by Vijaya Chandrasoma

On Wednesday, September 13, House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, announced that he is directing the House to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, launching historic proceedings ahead of the 2024 election. He states that House investigations so far “paint a picture of a culture of corruption” around the Biden family. “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives”.

After nine months of probing into President Biden’s personal undertakings, McCarthy did not provide a hint of details of any of the alleged Biden family transgressions. Though the “picture painted” perfectly symbolizes the illegal enterprise that was the Trump crime family.

McCarthy has got the whole process backward. He has impeached first, and is now desperately looking for crimes. In fact, when radical Republican Kentucky Congressman James Comer was asked by Steve Doocy, Fox News host, the specific crimes for which President Biden was being impeached, he said, “Well, when there’s smoke, there’s fire!” Having smelt smoke, they’re still looking for the fire – nine months later. I guess this is the modern Republican equivalent of the old Wild West strategy: shoot first and ask questions later.

Actually, this impeachment has been ordered by Trump, the de facto Speaker of the Republican House. He wrote recently on Truth Social, his social media platform, in his inimitable literary style: “Either IMPEACH the BUM, or fade into OBLIVION. THEY DID IT TO US”. The kindergarten excuse of “But, mommy, he started it”.

Straying from the main thrust of this essay, Trump made some interesting statements at an interview with NBC last Thursday. “I could have pardoned myself. Do you know what? I could’ve pardoned myself when I left”. Trump continues to incriminate himself through his ignorance. The Supreme Court has ruled that a presidential pardon “carries an imputation of guilt; acceptance or a confession of it”. Trump just confessed that he has been guilty of crimes during his presidency!

Biden’s impeachment is also endorsed by the radical group of the Republican Party, the House Freedom Caucus, led by Trump acolytes and white nationalists, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan and a few crazies. The votes of this group were vital for McCarthy’s election as Speaker as they are essential for him today to retain his coveted position. McCarthy’s impeachment order is less an effort to embarrass Biden than a desperate, last ditch attempt to keep his job.

Matt Gaetz, a leader of the Freedom Caucus, alleged pedophile and a Trump sycophant, insists that the group’s demand for impeachment is not “legislative bullying” of Speaker McCarthy, but a request for the Speaker “to do his job”. Which, in the opinion of the Freedom Caucus, is to remodel the Republican Party on the lines of a Christian, white Taliban.

Currently, the Freedom Caucus does not have the necessary votes to force an impeachment, but that is not its motive for this action, which is to create another distraction to take the heat off Trump’s plethora of legal woes. And to waste months on an impeachment inquiry which has zero chance of success but will impede President Biden’s ongoing progressive legislative programs and interfere with the schedule of his reelection campaign.

Of course, the Republicans may be playing the long game, with this phony impeachment of the President. They could be gathering ammunition to threaten the shutdown of federal government funding for 2024, which runs out at midnight on September 30, 2023, unless agreement is reached on government spending. Even a Continuing Resolution – short-term spending measure – for a temporary extension of government funding is opposed by the Freedom Caucus. Their one political motive is to embarrass the president and shut down funding, which will cause many federal functions to be suspended, the nation plunged into chaos, with only essential functions like law enforcement and public safety allowed to function.

This “false inquiry” strategy has been used by the Republicans in the past, notably the inquiry into the Benghazi tragedy, which occurred during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. The U.S. Mission in Benghazi was attacked and burned on September 11, 2012, resulting in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and another State Department employee. Two other security personnel were also killed in a pitched battle with the attackers.

In the wake of the attacks, Republicans launched several televised inquiries into Secretary Clinton’s conduct, lasting over two years and costing over $ 7 million, at a time when she had declared her candidacy for the 2016 presidency. Hillary Clinton answered every question thrown at her by members of a hostile Republican House Select Committee on Benghazi in an 11-hour ordeal. Without breaking into a sweat.

Although Clinton was found innocent of any wrongdoing in Benghazi, the Republicans achieved their purpose – of making her look “untrustworthy” on TV before the election. Republican members of Congress called Clinton “morally reprehensible”, and Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, lied that the Report “makes it clear we can’t afford to let Clinton be commander-in-chief”. Mission accomplished.

The Republicans have not a vestige of evidence against Biden on any count, Ukraine, China or wherever. Their motive is to have televised hearings during the election season, like they did with Hillary Clinton, accusing the president of all types of unlikely crimes, hoping they will succeed in at least sowing some doubt in the minds of gullible voters. Deceive, Distract, Delay, is the current motto of the Republican Party.

