With all due respect, it is exactly this kind of thinking that has gotten us into the mess we're in now. Short-term political advantage should not trump principles. When Congress sees the President and his agents committing unconstitutional acts, it is their duty and obligation to take action. Failure to act will only foster future tyranny by the Executive Branch. Personally, I believe that the conservative position on this is to do what is right for the country even if it entails short-term sacrifice (and I'm not convinced that the interests of the conservatives and the Republican Party are aligned).
The way that the Republican "leadership" is framing this, they have already surrendered. They are afraid to challenge Obama because it will rally his base but by not challenging him, the Republicans are giving him the authority to rule by fiat. These vague threats of doing something after the elections (with their dreams of controlling both houses of Congress) are meaningless and Obama knows it. As soon as the elections are over, the argument will become impeachment is too divisive and besides Obama only has two years left. Or that impeachment is a waste of time because there will be no conviction. (We have already seen both these arguments on this thread.)
Impeachment is as much about future Presidents as it is about Obama, so the timing and conviction concerns are irrelevant. If Congress stands aside and lets Obama run roughshod over it and the Constitution, the stage is set for even greater abuses in the future. Palin is right in thinking long-term about winning the war and Boehner is wrong for thinking of only the short-term consequences. One is speaking as a statesman, the other as a politician.
WRONG!
Politics is war by other means.
The object of war? DEFEAT THE ENEMY!
I have no patience for chest thumping stupidity, I have no patience for suicide missions that have no possibility of defeating the enemy.
POLITICS is what we are playing right now. Get with the program. Learn the game.
-— or take up knitting or bird watching.
It's interesting to read on this board that we have a large cohort divorcing from the GOPe and pledging to vote only for conservatives. Yet, when the matter of impeachment comes up, a large cohort proclaims, "Can't do THAT. Only the democrats will benefit."
I wonder how much overlap there is?
It is unrealistic to think that a majority can be installed in the Congress via the midterms to then move against Obama. The correct strategy is to begin the process and make it a campaign issue. Make them all answer "Which side are you on?"
And, yes. It IS about the future as much, or more than punishing Obama. The crimes have been done and show no sign of diminishing.
We got outraged about Clinton lying under oath. How small that seems in comparison to what we are dealing with today.