Define irony: while Robert Mueller’s decision not to deliver a prosecutor’s opinion on his investigation was the biggest gift so far in Trump’s administration, it may end up splitting the Democratic party as the decision of how to respond to the report’s carte blanche to launching impeachment proceedings against Trump by Congressional democrats has created a major headache for Nancy Pelosi.
As we reported over the weekend, in the days since the redacted Mueller report was released, many members of the Democrats’ progressive wing have rebelled against Pelosi’s decree that impeachment isn’t on the table – a strategy devised to protect Democrats in swing districts whose mid-term triumphs effectively handed Dems control of the House (despite all the media coverage they’ve received, AOC and the three other members of her WoC clique had little to do with the Democrats’ electoral triumph). And, in a major surprise for many far left democrats, Pelosi was reportedly scrambling to suppress demands made by AOC, Elizabeth Warren that the House explore the possibility of impeaching Trump on attempted obstruction of justice.
Fast forward to today, when facing mounting pressure for an official position, House majority leader Nancy Pelosi pushed back on Democrats calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, even though she said the president “engaged in highly unethical and unscrupulous behavior which does not bring honor to the office he holds.”
In a “Dear Colleague” letter posted on Monday, Pelosi basically closed the door on impeaching Donald Trump, saying that impeachment proceedings are not the only way to uncover the facts needed for Congress to hold Trump “accountable.” The letter comes before a caucus-wide conference call with House Democrats to discuss her party’s response to the investigation of Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election according to Bloomberg. Pelosi also conceded Democrats don’t all agree on what course they should take following the report’s release last week.
“While our views range from proceeding to investigate the findings of the Mueller report or proceeding directly to impeachment, we all firmly agree that we should proceed down a path of finding the truth. It is also important to know that the facts regarding holding the President accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings,” Pelosi wrote.
Pelosi, who risks a schism within the Democratic party between those, mostly on the far left fringe demanding impeachment proceedings and those who are pushing for a centrist play, also wrote that it is “important to know that the facts regarding holding the president accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings.”
Still, Pelosi emphasized that the caucus will continue with its investigative efforts.
“As to the President’s conduct, we will scrupulously assert Congress’ constitutional duty to honor our oath of office to support and defend the Constitution and our democracy. That includes honoring the Article I responsibility of the legislative branch to conduct oversight over the other branches of government, unified in our search for the truth and in upholding the security of our elections.”
Aside from impeachment, House leaders have suggested some type of censure resolution as another possible outcome of an investigation, a toothless outcome which would assure another victory parade for the president.
“As we proceed to uncover the truth and present additional needed reforms to protect our democracy, we must show the American people we are proceeding free from passion or prejudice, strictly on the presentation of fact,” she wrote.
“Whether currently indictable or not, it is clear that the President has, at a minimum, engaged in highly unethical and unscrupulous behavior which does not bring honor to the office he holds. It is also clear that the Congressional Republicans have an unlimited appetite for such low standards. The GOP should be ashamed of what the Mueller report has revealed, instead of giving the President their blessings,” Pelosi wrote in the letter, effectively sending the ball in the republicans’ court, where – since the GOP is not at all ashamed of what the Mueller report has revealed – it will promptly be forgotten.
via ZeroHedge News http://bit.ly/2UAe1EJ Tyler Durden