The Democrats' Obsession with Political Revenge Will Hurt the Country
American editorialist and journalist Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce said the following: “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”
This statement can easily be applied to the recent midterm elections, where the American public handed control of the House of Representatives back to the Democrats. While this was not unexpected due to the anger that some harbored against President Donald Trump, recent comments by some prominent Democrats shed some light on why the emotional decision to hand control of the House to the Democrats might end up hurting everyone.
On Sunday, Jerrold Nadler and Adam Schiff threatened to subpoena Matthew Whitaker, the acting attorney general.
“If he doesn’t recuse himself, if he has any involvement whatsoever in this Russia probe, we are going to find out whether he made commitments to the president about the probe, whether he is serving as a back channel to the president or his lawyers about the probe, whether he’s doing anything to interfere with the probe. Mr. Whitaker needs to understand that he will be called to answer. And any role that he plays will be exposed to the public,” Schiff said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
House Democrats also intend to introduce legislation to protect Robert Mueller and his investigation. Per The Hill, “Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer is threatening a government shutdown by tying legislation protecting Mueller to a must-pass spending bill next month.”
Moreover, Democrats intend to obtain Trump’s tax returns, investigate his personal and business practices, investigate whether Trump violated campaign finance laws by paying off Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, and look at whether the president used his federal authority to crack down on the media. Democrats also plan to pursue/investigate some in the president’s cabinet for alleged improprieties and possibly initiate impeachment proceedings against Judge Kavanaugh and/or President Trump.
It is glaringly obvious that the “centerpiece” of the Democrats’ “to-do” list is President Trump, not the American public. A review of their plans does not include/reveal one single proposal that is slated to help the American people. To the contrary, the Democratic-controlled House is obsessed with investigating President Trump in hopes of removing him from office.
An article in The New York Times succinctly summarized the Democrats’ plans:
“House Democrats, increasingly optimistic they will win back control in November, are mining a mountain of stymied oversight requests in preparation for an onslaught of hearings, subpoenas and investigations into nearly every corner of the Trump administration.”
It doesn’t matter that, with the Senate probably firmly in Republican hands, there would be no chance of securing the two-thirds vote needed there to remove either one from office. The very effort to impeach would dominate House activity and headlines, further ratchet up a toxic political atmosphere, detract from any ability to handle even the most basic legislation, and cause political and cultural instability that could shake the U.S. economy and undermine the country’s international standing.
Based on the recent rhetoric of some prominent Democrats, it is not unreasonable to conclude that they do not intend to work with Trump and/or the Republican-controlled Senate. As a matter of fact, their obsession to “bring down” Trump could result in a virtual stalemate on a variety of issues, including the budget, voting rights, immigration, infrastructure (i.e. the border wall) and health care.
Bierce was probably not thinking about politics when commenting about the risks associated with speaking while angry or upset. Regardless of his intentions, his message rings true to date. According to an article in NOQ Report, which was written prior to the midterm elections:
“Democrats who are doing better now than they were two years ago (and that means most of them) should refocus their hatred towards President Trump. To vote against his policies during the midterm election is to vote against their own successes. They don’t need to openly admit it. They can continue to hate President Trump. But to push for gridlock that will harm the economy and reduce their own potential for increased fiscal success is ludicrous. Will they cut off their noses to spite their faces?”
The answer to this question will crystallize with time. As thing currently stand, the majority in the House seems less concerned with a better America and more concerned with partisan and political revenge. This will hurt the country as a whole and should be rejected regardless of party affiliation.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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