Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a newly elected Republican member from Georgia who pledged yesterday that “On January 21, 2021, I’ll be filing Articles of Impeachment against Joe Biden for abuse of power.” That is precisely what I criticized Democrats for doing in challenging the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s election starting on the inauguration and raising repeated demands for impeachment for acts ranging from his criticism of NFL kneelers to his inflammatory tweets. It was wrong for them and it is wrong of Greene and any other Republicans who want to engage in this type of retaliatory impeachment effort.
Green explained that “It’s time to take a stand,” she said. “I’m proud to be the voice of Republican voters who have been ignored.”
However, as I often point out in testimony in Congress, it is as important in our constitutional system how you do something as what you do. Impeachment should not be a recreational or retaliatory tool for the opposition. I viewed this second impeachment as justifiable but poorly executed. There was an attack on Congress and Trump bore great responsibility in this disgraceful incident. My opposition to the second Trump impeachment was primarily to the use of a snap impeachment without even a hearing or chance to amend the language. I also had serious misgivings over the language of the article while I recognized that Trump’s conduct overall could be legitimately viewed as impeachable. I think that the House could have allowed for a hearing and an opportunity consider the implications of the language which I believe was too sweeping. In the end, the language secured just 10 Republican votes. A more tailored article may have secured even more votes and a motion for censure might have secured a majority of both parties.
Greene suggested that her impeachment might be based on Biden’s controversial panel discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations where he talked about how he urged Ukrainian officials to fire Viktor Shokin, the country’s prosecutor in 2015, while he was vice president.
There is still no evidence that Biden took those actions to advantage or protect his son or any family business dealings.
Particularly after this painful week, pledging a tit-for-tat impeachment is neither helpful nor responsible. It is wrong constitutionally and politically. What I said in 2017 in the face of Democratic calls for impeachment is still true today:
“History has already answered this call for impulse-buy impeachments. The Framers saw the great abuses caused not only by tyranny of nobility, but tyranny of the majority. They sought to insulate our government from the transient impulses of politics. Otherwise, impeachment becomes little more than grabbing any opportunistic excuse for impeachment like so many “straws” in the political wind.”
Pour snowflake
she needs to get a life.A little..history …………Donald claimed 2016 was rigged when he was informed that Hillary won 3 million more votes than him. He kept up that claim through all 4 years of his term..continuing right up to Jan. 6, 2020 when after the Capitol was stormed , he told his suppoerters to go away peacefully and at the same time continued his claim that the election was fraudulent,He stirred them up then left..as is his pattern. It’s never his fault..Maybe we should question her ballots and matbe she should be impeached.
This is that dumb tw*t (no “I”) who admits to being a member of Q Anon, and who loves to pose with her assault rifle. She is too stupid to serve in Congress and is a disgrace to the State of Georgia.
What makes you so smart?
Your an Idiot she has the same rights as all of us and she chooses to use them in a good way. and what’s wrong with an assault rifle the military use them to protect our way of life everyday. why not own one to protect your way of life in your own home. I would own as many as i can there just cool. and won’t you feel stupid if Q Anon turns out ot be true. at one point everyone disbelieved the world was round how stupid were they?
The parallels. Impeachment started as soon as Trump was elected. A number of democrats claimed he was the illegitimate President due to Russia collusion. Trump returns the favor with never ending claims of fraud making Biden an illegitimate President. Impeachment now proposed for Biden.
Tit for tat is the new norm. The bipartisan agreement to the low road.
Another stupid article trying desperately to draw a false equivalency. The only reason this is a “snap” impeachment ( did the professor coin this term? ) is because Trump chose to whip up an insurrection on the very last day it would be of practical use. I suppose if Trump sells the White House China on The Home Shopping Network tomorrow the professor would similarly say there’s just no time to debate it, “Oh well”. It is only a “snap” impeachment because Trump chose the time of his action. It’s interesting that this article has zero discussion of the fact that Greene’s is alleging conduct for behavior which took place prior to Biden becoming president. It has now been announced publicly by the FBI and US attorney that they had intelligence of active plans to violently attack Congress at least a day before the attack. At their press conference they indicated that had already tried to intercept people on their way to DC. Do you think for a second the White House wasn’t aware of this before their rally?When Trump sent the mob to Congress he either had this information or he didn’t. I hear no calls for the head of the FBI or acting US Atty to be fired so I think it’s safe to say Trump knew. So in sending the mob to Congress, looked at in the most charitable light, Trump was sending his loyal followers to mix into a situation were he had previous intel there was planned violence. That’s the nicest possibility, sending his minions in harm’s way. The fact that he was observed gleefully watching the insurrection on tv (after lying to these fools that he would join them) strongly suggests things were proceeding as he desired. Only after his bizarre declaration of “ love” for the rioters freaked out all but the most psychotic Republicans did he do a 180 and come back and denounce the mob. But yeah, right, Trump’s impeachment is the same the nonsense announced by Congresswoman Q-Moron. Totally the same.
Seamus….a few comments re your post.
The Clintons were the ones that sold the White House and rented out the Lincoln Bedroom.
Trump may have whipped up the “insurrection” but there is scant proof of it….and sufficient exculpatory information to justify a legitimate examination of all the evidence and witness testimony BEFORE doing down the Impeachment Road. Once again we see the Democrats racing that countdown timer in this Impeachment exactly as they did in the first Impeachment…..which wound up an embarrassment to them. One should learn from past experiences don’t you think?
Pelosi and Schumer knew of the threat…..should they be “Impeached”? After all….they had to make a decision on Security Plans and the Threats per existing procedures at the Capitol Building. What did they know and when did they know it?
