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If Republicans win control of the House, another messy Bill Clinton-style impeachment could be headed to President Obama and a televison near you.
The man most likely to push such a scenario, pundits say, is Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). Issa, (pictured above) has used money he earned from creating the Viper car theft deterrent system to leap above 8 other Republicans to become chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. If Republicans take charge of the House, he takes charge of the commitee.
You've most likely heard the Viper system in action. Get too close to a car and you'll hear Issa's voice saying: "Protected by Viper. Stand back."
These days, Issa has used his voice to become a strong critic of Obama. The AP writes:
His criticisms of Obama focus, in part, on the affordable mortgage program, financial bailout policies, preservation of White House records, correspondence with lobbyists and the president's political appointees to a stimulus panel. A sign in his office, presented by his staff, says, "The corruption stops here."
Oh no. Not another two years of a presidency spent tackling impeachment instead of the major issues facing America such as the disparity between the rich and poor, our continuing financial crisis, failing schools or our ever expanding trade deficit with China. Democratic Senator Al Franken said he believes Issa willl launch a "witch hunt" if Republicans win control of the House.
Jonathan Chait of The New Republic makes a very convincing argument about why he thinks an impeachment attempt is almost guaranteed.
Chait writes:
Wait, you say. What will they impeach him over? You can always find something. Mini-scandals break out regularly in Washington. Last spring, the political press erupted in a frenzy over the news that the White House had floated a potential job to prospective Senate candidate Joe Sestak. On a scale of one to 100, with one representing presidential jaywalking and 100 representing Watergate, the Sestak job offer probably rated about a 1.5. Yet it was enough that GOP Representative Darrell Issa called the incident an impeachable offense.
It is safe to say that Issa's threshold of what constitutes an impeachable offense is not terribly high. As it happens, should Republicans win control of the House, Issa would bring his hair-trigger finger to the chairmanship of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Sestak pseudo-scandal disappeared because there was no process to drive the story forward. Had Issa been running the Oversight Committee, it would have been the subject of hearings and subpoenas.
So Issa, if Republicans take control of the House, could begin papering the White House with subpoenas about everything from basic Washington politics to whether Michelle Obama is taking more closet space than her husband.
I'm being silly, but I'd expect the subpoenas to dip to new levels of hypocrisy and triteness.
Obama is out rallying the troops to try and make sure that doesn't happen. The AP writes:
But the task of turning out voters is harder this time around. Turnout typically is lower in non-presidential election years, and the party in control of the White House traditionally loses seats in Congress in the off years.
The White House is also mindful of what's at stake should the GOP increase its ranks in Congress, or perhaps pick up the 40 seats the party needs to win back control of the House. More Republicans could translate into scant progress on the to-do list for the second half of Obama's presidency.
Issa appears to be speaking out of both sides of his mouth on the issue."Not a chance at this point. I don't see it happening," Issa said when asked about impeachment.
"Look, disagreeing with the president - the president using his authority, maybe even misusing it - that's not what impeachment's for," Issa said. "Do we have disagreements? Yes. Do we want to see that the president strictly adheres to process? Yes."
I don't believe him. Issa's incessant criticism of Obama, combined with him calling the Sestak incident an "impeachable offense" combined with the fact that he spent $2 million of his own money to help recall former California Gov. Gray Davis (who had just been elected by the way) leads me to believe we may be heading for another Monica Lewinsky-type scandal.
That's why its up to Americans to step up and say they are tired of the politics, especially at a time when so many of us are suffering.
We need to make it clear to our elected officials that, regardless of which party controls the houses of Congress, we want the focus to be on jobs, fixing social security and helping the economy to recover.
Maybe Issa should take a cue from his own Viper products:
"Stand back from the subpoenas. Back away from the President."
Comments: (25)
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By: WakeUp on 10/22/2010 2:54PM
Are you serious? So you tell me that if this president committed crimes of high treason or violated his oath of office that we should just look the other way? Why? Is it because he's Black (or half-Black -- whatever)? B.S. !!!!
You said,
"That's why its up to Americans to step up and say they are tired of the politics, especially at a time when so many of us are suffering."
Are you kidding me? You must be joking!! For the last 2 years, politics is all this president has played. I could list all of the incidents but there just isn't enough space.
You also said,
"We need to make it clear to our elected officials that, regardless of which party controls the houses of Congress, we want the focus to be on jobs, fixing social security and helping the economy to recover."
