House Speaker Pelosi Is Protecting Vulnerable Democrats Who Hail From Trump Leaning Districts
HOUSE SPEAKER PELOSI
The following CNN article provides the best analysis that I’ve read which provides a viable explanation as to why the Democrat US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hard nosed in her decision to not allow the House to commence an impeachment inquiry against the republican President Donald Trump, for his having committed several felonious acts based on the FBI’s final report regarding its 22 months long Trump-Russia probe, led by the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller III.
Based on the 3/22/2019 FBI’s Mueller report, over 1000 federal prosecutors on a bi-partisan basis, have signed a public declaration during June 2019, explaining to the public, that if Donald Trump weren’t president, he would’ve been criminally indicted. There’s s Department of Justice rule which blocks a US sitting president from being criminally indicted. As of 2019-2020, there’s only one government entity which has been granted the power by the US Constitution to hold President Trump accountable for his criminal behaviors and it’s the US House of Representatives via the impeachment process.
“As per the 4/19/2019 Roll Call article, by Simone Pathé, “House Republicans lost a net of 40 seats in last fall’s midterm elections, and the party needs to pick up 18 or 19 seats next year to win the majority back (depending on the outcome of a special election in North Carolina this year). The campaign committee previously announced 55 Democratic targets.”
Currently, there are two Democratic Party US House Representatives from Trump-leaning districts, who have publicly announced that they favor the House launching an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. They are Rep. Katie Porter from California and Rep. Tom Malinowski from New Jersey. There’s one very brave GOP House member, Rep. Justin Amash who can be counted in the pro-impeachment camp. In total there are 70 House Democrats who are in favor of an impeachment inquiry.
As per recent CNN and a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, Democratic Party Base of voters favor an impeachment inquiry, in numbers anywhere from 67 -76%.
The DCCC included 26 of the 31 Trump Democrats on its list of 44 “Frontline” Democrats it anticipates will have the most competitive races in 2020.
Here is the rest of the story…
On June 11, 2019 Clare Foran, Ashley Killough, and Alex Rogers of CNN Politics penned the following report, “We asked red-district Democrats where they stand on impeachment. Here’s what they said.”
Excerpts:
“There’s a reason House Democrats haven’t started impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump yet: almost none of their most vulnerable members support the move.”
“CNN reached out to 41 freshmen Democrats who flipped Republican seats last year to ask if they currently support starting an impeachment inquiry. The results were telling — nearly half (20) didn’t respond. Of those who did, the vast majority were either a “no” or undecided.
Known as the “majority makers” or “front-liners,” this group was key to securing the Democrats’ House majority last year. And Democratic leaders are intensely focused on holding those districts in 2020.”
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“That gives these members enormous influence in whatever direction the party takes — and hardly any are calling for impeachment.”
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“Of the 43 Democratic challengers who flipped seats from red to blue in 2018, only two — Reps.Reps. Tom Malinowski– have publicly said they support opening an impeachment inquiry. And only Scanlon represents a more liberal seat than her Republican predecessor due to redistricting.”
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“What we asked…
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“CNN asked the remaining 41 members where they stand on opening an inquiry. Of the 21 that responded, it was clear that most of them aren’t on board with an impeachment push — though many aren’t entirely ruling it out.”
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“Ten offices told CNN that they did not support an inquiry at this time, and by CNN’s count, 11 were undecided.”
“In what could be a tough vote for some Democrats who just want to move on from the issue, the House votes Tuesday on a resolution to authorize court action to enforce subpoenas for Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn.
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The House will also vote to empower committees to bypass full floor votes for civil contempt actions to go to court with their subpoenas — a move that could take some pressure off these Democrats from Republican districts.”
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“Even if Democrats in swing districts ultimately decide to support an impeachment inquiry, that doesn’t mean it will happen. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made it clear she wants bipartisan support for an impeachment path before she pursues one, and so far only one Republican has called for an inquiry, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan.”
