Laurence Tribe, professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, joins the impeachment crowd:
Despite Attorney General William Barr’s assurances and President Donald Trump’s boasts, the Mueller report doesn’t come close to exonerating the president of
wrongdoing. Instead, it invites Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings. It’s time for Congress to heed that invitation….
I have written previously about the dangers of impeachment talk. The consequential and divisive decision to impeach is not to be taken lightly, ought not be used as a tool of political convenience, and should be avoided until the dangers of holding back exceed the dangers of proceeding. With the arrival of Mueller’s damning report, however, the time has now come.
Although I sympathize with Tribe's sentiments, time is instead running out. 2020 would be upon us before the House Judiciary Committee could conclude its hearings, with no guarantee of a full House-vote referral. Pro-impeachment Democrats would face the wrath of an anti-impeachment speaker (who would probably prevent a floor vote from ever taking place anyway), plus the last thing the Democratic Party's presidential candidates wish to discuss is impeachment. That debate would dominate the 2020 presidential race, when voters would rather hear about health care and the economy.
Idealistically, impeachment might be just the ticket. Pragmatically, it would be politically disastrous for Democrats.