The best impeachment strategy Republicans have come up with so far is the alleged criminal behavior of President Biden’s son. Hunter Biden is admittedly a flawed human being, a drug addict. He was indicted last Thursday on three gun-related charges, lying about his addictions while purchasing a gun. Hunter had in his possession an unloaded, illegally purchased gun, for 11 days, a crime never prosecuted unless the gun so purchased was used in the commission of a crime. Republicans also allege Hunter Biden’s illegal financial dealings with companies in Ukraine and the Chinese government, but no evidence has been produced so far by the Republican Special Counsel, David Weiss, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate into Hunter’s alleged crimes.

In any event, Hunter Biden is a private citizen, who has never worked at the White House in any capacity.

There is absolutely no evidence that President Biden has in any way been involved in any of Hunter’s business deals and crimes. Except for the involvement of the natural love and concern of a father for his son.

Last week, Trump told Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, “if the Dems had not impeached me, perhaps they (the Republican House) would not be impeaching Biden”. Admitting, in effect, that the proposed impeachment of President Biden is a distraction, an act of revenge, pure and simple.

Of course, no such investigations were conducted into the financial dealings of White House employees in the Trump administration, notably his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. These grifters are alleged to have made billions of dollars using their official positions in the Trump administration, to obtain trademarks for her retail business from China (Ivanka); and selling to the Saudis, for over two billion dollars, state secrets on information about US relations with Iran and Israel (Jared) – information that put the security of the United States and the lives of US covert operatives in grave danger. Crimes which make Hunter Biden’s transgressions, in comparison, seem like the misdemeanor of crashing a red light.

Trump’s sycophantic darlings during his presidency have either begun to turn against him, or are keeping diplomatically silent. Even the violent, cult members of his “base”, who threatened blood in the streets and death and destruction if their Fuhrer was arrested, have been conspicuous in their absence and silence, after Trump has been arrested on four indictments. Just a few crimes of death threats against witnesses, prosecutors, jurors on social media, but as yet, thank heaven, no actual violence.

The temperature of the many moderate Republicans, bar the white supremacist cult of the Republican Party, also seems to be cooling off, as evidence of Trump’s sedition and espionage charges is becoming more public and beyond doubt.

Trump is the prohibitive current favorite for the 2024 Republican nomination. The only subject he whines about during his election rallies, crowds at which are dwindling, is the near decade-long witch hunt against him, the perennial victim. The burden of his legal problems in the way of four indictments and 91 felony charges are showing in his demeanor, which is getting more desperate by the day. His finances are also in a terrible shape, as he, a supposed billionaire, uses all the money he wheedles out of his supporters on paying his own substantial legal fees.

Republicans, including their presidential hopefuls, also do not address matters that interest voters, like the economy, racism and police brutality, inflation, climate change, inflation, employment and income inequality, cost of medical facilities and prescription drugs – these are, in their minds, radical commie, “woke” policies. Instead, they talk of witch hunts, revenge, erasing history, banning books, denying the existence of endemic racism, contending that slavery was a “job training program”, calling for reliance on fossil fuels as the concept of climate change is a “hoax”, limiting women’s reproductive rights, and doing absolutely nothing about gun violence. Hardly vote-winning policies, their one advantage being their overwhelming support of Christian white supremacists.

Biden, on the other hand, has, in a modest, non-trumpet-blaring (pun intended) style, achieved a great deal of important, bipartisan legislation so far in his first term. Legislation which has largely gone unappreciated, even unnoticed.

As economist, Paul Krugman said, in August 2022, “Just a few weeks ago, President Biden was portrayed as hapless, on the edge of presiding over a failed presidency. Then came the Inflation Reduction Act, big employment reports, and suddenly we are hearing a lot about his accomplishments”. Just a few of these are the Inflation Reduction Act, the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Law and record unemployment numbers. The economy is in good shape and improving, Inflation is down to pre-pandemic levels. There are many more of Biden’s important legislative successes aimed at improving the lot of the working class too numerous to list here. But perhaps his greatest accomplishment has been in restoring transparency and integrity to the White House and the Department of Justice.

David Ignatius, long-time columnist of the Washington Post and admirer of President Biden wrote: “But I don’t think Biden and Vice President Harris should run for reelection. It’s painful for me to say that, given my admiration for much of what they have accomplished. But if he and Harris campaign together in 2024, I think Biden risks undoing his greatest achievement – which was stopping Trump”.

My perception of the 2024 election is that it will not present the American voters with a choice of personalities. The choice will be one of ideologies – kleptocracy and Christian white supremacy on the one hand, democracy and the rule of law on the other.