Barack Obama could be impeached “tomorrow” in the US House of Representatives, but it’s not a good idea says Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold.
Rep. Farenthold was responding to a constituent during a Town Hall Q&A who wanted to present him with a file on Obama’s birth certificate and thus his constitutional eligibility to serve as command in chief. Those who still question the validity of Obama’s birth certificate are commonly called “ birthers .”
The GOP lawmaker said he would look over her information, but added that as a practical matter, “The horse is already out of the barn” on the Obama birth certificate controversy. He added that “The original Congress — when his eligibility came up — should’ve looked into it, and they didn’t. I’m not sure how we fix it.”
As far as going forward now with an Obama impeachment about what the woman deemed a “fraudulent birth certificate,” Farenthold responded that he would give her a “real frank answer.”
Explained the congressman: “If we were to impeach the president tomorrow, you could probably get the votes in the House of Representatives to do it. But it would go to the Senate and he wouldn’t be convicted. The way impeachment works, the House brings articles of impeachment, and there’s a trial in the Senate,” where Obama would never be convicted and thrown out of office by his fellow Democrats.
After making reference to the failed Bill Clinton impeachment effort in 1998, the congressman asserted that “what message do we send to America if we impeach Obama and he gets way with what he was impeached for.. aside from the fact that it wouldn’t be effective, I think there is some potential damage to society that would be done with a failed attempt at impeachment.”
Blake Farenthold represents the 27th congressional district in Texas. He was elected in 2011 by 799 votes. He easily won reelection in 2012 after redistricting made his district more Republican friendly.