Last Thursday, I picked up Wayne Garner for the one hour ride to West Point Lake. We were going to an event for our state representative, Randy Nix.
As you can imagine, there was no shortage of conversation and stories on the way down and back. We had a great and overdue visit.
As the record hot sun lowered over the tree line at the lake, Congressman Drew Ferguson brought up something that might be the most important issue in the 2020 elections; the “impeachment inquiry” initiated by Speaker Pelosi and a few Democrat bosses in the United States House of Representatives (House).
On September 24, 2019, an “impeachment inquiry” against President Trump was initiated based on a phone call that Trump had with President Zelensky of the Ukraine on July 25. On August 12, an anonymous whistleblower submitted a complaint to the U.S. Inspector General that stated that Trump had allegedly attempted to pressure Zelensky into launching an investigation on former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, during the phone call. Trump held a meeting with Zelensky in New York on September 25 where they both stated that Zelensky had not been pressured during the July phone call and that nothing out of the the ordinary had occurred
That should have been the end of this story. But, it is only the beginning. Based on this anonymous complaint, which I cannot even define as evidence, a formal impeachment inquiry is now under way.
However, this is not exactly an “impeachment inquiry”. It is a thinly veiled 2020 election campaign being waged by a few leaders in the House.
To provide some background, the Constitution vests the House alone with the power of impeachment (as opposed to impeachment trials, which are the sole responsibility of the Senate).
When our Founding Fathers debated whether to include an impeachment clause in the Constitution, they had serious concerns. They were designing a separation of powers system meant to balance power between the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches of government. They understood that impeachment authority was necessary, but feared that the legislative branch would possess too much power and impeachments could be politicized. To address these concerns, the Founders adopted a burdensome standard; a president could only be impeached if he or she allegedly committed high crimes and misdemeanors, treason or bribery. They implemented a two-thirds supermajority requirement for conviction in the Senate. This was to ensure that the electoral will of the people would not be overturned in the absence of misconduct so severe that it results in a broad consensus that the nation’s well-being requires removing the president from power.
This has worked perfectly. Both Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached based on political motives. Yet, they were both acquitted by the Senate.
So, why has Speaker Pelosi already lost? She is running out of time and rushing into battle unprepared. Victorious warriors, like Trump, win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors, like Pelosi, go to war first and then seek to win.
Democrats are determined to ram through articles of impeachment now. Their base, who to put it mildly, dislikes our president, wants to enter 2020 with Americans thinking of two things; Trump and Impeachment.
But, history repeats itself when human emotions take over objective strategic thinking.
Nancy Pelosi only needs to look back to when President Clinton was impeached and acquitted. Who won? President William Jefferson Clinton. Who lost? Congressional Republicans.
Her recklessness and inability to control her emotions will reshape the House, give a tremendous boost to President Trump, and leave her in the political footnotes of history as one of many Speakers who were quietly removed by their own party.
Drew, thank you for your service and bringing this critical issue to our attention.