Trump impeached; no surprise here
Re: “,” Dec. 19 news story
Well, the impeachment vote was no surprise, and the next one also likely will not be. What is surprising is that the Democratic leadership was able to keep a straight face turned to the camera as they used the power of their offices for personal political benefit, precisely what they accuse President Donald Trump of doing.
The preordained conclusion of this investigation was that Trump’s unorthodoxy, his often foolish pronouncements and, occasionally, his ill-advised actions are reflections of bad faith, whereas those of the same kind by the Democratic leadership are, by definition, pure expressions of their somber duty to investigate “high crimes and misdemeanors,” reluctantly undertaken to protect our democracy, snicker-snicker.
I am confident that President Trump hoped to weaken Joe Biden’s political posture if he could get Ukraine to restart the corruption investigation into Burisma that was terminated while Biden was vice president.
I am also confident that the House leadership hoped to weaken President Trump’s political posture with their somber investigation.
This is how politicians conduct themselves. The outcome is a mixed bag. But one thing is certain: The use of an impeachment investigation to weaken a sitting president and protect a political ally is a mockery of the intention of the founders.
Errol Stevens, Westminster
Itap about time for Denver Post taking a stand on impeachment
Re: “,” Dec. 18 editorial
I have long waited for Wednesday’s editorial! Your position stated clearly the facts presented to all of us in America (and beyond) who are willing to listen beyond the political fray.
The actions of Trump should not be weighed under a partisan lens, but simply examined by the words in our Constitution. Can there be no doubt that Trump’s actions are in “contempt of Congress”? That alone should be enough, but then to put our national security at risk for his own political gain, seems treasonous to me.
The country needs to move beyond hate, ridicule, temper tantrums and self-pity; we must protect our Constitution in unison, finding the moral courage to speak up and demanding that our elected representative officials fulfill their duties in upholding the Constitution.
Thank you, Denver Post, for finally doing so, and thank you to the legislators for House impeachment proceedings, which allowed all to see clearly that Trump, indeed, should be removed from office.
Rebecca Parnell, Centennial
Redefining Congress
Recent congressional hearings and other debates have made us realize that time- honored English words have now acquired new definitions. The word “colleague,” for example, once meant a co-worker, often connoting a sense of trust. Now, though, our representatives in Congress routinely construct insulting sentences like this: “My colleagues across the aisle insist on continuing to deny reality.” Do they really mean opponents or even enemies?
A second, now-misunderstood word is “hearing,” a word that implies a sense of listening to others. Recent committee hearings on Capitol Hill, though, nowadays contain very little listening. The reality is that most of the talk in these hearings is competitive, position-stating talking, sometimes with interrupting in very loud voices. Would it be more accurate to rename these events? Should we call them “committee yellings” instead?
Peter Hulac, Denver
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