High Crimes and Misdemeanors!

Did you know that most people who read the words above think that it relates to the law, because after all the words “crimes and misdemeanors” are indicative of criminal statutes everywhere?


Most Americans who read or hear those words understand them in the context of Presidential Impeachment.

Did you also know who said the following about the term listed above --"I think the definition should include any criminal acts plus a willful failure of the president to fulfill his duty to uphold and execute the laws of the United States. [Another] factor would be willful, reckless behavior in office; just totally incompetent conduct of the office and the disregard of the necessities that the office demands.”

The Founding fathers had devised a brilliant form of Government replete with checks and balances to protect its citizens from tyranny. In a way, the constitution is a lot like Newton’s Third law (law of relativity) because when there is an action there is also a direct and opposite reaction built into the law.

For instance the President of the United is elected into office by the trust of its people. Likewise for the same reason, the President of the United States is removed from office through Constitutional mechanisms for the very same reason – Trust (more aptly, lack thereof).

In the Federalist papers James Madison wrote the following – “[S]ome provision should be made for defending the community against the incapacity, negligence, or perfidy of the chief magistrate. He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers."

Alexander Hamilton wrote the following on the subject -- "offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated political, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to society itself." He went on to say: "Men in public trust will much oftener act in such a manner as to render them unworthy of being any longer trusted, than in such a manner as to make them obnoxious (subject) to legal punishment."

When you gauge the public trust of Obama you see it falling like another Newton law – “gravity”. Obama’s trust has plummeted consistently since his election night victory.

The President can be removed from office by constitutional methods that were built into our form of government by the people for this reason. One constitutional scholar wrote that this includes behavior that is – “egregious, grossly incompetent, grossly negligent, outright distasteful, or which clearly show malevolence toward this country.”

Which of those words above come to mind when you think about our “hope and change” President?

Note: information about this article came from Human Events author Susan Dale’s article “Impeachment -- What are we waiting for?”