Political Pirate Trump and the ‘Perfect’ Phone Call

Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash

Now that the process of Presidential impeachment has been formalized in the House of Representatives, the evidence must be judiciously pursued. Unsurprisingly, the President, his spokespeople, acolytes, Republican Congressional leaders, and credulous partisans are doing everything in their power to thwart House Democrat’s efforts. Trump apologists are screeching deflections, distractions, equivocations, unpatriotic recriminations and a panoply of mendacities to undermine the House investigation and impugn existing (administration provided) evidence. This would be shocking if self-interest was not the conceptual tableau of Conservative ideology and if political entrenchment, a form of corruption carried out at the margins of democracy, was not the primary aim of Republicans.

Alas ‘poor’ Republicans, Americans were already waking up to the corruption you actualize, largely on behalf of and with the support of corporate and wealthy interests. Now, the President has underlined and highlighted the self-interested corruption writ in large bold font, and has emphasized the seriousness of political entrenchment with the exclamation point of his coercive phone call with the Ukrainian President. Most concerning though is the President’s increasing instability, on display in person and on social media. Instability, by a man who controls the power of the Presidency is an imminent danger to American democracy, i.e., the foundational ideas of freedom, openness and transparency, not just the political institutions resting on them.

As long as Congressional Democrats do not allow Republican’s mendacious rhetoric to divert the attempts at excavating and understanding the cause and effect underlying the accusations set out in the whistleblower complaint, additional unimpeachable impeachment evidence will be unearthed. However, archaeological investigations, even those of recent institutions, societies and milieus, are not quick processes. So, we must be patient while the digging goes on and trust in the process. When the artifacts and other evidence are presented, the President’s personal ruin will likely be marked by the imprimatur of House Impeachment, but his instability and overreach require his removal to save our democracy from ruin. That will require no less than 20 Senate Republicans to vote for removal. History will…