Maine Writer

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Zealous Republicans over reach with the "I" word - impeachment has lost meaning

Perhaps President Bill Clinton gave subsequent US executives a gift. By withstanding a failed impeachment trial by the right wing Republicans in the US Senate, the entire concept of "impeachment" has lost relevance. When the Senate voted to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, the trail was based upon unprofessional conduct with a White House intern. Now, as a result, Americans are probably "impeachment" immune.  Nevertheless, Republicans continue their expensive and wasteful efforts to remove Democratic presidents.  

In fact, Republicans with the same genetic DNA as those who failed to remove President Clinton, want to sanction President Obama. These zealots are angry because President Obama took executive action to initiate immigration reform to help millions of undocumented US immigrants to stay in America with their families. On Fox News and other "yellow journalism" media sources, the pundit screeching claims the President wasn't authorized to use executive authority to provide safe residency for illegal immigrants who have lived in the US for at least 5 years and have no criminal history. Indeed, these hyped up pundits are over reaching with the "I" word i.e, impeachment.  

Moreover, if the U.S. Senate failed to impeach President Clinton, it's hard to imagine how they can succeed in yet another attempt, especially when the U.S. Constitution gives the President of the U.S. authority to act under the "Recommendation Clause". Obviously, I'm not a Constitutional law authority. Nevertheless, it seems clear, by reading this particular clause, that the President of the United States has a responsibility to act when Congress fails to do so, on behalf of the best interest of the people.

Article Two of the United States Constitution creates the executive branch of the government, consisting of the President, the Vice-President, and other executive officers and staffers appointed by the President, including the Cabinet Secretaries. 

Pursuant to Article Two, the executive power of the federal government is vested in the President.

The president has the power and duty to recommend, for the consideration of Congress, such measures which the president deems as "necessary and expedient". At his inauguration President George Washington declared in his Inaugural Address: "By the article establishing the executive department it is made the duty of the President "to recommend to your consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."  (This is the Recommendation Clause): Recommendation Clause also imposes an executive duty on the President. In so doing, Presidents speaks collectively for the People as they petition Government for a redress of grievances, and thus his recommendations embody popular sovereignty. The President tailors his recommendations so that their natural implication is the enactment of new legislation, rather than some other action that Congress might undertake. Finally, the President shall have executive discretion to recommend measures of his choosing.

Frankly, Americans don't know much about the U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately, many just believe whatever television or Fox News tells them. What I know about the U.S Constitution is that the pundits on Fox News know less than I do about this formative government document. For right wing media to claim President Obama didn't have the authority to initiate executive action to provide compassionate residency for illegal immigrants is simply whistling in the wind. These screeching right wing pundits don't even know how to read the U.S. Constitution.

From an observer of the Constitution, I'd say President Obama had a "duty to act". He was compelled to act when House Speaker John Boehner refused to bring the U.S. Senate bipartisan immigration reform bill to the floor for an "up or down" vote. 

Regardless of how Constitutional experts interpret the "Recommendation Clause", the fact is any proposed impeachment action resulting from President Obama's executive action on immigration reform are ludicrous and wasteful. 

In fact, the "I" word has lost meaning because Republicans over reached this concept with President Clinton's failed impeachment trial. Thank you President Clinton.  

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