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“If the 60 or so House Democrats who currently support an inquiry are to succeed, they’ll need to convince their moderate colleagues first. That will be difficult, since these Democrats face a complex political calculation on the issue.”
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“Nobody knows what the political impact will be, and therefore it is a risk,” Malinowski told the New Jersey Star-Ledger in late May, describing his decision to support an impeachment inquiry.”
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“As long as Malinowski remains an outlier among moderate Democrats, Pelosi is likely to continue resisting calls for impeachment from the left flank of her caucus, urging House committees to continue their investigations of Trump instead.”
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“Regardless of her political strategy, Pelosi made her personal feelings known last week, when behind closed doors she told Democratic leaders she wanted to see Trump in “prison,”according to Politico.”
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“Keep investigating…”
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“Most of these moderate Democrats have made clear that they want to see the current investigations in Congress proceed and see where that leads.”
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“I’m very deliberate and thorough, and I don’t want to go down any road until I have all the facts,” Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia, said at a recent town hall when asked about impeachment. “So all options are on the table.”
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Rep. Donna Shalala
“The office of Rep. Donna Shalala of Florida told CNN that the congresswoman “is undecided until the Judiciary Committee completes its work,” a reference to current and ongoing investigations.”
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“Shalala recently told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper that she is not ready to support an inquiry at this time, but indicated that could change. “Not yet, but you know, we’re getting closer.”
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“In their statements to CNN, some members underscored the gravity of impeachment.”
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“Going down the path of impeachment would be very divisive for the country,” Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia told CNN in a statement. “We need to have all of the facts before we consider such an option, and I support the important investigative work being done by the appropriate committees in the House.”
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No way
Other members in swing districts are flat out opposed to impeachment, and say it’s simply time to move on.
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“I’m not in favor of impeachment. I think we’ve got to move forward and try to look at issues that we can find compromise on,” Rep. Anthony Brindisi of New York told New York Now in late May, adding, “This is what I’m hearing from people back home who are not focused on that issue, but are focused on the immediate concerns that they are facing.”
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“Rep. Jeff Van Drew of NJ said he’s practically “done” with talking about impeachment and that people are “tired of the investigations.”
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“I welcome conversations on improving the lives of Americans, on immigration, on health care, on any of the many issues that affect people every day,” he said. “But what I am done with, barring any new evidence, is any talk of impeachment, investigations, or divisive, unproductive politics.”
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Undecided
“In between are some members who are openly undecided on which way they’re leaning. At a town hall recently, Rep. Katie Porter of California said she had seen “a real turning point” on the impeachment push, but “I haven’t made a public decision yet.” (She’s on board now.)”
And some, like Rep. Mike Levin of California, are open to the possibility of an inquiry, but still are not calling for one themselves at this time.
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“In a statement to CNN, the congressman explained that he plans to defer to the judgment of his colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee and “if they deem it necessary” to start an inquiry, he’d support that.”
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“I don’t sit on the House Judiciary Committee, but I trust the judgment of my colleagues who do. If they deem it necessary to begin an impeachment inquiry as the most effective means to proceed, I’ll support that decision,” he said.”
“BREAKING: 70 House members (69 Democrats and 1 Republican) are now calling for an impeachment inquiry into Trump. If your Representative isn’t on this list, call them today at 202-224-3121.”
Gronda, per the John Oliver show “Last Week Tonight” where he discussed why he evolved to impeachment proceedings, he showed one of GOP Congressman Justin Amash’s constituents who did not know Trump was accused of bad things in the Mueller report. Her only awareness was AG Barr’s sandpapered version that the president’s cites as a prop.
Truth is unneeded when you can use a prop like that. This is why Americans are not polling in favor of impeachment. It is also the reason the GOP leaders want the Republicans for the Rule of Law to go away and why they buried Amash with criticism. Amash showed real courage as he knows the party is run by one of the most vindictive people I have ever seen.
