By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com
The MAGA Republicans have already made a mockery of Rule of Law. They have already made a mockery of free and fair elections, shutting down, expelling, recalling Democrats in state houses (Tennessee 3), censuring Democrats in Congress for doing their sworn duty (Adam Schiff), impeaching Democrats at drop of hat (WI judge) merely to exert political power.
But when it comes to actual criminals in their midst (Trump’s 91 indictments including for the insurrection all the world saw, attempted coup, stolen state secrets, but also admitted conman George Santos), they feign they “can’t undo election, let the voters decide” when they know they have gerrymandered, suppressed, and subverted voting in order to keep power.
Now Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the MAGA Republicans are making a mockery of Constitution’s provision for impeaching a president because of treasons, bribery, high crimes & misdemeanors – all that Trump has done, but Biden assuredly has not.
But it is consistent, with the Trump and Republican tactic of accusing others of the crimes they commit – deflection, distraction, projection. Trump charged the Democrats would rig the election because he rigged the election. Jim Jordan charges the Democrats have “weaponized” and “politicized” the Justice Department because that is exactly what they have done (spent $7 million on multiple Benghazi hearings which they admitted were conducted to diminish Hillary Clinton’s candidacy). Obstructed Justice? That’s been Trump’s playbook going back to Mueller Report, and nonstop crime spree of intimidating, extorting, and bribing witnesses (pardoning or halting prosecution of Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort and other conspirators).
McCarthy must be joking when he says “the Federal government is not for sale. The Federal government cannot be used to cover up a politically associated family. We will go wherever the evidence takes us.” (but apparently only in one direction, to impeach Joe Biden, in order to neutralize the two Trump impeachments).
McCarthy, who is a weak, shameless sleaze who only cares about saving his own skin, without producing a scintilla of evidence, accused Biden of “a culture of corruption. He did lie about his own knowledge of his own family’s foreign business dealings.”
Go back a second: Hunter Biden’s offenses, actually minor compared to the laundry list of crimes committed by the Trump Crime Family, had nothing to do with federal government. He was not with the federal government. He failed to pay taxes for two years, and made restitution like thousands of others do routinely (Trump has lied about his taxes for which he is being sued for $250 million). Hunter had a drug problem and lied about it to get a gun that he had for 11 days, never loaded, never used. His stolen laptop? What the hell is that about? A prosecutor appointed by Trump continued to investigate until after Biden came into office. How is any of this relevant to an impeachment?
“House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they've turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own Republican members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped because he doesn't have support. This is extreme politics at its worst,” commented Ian C. Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations.
House Republicans say they have not uncovered evidence meriting an impeachment inquiry, he noted:
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- Republican Rep. Ken Buck (Colorado) said that “the time for impeachment is the time when there’s evidence linking President Biden, if there’s evidence linking President Biden to a high crime or misdemeanor” but that the evidence “doesn’t exist right now.” He has also said “I don’t think that evidence has been presented” connecting President Biden to wrongdoing and that “I’m not convinced that that evidence exists.”
- Republican Rep. Dave Joyce (Ohio) told Forbes he is “not seeing facts or evidence” that would merit an impeachment inquiry.
- Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson (South Dakota) told CNN that “there is a constitutional and legal test that you have to meet with evidence” when it comes to impeachment and that he has “not seen that evidence.”
- Republican Rep. Don Bacon (Nebraska) said, “I think before we move on to [an] impeachment inquiry, we should … there should be a direct link to the president in some evidence. We should have some clear evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor, not just assuming there may be one. I think we need to have more concrete evidence to go down that path.”
- Republican Rep. French Hill (Arkansas) told CBS that House Republicans have not “even remotely completed their work on the kind of detailed investigations and quality work” needed to proceed to an impeachment.
- Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (New York) said, “With respect to impeachment, we’re not there yet.”
Just days ago, McCarthy committed that any impeachment inquiry would begin with a full vote of the House. He flip flopped on that today by unilaterally decreeing an inquiry – perhaps because he doesn’t have the votes from even within his own caucus.
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- The Hill: McCarthy says he won’t open impeachment inquiry without House vote - “To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives,” McCarthy told Breitbart News on Friday. “That’s why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.”
- McCarthy in 2019: The House must “intend to hold a vote of the full House authorizing an impeachment inquiry,” otherwise it “would create a process completely devoid of any merit or legitimacy.”
And that’s what McCarthy has done.
I’m thinking that Democrats have to show there are consequences for such irresponsibility. Investigate Jared Kushner’s $2 billion gift from Saudi Arabia, his sweetheart deal with Qatar when he was working in the White House, and selling visas to wealthy Chinese; Ivanka’s trademarks with China; Trump’s dealings with Saudi butcher and war criminal Putin; overcharging taxpayers for Secret Service at his own properties, and multiple violations of emoluments, stealing classified secrets (and selling them!). The Trump family walked out of the White House. Talk about culture of corruption. Talk about a Crime Family.
And while they are at it, investigate the ties between Justice Clarence Thomas and right wing “donors”. How is it that a guy who makes $260,000 a year as a Supreme Court Justice winds up having $32 million? Talk about justice for sale.
On the other hand, the House Republicans are refusing to pass appropriations bills in order to force a government shutdown.
The Republicans only interest is undermining the Biden’s strong economy (Bidenomics!), inflict pain and suffering on Americans and disrupt the historic progress the Biden Administration has made on wage growth, climate action, gun safety, student debt relief, lowering drug prices, while obstructing any real progress on immigration reform in order to weaken Biden in 2024 and pave the way for a return of their Dear Leader.
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