Your editorial on the Trump impeachment reads like a Democratic Party talking points memo. (Core values of the United States at risk of being undermined, 22 December).
I'm no Trump supporter, but some balance is needed.
Presidential impeachment cannot be for "misconduct" because it would put the presidency at the pleasure of the House. They could remove a president simply because they did not like them. Hence the phrase "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanours", required for impeachment.
Neither charge of the Trump impeachment rises to that level.
"Abuse of office" is in the nature of "misconduct". The Democrats don't like the president, so they want to impeach him. This is dangerous precedent.
The alleged "abuse" relates to Trump asking Ukrainian president to "do us a favour". Democrats assume it relates to the 2020 election . An equally valid assumption is that it relates to the Bidens' alleged corruption in Ukraine in 2016 [which the Democrats say is debunked, but… really??]. Either reading is valid. It is false for Democrats to claim that "the facts are not in dispute". They are very much in dispute. And note the Democrats did not charge "bribery", because the evidence did not support it.
"Obstruction of Congress" is also baseless. The White House sought the Courts' judgment on the validity of Congressional subpoenas, as both Nixon and Clinton had done. But when Trump does it, it's "obstruction"? Absurd.
The presidential office is a co-equal and to suggest he serves only as long as Congress likes him, and must jump when the Congress demands, is to put the presidency at the pleasure of the House.
The core values of the United States really are at risk, as your headline suggests, but from the Democratic House, not the Republican Senate. The House is lowering the bar to impeachment to simply "I don't like the president". Remember: the Democrats talked impeachment from day one the presidency, as the Washington Post reported on Jan 21, 2017: "The campaign to impeach President Trump has begun".
As you say "Voters may yet have to be the judge". Of course they will. They will judge against the impeachment, as the polls are suggesting.
PF, etc...
