As scandals brew around President Obama, Republicans have started to voice the word “impeachment” out loud, seeing an opportunity to cause permanent damage to the president and his legacy.
Earlier this week, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Republican of Utah, didn’t hold back on his posturing, saying he wanted to pursue impeachment hearings against Obama because of his administration’s handling of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi, Libya.
“This is an administration embroiled in a scandal that they created,” Chaffetz said in an interview with National Review. “It’s a coverup. I’m not saying impeachment is the end game, but it’s a possibility, especially if they keep doing little to help us learn more.”
While some Republican leaders, such as House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, have reportedly urged Republican legislators not to overplay their hand, it appears that the party’s bloodlust will not abate anytime soon.
Now with reports that Attorney General Eric Holder personally signed off on the warrant that allowed the Justice Department to search Fox News reporter James Rosen’s personal email, according to NBC News’ Michael Isikoff, the calls are renewing for Holder’s ouster.
In a piece in the Chicago Tribune, radio talk show host Bill Press said it was time for Holder to step down.
“The bad or inadequate far outweighs the good,” Press writes. “Holder has overstayed his welcome.”
Curiously, all the barbs thrown at Obama and his administration inside the Beltway have not affected his approval rating. A roundup of recent polls show no change in Obama’s job rating since April—he still stands at about a 50 percent approval.
That means the people who are calling for impeachment are part of those who have disapproved of his performance all along. His supporters have not budged in their support.
