Senior GOPer: Impeachment Is A ‘Democratic Fantasy’ And Won’t Happen

FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013 file photo, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, gestures as he speaks during a town hall meeting in Duncan, Okla. Cole says he is firmly opposed to U.S. military intervention in Sy... FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013 file photo, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, gestures as he speaks during a town hall meeting in Duncan, Okla. Cole says he is firmly opposed to U.S. military intervention in Syria and predicts a resolution approving the action will have a difficult time passing the Republican-controlled U.S. House. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said Wednesday morning that impeachment of President Barack Obama is not an option that Republican leaders are considering.

“The only people I ever hear talk about impeachment are Democrats, and I think it’s always for political purposes,” he said on MSNBC when asked if he would rule out the prospect.

The host pressed him and said, “You know that’s not true.” Numerous Republicans in less senior positions have floated the idea, including Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), who last week described it as a “possibility” if Obama moves ahead with executive actions on immigration. The White House also talked up the prospect before the midterm elections.

Cole, a deputy majority whip and close ally of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), said, “No impeachment legislation is pending. None has been proposed. I know of no one who favors that as a course that’s in any leadership position. So again, this is a Democratic fantasy and I certainly don’t see it coming to pass.”

Cole said Obama acting unilaterally on immigration would “poison the well” in Congress, echoing top Republicans who have issued the same warning.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: