McConnell says Republicans will vote to dismiss impeachment charges after opening remarks

[Miles Archer]

Mitch McConnell says Republicans will vote to dismiss impeachment charges after opening remarks



https://www.rawstory.com/2019/12/mitch-mcconnell-says-republicans-will-vote-to-dismiss-impeachment-charges-after-opening-remarks/

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday that Republicans may seek to dismiss impeachment charges against President Donald Trump after hearing opening statements in a Senate trial.

McConnell made the remarks from the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. The Majority Leader said that he was using the 1999 Senate trial of President Bill Clinton as a model for a proposed trial of Trump.

In doing so, McConnell suggested that a motion to dismiss would be put forth by Republicans after opening statements.

“By any ordinary legal standard, what House Democrats have assembled would appear to be woefully, woefully inadequate to prove what they want to allege,” McConnell said. “The House should not impeach on this basis in the first place.”

McConnell also rejected the idea that the Senate would hear from witnesses as has been proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

[evertonfc]

1. I can't think of a

sceniro where this needs to go to Senate given such statements. The aftermath will be an emboldened Trump and base. Just sit on it and let him stew

[Miles Archer]

2. It puts a new perspective on the debate over whether to send it or not

But after this, I don't see that there's a debate remaining. If this is the promised result, unless that result is desired, don't send it.

[MFGsunny]

8. + 1000 n/t

[Garrett78]

3. When, in reality, it was a slam-dunk case as soon as the call summary was released.

Moscow Mitch is one of the worst people in the world.

[PRETZEL]

4. Not suprising

he's said pretty much the same thing all along,

I guess my question would be, is there going to be a time limit on opening statements? If the managers are afraid that the resolution would pass, what would prevent them from putting all the evidence and details into their opening statement? It could take a couple of days, but if that's their intention, and this "trial" will be what the vast majority of people will see, put it all out there in the beginning, let that be the only words heard, then see what type of backlash results in alot of the state Senate races (hint KY, SC, CO)comes of it.

[matt819]

5. What about this

Article about who runs what during a Senate impeachment trial.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/senate-impeachment-trial-john-roberts-mitch-mcconnell.html

[FBaggins]

14. I doubt that Roberts would rule differently than Rhenquist did

It's hard to argue that the very motion can't be considered by the "court" when such a motion was voted on the last time a president was impeached.

But passing such a motion. I could almost wish that they would do it. I can't imagine it working out well for them.

As for the article... it's a bit of a stretch. For example - he claims that the Senate can't bar anyone from appearing as a witness and that it is up to the House managers and president's representatives to call whoever they want... yet that was not the case during the Clinton impeachment.

[Botany]

6. God I hate that little shit

This is fascism and flat out shitting on the Constitution.

[dem4decades]

7. He is basically ripping iit in half. To think a little shit like that could destroy the Republic.

[Jerrika]

9. Do not send it to the Senate

They are not impartial.

[bdamomma]

10. Moscow Mitch has been saying that

he will be on the accused side and will have no witnesses and will dismiss and the outcome will be rigged.

That is something all Americans should aware of, and it's a red alert. This will be a kangaroo court. We should be all in the streets if McConnell gets his fucking way. Or our last chance will be to vote in record numbers to save the soul of our country.

[Demsrule86]

11. And what does that accomplish? Trump and the asshat in the senate have the support of the GOP...I

know some had a fantasy about how like with Nixon...the tides would turn and the GOP would convict...but that was never going to happen. I don't know how we handle this...hopefully well.

[tritsofme]

12. Byrd offered a motion to dismiss at a similar juncture of the Clinton trial.

It was defeated. Interesting contemporary article.

[FBaggins]

13. Here's the transcript and record of the vote

https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/25/transcripts/dismiss.html

[TruckFump]

15. DO NOT RELEASE THE ARTICLES

Look at the stooooooooooooo-pid letter MF45 sent to Pelosi today.

Keep him wound up. IMO, he will keep making mistakes.


There is no need to send the Articles over -- it accomplishes nothing.

[Johonny]

16. "woefully, woefully inadequate to prove what they want" which is why the American people must not

hear it in open court even if that court is stacked. You'd think if it was so weak he'd want the American people see it all instead of hide it.

[treestar]

20. This

It's like admitting Dotard is guilty and they will let him get away with it anyway.

[myohmy2]

17. let republicans...

...do what they want to do, we need to do what we have to do and what must be done...the Constitution demands impeachment and removal!

...let the short term politics be damned...

...we need to know to what extent we have a Constitution and what it means...after all, it's only a piece of paper we have all agreed to live by...

...if the pukes want to gut it, if a majority of the American people agree with them, if we can't stop the pukes or convince a majority of the American people otherwise, then we're living in a different country with a new set of trump rules that we need to know and accept...

...for it wouldn't matter what we thought the historical Constitution meant...it wouldn't matter what the historical Constitution demands...it would only matter how it's interpreted today...

...if a majority of the American people are willing to accept and believe trump lies, we need to become better liars...

...when we fight our way back to power, it will be our turn to use the historical document as toilet paper...

[11 Bravo]

18. Actually, he said they would consider it.

[bdamomma]

19. is the

"he" McConnell to hear from the witnesses?

[lastlib]

21. This is why we should only send the obstruction article to the Senate now...

...and hold the abuse of power article until we get testimony from Bolton , Mulvaney, et al. Let that one hang over his head until the cows come home (insert your choice of Devin Nunes joke here....), or we get our wtnesses. DON'T LET THE McTURDLE KANGAROO COURT BURY IT!!