Rep. Brad Sherman
Rep. Brad Sherman files impeachment article against Trump
Brad Sherman: 'I can only imagine what Trump would do if he thought there was absolutely no risk of impeachment'

From The LA Times:

Rep. Brad Sherman, the L.A.-area congressman who bucked Democratic Party leadership to file articles of impeachment against President Trump based on allegations of obstruction of justice, met Monday with the Los Angeles Times editorial board and members of the newsroom. The Porter Ranch resident talked about his reasons for formally pushing impeachment, the country's divisions, and why California Democrats don't work more with the state's Republican leaders. Here are portions of the discussion, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview in full below.


Sherman thinks people are leery of impeachment, but filing for it has an effect

The actual filing of articles tangibilitizes what so many other people are saying and even Republicans are warning. ... It's funny, the word impeachment. I've had all these people come up to me in my district and thank me for everything I was doing and not mention the word impeachment. It's a word that people stay away from and I analogize it to abortion. When I go out there I support Planned Parenthood, you don't want to mention the particular word.

If it had any beneficial effects short-term, it was to get people in the White House to say, "Mr. President, you've got to clean up your act a bit." ... I can only imagine what Trump would do if he thought there was absolutely no risk of impeachment but firing [Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert] Mueller is the first thing he would do.

Is tangibilitize a word?

Jerry Brown invented it.

Is Sherman concerned most people haven't jumped onto the impeachment train with him? Nope

Somebody actually had to say the word and produce the articles. I'm kind of surprised that it's me, but I felt it was time to go forward.

He doesn't think much of talk about using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump for incompetence

To me that is much more insulting of Trump and maybe even his supporters than to say, "Look, he violated obstruction of justice statutes." To say he violated one statute ... is considerably less insulting than to say he falls below [a] competency standard.

If Democrats get trapped in an effort to make Trump a one-term president, Sherman says it won't be the impeachment effort's fault, it'll be the party's message

For Brad Sherman to file articles of impeachment, [that] sends that message out with 20 decibels. If Nancy Pelosi were to do it that would be 100 decibels. That's why I haven't gone to Nancy and said, 'You need to do this.' ...

We're going to need a more specific economic plan. ... We haven't fleshed it out enough. ... The thing is that it's not news that a political party is in favor of better jobs, better wages and a better future for Americans. My guess is Republicans are in favor of that, too, or at least say so.

Sherman thinks relationships in Congress are better and more honest 'in a way'

Republicans can talk to me. ... If I had a press conference to tell you what Ed Royce [Republican of Fullerton] told me in the gym, you wouldn't believe it and you'd certainly believe his denial ... or was it Dana Rohrabacher [Republican of Costa Mesa]?" They're loyal to their issues, they're embarrassed by their president.

Read more: (Link: www.latimes.com)