Pelosi doesn’t care if she loses the gavel over impeachment?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended the big Democratic shindig in Texas this weekend and there was pretty much only one topic on the minds of the reporters covering the event. Impeachment is devouring the news cycle like Gabriel Iglesias at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. So what did the Speaker have to say on the subject now that an “official impeachment inquiry” is moving forward in a “judicious but expeditious” fashion?

Pelosi wants everyone to know that she takes no joy in this, you see. It makes her sad. But she’s firm in her commitment to upholding her constitutional obligations. And what of suggestions that this could backfire in a big way and cost the Democrats their majority in the House next year. That’s not even on her mind and it “just doesn’t matter.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in Texas to cap the most pivotal week in her tenure as the leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, said Saturday Democrats will push ahead with the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump regardless of any political consequences.

“It doesn’t matter,” Pelosi said in the wrap-up event of a weekend festival for politicians and journalists. “Our first responsibility is to the Constitution.”

Pelosi, a California Democrat who reclaimed the gavel in the House after her party captured the majority in the 2018 November elections, spoke just blocks away from the Texas Capitol at the festival put on by the Texas Tribune.

The Speaker is obviously saying what she knows she needs to say as an experienced politician. She realizes that her party has stepped out onto a tightrope now and the risks to their 2020 prospects are very real. While a couple of polls have shown a slim majority of voters may be open to considering impeachment, voters are still very cautious in general. If Democrats are viewed as doing this for partisan gamesmanship they will face a backlash. If the process effectively shuts the government down they will similarly face potential voter discontent.

So the Speaker is sad, eh? This is outside of politics? Pardon me if I scoff at your statements.

The Washington Post noted in January of 2017 that the first calls for Trump’s impeachment came during his swearing-in ceremony. Of course, that was a group of Clinton supporters who were protesting. Fast forward to May of that year when Trump had been in office for less than five months. Texas Democratic Congressman Al Green made it official and called for impeachment from the floor of the House

By the time the Trump presidency had hit the six-month mark, CNN was already tracking the number of Democrats who had publicly discussed impeachment. They were up to 26 at that point and if you scroll down their list you’ll see several of the same prominent Democratic names that are currently licking their chops at the prospect of finally getting their wish.

So do us all a favor and spare us your hand wringing and claims that there’s “no joy in this.” This is indeed a “sad” time for America, but not for Congressional Democrats. Granted, most of your caucus has managed to keep the champagne pouring away from the sight of cameras thus far, but it’s party time at the DNC.

I’ll just close with a subtle reminder for the Speaker and her colleagues. You don’t need a majority in the Senate to convict the President. You need two thirds. That will require more than a dozen Republicans. Be sure to let us know how that works out for you.