McConnell says GOP lacks votes to block impeachment witnesses, as Bolton book throws trial script in

[Bigun]

The rats know a good portion, if not most, republican congresspeople feel a closer association with the state than they do their party.

B I N G O ! ! !

[Maj. Bill Martin]

It's water over the dam because the  President has reverted to idiot mode and directly challenged Bolton as a liar, and a dangerous loon out to start World War Six.   As always,  Trump shoots from the hip and becomes his own worst enemy.   If Trump had merely confirmed that he had vigorous conversations with his advisors about Ukrainian corruption and whether the aid should be delayed while the Ukrainians were sounded out on the subject,  but ultimately that the aid was released without preconditions,  then the need for Bolton to testify would have gone away.   But instead he's challenging GOP Senators to either believe him or Bolton.  And many have known and respected Bolton for years.

That's who Trump is, and he isn't going to change.  The issue is how best to manage that reality.

It's madness, @Maj. Bill Martin.   As soon as Trump seems to be emerging from the muck, he dives right back in.  Now he's forcing GOP Senators - folks poised to SUPPORT him - to join in his quest to smear John Bolton.   Well at least some of 'em are going to respond that we need to hear from Bolton.   Trump steps in it,  yet again.   

Not calling him as a witness avoids that because nobody has to say who is telling the truth.  Maybe Trump did say that at some point, maybe he didn't, maybe it was an off the cuff comment he didn't mean seriously, maybe it was a miscommunication, but ultimately, that's irrelevant because Trump didn't follow through on what Bolton said he had planned to do.  He sent the aid, before the deadline, without any preconditions or concessions from Ukraine.  The end.

The nice thing about simply sticking to that point is that I'm not sure the average voter even knows that.  And I think a lot of folks would say "so what's the big deal"?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

The only time Mitch gets tough and plays hardball is when one of his own party dares to challenge him whether it's for his seat (Matt Bevin) about his honesty (Ted Cruz) or someone tries to take the seat of one of his inner circle.

Then why did he send the Democrats into apoplexy by killing the Garland nomination?

[txradioguy]

I posted this on another thread.

Let’s say McConnell doesn’t have the vote to prevent the call for witnesses. So, what?

Each individual witness must then be approved by a majority of the senate. Who has the majority? Right, the GOP. So, the result would likely be that no witness can get a majority.

In the end, no witnesses testify, and McConnell quickly moves on to a vote on the articles of impeachment, or possibly for dismissal.

The "so what part" is it's not the Senates duty obligation or job to call witnesses or enter new facts into the case.  That was the job of the House and they failed to do it.  It's not the job of the Senate to do it...no matter how much they whine and complain.

House didn't make their case...didn't prep etc...too bad...vote for dismissal in the Senate and put an end to this sham.

[Bigun]

The "so what part" is it's not the Senates duty obligation or job to call witnesses or enter new facts into the case.  That was the job of the House and they failed to do it.  It's not the job of the Senate to do it...no matter how much they whine and complain.

House didn't make their case...didn't prep etc...too bad...vote for dismissal in the Senate and put an end to this sham.

    

[txradioguy]

Then why did he send the Democrats into apoplexy by killing the Garland nomination?

Because that's how the Dems react any time they don't get their way.  It's in their SOP.  Never mind the fact they did the same kind of stuff to Bush 41.

When the Dems want to nominate someone when their POTUS is on the way out...the "Biden Rule" goes out the window and they act like it never happened.

[Absalom]

How is this Mitch's fault when you have 4 weak knee'd RHINOS to contend with

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What has been also overlooked, but should not be,
is that Trump is hardly a likeable person and many
in his own party want him gone yesterday.

[Absalom]

The rats know a good portion, if not most, republican congresspeople feel a closer association with the state than they do their party.

----------------------------
Insightful.
The  descriptive conservative is used interchangeably w/republican constantly on TBR and the assertion is beyond absurd.
Our core conservative party was the Southern Agrarian and Rural Democrats of Jefferson,
Madison and Monroe who stood for States Rights, Free Trade and Judicial restraint.
Fatally tarred w/Slavery, it perished post-Civil War.
In contrast, the Republicans represented Strong Centralized Govt, Trade Protectionism and
Judicial Activism.

[aligncare]

----------------------------
What has been also overlooked, but should not be,
is that Trump is hardly a likeable person and many
in his own party want him gone yesterday.

