Despite frantic claims from the White House and Democrats that impeachment of President Obama is possible, Speaker of the House John Boehner ruled out the possibility of that happening on Tuesday.
“This whole talk about impeachment is coming from the president’s own staff,” Boehner said. “And coming from Democrats on Capitol Hill. Why? Because they are trying to rally their people to give money and to show up in this year’s election.”
“We have no plans to impeach the president,” Boehner added. “We have no future plans. Listen, it’s all a scam, started by Democrats at the White House.”
Last week, senior Obama aide Dan Pfeiffer warned Republicans not to “discount” the possibility of impeachment. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest also argued last week that “there are senior members of the Republican political party or certainly prominent voices in the Republican Party who are calling for exactly that.” (RELATED: Rep. Scalise Calls Out Obama: ‘First White House In History Trying To Start Narrative Of Impeachment’)
The one well-known Republican politician calling for impeachment is former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has called on Congress to impeach Obama instead of suing him. Most conservative lawmakers, though, have dismissed the idea as both politically bad and not practical. (RELATED: Conservative Lawmakers Dismiss Idea Of Impeaching Obama: ‘Nobody Wants A President Joe Biden’)
Still, in recent days, Democrats have been begging donors to give money to their campaign committees, citing the chance of impeachment.
On Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out an email from House minority leader Nancy Pelosi with the subject “kiss all hope goodbye,” saying “If Boehner has his way, we might as well kiss all hope goodbye for the remainder of President Obama’s term.”
“Case in point: this week, Boehner is planning a vote to sue the President,” Pelosi said. “The House of Representatives has never sued a sitting President in all of U.S. history. And if they do it, impeachment may very well be the next step.” (RELATED: Republicans Expected To Approve Lawsuit Against Obama This Week)