What If Congressional Republicans SUPPORTED Impeachment?

Cowardly Democratic activists (led most notably by Kos) assume Congressional Republicans would fight impeachment to the death, thus dooming impeachment and leaving Democrats mortally wounded forever. (That's really no exaggeration of how they see the battle playing out.)

But what if the opposite is true? What if Congressional Republicans actually supported impeachment after Democrats began the process?

Here's why that far-fetched scenario might be not only possible, but close to an even bet, courtesy of today's NYT:

The president’s own party remains angry with him for his handling of the war, the delayed ouster of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the low presidential approval ratings that contributed to this fall’s Republican wipeout.

Senior Republican staff members in Congress have voiced the fear that Mr. Bush will now put his legacy over the party’s immediate future, and take his cues from President Bill Clinton by “triangulating” when opportunity strikes — that is, making deals with Democrats, over Republican objections, on immigration, health care or Social Security.

“While the White House is trying to define their legacy, they’ll try to triangulate us,” said one senior Republican leadership aide who requested anonymity to speak candidly. "There is no sense of wanting to defend the Bush administration right now."

Let's review:

1. Republicans blame Bush for losing Congress. Congressional Republicans blame Bush for producing an electoral blowout that put them in the minority. And that was when Bush's approval ratings were in the mid-30's, before the Corporate Media declared Iraq to be in "civil war." If Bush sticks to his disastrous right-wing policies, his approval ratings will only go down, and possibly bring about the complete destruction of the Republican Party in 2008.

2. Republicans fear Bush will sell them out to avoid leaving office as the most-hated President in history. If Bush makes evil (to Republican) deals with Democrats, what possible reason would the Republican "base" have for voting Republican ever again? That would guarantee the complete destruction of the Republican Party in 2008.

3. "There is no sense of wanting to defend the Bush administration right now." Could that be clearer? If Republicans don't want to defend Bush, why would they oppose impeachment?

Republicans tried to keep Bush at arms' length before the election, with those in close races adamantly refusing to appear with him. But arms' length simply wasn't far enough away to avoid crushing defeat. And either because of continued failure or worse - triangulation - Republican prospects will only be worse in 2008.

So why wouldn't Republicans shut their mouths and let Democrats impeach Bush? Or to really distance themselves from Bush, why wouldn't Republicans actually support impeachment?

Democrats assume that Republicans are the opposite of Democrats - whereas Democrats (led by Joe Lieberman and Dianne Feinstein) were happy to throw President Clinton under the bus over something as trivial as a blowjob, we assume Republicans would never throw their President under the bus, even if he was driving their party full speed over a cliff.

But what if Congressional Republicans are just as small-minded and self-interested as Congressional Democrats? And what if they realize that Bush's downward spiral - combined with the higher turnout in a Presidential year - could wipe the Republican Party off the Republican map?

I bet there's desperation in Republican offices as they look into the future. And just like the catastrophe in Iraq, there are "no good choices."

Under these circumstances, Republicans may conclude that impeaching Bush and Cheney is the only way to save the Republican Party - and themselves.

There's only one way to find out how desperate Republicans are to survive - begin impeachment proceedings!