I have seen multiple diaries complain about the lack of action on the House towards impeaching the President but I think I can see the strategy now, Pelosi and company are playing to an audience of one: Chief Justice John Roberts. I think they are putting there cards on the SCOTUS giving them cover to start the impeachment process. Hear me out on this….
1. I saw an interview on MSNBC with Nick Ackerman and Jill Wine Banks who both served on the Watergate Special Counsel investigation committee that if it wasn’t for the tapes being released, Nixon survives and finishes out the term. I have seen other articles pointing out that the famed march up to the White House occurs after the release of the tapes and the Senate GOP knew the game was up. Goldwater, Scott, and others were not bound by honor but by political pressure, they knew if he stayed they were toast, time to save the ship and toss the rat overboard.
2. The tapes are only released after the SCOTUS rules against Nixon 8-0, he saw and the public pressure came to bear and he saw the writing on the wall. July 24 the decision comes out and on August 9, you know what happens.
3. I think the Democrats are setting up for a SCOTUS decision where they challenge an action by Trump to deny them access to certain information or testimony and dare John Roberts to side with Trump. We all knew Trump would stonewall so we have to be in for the long haul on this to work through the system but we can;t rule out straight move to the SCOTUS or an expedited case through as well.
4. For all of John Robert’s faults, and he has a bunch, the question is does he want to create an imperial presidency that can ignore the Congress or the Courts? He knows if so, his legacy is finished so does he pull everyone together and get a strong ruling against Trump when it gets to the SCOTUS, which we know will happen sooner rather than later.
5. So now with a decision in hand, does Trump defy the courts and still refuse. I say that if he does, the public pressure will begin to mount and the House will have the cover needed to go with impeachment. Right now it would could be viewed as a political ploy, but with a SCOTUS ruling on there side, it might give the Democrats the needed cover to claim the high ground.
It should be noted that ironically for Nixon the House Judiciary voted to send impeachment to the full House on July 28th 1974, after the Nixon case was settled and he had to send over the tapes.
Yeah I know it might be asking a lot and taking a lot of leaps of faith but that is my two cents, I welcome your thoughts below.