Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) chastised President Donald Trump on Monday for pushing the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden during a July call.
Check
(the goalposts)
So, by Portman’s logic, engaging in traitorous activity is not impeachable. Begs the question: What is?
Yes he committed the crime, but it’s not illegal. Yeah, that works.
“The Ohio Republican said he doesn’t see the call as an impeachable offense…”
Says the guy who voted to impeach Bill Clinton.
Babysteps. Its not a full throated call for Trump’s removal today…but it will provide cover for more republican Senators to break away from Trump. As more comes out and this thing continues to snowball, they will eventually be voting for his removal.
No republican that votes for impeachment or removal is going to be doing so for “patriotic” reasons. We just have to accept that (for now, elections are still waiting), and take these openings coming exposed.
Yeah, well, c’mon, Billy Boy got caught with his trousers down with a young woman of legal age, while Spankee is committing serial treason against the US. Just can’t compare the two — Billy Boy is hands down the greater criminal.
Bookmarking.
Another Rethug tiptoes forward to make a small criticism of the criminal in chief. Again, it’s a start and hoping the pressure builds for more to tiptoe up and criticize. These guys are really a weak bunch of POS.
Like I said sometime last week, the easiest and safest path forward for McConnell and Senate republicans, will be to have a secret ballot vote for removal after the trial. That way they can safely vote to remove him as a group, but deny it individually as much as they want afterwards.
Is a secret vote even possible? That would be the ticket!
That’s pretty much the thinking within the DOJ, OLC, etc. right now.
Must be nice to have a pipeline to Heaven.
This one is more interesting, Portman didn’t really need to come out and say anything, the fact that he did makes it likely there are many more Senators who feel the same but aren’t going to say it and risk their seats. About 40% of the Republican Senators are up this year, and while most are safe they don’t want to say anything anti-Trump and risk a primary challenge from a right wing nutcase…in some of those states the nutcase would win and then (probably) lose the Senate seat. I’m sure they are playing it as carefully as they can, and allowing the Senators that are safe to go out and say something to make them appear patriotic and willing to point out Trump’s issues, while not quite going far enough to point out his criminal acts. After all, it’s not like Trump got a blow job, or wore a tan suit.
As for the secret vote…screw that, Americans deserve to know how their representatives voted on something like this. If the Republicans refuse to do the right thing and vote Trump out (if the evidence warrants it) then we need to know, and they need to pay the penalty for putting party above country.
There is nothing in the Constitution preventing it. I am not sure about the existing Senate rules.
Perhaps most telling is at least one republican strategist and Jeff Flake have also both said that if their was a secret ballot, 30-35 republican Senators would vote to remove him.
So I am sure its a subject that is being batted around in those private conversations.
Trial balloon. Once his base slaps him around for speaking out, he’ll clam up.
“It’s not appropriate for a President to engage a foreign government in an investigation of a political opponent…”
“…and this is why I have pledged that under no circumstances will I ever vote to impeach him.”
Traitors. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.
I hear you, but wonder if a secret vote was the ticket to remove him from office when it would otherwise not happen? I’m looking for anything that might work except not allowing any plea deals for him stepping down. He needs to suffer the consequences for what he’s put us through.