Calls for 'secret ballot' for Trump's impeachment trial -- to 'protect' GOP senators from violence

[DonViejo]

Bob Brigham
January 23, 2021

Concern about the safety of U.S. senators will mark one major difference between Donald Trump's two impeachment trials.

The Trump-supporting insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol have shown how far they will go in their support of Trump, with some of the rioters seeking to "hang" Trump's own vice president for not going along with their conspiracy to overturn the election.

This has raised concerns that senators may not uphold their duty to the Constitution during the vote and instead vote out of fear that they may be endangered if they don't vote to acquit.

"February vote in Senate on whether to convict Trump should be a secret ballot in order to (1) protect safety of senators, and (2) allow them to vote their consciences," former Labor Secretary Robert Reich urged on Twitter.

"If Republican senators had integrity and if Trump supporters were peaceful, this wouldn't be necessary. But they're not and they're not. So a secret ballot offers a better chance of convicting Trump and ensuring he'll never again be president," Reich explained.

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https://www.rawstory.com/trump-impeachm/

[still_one]

1. Is this allowed by the Senate Rules?

[Chainfire]

2. Oh Hell No!

The rotten bastards do their dirty work in the dark like the rats some of them are. If they don't have the courage to do their jobs, they need to find other work. They need to be on the record as to who they are.

[enough]

3. No. NT

[Cosmocat]

4. F U C K T H A T S H I T

they created the beast by BOTH directly parroting the endless bullshit for DECADES that has cranked these people up into this state of enragement AND not stepping up in the countless times that things needed to be said to mute it, all for the sake of building their political power.

They can say it is about being scared for the lives, but:

1) to the extent that may be true, it is the consequences of THEIR actions.
2) but, the fact is their biggest concern is political, their own self interests in not wanting to deal with their being primaried or not having the support to win reelection.

This is just yet another way they want to skirt their personal responsibility ...

[vlyons]

5. I don't have a problem with a secret ballot

While an open ballot would let us know how each one voted, a secret ballot might make it easier to get the 17 GOP senators we need to convict. All the GOP senators, except Romney, voted against Trump's first impeachment conviction. So they are ultimately responsible IMHO.

[onetexan]

8. Because of the heightened threat to the senators' lives, i support secret ballot.

While i understand this shows they have no spine, this is a matter of life or death, and justifies the secret ballot vote.

[MyOwnPeace]

12. Just don't use

Dominion Voting Machines - we'll NEVER get anything solved!


(I did the thingie because I don't want to be sued!)

[EarthFirst]

6. In what way does this marginalize the efforts of those threatening violence?

The Senators who represent the constituents they fear allowed these individuals' viewpoints to be amplified; and thus acted upon; directly from the legislation and personalities they represented via various media sources.

I'd long nothing more than for them to feel they have to "watch their six" for bringing our nation to where it currently stands.

[agingdem]

7. this is the culmination of the monster they created...

the cowardly senate republicans are afraid of the very scum they've been courting for the last for years...

[The Wizard]

9. The attempted coup d'etat

demonstrates the homicidal ideations of the cult and created the need for special rules. Some will stamp their feet in a Trumper tantrum, but their reaction to the imposition of special rules will determine who is American and who is anti American. This is not a simple disagreement over minutia, but rather a contrast between who respects American values and who is with Putin.
Yes they have become a fifth column in Congress, and they must be exposed and removed. Let's not look the other way in the face of treason. And once we have them down we must put a heel on their neck(s) and rotate.
Some of us put our lives in harm's way defending the nation and Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. These Putin / Trump sympathizers spit in our faces and this will not stand unless we want to all be speaking Russian in the future.

[mucifer]

10. Mixed feelings. I want him convicted. But, as Americans we have the right to know how our

representatives are voting.

[Ferryboat]

15. Agree but

Make the vote public after a period of time, allow a cooling off period.

[spanone]

11. Profiles in Cowardice.

Chickenshits.

[blogslut]

13. No

I don't like that idea at all. I don't want the Senate to hold secret votes. I don't even like it when they hold secret sessions.

Anyway, the conspiracy-addled base the GOP are so afraid of will see a secret vote as proof of a conspiracy!

[tanyev]

14. Probably wouldn't work.

All the senators who voted against impeachment would proudly announce it, and it would be very easy to figure out who voted for.

[keithbvadu2]

16. Giving in to Trump's terrorists... It will only encourage them

Giving in to Trump's terrorists...

It will only encourage them

[BlueIdaho]

17. No Secret Votes!

America deserves to know who its traitors are.

[Tarc]

18. If the end result is that it bars Trump from ever holding office again, hell yes to secret ballots

The GOP will face these threats regardless, as the white supremacist base plays endless games of "did they or didn't they?", which raises the threat level against ALL Republicans.

I'm fine with that, they can collectively reap what they have sown.

[DavidDvorkin]

19. If that's what it takes, sure.

[mopinko]

20. tough question.

my knee jerk reaction is hell no.
my 2nd thought is- whatever it takes.

at the very least, the fbi and dhs need to assure that ALL our reps are protected.

[Imperialism Inc.]

21. Didn't we cover all this the first time?

I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure it was established that it is super easy for any Senator to make any secret vote public. I forget the details.

More importantly though is that as a matter of principle this is just a bad idea. In a free country where anyone can run for office it is a big deal to remove that right from anyone. Trump certainly deserves to have that right taken from him but doing so in some secret star chamber proceeding is just an undemocratic idea. It certainly isn't going to help calm the crazies who already think the whole world is in a conspiracy against Trump.

I think people are getting caught up in their hatred of Trump and willing to sacrifice too much to "get" him.