The best approach is to simply file impeachment papers now and methodically do that work in the committees, whether or not it gets much attention. It will likely only get much attention when the most outrageous violations of law are highlighted. This will work to the Democrats’ advantage over time.
Then the important part politically: we simultaneously pass in the House all of the bills that are extremely popular on education, healthcare, climate change, and civil rights, and make it much more apparent to independent voters that the Democratic House is working on behalf of the American people and Mitch McConnell is sabotaging the will of the people.
Pelosi would not do this even if she wanted to without a groundswell demanding it.
Please share widely!
I appreciate this both/and approach to holding impeachment hearings. I do find this following assumption to be a little naive:
Do you honestly believe that in this media climate? With Rachel Maddow and Don Lemon regularly embarrassing themselves amplifying any trivial information or speculation about the Russians prove as the smoking gun that will finally bring Trump down? Do you think the GOP won’t take advantage of this massive fundraising opportunity and base unifying gift? Do you think people will be paying attending to house votes on other issues if impeachment drowns it out?
As Charley pointed out on twitter today, the Green New Deal has led to more attention and action on climate change in the last 3 months than the last 9 years. Republican overreach on health care delivered 40 house seats and governorships in the three key swing states the nominee has to win (WI, PA, and MI). The Congress is poised to stop the immoral Saudi war in Yemen with a solid bipartisan majority.
Do you think it’ll be able to continue to demonstrate a progressive governing agenda if the media is focusing all of its attention on impeachment? Not to mention it will drown out our 2020 candidates and their issues, at a time when they are a massive ratings draw.
The Congress has a constitutional obligation to investigate President Trump and follow the facts. Narrowing their focus to obstruction of justice will give them the opportunity to put the collusion sour grapes theories to rest and focus on actual impeachable offenses. Let’s see if they find fire at the end of the Mueller smoke trail.
Until then let’s do our job and elect a Democrat president.
OK, you really lost me at “Rachel Maddow…regularly embarrassing themselves” I recall her making a bit more than necessary over a single page of tax return several months ago, but overall she is one of the best at connecting the dots and telling a story.
“Telling a story ” is precisely what is problematic about Rachel Maddow.
Sadly, I agree with you about this. I fear that we are seeing the result of replacing print journalism with its live replacement. Many of Ms. Maddow’s several failings are a direct consequence of her need to present a “blockbuster” story five nights a week.
We need journalists more like Bob Woodward and less like Rachel Maddow.
You two must be watching a completely different show than I am. To me, the attraction of Rachel is that she is NOT in it for the nightly blockbuster, but rather methodically (and in fact boredom inducing to some) lays out a complete story sometimes over several nights as more and more pieces come together.
The media lies about all this (they’re no longer just distortions, they’re outright lies) make me more and more concerned that absolutely NOTHING is going to happen here.
For example, Hillary Clinton wrote an op-ed piece published in the Washington Post on April 24.
The content of that important and accurate piece was turned on its ear by the headlines in the mainstream media (and I’m not talking about Fox) — along the lines of “Hillary Clinton joins Nancy Pelosi in opposing impeachment”. That is an absolute LIE!
Here are some examples of what Ms. Clinton wrote (emphasis mine):
Ms. Clinton accurately lays out a roadmap, shows how it was done during Watergate, how it was not done in the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and what we need to do next.
Yesterday, I heard several allegedly left-leaning talking heads on CNN assert, as a matter of fact, that “the current Senate will never vote to remove Donald Trump from office”. I heard similar sentiments from talking heads on MSNBC. This is utter nonsense. No Senator from either party should publicly commit to voting in favor of an impeachment resolution when said resolution is not even written — never mind passed — and in the absence of an investigation, hearings, and a trial.
Our mainstream media — and especially CNN and MSNBC — are shamefully distorting what is actually happening and what actually needs to be done.
America deserves better.