Cheney on CNN: "I'm not prepared at this point to call for the impeachment of President Obama… that gets to be a bit of a stretch"
Posted on 07/16/2014 8:03:54 AM PDT by Bratch
I’m honestly surprised. I knew most Republican pols would disagree with her simply because of the politics involved, but I thought there’d be a few tea partiers in the House who sided with her on principle. As it is, unless I’ve missed something, not a single member of Congress is willing to say that Obama not only deserves to go but that the House should make a move in that direction.
First Cheney:
Michael Crowley ✔ @CrowleyTIMEFollow
Cheney on CNN: "I'm not prepared at this point to call for the impeachment of President Obama… that gets to be a bit of a stretch"
House tea partiers are cool to the idea too. Raul Labrador, who challenged Kevin McCarthy for majority leader last month, was especially blunt:
“I believe that Sarah Palin, who has given us good information on some issues, doesn’t have the burden of leadership right now,” Labrador said.“It’s really easy for her to go on Fox News and make statements that she doesn’t have to be accountable [for] to anybody but herself.”
Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.) said he worried that impeachment could be politically disastrous for Republicans in November.
“Every political analyst, almost, that’s really looked at this … has said that nothing would fire up the base of the Democrats more than an impeachment action, and also perhaps more importantly that it would turn off some of the independents who are right now leaning our way, ” Duncan said. “If you want to help the Democrats keep control of the Senate, this would be one way to do it, to start impeachment action.”
Other attendees at the presser were skeptical. Jim Jordan said he’s happy with Boehner’s plan to challenge Obama by suing him instead. Tim Huelskamp said Palin is echoing Americans’ concerns about Obama’s lawlessness but he feared that trying to impeach him would rile up Democrats and independents and jeopardize expected GOP gains in the midterms. (“So if you want to help the Democrats keep control of the Senate, this would be the right way to do that.”) Randy Weber went so far as to say that Obama deserves impeachment — but “it’s not practical, we don’t have the Senate.” Literally no one’s willing to endorse this idea, even guys like Huelskamp from solidly red districts who have nothing personally to fear by way of a backlash. Everyone on the Hill is on the same page — no diversions before November.
What about after November, though? If Republicans take back the Senate, 2015 and 2016 will be two of the most boring years on record legislatively. The only major bill with a prayer of being signed into law is immigration reform, and the longer the border crisis drags on, the less likely that seems. You could, in theory, try to impeach O next year with no fear of damaging any policy initiatives — except that the emerging GOP presidential field will be terrified of the backlash they might face at the polls in 2016. And even people like Weber who are lukewarm to the idea will end up arguing that it’s silly to try to impeach a guy who’s in his seventh year as president. Just ride it out, focus on winning the White House, and then undo his worst executive actions with a few penstrokes. Only a mass amnesty could potentially change that equation, I think. Which, given O’s interest potentially in baiting the GOP into trying to remove him, might just sweeten the pot for him in following through.
Look at where the elites live.
Look at the perception of impeaching the first black president would be.
No one will do it
How in the creation of heaven and earth would impeachment proceedings, exactly as you typed, “TAKE THE ATTENTION OFF OBAMA’S INCOMPETENCE”?
???????????
Do you know what impeachment proceedings are?
Day after day after day and hour after hour after hour shining ATTENTION ON OBAMA’S INCOMPETENCE.
Hello?
Get it?
And in the areas where they are not FOCUSING ATTENTION ON OBAMA’S INCOMPETENCE, it will be because Obama’s minions are refusing to testify.
Get it yet?
What do you think the reps are going to be talking about during the impeachment hearings?
Hello?
It's called controlled opposition. They own both sides.
Save
Well, it ain’t gonna happen. That we know.
That’s true.
There are two points about impeachment. The first is, can a conviction be obtained and the impeached officeholder removed from office?
The second, and perhaps more important one, is whether impeachment will prove a net positive benefit. Impeachment is an inherently political act; the political consequences must be taken into consideration.
So impeachment, even when there’s no chance of conviction, may make sense because it ultimately drives a positive outcome. This is how I’d classify the Clinton impeachment: it not only exposed his behavior to the public (and for posterity) but also wrecked his last two years in office AND helped wreck the chances of his hand-picked successor from becoming President.
In the case of Obama, I see a net negative. The impeachment will be portrayed as racist. Conservatives will be portrayed as nutcase extremists. Average Americans, who are concerned about the economy, Obamacare and jobs (three issues Conservatives can and will win on) will get pissed at what they see as political nonsense.
Uncle Remus is instuctive here. Obama is Brer Rabbit. Impeachment is the Briar Patch. He WANTS to go there, and in the absence of substantive attempts by the GOP to send him there, his media allies are the ones throwing him in, and blaming then Conservatives for it.
