Author Archives: crosbysamuel

Green Pulls Out

12 Thursday Oct 2017

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This article from the Washington Post reports that Representative Green read his impeachment resolution to the house yesterday. However, when it came time to introduce the resolution, Green was not available to offer it.

The article suggests that Green’s last minute dodge may have been the result of party pressure. Forcing a vote on impeachment at this time would be ineffective, because the Republicans have a majority of the House and are unlikely to vote in favor of it. In fact, a premature vote may harm the Democratic party, by putting them in the awkward position of deciding whether or not to endorse impeachment, and risking the alienation of a portion of their voters. This incomplete attempt in the House is an indication that the impeachment issue is not yet ripe.

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Seizing the Political Question

11 Wednesday Oct 2017

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The question of whether to impeach has long been considered a political one, meaning it is at the discretion of the elected. The natural result of a political question, and its politcal answer, is that it largely depends on the mood of the electorate. However, there are some voters who may have a larger influence on the decisions of the elected; those who fund their campaigns.

This article from the New York Times reports that Tom Steyer, “one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent financial backers,” has written a letter to Democrats urging them to impeach President Trump. Pressure from a man such as Steyer could help to decide the political question for an uncertain party.

00steyer-master768.jpgJason Henry – New York Times

Threats to North Korea

07 Saturday Oct 2017

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The exchange of threats between President Trump and Kim Jung-un has continued. As reported in this article, the President recently tweeted that “talking to North Korea . . . . hasn’t worked.”

It is difficult to tell whether these threats of war are actually substantive; however, it is interesting to consider whether if such violence was acted upon, it could constitute an impeachable offense. This blog has considered abuse of pardon power at length — is it possible that Trump could abuse his powers as Commander-in-Chief? And if so, could he be impeached for it?

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Collusion not Confirmed

05 Thursday Oct 2017

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This article, from the Washington Post, reports that the Sentate Intelligence Committee cannot yet confirm whether President Trump colluded with the Russian government. The Committee reported on their progress yesterday: a series of interviews with those who worked on Trump’s campaign and extensive document review confirmed that Russians had interfered with the 2016 election, but offered no answer on collusion.

Russian collusion is one of the most serious violations the President has been accused of so far, and could mean impeachment. However, the Senate Intelligence Committee estimates we won’t have an answer until the 2018 primaries.

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Is Trump Ceasing to be a Trumpist?

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Trump’s popularity may hinge on a Senate GOP Primary in Alabama, according to this article from Newsweek. President Trump has endorsed Luther Strange as the GOP candidate; however, Strange is running against a far-right, “Trumpist” named Roy Moore, who is far ahead in the polls.

Moore is backed by former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, and represents many of the ideas that brought President Trump into the White House. A rejection of President Trump’s selected candidate in favor of one who reflects his ideals, would suggest that Trump’s unwaivering base may not be so loyal to him as they are to his stated philosophy. If that were the case, then Trump’s more centric actions and his collaboration with the Democrats (some background here) may make his impeachment more likely rather than less.

roy-moore-horizontaljpg-a4abf063a5692ce8.jpgAssociated Press

 

Green Backs Down in Face of Vegas

03 Tuesday Oct 2017

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According to this report, Representative Green, who last week resolved to file an impeachment resolution in the House, has had a temporary change of heart. He claims that in the face of the tragedy which happened in Las Vegas on Sunday it would be better to take time to mourn.

1060x600-19dc47de3ae10a3bb436ed402e4e6feb.jpgWashington Examiner

 

Done with Doomsday

02 Monday Oct 2017

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Gene Healy responded, in this blog post on the Cato Institute website, to the predictions of violence and upheaval following President Trump’s impeachment. Said predicitions have been voiced by President Trump’s associates, as well as several legal scholars. However, Healy is not persuaded. He claims that impeachment was not considered to be a catastrophic event by the Framers, nor has it had disasterous effects in the past. Rather impeachment can create positive advances in the law.

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Mueller Interviews White House Officials

01 Sunday Oct 2017

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This article, from The Hill, provides an update on the Mueller investigation. As it heats up, he’s begun to interview white house officials, including the chief of staff for the National Security Council, Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg recently. These interviews may indicate that Mueller is moving closer to an answer on the question of President Trump’s collusion and obstruction of justice.

muellerrobert_062117gn5_lead.jpgGreg Nash

Trump and Puerto Rico

30 Saturday Sep 2017

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This article gives a summary of President Trump’s interaction with the Mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital, Carmen Cruz. After Cruz claimed that the city needed more federal relief, President Trump reacted strongly with a series of tweets, claiming, amongst other things, that Cruz’s comments were politcally motivated.

President Trump’s comments were innappropriate, considering the state of disaster in Puerto Rico. However, being a jerk probably doesn’t constitute an impeachable offense. But could it?

Chief Justice Samuel Chase was impeached for making politically motivated decisions. While it seems doubtful that a political official could be impeached for making political decisions, what about decisions motivated by ego? When one acts according to their emotional tremors rather than their rationality are they not submitting to a more corrupt body than political parties?

01dc-prexy-sub-master768.jpgBlue/New York Times

 

The Right to Cross-Examine

29 Friday Sep 2017

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Chief Justice Sereno, of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, is facing impeachment proceedings. The Filipino impeachment process is similar to that of the United States: impeachment is passed in the House of Representatives and tried in the Senate. Because the impeachment proceedings of the United States and the Philippines are so similar, it is possible precedent set by one system, could influence the other.

One such opportunity for shared precedent has been presented by an appeal of Chief Justice Sereno; summarized in this article. Sereno has claimed that she has the right to cross-examine witnesses used a resources in the House of Representatives. Her claim is a departure from the traditional impeachment process: cross-examiniation occurs during the trial in the Senate. Therefore the outcome of her claim could prove to be an interesting development for the Philippines and possibly the United States.

sereno1-0809-620x349.jpgPHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER / RAFFY LERMA