Rep. Al Green: “Impeachment Doesn’t Require a Crime”

Misrepresentative Al Green (JA-TX) must be drinking the Swamp water almost exclusively these days as he has just uttered some of the most outrageous and ridiculously ignorant statements that a politician has belched in a very long time.

In an interview on Sirius XM Politics, Green said that the president doesn’t have to commit any crime in order to be removed from office!

During an interview on SiriusXM Urban View’s “the Black Eagle” on Wednesday, Representative Al Green (D-TX) argued that the president doesn’t have to commit a crime in order to be impeached and Congress can impeach a president for behavior that impacts society negatively.

Green said he is continuing his call for the impeachment of President Trump from a few months before. He also announced he will bring impeachment articles to the floor next week.

Green continued, “[I]mpeachment does not require a crime to be committed. … That’s what some of these constitutional scholars have been confusing people with. Because they’re talking about what Mr. Mueller is doing, and he is investigating a crime. But, impeachment is a political remedy, and it simply means removal from office. It carries no criminal penalty. … But, regardless as to what Mr. Mueller does, the Congress can still impeach the president for his behavior that has an adverse impact on society. That is what impeachment is all about, a president who is unfit to serve because he has done things that would be harmful to society.”

Constitutional scholars have been confusing the issue?  Really, Mr. Green?  I’m pretty certain that the only confusing thing around here is how you, sir, got elected by a sober populace!

According to this genius of Constitutional law then, any president that rubs you the wrong way in something he says or does, because there’s no criminal penalty for impeachment, he can just be removed from office?  I wonder if Bill Clinton knew that after he was impeached for perjury.

According to the Congressional Research Service in a report from 2015:

The Constitution gives Congress the authority to impeach and remove the President, Vice President, and other federal “civil officers” upon a determination that such officers have engaged in treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

Impeachable conduct does not appear to be limited to criminal behavior. Congress has identified three general types of conduct that constitute grounds for impeachment, although these categories should not be understood as exhaustive: (1) improperly exceeding or abusing the powers of the office; (2) behavior incompatible with the function and purpose of the office; and (3) misusing the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.

I’m assuming that Mr. Green is referring to #2 of the description of impeachable conduct above.  “[B]ehavior incompatible with the function and purpose of the office.

Then, first, let’s look at the “official Purpose of the President of the United States” as described in the Constitution:

The purpose of the President is to act as the Head of State and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Services. He or she is responsible for enforcing laws that are given by Congress.

Okay, simple enough.  Is there anything in there about “harming” or having an “adverse impact on society?”  Can’t see it, but maybe I’m missing something.

Next, let’s look at the “official Function of the President of the United States” as described in the Constitution:

The President as head of state is a largely ceremonial function. As head of government, the President is the senior authority as to ensuring the laws are faithfully executed and enforced, and, as such, is at the “top” of the executive branch.

All right, then.  Nothing in there about harming society or having an adverse impact on it.

So, to sum up, behavior incompatible with the function and purpose of the office (as is exactly what Green is charging Trump) would mean that Trump CANNOT:

1. Shirk his responsibilities as Head of State
2. Shirk his responsibilities as Chief of the Armed Services
3. Be irresponsible about enforcing laws that are given by Congress
4. Shirk his authority of ensuring the laws are faithfully executed and enforced

By my last count, and correct me if I’m wrong, Trump has done none of the above.  That being said, Green has no valid argument, nor does he have a platform to stand on in order to bring forth these Articles of Impeachment, which (I would suspect) is why other members have been equally unsuccessful in bring forth such garbage.

“A” for effort, Mr. Green.  “F” for being a partisan imbecile and useful idiot for the Jackass Party.

“Impeachment does not require a crime to be committed,” @RepAlGreen told @MadisonSiriusXM sharing his plan to impeach Trump. pic.twitter.com/L0MHTjflS8

— SiriusXMPolitics (@SXMPolitics) 27 de septiembre de 2017

Source:  Breitbart / Congressional Research Service