Losing Focus

The turmoil in the US continues. The government shutdown has not even been resolved and now a call for impeachment of the US president – Obama.  The US has played role model and guardian to the world and is fast losing its status and credibility. Economic challenges, high unemployment, unprecedented levels of debt and now accusations of fraudulent governance. When is it going to end and the real issues given the attention they so urgently deserve?

 

Allegations of Impeachment

It sounds bizarre and incredible that with all the security systems and processes in place that the US President can unilaterally engage in acts of impeachment.   If this is the case then it is bigger than the financial crisis and the US needs to review its governance urgently.  Also, those people involved in carrying out the president’s orders cannot be that naïve.  What about other world leaders and their fight against injustice in the world?  Have they turned a blind eye?  Surely the British, European  and Russian intelligence systems would have picked up any irregularities in the fight for justice in Syria.  What’s the role of the United Nations and the Security Council? There are many questions that the world needs answers to and the US leadership should act responsibly and swiftly to secure and protect its credibility.

 

Chances of Impeachment

The House of Representatives prosecutes and the Senate convicts on charges of impeachments. In order to prosecute, the House of Representatives needs a simple majority and the Senate need a two-thirds majority to convict. The numbers are as follows:

Members

House of Representatives

Senate

(prosecution)

(conviction)
Democrats

200

53
Republicans

232

45
Other/vacant

3

2
Total

435

100

 

The Republicans can easily prosecute as they have the majority in the House. However with two-thirds majority required in the Senate to convict; this is going to be a challenge.  The Democrats have  the majority in the Senate and it will take some persuasion for almost 40% of their members to show disloyalty to their leader  and join all the Republicans to  vote to convict.

So what do you think is going to happen? The deadlock will be broken…But at what cost or whose expense!

 

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