If it’s serious you do something about it

David Akadjian, part of the Daily Kos community, reviews some of the risks that would come with impeaching the nasty guy, then discusses the risks of not impeaching him.

Under risks of impeaching:

* Bill Clinton’s rallying cry: Even if he did something wrong, it does not merit removal from office. In the same way, an acquitted Trump is an immunized Trump.

* Mitch McConnell would block it in the Senate anyway.

* Polls show impeachment is not popular.

* Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she prefers he be defeated at the ballot box.

The risks of not impeaching:

* It adds credibility to the GOP narrative. If it’s serious you do something about it. If you don’t do something about it, it’s not serious. Which means the nasty guy sets a precedent for truckloads of nasty behavior.

* If Democrats don’t seize the investigative narrative, the GOP will. They’ll launch all kinds of bogus proceedings. The GOP “deep state” story is more credible if Democrats don’t impeach.

* Democrats will be portrayed as political, such as the theory (with no evidence) that Pelosi is avoiding impeachment to protect Democrats from swing districts.

* If you aren’t willing to fight for people, they aren’t willing to fight for you. For example, Pelosi’s approval rating reached its highest level when she fought against the border wall. The case for impeachment is a moral fight. Avoiding it makes the Dems looks like they’re protecting the establishment.

David Frum of The Atlantic says impeachment done now will backfire because the GOP majority in the Senate won’t convict. Instead, Frum has suggestions.

* Investigate the wrongs the nasty guy has done and is doing. But, for now, leave off the discussion of whether removal is the right remedy.

* Leaving off actual impeachment allows Dem candidates to talk about issues rather than talk about impeachment.

* Reserve impeachment for the start of a possible second term, at a time when Democrats will likely have more seats in the Senate.

I have a problem with Frum’s caution. He doesn’t address the refugees who are living in deplorable conditions along the border and might soon be living in concentration camps. Also, more Dems in the Senate (at the rate the GOP is rigging elections) is not guaranteed. At least Frum agrees that investigations need to be underway.



Egberto Willies of the Daily Kos community wrote about a recent interfaith rally led by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber. Willies quoted Common Dreams:

Hundreds of interfaith leaders stood ready to face arrest outside the White House on Wednesday where they delivered a "moral indictment to an immoral administration."

The march and rally, dubbed Moral Witness Wednesday, was organized to denounce the President Donald Trump administration's cruel and unjust policies including the detaining of migrant children and attacks on healthcare access. Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director of the Shalom Center, initially conceived of the action, organizations say.

Central to their protest, as Barber pointed out, is that the nasty guy’s policies violate the core values of Jesus, such as taking care of the poor, the least among us, and the immigrant. This rally was a moral impeachment. Their demands included:

* Stop the weaponization of judicial appointments. Uphold the constitution.

* Stop politicizing the census with a citizen question.

* Stop the abuse of executive power to pollute our communities.

* Stop the assault on the Affordable Care Act.

* Stop the brutal treatment of strangers at the border.

Common Dreams again:

Instead of covenantal leadership for justice, compassion, healing, and the empowerment of all, these sinful acts of the current administration pursue subjugation: subjugation of racial, religious, ethnic, and gender minorities; of women; of children; of the suffocating middle class, workers, family farmers, the poor, and people who fall sick; of immigrants and refugees; of the free press; of the Constitution; even of Earth, our common home. This hate-filled subjugation violates the Covenant. It must not stand.

Barber points out another aspect of this rally. Recently, Franklin Graham, a fundamentalist leader, held a day of prayer asking God to support the nasty guy. Graham said he had a letter signed by 250 clergy members praying for the nasty guy. It was a mainstream story. Barber had a letter about his march with 5,000 signatures, including people of every religion. Mainstream coverage was significantly less. The media has little interest in those calling out the nasty guy for his bad deeds. Willies said, “their complicity and dereliction of duty could give Trump a second term.”

Barber tweeted a photo of the rally. He’s in front in red. It looks like the crowd continued around the corner.