At precisely 10 a.m. on Friday morning, House Judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler gaveled his committee to order and immediately proceeded to votes on two articles of impeachment for President Donald Trump. The vote was entirely partisan, will all 23 Democrats voting in favor and all 17 Republicans against. There was no debate, as that was all handled during a 14-hour hearing on Thursday.
Without the ability to give speeches, the members had little opportunity to stand out. On the Republican side, Rep. Louis Gohmert of Texas tried to add a little flourish by saying “my vote is no” on the first article rather than just “no.” He then asked the clerk to verify that his vote had been recorded as a no “just to make sure.” On the Democratic side, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington appeared to hold up a pocket Constitution as she cast her two “aye” votes. Otherwise, the members appeared to be suitably somber and serious.
The two impeachment articles, one for abuse of power and the other for contempt of Congress, will now be sent to the full floor of the House where a vote will be held early next week. There will probably be a small number of cross-party votes, although it’s not clear that any Republicans will vote in favor of impeaching President Trump. Both articles will be approved, and a Senate trial will be conducted in the Senate starting in January.
Chief Justice John Roberts will preside over the trial, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already indicated that the White House’s lawyers will really be running the show.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is indicating he’ll endeavor to give the White House whatever kind of trial it wants.
Appearing on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on Thursday night, McConnell made a point of saying that he would be coordinating with White House counsel Pat Cipollone every step of the way.
“Everything I do during this, I’m coordinating with the White House counsel,” McConnell said. “There will be no difference between the president’s position and our position as to how to handle this to the extent that we can.”
He added later that “exactly how we go forward I’m going to coordinate with the president’s lawyers, so there won’t be any difference between us on how to do this.”
And then he said that “I’m going to take my cues from the president’s lawyers.”
Per usual, even these comments from McConnell were misleading. In truth, the president wanted a long trial and he wanted to call witnesses, including Hunter Biden and the original whistleblower who filed a complaint about Trump’s activities with Inspector General for the Intelligence Community. The Republican leadership of the Senate nixed that idea in favor of a short trial in which no witnesses will be allowed. But they don’t intend to lock themselves in to that decision, just in case things do not go well.
The party is uniting around a strategy that could quickly acquit President Donald Trump of articles of impeachment while giving them the opportunity to call witnesses later in the trial if Republicans and the president are not satisfied with how things are going, according to interviews with nearly a dozen Republican senators on Thursday…
“The direction we appear to be headed is to let the House managers present their prima facie case which would mean no witnesses, to let the president’s counsel do the same thing,” said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of leadership. “And then to decide if there’s a reason to go forward from there.”
Ultimately, McConnell can only dictate what happens up to a point. He can overrule Chief Justice John Roberts only if he can muster 51 votes. Vice President Mike Pence is not allowed to participate or cast tie-breaking votes. The Democrats can also force witnesses to appear if they can attract at least four Republicans to join them.
The Republicans may not be sufficiently united to block all witnesses from appearing or to approve only their preferred witnesses while denying witnesses to the prosecution.
There’s really no pretense here on McConnell’s part that he’ll seek a fair trial. The more heat his party feels for that, the more likely it will be that he can’t hold his caucus in line and keep control of the process. This is something the House Democrats should focus on during the debate on impeachment next week.
For now, Trump will be the defendant, but also effectively the judge and the jury. I don’t think that will be acceptable to most Americans,
So while Collins &co screamed bloody murder about no witnesses called for their side (debunk: all but a few of the witnesses were Trump appointees who woke up to the nightmare he was perpetrating), there would be no witnesses in the Senate trial, as per Republican stated intentions. But this will change now that Traitor Mitch has decided to climb into bed with Trump’s lawyers and appointed minions. What does Trump have on these guys? Is this a Nixonesque nightmare revisited upon the American people? This time they get away with it? Nixon was close to Trump and Trump keeps a cherished letter from Nixon in the WH office encouraging him to run. The back story is that Jean Dixon predicted to Nixon that he (Trump) would win if he ran. So witchcraft meets statecraft meets China and Russia working in tandem to bring down our Constitutional democracy. This is a very dark time for any Constitutional democrats. ;( ;( ;( ;( ;(
The first question should be why the senate rules ultimately put in place for the 1999 Clinton impeachment trial are not to be used for the Trumper impeachment? The Clinton senate trial permitted the deposition of witnesses when Repub House managers asked for them–why shouldn’t that request just be decided exactly the same way when/if Dem House managers ask for witness depositions to be reviewed by the senate? At the bare minimum, the existing depositions and testimony before the Intelligence Committee should be replayed in the senate, with “jurors” forced to watch, as was done in the Clinton trial.
It may make sense to force Roberts to rule on requests to subpoena testimony from all the executive officials that Der Trumper has embargoed as well. This has its dangers, since there is no doubt that Mulvaney, Pompous-eo and Bolton are practiced liars whose credibility is zero compared to the witnesses to date. As “conservatives”, they will invariably promiscuously lie in order to achieve the “conservative” goal of Party Over Country.
Dem senators should also be pushing back against (biased juror) Moscow Mitch as he makes his pronouncements about how the Trumper trial will proceed. Certainly Trumper’s trial should be at least as extensive as the Clinton trial or else it is unfair, partisan and illegitimate. After all, the charges against Der Trumper are already seen by (much more of) the public as (far) more serious than those in 1999–as polls already make clear. Also, make the partisan Chief Justice issue a formal ruling on this point.
Dems should also ask Roberts to disqualify Moscow Mitch as a “juror” for his clear and openly stated bias and his stated refusal to objectively consider the evidence. Make Roberts rule on a dozen Dem arguments challenging the fairness of the proceeding—certainly at every point where Moscow Mitch’s Repubs attempt to deviate from the procedures that the Repub House managers were given in the Clinton trial. Roberts may agree on some point or other, forcing Moscow Mitch to have his senate majority rule against the trial judge, thus demonstrating the absolute partisan nature of the proceeding. Since this is the end of the Impeachment clauses as an meaningful check in the future, and the formal creation of a tradition of unaccountable and corrupt (Repub) prezes, make this a good show!
The irony, of course, is that today’s Repubs were crying about a procedurally unfair “kangaroo court” in the House (which was investigating, not trying, the matter) , but are now intending to hold an (actual) procedurally unfair trial in the senate! Senate Dems, Hello? Corporate media, Hello? Anyone out there?
since Moscow Mitch controls the senate why would he not call Hunter Biden or Joe and then deny any further witnesses?
He, Roberts and the Repub majority can essentially do whatever they want. They can impose any procedural irregularities and unfairness that they wish. But it all has to be done out in the open.
What is the point of submitting the articles to the senate?
To force Repubs to go on the record defending the indefensible and willfully acquitting a demented political criminal.
To permit Americans (and posterity) to watch the historic destruction of the 1791 constitution and the degeneration of the Repubs (and “conservative” movement) into an anti-constitutional party, prey to unreason and fact-free nonsense.
Yes I get that. Make them tell their grandchildren about it, but then these guys will defend it to eternity. Hell the south is still fighting the civil war.
What’s the alternative?
I would like to see them do more. I have this feeling the republicans will simply blow it off with no consequence. Failing that I don’t really know why we are doing it. I meet regularly with seven or eight guys. They are all Rs except me. They simply mock and believe there is nothing to impeach. Follows Trump pretty close.
Just hammer again and again that the republicans are actively supporting crime. They want to ignore it fine. Hammer again and again that is what they are doing. No Cardin style pathetic spineless concerns.