Maybe we need to let Dems know of the Republicans for the Rule of Law as well as Republicans. They are calling for impeachment. So are 1,000 plus former federal prosecutors. There is a reason our credibility in the world is so poor, but that does not seem to bother our so called leaders. Keith
Frankly I’m tired of our elected officials from both sides of the aisle being more concerned about maintaining their positions of power instead of placing first, the welfare of our US democracy, protecting the US Constitution, standing up for “the rule of law” and sending a signal to the rest of the world that in our country, ‘no one is above the law.’
It’s somewhat comforting that there are still profiles of courage in the US Congress Like the GOP Rep. Justin Amash, and 2 Dems who are from Trump-leaning districts, Reps. Katie Porter and Tom Malinowski. Two recent polls show that 67-76% of Dems favor impeachment.
I’ve studied the Mueller report. What I read made me sick. I know enough of the system to get that for the next 2 yrs., there’s only one government entity that has been granted the power by the US Constitution to hold President Trump accountable for his crimes via the impeachment process. It’s the process that will inform the public to bring them up to speed, in order to earn their acceptance and backing.
I also instinctively get that if one lets an authoritarian leader get away with anything, they will only escalate their wrongdoings. That’s how evil people succeed, when the good peoples who could do something, choose to do nothing.
I’m just praying that there are more profiles in courage out there in the US Congress.
I was thinking about how easily Clinton was impeached by Republicans. Their power outshines our present democrats. These excerpts show us as weaklings. Trump has the ultimate power it seems, and knows how to use it, knowing full well he can get away with any actions he chooses. I think we Americans who want what’s best in all ways for people and country, the earth, are the David and we’re not going to win over this Goliath.
If there’s one major complaint that I have about the Democratic Party is that its members do not know how to fight hard. The GOP are calling most of the shots and the Congressional Dems are playing along.
They will not win this war to oust President Trump from the WH unless they start being more offensively calculating in their tactics and strategies.
Hello Gronda. I disagree entirely with Rep. Jeff Van Drew of NJ. He seems to give the idea that it is over and done , time to move on as he said. Move on to what? More of the same? Is he a Democrat or a Republican? Democrats do not want more of the same. It is fine to talk about things that help the US people, it is great to pass legislation that help the US people, but it is a dead end without also talking about the harm that has been done and still being done to those very same people. How do you convince people the legal system, the laws, mean anything if only the poor people have to obey them and the top elected officials can openly defy them? You can not say yes tRump broke many laws , violated all norms, is a compromised agent of a foreign adversary, and yet let move on to things that make no difference.
Right now the Democrats have proven two things. That they have plans that will help the people of this country and they can pass them in the House. Yet that means little to nothing as the Democrats can not force them into law yet. What people need to know next is what do the democrats stand for. Are they willing to not be a corrupt party? Are the individual members of the party willing to be held to the laws the rest of the people are held to? If so then the Democrats have to be willing to say so. They have to be willing to hold accountable those who break the laws. The Democrats are saying tRump broke the laws of the US, then they need to show they are willing to stand up and show their convictions, regardless of what might favor them politically. No one wants a bought politician. Not on the left anyway. But if a politician on the left says it is more important to me to keep my job than follow the laws, to enforce the laws, my seat is more important to me than challenging wrong doing of people in power, then they are not Democrats they are Republicans and should move to the other party.
