Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Sunday formally requested Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to subpoena key witnesses in the Trump administration as the Senate’s impeachment trial looms ahead.
McConnell’s response: “If you let us subpoena Hunter Biden, that Ukrainian taxi driver who had to pay $20 to get his hack license, and the operator of the Cosmic Pizza server storage refrigerator. Oh yeah, and George Soros.”
Dunno. I think Chuck may be telling Mitch “you’re gonna be on record for ALL of this, motherfucker.”
I’m no expert on impeachment trial procedure, but I should think it is up to the House managers of trhe impeachment–the prosecutors–to issue subpoenas for the trial. Schumer’s letter sounds like political theater.
Don’t think this is going to be a straight forward slam/dunk like Moscow Mitch thinks it will be. Looks like there might be a few hitches in this process that the Rethugs just couldn’t imagine happening. Hope the web gets more and more tangled.
Excuse me, but did I miss the part where Chuck said “pretty please with a cherry on top”? Dude’s gonna get steamrolled with not knowing proper procedures.
It’s noice to know, that the only guys who are scared of a Trump Senate trial, is the majority leader and his lieutenants.
Damn shame that McConnell could not care less.
This is the smart move. Ask for subpoena for,those with additional “direct evidence” as to trump’s actions. Really puts the republicans who are in tight races this year (co, ia, me, nc, ga, az and don’t count out Texas) in a bad spot, as well as forces the few folks up in the next cycle (pat toomey in pa is an e.g.) and then the two honorable republicans (murkowski, Romney) into a difficult place.
Vote no and be part of the conspiracy with trump. And part of trump’s obstruction.
This is not about if the senate convicts trump, it is about how many republicans hurt their own electability now or in the future.
And p.s. every republican senator has to ask him or herselves what is in Trump’s taxes? What actually happened when Trump talked to Bolton, e.g… What will further witnesses say? These procedural votes are really dangerous. Vote to cut of the investigation, then it comes out in June that Trump has been laundering Russian $$$$, Russian $$$$ kept him afloat? You voted not to investigate it all? Voted against witnesses testifying? That is NOT a vote that is going to get you reelected in CO, AZ, IA, ME, and probably not in TX or NC or even GA…
Meanwhile, Trump continues to demand that the trial witnesses include Paula Jones, Roy Moore, Joe Arpaio, the three pardoned war criminals, the two Russian hookers, and the guy with the “Get A Brain Morans” sign.
I think Joe Biden should publicly volunteer to testify under oath if Trump also agrees to do the same.
No. The Senate decides if it will hear witnesses and whether to allow subpoenas. So this is proper.
The senate rules allow the house managers to subpoena witnesses. Those rules can be changes, or subpoenas denied, with 51 votes. Schumer is laying down his markers, designed to make clear where this ought to go…
McConnell can’t lose three votes, and it sounds like pat toomy is paying attention to how this will all look in this 2022 race for reeelection in pa. Collins is in the same place, but up in 2020. Add them to murkowski and Romney and the issue becomes clearer.
It is also notably how someone like John Coryn in Texas (up this year) is making different sounds then McConnell is.
Love this idea… love it …
Brought back a memory from just four hours ago…
“Could somebody please tell me where in the hell Chuck Schumer is ? He’s Minority Leader and I don’t recall him saying anything at all.”
It may not be what we want, but it’s not nuth’n.
Moscow Mitch will agree as long as they do not have to speak.
Maximum Pressure.
Get McConnell and/or GOP Senators saying “No, we don’t want to hear from Mulvaney, Bolton, Pence, Pompeo…” It’ll look particularly hypocritical after the GOP kept yelling about the “rigged process” in the House.
Why in the hell would the House forward impeachment to the senate after McConnell and crew have already stated they’re coordinating with the defendant? They should withhold until they’re promised a good faith trial AND testimony from previously subpoenaed members of the bribery scheme. Also, they should add an article for the illegal libel and slander against Yovonovich and other public servants.
I know, I know.
If that’s Schumer’s play, he didn’t learn very much from the Bart O’ hearings. They ignored several credible witnesses to Bart’s behavior and one participant in the attempted rape, as well as all the financial impropriety and it didn’t slow that nomination down a bit.
@noonm
Republicans and their base don’t give a damn about their own hypocrisy because they are never penalized for it. I rarely even hear it mentioned in the MSM.
Their are two issues going on. The first is “do I vote to remove trump” the second is “do I look like a partisan hack in doing so”
Schumer wants to get more evidence. But looking like a partisan and refusing to allow that evidence to come in is far worse (and less defendantable) than simply voting not guilty. Schumer has kept his mouth shut because he wants to look like he is looking at the merits. He has to do so for a few of his members (Jones, Manchin in particular).
McConnell and Graham shooting off their mouths has NOT been smart. Not in any way. It really gives a potent line of attack against their vulnerable members. This is why Toomey was so sharp today. He knows that punking for the republcans will cost him his seat in 2022. He has to look like he is honestly reviewing the evidence.