Swing-State Moderate Democrats in Turmoil over Impeachment, Study Censure as Alternative

Dec. 11, 2019 (EIRNS)—As numerous sources have confirmed, Democrats from swing-states and from districts President Donald Trump won in 2016, are in turmoil over how to vote on articles of impeachment, fearful about how their vote might affect reelection.

According to the Washington Examiner, Minnesota’s Collin Peterson, who previously voted “no” on an impeachment inquiry, is predicting that four or five Democrats may now vote against articles of impeachment. However, there are 31 swing-state Democrats who have to answer to constituents who voted for Trump. Peterson’s 7th CD seat is considered a “toss-up” and if he votes for impeachment, it could mean an end to his 30-year Congressional career.

Other concerned Democrats include Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan’s 8th CD; Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Kurt Shrader (OR), Anthony Brandisi (NY), and Ben McAdams (UT). It’s reached thepoint where any of the endangered Democrats don’t even want to talk about impeachment, especially given the new Quinnipiac University poll, released Dec. 10, showing that registered voters oppose impeachment by a margin of 51-45, a shift from the Nov. 26 poll two weeks earlier, in which the margin was 48-45.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who also voted against the impeachment inquiry, and on Nov. 18 after warning “you don’t disenfranchise ... millions upon millions of voters,” by impeaching the President, told the Examiner yesterday, “honestly I’m just tired of talking about it. I’m taking a break.... Right now, I’m radio silence.”

According to Politico, a group of swing-state Democrats met Dec. 9 to discuss the option of possibly censuring rather than impeaching Trump. They all represent states that Trump won in 2016. Kurt Schrader of Oregon says that censure “is certainly appropriate and might be a little more bipartisan, who knows?... Time’s slipping by.” Their thinking is that censure could garner some Republican support on the floor, and help avoid a lengthy impeachment trial in the Senate. One anonymous Congressman, told Politico that right now, “there’s no other options” but as for censure “this is another option.”