Republicans discuss a longer Senate impeachment trial to scramble Democratic primaries [View all]

[lanlady]

Source: Washington Post

By Robert Costa,,
Michael Scherer and
Seung Min Kim
November 13, 2019 at 6:42 p.m. EST

Some Republican senators and their advisers are privately discussing whether to pressure GOP leaders to stage a lengthy impeachment trial beginning in January to scramble the Democratic presidential race — potentially keeping a half-dozen candidates in Washington until the eve of the Iowa caucuses or longer.
Those conversations about the timing and framework for a trial remain fluid and closely held, according to more than a dozen participants in the discussions. But the deliberations come as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faces pressure from conservative activists to swat back at Democrats as public impeachment hearings began this week in the House.
The discussions raise a potential hazard for the six Democratic senators running for president, who had previously planned on a final sprint out of Washington before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses and the Feb. 11 New Hampshire primary.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-discuss-a-longer-senate-impeachment-trial-to-scramble-democratic-primaries/2019/11/13/d7e46d24-064c-11ea-b17d-8b867891d39d_story.html