Editorial:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership is being tested like never before.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership is getting tested as never before. The agitation to initiate impeachment proceedings is growing within her Democratic ranks. Then, on Wednesday, President Trump abruptly declared that he would not work with Democrats until they stopped investigating him.
It’s becoming a vicious circle. The more aggressive Democrats become in their oversight of the presidency, the more recalcitrant Trump turns in response to congressional subpoenas and — in the latest twist — even the most elemental functions of government such as developing an infrastructure plan. Trump’s contempt of Congress is only strengthening the case for impeachment hearings.
Trump is demanding the shutdown of investigations he is only prolonging with his stonewalling.
Pelosi recently observed that the president was “goading us to impeach him.”
The San Francisco Democrat is much too savvy to take the bait.
On Wednesday morning, Pelosi met with the House Democratic Caucus to try to tamp down the impeachment fervor. She has wisely called for a more methodical fact-finding process before deciding whether to start an impeachment process that has no chance of compelling the GOP-led Senate to remove Trump from office. However, she did accuse Trump of engaging in “a cover-up” — words that apparently enraged him to the point that he cut off a meeting with Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer within 5 minutes. They were supposed to be talking about rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure.
He then went to the Rose Garden to tell gathered reporters that Democrats must “get these phony investigations over with” before he would deal with them on legislation. “We’re going to go down one track at a time,” he said.
Right now, Washington is on a track to nowhere. Pelosi should go ahead and push for the House to pass a $2 trillion infrastructure package on the scale Trump had said he wanted, with or without his assistance. The American people should not have to pay a high price for the president’s petty pique.