Whoa. Really?

[blaze]

Link to tweet

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that if the House goes ahead and impeaches President Donald Trump, the Senate “has no choice” but to conduct a trial to determine whether the president is removed from office

[MontanaMama]

1. Huh.

What the hell is this about? I don’t trust Moscow Mitch one bit.

[BigmanPigman]

35. Me neither.

I asked last night what would happen if Mitch never brought it to a trial and vote, as he has done before. I do not trust him at all.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212510722

[DENVERPOPS]

37. Amen Montana Mama

I love your comments, MM........

The usual adage is: You know the ship is sinking when the rats start jumping.

However, in this case the Dems better be prepared for anything and everything given the way Mitch and basically the entire upper gambit of Senate and Executive Brand personnel & appointees have been running things these past six years. They constantly totally and completely ignore the constitution, the nation's rule of law, and any other form of legal correctness established over the past couple of hundred years..........

Now that it is possibly coming to a head, do not expect them to give up their nearly completed COUP without a fight to the death against anyone or anything trying to stop them or stand in their way.........

[BigmanPigman]

41. This is from months ago, correction on a post further down thread.

Mitch didn't say it today.

Post #39

[northoftheborder]

2. Yes, I think that is true

[pangaia]

3. He will do whatever has to to protect himself and his wife.

[leftstreet]

4. LOL so is he ready to dump Trump?

Hoping to run Pence/Haley or something?

[Lochloosa]

5. In the South, that's called Cutt'en and Runn'en

[Wellstone ruled]

34. Same statement is

applicable in the upper mid west. Another was,don't let that green stuff stick to your boots on the way out.

[Vinca]

6. Is there any chance McConnell knows dirt on the King that is even worse than this and seems

to think it will come out? McConnell only cares about one thing: McConnell. If he senses something might crash his gravy train he might want to get rid of it, too. Pence, after all, is controllable if you get on Mother's good side.

[elleng]

29. Little doubt mcconnell knows worse dirt, imo.

[FakeNoose]

42. The way I'm reading this is, he wants Chump to resign quickly

It sounds like Moscow Mitch REALLY wants Chump to resign, and he's trying to think of ways to scare him out of going through with the full impeachment hearings.

There's no way Chump can win this, unless Mitch assures him that they have enough votes in the Senate. But Mitch doesn't want to do that, because a drawn out Watergate-style hearing would doom the entire GOP, not just Chump. They're all guilty of one thing or another. So getting Chump to resign and disappear quickly is his best option.

Chump, being the asshole he is, believes he can bluff his way through anything, so it's a hard sell.

[dalton99a]

7. "If the House were to act, the Senate immediately goes into a trial."

The Kentucky Republican told NPR on Friday that “if the House were to act, the Senate immediately goes into a trial.”

[triron]

9. hmm. Is this mandated or is McConnell turning?

[blaze]

12. I think it's mandated... but if the trial started in the Senate today

The vote would happen today and it would all be over.

[Thekaspervote]

30. This..him saying he will have a trial just means going thru the motions with a not guilty verdict

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. You're not the only person to ask this question...

It's a popular online search and there are been several articles written about it in just the last few days. Here's one for example.

https://www.niskanencenter.org/is-a-senate-impeachment-trial-optional/

In a nutshell, the Senate is empowered, but not mandated to have a trial. However, it's unlikely we'll see Garland-type stonewalling for something like this. At least I sure hope so.

[intrepidity]

8. Of course he says that

Whether he *does* so remains to be seen.

But why wouldn't he say that?

[Skidmore]

10. Interesting how Trump's favorite phrase, "no choice",

is being used against him. How many times have we heard him use it to inflict pain on people?

[Iliyah]

11. McTurtle hoping this will

energize their base.

[Disaffected]

13. Sure, why not?

That way the Repugs get a rapid "Not Guilty" for they and Trump to use in the election.

[stopdiggin]

14. isn't this a simple statement of fact? (nt)

[OnDoutside]

17. The story put out before is that the House Majority would have to send the referral to the Senate.

So that the House would vote to impeach, but just not send the referral to McConnell.

[stopdiggin]

20. an untested, and minority, opinion?

