White House expects GOP defections on calling witnesses in Senate impeachment trial

[brooklynite]

Source: CBS News

Washington — The White House is preparing for some Republican senators to join Democrats in voting to call witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, which could get underway in the coming days.

Senior White House officials tell CBS News they increasingly believe that at least four Republicans, and likely more, will vote to call witnesses. In addition to Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and possibly Cory Gardner of Colorado, the White House also views Rand Paul of Kentucky as a "wild card" and Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee as an "institutionalist" who might vote to call witnesses, as one official put it.

Last week, Collins said she was working with a "fairly small group" of GOP senators to allow new testimony, adding that her colleagues "should be completely open to calling witnesses." Romney has expressed an interest in hearing from former national security adviser John Bolton, who has said he would testify under subpoena. Murkowski said last week that the Senate should proceed as it did during the 1999

Gardner and Alexander have both said the Senate trial should be fair and impartial. Paul has said the president should be able to call his own witnesses, including the whistleblower whose complaint about Ukraine sparked the impeachment inquiry in the first place.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/impeachment-trial-white-house-expects-republican-defections-on-calling-new-witnesses-in-the-senate/

[pwb]

1. Some lawmakers take the Law seriously.

The trump republican Loyalist are not as strong as they say, neither is their base. He is fucked and should resign today.

[bluestarone]

2. BULL!

I will believe it when i SEE IT!

[getagrip_already]

4. my thoughts exactly - if they are saying it, it's a lie... n/t

[bluestarone]

5. YEP

TOTAL lie

[tblue37]

20. +1. nt

[hibbing]

3. Collins? hahahahahahhaahahahhahaha n/t

[usaf-vet]

11. ROGER that! Why would ANYONE believe anything she says. I wish the MSM would ignore her.

[Raster]

12. She is soooooo concerned!

#ConcernedCollins

[Dennis Donovan]

6. Sen Alexander says he will vote against motion to dismiss

Link to tweet

Leigh Ann Caldwell ✔ @LACaldwellDC

.@SenAlexander tells me and @GarrettHaake that he will “vote against the motion to dismiss”

“I think we need to hear the case; Ask your questions. Then ... we ought to decide then whether we need to hear from additional witnesses or need additional documents.”

4:44 PM - Jan 13, 2020

Step in the right direction, but no commitment to voting to hear the witnesses themselves yet.

[calimary]

7. Fair. NOT Fixed!!!

[marble falls]

8. I welcome this if its true.

[mn9driver]

9. Everything that comes from the White House is a lie.

There will be no GOP defections.

[getagrip_already]

10. I believe they are lying, but couldn't figure out why....

Then it dawned on me that they want this over with fast. That won't happen as long as dems believe moscow will just dismiss it with no real evidence or witnesses.

But they also know that as soon as the senate has what it needs, it can do just that.

So they want us to believe there is support for evidence and witnesses. So nancy will release the articles and appoint managers.

In reality, they will slam this shut as fast as they can. They are more and more concerned about the sotu happening with impeachment not settled.

That is why they let this out.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Plan B - no impeachable offense was committed

These alleged incidents were like ... jaywalking!

[turbinetree]

14. November 3, 2020 cannot get here fast enough.......................

this is no debate.....................either your for witnesses or you are not.....................

[wiley]

15. Exactly why we should be all over Ernst and McSally

We need to get on it.

[Roland99]

16. They're gonna call up hunter

[kairos12]

17. Fool's gold. Drumpt will point his Twitter mob

at them and they will in line with the other zombies.

[lastlib]

18. "Fair and impartial" to a repuglican is when it's rigged in their favor.......

It is a cardinal violation to trust one to do what is right. Not to mention dumb.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

19. Calling the whistleblower won't change the case, only the future.

Once he or she is identified, their life will become a living hell. RW radio hosts are already calling for their listeners to "go after" the person. They can expect death threats, vandalism, reprisals (despite the law preventing such behavior), and mind-boggling legal expenses as Trump and his minions pursue them in the courts.

Who would voluntarily put themselves through such an ordeal? That's why they want to get the whistleblower's name -- to discourage future whistleblowers.

The law requires the whistleblower's identity remain anonymous. Keep it that way.

[lark]

21. Is this why Russia hacked Burisma recently? They wanted to add fake evidence against Biden?

Is that why Colllins had a change of heart - Impotus3 told her he wanted witnesses so he could call Biden and present "trumped" up PUtin lies?

I still think Speaker Pelosi should hold up the "Abuse of Power" Article pending further very relevant information.

[DeminPennswoods]

22. Maddow said again last night, everyone who thinks they know

how the trial will turn out, really doesn't.