Can someone explain what the hell is happening in the Senate?

[EleanorR]

I do not trust Moscow Mitch.

Link to tweet

[skip fox]

1. Breaking point?

Finally?

[SDJay]

2. I've Become Utterly Cynical

with regards to Moscow Mitch. I don't believe he does anything genuinely or without ulterior motives. He's also as shrewd as he is evil.

That said, the one thing I think he will always protect is himself. I'm incredibly wary of even thinking this, let alone typing it, but this could be the time when MM realizes that he either goes down with the ship or he gets off with the other rats.

That said, he could be up to yet another dirty trick. Still, at the end of the day, when the dam breaks, Moscow Mitch will make sure he takes care of himself, everyone else be damned.

[KansasKali]

3. I think this is called getting ahead of it.

Sorry, but they aren't turning on him. Quite the opposite.

[TheRealNorth]

12. Could be this

If the whistleblower's lawyers are already talking to Schiff, Moscow Mitch may realize there is no hope to cover it up and they don't want to look like they are obstructing it (particularly If they know its real bad what Trump did).

[Leghorn21]

4. I can't explain, but will sure be watching this closely - thanks, Eleanor

“Hotlining is the practice of bypassing regular Senate procedures and moving legislation through to a vote with little or no floor debate in an attempt to pass the legislation through the unanimous consent of all Senators.”


standing by

Also

“Hotlining is when they put a pinch of cayenne in Trump’s rails of Adderall.”

[Hortensis]

9. THIS. Putin's Mitch isn't about to lose this one if they can help it.

I believe he's claiming to informally poll his colleagues while actually calling them to provide unanimous support for what he does with it.

[California_Republic]

5. Rats, ship, water, whole?

[Mike 03]

8. I hope it is this too.

[Mike 03]

6. This is confusing. The optimist in me wants to say McConnell is aware of the contents

and is continuing, as he has been for almost a week, to distance himself from Trump, finally.

But I agree with others that this is totally out of character, except to the extent he wants to save his own butt.

[stopdiggin]

11. has to mean they think they can shoot down the complaint report?

I cannot be optimistic about anything coming from McConnell. They want this out -- and quickly put to bed. Rather that drawn out for another 2-3 months. They can't kill it -- so they're going to attempt to cauterize.

[MontanaMama]

7. I don't trust him either.

Something is up. Why would he be helping things along?

[Mike 03]

10. Maybe McConnell and at least some of the republicans realize they've gotten everything out of

Trump that they will ever get and it's time to cut loose, in time to run another candidate. ???

[MFGsunny]

13. Speculating here that whistleblower report has SERIOUSLY DAMAGING national security stuff.

And not even Moscow Mitch can handle THAT hot potato openly in legislative protocol, so he's moving it along "by consent" which tells us, the public, right now as little as possible.

STAYING TUNED.

[meadowlander]

15. Agree. Look at the context of him approvinv the election security

bill out of the blue. He wouldn’t have done that unless he knew the whistleblower report was bad and inevitably coming out.

[MFGsunny]

18. Agree. I see the same overall picture here.

We can count on Moscow Mitch to be useful and dispatching ONLY when HIS damn a$$ is on the line and waaaaaay out on some limb.

Nothing like some serious shiiiite of national security implications gets them bowels moving!

[spanone]

14. Wow. I hope the whistleblower is well protected.

I can't bring myself to trust mitch for a single second....we shall see

[DesertRat]

16. hotlined?

[Glimmer of Hope]

23. I know when that hotline bling, that can only mean one thing.

[athena]

17. Here is a great explanation:

https://theweek.com/speedreads/867373/why-democrats-want-whistleblower-complaint--not-just-transcript-trumps-ukraine-call

[EleanorR]

19. I get why Dems want more than just the transcript

I don't get why Moscow Mitch is fast tracking the release of the whistleblower complaint.

[athena]

20. It's because the transcript has been edited, as the article says.

It's been edited and will contain nothing objectionable. Then, Trump will use that as an excuse not to release the whistle blower. That's why Mitch is in favor of the transcript being released.

[ecstatic]

21. People are reaching out to them like crazy. Calling them traitors

and demanding that they do their jobs.

[rufus dog]

22. My guess along with some other posters.

Many already have a leaked version. Mitch knows this and has shifted to self preservation mode.