Dem says he won’t follow ‘Republican standard’ on impeachment after admitting obstruction is a ‘high crime’

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) isn't taking politics into account as he examines the evidence laid out by special counsel Robert Mueller on President Donald Trump.

Raskin, who is a Constitutional scholar, explained that the crimes outlined in the report are an outright attack on American democracy. He believes this is the reason Democrats must do what it takes to protect the rule of law.

"We shouldn't be afraid of any part of the Constitution," Raskin told MSNBC Sunday. "But we understand that impeachment is an extreme remedy for extraordinary circumstances when there are high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the president. There's no doubt that obstruction of justice is a high crime and misdemeanor. That's what Bill Clinton was impeached for. When he told a lie about having sex by the Republican-led Congress back in 1998, it's what Richard Nixon was charged with shortly before he resigned from office. So, obstruction is justice is in that territory."

He went on to say that he doesn't' think the Congress will decide on the impeachment based on what the GOP standard was for Clinton's.

"I think we understand that high crimes and misdemeanors in our constitutional system relate to offenses against democracy, the character of democracy," he continued. "And so we just need to see more. I bet you less than 2 percent of the American people read the Mueller report and we need to hear from witnesses to tell the story, so America understands and we also need to recontextualize this."

Republicans have alleged that Democrats must move on to pass laws instead of investigations. As a point of fact, Democrats have been able to do both since taking power in January. Several bills have made their way through Congress, but Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to vote on them.

Many Democrats are fearful that the Democratic Party will fall in the 2020 elections if Democrats choose to go the impeachment route. Given the Republicans are in charge of the investigation in the Senate, Democratic leaders must be thinking that the political cost could be too high for a Senate that will ultimately dismiss any findings on obstruction of justice.

Watch the interview below: