From The Nation
The attorney general lied to Congress, and now he uses a department named "Justice" to undermine justice.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions makes announcement on DACA program
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Two hundred and thirty years ago this week, delegates to the convention that drafted the US Constitution signed the document into being. In so doing, they afforded the legislative branch the power to remove presidents, vice presidents and attorneys general. This was an essential act in the distinguishing of the American experiment. As George Mason said in that summer of 1787, "No point is of more importance than that the right of impeachment should be continued. Shall any man be above justice?"
Impeachment is not a legal mechanism. It is a political act. The founders employed the catch-all phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors" to provide leeway for the future generations that would hold errant officials to account. An impeached and convicted official is not jailed or fined. He is simply removed from office. This is the appropriate remedy, as the point of impeachment is not punishment or vengeance but, rather, protection of the republic from lawless and dangerous individuals who have claimed positions of power.
When Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore called for Trump's impeachment last month, she did so with language that echoed the original intentions of the American experiment. "For the sake of the soul of our country, we must come together to restore our national dignity that has been robbed by Donald Trump's presence in the White House," Moore explained. "My Republican friends, I implore you to work with us within our capacity as elected officials to remove this man as our commander-in-chief and help us move forward from this dark period in our nation's history."
Trump has brought a chorus of impeachment calls upon himself. But he is not the only member of this administration whose words and deeds demand a constitutional remedy. By many good measures, the list of those who should be removed begins with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the most lawless and dangerous member of this administration.
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