Republicans Float ‘Impeachment Lite’ Option

Republicans are backing off suggestions they might impeach President Obama over his executive action on immigration but have floated the idea of censuring him instead, TPM reports.

Said Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID): “I think we should censure the president of the United States. I think it’s unfortunate that he did this, I think we need to lay out clearly why this is unlawful.”

“The censure strategy has much of the bombast of impeachment — a formal vehicle for Republicans to vent their disapproval of Obama, and throw red meat to the conservative base — without the risks of a politically nuclear confrontation that could backfire on them… But there’s one big problem with this plan: censuring the president might be unconstitutional. Or at least, any censure resolution that would meaningfully punish the president risks violating the Constitution, legal experts say.”