A low-fact strategy
Re “Impeachment case at crucial juncture, Nov. 17
It is disturbing to watch the behavior of mainly Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee during the public impeachment hearings.
The task of the committee hearings is to obtain factual testimony from the witnesses. Instead of obtaining facts from the witnesses, several members of the committee spend their allotted time preaching their party’s propaganda.
That is counterproductive to the investigation and a clear attempt to sway public opinion not with the facts. Congress and the public do not benefit from this approach.
I hope that we the public can differentiate between facts and fancy. I am not sure many of us can. Daniel Hollander
Beverly Hills
The saying that “history does not repeat but it rhymes” has its limitations. The tendency to slip into false analogy — and therefore view a situation through a distorted lens — typically outweighs the value of any insights to be gleaned from familiar historical examples.
President Trump’s impeachment is no different.
This is not Watergate, where the underlying crime of burglary was conclusively committed. Here, instead, we have a still-developing and complicated set of facts about an attempted quid pro quo.
Time will tell whether Trump’s actions rose to the level of bribery, high crimes or misdemeanors under the Constitution. William Cooper
Walnut Creek, Calif.
Republicans in Congress know that Trump’s misdeeds regarding Ukraine are worthy of impeachment, but they don’t dare say so. They should end their charade and embrace Trump’s impeachment. Then Vice President Mike Pence, a fellow Republican and at least a seemingly decent human being, would ascend.
With Trump thrown out of office, he would have zero power. Wouldn’t that make life easier for the cowering GOP members of Congress, as well as everyone else? Mabel Wong Hogle
North Hills