Consider that Speaker of the House is second in line

[ALBliberal]

to succeed the President (after Pence). I can’t think of anyone more ready than Nancy Pelosi. I have tremendous respect for her. Smart and tough as nails. I support her 100%.

[Wintryjade]

1. This is a very good reminder. I have not seen it mentioned recently. And there is a chance.

More so than any time I have seen in history, with the criminal of Trump and everyone associated with him, this is a huge reason to have Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Damn straight. We need someone that can walk into the office and get things done. This is not a game.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

2. You make an EXCELLENT point, Wintryjade.

Excellent point.

I think some younger Dems need to give THAT some thought.

[Wintryjade]

8. You would think it would be part of their job. And since they seem to not consider this,

it shows us how much they are not ready for the job and just more reason to keep Pelosi. Funny that, huh?

[Haggis for Breakfast]

11. Well, you and I

need to spread the word !

[Wintryjade]

12. Bet the establishment Dems already know.

[pazzyanne]

33. We do!!!

Thank you for your post that spells out the importance of the role of Speaker of the House!

[Cha]

37. You mean like Elijah Cummings and Paul Begala?

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[skylucy]

3. I Agree. I hope this talk of some Dems not supporting her is much ado about nothing.

Would be a shame to screw things up after winning back the house.

[Hoyt]

4. Good point. I get the appeal of a younger, louder critic as speaker.

But the job is more than raising hell to drive trump and GOPers nuts, not to say that is necessarily bad.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

22. the young ones can raise hell on committees

Their enthusiasm should be tapped, not stifled as it would under the stress put on the Speaker. Pelosi is a good one to withstand the storm while finding suitable places for the newbies to work on what they're passionate about.

[PatSeg]

30. And this is no time

for on the job training. It is a critical time for the House and we need the experience and expertise of someone like Pelosi.

[Hekate]

5. Yup

[lapfog_1]

6. and if, somehow, we can remove both Trump and Pence

come January... it's President Pelosi... think how that would cause the Repukes to lose their shit.

[flibbitygiblets]

13. It'd have to be simultaneous removal of both

If Trump gets removed first, Pence succeeds to become Potus and gets to pick new VP. 25TH amendment.

[lapfog_1]

15. sort of... it's the one time that HOUSE approval is required.

the appointment of a VP.

Meaning that the Democratically controlled House could stall the installment of a new Repuke vP.

[flibbitygiblets]

18. Absolutely true. Just saying it's not automatically the Speaker

as is commonly stated on this site.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Absolutely-- Speaker should not be OJT. And we already have an OJT president...

and look how that worked out.

[LakeArenal]

9. Another great reason to let Nancy run with it.

[ecstatic]

10. Can a sitting VP be indicted?

If trump resigns and Pence is indicted, are we looking at President Pelosi, or did I miss a step? Hmmm...

[flibbitygiblets]

14. See post 13

[Historic NY]

27. in Spiro Agnew's case the Solicitor General rules that a sitting VP could be indicted.

[kst]

29. Yes, a sitting VP can (probably) be indicted.

If trump resigns and Pence is indicted, are we looking at President Pelosi, or did I miss a step? Hmmm...

There's a Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting President. As far as I know, there's no such policy for the Vice President, and the argument against indicting a President (that it would interfere with the performance of his duties) doesn't really apply to the Vice President.

I don't think there's a clear precedent, but Agnew probably would have been indicted if he hadn't reached a plea agreement and resigned.

Of course if Trump resigns before Pence is indicted, then Pence is no longer a sitting Vice President, and the Justice Department policy kicks in.

And indicting a Vice President doesn't remove him from office. If Pence is indicted and Trump resigns, Pence still becomes President.

[DinahMoeHum]

16. I've emphasized this several times here.

And the idea of her becoming POTUS is NOT that far-fetched, folks.

We are not living in normal times right now.

[radical noodle]

17. People need to move up to the job

No one knows the job as well as Nancy Pelosi.

[iluvtennis]

19. As do I. Go Nancy, Go Nancy, Go Nancy!

[HeiressofBickworth]

20. If my memory serves me

Pelosi was SOTH during GWB admin. The country was appalled by the Iraq invasion for no reason, breaking all kinds of international laws which are supposed to prevent starting wars with no provocation. At that time there was pressure for Pelosi to bring impeachment charges before the House for a vote charging both GWB and the evil Cheney. She would have been next in succession. She refused.

We now have another possible impeachment situation. Based on past behavior, I don't expect anything different from her. She will not support impeachment charges. I think this is her weak point.

While I admire her political success, I don't think she is the right one to see us through the next couple of years.

[Control-Z]

21. Impeachment should not be on the table until we have a Senate

that will go along with it. Bill Clinton gained popularity when the House impeached but the Senate voted no. We need the votes first. If we got the votes I am sure Nancy would happily impeach.

[LiberalLovinLug]

24. There's another dangerous truth if this happened

If she became a default President. Assuming that both Trump and Pence were caught up in actual criminal charges by Mueller, and the Senate almost had to impeach. Although knowing Pelosi would be President, I'm sure McConnell would fight like a rabid dog for that not to happen.

But for the sake of argument, lets say it happened. We have to think two steps ahead. Not only would the still active Trump cultists be absolutely stark raving mad already about Mueller's charges on both Trump and Pence, which they would consider 'fake' and instigated by the 'deep state Democrats', but if they then had to stomach Pelosi as their President? I think it would galvanize not only Trump's deplorables, but many more so-called moderate Republicans and most Independents to jump on a giant red wave for 2020. She is so unfairly, but irreversibly maligned in Republican and Independent circles.