Just how lawless would 0bama have to get before the GOPe would consider doing something about it?
I honestly believe Sarah knew there would be no stomach for impeachment. I think she just wanted to get the squatter’s crimes in the media. I do agree that to start proceedings now - with no support from the Senate would be an election bonus for the Democrats in November. I can just hear the robo calls now - the TEA party wants to impeach the first black president.
I think that deep down most agree with this, but the timing is all wrong. We the people are frustrated with this regime, but impeachment probably isn’t the answer unless he would resign and he isn’t about to do that. All he would get is a slap on the wrist and we’d still be stuck with him for another 2 1/2 years. The House has the means to stop him with the power of the purse, but refuses to do anything.
When you can prove that you have two thirds of the Senate prepared to vote to remove Obama from office, let me know.
Until then, you can work really hard and contribute lots of money to elect THAT type of Senator or
you can pretend your words have special “magical powers” that will convert our “Lindsay Grahams” and “Harry Reids” into Sarah Palin-like patriots.
And I thought only Democrats believed in “magic”...
Whether they admit it or not, most people now know that Sarah Palin has been proven right on everything she has said.
Most people have no clue who is in Congress, or who controls the House, or the Senate, or anyone but odinga. They don't know about any separation of powers, any Constitution, or Amendments, or Supreme Court, or anything else about the structure of our government. They only know what the media provides for daily talking points.
The dust-up over Sarah Palin calling for impeachment is generating interest across the spectrum. The media ridiculed her before, and she turned out to be correct. Then again; then some more; then darnit, again.
There must be impeachable offenses if Palin said so. Oh, you're telling me it's a list? OMG, now you're telling me it's a long, long, long list? OMG, I just did a google search on obama impeachable offenses. OMG! OMG!
And that's what's happening across America these days. Like a campfire on a wet morning, it just takes a determined effort toward the objective.
AMEN and AMEN!!
How in the creation of heaven and earth would impeachment proceedings, exactly as you typed, “TAKE THE ATTENTION OFF OBAMA’S INCOMPETENCE”?
???????????
By showing republicans to be incompetent. Where were you in 1998? Bill Clinton was impeached and his poll numbers went up. The media made the republicans look like a bunch of clowns.
/////
Do you know what impeachment proceedings are?
Ahhh .... yeah.
Day after day after day and hour after hour after hour shining ATTENTION ON OBAMA’S INCOMPETENCE.
Hello?
Yeah.
/////
Get it?
You’re the one that doesn’t seem to get it. THE MEDIA/libs/demos WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS that would go no where. They would make the republicans look like racist buffoons.
You must have clearly missed 1998.
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And in the areas where they are not FOCUSING ATTENTION ON OBAMA’S INCOMPETENCE, it will be because Obama’s minions are refusing to testify.
Get it yet?
You clearly have no clue about impeachment proceedings.
////
What do you think the reps are going to be talking about during the impeachment hearings?
Hello?
You really don’t understand how it works. Your idea would play right into the hands of the democrats. They would love spinning impeachment proceedings that are going no where to take the attention off the economy, illegal immigration, and foreign policy. You want to see John McCain and Lindsey Graham taking up most of the news hour explaining their views on impeachment proceedings? That’s what you’ll get.
If the media can spin and overcome Obama’s rev. Wright tapes then they can pretty much overcome a silly impeachment proceedings.
By their half-hearted attempt the Republicans acted like a bunch of clowns. The Media just reported on it. The RINOs are the ones who prevented Clinton's conviction.
The media made the republicans look like a bunch of clowns.
By their half-hearted attempt the Republicans acted like a bunch of clowns. The Media just reported on it. The RINOs are the ones who prevented Clinton’s conviction.
True. The republicans acted like a bunch of clowns.
Do you believe anything would be different this time? The media would reach out to their favorite clowns — John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, etc., all day 24/7. Could you imagine having to listen to Paul Ryan whine all day?
Americans would quickly grow numb to such proceedings and then everything would be the evil republican’s fault.
The democrats would love the distraction of impeachment proceedings to no where. I would prefer republicans step back and let people see for themselves that Obama and progressive liberalism are huge failures.
obama has been involved in mass murder in Mexico, supported the terrorists worldwide.
Yet the republicans find nothing wrong!
If anyone can name the 22 ‘rat Senators who would vote Obama guilty in an impeachment trial in the Senate, then I’m all for it. It takes 67 guilty votes to remove a president from office in an impeachment trial and between now and next January there are 45 Republican senators including the RINOs.
One thing about congressmen and senators - they can count votes like a pimp counts money.
The fact that none of them support impeachment, in an election year, is probably a pretty accurate reflection of where the country is at.
Of course he deserves it. That is by no means the same question as, "what would be the consequences in November for the GOP of passing Articles of Impeachment?"
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