CNN: Johnathan Turley's Amazing Impeachment Flip Flop

[erpowers]

Snip

But it's important to understand that Professor Turley was a strenuous advocate for the impeachment of former President Clinton while he now opposes the impeachment of President Trump, saying this:

"I am concerned about lowering impeachment standards ... This impeachment would stand out among modern impeachments as the shortest proceeding, with the thinnest evidentiary record and the narrowest grounds ever used to impeach a president."

Snip

As a specific example, he cited former President Barack Obama's transfer of $454 million from the ACA prevention fund, which had a handful of Republicans talking about impeachment.

Turley stated that what Obama did was not in the realm of impeachment -- but it would rise to that level if he "redirect[ed] it to another purpose without congressional approval and offer a faulty interpretation of the act. If the president were to openly defy clear federal authority and order unlawful acts, he would move from the realm of using arguable discretion to that of being a danger to the system as a whole."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/05/opinions/turley-impeachment-flip-flop-avlon/index.html

[C_U_L8R]

1. So Turley thinks bribery, extortion and obstruction are too low

but lying about a blow job is okay?? Who's buttering his bread?

[BlueMTexpat]

2. IOKIYAR!

Never forget that!

[louis-t]

3. He should have been asked one question.

"The 'president' claims that Article II of the Constitution says he can do whatever he wants. Do you agree?"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Some Republicans were actually talking about Impeaching Obama for THAT?

Oh yeah, and how about Trump is moving money from the military and other sources for his Wall?!

[gratuitous]

5. Interesting example Turley cites

I don't know the specifics of Obama's alleged transfer of $454 million from the ACA prevention fund, but Trump has made a habit out of re-assigning funds appropriated by Congress to other, non-related expenditures that he wants (most notably WALL). Turley made the statement about redirecting funds to another purpose back in 2014. I wonder what his philosophical journey has been that something he wrote just five years ago no longer applies, in his mind? Can Turley hazard a guess about what his thinking on this will be five years from now?

I think I could, based on my reading of Turley's evolution of thought and its close proximity to partisan considerations.