Over the last few days, I’ve heard the word “impeachment” from more of my sources on Capitol Hill than in the last six years combined.
One member of Congress told me to look at the Richard M. Nixon articles of impeachment and just change the name to Barack Obama.
That member believes that many of the arguments about the Watergate cover-up apply to the current Benghazi cover-up scandal, the IRS Tea Party scandal, and the AP telephone records scandal.
Here’s how article one against Nixon laid out the charges:
- making false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United Statesf
- withholding relevant and material evidence or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States
- making or causing to be made false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing that a thorough and complete investigation had been conducted with respect to allegations of misconduct on the part of personnel of the executive branch of the United States
It’s too early to say if Barack Obama will be impeached. But mark my words… before the first day of summer, at least one member of Congress will introduce articles of impeachment accusing Barack Obama of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Just in the last week, the public statements about potential impeachment have been astounding. Former Governor Mike Huckabee said, “I believe that before it’s all over, this president will not fill out his full term… I remind you, as bad as Watergate was, because it broke the trust between the president and the people, no one died. This is more serious because four Americans did in fact die.”
I know Mike personally, and he‘s not prone to hyperbole and over-the-top statements.
Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma said Benghazi is the “most egregious cover-up in American history… People may be starting to use the I-word before too long.”
Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, Congressman Darrell Issa, said of Benghazi: “This is a failure. We need to be investigating.”
When the Salt Lake Tribune asked Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah about impeachment, he said, “It’s certainly a possibility.”
Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas started the year talking about impeachment. As the White House prepared gun control proposals, Obama announced he would carry out a lot of his ideas through executive orders. Stockman, a strong defender of the Constitution, responded to Obama’s comments by saying:
I will consider speaking with my colleagues and filing articles of impeachment… Impeachment is not something to be taken lightly. It is a grave and serious undertaking that should only be initiated in a sober and serious manner. It should be reserved only for most egregious of trespasses by the president. I would consider using executive orders to engage in attacks on a constitutionally-protected right and violating his sworn oath of office to be such a trespass.
Stockman continued, “The president cannot issue executive orders depriving the people of full access to an enumerated constitutional right. I do not think it will come to that. The president is not an absolute ruler, and his actions and orders can be checked and balanced by the Congress and the courts – if the Congress is willing.”
Rep. Louie Gohmert, also of Texas, told NewsMax at the same time that Obama has “already abused the law enough times that it’s just been staggering… It’s not a president who steps up and says: ‘You know what? Previous Congresses have passed the law — and it’s been signed into law, and I disagree with it, so I’m just going to create new law — and as I speak, so shall it be,’” Gohmert concluded.
While these are just a few voices, I believe the chorus for impeachment will grow in the weeks ahead. Obama has made a series of highly questionable mistakes, and he refuses to take responsibility for the problems. Expect to hear much more about these scandals before the long, hot summer is over.
