I agree on the Senators but I think there are voters to be swayed even if the stay at home and just don't vote.
Those voters aren’t what this is for. If Dems merely turns out to vote, they got they numbers. Energize the base with this GOP sham of a trial.
Yeah, I have to say, if you want to create a turnout-the-vote campaign, taking a lot of these ridiculous republican excuses (and even statements of not being impartial) would be a good place to start.
Nobody thinks this, but like Adam Schiff said: Truth Matters, doing the right thing matters. Legislators doing the right thing matters. Making it painful for people to vote against truth and doing what's right, is both the least and the most that we can do. I mean otherwise Adam Schiff can go back to passing legislation that goes into the bottomless pit of Moscow Mitch's malign neglect, and Moscow Mitch can go back to promoting 30 year old MAGA bloggers to the federal bench. When life gives you **** lemons, you make **** lemonade.
Yep. The GOP’s gambit was solidifying their base by having their media act like it’s a witch hunt and coordinate the GOP Senators looking bored. They are going all in.
to go along with being a serial fabulist (remember he said he had secret evidence of Trump collusion with Russia?), Schiff is also an idiot
“I can not believe that the current President would ever say such a thing” ... said not one GOP Senator.
Bad faith argument. Plain and simple. Republicans who sat through hours and hours of facts upon damning facts to then scoff at the mere mention of a CBS report as an excuse to disregard all those facts and vote in line to endorse a cover up trial with no witnesses or new evidence is the height of cowardess. I assume your endorsement of also disregarding facts out of some fake offensiveness tells us a lot about you too. How easy it is to get supporters like you in line like a beaten dog. Mentioning a CBS report???.... really??...Do you have no backbone at all?? Seriously. Adam Schiff getting everyone defensive about something that obviously is true as well. If it wasn’t you and other Republicans wouldn’t be using that as a bad faith argument to disregard and actively hide the truth to endorse a thuggish wannabe dictator.
Democrats question trump's decision and bypassing congress to kill the #2 guy in iran and republicans call Democrats traitors or terrorist lovers. But when republicans are accused of covering up for trump by not allowing witnesses or new evidence, or for not even attending or paying attention in the trial... republicans get offended. When republicans are reported to be intimidated and not doing their sworn duty... republicans get offended. Perhaps instead of getting upset by how their integrity gets called to account to the American people... perhaps they should act with more integrity for the American people?
secretary of state getting all butthurt over questions about ukraine. Best part was when the reporter further embarrassed him and his ridiculous map challenge... Pompeo berated, cursed at NPR reporter over Ukraine questions, she says "He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine, he asked, 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?' He used the F word in that sentence, and many others," said NPR correspondent Mary Louise Kelly. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/tr...rter-over-ukraine-questions-she-says-n1122566 NPR published the full transcript: https://www.npr.org/2020/01/24/7985...interview-with-secretary-of-state-mike-pompeo
Schiff might be many things but idiot is not one. I understand why you would hate his message though. In this case, he is absolutely speaking truth. Whether from GOP primary voters or Trump’s Twitter wrath (and threats), they have to operate in fear on this stage, especially with the evidence so obvious. (See noted liberal Napolitano et multa alia).
I'm getting the sense that the GOP defense is going to be very focused on the Bidens. There might even be a move to just call the Bidens and no other witnesses.
The ridiculous and disingenuous position that republican senators are taking is simply an excuse to cover what they know will be disgraceful votes to acquit trump... history will be the final judge, on trump, and more so those that covered up for him...
There is no defense for what trump did... so instead they pursue the path trump wanted to take all along...
This is a very important point. Politically yes Trump has a baked in support that will most likely still support him even if he did literally shoot someone on 5th avenue. The Senators are showing they aren't budging. If anything some of the GOP Senators are digging in more and planning on turning the trial into the trial of Joe Biden. Most people knew that coming in but there are limits to Trump's support and this is showing some cleavages in Trump's support. That Lindsey Graham is essentially acknowledging that Trump did something wrong. That won't sit well with Trump and look for him to lash out at Senators who give wishy washy defenses of him. While Graham will still likely vote to acquit at the edges of Trump support they might not be as energized or willing to turn out if even Trump's defenders admit to his wrong doing. ON the other side the impeachment has energized the Democratic opposition. Even with the criticism of Sanders last week the Democrats are still very united. Again while there is a core baked in anti-Trump vote this is critical at the margins. If just a few voters who voted for Trump just stay home because they are disgusted while a few potential Democratic voters who stayed home in 2016 vote against him the election tips. The other political calculus is what happens with the Senate. A compelling case against Trump will make it hard for Collins, Gardner and even McSally to claim they are voting their conscience to acquit. Collins is likely done no matter what she does but for Gardner and McSally in purple states in a general election they can't count on a GOP base vote and have to again hope that the margins of independents and moderate Democrats will go their way. Given where Trump stands with those groups that's not likely to happen. As McConnell shows control of the Senate may be even more important than control of the Presidency. Beyond the political calculus the most important thing about this is history. I know I've debated this with others here on Clutchfans but history does matter. I apologize for bringing up this example but this is the best example of a democracy becoming a dictatorship. Imagine if through democratic and constitutional means there was a way of resisting Adolf Hitler? Or even if Hitler wasn't stopped what would be said of German representatives who did all they could to stop him? There are tipping points in history and while we may not be able to know for sure where those are and what way history will tip. What we do know for a fact is that we are seeing many countries in the World tipping towards authoritarianism like in the 1920's. As Americans there isn't much we can do to stop the Xi's, Modi's and Erdogans of the World but we can stop that here in the US. Even if Trump is holding a strong political hand I would still like to know that our representatives did something to oppose him rather than just wallow in defeatism and cynicism.
Actually they have to vote first for witnesses and evidence before they vote on who exactly to call. Even if they do that and then only vote for Biden, there’s a subpoena to be served, a closed deposition, and the scheduling the open hearing. No way senators that are in the tank for Trump want this trial going on another 2 - 4 weeks. It would go that long even if it’s just the Biden’s that are called. So it’s BS what you are hearing about calling the Biden’s. They are using that as an excuse for Collins and Murkowski to use so they can say “well if the Dems would have been open to both sides getting the witnesses they wanted I would have voted”. The truth too is they don’t need a single Dem vote to bring in Biden. Not one. They don’t even need to do it in the impeachment trial. Lindsay Graham could subpoena him in the judicial committee today and have him deposed by next week. The fact that they haven’t already done that and won’t do that tells you all they need to know... they are full of crap and just looking for excuses to vote no on the motion to vote on witnesses and new documents to be allowed.
