As a #libertarian who watched congressional Republicans attempt to remove a Democratic president (1998-99) and congressional Democrats try to remove a Republican president (2019-20), what strikes me the most about these two episodes is how similar they are. #TrumpImpeachment
I witnessed Clinton’s trial up close, as a staffer for the leadership of the US Senate. Clinton clearly committed perjury, suborned perjury, and merited removal. @jacobsullum made the best case, though I can’t now locate the column. Similar column: unz.com/print/Reason-1….
Yet the facts didn’t matter to Senate Democrats. They just kept repeating it was only sex (it wasn’t), Republicans were being partisan (immaterial), and Clinton’s actions didn’t rise to the level of removal (they did). Whatever they needed to say to keep their guy in power.
Fast forward 20 years. Trump clearly abused his power and merits removal. An ethical president who suspects a political rival of a crime would appoint a special prosecutor then steer clear of the matter. She would never play an active role, much less go to the lengths Trump did.
Yet the facts didn’t matter to Senate Republicans. They just kept repeating it needs to be an indictable crime (it doesn’t) or Trump's actions didn’t rise to the level of removal (they do, at least as much as Clinton's). Whatever they needed to say to keep their guy in power.
The only difference between the #ClintonImpeachment and the #TrumpImpeachment is the party labels. In each case, the tremendous power each president and party wields over its members got every one of their members to ignore their president’s crimes. Call it the power imperative.
I must note the rare exceptions.
In 1998, five House Democrats -- @VirgilGoode, @RalphHallPress, Paul McHale, @charliestenholm, and @GeneTaylor4MS -- voted to impeach their party’s president.
In 2019, @JustinAmash left the @GOP in protest of Trumpism, then voted to impeachment his former party’s president.
In 2020, @MittRomney became the only U.S. senator ever to vote to remove a president of his own party. No small feat.
In 2020, @MittRomney became the only U.S. senator ever to vote to remove a president of his own party. No small feat.
Even these exceptions show the power the president and party apparatus have over “their” members of Congress. Of the five House Democrats who voted to impeach Clinton, three ultimately switched to the GOP, one lost reelection, and the last went to work for President G.W. Bush.
We will have to see what happens to @JustinAmash and @MittRomney.
