Jeff Webb Calls Out Democrat Reps. Craig and Peterson: ‘Vote No on the Contrived Articles of Impeachment’

Jeff Webb, chairman of the New American Populist, called out 46 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives – including Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-02) and Collin Peterson (D-MN-07) – to vote against the “contrived Articles of Impeachment” against President Donald Trump on Monday.

“The entire impeachment charade comes down to nothing more than left-wing Members of Congress disagreeing with the President.  If it becomes a ‘high crime and misdemeanor’ just to disagree, then as a country we are in much deeper trouble than anyone knows,” Webb said in a statement released on the organization’s website.

“Across America there are literally thousands of issues that need to be addressed.  Whether it is the raid on American industry by foreign nations using unfair trade practices, or the crumbling infrastructure, or the real problem we face in our schools and universities of rank bias being presented as so-called ‘fact’, there is more than enough work for Congress to do to make the lives of the American people better and more secure.  Wasting time and energy on a politically motivated series of vague, unsubstantiated charges is, in our view, a violation of the Congressional Oath of Office.”

Thirty-one of the Democrats called out by Webb represent Congressional districts President Trump won in 2016. Fifteen are Democrats from districts that Hillary Clinton won, but where the incumbent Democrats are considered vulnerable in 2020. Six of this latter group represent districts in California, while four, including former HUD Secretary and Clinton Foundation President Donna Shalala and former Republican Governor turned Democrat Charlie Crist, are from Florida.

“These members have a rare opportunity to actually stand up to the howling special interests and side with the American People by voting NO on the contrived Articles of Impeachment,” Webb said.

“What they do now will define them for the rest of their  life; will they be remembered as someone who stood for the rule of law and defense of the institutions of our government; or, will she forever be marked by a frivolous and political gaming-playing stance. The final verdict will be determined by the people of their Congressional Districts.”

Voters in Craig’s 2nd congressional district supported President Trump’s bid for the White House by a slim 1.27 percentage points, while Peterson’s 7th congressional district electorate chose the Republican outsider by a whopping 30.8 percentage point margin.

Webb is a highly successful businessman and entrepreneur, as his biography on the New American Populist (TNAP) website notes:

Jeff Webb is the founder of Varsity Brands, a company he built from startup to annual revenues approaching two billion dollars. Employing over 8,000 people in all 50 states, Varsity Brands has achieved year-over-year growth in sales and profits for 43 out of 44 years. Through his fierce entrepreneurial spirit, leadership and vision, Webb founded Varsity Brands beginning with a small training camp for high school and college cheerleaders and turned the company into a multi-billion dollar school spirit industry. By creating and implementing a model where all high school and college sports, and extracurricular activities, exist in synchronicity to positively impact tens of millions of students each year, Varsity is the undisputed leader in the extra-curricular space.

In his Tennessee apartment with only $85,000 in startup capital raised from family and friends, Webb set up in 1974 the first world headquarters of what would later become Varsity Brands. Through a series of strategically located summer cheer training camps employing top college students from around the country, he set out to deliver his leadership curriculum that would eventually revolutionize an important segment of the high school experience and make a positive contribution to America’s schools and their surrounding communities.

The New American Populist promotes national sovereignty and policies that promote and defend America’s middle class.

The 46 Democrats include the following (those representing districts won by President Trump in 2016 are highlighted in bold):

• U.S. Rep. Ann Leila Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-02)
• U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01)
• U.S. Rep. Katherine Moore Porter (D-CA-45)
• U.S. Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-10)
• U.S. Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA-21)
• U.S. Rep. Gilbert Cisneros Jr. (D-CA-39)
• U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda (D-CA-48)
• U.S. Mike Levin (D-CA-49)
• U.S. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO-06)
• U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-07)
• U.S. Debbie Powell (D-FL-26)
• U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL-27)
• U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL-13)
• U.S. Rep. Lucia McBath (R-GA-06)
• U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14)
• U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)
• U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA-01)
• U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA-03)
• U.S. Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA-02)
• U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME-02)
• U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08)
• U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11)
• U.S. Rep. Angela Craig (D-MN-02)
• U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN-07)
• U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-03)
• U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-01)
• U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11)
• U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ-02)
• U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ-03)
• U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05)
• U.S. Rep. Tom Mailinowski (D-NJ-07)
• U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres-Smalls (D-NM-02)
• U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-NY-11)
• U.S. Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY-18)
• U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19)
• U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY-22)
• U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK-05)
• U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA-07)
• U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08)
• U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA-17)
• U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC-01)
• U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams (R-UT-04)
• U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA-02
• U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07)
• Kim Schrier (D-WA-08)
• U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-03)

The House Judiciary Committee conducted further hearings on Monday, which were marked, once again, by controversy and partisan disagreement.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) last week called for a vote on the Articles of Impeachment.

It is not clear when – or even if – the impeachment vote will be held on the floor of the House, but many Washington pundits expect such a vote some time before the Christmas break.

At present, there are 233 Democrats, 197 Republicans, one Independent, and four vacancies in the House of Representatives.

The magic number to secure the majority needed to impeach the president is 216 “yes” votes.  One Democrat on the TNAP list of 46, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) has already said he will vote against impeachment, barring any major new development. There have been rumors that other Democrats on this list are reluctant to vote “yes” for impeachment, but so far, no additional announcements have been made.

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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].