TPM "Conservative Fever Swamp Pushes McConnell Toward Quick Impeachment Dismissal"

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/conservatives-push-mcconnell-away-from-impeachment-trial-toward-quick-dismissal

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made it clear this week that the route the Senate takes to reach its conclusion on impeachment is trivial when the outcome’s predetermined.


“I will say, I’m pretty sure how it’s likely to end,” McConnell said Tuesday. “If it were today, I don’t think there’s any question it would not lead to a removal.”

While the end-result reached by a Republican-majority Senate is seemingly a foregone conclusion, many Trump allies are urging McConnell to think long and hard about how he allows proceedings to take place.

The effort may not be coordinated, but pro-Trump pundits outside the beltway have projected a unified message in recent weeks, calling on McConnell to ditch the notion of a fair trial and urging the majority leader to either only allow for something short and sweet or to dismiss the articles of impeachment outright.

In the most recent push to pressure McConnell away from a protocol, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt urged McConnell to harken back to his glory days, when he stonewalled the Obama administration from rightfully appointing a Supreme Court justice to replace the late-Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed in the last year of Obama’s second term. In a Washington Post column Thursday, Hewitt admitted he once favored the idea of an extensive trial that would allow Republicans to poke holes in the House’s evidence and, ultimately, keep some Democratic 2020 contenders out of Iowa and New Hampshire. But, he argued, a long or short trial would also give legitimacy to Democrats’ inquiry.

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh have both made similar arguments in recent weeks, pressing the majority leader to ignore rules they deemed arbitrary and outright kill the inquiry on arrival. Giuliani said it would be “horrible” if the Senate decided to host a trial.

Limbaugh had more biting words for McConnell.

“The Turtle said, ‘Hey, if we do it, there’s gotta be a trial.’ There’s nobody in official Republican strata that’s trying to refute this! They’re all dealing with it as though it’s a fait accompli. It’s not a fait accompli. But, see, there’s a whole different mentality about this stuff when you live in the Beltway,” he said on his show last month.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham urged McConnell in a similar direction, but under the caveat of a rule change that was also championed by the National Review in early October. Ingraham suggested on her show at the end of last month that McConnell allow Democrats to have their trial, but to make it “blisteringly short.”

“(Give) Democrats maybe an afternoon to put on their sham case,” she said. “Republicans in the Senate need to step up or get out.”

Mum’s the word on what direction McConnell plans to take. While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has made it clear he wants an adequate trial, McConnell told Politico this week that he has not yet met with the other side to determine the chamber’s course of action.

But given the vicious divide over the legitimacy of the impeachment probe, it’s safe to assume this Senate will likely not take a page from the Clinton impeachment-era Senate and hash out a bipartisan deal in the Old Senate Chamber.

[treestar]

1. I don't see that the Constitution allows him to dismiss it without a hearing

Not that that stops him; the Court will order the trial.

[CrispyQ]

2. "ignore rules they deemed arbitrary"

The GOP are masters at this. If the dems ever gain control of the WH, Senate, & House they need to do something about this or we will be here again. Only next time the GOP won't get a criminal narcissist who is in deep shit & can't keep his mouth shut.

[pbmus]

3. The People's Court will hold the trial and convict the Big Con...

This senate with Moscow Mitch at the helm will go down in history as the worst ...

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. The first thing that flashed through my mind was: Judge Wapner?

The second thing was: Nah, let Judge Judy have it. She'd burn his fat ass.
The third thing was: I might be watching too much TV.

[pbmus]

8. Lol 😂...

You got exactly what I was trying to convey....brilliant minds think alike...

[Roland99]

4. H Y P O C R I T E

Can’t wait til that fuckwad is G O N E

[Farmer-Rick]

5. Moscow Mitch wants the House to send him the impeachment as fast as they can

so he can have a 2 hour trial. Bury it, cover it, and be done with it so the crimes of the Trumps and their grifter friends, con artist family and mobster buddies are no longer being talked about. Then, onto finishing the rigging of the 2020 elections.

This is what Trump's and Mitch's boss, shorty Putin (I wonder if anyone ever says that to his face?), told them to do. The Slovenian sex worker at Trump's side has to look way down to see the bald little head of Putin. And so does Trump. But they are afraid of the tiny man anyway.

[11 Bravo]

7. In most legal proceedings, if a juror made such a statement ...

prior to the beginning of the trial, they would be removed for cause.
If the Pukes want to pretend that impeachment is a criminal, rather than a constitutionally mandated process, maybe they need to learn the fucking rules.
Dolts.