The point is why should the people vote for the Democrat over the Republican. If both stand for more of the same then why bother. If the Democrat says I will risk it all on what I seriously believe people will see the difference and be energized by that. Right now the investigations are important. All the talk has been made and those paying attention have seen two things. The Republicans say no crime or unethical acts happened, while the Democrats say the opposite. Now it is a showdown of convictions. The Republicans are doubling and tripling down on their stance. The Democrats are waffeling and worrying about how they look. That is not the right thing to inspire the people. This is why Republicans win. They don’t care how it looks, they don’t care how it feels, they care about power and winning. Right or wrong, and mostly wrong doesn’t matter to them. I watched in 2018 the Republican candidates lie repeatedly about where they stood on healthcare because they felt winning was more important than them telling the truth. Heck they were so clearly lying, but still did it on camera daring anyone to call them out on it. McConnell said he wouldn’t fill a SCOTUS seat under a Democratic black president regardless of how it hurt the Republicans and he is bragging today about it. Now is the Democrats time to show if they will do the right thing regardless of how it may hurt or help them. It is about conviction! It matters because it shows if we should vote for them or simply accept we are no longer a democracy government of a country under the laws of the land but instead a system designed to move wealth to the most wealthy. Hugs
Dear Scottie, I find Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Jeff Van Drew of NJ ‘s thinking very frustrating. It’s like they are not living with the consequences as President Trump continues in his lawless, cruel ways.
Do they not get, that we are devastated and crushed to see refugee families and children.being detained in horrific conditions for daring to legally seek asylum at the SW US border; that we suffer when we see friends and neighbors living in fear as President Trump orders mass deportation raids in areas with undocumented immigrants; how he compromises our national security like by being within minutes of striking Iran with military might; of favoring authoritarian leaders version as to what’s true over the information shared by out Intelligence agencies.
What country are we living in, anymore? The House leadership ponder over whether may or may not act to use the tool of impeachment while we watch our us democracy being burnt to the ground.
As per the 4/11/2019 Pew Research report, “Public Trust in Government: 1958-2019:”
“Public trust in the government remains near historic lows. Only 17% of Americans today say they can trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (3%) or “most of the time” (14%).”
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-wordpress-client-uploads/tbt/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/22103103/AP_FLWL106_ELECTION_2018_HO-1.jpg)
Gronda Morin 
Gronda, per the John Oliver show “Last Week Tonight” where he discussed why he evolved to impeachment proceedings, he showed one of GOP Congressman Justin Amash’s constituents who did not know Trump was accused of bad things in the Mueller report. Her only awareness was AG Barr’s sandpapered version that the president’s cites as a prop.
Truth is unneeded when you can use a prop like that. This is why Americans are not polling in favor of impeachment. It is also the reason the GOP leaders want the Republicans for the Rule of Law to go away and why they buried Amash with criticism. Amash showed real courage as he knows the party is run by one of the most vindictive people I have ever seen.
Maybe we need to let Dems know of the Republicans for the Rule of Law as well as Republicans. They are calling for impeachment. So are 1,000 plus former federal prosecutors. There is a reason our credibility in the world is so poor, but that does not seem to bother our so called leaders. Keith
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Keith,
Frankly I’m tired of our elected officials from both sides of the aisle being more concerned about maintaining their positions of power instead of placing first, the welfare of our US democracy, protecting the US Constitution, standing up for “the rule of law” and sending a signal to the rest of the world that in our country, ‘no one is above the law.’
It’s somewhat comforting that there are still profiles of courage in the US Congress Like the GOP Rep. Justin Amash, and 2 Dems who are from Trump-leaning districts, Reps. Katie Porter and Tom Malinowski. Two recent polls show that 67-76% of Dems favor impeachment.
I’ve studied the Mueller report. What I read made me sick. I know enough of the system to get that for the next 2 yrs., there’s only one government entity that has been granted the power by the US Constitution to hold President Trump accountable for his crimes via the impeachment process. It’s the process that will inform the public to bring them up to speed, in order to earn their acceptance and backing.
I also instinctively get that if one lets an authoritarian leader get away with anything, they will only escalate their wrongdoings. That’s how evil people succeed, when the good peoples who could do something, choose to do nothing.
I’m just praying that there are more profiles in courage out there in the US Congress.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was thinking about how easily Clinton was impeached by Republicans. Their power outshines our present democrats. These excerpts show us as weaklings. Trump has the ultimate power it seems, and knows how to use it, knowing full well he can get away with any actions he chooses. I think we Americans who want what’s best in all ways for people and country, the earth, are the David and we’re not going to win over this Goliath.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rugby 843,
If there’s one major complaint that I have about the Democratic Party is that its members do not know how to fight hard. The GOP are calling most of the shots and the Congressional Dems are playing along.
