Reince Priebus: 'You Don't Call For Impeachment Until You Have Evidence'

As President Barack Obama's administration continues to face the fallout from three separate political scandals, some conservatives have been quick to argue that presidential impeachment is a logical conclusion.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus urged restraint on Friday, however, telling Politico that Republicans should be careful not to jump the gun.

“We have to be persistent but patient,” he said. “I think where there’s smoke, there’s fire. If we present ourselves to the American people as intelligent, we’re going to be in a great place as far as showing that this administration is not transparent, is obsessed with power and hates dissent. But you don’t call for impeachment until you have evidence.”

This message comes too late for some on the right. While there has yet to be any clear evidence of Obama's direct involvement in any of the controversies, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee predicted earlier this month that questions over the administration's handling of last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya, would end with Obama's impeachment. He first made that suggestion as early as last September.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) have also claimed that Obama could face impeachment over the Benghazi issue. And on Thursday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) spoke more broadly, stating that her constituents have been encouraging her to mount an impeachment push almost every weekend.

Not all have been so eager. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) urged Republicans this week to "be calm and factual" when dealing with the scandals, admitting that the GOP "overreached in '98" when attempting to impeach former President Bill Clinton.