I see quite a few people acting like they think that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has just been waiting to pounce with impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump ever since he was elected, and that her announcement of a formal impeachment probe is her finally acting on her true wishes.
I don't think that's true at all. For the last two years and change, Pelosi has worked as hard as she can to fend off the prospect of impeachment. That hasn't been an act. It's been her genuine intent.
Why? Well, certainly not because she likes Donald Trump, or even because she believes the evidence isn't there to justify impeachment proceedings.
What Nancy Pelosi likes is being the leader of the Democratic Party's contingent in the US House of Representatives, as she has been since 2003.
Pelosi likes that position better when it comes with the title "Speaker of the House" than when the title is "House Minority Leader."
Pelosi didn't, and probably still doesn't, believe that impeachment serves the twin goals of
- Maximizing the number of Democrats in the House; and
- Keeping her in the top position among Democrats in the House.
So, why did she change her position, if not her mind?
Because she knows how to count votes in the House, that's why.
She calculates that impeachment is going to happen now, whether she likes it or not and despite her previous efforts to stop it.
Impeachment may be The Charge of the Light Brigade, politically speaking, but into the valley of death the 235 shall ride -- whether she's out front leading or in her headquarters tent pouting about it.
Impeachment may hurt the Democrats.
Not being the leader of whatever the Democrats decide to do hurts Pelosi.
So she's saddling up.
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