My feelings aside, I think rational look at the Senate would reveal that you would only get about 50% of the vote, a handful of Dems, and only a core of rabid Republicans. Trent Lott and Nickles can secure some votes in the South, but when you look at Republicans in battleground states (Susan Collins, Jim Jeffords, Olympia Snowe, Slade Gorton, Alphonse D'Amato) there is huge uncertainty, and that is where the polling data will be critical. D'Amato, for example, has been virtually silent on the issue of impeachment, because he can read the problems that position would be for him in this upcoming election. I note that Frank Murkowski was the first person to raise the issue of censure and a reimbursement. If an arch-conservative, but non-partisan like Murkowski is wavering, then I think the Republicans have trouble. Also, as I said before, I think Lott would not let a vote occur unless there was near unanimity. The Senate does not want the blot on its history that it ousted a President on a straight party-line vote. As far as I can tell, the Democrats are not pushing for impeachment at all, and along with the rest of the American people would clearly prefer censure. Lott would be foolish and partisan to force a vote under those circumstances.
Doughboy. |
