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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDavid Corn: There's Just One Problem With Dems Fast-Tracking Impeachment
Theres Just One Problem With Dems Fast-Tracking Impeachment
His name is Mitch McConnell.
David Corn
At the start of this week, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to his colleagues in the House that provided a status report on the impeachment inquiry he has been overseeing. He noted that after weeks of investigation and public hearings, We have uncovered a months-long effort in which President Trump again sought foreign interference in our elections for his personal and political benefit at the expense of our national interest. And he informed his fellow House members that the committee was preparing a report that will be handed to the judiciary committee soon after Congress Thanksgiving recessand that the judiciary committee will then proceed with the next phase of the impeachment inquiry. Schiff wrote, This is an urgent matter that cannot wait if we are to protect the nations security and the integrity of our elections. He added, we will continue with our investigative work and do not foreclose the possibility of further depositions or hearings, we will not allow the President or others to drag this out for months on end in the courts.
The message: Impeachment is on a fast track. Thats been House Speaker Nancy Pelosis strategystick to a narrow case for impeachment (the Ukrainian caper), dont get bogged down in a lengthy and complicated investigation, demonstrate that House Democrats are not overly fixated on impeachment at the expense of other work, and dont test the voting publics patience. This certainly makes sense. Though public opinion polls show support for Trumps impeachment at about 50 percent, Democratic strategists are convinced that a long, drawn-out process will turn the public against the Democrats. And the next election is just around the corner. The closer an impeachment trial in the Senate gets to Election Day, the more power there will be to the Republican argument that voters across the land should decide Trumps fate, not a bunch of senators in Washington. So the Democratic plan appears to be to draw up and vote onand presumably approvearticles of impeachment before Congress breaks for the holidays in mid-December.
There is a possible problem with this approach: Mitch McConnell. Once the House Democrats adopt those articles and kick impeachment over to the Senate for trial, they will lose control of the narrative. And then McConnell, the wily Republican leader in the Senate, and other GOPers in that body will be in charge of the story. Though Chief Justice John Roberts would preside over an impeachment trial, McConnell has a lot of leeway in setting some ground rules for that historic event. Imagine if Trumps defense team wants to emulate the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee and call Hunter Biden, the whistleblower, and others to the stand as part of Trumps defenseto turn the trial into a circus or advance the phony cover stories, excuses, and distractions Trump and his allies have cooked up. The proceedings could turn into a free-for-all and provide Trump and the Republicans a platform for their various conspiracy theories. (Ukraine intervened in the 2016 election! Where are the Democratic servers?) Perhaps Roberts could keep the Republicans in line, but Senate rules do allow a majority to vote on questions of evidence and other matters. The rules state that the chief justice may rule on all questions of evidence including, but not limited to, questions of relevancy, materiality, and redundancy of evidence and incidental questions, which ruling shall stand as the judgment of the Senate, unless some Member of the Senate shall ask that a formal vote be taken thereon, in which case it shall be submitted to the Senate for decision without debate.
In other words, the Republicans could try to use the trial for their own purposes. And even if they dont succeed in getting these and other witnesses to the stand, just having the fight will help them and Trump. During the recent hearings, Schiff was able to prevent Republicans from circusfying the sessions because he held the gavel. He rejected their requests for these sorts of witnesses. In the Senate, Roberts and McConnells majority, which is hostile to the impeachment process, will be in charge.
Then theres Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who behaves like Trumps Mini-Me. He has already announced hell conduct an investigation and hold hearings related to the activities of Joe and Hunter Biden in Ukraine. (There are no credible allegations they engaged in any wrongdoing.) Whether or not McConnell can turn the impeachment inquiry into a trial of the Bidens, Graham is aiming to do that on his own. Once the House passes articles of impeachment, the Senate Republicans could gain monopoly control of the Trump-Ukraine tale and use their power to morph a story of Trump wrongdoing into one of Democratic scheming and malfeasance.
more...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/11/theres-just-one-problem-with-dems-fast-tracking-impeachment-mitch-mcconnell/
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)The GOP is excellent at framing narratives.
