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GOP Congressman calls Trump’s conduct impeachable

Newenglanddeac

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Michigan Rep. Justin Amash became the first Republican lawmaker to declare that President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses and that Attorney General William Barr “deliberately misrepresented” special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

Amash, whose libertarian views often put him at odds with Trump and his fellow Republicans, posted a series of tweets Saturday afternoon outlining positions that even some Democrats have been unwilling to embrace — an extraordinary development that comes as Democratic leaders face increasing pressure from progressives to launch impeachment proceedings.

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“Contrary to Barr’s portrayal, Mueller’s report reveals that President Trump engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meet the threshold for impeachment,” Amash wrote, arguing that lawmakers have become too afraid of using impeachment to deter presidential misconduct.

“Impeachment, which is a special form of indictment, does not even require probable cause that a crime (e.g., obstruction of justice) has been committed; it simply requires a finding that an official has engaged in careless, abusive, corrupt, or otherwise dishonorable conduct,” Amash wrote.

In recent days, more rank-and-file Democrats have said they support initiating impeachment proceedings against the president; but Speaker Nancy Pelosi and most Democratic leaders and committee chairs have resisted those calls, citing their ongoing investigations into the president’s alleged conduct. The House Judiciary Committee, for example, is investigating Trump for allegations of obstruction of justice and abuses of power.

Around half of Mueller’s 448-page report is devoted to allegations that the president sought to undermine or shut down the special counsel’s investigation altogether. The report outlined several episodes that meet all the element of an obstruction of justice offense, most notably former White House Counsel Don McGahn’s testimony about Trump’s persistent efforts to have McGahn fire the special counsel.

Amash argued that Congress is failing to live up to its constitutional duties in part because of “extreme partisanship” that has worsened under Trump.

“While impeachment should be undertaken only in extraordinary circumstances, the risk we face in an environment of extreme partisanship is not that Congress will employ it as a remedy too often but rather that Congress will employ it so rarely that it cannot deter misconduct,” Amash said. “Our system of checks and balances relies on each branch’s [sic] jealously guarding its powers and upholding its duties under our Constitution. When loyalty to a political party or to an individual trumps loyalty to the Constitution, the Rule of Law — the foundation of liberty — crumbles.”

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The Michigan Republican also echoed Democrats and hundreds of former federal prosecutors who have argued that Trump would have been charged with obstruction of justice if he were not president — a reference to the Justice Department’s long-standing policy stating that a sitting president cannot be indicted. In his report, Mueller cited that policy when explaining his decision not to charge Trump with a crime.

Amash took aim specifically at Barr, putting the GOP lawmaker in line with Democrats who have accused the attorney general of trying to portray Mueller’s report in a favorable light for the president.

“In comparing Barr’s principal conclusions, congressional testimony, and other statements to Mueller’s report, it is clear that Barr intended to mislead the public about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s analysis and findings,” Amash said, adding that “Barr’s misrepresentations are significant but often subtle, frequently taking the form of sleight-of-hand qualifications or logical fallacies, which he hopes people will not notice.”

Full: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/18/justin-amash-trump-impeachable-mueller-1332780
 
I bet he's off all his committees by next week.
 
Brave guy, but he illustrates why almost no other elected Republicans are willing to join him - Trump has already attacked and belittled him on twitter: "Never a fan of @justinamash, a total lightweight who opposes me and some of our great Republican ideas and policies just for the sake of getting his name out there through controversy." Trump added "If he actually read the biased Mueller Report...composed by 18 Angry Dems who hated Trump,........he would see that it was nevertheless strong on NO COLLUSION and, ultimately, NO OBSTRUCTION...Anyway, how do you Obstruct when there is no crime and, in fact, the crimes were committed by the other side? Justin is a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!"

The real danger to Amash, imo, is not so much that he could lose his committee seats, it's that some avid Trumpite will run against him in the GOP primary in his own district and call him a "traitor" to Trump and the GOP. That's why so many GOP members of Congress have been so craven for the past two-plus years, and it's also why guys like Amash will remain a rarity in the GOP.
 
Yep

Really tough to imagine Pubs acting with collective integrity anytime soon, if ever.
 
 
Rep. Amash actually has a spine so good for him . Too bad the cowards and sycophants of his own party will swallow him whole
 
Cool, 1 Pub rep. Now we just need 20 Pub senators. Shouldn't be too difficult. I expect Mitt shall join him soon.
 
Mitt will talk it up but run away if he's required to vote. Jellyfish think Mitt is spineless.
 
I was being sarcastic. Sorry, it isn't always obvious in the tunnels.
 
bye bye justin amash

A self-described "pro-Trump" Republican announced that he would challenge Amash in next year's GOP district primary. GOP State Rep. Jim Lower announced today that he would run against Amash. In his announcement, Lower said that "Congressman Justin Amash tweets yesterday calling for President Trump’s impeachment show how out of touch he is with the truth and how out of touch he is with people he represents."

Lower accused Amash of siding with left-wing Democrats against Trump. "Amash has not only failed to support President Trump as the President works to make the United States stronger and safer, he has now united with radical liberals like Democratic Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib to try and bring down our President...He must be replaced and I am going to do it." Anyone wondering why almost no elected Republicans will challenge Trump now knows - you openly criticize Trump and suggest something he doesn't like, he'll launch tweets against you, and some hungry and ambitious yokel will primary you in the next election season. That's what having a spine in the GOP gets you nowadays.

Link: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/amash-now-facing-gop-primary-challenge-after-trump-impeachment-comments
 
The GOP is lost.

The fact that this dude is an anomaly is just further evidence.
 
Remember when they all jacked off over the freedom coalition lol


What a bunch of fucking sheep
 
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