House Censure Vote Would Checkmate Republicans [OPINION]

The impeachment inquiry being conducted in the House of Representatives by the Democrats has always been about damaging President Trump and the Republicans.

There has been a faction within the hard left in the Democratic Party that has been for impeaching President Trump since before he was even sworn into office. They have trafficked in bizarre conspiracy theories and convinced themselves and their followers the president was not really a legitimately elected president.

The constant attacks on the president have been great for some of the people who make a living in politics. Some consultants and fundraising experts have made a fortune off of the folks who hate President Trump. This happens with GOP political professionals, too.

So now the Democrats find themselves in a tough situation in the House of Representatives. They have already had two of their House members jump off the "Impeach Trump Train" and they haven't picked up a single House Republican member.

The House hearings were conducted by the Intelligence Committee so the process could be conducted in secret. The hearings were originally held in the top-secret room in the basement of the Capitol. That room is normally used for matters of nuclear secrets and other matters of national security.

The moment the House impeaches a president, the matter goes over to the Senate for a trial.

A vote to impeach President Trump turns the process over to the GOP, and the House Democrats lose all control of the process they started. The Senate will be able to call the witnesses the House Democrats successfully blocked. The son of former Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, will certainly be forced to testify in public about his business activities and other aspects of his life.

House staff members could also be called into the Senate hearings. It is possible the former vice president himself could be called to explain his activities in Ukraine.

But if the House votes to censure the president because they don't agree with his phone call to the President of Ukraine, the process comes to a halt. Nothing goes to the Senate on the matter. The Democrats get a vote against the president for the record and the opportunity to move on to other important items like trade, prescription drug costs, and infrastructure.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.