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- Nov 5, 2010
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I think you have to keep in mind the differences between impeached and removed. You can be impeached, but remain in office.
Impeachment is not a separate thing from removal. It is the first step in the process of removal (which, as you noted, might not succeed).
The whole point and motive of impeachment (whether the attempt is successful or not) is to remove someone from office because that person is ostensibly unfit to remain in office. (Otherwise, "impeachment" is just a fancy synonym for "censure".)
If you say "I believe there are adequate grounds to impeach Smith", then you are necessarily implying "I believe there are adequate grounds to remove Smith from office" - because that is what "impeachment" means.
If one thinks there are grounds sufficient to remove Smith from office (i.e., if one thinks there are grounds sufficient to impeach him), then how can one think there are not also grounds sufficient to exclude him from ballots (or vice versa)?
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