But all of those former presidents had something in common. Once they left office, they were pretty much left alone. They and their families were free to live their lives as peacefully as is possible for ex-presidents and their kinfolks.
That certainly isn't the case with Donald Trump. He hasn't been able to enjoy his post-presidency pursuits. His detractors have come after him with all sorts of investigations. And since Trump is neither a liberal Democrat nor an establishment swamp-dwelling Republican, he's angered both sides.
On everything from his company's employment benefits to outrageous allegations that he orchestrated a riot through the mere act of giving a political speech, he hasn't seen a minute's peace since leaving office. He's been unable to pursue his interests, be they running his corporation to campaigning for his preferred candidates, without having to deal with speculation about what legal troubles might be coming his way.
Democrats are like rats smelling cheese. They can't contain themselves at the thoughts of investigating Trump, putting him and his organization and his children on trial, and taking their revenge on him. But they really need to ask themselves if this is a precedent they want to set. It could come back to bite them.
There's a fervor in Congress now surrounding proposals for the Senate to end the filibuster. Only a handful of long-term thinkers on that side of the aisle are urging Democrats to proceed with caution. If Republicans take back control of both chambers next year, which is very likely, do they want to have established that protocol to allow the GOP to ram through any legislation it wants with simple majority votes? Sure, they will still have the presidency for two more years and legislation can be vetoed, but other acts -- such as launching investigations, holding hearings, etc. -- wouldn't be subject to a veto.
But, there are more ramifications to consider. Republicans are notorious for staying above the fray in political disputes and not stooping to the left's tactics. Maybe, finally, they will have had enough and will use liberals' precedents against them.
When the GOP takes back control of Congress, there can be all sorts of hearings about various misdeeds within the Biden administration. Republicans might even find the courage to impeach Biden for something; possibly even over his actions in compelling the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor when he was vice president. And by January 2023, when the next Congress takes office, Joe Biden will have an entire litany of screwups from which to choose. After all, the Democrats impeached Trump twice on absolutely ridiculous terms and for totally flimsy reasons.
And when the Republicans regain the White House, perhaps the Justice Department can launch a proper investigation into Hunter Biden and his questionable business activities.
(Speaking of Biden's wayward son, a lot of liberals on Twitter -- including blue-checks who should know better -- continue to post speculation that Donald Trump Jr. is a cocaine user without any proof or credible allegations. Who was it who was photographed with a crack pipe? Oh, wait, it was Hunter Biden.)
It's a feel-good point for conservatives to say they aren't willing to engage in activities that they think are beneath them, but when their enemies are scraping the bottom of the barrel in their grievance efforts, it's time for us to take off the gloves. If the left is going to set the rules, it's time the right play by those rules. Just doing that infuriates liberals. After all, they told us in 1992 and again in 1996 that sexual misbehavior in a presidential candidate is not a disqualifying factor, but they forgot in 2016 when the less-than-pure Trump was running.
So, if the Democrats succeed in doing away with the Senate's filibuster rule, they will have no room to moan and cry if the Republicans ram through legislation the next time they're in control of Congress. And if liberals insist on investigating and pursuing criminal charges against Trump and his relatives and associates, they'll just have to sit silently when it happens to Biden.
This is the world liberals want to create. It's only fair that they be forced to live in it too.