They will not win this war to oust President Trump from the WH unless they start being more offensively calculating in their tactics and strategies.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLike
Well you can’t count on WY for any help.
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Hello Gronda. I disagree entirely with Rep. Jeff Van Drew of NJ. He seems to give the idea that it is over and done , time to move on as he said. Move on to what? More of the same? Is he a Democrat or a Republican? Democrats do not want more of the same. It is fine to talk about things that help the US people, it is great to pass legislation that help the US people, but it is a dead end without also talking about the harm that has been done and still being done to those very same people. How do you convince people the legal system, the laws, mean anything if only the poor people have to obey them and the top elected officials can openly defy them? You can not say yes tRump broke many laws , violated all norms, is a compromised agent of a foreign adversary, and yet let move on to things that make no difference.
Right now the Democrats have proven two things. That they have plans that will help the people of this country and they can pass them in the House. Yet that means little to nothing as the Democrats can not force them into law yet. What people need to know next is what do the democrats stand for. Are they willing to not be a corrupt party? Are the individual members of the party willing to be held to the laws the rest of the people are held to? If so then the Democrats have to be willing to say so. They have to be willing to hold accountable those who break the laws. The Democrats are saying tRump broke the laws of the US, then they need to show they are willing to stand up and show their convictions, regardless of what might favor them politically. No one wants a bought politician. Not on the left anyway. But if a politician on the left says it is more important to me to keep my job than follow the laws, to enforce the laws, my seat is more important to me than challenging wrong doing of people in power, then they are not Democrats they are Republicans and should move to the other party.
The point is why should the people vote for the Democrat over the Republican. If both stand for more of the same then why bother. If the Democrat says I will risk it all on what I seriously believe people will see the difference and be energized by that. Right now the investigations are important. All the talk has been made and those paying attention have seen two things. The Republicans say no crime or unethical acts happened, while the Democrats say the opposite. Now it is a showdown of convictions. The Republicans are doubling and tripling down on their stance. The Democrats are waffeling and worrying about how they look. That is not the right thing to inspire the people. This is why Republicans win. They don’t care how it looks, they don’t care how it feels, they care about power and winning. Right or wrong, and mostly wrong doesn’t matter to them. I watched in 2018 the Republican candidates lie repeatedly about where they stood on healthcare because they felt winning was more important than them telling the truth. Heck they were so clearly lying, but still did it on camera daring anyone to call them out on it. McConnell said he wouldn’t fill a SCOTUS seat under a Democratic black president regardless of how it hurt the Republicans and he is bragging today about it. Now is the Democrats time to show if they will do the right thing regardless of how it may hurt or help them. It is about conviction! It matters because it shows if we should vote for them or simply accept we are no longer a democracy government of a country under the laws of the land but instead a system designed to move wealth to the most wealthy. Hugs
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Scottie, I find Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Jeff Van Drew of NJ ‘s thinking very frustrating. It’s like they are not living with the consequences as President Trump continues in his lawless, cruel ways.
Do they not get, that we are devastated and crushed to see refugee families and children.being detained in horrific conditions for daring to legally seek asylum at the SW US border; that we suffer when we see friends and neighbors living in fear as President Trump orders mass deportation raids in areas with undocumented immigrants; how he compromises our national security like by being within minutes of striking Iran with military might; of favoring authoritarian leaders version as to what’s true over the information shared by out Intelligence agencies.
What country are we living in, anymore? The House leadership ponder over whether may or may not act to use the tool of impeachment while we watch our us democracy being burnt to the ground.
As per the 4/11/2019 Pew Research report, “Public Trust in Government: 1958-2019:”
“Public trust in the government remains near historic lows. Only 17% of Americans today say they can trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (3%) or “most of the time” (14%).”
They don’t get their base.
Hugs, Gronda
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Gronda. Well said, very well said. Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person