For several years, Family Research Council president and Christian Right mouthpiece Tony Perkins made the case that President Obama needed to be impeached for whatever “culture war” issue Perkins was mad about that day.
Sept. 17, 2014: Perkins said that Obama should be impeached for what occurred during a meeting of the House Benghazi Special Committee:
“We are a society, a government that operates under the rule of law and when we have people who don’t want to play by the rules, it really doesn’t work. And that’s why this president has messed thing up so much, he doesn’t want to play by the rules. And Congress is too fearful, too politically-minded to impeach this president because they’re fearful. We need leaders who are not fearful.”
Oct. 29, 2014: Perkins said that Obama should be impeached if Republicans won control of the Senate:
“If the Republicans do capture the Senate, there’s no more excuses about impeachment. See, what we’ve heard so far is how we can’t do that because we’d never get it through the Senate, the House could impeach him but the Senate would never convict, it would just be a waste of time. Well, if they have control of the Senate it won’t be.”
Nov. 13, 2014: Perkins said that Obama should be impeached for using an executive action to prevent the deportation of immigrants:
“What the president is about to do on amnesty is essentially tell, using his authority as the chief executive, the president, to the executive branch, Homeland Security, immigration, not to enforce the law, which is a violation of his oath to uphold the law,” Perkins said. “I think there is already, but clearly with this, if he takes this approach on amnesty and immigration — if the president does not uphold the law then that’s an impeachable act. Now you don’t impeach somebody because you don’t like their policies, it’s when they fail to uphold or abide by the law.”
Aug. 6, 2015: Perkins said that Obama should be impeached for aiding our enemies:
When another listener called in to ask why Obama has not yet been impeached, Perkins seconded the call.
“When you begin to operate deceptively, when you violate the boundaries by which the American people have agreed to be governed, you have crossed the line,” he said, “and I think this president has crossed the line.”
He lamented that the Republican Party doesn’t have the “backbone” to begin impeachment proceedings, which is why, he said, Donald Trump is proving so popular among GOP primary voters: “Donald Trump, he is the result of the Republican Party. He is doing so well because the Republicans refuse to do what the American people elected them to do.”
May 13, 2016: Perkins said that Obama should be impeached because his administration said transgender kids must be allowed to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity:
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins told [FOX News’ Todd Starnes] Congress must intervene to stop what he called an imperial president.
“If the president chooses to go forward with this outrageous order — then congress should begin impeachment proceedings,” he said.
Well, you’re never going to believe this…
With mounting evidence that Donald Trump told a foreign power to investigate his political opponent, threatening to withhold money until that happened, Perkins is taking a rather different stand. Suddenly, impeachment is off the table. Perkins says frustrated Democrats should use the “old-fashioned” approach.
U.S. voters have been quite clear how fed up they are with the Democrats’ vendetta. In July, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey showed just 21 percent of Americans supported impeachment hearings against Trump. Since then, Breitbart points out, not much has changed. In poll after poll, the message from voters is the same: Enough already. If you want to remove Donald Trump from office, do it the old-fashioned way: win an election.
So now winning an election is the way to handle a president you don’t like… (What was 2018 if not a referendum on Trump and the GOP?) The moment impeachment becomes a legitimate option, Perkins changes his tune. It’s so typical of the Religious Right to whine about non-existent problems only to look the other way when their side appears to be guilty. What else would you expect from conservative Christians, though? Lying is their native language.
By the way, Perkins is wrong about the polls. They’re moving quickly in the direction of impeachment. Prayers aren’t going to stop this inquiry.
(via Right Wing Watch)