The Democrats’ drive to impeach and convict President Trump has been comical throughout, although the comedy hasn’t been good enough to hold the attention of very many people. One thing that I find irresistibly amusing, however, is the two charges (or, more accurately, beefs) that the Democrats are bringing forward.
One is “abuse of power,” as if virtually all presidents for the past several generations had not grossly abused their power, and as if that in itself were a crime instead of a stupidity or moral evil. And as if Congress itself didn’t continually abuse its power.
“Why are they charging him with contempt of Congress? Don’t we all feel that way?”
The other is “obstructing Congress,” as if that were a crime or even a moral evil, given the Congressional abuses mentioned above. When you think about it, isn’t it the job of the president, and all good Americans, to obstruct Congress? Isn’t that why he has a veto, and we have a vote?
I remember a joke about charges like this. I first saw it when I was a kid. It was in a book decrying the activities of the House Committee on Unamerican Activities, which charged people with “contempt of Congress” for refusing to answer its questions. The book contained some cartoons, one of which, as I recall, showed a man reading a newspaper with a headline related to a recent outbreak of the “contempt of Congress” charge. The man says to a woman, presumably his wife, “Why are they charging him with contempt of Congress? Don’t we all feel that way?”
