Mueller Hearing Not Enough for Impeachment
It will take more than the Mueller Hearing to Impeach Trump.
That’s my conclusion from watching the Mueller hearing and the ensuing commentary. I'm one who believes that when it comes to high crimes and misdemeanors, Trump is guilty as sin. But that's because I've not only read “The Report,” I've also dug into a lot more, beyond the parameters imposed on the Special Prosecutor and his team. Trump, for example, has been laundering billons for Russian oligarchs for decades, ever since his Atlantic City casinos went bust. But these kinds of facts, along with Trump’s tax returns, are supposed to be out of bounds.
Likewise. Mueller placed himself in a self-constricted box ahead of time, saying his testimony would be limited by the “four corners” of the report. This left his GOP inquisitors free to rant and rave unchallenged except defensively. Mueller had restrictions; they didn't.
There's one way it could be overcome. It just requires every adult citizen to read the 448-page Mueller Report for themselves. Unfortunately, that is not likely to happen. One reason among many is that Trump's button-pushing daily spectacles put up a smokescreen. He wants us to ignore the crisis caused by his tariffs or embrace his policy of cruelty toward people at our borders seeking safety and work.
Trump's latest bizarre assertion, that Article Two of the Constitution means he “can do whatever I want,” is reason enough for an impeachment hearing. Article Two does the exact opposite, defining any number of things a U.S. president cannot do. This is the voice of a tyrannical autocrat, and dealing with it put us in a situation that is not going to end well. We are in uncharted territory where normal gets redefined every day.
Probably a third of the country would like to see Trump impeached. The NAACP national convention a few days ago called for it unanimously. Another third want to see him re-elected no matter what he says or does, some because they give his racism a pass and cling to his promises; others because they have been enclosed in Trump's fascistic, anti-Constitutional bubble. This means the battles continue to get him out, by an election or impeachment, whichever comes first. But this is not a spectator sport. If you're not already engaged, the time to start is now.
