “America first” policies make it OK to be isolationist and
anti-immigrant.
So, yes, Trump will survive impeachment. Ultimately, history will
judge whether Democratic or Republican
lawmakers did the right thing.
But will voters reward him with a second term? That depends on the Democrats’
choice as their presidential nominee and how well the candidate withstands the vile
campaign of innuendo, misrepresentations and outright lies Trump will wage to
ruin his opponent.
Sad to say, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
©2019 Marsha Mercer. All rights reserved.
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