Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Sunday, just two days before President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is set to start, that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has withheld even “the most basic negotiation or exchange of information.”
“The bottom line is, is there going to be a fair trial? Are we going to have evidence, documents and witnesses? To this point, Senator McConnell has said ‘no, not necessary.’ He’s made up his mind long ago,” Durbin said. “But I think the American people expect a real trial to have real witnesses and evidence.”
Thanks, Sen Durbin, but I think you and I both know that the American people have no dog in this fight. What we want means nothing to #ditchMoscowMitch. He’s stacked the deck and nothing will come of this. You know that; I know that; we all pretty much know that. So don’t wait around for anything you hope will provide clarity. Mud is the best we can hope for.
“The bottom line is, is there going to be a fair trial? Are we going to have evidence, documents and witnesses? To this point, Senator McConnell has said ‘no, not necessary.’ He’s made up his mind long ago,” Durbin said. “But I think the American people expect a real trial to have real witnesses and evidence.”
Lordy, I hope so. If McConnell pulls this off without much in the way of repercussions, we’re screwed.
First, the good news:
About half of Americans say the Senate should vote to convict President Donald Trump and remove him from office in the upcoming impeachment trial (51%), according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, while 45% say the Senate should vote against conviction and removal.
Not the strongest numbers. I was hoping for 55% or better. Then again, we all know polls are pretty much useless when Trump is involved.
The ball is in the GOP’s court now. I doubt Mitch and Roberts are going to hold a real trial.Obfuscation is what we’re going to get.
And hopefully Durbin will PROCLAIM this over and over and over for a long time.
There won’t be. Have there been any repercussions about anything so far?
That’s the word:
Repercussions.
Repercussions come from us. They do not come from Hugh Hewitt. Or Brian Kilmeade. Or Anderson Cooper.
Or Chuck Todd.
If there was a mile-wide meteor coming toward the U.S. due on Nov 2020, it would be no less dangerous to our way of life than what Trump and McConnnell have planned.
And there would surely be serious repercussions if Turtle McConnell vetoed all funding to deal with the meteor. These repercussions would result in McConnell being arrested, should that have occurred
Even if McConnell was given a Kremlin Guarantee that every GOPPER would win re-election this fall, We the People still have the collective power to react to the type of treason McConnell is proposing.
Just like with the meteor.
Let’s see how things go when more evidence is submitted and see how the GOP truly run this thing.
If it all goes as I suggest (nothing but moves to end it after opening statements), it could open the eyes of a few more Americans to want him out.
I can always hope, can’t I? They haven’t taken that away yet…?
Will any of tomorrow be on TV? I know some won’t be. I just don’t think I can do it, it will be too painful to watch.
What I’m hoping for is that a miscalculated show trail combined with the constant stream of revelations will finally cause some real unrest. I wouldn’t bet the farm on it, but McConnell is not infallible.
This is what I’ve found:
Just on CSPAN and CSPAN-2. There’s a Yahoo news link, but it’s garbage.
Starts at 1p eastern.
At least no one can complain of disruptions to Judge Judy.
ETA: there might be some kind of feed or blog here, but given no press and no electronics, it would just come from watching the C-Span, I’m guessing.
I see that the collective powerlessness of the Democratic Senate (as compared with the House) has infected this thread.
The objective reality of Trump’s overall weakness is the same.
We will prevail.
What I find interesting is the dogged determination to be sad. There is no country better equipped to stop a stupid, would-be dictator like Trump than the United States.
McConnell is an old GOP/RW pimp…who will have his day, soon enough.
You need to be right. I want you to be right.
Evidence to the contrary, but I’m hoping you are right.
Durbin and the House Managers don’t know what kind of buzzsaw they’re walking into - that’s deliberate and entirely the right of the Senate to hide this stuff. I’m sure they’re prepared for the worst.
PBS is airing the trial live for as long as it lasts.
I see your concern. It’s a matter of one’s interpretation. @khyber900 has noted (probably) today that the scenario of a bullshit “show trial”, which is what people here are all handwringing and Glooming about, would be beneficial for Democrats.
(relatively) Powerless Democratic Senators usually do not evoke as much confidence to nervous people as folks like Schiff and Pelosi.
Thank you both. @becca656 @rascal_crone
And this where the rubber meets the road, with respect to Pelosi, Schiff and the other House Managers.
They. Cannot. Get. Rattled. by the Senate or Roberts. They have to maintain their cool, stick to the facts and not get drawn in to the prattlings of folks like Graham.
Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.
As soon as that cool is even minutely tested or, worse, broken, it could well be all over.
My money is on Khyber900 finding a way to blame Bernie.
He’d find a way to blame the ‘Democratic establishment’ or Obama first and then I’d call him on it.
Like a moth to a flame.