Impeach Immediately, Subpoena Liberally
Last night the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives, a shot in the arm for the rule of law in America, and a bulwark against what has — since 2016 — been an irrepressible wave of injustice, immorality, and illegality.
Those Americans who haven’t cast their lot with this iteration of fascism are horrified and furious; last night we tried to act on those emotions, doing just enough to regain control of the House and attempt to revive the rule of law, currently comatose.
All sorts of analyses and suggestions will be produced in the coming days and weeks, tracing a path forward for the new Democratic majority. How should they behave? What policy goals should they pursue? What will their relationship with the “president” be like? These are all important questions. They are also secondary considerations.
Because all that matters in the short term is saving democracy and reviving the rule of law, and to do that Democrats must take two steps immediately:
- Impeach Trump
- Subpoena all of his myriad cronies who have thus far been protected from the law by Trump, his stooges, and the GOP.
This may seem rash. It may seem like not worth the risk for the gains made last night. It may seem secondary to a focus on much-needed policy. Perhaps it is all or some of those things. But I think it imperative that the rule of law and its supporting institutions be immediately reinvigorated.
