If they haven't already, the Republicans in the Senate will soon realize this.

[shockey80]

If they fail to convict a proven criminal, a criminal who committed another serious crime on live TV during an impeachment hearing, they will ruin their careers and the party itself. They will realize if they do not convict Trump they will be giving a proven criminal a green light, immunity to commit more crimes. If Trump is not convicted, everything he does afterwards the Republicans will be held responsible.

They will recognize Trump has put our national security and the world order in jeopardy. Many of the Republicans in the Senate are not as extreme, crazy as the Republicans in the house. The house members come from gerrymandered nut bag tea party districts. The people from those districts elected lunatics to represent them. Republicans in the Senate represent their entire states.

If the Republicans in the Senate do not convict Trump or force him to resign, that decision will go down as one of the most incompetent self destructive acts in our history.

We have to hope sanity takes over and they finally put country first. If not, we will all pay a heavy price.

I am concerned the Republicans will use this as their final defense. They will say it's too close to the election for impeachment, let the people decide in November. Many Americans may agree with that. That could give the Republicans in the Senate cover.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Of course they do, most of them anyway...

But they are politicians and always have a finger in the air checking for wind direction.

Remember-- Nixon won re-election with the largest majority in history but went down in almost no time at all. Everyone in DC knew he was a crook, and was just waiting for the right time to nail him. Lol pop

[gordianot]

2. At some point some Republicans will label this Trumpism and disavow participation.

Eventually Republican “Never Trumpers” will crawl out from under their rocks, they in turn need to be made to burn in the sunshine.

[Joe941]

3. They have already sanctioned his behavior.

[Ohiogal]

4. So then how do you explain

my nutbag senator Portman, who says that Donnie's actions in regards to Ukraine and Biden were wrong, but in his estimation, are not impeachable offenses? And Portman is supposed to be a "moderate"! (which all of us in Ohio know is a joke, he will gladly lick Trump's ass if it's good for Portman).

[wryter2000]

5. Yup

That's going to be their defense. It was our defense of Clinton. Of course, we were right, but that's a fine distinction these days.

[Eyeball_Kid]

10. IMO, Portman will turn on the most recent evidence of witness intimidation.

Nothing that Trumpy is now doing encourages his political supporters to maintain their supportive positions. Nothing. They will soon realize that he is leading them into a dead end alley. They'll have to convict.

If they don't, we're finished as a democratic republic.

I remember, back in 2015 or 2016, a quote from Rudy Giuliani. He said that the 2016 election will be the nation's last free election. Does anyone else remember that quote? It seemed weakly ominous at the time, and nearly silly. But it wasn't. Giuliani was up to his neck in the weakening of the Constitution and the strengthening of Russia's influence on Trumpy. He was all-in because Giuliani likely sees himself as one of the US' post-Constitutional oligarchs, in the fine tradition of Russia's hierarchy of wealth. And perhaps if the nation turns against Trumpy, we'll see more details of how Giuliani is the most treasonous of them all.

[Eyeball_Kid]

6. By deferring to the next election, Senate GOPers...

... will take the passive route in an attempt to preserve the Constitution. That's not a strong statement to make. But in doing so, they hand the active role to Trumpy, who can cheat to his heart's desire on the next election. He'll have the liberty to get election help from all foreign powers willing to weaken the US. He will set up the pre-conditions to cancel the election (declaring an emergency, etc.) and extend his term. He'll threaten civil violence if his presidency is threatened. He'll have the freedom to run roughshod over any law or regulation that levels the playing field, and he'll do it. Guaranteed.

[Scotch-Irish]

7. Mitch McConnell will never let that happen.

I think it was Mitt Romney that said he thought there were "35 republican senators" that can't stand tRump, and wish they could vote to remove him from office, but for their base (and their 1%er donors, I'm sure).

[Eyeball_Kid]

11. Yes, but... Yes, but...

Romney isn't exactly the voice of courage. He's consistently willing to give cowardice a chance. Trumpy will run over Romney at his own whim. Romney will slink away. Do we remember the photo of Romney having a meal with Trumpy when Romney was in search of a Cabinet position? Trumpy shoved Romney around like a doll. Romney had this frightened look on his face that I'll never forget.

One of the unspoken contributors to the evil behavior of Trumpy is Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter. Dorsey allows Trumpy to dominate the news cycle, every news cycle, every day. He allows Trumpy to threaten and insult both normal people and those of notoriety on DORSEY'S platform, in spite of his terms of service agreements. Dorsey collects a fortune in advertising money for his cowardice. That's the name of HIS game.

[Kablooie]

18. McConnell is the key

The only criteria he has is if he can hold onto the senate majority. He will decide which way three senate votes. Most senators will vote the way he tells them. Nothing else matters.

