Replies

Everybody wants to impeach the president. So do I. But a couple of pesky facts based in reality get in the way. It only takes a simple majority in the House to impeach. That shouldn't be too hard for the Republicans to do, unless Boehner screws it up like he did the HHS funding vote last night where he couldn't get his guys to rally around.

But if the House impeaches and it goes to the Senate for conviction, there quickly becomes the first problem. Conviction requires a 2/3 majority vote, which is 67 Senators, but Republicans only hold 54 seats. They might convince a democRAT or two to vote to convict but the likelyhood of getting 13 cross-over votes is zero. The other complicating fact is historical. No president has ever been convicted of high crimes and misdemeanors in the Senate. None.

So while I understand the anger and emotion of wanting this lawless president impeached, just impeaching him and not convicting him will damage the Republicans and not Obama. Just like with Clinton. And with not conviction in the Senate likely, this is an exercise in futility. Wishful thinking. A waste of time well spent.

The 2/3 vote required in the Senate to convict him fuels his lawlessness. If he knows he can't be impeached, he just does what he wants with impunity. I think our best bet until this guy leaves office, is to defund some of these agencies Obama is using to circumvent the Constitution and Congress to do what he wants without anybody controlling him. Take their money away from them. Hit them in the pocket book where it will hurt. Otherwise, I think we're going to have to wait for the 2016 elections, hope we can gain the presidency and maintain our majorities in the Congress.