At the best we are seeing a redux of the 9-11 tragedy where lots of people KNEW there was a powder keg with a smoldering fuse and somehow….the wrong or inadequate action was taken.
We are beginning to see the immediate political commentary and media garbage that was thrown out in the wake of the event is not accurate and in many cases is down right wrong and known to be wrong by those spouting it.
Harken back to the Benghazi Attack on the Consulate and the how the Democrats and Media reacted to that one…..are we seeing much the same in the Capitol Attack?
ANTIFA PROVOCATEUR JOHN SULLIVAN AKA JAYDENX, THE GUY TAKING ALL THAT VIDEO OF THE MESS AT THE CAPITAL, ARRESTED AND CHARGED
TOTAL ANTIFA GUY – CLIP OF HIM FROM UTAH RIOTS
https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1299533616070815745
Reminiscent of the ” Sue Me / Sue You Blues “
Now there is a real Citizen!
What Greene is trying to do, and may succeed in doing, is perpetuating the “movement”. After all, Trump’s brief speech yesterday used the word three times. Many in the GOP will see the riot as a singular, misguided event that will not do much harm to the party. They hope. But they have to separate the total lunacy of the riot from what works. Since the Tea Party, what has worked is outright defiance, but stopping short of criminal violence. As we’ve seen, that’s tricky. The impeachment of Biden is just a gesture; it will disappear fast, but it serves a purpose. Greene, like Boebert in Colorado, thinks this display of defiance should be the party platform. The question is whether the “movement” will dominate the party again after Trump fades into the sunset.
What Greene may, or may not. understand is without control of Congress by her party an impeachment can’t get off the ground. Study the early impeachment efforts on Trump. Lesson 2.0 is that you need both the Congress and the Senate to get an impeachment off the ground. See McConnells successful efforts to block witnesses at Trump’s first impeachment trial in the Senate.
So Congresswoman Q has a bit to learn on the specifics.
But you’re right, she’s trying to (probably being pushed into) make efforts to keep a movement going. Thing is, Trump will try to co opt her in order to stay relevant. A huge misread of the ‘market’ right now. Trump is a one trick pony, he needed to pull an inside straight in the electoral college to win in ’16 and got pretty trounced in ’20. Granted he did much damage and got many to drink the kool aid while in office, his influence has begun a steep decline and will only pick up momentum from here on. Greene will have to fend this off in order to move forward, if not she’s out in two years.
Elvis Bug
To Rs: Are politically based impeachments bad (as you claim the Trumps ones are), or just bad because they are focused on the someone you like?
It’s too late to cry about politically motivated impeachments. Pandora’s box was opened when they impeached Trump the first time on bogus and ill defined charges. It will now be customary for every president to face impeachment. At least until the country inevitably falls apart, since there are two diametrically polarized viewpoints and absolutely no (genuine) desire on either side to find common ground. Look at the bright side though- most nations don’t last more than 200 years on average, and America made it to 244. Not bad! It was a good run.
Yeah, that Clinton impeachment was a real bi-partisan effort.
Say what?
At least then there was the facade of legality- although it was extremely petty to start the impeachment process for such a small thing, Clinton did commit perjury.
The Dims who ran the Senate confirmed that it’s OK when a Dim POTUS Clinton commits felony perjury while in office. Do you deny that? The citizenry confirmed the same sentiment because the economy was doing well.
Without Covid Trump would have won by the landslide Biden won by or bigger.
(I hate Trump’s guts; if he belongs in prison so be it.)
Not bad! It was a good run.
Did you catch this?
Trump Team’s Peter Navarro Drops Third Major Report on Historic Election Fraud — Confirms “Trump Won”
Based on the analysis and the granular, documented quantities of illegal votes in this report, the only thing that must happen now as we engage in a peaceful transition of power is a FULL investigation of this matter.
• The Department of Justice should immediately appoint a Special Counsel BEFORE the Biden administration begins.
• State legislators and Attorneys Generals in the battleground states, particularly Republican states, must launch similar investigations.
Absent a full investigation, we as a nation run the risk of institutionalizing a rigged electoral system in which a large segment of America will no longer have faith in. That’s why clearing the air about the 2020 presidential election is not just about Donald J. Trump but rather about something much larger and of far more import —the future of our election system, the public perception of that system, and ultimately the future of our free and democratic Republic.
https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/be36dc6d-0df4-4c20-addf-fca72be46150/The%20Navarro%20Report%20Volume%20III%20Final%201.13.21-0001.pdf
“Peter Navarro claimed that his third report on how Democratic operatives “stole” the election from President Trump has “the most up-to-date statistical ‘receipts'” regarding the alleged plot.
However, the report, released on Thursday, less than a week before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, cites evidence as recent as Dec. 22, all of which was included in his second volume, and the tome appears to misinterpret election terminology in making claims about possible election fraud and irregularities….
These claims of widespread election or voter fraud have been rejected by federal and state officials and have failed in nearly every court case presented by the Trump campaign or its allies……”
The conservative Washington Examiner takes apart Navarro’s “Report”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/peter-navarro-election-fraud-report-dubious-claims
Peter Navarro’s 3rd report is further indication, as if we really needed it, that millions of Americans are not buying once again the MSM (DNC, but I repeat myself) histrionics.
This has the potential of escalating out of control and that will be on Nancy Pelosi and the DNC cabal.
No, anonymous, that will be on the fools who in an abdication of their duty as citizens of a democracy believed the self serving nonsense of the documented world’s biggest liar who has been laying an excuse for months before the 1st vote was cast for his coming loss of the election.
Who is that stupid? 70% of 74 million Republicans?
Guess so.
Biggest liar? Republicans?, that’s rich! If someone stole something from you do you think you’d be called a liar?