^ a solemn Jerry Nadler, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sends Articles of Impeachment to the full House for a vote.

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It’s no secret that we at Here and Sphere haven’t much use for the policies of President Trump or for his way of conducting his duties of office. You will not be surprised, therefore, that we now join the call already made by many that he be impeached.

We support both articles of impeachment presented by the House. These are Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress.

The first article seems to enable the second : if Mr. Trump did not abuse his power, then how can have obstructed Congress by not complying with lawful subpoenas ? This argument fails, however : Congress has the sole power of Impeachment and is therefore fully authorized to investigate Presidential acts and to subpoena material sand testimony furthering that investigation. Just as the President is charged with faithfully executing laws enacted by Congress, so he is fully accountable to Congress therefor. Even if Congress’s investigation of Mr.  Trump’s Ukraine dealings did not lead to an Impeachment article, his refusal to obey Congress’s lawful subpoenas would justify impeachment for obstruction.

Obstruction, therefore, stands on its own, and the record, every minute of it, demonstrates Obstruction, a continuing, sustained obstruction that is an offense against the Constitution.

It might have been sufficient for Congress to censure Mr. Trump for said Obstruction rather than impeach him had the Obstruction been merely technical rather than done in the context of an abuse of office, particularly one as grievous as Mr. Trump’s extorting the president of Ukraine as he did. But Mr. Trump did extort Ukraine’s newly elected President — committing two Federal crimes in the event, illegally withholding $ 391 million in duly authorized military aid and demanding that Ukraine announce an investigation into Mr. Trump’s chief political rival, purely to abet Mr,. Trump’s re-election campaign — as  he had no power or authority to do; thus Mr. Trump did not merely obstruct. He obstructed an investigation into a serious charge, a charge which, if sustained, demanded impeachment : for in no way would censure equal Mr. Trump’s putting his electoral interests ahead of national security considerations. (It is in our interest to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, our nation;’s most grievous adversary, for were Russia to subvert Ukraine independence it would put Russia in a dominant position within Europe, that for 75 years we have worked to prevent. Support for Ukraine independence has thus been a sustained national policy since the fall of the USSR in 1990.)

As the House Judiciary report (which you can  read all 658 pages of here : https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20191216/CRPT-116hrpt346.pdf ) puts it, Mr. Trump did not merely engage in a months long operation to extort Ukraine for his re-election purposes. He continues to do so. blatantly, justifying his actions as “I can do whatever I want.”

No, Mr. President, you can NOT do ‘whatever I want.” You shall be impeached,and we at Here and Sphere join with the millions of Americans who demand your impeachment. You are not a law unto yourself. You are a Constitutional office holder who takes an oath to protect and defend said Constitution, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, including yourself if need be.

Mr. Trump will have ample opportunity to defend his actions in the Senate in the impeachment trial that will begin soon, assuming just and fair trial rules can be established consistent with the precepts and juror oaths set forth in the Constitution.

—- Mike Freedberg / Here and Sphere