McConnell privately says he wants Trump gone as Republicans quietly lobby him to convict

[groundloop]

Source: CNN

As the House prepares to send articles of impeachment to the Senate on Monday, CNN has learned that dozens of influential Republicans around Washington -- including former top Trump administration officials -- have been quietly lobbying GOP members of Congress to impeach and convict Donald Trump. The effort is not coordinated but reflects a wider battle inside the GOP between those loyal to Trump and those who want to sever ties and ensure he can never run for President again.

The lobbying started in the House after the January 6 attack on the Capitol and in the days leading up to impeachment. But it's now more focused on Sen. Mitch McConnell, the powerful minority leader who has signaled he may support convicting Trump.

"Mitch said to me he wants Trump gone," one Republican member of Congress told CNN. "It is in his political interest to have him gone. It is in the GOP interest to have him gone. The question is, do we get there?"

McConnell had proposed delaying the trial until February, but with the articles coming to the Senate on Monday, the process will likely be set in motion sooner. It would take 17 Republicans to join all 50 Democrats in order to convict. While the bar is high, some GOP sources think there is more of an appetite to punish the former President than is publicly apparent.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/politics/mcconnell-trump-impeachment-conviction-republicans/index.html

---

Once again Moscow Mitch and most of his fellow GOPers will only do what's good for themselves and not what's good for the country.

[sfstaxprep]

1. If Turtle Can Get The 17 Votes....

He WILL Vote To Convict.

He will probably not lobby for it either way. He will see how many come forward with an interest, and perhaps sense whether there are enough others to reach the 17 threshold, including himself.

[AntiFascist]

18. What if a certain number of GOP senators decide not to show up?

they only need 2/3 of those who show up to vote in order to convict.

[sfstaxprep]

19. Yes, That Would Work

Any who chose not to be present for vote, would in effect be voting to Convict.

Unfortunately it sounds like the votes may not be there. I suspect that if Turtle doesn't expect it to reach 67, he's not going to lend his support, and he'll vote against it.

[AntiFascist]

20. Here's another idea (probably not original)...

could the Democrats compromise by instead voting based on Amendment 14 Section 3 to prevent Trump from ever running for office again? They would only need a majority in that case. This would seem to be the more urgent outcome that is needed so that Trump can't raise any more "campaign" money.

[sfstaxprep]

28. No

You can't have the vote to bar from office again, unless you Convict with the 2/3rds vote.

[AntiFascist]

29. I believe Congress could enact legislation to enforce the 14th amendment Section 3...

both the Washington Post and NY Times have reported on this.

I'm wondering if this could be used by Democrats as a compromise:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/opinion/Trump-impeachment-disqualification.html

...The 14th Amendment gives Congress the power to enforce Section 3 through legislation. So Congress can immediately pass a law declaring that any person who has ever sworn to defend the Constitution — from Mr. Trump to others — and who incited, directed, or participated in the Jan. 6 assault “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” and is therefore constitutionally disqualified from holding office in the future.

Congress can also decide how this legislation will be enforced by election officials and the courts, based on all the facts as they come out. The Constitution prohibits Congress from enacting so-called bills of attainder, which single out individuals for guilt. But, in addition to the legislation we suggest, Congress could also pass nonbinding sense-of-Congress resolutions that specify whom they intend to disqualify. This would provide a road map for election officials and judges, should any people named in those resolutions seek to run for or hold public office. And Congress can do this by a simple majority — far less of a hurdle than the two-thirds majority in the Senate that removing the president requires.

It appears that the impeachment trial will be happening regardless.

[sfstaxprep]

31. Could It Be Done With A Majority Vote?

Could it be filibustered and go nowhere?

[AntiFascist]

32. Something this serious...

along with the recently reported DOJ coup attempt, should deserve the nuclear option in order to overcome a filibuster.

[thesquanderer]

2. God forbid they actually vote on the merits rather than on what's good or bad for themselves. n/t

[magicarpet]

3. They fucked up the ReThug Party by allowing trDump to become their standard bearer.

It is now the White Supremacist Nazi ReThug Party. White Power is now deeply ingrained in their party platform with the Orange Fatsolini their Fuhrer in chief.

If they attempt to shed the most fervent Fascists they shed 35% to 40% of their most rabid foaming at the mouth Nazi base.

[LiberalFighter]

4. If some Republicans don't show up they will need fewer of the 17.

[BComplex]

6. That's what I recommend for the republicans that don't want to vote to convict, but still want

trump gone from the party.

IF YOU CAN'T VOTE TO CONVICT, JUST DON'T SHOW UP!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. GOP wants this to go away. "Acquit" votes will need explanations, or end careers

Hold their feet to the fire soon will give them less chance of escape. And best of all, Democrats don't really care which way they vote. The real vote is banishment from office, and WHO is going to vote to allow an insurrectionist another candidacy?

[Massacure]

14. Conviction votes could also very well end careers

The danger of drawing a far-right primary challenger following a conviction vote is higher the more red a state is, and the damage from a Democratic challenger in the general election is greater the more blue a state is. Republicans who are Class III senators from swing states, Chuck Grassley (IA), Ron Johnson (WI), Rob Portman (OH), Marco Rubio (FL) and Patrick Toomey (PA), will almost certainly face reelection peril no matter which way they vote. That said, I also imagine Grassley will want to retire and so he is probably free to vote his conscious.

