I am writing to express my severe disapproval of Ohio Senator Portman for not holding President Trump accountable for impeachable offenses as Republican Senator Mitch Romney did.
Portman insists that the bar was not high enough for impeachment. How high does it need me? The president withheld Congressional military aid to a vulnerable ally for personal political gain. He was also guilty of obstruction of Congress for blocking testimony and refusing to provide documents in response to House subpoenas in the impeachment inquiry.
Our founders were familiar with the phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors” because they studied British parliamentary history and witnessed impeachments for abuse of office in their era. George Mason of Virginia insisted on a much broader definition than treason and bribery. For Mason and other founders, “high crimes and misdemeanors” provided a flexible measure of guidance. In the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton asserted that impeachment should “proceed from … the abuse or violation of some public trust.” Clearly the Founders saw impeachment as a means to preserve constitutional government from the misuse of power that Trump manifests
So not only has Senator Portman failed in his duty to protect the Constitution by not voting to impeach Trump, he has also undermined our founding document itself. In addition he has demeaned his own office by faulting the Democrats for procedural issues instead of taking responsibility for the Republican empowerment of a rogue president.
Margaret Cullen, Ada
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