They are terrible at governance, but excellent at lying.
These hearings should continue for months.
LAS14
(13,769 posts)... to the campaigns of Warren, Sanders, Booker, Klobuchar, Bennet, Harris and Biden? I heard somewhere that the constitution requires the attendance of all senators. True?
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)I should have made that clear. Every day more evidence is revealed.
LAS14
(13,769 posts)... probably already knew this at some level, but the CNN special "All the President's Lies" reminded me that if a lie is repeated enough times, even to point out that it is a lie, it begins to take hold as possibly true.
I've been very pleased that the MSM has finally figured this out and has talked about investigation into "Trump's political rivals" instead of "the Bidens." Likewise the Dems on the Intelligence Committee. But get the Repubs on TV running the show and calling Joe and Hunter Biden as witnesses. Joe will never recover from the hit of some idiots coming up with doubts.
Remeber her e-mails!!!!!!
FM123
(10,053 posts)pecosbob
(7,533 posts)They must be kept on their heels in reaction to damaging news straight through until the next election...no let ups.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,396 posts)It's going to play out the same way, no matter how fast or slow they go in the House TBH. I'm not quite sure what the solution is, however.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Senate Republicans and especially the Majority Leader have no trouble and no qualms about abusing their offices for political ends to the detriment of the country. That much is indisputable, whether the House fast-tracks or slow-walks impeachment.
There are a few arrows in the Democrats' quiver. The House can roll out impeachment in a deliberate fashion, drawing and re-drawing the picture through a steady stream of witnesses and evidence until the details of how the administration has failed the American people sink in, and the conclusion is mostly inescapable (I use "mostly" advisedly, because there are always folks out there to pooh-pooh the administration's crimes).
Then, the House can assign the drawing up of formal articles of impeachment to a committee, which can reinforce the charges against Trump with a detailed recitation of his high crimes and misdemeanors. Then the referral of articles to the full House for discussion and debate. Put the Republicans on the defensive to explain how the multitude of charges is nothing to get all shirty about. Keep hammering home the evidence and the narrative, and rally public opinion long before the Senate ever gets its dirty mitts on the matter.
Once in the Senate, the process will be at the non-existent mercy of Mitch McConnell, but Democratic Senators on the campaign trail can avail themselves of the opportunity to rail against McConnell and whatever antics he chooses to perform. The media like to report on a good donnybrook, and the Democrats should give them ample opportunity to do so. Especially when it's about something that actually matters.
Miles Archer
(18,837 posts)Once it makes its way to McConnell, it will become a full-blown indictment of Democrats. Nunes and Jordan on steroids.
Takket
(21,529 posts)Even if the Bidens were guilty as all hell, IT DOESNT MATTER. drumpf still extorted the Ukraine for his own benefit. Two wrongs dont make a right.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)I don't think Biden will be the nominee, though.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)Unfortunately, I think that's a reasonable concern. Never underestimate the ignorance or the shortness of attention spans among the US public.
The Republicans in the Senate, though, will act how they're going to act regardless.
tableturner
(1,680 posts)forthemiddle
(1,375 posts)Lets face it, to the general public, The Mueller Report was a dud, that went on way to long. It allowed Trump, and his followers to claim that nothing was found, no matter how wrong that was.
If the impeachment goes on that long with no smoking gun, Im afraid thats what will happen again.
We also know, without a doubt, that the Republicans will draw out every thing they can. We know the will want Hunter Biden to testify. And the closer to election the better for them. Although this will be a trial, dont fool yourself that theyre will allow the Democrats anything that even resembles a closing argument. The final verdict will be Not Guilty and thats the sound bite that will follow him to the election.
Thats why I say wrap it up as soon as possible, and use the impeachment to our advantage, not the acquittal.
The average voter has a short attention span, dont allow the acquittal to be that close to the election.