At last Speaker Nancy Pelosi has formally launched an inquiry into impeaching Trump.
I know a lot of people, including myself at intemperate moments, have been saying “Well, it’s about damn time.” But I understand why she waited. She saw how a rush to impeach a president backfired for Newt Gingrich and his sniggering hypocrites who went after Bill Clinton and his wandering genitalia in 1998: it took them less than a year to go from breaking news to impeachment, which for the Congress is Warp 9, and ended up with acquittal and Gingrich’s ouster so he could spend more time with his family du jour.
As has been noted over and over in this space and others, there’s no guarantee that it will end with the actual removal of Trump from office or that Mike Pence and Mother should plan on redecorating the residence with input from Hobby Lobby. Impeachment is an indictment; the trial comes later. But the inquiry will present evidence to the world and the articles of impeachment that are voted on will not be frivolous. They will be, contrary to the person they’re directed to, in keeping with the oath, to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Speaker Pelosi knows how to count – better than most prior holders of that job – and in spite of all of us urging her to go for it, she’s waited until there’s a majority of her caucus and indeed of the entire House all of whom are looking at reelection numbers and how they’d be affected by the move to impeach. Looks like she’s got them so off we go.