The White House on Friday doubled down on its talk that Republicans could try and impeach President Obama, hours after a top White House aide said they were taking these calls more seriously.
“I think there are some Republicans, including some Republicans running for office, hoping to get into office to impeach the president,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, which he described as “political sideshows.”
{mosads}Earnest was asked to identify who those Republicans are, and he only mentioned Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, but added there’s “no doubt” there are other voices also calling for impeachment.
Earnest also acknowledged that impeachment calls are being tied to fundraising.
White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer told reporters Friday that the White House is taking calls for impeachment more seriously.
A CNN poll released Friday, however, indicated nearly two-thirds of the public oppose calls for impeachment.
One reporter noted that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently rejected the idea of impeachment, but Earnest suggested anything can happen, noting Boehner’s promise not to shut down the government over healthcare, which wound up happening last October.
Congress is approaching a “pivotal week,” Earnest said, in which lawmakers could consider Obama’s $3.7 billion supplemental request to respond to the border crisis and proposals to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t seen action from House Republicans on that,” Earnest said.
Instead, House Republicans were busy being “giddy” Thursday about Boehner’s lawsuit challenging Obama’s executive authority advancing,” Earnest said.
The House Rules Committee voted along party lines to approve a resolution that would authorize the lawsuit. The House is expected to approve it next week.
Earnest suggested lawmakers spend the weekend speaking to their constituents about what really needs to be accomplished.
“House Republicans don’t have a clue about the priorities of the American people,” he said.