--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz…" description: "\"“We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz aptly insisted. “A check on executive lawlessness is impeachment,” he said. “And if you find the president is wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_we-must-not-fear-the-word-rosenkranz-apt_610096.png" --- # We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz aptly insisted. “A… ![“We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz aptly insisted. “A check on executive lawlessness is impeachment,” he said. “And if you find the president is willfully and repeatedly violating the Constitution. . . . I think that would be a clear case for impeachment.”10” quote by Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_we-must-not-fear-the-word-rosenkranz-apt_610096.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_we-must-not-fear-the-word-rosenkranz-apt_610096.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_we-must-not-fear-the-word-rosenkranz-apt_610096.png) > ““We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz aptly insisted. “A check on executive lawlessness is impeachment,” he said. “And if you find the president is willfully and repeatedly violating the Constitution. . . . I think that would be a clear case for impeachment.”10”” [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Impeachment is a constitutional tool to check presidential abuse of power. **In simple terms:** Impeachment checks a president who breaks the Constitution. Key Takeaway Support constitutional accountability. Themes law government accountability constitutional checks Mood serious concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - political debate - media analysis - civic education Key Concepts separation of powers rule of law Questions to Reflect On - When is impeachment justified? - How can we prevent partisan misuse? A Different Perspective Impeachment is politically charged and may be misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Impeachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) ## Related quotes > [“The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them, the political case for impeachment cannot be built. The primary question, however, is whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vital-without-them-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [Every time I've talked about impeachment, I've said we've got to connect the dots, we've got to get the facts, we've got to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/every-time-i-ve-talked-about-impeachment-i-ve-said-we-ve-got-to/) [Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/) > [“Unlike the simple majority vote required for the House to approve articles of impeachment, a conviction by a two-thirds supermajority of the Senate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/unlike-the-simple-majority-vote-required-for-the-house-to-approve/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. There is no public will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/passing-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-obama-in-the-house/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“The two impeachment articles charged President Clinton with perjury and obstruction of justice.16 The charges satisfied the “high crimes and misdemeanors” threshold, for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-two-impeachment-articles-charged-president-clinton-with-perjury/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were adamant that impeachment not reach to errors of judgment, or what Edmund Randolph described as “a willful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-delegates-to-the-constitutional-convention-were-adamant-that/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [The only conduct that merits the drastic remedy of impeachment is that which subverts our system of government or renders the president unfit or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ruff/the-only-conduct-that-merits-the-drastic-remedy-of-impeachment-is/) Charles Ruff > [You go out and obtain from your political allies and friends in the academic world to sign a letter saying that the offenses as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ruff/you-go-out-and-obtain-from-your-political-allies-and-friends-in-the/) Charles Ruff > [I have said it before and I will say it again: Impeachment is off the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/i-have-said-it-before-and-i-will-say-it-again-impeachment-is-off-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Impeachment did not have to be for criminal offenses - but only for a course of conduct' that suggested an abuse of power or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/impeachment-did-not-have-to-be-for-criminal-offenses-but-only-for-a/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If a politician takes a bribe to do what he thinks would have been best for the public anyway, he still goes to jail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-t-conway-iii/if-a-politician-takes-a-bribe-to-do-what-he-thinks-would-have-been/) [George T. Conway III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-t-conway-iii/) > [An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/an-impeachable-offense-is-whatever-a-majority-of-the-house-of/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [If the president does something dastardly, the impeachment process is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/if-the-president-does-something-dastardly-the-impeachment-process-is/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [Impeachment is one of the most significant and arduous authorities of the United States Congress, a power I do not take lightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/impeachment-is-one-of-the-most-significant-and-arduous-authorities-of/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-genius-of-impeachment-lay-in-the-fact-that-it-could-punish-the/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) ## More by Andrew McCarthy > [“As was easily foreseeable, the unprovoked military adventure empowered anti-American terrorists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/as-was-easily-foreseeable-the-unprovoked-military-adventure-empowered/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Republicans, as well as Democrats committed to our constitutional framework, should fearlessly marshal the administration’s frauds, obstructions, and violations of law. They should demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/republicans-as-well-as-democrats-committed-to-our-constitutional/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“In addition to involving the nation in an unauthorized war in Libya that empowered jihadist enemies of the United States, he and his subordinates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/in-addition-to-involving-the-nation-in-an-unauthorized-war-in-libya/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“The president and his subordinates willfully defrauded the American people, including investors in the public securities exchanges, in connection with Solyndra, a solar energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-president-and-his-subordinates-willfully-defrauded-the-american/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Rouhani triumphantly boasted in a tweet that the United States had “surrendered to Iranian nation’s will,” while the regime’s chief negotiator bragged that Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/rouhani-triumphantly-boasted-in-a-tweet-that-the-united-states-had/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. There is no public will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/passing-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-obama-in-the-house/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“He and his subordinates have issued a visa to a self-proclaimed member of a formally designated Egyptian terrorist organization in order to enable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/he-and-his-subordinates-have-issued-a-visa-to-a-self-proclaimed/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Willful and repeated violation of the Constitution is the textbook example of high crimes and misdemeanors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/willful-and-repeated-violation-of-the-constitution-is-the-textbook/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Congressional Democrats want the current president to use the enormous raw power vested in his office by Article II to achieve statist transformation. