The Economy Takes A Back Seat

A worldwide financial crisis is spreading. But that is not the major focus of the executive or legislative branches of the U.S. government.

Dealing with that, trying to find solutions for it, figuring the best ways to cushion rank-and-file Americans from it, is not where the U.S Congress or the White House are centered.

They are centered on the possibility of removing this president from office because he had sex with a woman who was not his wife and lied about it. Republicans would add: Among other things. And perhaps they are justified in adding that.

At any rate, for better or for worse, the impeachment process is under way. It has been consuming Washington for some time now, and seems certain to continue consuming it for at least the rest of this year. And very likely well into next year.

The reasons are many and varied. But the leading cause, of course, is politics. There is an election next month. That is a huge consideration in all of this. And, of course, there is an election for president a little more than two years away. That also is a huge consideration.

Each side is jockeying furiously for partisan political advantage. That isn't all that is going on in this impeachment process. But, by any objective analysis, it would be foolish not to recognize that it is a very important consideration.

Censure? Rebuke? Impeachment and removal from office? Or, all of those. This is what Congress is now in the process of deciding. That - not the economy -Washington has made its top priority.

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