What are you talking about? Donald Trump is a very likable person. Just ask anyone who personally knows him or has worked for him. From employee’s in the corporate office down to the maintenance and delivery people at Trump Tower and to the local bodegas and shops neighboring his Manhattan building, he could often be spotted (before he became president) strolling joking and talking to folks in front of his building, like a regular person does!

Just cause you don’t like him you think others don’t?

People don’t stand in freezing temperatures three days waiting to attend his rallies (as in Wildwood, New Jersey, last night—and as was duplicated at a hundred other venues across the country) because he’s unlikable! One hundred fifty thousand ticket request for last night’s rally!

Get a grip, man!

[libertybele]

What are you talking about? Donald Trump is a very likable person. Just ask anyone who personally knows him or has worked for him. From employee’s in the corporate office down to the maintenance and delivery people at Trump Tower and to the local bodegas and shops neighboring his Manhattan building, he could spotted (before he became president) strolling and talking to folks in front of his building, like a regular person does!

Just cause you don’t like him you think others don’t?

People don’t stand in freezing temperatures three days waiting to attend his rallies (as in Wildwood, New Jersey, last night—and as was duplicated at a hundred other venues across the country).

Get a grip, man!

Exactly.  Yesterday in liberal New Jersey the attendees to his rally consisted of 26.3% Democrats and 10.4% people who didn't vote in 2016 -- that equates to nearly 40% attending are potentially NEW Trump votes.  That's just in New Jersey.

Not only that there was an estimated request for tickets for over 150,000, for an arena that seats approximately 7,500 people.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-campaign-new-jersey-rally-attendance-26-3-democrats-and-10-4-people-who-didnt-vote-in-2016

https://www.nj.com/news/2020/01/trump-said-tens-of-thousands-were-outside-his-nj-rally-in-wildwood-heres-what-we-found.html

[Absalom]

What are you talking about? Donald Trump is a very likable person. Just ask anyone who personally knows him or has worked for him. From employee’s in the corporate office down to the maintenance and delivery people at Trump Tower and to the local bodegas and shops neighboring his Manhattan building, he could often be spotted (before he became president) strolling joking and talking to folks in front of his building, like a regular person does!
Just cause you don’t like him you think others don’t?
People don’t stand in freezing temperatures three days waiting to attend his rallies (as in Wildwood, New Jersey, last night—and as was duplicated at a hundred other venues across the country) because he’s unlikable! One hundred fifty thousand ticket request for last night’s rally!
Get a grip, man!

---------------------------
It's an opinion forum and I expressed one you don't like.
How terribly sad!

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Hmm, it seems the lynch mob ready to string up McConnell may have to wait.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480526-gop-senators-believe-they-have-the-votes-to-block-witnesses

[sneakypete]

It's baffling to me that House dems can conduct a totally partisan sham "investigation",  impeach with no evidence,  and have Senate repubs give them a free do-over. The dems must be giddy with disbelief that their opponents are stupid enough to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

@Snarknado

Today's word children is "blackmail". Can YOU say "blackmail"?

[ArneFufkin]

Hmm, it seems the lynch mob ready to string up McConnell may have to wait.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480526-gop-senators-believe-they-have-the-votes-to-block-witnesses

The Turtle, if nothing else, is cagey.

It's going to come down to Lamar Alexander and he and McConnell have been colleagues and friends forever.  They've worked on KY/TN joint programs since the start.  I don't see Cory Gardner or Joannie Ernst defecting.

Hopefully, this thing is over on Saturday.  There are really no politicians on Democracy Earth that are more staid, disconnected and imperious than the 100 sitting US Senators.   I just cannot believe they sit and watch a guy like Adam Schiff and think anything but "Let's get this over with ALREADY."   Schiff is insufferable to all but his media groupies.   Senators don't appreciate condescension and BS.

[ArneFufkin]

---------------------------
It's an opinion forum and I expressed one you don't like.
How terribly sad!

True.  Part of that is owning and defending opinions others find ill-conceived and downright silly.

[sneakypete]

True.  Part of that is owning and defending opinions others find ill-conceived and downright silly.

@ArneFufkin

Correct me if I am wrong,but doesn't that take all the fun out of posting?

