Silence gives consent

Now that the Mueller Report (the redacted version) is in the hands of the public there is a lot of discussion in the news about how the Democrats are divided. To impeach or not to impeach, that is the question (apologies to Shakespeare). The House Democratic leadership isn’t in favor. Number 2 Steny Hoyer says the voters can decide in 18 months. And others, with my own Rep. Rashida Tlaib out front, are saying the Mueller Report gives plenty of reasons to impeach.

I’m not going to share any reasons from the Dem leadership on why they don’t want to impeach, mostly because I haven’t heard one. The bit about letting voters decide is an excuse, not a reason. I will share many reasons why impeachment proceedings should begin – starting with replies to the nonsense from Hoyer.

* Hoyer is assuming fair elections. Based on 2016 I’m pretty sure they won’t be fair, especially since measures to make them more fair aren’t being implemented and measures to make them less fare are.

* Impeachment proceedings can explain to voters why they should not vote for the nasty guy. Cheri Jacobus explains:

Why spend millions of dollars in the 2020 election cycle trying to educate voters what the Mueller report says when you can educate them thru live, televised, unfiltered impeachment hearings? …

Which will more viewers/voters watch? (and subsequently become educated about what the Mueller Report actually says versus what Barr, Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh claim it says)
[ ] oversight hearings
[ ] impeachment hearings

That one speaks to my earlier thoughts that perhaps we should continue investigations and just not call them impeachment proceedings for now.

* Many Dem voters who helped flip the house in 2018 want to change Washington. The only way to do that now is to impeach. Taking impeachment off the table is making these voters cynical, with the feeling that both parties are the same. And cynical voters stay home.

Congressman Al Green rebuts Hoyer’s thinking:

When the Mueller investigation began, powerful voices indicated it was “too early” to impeach - wait for the Mueller report. Now that the report has been released, powerful voices are starting to indicate that it’s “too late” to impeach - wait for elections.

And Maris Lawson responds:

Every time a Democrat shuts down impeachment, Trump and the GOP become more emboldened and will try to get away with so much more evil. They know they won’t be held accountable and Dems are scared they will say something mean about them. It’s beyond old and so dangerous.

As does Carrie Luckas:

To quote @sianoresist “If we don’t Impeach Trump there is a very real possibility that there will be no presidential election in 2020.” Chew on that one.

And other reasons for why impeachment hearings should begin:

Laurence Tribe is coauthor of the book To End a Presidency, the Power of Impeachment. He tweeted a quote from Michelle Goldberg from the New York Times:

To not even try to impeach Trump is to collaborate in the Trumpian fiction that he has done nothing impeachable.

Commenters, starting with Greg Olear, add:

The opposite of impeachment is appeasement.

And from Peter Donato:

It's also complete capitulation to Russia vs an aggressive offensive to thwart their next election attack. We need to remind Putin & the world that interfering in the affairs of the USA will have consequences; the first step on that road is removing Trump by lawful means.

Nanette Price:

If we don't impeach we are saying we no longer live in a democracy, the Constitution means nothing & America is now ruled by a king (dictator) NO, I refuse to just hand my country over to Donald Trump & a Rep party that betrayed all of us to feed their greed.

Twitter user the Reconing is coming:

It doesn't matter if the Senate won't remove him. We can NOT allow his behavior to become the norm.

That tweet includes an image with the words:

Its no longer about whether Trump has any decency, but if we do.

GaryAtty:

The maxim is "Qui tacet consentit": the maxim of the law is "Silence gives consent". If you fail to hold hearings leading to an impeachment inquiry, you are giving permission to Trump to break any law he deems fit.

Senator Elizabeth Warren is the highest profile Democrat so far and the first prez. candidate to call for impeachment. She said the Mueller Report lays out the facts and puts the next step in the hands of Congress. Ignoring the nasty guy’s abuses suggests future presidents are free to abuse power in the same way. The House should initiate impeachment proceedings.

Leah McElrath notes that Warren’s statement did not come with a moneybeg. Both McElrath and I like that.

A comment from Sarah Kendzior, who studies authoritarian regimes:

It's rare people regret doing the right thing, even if they fail to achieve their end goal. The "what-ifs" are what keep people up at night with shame and regret.

For more in Kendzior’s reasons to impeach, see my post from a month ago.