John Dean tweeted an interesting idea recently that I think we should consider. He suggested that we vote to impeach Trump now but not send it on to the Senate. The House can continue investigating and adding articles of impeachment, while keeping all of this hanging over Trump’s head.
We know the GOP is gearing up for a sham trial and will almost certainly not convict, at least not in the near future. They’re in a rush to destroy this and put it behind them. Why not keep the upper hand as long as possible rather than turn this over to them for defeat? That’s the kind of game the GOP excels at and Democrats are reluctant to play, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Rushing this to the Senate for “exoneration” gives them everything they want. Many voters will conclude that Trump is “not guilty”, or that if Ukraine was the worst or “only” thing he did, they can live with that. The proposed delaying tactic also bridges the divide between Democrats who want to keep things simple and vote on only two Articles of Impeachment, and those who want to paint a much fuller picture.
I’m looking for information about whether this is possible, how it could be done, etc. John Dean probably wouldn’t have suggested this if it weren’t possible, though.
I’ve been reading Daily Kos for the last few years, and since no one seems to have mentioned this yet I joined today in order to post this. Many Democrats complain about our side bringing a butter knife to a gunfight, and want our party to (learn how to) play hardball. Never Trumpers are often a good source of ideas when it comes to playing hardball, so what do you think? Is it possible? Is it a good idea? Would it be helpful to have more time to document wrongdoing, expose his tax returns, strengthen our hand, keep Trump and McConnell on edge?