I remember that .. basically put forward by Tribe .. but he seemed to be about the only one, and I don't know if that "theory" has any real wide support. I think most would argue that an affirmative vote on impeachment .. is automatically referred to the Senate for trial. (but the Constitution can be a pretty squishy thing .. lots of room for opinion, and maneuvering)

[OnDoutside]

21. Yes, I think it was Tribe alright. TBH, I would have thought it would have to be formally sent,

rather than McConnell watching what goes on in the daily life of the House.

[stopdiggin]

23. I more or less agree

but also think that a decision NOT to send would be considered a "maneuver", possibly suspect, and outside the bounds of precedent and expectations.

(Tribe has also opined -- that technically the Senate does not HAVE to take up a trial on a House impeachment. But that too would be WAY outside of precedent and expectation. So .. you can really get out into the weeds on this stuff.)

[eleny]

16. Of course he will. He wants to acquit

[lunatica]

19. And being Moscow Mitch he wants to save his own ass

by playing both ends now that he’s probably realized he can’t get any more benefits out of Trump.

Now he can give voice to his pseudo patriotic role.

[eleny]

22. No way do the Rs want the 1st ever impeached and removed pres to be a Republican

[lunatica]

24. Well they do have their bottom line to consider

They’ve been showing us for years that’s their only consideration. You’re still trying to attribute something as silly as patriotism or loyalty.

Like the rats who chewed the holes through the hull of the ship that sank it, they’ll abandon it.

[eleny]

43. Patriotism and loyalty aren't in the R vocabulary - Keeping power is the goal

[C Moon]

39. If Trump were smart, he'd resign and let Pence pardon him. Then let Pence deal the mess THEY made.

[eleny]

44. Trump doesn't want to face the possibility of state prison

So I don't think resignation is an option.

That's why this ...

[C Moon]

45. +1

[TwilightZone]

18. The story has been corrected - he said that months ago.

"This item has been corrected to show that McConnell spoke to NPR months ago, not Friday."

[BigmanPigman]

40. THAT IS IMPORTANT!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212510722

Last night I asked what would Dems do if he chooses not to hold a trial and vote in the Senate. I do not trust him (SCOTUS).

[Unbelievable]

25. Just as we Believe

that we are correct and have the marbles, so do they. I have trouble believing anyone would blindly follow this man just for party or fear if they didnt actually believe him. Its too easy to hate him and be more popular for it. They believe he has done nothing wrong and feel like they have the proof. Mitch wants this impeachment just as Orange Man does. In fact if you look at all of his followers they all want this. They and he are taunting us to do it. I think its a trap. I think they have something that they think is their Trump card for lack of a better term. I think they believe it and are forcing this to prove some kind of point.

If they get to have a hearing or investigation in the senate, wouldn't that open up their ability to investigate the whole situation? Including Orange mans adversaries who are claiming they have the goods? Idk I am super new to all of this so maybe Im naive but this sure smells like a setup. It also smells familiar.

2 realities exist now and remembering that just as remembering that all religions BELIEVE their faith is the right one, might allow us to see into their game a little better. Mitch believes trump was spied on and believes there was an attempted coup yada yada. Trump has them all convinced he holds the cards and that hes gonna get em. Truthfully i think he is so toxic that if they thought he did something wrong' they would be much more popular just to turn on him. Yet they stand strong with him. If Barr was so squeaky clean and respected in Washington pretrump, why would he put his entire career and good name on the line for this dude. Same goes for anyone who follows him. Does he have dirt on em all? Idk it makes no sense.

[Thomas Hurt]

26. Holy Crap! of course he can "change" his mind next week or he is fn lying.

[ffr]

27. IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME! n/t

[CentralMass]

28. Putting on my stainless steel colander hat, this all seems too easy.

With a big if he is impeached on this matter and the senate repugs vote to convict, what is the price ?

This seems far too easy at this point.

[spanone]

31. Maybe Mitch is just cashing in a few chips and reminding who's really in charge

[rurallib]

32. Remember when we all thought the senate had to give SCOTUS nominees a hearing

and the McConnell stepped in and said nether don't. Some folks are speculating that same thing may happen here.

[VOX]

33. In the very near future, McConnell and all Republicans will deny they even knew Donald Trump.

Simultaneously, they’ll excoriate Democrats for running up the national debt over the last three years.

Trump? Who?

[Tarc]

36. I doubt there's anything that could prevent him from gaveling it open, calling a vote,

then gaveling it closed.

It'd be certain political suicide, but we'll see.

[C Moon]

38. While they're at it, Moscow Mitch needs to be investigated.