EL SEGUNDO HERALD November 23, 2017 Page 11 Ingredients • 2 pie crusts, prepared • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 2 tablespoons cherry juice, reserved from pitting (fresh) or from rinsing/ rehydrating (preserved) • 7 cups (pitted) sweet cherries • 3/4 - 1 cup coconut sugar • 1 tablespoon almond extract or bourbon-vanilla bean infusion Politically Speaking One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion Democrats Must Wait For Mueller Findings Before Move to Impeach By Cristian Vasquez Last week a group of five House Democrats announced that they signed a resolution introducing five articles of impeachment against the President. In the eyes of these five lawmakers, President Trump has obstructed justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey, is in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause since he continues to profit from his businesses, and is undermining the federal judges as well as freedom of the press. Despite the seriousness of these accusations, these Congressmen need to step back and wait for Robert Mueller’s investigation to bring forth the evidence, if it exists, that can lead to impeachment. Jumping ahead with the request to begin impeachment hearings is feeding into the notion that this is no more than a witch hunt against President Trump. It makes sense that Democratic lawmakers, or anyone with the ability to recognize that President Trump is the most unqualified person to ever fill that officer, want the man gone. So far there isn’t enough tangible evidence to begin an impeachment process. Mueller’s recent indictment of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his former foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos proves that people who surround the President have been engaged in some sort of illegal activities. However, there is still no direct proof that the President knew, ordered or was directly involved with any wrongdoing. We all have an opinion and can speculate for months about whether to, or even how to, remove the President from office--but if it were as easy as making a list and presenting it for a congressional impeachment hearing, then every president serving would be impeached just as a political tool for distraction. Even Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Ten), who is among the five lawmakers signing the resolution for impeachment, has accepted that there is no expectation from the House Judiciary Committee to host impeachment hearings. Cohen went on to promise to host briefings with “experts” in order to showcase what he considers to be President Trump’s impeachable crimes. Despite knowing that hearings will likely not take place, these five lawmakers are moving forward--and that makes it hard not to get frustrated with this whole spectacle. By definition, impeachment is the removal from office of the President, Vice President and all civil officers for treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors. So far, none of the five lawmakers have presented evidence to support any of the above mentioned. So why waste everybody’s time? Rather than obsess and rush into getting rid of Trump via impeachment, Democrats should focus on how to fix the mess the man is causing and remove him from office during the next election, if he makes it that far. They should work on developing a platform that Americans can support and finding a candidate who can deliver as leader of this nation. In the meantime, let Mueller keep digging. He’s going to find something that if not worthy of impeachment, should at least be enough for a failed reelection bid. • The Column Gains Another Fan! That Makes How Many Now? By Duane Plank No need for those Al Franken for President bumper-stickers, eh? Happy Thanksgiving week to all--especially those in local school districts who now take the entire week off- -because a lot of you parents called in sick for your kiddos when they only had two days off (back in the day) to celebrate Thanksgiving… and waste time rampaging over and trampling other human beings on the gloaming of Black Friday while trying to get a discount on nebulous electronics, which you probably already own, from the big-box store. So, if you faithfully read this diatribe--and I know multitudes do--and peruse the Letters section of this paper, you may see that slings and arrows have been sent Plank’s way. All fair. This is an opinion column, not a tome penned after months of research that is backed by fact-checkers. And I encourage your feedback, no matter how misguided it may be. So, it was nice to receive an email from one of the sterling employees of Herald Publications, saying that she had received a call from a reader lauding the AMO column of two weeks ago that lampooned the idiotic idea of biking to work. I gave the fan a call and she was a delight. And not just because she liked my scribblings. She wondered if the lib pols in Sacramento, allegedly worried about global warming and saving the planet, rode their bikes to work like they promulgated. She wondered how, with all the harassment accusations now running rampant in the armpit of Sacramento, these philandering politicians would squire their young bimbos around on their bikes. I mentioned to her that my viewpoints tend to evolve from the right. She, an obviously savvy woman, said, “You aren’t ‘right’--you are correct.” Win some, lose some. Meanwhile, the beat goes on in the swamp of Washington, D.C. President Trump has returned from his out-of-country sojourn, which included some odd-looking photos during his trip, which the lefty LA Times gleefully posted. They encapsulated his pudginess and total lack of social graces. But at least he secured the release of three criminals--deadbeats who were slated to play with the UCLA basketball team, which is important. College basketball, right? Who allegedly…nah, heck with the allegedly… stole stuff in China. Might as well write my thoughts, eh? But at least I provide a good read. Don’t deny that, haters. So, the lib clown Franken, one of the harshest critics of Mr. Trump during the past year, was caught acting like a total jerk, attempting to grope (or maybe did grope) a sleeping woman. Perfect. And there is also the Roy Moore deal down in Alabama. Difference there? In Moore’s case--and I believe he was harassing, at the least, an underage girl--there are no pics out there. He should quit the senatorial race in Neck-a-Bama. Franken? His call, I guess. But I believe his actions kind of stalled his run to the presidency, so help me, Bill Clinton. • Northwest Sweet Cherry Pie Recipe content provided by BPT Preparation 1. Using a fork, whisk together the cherry water and cornstarch in a small bowl, then set aside. 2. Stem and pit the cherries, if not already done. 3. Fill pie dish with cherries and blend the remaining volume (about 2 cups or 1/4 the total volume) into a puree. Pour the remaining whole cherries into a mixing bowl and return to the refrigerator (if using frozen cherries). 4. Using a heavy-bottomed pan, gently heat the puree and sugar over low heat until the volume has reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Constantly stir across the bottom to prevent burning. 5. Once reduced, remove from the heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry until the mix regains translucency. Gently and briefly reheat if needed. Stir in the extract and let the mixture cool to room temperature. 6. Pour the cooled mixture over the whole cherries, gently stirring to incorporate. Pour the final cherry mixture into a 9- or 10-inch prepared pie crust, and top with a second crust. Pinch, crimp and vent the top crust. Brush with a beaten egg if so desired and sprinkle lightly with coconut sugar. 7. Bake at 375 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is steadily bubbling. Aluminum foil may be used around the crust edges to prevent browning during the second half of the bake. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack, and most importantly, allow the pie to cool completely before serving (3-4 hours).
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