"Look for other ways to get attention": House Dems face new Trump impeachment blowup

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) is facing swift and intense anger from his Democratic colleagues after announcing plans to force a vote to impeach President Trump this week.Why it matters: This is a messaging headache the party did not need going into the House's last week in session before midterm Election Day, frustrated House Democrats told Axios."It's fucked up," said a senior House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid criticism of a fellow Democrat.Fumed a second lawmaker: "There's a reason why Al Green isn't coming back. This is exactly what people don't want. People want us focusing on affordability and AI, not on starting this futile impeachment game."Green said in an interview: "People are dying, and they are talking about strategy."Driving the news: Green said in a letter to Trump, which he cc'd to fellow members of Congress, that he will exercise his privilege to force a House impeachment vote "during the legislative business of September 14-17."He said the vote will be based on the killings of Renée Good, Alex Pretti, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by federal immigration officers."You are condoning, supporting, and covering up these unjustified killings. The American people deserve more from their leader," Green wrote to Trump.Between the lines: Green, who lost his primary to fellow Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) in May, has positioned himself as one of the president's most obdurate critics in Congress.He was escorted out of Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress last year and his State of the Union this year, both times for heckling.He mounted rogue efforts to impeach Trump in 2017, 2018, and twice last year, but all of his attempts were quashed in bipartisan procedural votes.What we're hearing: A third House Democrat vented that "Rep. Green appears to only be thinking about himself. Not about strategy. Not about building a coalition.""We need serious people in our caucus focused on the mission: flipping the House to end this national nightmare," the lawmaker said.A fourth House Democrat told Axios: "Sure, he will excite the non-strategic activist crowd. But why is he empowering Trump?" "Every time you swing and miss at the guy, his approval rating goes up. Look for other ways to get attention," they added.Between the lines: Others, including party leadership, are brushing the vote off as a distraction."Another day, another Al Green moment," a Democratic leadership source said.A fifth House Democrat told Axios: "Obviously, he is looking to keep his profile up. Don't think this fundamentally changes anything."The other side: "Where is the fight in the Democrats that are speaking anonymously? ... They don't have the courage to stand up and face me," Green told Axios."I would challenge any one of them or all of them to debate me." he added.Green also pushed back on the argument that his impeachment vote is pointless: "Rosa Parks didn't know she was going to win. In fact, Rosa Parks