Martin Longman is the web editor of the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. Before joining the Monthly, Martin was a county coordinator for ACORN/Project Vote and a political consultant. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
I don’t agree. The Republicans could wise up and take the gift. No, publicize this to the hilt! Make clear that the Republicans in Congress have made clear they’ll never impeach and dare them to declare otherwise. Make them ride the nuclear missile of their fever dreams into the desolate ground of the America they demanded. The people of this country are so stupid, Mike Pence could win. A bunch of idiots would believe he was a breath of fresh air and vote to give him a chance. He, like Trump, could ride an inside straight to an electoral college… Read more »
Agreed. At this stage of the game, everyone has to be focused on winning the Senate with as many seats as possible in order to try to save the country from a huge portion of itself and the entirety of the Republican party. In fact, the deal Pelosi should present to Biden is one where she doesn’t pursue impeachment so as to make it easier for Biden to win in exchange for him agreeing not to just “Move on for the good of the country” without there being criminal investigation of all these bad actors by the DoJ in a… Read more »
No. If we could get rid of Trump in the next month, there’s the possibility that Pence might get the federal response to the pandemic in order. (Also, he might not.) That’s five months of a better response. We can’t afford to pass that chance up. Republicans deserve whatever misfortunes befall them, but we have to offer them any chance we can to do better. More than politics depends on that.
Based on his objective performance as a governor (and as VP), I think “the possibility” that Pence’s competence and judgement (or that of anyone the Republicans already or would put in place over the next five months managing the response) so slim that it isn’t worth the downside of another four years of a GOP presidency (and Senate, because presumably Pence would be better for the Senate than Trump). Yes, it’s tragic, but IMHO, this is the pandemic train we are on with no chance to change it (via POTUS being convicted in the Senate) before November. The Conservative movement… Read more »
Well, you know, fuck that. The republican senate doesn’t deserve another chance to do the right thing, they deserve to be run out of town on a rail. And Trump and his corrupt buddies deserve to be in jail. We’ll see to all that after the election, if there is any justice left in this country.
Fuck being magnanimous to these republicans. They made their bed earlier this year. This just gives them one more chance to snub their noses at us. Maybe they can say so out loud first, like “ we want this asshole gone.”
The vulnerable Republican senators would be put into a desperate box. Voting to acquit twice would seal their fates. Even voting to remove would be disastrous, since the Trump base would abandon them. It would also raise the question of why they needed a second chance to do the right thing when all the evidence was on display earlier in the year. Voting to remove would reek of political expediency in competitive race. Democrats could make hay with the charge that the individual Republican senator was doing this to save their own skin, which has the benefit of being entirely… Read more »
I’m surprised at the comments here. Personally I give the chance that the Republicans convict their own president to be 0% regardless of the crime and the evidence. Therein lies the problem with impeachment requiring supermajorities. I’d do away with the process entirely. What’s the point? It’s clear that no president will ever be impeached now that this precedent has been set. There needs to be a different option available but I’m not clear what that is. maybe only requiring majorities of both houses but also a clear majority of supreme court justices? But with caveat that those justices appointed… Read more »
I don’t think impeaching him is magnanimous to the Republicans. I think its good politics. I believe there is polling evidence that shows that the last impeachment actually did some damage to his popularity, or at least started its decline, and he was a lot more popular then. His base is starting to fall apart and I think this would accelerate that. People are starting to understand how Trump’s corruption affects them personally due to the pandemic, and this would be one more huge example of corruption. At a minimum it would consume the news cycle for a few weeks… Read more »
I agree. Impeach again. But a question: if a future president gives Stone a full pardon, he could be compelled to testify, no?
Either that or Congress could offer immunity for past lying, while putting him in jeopardy for lying again while under oath.
I don’t agree. The Republicans could wise up and take the gift. No, publicize this to the hilt! Make clear that the Republicans in Congress have made clear they’ll never impeach and dare them to declare otherwise. Make them ride the nuclear missile of their fever dreams into the desolate ground of the America they demanded. The people of this country are so stupid, Mike Pence could win. A bunch of idiots would believe he was a breath of fresh air and vote to give him a chance. He, like Trump, could ride an inside straight to an electoral college… Read more »
Agreed. At this stage of the game, everyone has to be focused on winning the Senate with as many seats as possible in order to try to save the country from a huge portion of itself and the entirety of the Republican party. In fact, the deal Pelosi should present to Biden is one where she doesn’t pursue impeachment so as to make it easier for Biden to win in exchange for him agreeing not to just “Move on for the good of the country” without there being criminal investigation of all these bad actors by the DoJ in a… Read more »
No. If we could get rid of Trump in the next month, there’s the possibility that Pence might get the federal response to the pandemic in order. (Also, he might not.) That’s five months of a better response. We can’t afford to pass that chance up. Republicans deserve whatever misfortunes befall them, but we have to offer them any chance we can to do better. More than politics depends on that.
Based on his objective performance as a governor (and as VP), I think “the possibility” that Pence’s competence and judgement (or that of anyone the Republicans already or would put in place over the next five months managing the response) so slim that it isn’t worth the downside of another four years of a GOP presidency (and Senate, because presumably Pence would be better for the Senate than Trump). Yes, it’s tragic, but IMHO, this is the pandemic train we are on with no chance to change it (via POTUS being convicted in the Senate) before November. The Conservative movement… Read more »
“It’s the magnanimous thing to do”
Well, you know, fuck that. The republican senate doesn’t deserve another chance to do the right thing, they deserve to be run out of town on a rail. And Trump and his corrupt buddies deserve to be in jail. We’ll see to all that after the election, if there is any justice left in this country.
This should be a slam dunk for impeaching again. Make the Republicans double down on the corruption and contempt for the rule of law.
Fuck being magnanimous to these republicans. They made their bed earlier this year. This just gives them one more chance to snub their noses at us. Maybe they can say so out loud first, like “ we want this asshole gone.”
The vulnerable Republican senators would be put into a desperate box. Voting to acquit twice would seal their fates. Even voting to remove would be disastrous, since the Trump base would abandon them. It would also raise the question of why they needed a second chance to do the right thing when all the evidence was on display earlier in the year. Voting to remove would reek of political expediency in competitive race. Democrats could make hay with the charge that the individual Republican senator was doing this to save their own skin, which has the benefit of being entirely… Read more »
I’m surprised at the comments here. Personally I give the chance that the Republicans convict their own president to be 0% regardless of the crime and the evidence. Therein lies the problem with impeachment requiring supermajorities. I’d do away with the process entirely. What’s the point? It’s clear that no president will ever be impeached now that this precedent has been set. There needs to be a different option available but I’m not clear what that is. maybe only requiring majorities of both houses but also a clear majority of supreme court justices? But with caveat that those justices appointed… Read more »
I don’t think impeaching him is magnanimous to the Republicans. I think its good politics. I believe there is polling evidence that shows that the last impeachment actually did some damage to his popularity, or at least started its decline, and he was a lot more popular then. His base is starting to fall apart and I think this would accelerate that. People are starting to understand how Trump’s corruption affects them personally due to the pandemic, and this would be one more huge example of corruption. At a minimum it would consume the news cycle for a few weeks… Read more »