[Snarknado]

Too bad repubs have never learned how the game is played. If they had, they'd put a handful of senators out there pretending to be open to dems' arguments, string them along, then "reluctantly" go along with the majority, bemoaning the dems' regrettable lack of thoroughness in their "investigation", expecting the Senate to do the heavy lifting they couldn't be bothered with. If they hadn't done such a rushed, slipshod job, or put more competent people in charge, the outcome might have been different, but as it is they left us no choice.

A scenario like that would be a thing of beauty and a joy forever.

[Sighlass]

He has a well documented track record of working behind the scenes with the Dems.  He did it all the time with Obama.

The only time Mitch gets tough and plays hardball is when one of his own party dares to challenge him whether it's for his seat (Matt Bevin) about his honesty (Ted Cruz) or someone tries to take the seat of one of his inner circle.

Then the gloves comes off and he becomes a down and dirty fighter.  Same way McCain used to do things.

How do you think we got Doug Jones... the snake withheld funds for Roy and all but actively campaigned for him. He loves having the power and didn't want another rogue real conservative to deal with.

Now we have a democrat that has said several things about the testimony is credible against Trump even though the state is solidly behind Trump.

[aligncare]

@ArneFufkin

Correct me if I am wrong,but doesn't that take all the fun out of posting?

That gave me a good belly laugh! Kudos and thanks!

[txradioguy]

How do you think we got Doug Jones... the snake withheld funds for Roy and all but actively campaigned for him. He loves having the power and didn't want another rogue real conservative to deal with.

Now we have a democrat that has said several things about the testimony is credible against Trump even though the state is solidly behind Trump.

Spot on!

[Jazzhead]

... the snake withheld funds for Roy

Now, now, before we engage in name-calling, shouldn't we ask whether there was a higher use for which Mitch used the funds?   If, for example,  he used the funds to buy takeout food for a Super Bowl party,  I'd say that was money better spent!   

[Maj. Bill Martin]

How do you think we got Doug Jones... the snake withheld funds for Roy and all but actively campaigned for him. He loves having the power and didn't want another rogue real conservative to deal with.

It has absolutely nothing to do with Moore being a "rogue conservative."  It had to do with the sexual allegations against Moore.

McConnell is as savvy a politician as exists.  He judged that the blowback to the GOP nationally for having someone with those kind of allegations against him in the Senate was not worth the single extra vote Moore would provide.  You can hate him for that, but he didn't do it because he hates conservatives.

[Bigun]

It has absolutely nothing to do with Moore being a "rogue conservative."  It had to do with the sexual allegations against Moore.

McConnell is as savvy a politician as exists.  He judged that the blowback to the GOP nationally for having someone with those kind of allegations against him in the Senate was not worth the single extra vote Moore would provide.  You can hate him for that, but he didn't do it because he hates conservatives.

BS!  He just didn't want another Ted Cruz type missile in the Senate and made sure he didn't get one.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

BS!  He just didn't want another Ted Cruz type missile in the Senate and made sure he didn't get one.

When has McConnell not supported Cruz in his races?

If you don't want to think that the sexual allegations had any impact on how McConnell viewed Moore, I suppose that's your prerogative.  But the facts say differently.  McConnell supported the GOP incumbent, Strange, as he always does, in the primary.  But after Moore won the primary in September, McConnell supporter Moore for the Senate race.   He didn't turn on Moore until the sexual allegations broke in November.

[Cyber Liberty]

It has absolutely nothing to do with Moore being a "rogue conservative."  It had to do with the sexual allegations against Moore.

McConnell is as savvy a politician as exists.  He judged that the blowback to the GOP nationally for having someone with those kind of allegations against him in the Senate was not worth the single extra vote Moore would provide.  You can hate him for that, but he didn't do it because he hates conservatives.

Whatever his reasoning, McConnell not only handed the Rats a Senate seat, but he reinforced such a great play for their playbook that they used it against Kavanaugh and now during the Impeachment trial:  Introduce innuendo when it's tool late to effectively refute it.  The Rats will now deliver a steady diet of this dirty trick, until they are punished for it at the ballot box.

Don't forget, Turtle had a chance to seat a good Senator in Alaska with Joe Miller, but decided to back Murkowski in a sore-loser write in campaign.  Now she's one of the Usual RINO Suspects whenever there's a close vote.  His cleverness is a two-edged sword.