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/congressional-democrats-want-the-current-president-to-use-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“With the November election looming and the president’s campaign rhetoric about decimating al-Qaeda becoming laughable, the White House endeavored to defraud the American people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/with-the-november-election-looming-and-the-president-s-campaign/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“He and his subordinates have repeatedly, systematically and willfully withheld from Congress and from the American people information to which they are entitled, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/he-and-his-subordinates-have-repeatedly-systematically-and-willfully/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Despite being briefed about the ongoing terrorist attack at the Benghazi facility very soon after it began, the president took no meaningful action as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/despite-being-briefed-about-the-ongoing-terrorist-attack-at-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [The idea that we cause harm by doing what we perceive to be the right thing, that's another theme that interests me. Because most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-idea-that-we-cause-harm-by-doing-what-we-perceive-to-be-the-right/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [It's embarrassing, isn't it? It took me 15 years to make an 18-minute movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/it-s-embarrassing-isn-t-it-it-took-me-15-years-to-make-an-18-minute/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“As a federal district court in Texas recently ruled, federal law “mandates the initiation of immigration removal proceedings whenever an immigration officer encounters an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/as-a-federal-district-court-in-texas-recently-ruled-federal-law/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) [Explore all 115 Andrew McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) ## More Impeachment quotes > [The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-genius-of-impeachment-lay-in-the-fact-that-it-could-punish-the/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [I, of course, predicted attempt of Donald Trump impeachment back on November 22nd of 2016 year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-of-course-predicted-attempt-of-donald-trump-impeachment-back-on/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Impeachment is one of the most significant and arduous authorities of the United States Congress, a power I do not take lightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/impeachment-is-one-of-the-most-significant-and-arduous-authorities-of/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [This impeachment narrative started before President Trump was even nominated to the Repub - as the Republican candidate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dagen-mcdowell/this-impeachment-narrative-started-before-president-trump-was-even/) [Dagen McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dagen-mcdowell/) > [Hillary Clinton, our junior senator from New York, announced that she has no intentions of ever, ever running for office of the President of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/hillary-clinton-our-junior-senator-from-new-york-announced-that-she/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [I think that in the minds of many, the press is being seen less and less as a neutral observer in the impeachment enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-that-in-the-minds-of-many-the-press-is-being-seen-less-and/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [To be clear, impeachment is above all else a political act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/to-be-clear-impeachment-is-above-all-else-a-political-act/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [Every time there's an institutional issue like impeachment, there's concern from the outside about what will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-temer/every-time-there-s-an-institutional-issue-like-impeachment-there-s/) [Michel Temer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-temer/) > [How to check these unconstitutional invasions of rights by the Federal judiciary? Not by impeachment in the first instance, but by a strong protestation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/how-to-check-these-unconstitutional-invasions-of-rights-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If the president does something dastardly, the impeachment process is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/if-the-president-does-something-dastardly-the-impeachment-process-is/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. There is no public will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/passing-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-obama-in-the-house/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [I salute the 51 congressmen who voted (for the impeachment complaints.) It's not over yet. There will always be hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corazon-aquino/i-salute-the-51-congressmen-who-voted-for-the-impeachment-complaints/) [Corazon Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corazon-aquino/) > [“So many of the professional foreign policy establishment, and so many of their hangers-on among the lumpen academics and journalists, had become worried by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-many-of-the-professional-foreign-policy-establishment-and-so-many/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/an-impeachable-offense-is-whatever-a-majority-of-the-house-of/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Maybe Trump himself will be voted out through impeachment, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/maybe-trump-himself-will-be-voted-out-through-impeachment-right/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) [Browse all 124 Impeachment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz aptly insisted. “A check on executive lawlessness is impeachment,” he said. “And if you find the president is willfully and repeatedly violating the Constitution. . . . 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