Campaign to Impeach Trump Continues
By
Stephen Lendman
February 14, 2017 "Information
Clearing House"
-
Calls
for his impeachment began pre-inauguration,
along with efforts to prevent his ascension
to power - shocking stuff, unprecedented in
US history.
On
February 9, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D. NY)
introduced a politicized witch-hunt
Resolution of Inquiry - “directing the
Department of Justice to provide the House
of Representatives with any and all
information relevant to an inquiry into
President Trump and his associates’
(alleged) conflicts of interest, ethical
violations…and (so-called) Russia ties.”
If the
Republican controlled House Judiciary
Committee doesn’t schedule a resolution
markup within 14 legislative days, Nadler
indicated he’ll seek a full House vote -
unlikely to succeed, or in the Senate if
it’s introduced there. Republicans control
both houses.
The
campaign to delegitimize Trump throughout
the campaign and post-election failed.
Efforts continue, Nadler’s action the latest
initiative he and other Democrats hope will
lead to impeachment and removal of Trump
from office.
If
successful, it’ll be a first in US history.
House members impeached Andrew Johnson and
Bill Clinton, both subsequently acquitted by
the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned to avoid
impeachment and conviction by the body he
once served in as a US senator.
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The
Constitution’s Article II, Section 4 states:
“The
President, Vice President, and all civil
Officers of the United States shall be
removed from Office on Impeachment for, and
conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other
High Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Trump
hasn’t been in office long enough to charge
him with any offense, let alone an
impeachable one - other than for continuing
US imperial wars in multiple theaters.
No
president was ever charged with crimes of
war or against humanity. Several instead won
Nobel Peace Prizes, Obama the latest,
despite months of high crimes before getting
the award.
Trump
may or may not warrant impeachment. A few
weeks in office is way too early to judge
him this harshly despite justifiable
criticism of what he’s done so far.
The
Clinton co-presidency, Bush/Cheney and Obama
should have impeached and removed from
office for imperial high crimes and other
grievous human rights abuses.
The US
Army Field Manuel (FM) 27-10 - The Law of
Land Warfare, paragraph 498 states any
person, military or civilian, who commits a
crime under international law warrants
punishment.
Paragraph 501 says all high level civilian
and military officials in any way involved
in crimes against peace are personally
responsible for war crimes.
Paragraph 509 denies the defense of superior
orders in the commission of a crime.
Paragraph 510 denies the defense of an “act
of state” to absolve them.
All US
officials to the highest civilian and
military levels are responsible for high
crimes against peace. No one is exempt. None
deserve immunity.
Trump
may turn out as bad or worse than his
predecessors once in office long enough to
adequately judge whether he deserves to
remain US president or not.
Alternatives to his leadership aren’t
encouraging. Both wings of America’s
one-party state are hugely corrupted. All US
officials in high posts serve privileged
interests at the expense of the general
welfare.
The
issue isn’t Trump. It’s America’s debauched
system. It needs replacing with an equitable
alternative - waging peace, not war, serving
all Americans fairly.
Unrelenting anti-Trump propaganda works. A
new poll discussed in a previous
article showed registered voters equally
divided on whether or not to impeach Trump.
Most
respondents surveyed likely don’t realize
impeachment is only indictment, not
conviction. A two-thirds Senate vote (67
upper house members) is needed to remove a
sitting president.
The
same percentage is required for impeachment,
no easy task in either house. Success in
both would make America more of a banana
republic than already based on Trump’s
record so far.
Though
he’s largely continued business as usual,
it’s outrageous to consider impeachment this
early in his tenure - especially given
legitimately impeachable offenses of his
predecessors ignored.
On
Sunday,
Politico reported gambling
establishments worldwide are taking bets on
whether Trump will remain in office, be
impeached and convicted, or resign.
Trump
is “big business for the international
gambling industry,” said Politico. According
to UK oddsmaking giant Ladbrokes PR manager
Alex Donohue, “(f)rom a betting perspective,
Donald Trump’s presidency has triggered a
massive boom for these kinds of markets.”
Admittedly, his first few weeks in office
have been a big disappointment, but no
surprise.
Still,
betting on his impeachment and removal from
office is long shot at best, an unlikely
prospect.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be
reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His
new book as editor and contributor is titled
"Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for
Hegemony Risks WW III."
