Last Sunday The New York Times ran several interesting articles on the Republicans' continuing rage at the right-hand margins of rationality (and, perhaps, a bit beyond). Maureen Dowd ("Reindeer Games") and Jennifer Steinhauer ("Ignoring Qualms, Some Republicans Nurture Dreams of Impeaching Obama") profiled the characters in the House majority caucus who fantasize about pulling off the first successful impeachment and conviction of a president.
One of the leaders of this thought-experiment is a frosh congressman called Kelly Bentivolio. He says writing up an impeachment bill would be "a dream come true." He conceded he hasn't any evidence, and that some lawyers he consulted told him that presented a potential problem.
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, whom Democrats consistently, and inexplicably, treat as rational, veered off into orbit recently, commenting that the nation was "perilously close" to "an impeachment situation." Senator Ted Cruz has bemoaned that while the House would probably impeach in a heartbeat- working it ni, maybe, between Obamacare repeal votes- the D-controlled Senate would abandon their duty to the nation and acquit the so-and-so.
Even SC Congressman Trey Gowdy,a bulb of moderate wattage intellectually, says his constituents aer worked up about the I Word, but then he asks if they've met the Vice President. Clever lad, that Gowdy.
Before coming to Congress, Michigan's Bentivolio made a living as a teacher - he started off one class year by announcing he wanted to make every student cry by year's end- and playing Santa Claus. He once admitted in a court deposition, "I have a problem figuring out which one I am, Santa Claus or Kerry Bentivolio."
Today, a further, sobering, look at the state of the GOP:
One of the leaders of this thought-experiment is a frosh congressman called Kelly Bentivolio. He says writing up an impeachment bill would be "a dream come true." He conceded he hasn't any evidence, and that some lawyers he consulted told him that presented a potential problem.
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, whom Democrats consistently, and inexplicably, treat as rational, veered off into orbit recently, commenting that the nation was "perilously close" to "an impeachment situation." Senator Ted Cruz has bemoaned that while the House would probably impeach in a heartbeat- working it ni, maybe, between Obamacare repeal votes- the D-controlled Senate would abandon their duty to the nation and acquit the so-and-so.
Even SC Congressman Trey Gowdy,a bulb of moderate wattage intellectually, says his constituents aer worked up about the I Word, but then he asks if they've met the Vice President. Clever lad, that Gowdy.
Before coming to Congress, Michigan's Bentivolio made a living as a teacher - he started off one class year by announcing he wanted to make every student cry by year's end- and playing Santa Claus. He once admitted in a court deposition, "I have a problem figuring out which one I am, Santa Claus or Kerry Bentivolio."
Today, a further, sobering, look at the state of the GOP:
For the past two years, Republican senators facing re-election have very deliberately spent millions of dollars, hired multiple consultants and cast scores of conservative votes with one goal in mind: avoiding the embarrassing primary conflagrations that befell their party in 2010 and 2012 and cost Republicans a chance at taking back the Senate.
Drew Angerer for The New York TimesLindsey Graham of South Carolina is one of several Republican senators facing a primary challenge from the right.
It has not worked.
Finally! You're back!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting stuff going on in the land of S.C. politics - as usual. I think it very possible that Lindsey Graham may get chopped.
Of course, my own state of N.C. has gotten interesting politically - if you consider malignant madness and venality interesting.
jill