Flashback: Impeach Ronald Reagan? - The Washington Post

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The media laugh at any attempt to compare President Trump to former President Ronald Reagan, but there are many similarities, not the least of which are the withering attacks both men endured before and after they sought the presidency.

The extraordinary assaults by media, celebrities and jealous politicians against Trump have been unending. Their attacks include questioning his mental health, repeatedly comparing him to Hitler, declaring him a fascist, insisting he’s a modern-day Manchurian candidate, that he’s a traitor (because Russians!), and on and on.

The striking thing about the nature of the attacks is that they’re all personal. They are accusations meant to instill in the listener a sense of danger, provoking an existential fear of the president of the United States.

Now why would someone want to do that? And what could possibly be the result of creating that toxic environment?

Reagan withstood similar vitriol by the same and usual suspects. The Sun newspaper quoted author Steven Hayward’s recollection of the rhetoric against Reagan: “Democratic Rep. William Clay of Missouri charged that Reagan was “trying to replace the Bill of Rights with fascist precepts lifted verbatim from Mein Kampf.”

Los Angeles Times cartoonist Paul Conrad drew a panel depicting Reagan plotting a fascist putsch in a darkened Munich beer hall. Harry Stein (later a conservative convert) wrote in Esquire that the voters who supported Reagan were like the “good Germans” in “Hitler’s Germany,” The Sun reported.

After being attacked relentlessly by fellow Republicans during the campaign, Hollywood making their condemnation known, and the media working overtime to demonize Reagan, it shouldn’t be surprising that, within 90 days of his taking the oath of office, the president was shot by a lunatic.

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Reagan was shot -because the MSM demonized him

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The striking thing about the nature of the attacks is that they’re all personal. They are accusations meant to instill in the listener a sense of danger, provoking an existential fear of the president of the United States.

Now why would someone want to do that? And what could possibly be the result of creating that toxic environment?

Reagan withstood similar vitriol by the same and usual suspects. The Sun newspaper quoted author Steven Hayward’s recollection of the rhetoric against Reagan: “Democratic Rep. William Clay of Missouri charged that Reagan was “trying to replace the Bill of Rights with fascist precepts lifted verbatim from Mein Kampf.”

Los Angeles Times cartoonist Paul Conrad drew a panel depicting Reagan plotting a fascist putsch in a darkened Munich beer hall. Harry Stein (later a conservative convert) wrote in Esquire that the voters who supported Reagan were like the “good Germans” in “Hitler’s Germany,” The Sun reported.

After being attacked relentlessly by fellow Republicans during the campaign, Hollywood making their condemnation known, and the media working overtime to demonize Reagan, it shouldn’t be surprising that, within 90 days of his taking the oath of office, the president was shot by a lunatic.

The now-freed John Hinckley believed murdering Reagan would impress actress Jodie Foster. “I will admit to you that the reason I’m going ahead with this attempt now is because I just cannot wait any longer to impress you,” the attempted assassin wrote to Foster.

“I’ve got to do something now to make you understand in no uncertain terms that I am doing all of this for your sake …. Jodie, I’m asking you to please look into your heart and at least give me the chance with this historical deed to gain your respect and love,” concluded the letter, written just hours before he went to the Washington Hilton, shooting the president and several others.

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And truth be told, Reagan should have been impeached over the Iran-Contra deal. Congress was afraid a second impeachment within 15 years of each other would damage the republic beyond repair.

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Can't really disagree. The Iran-Contra affair and subsequent fallout has resulted in Congress continually deferring more and more power to the executive branch. Bush 1 abused it, Clinton abused, Bush 2 abused it, Obama abused it,and now Trump is.

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And the fact that Congress largely does nothing 99.99% if the time, even when both houses are controlled by the same party.

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