A Missouri state House committee will hold hearings Wednesday into three proposed articles of impeachment against Gov. Jay Nixon (D), whom some Republicans say has committed offenses worthy of being removed from office.
Okay, so what high crimes and/or misdemeanors did this Nixon commit?
One legislator has lodged a complaint over Nixon’s executive order last year that directed state tax officials to accept joint tax returns from same-sex couples who were legally married in other states. Nixon said in November, when he issued the order, that the state should accept the same sorts of tax returns as the Internal Revenue Service, which accepts joint returns from same-sex couples.
Wait. Are the rules different for governors? Can they be impeached without having been accused of a crime? Is "I don't like this guy" enough of a reason? I mean, I know it was enough of a reason for Issa and the Republicans to recall California governor Gray Davis, but there must be some sort of criteria for impeachment, right?
Another legislator said Nixon hadn’t moved fast enough to call special elections in three state House districts and a Senate district left vacant by resignations. State law directs the governor to call elections “without delay”; state Rep. Mike Moon’s (R) legislation accuses Nixon of breaking that law.
Um, no. No, that can not possibly be considered an impeachable offense by anyone. "Without delay" is such a vague term as to make that law virtually unbreakable. What one person might consider to be a delay another could think of as acting with prudence. And even if he did purposely delay these special elections, that seems about as serious an offense as a parking ticket. What else ya got?
And a third legislator says Nixon deserves the boot for insufficiently punishing officials at the state Department of Public Safety for releasing a database of Missourians with permits to carry concealed weapons. In 2013, the state Highway Patrol said it had given the list of 163,000 concealed carry permit holders to a Social Security Administration agent in relation to an investigation into fraudulent disability claims.
Um, you're going to go to the mat to protect people with fraudulent disability claims?
A top Highway Patrol official said at the time the state considered the federal request a part of a criminal investigation. Nixon didn’t immediately fire the officials responsible, as House Republicans had demanded.
Oh, he didn't immediately do what you demanded. Oh, why didn't you say so? Impeach the mother-fucker already!
Jesus Christ, Missouri Republicans, what the fuck is wrong with you? If you don't like the governor, you go out and win the next gubernatorial election. You don't waste everyone's time and the taxpayers' money on petty vindictive bullshit that just makes you look like a bunch of mentally challenged clowns. Or, I guess you do. but you shouldn't.
Oh, and speaking of the California recall election that put a washed-up B-movie actor into the governor's mansion (because that always works out great) Darrell Issa was apparently one of the prime movers behind the recall. He invested a good chunk of his own personal fortune into the fiasco because he wanted to be governor. He was drubbed. He never came close. He was a laughingstock. The porn actress and Gary Coleman did better than he did, So it was kind of worth it.
