The act of impeachment is a process in which an elected official has been accused of unlawful activity, which may result in the removal of that official from office as well as criminal or civil punishment. Impeachment procedures vary based upon the country in which they occur. Only two Presidents in U.S. history have ever been impeached (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton) however, neither were actually removed from office due to falling short of the necessary vote for removal. There are several cases where a call for impeachment is justified however, in many cases, people call for public officials to be impeached because they feel as though their concerns are not being addressed or they are not in agreeance with the way things are being done. According to Kerry Bentivolio (a first term United States Representative for Michigan’s 11th District) the only thing preventing him from calling for the impeachment of President Barack Obama is the lack of any wrongdoing.
In a clip from a town hall meeting, the representative addresses the question of an unidentified woman who shows clear discontent with the way President Obama is running his administration. Below you are able to hear the woman’s question and Rep. Bentivolio’s response:
He does however acknowledge the fact that there is no evidence that could justify a call for impeachment and following through with such an action could result in making him appear foolish or “like a joke”. Bentivolio is not the only person unhappy with President Obama’s performance. In fact, there is currently a grassroots movement called “Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment” that has claimed that their support has grown to roughly 40,000 Americans all in favor of the President’s removal from office. Additionally, another Republican US Representative (Blake Farenthold from Texas) has expressed his desire for the President’s impeachment but also states that this action may backfire and provide momentum in the 2014 Senate Races for the Democratic Party.
While it is true that the President has seen a decrease in his approval rating within the past few months, this is not uncommon around this time of year. In fact both President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton saw decreases in their approval ratings during the summer months of their presidencies as well. As we have seen, approval ratings for a President have the ability to fluctuate.
It should be noted that one’s disapproval for the way that things are being done (or the way they are perceiving things) does not justify impeaching an elected official. Without any evidence of unlawful behavior or wrongdoing all of this is essentialy futile. The bottom line is, there is no evidence (despite whatever reports you may have read or information that you believe which is often manipulated by the media) that proves that our President no longer deserves the privilege serving in the capacity at which the American people elected him to serve and until anyone is able to prove otherwise (though highly doubtful):
Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief! We salute him, one and all.
Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation
In proud fulfillment of a great, noble call…”
What are your thoughts?
-Jordan
sources: CNN, WND
