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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Impeachment: Myths, Facts, & History

More Empty Impeachment Threats from the GOP

Right-wingers trembled with glee when Sen. James Inhofe said that President Obama might be impeached for the events in Benghazi.  Few rank-and-file Americans understand impeachment or the odds of it happening.  It does not mean that the president is fired.

Most members of Congress and the media understand what impeachment means, but our schools work very hard to produce politically ignorant citizens.  Impeachment means charging a public official with an offense.  Impeachment does not mean firing a public official from her/his job.

Only to the House of Representatives can impeach.  The House can impeach hundreds of public officials:  the president, vice president, all federal judges – including Supreme Court justices – cabinet secretaries and other high-ranking officials. If the full House approves impeachment, then the official has been impeached.  But that just begins the process.  The accused still faces trial in the Senate. 


 

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