[Goose]

Impeachment is a purely political instrument.

Do you think that's a fair understanding of what it's supposed to be? I think it becomes political when enough legislators choose party over country to make it political. I think it was used politically against Clinton, for example; and I understand that some people think it was political against Trump. I don't agree with that, myself, but I can see how you can think that.

The real effectiveness of impeachment against criminal actions was bipartisan in 1973/74 when a majority Republican congress used the real threat of impeachment to force Nixon to resign. He resigned because he knew he would be impeached if he didn't. And it was a group of Republican senators who delivered that ultimatum to him. It was about the crime, not the party. That's how it's supposed to work, IMO.

And unfortunately for all of us during the Covid pandemic, the debasement of impeachment this time around led to this president's disregard for the law and sense of empowerment that left him unchecked on his actions related to national response to crisis.

This is my last comment on this subject, because I think we are for sure in Terry rule area. I absolutely believe Clinton should have been removed from office. I absolutely believe Trump should have been removed from office. I evaluate their actions as at least misdemeanors worthy of removal. They were retained in office for political reasons, nothing more. The grounds for removal were substantial and not political. The act of retaining them in office clearly was. The bar for presidential behavior should be very high. Getting rid of a president who lies to the American people for his own political/personal reasons is imperative in all cases, period. We can do much better than that.
In today's Senate, Nixon probably would have survived. There aren't enough Republicans willing to hold honor above party. There used to be. To be sure, the Democrats today are no better. Be aware that Nixon was willing to take it to trial if he thought he could win. The Republicans who told him he couldn't win because they would vote to remove him stood up for what was good for the nation, not what was good for the party. Under these conditions, Trump is correct. He could shoot somebody in broad daylight on 5th Avenue and get away with it. We as a nation are completely screwed as long as we keep electing politicians of no character. It almost doesn't matter what your political philosophy is as long as you put party above upright behavior. No matter how you organize a government and no matter what the laws are, it can't be well run by people with no character.

[Goose]

Impeachment is a purely political instrument.

Do you think that's a fair understanding of what it's supposed to be? I think it becomes political when enough legislators choose party over country to make it political. I think it was used politically against Clinton, for example; and I understand that some people think it was political against Trump. I don't agree with that, myself, but I can see how you can think that.

The real effectiveness of impeachment against criminal actions was bipartisan in 1973/74 when a majority Republican congress used the real threat of impeachment to force Nixon to resign. He resigned because he knew he would be impeached if he didn't. And it was a group of Republican senators who delivered that ultimatum to him. It was about the crime, not the party. That's how it's supposed to work, IMO.

And unfortunately for all of us during the Covid pandemic, the debasement of impeachment this time around led to this president's disregard for the law and sense of empowerment that left him unchecked on his actions related to national response to crisis.

This is my last comment on this subject, because I think we are for sure in Terry rule area. I absolutely believe Clinton should have been removed from office. I absolutely believe Trump should have been removed from office. I evaluate their actions as at least misdemeanors worthy of removal. They were retained in office for political reasons, nothing more. The grounds for removal were substantial and not political. The act of retaining them in office clearly was. The bar for presidential behavior should be very high. Getting rid of a president who lies to the American people for his own political/personal reasons is imperative in all cases, period. We can do much better than that.
In today's Senate, Nixon probably would have survived. There aren't enough Republicans willing to hold honor above party. There used to be. To be sure, the Democrats today are no better. Be aware that Nixon was willing to take it to trial if he thought he could win. The Republicans who told him he couldn't win because they would vote to remove him stood up for what was good for the nation, not what was good for the party. Under these conditions, Trump is correct. He could shoot somebody in broad daylight on 5th Avenue and get away with it. We as a nation are completely screwed as long as we keep electing politicians of no character. It almost doesn't matter what your political philosophy is as long as you put party above upright behavior. No matter how you organize a government and no matter what the laws are, it can't be well run by people with no character.