Being hotly debated – well, not so much debated as the subject of the sadly typical political pie fight – is whether Trump’s second impeachment should proceed with all possible haste, or be deferred for 100 days, or just put off indefinitely. Predictably, those arguing against imminent action are those very same worthies who bear most of the blame for our present lamentable state of affairs. So, Senator Cruz: “We must come together and put this anger and division behind us.” And Representative Jim Jordan: “Now the Democrats are going to try and remove the President from office just seven days before he is set to leave anyway. I do not see how this unifies the country.”
And in a bid to retire the trophy for Political Cynicism, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy: “As leaders, we must call on our better angels and refocus our efforts on working directly for the American people.” Special Delivery for Congressman McCarthy: Your having torched them, the phone lines are down and anyway the angels, like Trump during the Capitol ransacking, are unwilling to come to the phone.
Doubtless more of these crocodilian tears are to be expected from Republicans now outraged and shocked – SHOCKED – at the results of their frantic efforts to overturn the results of the November election. Well, let’s see here. Since early last year, pandemic-driven efforts by various states to facilitate safer voting procedures – mail-in, drop-off, and so on – were bitterly opposed by Trump and his handmaidens who feared, rightly as it mostly turned out, that making it easier to vote would mainly advantage Democrats. Given the Republican tradition in recent decades of clinging to power by disenfranchising its opponents, this was easily predictable. Except this time, the usual warnings of electoral fraud were picked up and amplified by the rightwing media to an unprecedented extent.
The actual results November 6th poured more fuel on the fire. Led by Trump, who, depending on your assessment of his soundness of mind, might or might not have actually believed he could lose, a coterie of his supporters took up the “Stop the Steal” chant. Who could blame them? Even before Trump’s inauguration, a perceptive commentator pointed out his supporters and foes divided on whether to take him seriously or literally. Four years on, it turns out a significant portion of his legion did both.
All of which led, in a laser-straight line to the horrific, tragic events of 1/6. Led to believe that any result of the election other than a second term for their maximum leader would be entirely bogus, some thousands of his followers responded to his call to descend on Washington, then march on the Capitol and once there, somehow put a halt to the formulaic process of certifying Biden as the next President. An effort which, in passing, would not have been facilitated by the hanging of the Vice President, as some caught up in the frenzy of the moment and the righteousness of their cause demanded.
So, what now? Not four months ago, speaking of his nomination of Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court, Trump said, echoing Senator McConnell and before him President Obama, “Elections have consequences.” Indeed. As do, in the real world not more than in politics, the violation of laws and oaths. To sweep Trump’s actions under the carpet for a couple of weeks, or 100 days, or forever is in no wise different from excusing the whole sorry episode as just one more in the long list of his depredations and so which any of his successors could feel free to replicate or even enhance.
Contrary to the whining of Republicans seeing the neighborhood on fire as a result of setting fire to their own house asking the authorities to forgive and forget their crime, the body politic must rise with all possible urgency to the task of impeaching the President. Again. To do less is to sneer at the Constitution and set a precedent for what could well be an even more damaging future assault on the nation. Some argue that the tasks facing Congress and the new President are so vast as to preclude any such distraction. This Is to under-estimate both Congress’s capabilities and the necessity of an urgent, indisputable demonstration that we continue to be a country governed by laws and not the will of one individual or a mob.
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