For 187 years, the United States had only one president face impeachment. Since 1974, three have. This is a disturbing and dangerous trajectory.

For the first 187 years of American history, exactly one president, Andrew Johnson in the 1860s, faced impeachment. In the last 45 years, three presidents have: Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and now Donald Trump. Put another way, only one of the first 36 presidents had impeachment brought against him, but three of the last nine have. What has traditionally been an extreme and extremely rare tool for emergencies has turned into a process one out of every three chief executives has faced.

This is a wildly dangerous trajectory for the country. Since the founding of America, no other nation on earth has had such a successful record of transferring executive power through free and fair elections. With the exception of Nixon’s resignation, the only other exceptions occurred when presidents died in office. The normalization of impeachment threatens that record by making the process an extra electoral means of choosing the president. //

This troubling trend showcases the dysfunction of our federal government in recent decades. Consider that from 1787 to 1992 the Constitution was amended 27 times, or roughly every seven years. Since 1992 there have been no successful amendments. For most of American history, Congress was able to conduct its positive duty of amendment often, but almost never its most negative one, impeachment. Now the exact opposite is true. //

The best possible outcome for this impeachment is that Trump is quickly acquitted and Democrats pay a political price for it. That may well happen. After all, Clinton saw a spike in popularity after his impeachment. But even a stern rebuke by the voters may not be enough to stem this modern passion to impeach. As party bases take more power from the cooler, calmer establishment types on both sides, angry calls for impeachment are likely to become more, not less, likely.

The United States is a republic, not a democracy, but democratic and electoral principles and processes are the foundation of that republic. Are we to become a nation that chooses its leaders through partisan trials instead of elections? It is hard to imagine a future that takes us farther away from the goals of the founders.

Joe Lockhart
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@joelockhart

Senators on the floor are sworn to silence and have no electronic devices. So how is this Senator tweeting? Did he sneak a phone in. Is he willing to go to prison? Or is the tweet from someone other than Cruz. @jack you should investigate

Ted Cruz
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@tedcruz

View image on Twitter [COME AND TAKE IT]

7:08 PM - Jan 21, 2020

H.R. 2474 has passed committee and awaits a floor vote date //

H.R.2474 is a monster. It will tear the economy apart. We are on the brink of losing a freedom that has so far transformed the economic freedoms of this nation. Your representatives may be anointed as those who watch over our rights and interests, but who watches the watchers?

That person would be you.

Like many congressional activities, the Senate trial begins with pomp and circumstance and procedure and process. Little of substance will be achieved until the case is presented next week. //

Senators may chafe at some of the conditions they'll have to deal with once that happens. They are expected to be seated at their desks and will have to refrain from talking to one another during the arguments.

They'll need to rise when Roberts enters and exits the chamber, and should votes occur, they'll have to stand then, too.

Perhaps most difficult of all, senators will be separated from their cellphones while in the chamber and must check them in their cloakrooms.

It's not working out like they thought //

Brit Hume
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@brithume
If that’s true, why is Schumer fuming and McConnell laughing? https://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse/status/1208498513832755200 …

Sheldon Whitehouse
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@SenWhitehouse
Why Pelosi holding the Articles a bit is a good idea:

1) She can send them over whenever she wants.

2) It’s driving Trump and the Republicans crazy.

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3:40 AM - Dec 22, 2019

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ss396
an hour ago
Among the fun things that can be found in Federalist 65 regarding the Senate's role in Presidential impeachment:

...the injury to the innocent, from the procrastinated determination of the charges which might be brought against them; the advantage to the guilty, from the opportunities which delay would afford to intrigue and corruption; and in some cases the detriment to the State, from the prolonged inaction of men whose firm and faithful execution of their duty might have exposed them to the persecution of an intemperate or designing majority in the House of Representatives.

Hello, Speaker Pelosi. Alexander Hamilton saw you coming 230 years ago! You are engaging in the worst possible course of action that the Founders worried about. Even from that distance of time, they knew you well:

Though this latter supposition may seem harsh, and might not be likely often to be verified, yet it ought not to be forgotten that the demon of faction
will, at certain seasons, extend his sceptre over all numerous bodies of men.