SEATTLE RED

Impeachment dreams, national nightmares

Jan 14, 2019, 6:31 AM | Updated: 10:07 am

Democratic impeachment dreams will inevitably collide with a Constitution that makes removal of a president all but impossible. With the current Senate line-up, Democrats would need to persuade 20 Republicans to join all 47 of them for the two-thirds vote to drive Trump from office.

In 232 years of Constitutional history, no US Senator — not even one — has ever voted to remove a president of his or her own party. What happened to Richard Nixon in 1974? The Watergate crisis climaxed in the midst of a midterm election campaign; a campaign in which the GOP ultimately lost 48 House seats and five in the Senate.

In a desperate bid to mitigate looming disaster, Senate leaders begged Nixon to resign. For the sake of his party and his country, he did so. In Trump’s case, elections are nearly two years away and, barring unforeseen, catastrophic revelations, his resignation is inconceivable.

FILE - A Walmart sign stands outside a store, Sept. 3, 2019, in Walpole, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Sen...

Associated Press

Walmart says it’s not using personal information to set prices as it expands digital shelf labels

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is aiming to assuage customers’ fears about its new pricing technology as it rolls out digital price labels at its stores. In a statement posted on the company’s website, Walmart Inc.’s CEO John Furner vowed that the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer isn’t using personal information like income, shopping history or a […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Hurricane Nolo gains speed as it moves away from Hawaii, but high winds, flash floods are still risk

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rains, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas recovering from previous storms. By early Sunday, Nolo was about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Hawaii’s southernmost point and was moving away from the Big […]

3 hours ago

A Coast Guardsman tosses a rope to a kayaker in distress after the kayaker's boat overturned north ...

Tom Brock

San Juan Islands Rescue: Coast Guard crews save man after his kayak overturns

A Coast Guard helicopter and rescue boat saved a man from the chilly waters of the Salish Sea Friday, after his kayak capsized near Orcas Island.

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Three people were killed and four were injured in shooting at Detroit strip club, police say

DETROIT (AP) — Three people were killed and four more were injured when an argument led to gunfire at an after-hours strip club Sunday morning in Detroit, officials said. Police responding to the 7:21 a.m. shooting on a largely residential street found three men who had been fatally shot, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison told […]

4 hours ago

Boeing (2)...

Tom Brock

Software glitch raises safety concerns for Boeing 737 MAX planes

Boeing has notified its customers of a computer glitch on its 737 MAX planes that could force pilots to land manually, instead of using autopilot.

5 hours ago

Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Ass...

Associated Press

UN speakers’ go-to quotes: Ancient texts, modern greats and a little Talking Heads

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Presidents, premiers, monarchs and cabinet ministers have plenty to say at their annual gathering at the U.N. General Assembly. Still, sometimes they borrow a few words, quoting from a range of sources. Speakers this week touched on homeland sayings, ancient texts, figures of moral authority and more — even a bit […]

6 hours ago

Impeachment dreams, national nightmares