So it might be a glorious short term nirvana for nothing. Not that I'd not cheer if it happened. But if all else fails and we get someone like a Beto to run in 2020, against Pence or even Trump....I think that would be ideal for the long term

[HeiressofBickworth]

35. Yes, you are probably right

The RWNJs would have major fits if Muller's report indicates impeachment is the proper response to the crimes committed.
Pelosi, if President, would be reviled by the Republicans.
As a back-lash, 2020 could be a total loss for Democrats.

HOWEVER, we need to do something to stop the bleeding!! While I disagree with 99% of their platform, there would be absolutely no Republican that could be as mentally impaired as Trump; no one with the death wish that Trump has for America. Every day he takes us further and further down the rabbit hole. I'm concerned that another two years of this madness would create such chaos that we could never recover.

My concern is that Pelosi would be unwilling to take the short-term hit for the long-term preservation of our very country. It's to the point now that survival as a country is more important than political maneuvering.

Dems have a deep well of talent from which to draw for the 2020 election, if we get that far.

[LiberalLovinLug]

38. Yes, I agree. Trump is a reckless anomaly

Beyond even how a 'normal' Republican would behave.

I also think though, that McConnell and that group are just waiting for the exact time where they can't use Trump for cover anymore to push their 1% agenda, and then they will flip too. And they will run some candidate that rejects Trumpism. All the while endorsing a lot of the things he yelled about. But he'll talk nicer, say all the right things, and, in comparison to Trump, he will look downright scholarly.

I hate how they will be able to do this. Raise the crazy bar, and then come back down to a level that now, in contrast, will seem moderate. And I think many Republicans and Republican leaning folks that will be relieved Trump is gone, will come back to the flock.

That's why, even though its tough to do, our leaders should not talk Trump ,but GOP policies that he has overseen and signed off on

[green917]

23. I completely concur!

We need stateswomen and men to right- the ship of state after this fiasco! We need leaders that understand the trappings and machinations of government and nobody is better suited to lead the House in a divided Congress than Speaker Pelosi.

[Fuzzpope]

26. This

This, exactly.

This is where we are heading fast without our statesmen and women:

"...the rulers of this most insecure of all worlds are rulers by accident. Inept, frightened pilots at the controls of a vast machine they cannot understand, calling in experts to tell them which buttons to push..."

William S. Burroughs

[Fuzzpope]

25. Come on, man..

Experience and competence must outweigh charisma and personal ambition. At no point in any of our lives have we faced what we do now, Jr members of congress should be in full bore stfu and listen mode, because every skill, every trick, every bit of institutional knowledge is going to be critical in moving forward.

Pelosi should have a grafted triplet of younger members in congress in 24/7 observation mode who can then go forth and power curve others. This whole Pelosi thing is a vast squandering of a valuable asset and paints this party in a miserable light, to see our congress putting personal ambition before the dire needs of this country and it's toxic government. The American people just witnessed the grotesque results of a political party going POC, there are those who could rightfully ask how different are we truly from them in this regard (edit) with power struggle displays like this before we even assume control. January is an infinity from us at the lunatic pace we're all throttling at dealing with Trump.

Bottom line: the Republican party is at war with the United States. ALL of it, everything it is, was, and should be. They've done us a huge favor, the long held veneer has slipped away, and we can see this abomination for what it is.

Please, direct all fire, all ice on the true adversary.prlosi has the power of command that few, if any in our party today can weild with precision and effect.

There's nothing to frigging talk about here. The priorities:

1st - saving the planet, because without it we got fuck-all.

2nd - saving the country.

3rd - having Trump drawn and quartered in the public square.

Last - pecking order politics bullshit.

[calimary]

31. YES!!!!!

Seconded enthusiastically, Fuzzpope!

[pazzyanne]

34. Hear, hear!!!

[grantcart]

28. And that is an excellent closing argument

[Liberty Belle]

32. Yes and there are scenarios where this could happen.

Besides the possibilities of impeachment and indictment, it could happen through something unexpected. For instance, Trump could be impeached/convicted and Pence suddenly suffers a heart attack and is gone. Or Pence is indicted and Trump keels over. Or some sort of terrorist attacks takes out both, which could occur in any administration of course. Or there is a simultaneous impeachment of them both.

Impeachment could happen but convictions are still unlikely with Reps in charge, but there is always a possibility that a couple of them could vote to convict or that a couple of Rep Senators could leave office unexpectedly due to illness, death, indictment, or something else unforeseen. Or one or two could change parties, or simply be laid up and miss the vote.

Here's an interesting thought....if Pence had to cast the tie-breaking vote on impeaching Trump, an action that would make him loathed by Republicans but also make himself President, how would he vote?

[ALBliberal]

36. Interesting. I think he would vote to impeach. An opportunity he couldn't pass up. He would sell it

as saving the country.

[Trumpocalypse]

39. The President thinks Eric is second in line

after Don Jr. of course.

[brooklynite]

40. Consider that the Vice President is first in line...

...and there is no indication that Pence is going to be skipped over if anything happens to Trump.

I have no problem with people supporting Pelosi for Speaker. What bothers me is the frequency at which the argument boils down to "absolutely nobody else is qualified".