It is true that under the framework that we are using, there is another view: It is not impeachable to use official power to cover up an action that is not itself impeachable. Suppose that the president committed some clearly nonimpeachable offense—say, tax evasion, speeding, occasional use of recreational drugs. Suppose that he used the apparatus of the federal government to reduce the likelihood that anyone would find out about it. By analogy to the failure to respond to a subpoena, it could be urged that there has been no high crime or misdemeanor. But the analogy probably fails.
