And I do mean when? Here’s the points that make me think that it has to be on the collective mind of the House GOP (where impeachment begins):
- He’s not THEIR leader. Trump never came up through the GOP ranks, holding the usual jobs. He is basically alien to the entire political process, be it either the DFL, old line GOP, and radical GOP.
- At heart he’s not a politician. Not that the current GOP is in bed with the idea of compromise, but Trump’s background as the boss of Trump, Inc., renders him yet another step beyond the idea of compromise. President Obama could reject legislation with reason, logic, and restraint. What happens the first time Congress overrides a veto? Or even just sends him a bill of which he disapproves?
- So put 1 & 2 together to see how relations will quickly become strained between the House GOP and Trump. But initially they can do nothing, because of Trump’s popularity with the GOP base. That, and impeachment does require gross incompetence or malfeasance on the part of the President – and they didn’t even dare to ignore that with President Obama, who, for all their loathing, clearly ran a highly competent operation.
- But if something were to break the popular support for Trump, then he’d become vulnerable. What might cause that? Failures to deliver on promises. His incessant lying. Even just his big mouth saying the wrong thing on a variety of subjects.
- The presence of Pence, who definitely has his own opinions, both good and bad, independent from Trump, would tend to lead the House to consider impeachment, given the proper incitement.
So what would the proper incitement be? Probably not a blow job (cue an appearance by Bill Clinton.) But while the competence of many GOP House members may seem questionable to partisans of the DFL, I do not think there can be any doubt that GOP House Members take their duty to safeguard the nation seriously.
So this story from Steve Benen caught my attention:
When Rachel [Maddow] asked if the president-elect may have “an agenda to try to dismantle parts of the intelligence community,” [Senator] Schumer replied, “Whether you’re a super liberal Democrat or a very conservative Republican, you should be against dismantling the intelligence community.”
Just 24 hours later, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has some dramatic changes in mind at the agencies that have told him what he didn’t want to hear.
President-elect Donald Trump, a harsh critic of U.S. intelligence agencies, is working with top advisers on a plan that would restructure and pare back the nation’s top spy agency, people familiar with the planning said.
The move is prompted by his belief that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has become bloated and politicized, these people said.
Quoting sources familiar with Trump’s plans, the Journal reported that the incoming president, who’s publicly mocked and taunted intelligence professionals, intends to “restructure” the Central Intelligence Agency.
What are Trump’s sources of information that supersedes the professionals who’ve done this as a career, often putting their lives on the line? In the absence of amazing answers (and his admiration of the National Enquirer doesn’t count), a fair observer is forced to conclude that Trump cannot tolerate answers that diverge from his view of the world – and therefore he’s going to meddle with the intelligence agencies until they parrot the answers he wishes to hear.
It makes me quite ill. This should be the story of the week. The month. The year.
Kremlin residents must be convulsing with laughter.
But not the GOP. They have one huge potential problem for as long as Trump is President – his emotional needs are apparently more important than national security. How long can they tolerate this potential catastrophe, both nationally and for the GOP, especially with Pence, a former House member with far right wing views consonant with many GOP House members, as Trump’s successor?
Maybe only so long as Trump can convince his army of marks that he can deliver on his promises.
Steve ended with, “Welcome to the Trump Era, America.” It may be a very short era. Perhaps it’s time to wonder how Pence will work out as a President.
