In the original Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Obi-Wan Kenobi find the Millennium Falcon under fire from Imperial TIE fighters in deep outer space.
asserted
Falcon → find → space
Luke speculates that the TIE fighters are "heading for that small moon.
asserted
fighters → speculate → moon
But Obi-Wan’s visage grows grim.
asserted
visage → grow → ?
"That’s no moon," intones Obi-Wan.
asserted
Wan → ’ → ?
"It’s a space station."
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Han Solo disagrees.
asserted
Solo → disagree → ?
"It’s too big to be a space station," says Han.
asserted
Han → ’ → ?
To which, Obi-Wan instructs him, "Turn the ship around."
asserted
Wan → instruct → ship
But as quickly as he dismissed Kenobi’s observation, Solo pivots.
asserted
Solo → dismiss → observation
He grimaces, realizing that the wise Jedi Knight is on to something.
asserted
Knight → grimace → something
I think you’re right," Han replies.
asserted
Han → think → ?
The Millennium Falcon starts to shake.
asserted
Falcon → start → ?
"Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power," Han commands his shipmate.
asserted
Han → lock → shipmate
"Why are we still moving towards it?" squeaks Luke.
asserted
Luke → move → it
"We’re caught in a tractor beam and it’s pulling us in!" shouts Han.
asserted
Han → catch → us
And a few moments later, the Millenium Falcon, the fastest ship in the galaxy, is suctioned into Bay 327 of the Death Star, moored, and unable to escape.
asserted
Falcon → suction → Star
The band of ragtag heroes are now stuck.
asserted
band → stick → heroes
Grand Moff Tarkin describes it as "the ultimate power in the universe."
asserted
Tarkin → describe → universe
You can’t escape once you’re in its clenches.
asserted
you → escape → clenches
A decision to impeach sucks a political party in, eventually marooning everyone in the political equivalent of a hangar bay.
asserted
decision → impeach → bay
For Democrats, they can’t focus on the price of eggs and milk.
asserted
they → focus → eggs
It’s a challenge to even address oversight issues.
asserted
It → ’ → issues
You can try to "lock in the auxiliary power."
asserted
You → try → power
But it’s too late.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
You might think impeachment is "a moon."
uncertain
impeachment → think → ?
But it’s really the political Death Star.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Democrats might find themselves in an impeachment bind if they capture the majority next year.
uncertain
they → find → majority
Progressives and the left will possess one of the loudest voices in Congress.
asserted
Progressives → possess → Congress
And even though Democrats twice impeached President Trump in 2019 and 2021, some will insist on doing it again.
asserted
some → impeach → it
That’s to say nothing of trying to impeach a host of Trump Administration cabinet officials – ranging from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Some Democrats are already falling prey to the impeachment tractor beam.
asserted
Democrats → say → beam
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, led the initial effort to impeach President Trump during his first term in 2017 – long before the successful impeachment over Ukraine in 2019.
asserted
Green → lead → 2019
Republican redistricting – engineered by President Trump forced Green out of his Houston-based district earlier this year.
asserted
redistricting → engineer → district
But Green engineered yet another effort to impeach the President last week as the Texas Democrat heads for the exit.
asserted
Democrat → engineer → exit
The House voted to sidestep Green’s impeachment resolution, 232-147.
asserted
House → vote → resolution
It was one step removed.
asserted
It → remove → ?
Forty-seven Democrats voted "present."
asserted
Democrats → vote → ?
That includes the party’s top three Democrats: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
In some respects, House Democratic leaders want to shun impeachment.
asserted
leaders → include → impeachment
In 2006, Democrats were on the precipice of flipping control of the House.
asserted
Democrats → flip → House
Democrats largely won the midterms that year because of voter fatigue with President George W. Bush and the calcification of the war in Iraq.
asserted
Democrats → win → Iraq
Many Democrats wanted to impeach the President.
asserted
Democrats → want → President
…and 50 more, not listed.
The Aporia
