RE: I'm interested in your response to this one ti Again .. that's what I said ... you need a legal proceeding in order to impeach an official.
To impeach someone requires first a majority vote in the House of Representatives simply to be allowed to bring allegations forward. That's the easy part. President Clinton was impeached.
Next ... a conviction proceding (which is a trial) must be held where a 2/3 vote must be obtained in the Senate. Less than 2/3 votes went against Clinton so he was not convicted and stayed in office. (but Clinton was still impeached).
Therefore the president cannot just fire Bernanke. A case needs to be built up and presented to congress during the legal impeachment and conviction proceedings.
I highly doubt the impeachment would be done as Bernanke is a popular fed chair and it would show a big abuse of power to impeach someone who has not broken the law. But ... if they did happen to impeach him ... I have absolutely no doubt that they would not get a 2/3rds majority.
But first things first ... they have to build a case that does not break legal precident set by the supreme court that would satisfy the criteria to impeach someone. I could only imagine the uproar over Bernanke being brought to trial. lol.
So you're worried that Republicans would get control of the Presidency, The House of Reps and 2/3's of the Senate? I guess anything is possible.
And even then, Some republican's don't vote with the party necessarily, so it's probably more than 2/3's needed in the Senate.
The Clinton trial was more cut and dry a case than anything that could bring against Bernanke.