McConnell Gave Democrats A Sword
Richard Nixon famously said " I gave them a sword" , indicating his own impeachable behavior made it possible for him to be forced from office.
Mitch McConnell has given the Democrats a sword too, albeit it in a little bit different context. When McConnell said that he was co-ordinating the Trump impeachment trial in the Senate with the White House he opened the door for the Democrats to take a different approach than originally planned. Pelosi is now justified if she chooses to never send the articles of impeachment to the upper chamber. And there will be an opportunity to use the lack of a "fair trial" in the Senate as the reason.
There is a limited amount of gain for anti-Trump forces in having a Senate trial. Ouster requires 66 votes, and that seems highly unlikely with Republicans bowing in fealty to the president*. By not sending the articles to McConnell and the GOP majority, the Democrats can reserve the issue for repeated use. It can also strategically present information related to Trump misdeeds over the course of weeks and months. This strategy will be justifiably available as long as McConnell insists on having a trial pre-determined favorable to Trump . Obviously saying that the impeachment trial is being co-ordinated with the defendant indicates an unfair proceeding.
This is what Trump is facing - he has been impeached. His political allies have vowed to rig the pending trial. He will be vilified by history not only for his impeachable conduct, but also for the fact that he demanded the trial be rigged. If Pelosi does not send the articles to the Senate and that is where it stands, Trump will also be vilified by history for tampering with the constitutional process. And there will be nothing he can do about it.
According to Trump HE is the victim, but the only people who believe that are his followers, and as we know they are a distinct minority of Americans.
Again, the Democrats can not only claim the the Senate trial will be rigged for Trump, they can essentially prove it.
"Exactly how we go forward, I'm going to coordinate with the president's lawyers"
Mitch McConnell
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The Democrats should seriously consider keeping the articles of impeachment against Trump in suspension until the Senate and the White House agree to have House chosen witnesses. But there is also an argument for keeping them in the House no matter what, and using the issue to attack Trump down the line.
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Another plus to this strategy is that it will drive Trump nuts.
Only in your mind - 24/7/365 - enjoy John.
Sorry, the Dems already fell on their swords in the House with their farce closed door investigation, with selective leaking, and Democrat only approved witnesses.
The Republicans are in charge of the Senate and are giving the Dems far more respect. McConnell should have told Schumer to fuck off, instead of talking to him. Schumer doesn't get to write the rules for the Senate trial; nor does queen Pelosi. She can sit on the two indictments; of course once they expire at the end of 2020 the Dems will be SOL. No impeachment of Trump even in the House; and she didn't complete the process.
Maybe the Dems in the House should have conducted an open investigation, found actual evidence, and made specific charges. Then they wouldn't look like the desperate partisan hacks that have been trying to impeach Trump since before he took office.
I know, I know, but Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!! Don't worry, Biden wins the presidency he can be impeached before he takes office. The left will have their most fervent wish come true; except it will be their nightmare.
Democrats may have a sword but, it appears, Republicans have reason to fight. Nancy Pelosi's demand for 'fairness' isn't about Trump any longer.
"When McConnell said that he was co-ordinating the Trump impeachment trial in the Senate with the White House he opened the door for the Democrats to take a different approach than originally planned."
Schumer already said that it was okay to consult with the White House....until it's now not.
Where in that clip does he say something to the effect of "Exactly how we go forward, I'm going to coordinate with the president's lawyers" ?
Really ?
Democrats should "Consult" with the Whitehouse about it too. That would make the process Super Duper Uber "Fair" !
So McConnell parroted Tom Daschle and Chuck Schumer from Clinton's impeachment. Who cares?
Every day the articles are kept in the House is a win for Trump. Delaying impeachment means it really wasn't necessary to begin with.
Post the quote where Daschle or Schumer said they were co-ordinating "how we go forward" with the White House.
I can't believe that you haven't seen this yet. Watch the C-Span video of Schumer in 1999 in this article.
I have seen that video. Schumer does not say that he is co-ordinating "how we go forward" with the Clinton white house.
Are you really going to to argue a substantive difference exists because they didn't use the exact same words? C'mon. You are better than that.
The difference is that McConnell said the White House will have input as to the structure and process of this impeachment. "Exactly how we go forward, I'm going to coordinate with the president's lawyers"
McConnell can say , if he likes, that he doesnt think the trial of Trump needs witnesses. What he said instead is that he is taking orders from Trump.
Of course he is, because it doesn't fit the D narrrative. See comment 4.1.4 for proof.
What do you imagine Daschle and Schumer coordinated with the Clinton White House?
Of course they were getting White House input how to proceed with the trial to protect Clinton. .
As has been stated multiple times, Clinton was given due process and rightfully so. However, it seems that Trump must not be allowed the same constitutional right.
What no one can answer is why Trump shouldn't be given the same constitutional rights as Clinton was given.
Because TDDDDS is the most devastating disease the left has ever know.
