What happens if Mitch cannot give Trump what he wants?

In other words, if he cannot get a quick trial with no witnesses?

What if three or four Republicans balk at the Trump/McConnell scheme?

What happens then?

Does Trump attack McConnell?

Does Trump go berserk?

How long can the "impasse" go on?

And who does it benefit politically?

The animosities between McConnell and Schumer seem to be very intense. If ending the impasse is left to them, then it may go on for a long time?

The last polls that asked if the Senate should call witnesses for the impeachment trial were at about 70% in favor. The other poll shows 55% of the people support conviction and removal of Donald J Trump.

Republicans are saying their polls show they are gaining ground in battleground states. We have not seen those polls.

The big question is : How long will Pelosi hold on to the Articles before she passes them to the Senate?

One thing we know about Pelosi is that she is very patient. She is not known to pull the trigger until the time is right. Her political instincts are very, very good.

Will she turn the Articles over soon after the Senate returns on the 6th? Much will depend on whether she believes there are enough votes to request the testimony of witnesses?

She will follow her heart and gut to get the best answer for the American people. If the Republicans insist on a quick trial and acquittal, they will suffer the political consequences of voting against 70% of the American people. It may end up being a pyrrhic victory for them?

She did her job.

Donald Trump has run roughshod over our laws, our institutions, our Constitution and only one person has held him accountable. She was able to get her caucus together and impeach him. He was deeply surprised that anyone would challenge his authority.

Now he sits in the White House, sulking that a woman would put him in his place. The whole world knows he was deserving of the punishment.

Now, he complains that the "crazy" woman is holding up the Articles of Impeachment from the Senate. After all, McConnell has said he wants it over quickly. Trump believes he has it fixed. So, there is no worry about what the Senate might do.

She has done her duty as required by the Constitution. Soon, she will pass the Articles to the Senate for a "trial". The spineless Senate will vote and say that he has been acquitted. They will not do their job.

There's a lesson in this impeachment process. If you want the job done, get a woman to do it.

The Trump Economy

"It is the best economy in the history of the world".

But is it?

Mr Trump had taken an economy from President Obama that was steady and had grown for about 8 straight years. It had also grown the deficit. After the near-collapse of the markets in 2008, there had been a lot of lending and investment in certain sectors, such as banking and automobile production, that helped to spur the economy out of a doomsday spiral.

Mr Trump inherited this economy, with fairly low unemployment and steady growth, and inserted a $trillion dollars tax cut into its system. The major impact affected corporations as many bought back their own stocks to drive up the values. The stock market acted in kind. It went up.

But, the taxcuts did not create the growth many anticipated. It now appears that the economy has leveled off near Obama numbers, except the deficit is now about a $trillion dollars a year, almost double that of Obama.

Almost everyone trumpets the "great economy". And to be fair, the huge taxcuts did spur the economy and the stock market for a while. But, at some point, the excess in the market will create a bubble, in my opinion.

People will be asking, "Was it worth it?"

COVER UP!

Is it anything more?

Some folks do not want the truth to come out.

They are covering up the facts from the American people. Period. Full Stop.

Republicans must decide.

It may seem like an easy decision for many of them, but the long-range consequences could be very severe for their political futures.

Do they want a fair trial in the Senate or will they agree to let Trump and McConnell fix the process? They are taking a huge gamble.

What happens if they acquit and more damning evidence comes out? What if more emails come out? What if Bolton and McGahn are forced to testify by the Courts? Is it really something they want to rush and sweep under the rug?

No doubt they are looking at this from their own self-interest perspective. They know there is much more devastating news coming down the road. How will it affect their political careers?

This is the decision they have to make. Do they really want to put all their chips on Donald Trump? Don't bet on it.

Pelosi still sees the impeachment trial as an "urgent" matter.

It did not become less urgent because the Articles of Impeachment were passed out of the House. It did not become less urgent because Trump and McConnell planned to fix the vote in the Senate. It has become more urgent.

It is still urgent that the Senate hear the evidence. It is still urgent that the Senate hear witnesses that have first-hand evidence of the charges.

It is not less urgent because Pelosi is not ready to have the charges covered up or dismissed outright. The urgency for a fair trial is still there, contrary to what Donald Trump might tweet?

Trump is still a threat to our national security. An unfair and fixed jury does nothing to alleviate the urgency of this crisis.

Why did Murkowski come out and speak about impartiality in a Senate trial?

Every Republican had been silent up to that point.

She let it be known that she did not agree with Mitch McConnell's comments about working hand-in-glove with the White House on their impeachment defense.

In my opinion, she is not alone. Although she is the one Senator with the independence to do so without fear of reprisal from Donald Trump. They tried to get rid of her once and failed. She hasn't forgotten.

But, it will not be an easy vote for any Senator to say that there should be "no witnesses". My guess is that there are several besides Murkowski of that opinion.

Also, they will let McConnell know confidentially that they will not vote the way he and Trump want them to vote. McConnell knows this. He is playing political games, hoping Speaker Pelosi will cave in that demand.

The danger for McConnell and the Republicans is that the longer this trial is delayed, the more likely it is that there will be more emails, more witnesses, and more court decisions to come out. They need the trial over as soon as possible, with or without witnesses.

Trump is a "victim"...everyone treats him "unfairly".

His self-pity is vomit-inducing.

Nothing is "fair". He didn't get to tell his side of the story and he didn't get a fair defense in the House hearings. Never mind that most of the hearings were investigative. They were looking for facts, not "both sides" of a story. However, in the Judiciary hearings to announce impeachment, he was offered the opportunity to defend himself and he refused.

Was it "fair" for Donald Trump to ask Russia for help in his election of 2016? "Russia, if you're listening..."

Is it "fair" for him to spread propagandistic bullshit all day long on his Twitter machine? He is tearing down the judicial process that is supposed to be looking at his illegal transactions and possible criminal acts?

Is it "fair" for him to divide the country, by Party affiliation, with his lies and innuendo? Is it "fair" for him to get away with outrageous comments about the economy, his political opponents, etc?

He is one big stinking pile of poop if he thinks he is the "victim" in all of this. America is the victim.

Jesus, the Missing Years