From Infidel753:
Pelosi’s declaration of an impeachment inquiry is a good move both practically and politically. On the practical side, it will broaden the House Democrats’ legal powers to investigate Trump — which is why I’ve always supported it. On the political side, it should, at least for a while, take some of the pressure off of House Democrats to proceed to an actual impeachment.
For anyone not familiar with my objections to an impeachment, here’s a summary:
(a) Impeachment can’t remove Trump from office. Removal would take at least 20 Republican votes in the Senate, which isn’t going to happen because Senate Republicans are afraid to anger Trumpanzees whose votes they depend on for re-election.
(b) After “acquittal” by the Senate, Trump would bleat endlessly that he had been exonerated and that all the accusations against him had been exposed as fake news, a dastardly Democratic plot, etc. This would sound plausible to millions of swing voters who don’t pay close attention to politics. Thus an impeachment would probably make Trump’s re-election more likely.
(c) Impeachment would threaten our House majority. Many House Democrats represent purplish districts in which a vote to impeach would be a definite liability next year. Impeachment is generally unpopular with the voters — including with many Democrats and independents, not just Republicans.
It’s clearly (c) which has loomed largest in Pelosi’s resistance to impeachment. She’s been accused of doing the politically expedient thing rather than the right thing, but keeping that Senate majority is important. A lot of lives will be ruined or lost if Republicans recover full control of the government.