I am having a stroke here. Reading your article is causing me heart palpitations. Where have you been for the last 2 years?? Drinking kool-aide at the Obama after party? Did you have this urge for Congress to get to work creating jobs when Obama won the presidency? Why were most of the Black journalist and Black leaders not speaking out against his job killing and economic suppressing policies? I'm sure behind closed doors you knew that what this president was doing was not good for the country and esp. not good for the Black community but all you could hear were crickets chirping. For the few people in the community who spoke out, they were treated like outcasts by friends, family, and the media.
We all know that when the White community catches an economic cold -- the Black community catches the economic flu. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the Black community sat idly by and let this Democratic Congress and President give them the virus WILLINGLY.
So now you want the cure? Well, here it is!!! Stop blindly following the Democratic Party and using race as a criteria for how you vote and start using your critical thinking skills before going into the voting booth!!!
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By: Brady on 10/22/2010 3:32PM
yes!!!
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By: edujustice2005 on 10/24/2010 1:04AM
edujustice2005 aka Benton:
@ WakeUp; tell me what have the president done to be impeached? Not a damn thing! It's nothing but those KKK Teapublicans and they let Bush got away with murder and everything else! So you can go and tell that SOB to go to hell and take all the other Teapublicans with him, but please don't forget the five gal. of gas so that if hell needs to keek the fire going, they will have their gas with them! They will try to find any and anything to get him out of office or to destory his administration, but you have to know that God is on his side and the devil cannot do you any harm!So tell that bastard to do what he has to do and the President will do what he has to do! MORE POWER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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By: rock on 10/24/2010 2:18PM
You idot, Geroge w. bush and,the Repubicans created this mess (remenber)!
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By: lincolnmanor on 10/22/2010 3:03PM
Obama impeached? Whitey will never stop with their wicked ways huh? I am voting for PALIN next election can't wait for her to get US ALL NUKED?
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By: billW on 10/22/2010 6:00PM
you dumb negro!! no one is getting impeached. as always plays the negroes like a fiddle
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By: Fred Hubner on 10/22/2010 3:15PM
Must I remind everyone that anything goes when Repugs have the majority or enough power to act blockading ... !!!?
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By: Brady on 10/22/2010 3:38PM
Now this is the best one yet. I got to give your guys credit, you cant talk about how the administration has ignored the black community, so you resort to the old black Vs white.
I cant blame you for using the emotional attachment than many feel for the President to hold them captive.
You guys are throwing anything and everything agaisnt the wall to see what sticks. Here is the problem with your old strategey.
First. Its old, and played, yes you will get the knee jerk reaction from some, who are willing to overlook the dire economic numbers and even worse numbers for a/mericans.
Second. More of us follow politics. We are not as easily duped as we once were. Black folk ast alittle more astute now, so its tougher to pee on us and tell us its rain. The first blogger "WakeUp' illustrates this point beautifully. People like him, make it tough for you guys.
Third. There has always been fringe elements of "Both" parties always talking impeachment, no big deal, Nixon and Clinton got what was coming to them. President Obama has no worries.
Fourth. The meeting between the adminstration and black journalist coupled with all this race talk, reeks of collusion. This impeachment story, the tea party and the Virgina GOP stories are/were old stories yet all of sudden rehashed.
hey man, i aint mad at ya, stick with what works until it doesnt work anymore. Good Luck
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By: edujustice2005 on 10/24/2010 1:12AM
edujustice2005 aka Benton:
@ Brady; I did not know that a president are to do for just the ones of his race! I thought that a president are to be for ALL the citizens of the USA! So, when you say how he has not reached out to the Black race in some many words, what the hell are you trying to say, Brady? He has done what ALL the WHITE presidents have not done, and that is to reach out to every citizen of the USA! But, (maybe you) and all the other Teapublicans, nazis, Skinheads, White Supremists and all other Blacks' haters, Want to just find anything to bring up on the president, but, you and others will not say he is doing a good job, and you don't have to b/c I call him each day and tells him he is! So, you and the others continues what you are doing, but the Honorable President Obama will be RE-ELECTED in 2012!
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By: Brady on 10/25/2010 11:28AM
@edujustice2005
You are not even intelligent enough to get the point i was making. So engaging u further is just a waste of time.
Id slap u around with some facts, if i thought it would help you, but sometimes ya gotta let a fool be a fool. Now go make your phone call.
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