The press failed. The Republican Party failed. The Democratic Party failed. The Electoral College failed (twice: first in its anti-majoritarian vote allocation on Nov. 8th, then again in electors’ spurning of judgment on Dec. 19th). The American people failed. We did not sufficiently come to terms with our country’s racist history and its continuance through the present, and we let extractive military-corporate colonialism, both foreign and domestic, hollow out our social soul.
Now the dire crisis of government is here. A delusional fascist is President. There are few remedies left. The mere passing of laws isn’t going to cut it when the President’s acts are already illegal and even unconstitutional, and blatantly so. What would your laws say? “We really mean it this time?”
Push has come to shove. Rep. Pelosi, as the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, you must put impeachment “on the table,” right now.
As it is the mechanism by which the legislature ultimately checks the executive branch from gaining tyrannical power, you should never have taken impeachment “off the table” in the first place. We don’t have time for business as usual anymore. If you can’t countenance fulfilling your own oath of office and starting the process of removing a fascist from the White House, then it would be more honest for you to resign from your position or at least boycott the House session. I don’t care if impeachment’s chances of success, of convincing enough Republican representatives or even many Democrats to form a majority for this effort, appear vanishingly small today, never mind ⅔ for conviction in the Senate. (Consider what you thought about The Donald’s chances of winning the election.) Yes, it is messy, bold, and confrontational. It is risky. But the far greater risk lies in not impeaching.
The main thing is getting the show on the road.
– Rep. Tip O’Neill
Judging Nixon: The Impeachment Session, TIME, Monday, Feb. 04, 1974
The Donald and his strategist Bannon are consolidating their power—official and unofficial—with each passing day. Even if there were to be a successful impeachment vote and conviction months from now, at that point The Donald could well hold onto his position by force, thereby becoming a modern-day emperor. On top of the suffering and destruction, with impact stretching out centuries and across the globe, for us in the present the ubiquitous measure of personal loyalty to him would weigh upon our every daily act. That’s even before considering the near-term existential danger of nuclear war, something The Donald has flippantly mused about.
There is no time to waste. I implore you to publicly advocate for impeachment, starting now.
As for Sen. Schumer, don’t wait up for the House to act: slow the vicious Republican agenda to a crawl by revoking unanimous consent. Make them vote on every procedural iota. “Work to rule” for us.
Senate Democrats have the power to stop Trump. All they have to do is use it.
By Adam Jentleson, PostEverything, Washington Post, January 27, 2017
Don’t pretend that you don’t have that ability. You do. Help save the country and possibly the world.
Power unused is power abused.
–Willie Brown