It’s time for House Democrats to rock and roll

| 12:01 pm EDT May 5, 2019
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It’s time for the Democrats to rock and roll. Steve Mnuchin refuses to turn over Trump’s tax returns. William Barr refuses to comply with the House. Wilbur Ross is an oligarch-connected crook. Betsy DeVos is gutting critical aid to the education system. Mike Pompeo lets the world run roughshod on American diplomatic missions. These cabinet members aren’t public servants – they’re national disgraces. The Democrats need to start their power play soon, lest they let the history books forever chronicle a time in American history when accountability died and corruption took over. The good news is that it seems the time has come.

William Barr’s refusal to appear before the House for questioning after a thorough walloping from California Senator Kamala Harris has ignited an anger throughout the Democratic party. Even if Barr complies, Speaker Nancy Pelosi already stated loud and clear that Barr committed a crime by lying to Congress. Because that’s an impeachable offense, the calls for his impeachment have some serious substance.

The Republican-controlled Senate has a predictable fealty to Trump, but even if the Senate refuses to convict and remove any of the aforementioned clowns, House impeachment is an important mechanism – not just politically, but morally. No one is above the law, and if Democrats were to not begin impeachment proceedings against some cabinet members, it would deal a devastating blow to the public’s faith in our political systems. Democrats going down this road would additionally contribute empirical evidence to the notion that the two major parties we have in this country are 1. not the same, and 2. that a vote for the Democrats is a vote for moral superiority and a more equitable society.

Pelosi is not, to borrow Mark Zuckerberg’s famous adage, one to “move fast and break things;” indeed, she’s calculating and deliberate. The next few weeks will be telling, and give us a stronger indication as to the direction the Democrats intend to go. I suspect more will join in the calls for Barr’s impeachment, and probably Trump’s impeachment. As time continues to run on getting Trump’s tax returns, Mnuchin will be under increasing pressure to cave, and any pushback he gives will likely be met with Nancy Pelosi’s ire. Democrat power-plays will bolster support among voters as they see the party fighting for their interests, and Pelosi knows this; it’s just going to be up to her on how the battle gets framed and when to land the first blow.