[appmanga]

16. Toomey is retiring.

As is Richard Burr of NC, and Johnson may retire too. The Democrats can do well in the upcoming cycle if Georgia is used as model, and they show some backbone and get something done in this Congress.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. "and WHO is going to vote to allow an insurrectionist another candidacy?"

(now YOU should know better! )

[IcyPeas]

7. I just heard Ann Coulter on the a.m. radio and she is saying...

they want trump gone but they want to keep "Trumpism". The want/need all those wacko groups to vote "R". She suggests not to primary any republicans. Also she is saying they still want the wall built.

So put your seatbelts on.... trumpism ain't over. they are embracing it (according to ann coulter)... just looking for a new leader.

[Nitram]

8. I'm sure McConnell does want Trump gone. For good. He's outlived his usefulness and has left

the Republican Party in smoldering ruins. That's our best hope for the first ever conviction trial of an impeached President.

[Pantagruel]

9. If Trump's in charge

Mitch isn't. Simple.

[patphil]

10. I think a guilty verdict is possible.

After all, they aren't removing him from office, only seeing to it he never returns to office.
It would be good if they could also revoke his pension and cancel his passport.

[cstanleytech]

11. This is why I think Mitch has been trying to delay so that

he can permanently dispose of the problem that is Trump like you would dispose of a used condom.

[electric_blue68]

12. 🤬 McConnell - about as cruel as Drumph just not crazeee...

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Well I keep reading about it, so it can't be that privately

[appmanga]

15. Mitch McConnell might be a lot of lousy things...

...but, whether you think it's ill or good, he's one hell of a politician and strategist.

He has to know he must discredit and decimate Trump. He must cut his legs thoroughly from under him. Trump has been weakened and with the lack of the social media megaphone he once had, he's as vulnerable as he's ever been. McConnell knows Trump is the head of a snake, and once cut off, his cult members have nowhere else to go. McConnell can't take the chance of a Trump Party cleaving the Republicans; they'd have no chance in Wisconsin (possible open seat), Pennsylvania (open seat), North Carolina (open seat), Arizona, or Georgia, all of which will have competitive contests in the next cycle. He has to ruin Trump and keep him from having the ability to be on the ballot. And he has to have revenge for Trump losing him the majority.

Trump is already being abandoned by the Proud Boys and their ilk, as well as disillusioned Q-Anoners. I'd be shocked if McConnell didn't get his caucus to put the long knife in Trump's back.

[Escurumbele]

17. "Once again Moscow Mitch and...", this time I am OK with them doing what is best for their party

because that is what is best for the country and the Democratic party as well. And lets face it, it is the best for their party to get rid of trump and his mob, and without impeachment the trump crowd will continue to believe that it was a witch-hunt because trump was innocent, so fine, protect your party, it will do the country, and the World a lot of good.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" Turtle

He's YOURS and YOUR party will forever have the albatross.

[birdographer]

23. In this one particular case

isn't what's good for them actually also, coincidentally, good for the country? Let's keep trump from running again, and then let's make sure Hawley and Cruz don't make it to running.

[efhmc]

24. Don't believe him.

[JohnnyRingo]

25. Don't worry Donald. It's fake news from CNN. hahaha

Moscow Mitch would never turn on you after all you've done for him and the country.

Is that a Greyhound I hear?

[LiberalLovinLug]

26. Turtle is as Turtle does

IF Mitch does want Trump out, then SPEAK UP PUBLICLY.

You know what would be even a cleaner break from Donald? Not whispering in secret and then carefully leaking this maybe kinda trial balloon.

What he should have done, is make an impassioned speech (pretend it he has to) and blast Trump and his insurrection. Say how this is not who Republicans are. Forcefully decry the insurrection and Trumps part, and publicly demand that every damn Senator convict the motherf'er. And if they don't, they will be relegated off of committees and chairs for their term.

Yes, the red hats will hate him even more. But he'd also gain a lot of respect from the never-Trumper Republican voters, and right leaning independents.

Not that I want to give Mitch any good advice. But I'm banking that perusing through DU is not on his daily schedule.

[electric_blue68]

27. Hey Mitch! We will NEVER Forget what You & Co Foisted on Our Country!!!!! 😠🤬😠🤬😠🤬😠

Ok I'm a little better now. 😁

What they did, have done since effects continue...

[Zorro]

30. Steve Schmidt had some interesting predictions on Nicolle Wallace's program today

He predicted that the Qanon and related RWNJs will dominate the Republican primaries in the next election cycle, and that any remaining sane Republicans in Republican-leaning districts will vote for the Democratic candidate because they will see how their party has turned completely fascist -- so that the Dems may come out ahead of where they are today after the mid-terms.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

33. Conviction might be easy with a secret anonymous vote. When each vote is identified with a name, ..

... Republicans will fear to go against the Trump base.

Courage of conviction is not the Repubs long suit.

[BarbD]

34. Testing. Testing. Anyone out there gonna vote "Yes"?

He is subtly asking if there are any Republican Senators who would vote for impeachment. Seeing none, he will hide behind some ridiculous excuse for voting No.

[ck4829]

35. Oh my