Democrats Cooking Up Impeachment Talk, Not GOP, Says Senior Lawmaker

Senior GOP Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.) panned the notion of impeachment talk as something being only stoked by the Democrats.

Assistant House Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) predicted Tuesday night on MSNBC that “there will be some reason found to introduce an impeachment resolution” in the lower chamber.

“These Republicans have decided that this president must have an asterisk by his name when he leaves office, irrespective of whether or not he gets convicted, it is their plan to introduce an impeachment resolution and they do have the 218 votes to pass it,” Clyburn said. “Because that will keep the country focused on foolishness rather than on what we need to do in order to move an agenda forward.”

Cole, the former head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said he’s “very seldom” heard impeachment talk among his colleagues, “and usually in response to something Democrats have said.”

“The only people I ever hear talk about impeachment are Democrats. And I think it’s always for political purposes,” Cole told MSNBC.

“You know, no impeachment legislation is pending. None has been proposed. I know of no one who favors that as a course, you know, that’s in any leadership position,” he said.

“So, again, I think this is a Democratic fantasy. And I certainly don’t see it coming to pass.”

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) told Fox last week that Republicans would be cautious about taking the bait, as Charles Krauthammer branded it, with impeachment talk if President Obama moves forward with executive action on immigration as promised.

“I think we’ve got plenty of tools” to respond, Sessions said.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) mused on MSNBC last week what the “retaliation” would be for Obama doing immigration reform by executive order.

“Now, we’re not going to hear the impeachment talk — I mean, none of that is going to do them any good over the next two years,” Schakowsky said of Republicans.

House Democratic leaders recently attempted a pre-emptive strike by putting out a document detailing times other presidents have used executive authority on immigration matters.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said Obama is “on good standing.”

“If we are going to allow the Republicans to the threat of impeachment from stopping fairness and justice for our community, then you know what? Why don’t we all become Republicans then? And we can all dictate the future,” Gutierrez told MSNBC last week. “We’re Democrats and we have to stand for our values and for our principles.”