GOP lawmaker: Impeachment just a ‘Democratic fantasy’

A senior Republican is calling impeachment a “Democratic fantasy” and says he doesn’t believe the House would try to remove President Obama from office.

“No impeachment legislation is pending, none has been proposed. I know of no one who favors that as a course that’s in any leadership position,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a close ally of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), in an interview on MSNBC Wednesday.

{mosads}“So again, I think this is a Democratic fantasy, and I certainly don’t see it coming to pass.”

A handful of Republican lawmakers, have floated impeaching the president, in particular if he uses executive action on immigration.

GOP leaders have warned Obama they would not act on comprehensive immigration reform if he acts unilaterally. The president, though, has said he has no choice but to act if Congress does not pass an immigration bill by year’s end.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said this week that impeachment “would be a consideration” if Obama moves forward alone on immigration.

Democrats seized on talk of impeachment to rally their supporters and fundraise during the midterm election cycle. But senior Republicans, including Boehner, have dismissed the talk, insisting there are no plans to impeach Obama.

On Tuesday, Rep. James Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) said that Republicans would file articles of impeachment to put an “asterisk next to [the president’s] name.”

While the House can produce articles of impeachment against a president, he or she must be convicted by two-thirds of the Senate.

Republicans continue to express worry over Obama’s use of his executive authority.

Late Tuesday, the president also cut a deal with China to limit greenhouse gas emissions to lower the effects of climate change. Cole said House Republicans have concerns about the agreement.

“Well, I think they’ll be a little worried that the deal evidently is not going to go before the Congress of the United States for approval, but without seeing the specifics it hard to say beyond that,” he said.

“They’re always a little worried when the executive branch basically bypasses the legislature, gets agreements with foreign countries and doesn’t put them before the Senate the way they should.”