Of course they still claim Clinton was impeached over sex; instead of perjury, and obstruction through witness tampering. Those are two very real crimes that the Republicans presented with mountains of evidence. Not the schlock the Dems have charged Trump with.
Of course we all know how the Dems went on that with a straight party line vote not to impeach Clinton in the Senate; and a quick dash to the White House lawn to show their undivided support for the criminal they failed to remove.
All we hear from the left now repeatedly is "these are different times, different times"; and of course "Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!!!"
Neither are reasons to impeach Trump; but it is all they have.
Well said, Ronin. Unfortunately, TDS has no known cure.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that they believe that the US Constitution is a "fluid" document.
Yep. Basic logic that will be ignored.
What logic? A week or two ago we were hearing that the Democrats were rushing.
The Clinton impeachment lasted 4 1/2 months from start to finish. So far the Trump impeachment process is a little over three months.
This: If you are indefinitely delaying a thing you claimed was urgent, then it can't be urgent.
And that's still true. They did rush it. They rushed it because they said the matter was urgent. Clearly they were lying.
But it was based on a report from an investigation that took over four years to complete. Democrats impeaching Trump went from initial investigation to vote in just a few months. That's radically different.
How long did the Clinton investigation last. You do realize that Starr was the one gathering evidence for the House correct? Nothing like comparing due process, to a hack investigation by a bunch of partisan Democrats looking for something, anything, to impeach Trump over.
Which one those two bloated skeezers is leading in that dance.
What? Oh noes! That will be a blow! Because up until now, everything the news media and other commentators have had to say about Trump has been so favorable and charitable. How will Trump cope with this entirely new negative coverage? It seems so harsh and unexpected! /s
Trump is said to be very worried about how he will by seen by history. NEWS FLASH ! , he has a lot to worry about.
Oh I think he wants to be loved, but let's not act like the events of the last month are somehow different than anything that has come before.
history is written by the winners.
spoiler alert: the left loses.
history is written by the winners.
spoiler alert: the left loses.
Not being an American, I am unfamiliar with the effect of "impeachment". What does it do? Does it curtail the rights, privileges and/or powers of the POTUS? Or is it simply being used as a method to impair the possible re-election of the POTUS in 2020? If the latter, then in the event of his re-election there will have to be the hope on the part of the Democrats that they will also take control of the Senate, because otherwise will it not all just be a waste of time and effort? Didn't Bill Clinton survive impeachment?
If he can be removed, it will open the doors for him to be prosecuted as he won't have POTUS to shield him.
I see, and a successful prosecution, if it is achieved, would most likely be overturned by the conservative-majority SCOTUS if not before, right? By the way, prosecuted for what? Has he committed "high crimes and misdemeanors"? In the meantime, are not a lot of Americans who may previously have been neutral concerning Trump getting pissed off with this impeachment fiasco and Trump supporters becoming even more resolved? From my point of view, I think it's all going to cause Trump to be re-elected and possibly cause the Democrats to lose the house, but that's just my opinion from afar, with no skin in the game. None of us will know the answer until next November.
True. However, even if Trump is re-elected, after his term is ended he will still be eligible for prosecution. There won't be anything for him to hide behind then either.
So the truth is, Trump can't run from being prosecuted sooner or later. And.....he knows it. And that is one of the things he might be scared to death of. He can only hide behind his Presidency so long, then he will have to face the judge. And most likely some jail time. And that also might scare the Hell out of him.
If he is so arrogant that he thinks he will not pave to pay the price for all the crap he has done, and the misery he has caused others all his life, then he will likely be in for a very rude awakening.
Right. Just like the Clintons. How much prison time did Bill Clinton serve for perjury and witness tampering/obstruction once out of office? How much has Hillary served for using an unsecured private server to send classified information? Anyone else breaks those laws they are serving time.
Oh wait, they are still walking around free to this day.
Get ready for a very rude awakening. Once Trump is out of office the Dems will quickly change their tune in an effort to "heal the country". They want power back, not continued anger from independents and moderates if they continue to hound Trump once he is out of office. Wasting tax payer money going after someone that is no longer a threat to the left would anger some on the left as well.
He will also be able to be sued once he is no longer POTUS which protected him.
I should have worded that better. I am referring to the lawsuits that are stalled due to him being POTUS.
Ostensibly impeachment would simply remove the President from office through government authority rather than by election. But there is more at stake than who occupies the Presidency.
Imagine President Tsai Ing-wen (of the Republic of China, Taiwan) replacing President Xi Jinping (of the People's Republic of China, China) through election. That would threaten the political order in China and threaten the power of the CPC to exert control over the political policy agenda. The election of Donald Trump threatens the political order and power of political parties in the United States.
The political chaos happening in the United States is really about whether or not the political status quo will be maintained or overturned. Using an admittedly poor analogy: will China govern Taiwan or will Taiwan govern China?
I think that neither is likely for the foreseeable future, but Taiwan governing China is absolutely most unlikely.
Does anyone really give a damn about how some pissed-off snowflakes judge someone?
not even a little bit... today's left is the most worthless bunch of people there ever was.