US Power Games – Watching America

McCarthy suggested in recent days that the Republican majority might seek Biden’s constitutional impeachment “for acts of corruption.”

To impeach or not to impeach? That is the dilemma facing Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the main actor in an absurd political-legislative drama.

McCarthy suggested in recent days that the Republican majority might seek the constitutional impeachment of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, for alleged corruption.

It is certainly another case of what in Latin America has become known as lawfare, the use of judicial processes to try to discredit, distract or destroy a political enemy. In this case it is the use, however limited, of legislative power, but the result would be the same.

That the allegations of Biden’s corruptness are linked to some misdeeds by his son, Hunter Biden, the family’s black sheep, and allegedly to business deals made by the younger Biden in Ukraine, fuels the suspicions of Republicans, especially those on the right. They are eager to avenge two failed Democratic attempts to impeach Donald Trump and the ongoing investigations and likely prosecutions against him in connection with his response to the 2020 election.

The lawmakers are now proposing that the lower house expunge the records of the impeachment attempts against Trump from its records.

But much of McCarthy’s posturing is driven by the political need to satisfy the 30 or so far-right Republican lawmakers who can withhold their vote and cancel his speakership. And they have been letting him know that since the beginning of the year, when he needed their votes to be elected speaker.

The conditions imposed by the right put McCarthy in a weak position: Among other things, he accepted that with a Republican legislator calling for it, he would have to put the speakership to a vote again.

The problem is that even if the lower House, with a slim Republican majority (222-213) were to do the necessary hearings and work, Biden’s impeachment would not necessarily be the result. For one thing, it would mean the almost certain election defeat of at least 18 Republican members of Congress elected in districts where Biden had majorities, and they too are needed to maintain their party’s majority.

At the same time, there are demands for McCarthy to express his loyalty to Trump, the subject of four judicial inquiries.

That consideration leads to the other part of the problem: The Senate is under Democratic control and several Republican senators have expressed doubts about Biden’s impeachment case, adding to the impression that it is all simply part of a political-electoral circus.

After all, one of the tenets of lawfare is to “throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks.” Questioning an opponent’s honesty and abilities will always find willing ears among one’s own supporters, even if no one else is convinced.