Will someone please tell me what in the world is going on in Washington?
One political party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, yet nothing of note is being accomplished.
Twitter ramblings account for news sources. Both houses of Congress and a Department of Justice special prosecutor are investigating the White House and the Donald Trump campaign. Current and former members of the Trump Administration suffer memory loss when they fill out forms concerning meeting with foreign governments.
The most powerful representative of democracy regularly touts oppressive autocrats while refusing to shake hands with the leader of one of our closest democratic allies. The president has turned 180 degrees on a number of campaign promises, and that is the good news. It isn’t just me that is mystified. America’s allies are shaking their collective heads in disbelief.
New administrations regularly suffer the pains of transitioning into government but never to this extent. Many Democrats are prematurely hopeful that President Trump will be impeached.
Rep. Maxine Waters made a fool of herself during an episode of “Morning Joe” on MSNBC as she called for Trump’s impeachment and had already made up her mind that Trump is guilty of some yet-unnamed offense.
Her giddy attitude is a prime example of the horrendous hyper-partisan political arena that is Washington in the 21st century. Republicans in the White House prematurely remind us that no evidence of illegality has been shown.
To both parties, I simply want to say, just hush up, and let the investigations proceed. Furthermore, let them proceed in a non-partisan manner.
Wouldn’t that be awesome if the special prosecutor and the two branches of Congress could complete these investigations, whether it be of collusion or cover-up, without partisan interference or grandstanding?
As much as I pray for that, I believe hyper-partisanship will indeed get in the way.
Two American presidents were impeached for political reasons. Andrew Johnson’s offense was to remove Secretary Edwin Stanton from his cabinet. Stanton, you see, was the only member of the cabinet that supported the Reconstruction policies of the radical Republicans.
Angering the largest segment of the Republican Party was enough at the time to bring impeachment proceedings against the sitting president. Not at all what the Founding Fathers had in mind.
Republicans brought impeachment hearings against Bill Clinton for lying about having sex with an intern, a question that simply was not germane to the investigation Special Prosecutor Ken Starr was charged to administer. Apparently, honesty in a president was far more important to Republicans 20 years ago.
I warn Democrats not to get excited with problems facing Republicans in Washington. Voters forget a great deal in 18 months.
As for impeachment, there is no way yet to determine if President Trump committed an impeachable offense in his connections with Russians.
Actual collusion by members of his campaign staff does not make Trump guilty. If anything brings about the President’s downfall, it would irrefutable evidence of obstruction of justice.
Nixon learned the hard way that obstructing justice is less forgivable than the crime being covered up. Democrats and a number of Republicans are concerned with the firing of three officials — including FBI Director James Comey — who were involved in investigating members of the Trump campaign. It is also troubling that Trump appointed to the National Security Council a man he knew to be under federal investigation.
I am not suggesting Trump has committed a crime. I will say that his actions have not passed the smell test. But rank odor is not an impeachable offense. Therefore, I repeat my advice: hush up, and let the investigations take their course.
Michael Adkins is the former chair of the Hancock County Democratic Party. He lives in Greenfield.
