Senate may try impeachment case
even if House Dems refuse to act
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems to have telegraphed that she intends to sit on the articles of impeachment, denying the Senate its trial with certain acquittal, while using "impeachment" for Democratic campaign rhetoric.
The tip-off came Friday when she told the Associated Press that President Trump will "be impeached forever. No matter what the Senate does. He's impeached forever because he violated our Constitution." Pelosi also said Trump had witnessed "the power of the gavel" during the full House vote on two articles of impeachment Wednesday.
Being "impeached forever" because someone "violated the Constitution" is constitutionally and legally meaningless. But it makes good rhetoric for her zany base -- and throwing the Senate into her statement is meant as a red herring to deflect attention from what she is or is not doing.
"Power of the gavel" is an interesting turn of speech, and probably means that the impeachment case was finished once Pelosi banged the gavel. That is, the public had seen her bang the gavel and announce that the articles of impeachment had passed. That is, she got the public relations point she wanted, and nothing further is planned.
Such dissimulation signals that Pelosi has no intention of sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate or of organizing a House team to present the Democrats' case.
BUT, there is nothing in the Constitution that requires the Senate to wait for the House to act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and judiciary panel chairman Lindsey Graham could order a Senate trial with no official House input. If Pelosi doesn't wish to send people over to present the Democrats' case, so be it! The House's articles of impeachment and its impeachment reports are public record. That's enough for the Senate to act.
After all, if Pelosi can throw a screwball by squelching the impeachment, payback is fair play: The Senate can knock back that screwball by holding a trial with no House input.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty. --2 Cor 3:17
The tip-off came Friday when she told the Associated Press that President Trump will "be impeached forever. No matter what the Senate does. He's impeached forever because he violated our Constitution." Pelosi also said Trump had witnessed "the power of the gavel" during the full House vote on two articles of impeachment Wednesday.
Being "impeached forever" because someone "violated the Constitution" is constitutionally and legally meaningless. But it makes good rhetoric for her zany base -- and throwing the Senate into her statement is meant as a red herring to deflect attention from what she is or is not doing.
"Power of the gavel" is an interesting turn of speech, and probably means that the impeachment case was finished once Pelosi banged the gavel. That is, the public had seen her bang the gavel and announce that the articles of impeachment had passed. That is, she got the public relations point she wanted, and nothing further is planned.
Such dissimulation signals that Pelosi has no intention of sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate or of organizing a House team to present the Democrats' case.
BUT, there is nothing in the Constitution that requires the Senate to wait for the House to act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and judiciary panel chairman Lindsey Graham could order a Senate trial with no official House input. If Pelosi doesn't wish to send people over to present the Democrats' case, so be it! The House's articles of impeachment and its impeachment reports are public record. That's enough for the Senate to act.
After all, if Pelosi can throw a screwball by squelching the impeachment, payback is fair play: The Senate can knock back that screwball by holding a trial with no House input.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty. --2 Cor 3:17
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