If removing Trump decreases election chances for more senators than not removing him Trump will remain and Vice Versa.

The only alternative is if they vote for a secret ballot then senators can vote how they truly feel instead of how McConnell tells them.

A secret ballot only takes a majority vote which means 3 republicans. I hope a vote is allowed for it but don’t hold my breath.

[jimlup]

8. Everything you say is true but...

give up hope that the Republican Senators will think of anything but partisan interests. Perhaps a few may become smart enough to recognize that they are on a sinking ship but don't expect it.

The reason they are "Republican Senators" is because they are partisans. You don't because a Republican Senator because you want to help the people of your state. You become a Republican Senator because you see that you can take advantage of partisanship in a Red leaning state.

They will have a hard time dropping the Republican label even if, ultimately, it would be in their own self-interest. Most are not able to think beyond the Red blinders they wear every hour of every day.

[ooky]

9. When is the last time Republicans "put country first"?

They will simply say that his crimes are not crimes and do not rise to impeachment and conviction. They believe that is their best option to avoid being wiped out in the upcoming 2020 elections. We, in turn, must label every republican running for reelection who votes not to impeach or convict as being a traitor to the Constitution for betraying his/her oath of office. It should appear in every ad we run and every debate.

[beachbumbob]

12. Gop will never hold a trial

It will be the Merrick Garland excuse and for good reason. Not holding a trial is their least worse path to take

[global1]

14. As Far As I'm Concerned - I Hold The Repugs Responsible For Every Criminal Action That.....

Trump has done since they let him run as a Repug.

[patphil]

15. I've said this before, and I'll say it again.

With all that has gone on over the past 3+ years, and now the impeachment hearings, the smart thing for the Republicans to do is cut their losses and get rid of Trump.
They certainly have a strong enough basis to do so now.
If they want to salvage their party for the long term, they will remove Trump and install Pence.
He's no prize, but it gives the nation nearly one year until the next election for the republicans to do damage control and perhaps diminish their otherwise huge loss at the polls in 2020.
Imagine if Trump is impeached and not removed after all the testimony we have heard, and will hear, and all the other incredible shit he has done.
The blue wave of 2018 would look like a small ripple compared to the tsunami of 2020.
If they dump Trump, the republicans would still very likely lose the presidency, and the senate, but it would give them a basis on which they could regroup and recover in 2022 and 2024.

One more year of Trump would do immense damage to the nation, and the continued embrace of Trump by the republicans in 2020 would wreck them for decades.
Not to mention the long term damage to the nation.

They have to choose:
Do they love their country, or just their positions in government?
Do they serve the nation, or just themselves?

Patrick Phillips

[vlyons]

16. It's way too late for the GOP

The traitor train is already a dozen stops down the track. They have shown that they are for sale. And where is it easiest to get money? Why from Russian oligarchs and Ukranian corrupt officials, and anywhere else where there are mobsters eager to make a deal to launder money.

[StTimofEdenRoc]

17. But first they will make the Trump impeachment, all about the Bidens and Hillary.

[BamaRefugee]

19. The only thing Republican Senators have to worry about is their STATE. Screw the nation.

As long as their state, whichever it is, has a large enough population of racist, mysoginistic, gun loving morons, they will get elected no matter what.
They're not going to be shamed into any kind of behavioral changes.
I grew up for 7 years in South Carolina, with Strom Thurmond winning time after time, along with Jesse Helms just over the northern border, and they couldn't have cared less about national trends, only about appeasing the rednecks.
For DECADES, people have said the same thing, THIS IS IT FOR THE REPUBLICANS, as they stumbled through scandals, failures, and rotten to the core Presidents, and yet every single time THEY CAME BACK AND WERE EVEN WORSE!
Just like the proverbial cockroaches after a nuclear war....

[SayItLoud]

20. If constituents call their Senators then the voters

are telling their representatives what they desire. I do think that the rePUBICS will claim "too close to an election let the voters decide", and tRUMP will scream "I N N O C E N T", then play the sympathy card, demand his base support him, and continue to lie, and destroy our country. And in the, win or lose he will first, pardon all the co conspirators, and be pardoned and given immunity by either himself or Pence. Just IMO and Just sayin..

[crickets]

21. They're going to turn.

Mitch McConnell be damned, the Senate will turn on Trump. Yovanovitch's testimony is the death knell for them; everything after will only underline the inescapable truth that Trump has to go if the country itself is to remain standing. Not everyone is stuffed to the gills with Russian dirty money like Mitch - some, but not enough.

It's too little too late for the party, but they will desperately try to redeem themselves. Screw them. It will be enough for the rest of us that they turn; let them burn in the ashes of what's left of the Republican party while we all move on to the long hard task of cleaning up the mess.