Mitch McConnell is telling GOP senators their decision on a Trump impeachment trial conviction is a

[sabra]

Source: Business Insider

Mitch McConnell is telling GOP senators their decision on a Trump impeachment trial conviction is a 'vote of conscience'


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is telling his Republican colleagues they have the freedom to vote however they want during the upcoming impeachment trial for Donald Trump after the lame duck president incited a deadly January 6th riot at the US Capitol.

"His message to me was this would clearly be a vote of conscience," Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, told Insider. "He's always been respectful of members that way."

The Senate could start its trial of the president as early as Wednesday, the same day as President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. Under the Senate rules, the upper chamber must prioritize the Trump trial once the House officially delivers its article of impeachment charging Trump with inciting rioters who stormed the Capitol. So far, that hasn't happened and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday declined to say when Democrats were planning to make the formal handoff.

In anticipation of the eventual trial, GOP sources close to McConnell and the White House said earlier this week the Kentucky Republican might vote to convict Trump as a means to bar him from ever serving in federal office again. McConnell later told other senators he hasn't made up his mind and wants to listen to the legal arguments before coming to any conclusions.


Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-republican-senators-conviction-vote-trump-impeachment-trial-2021-1

[LizBeth]

1. Anyone hear when Georgia senators are getting in? Will be interesting to see what happens with this.

[msfiddlestix]

4. I'm keep hearing and reading on or about the 22nd or 23rd

Georgia has to complete it's auditing process before they can certify I guess.

[TheRickles]

11. Yes, the state has to certify the results, and some estimates were for this coming Tuesday, the 19th

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214855492

[msfiddlestix]

37. That would awesome if it happens on the 19th.

If that date holds out, we could hope to see them seated on the 20th which would be sweet.

[LizBeth]

15. Thanks.

[walkingman]

2. I don't trust a thing that "The Turtle" says.

[underpants]

5. He's giving them an opening to vote yes

The question is if it’s safe for them. The House is staying in line with Trump because they are basically constantly running for office.

[walkingman]

8. What happens during the Senate trial will tell me a lot. If the GOP

gives it quick consideration and then votes that will be good. I suspect that McConnell with drag it out as long as possible and try to derail Biden's agenda.

I hope your right and I'm wrong.

[msfiddlestix]

38. do you mean you think it could happen before the 20th?

I understand McConnell says the 19th. I'm thinking Nancy should wait until our new Senators are seated which could be on the 20th. But I think McConnell should go with confirmations of Biden's cabinet post haste. Meaning on the 19th and 20th. (actually he should before then)

Since the Senate Trial won't really achieve much on the 19th, there's no point I don't think in rushing the trial on that day anyway. heOn the 20th, the Senate will have a Democratic Leader and by golly I'm looking forward to that game changer.

that's my thinking.

[walkingman]

41. I don't think it will - in fact I wish Pelosi would wait before sending the articles

of impeachment to the Senate until after Biden's Cabinet appointees Senate confirmation, if that is possible? I have a feeling that the GOP will use the trial to try and derail Biden's other goals. I don't trust McConnell at all.

[msfiddlestix]

52. I would agree completely, Fortunately the Senate will be in the hands of the Dems as soon as

our new Senators are seated, which should be just a matter of a day or two of the inauguration, I think.

But I agree since Moscow Mitch refuses to call the Senate back until the 19th then holding the trial should be done on the Dems' terms. imo. I have a feeling a whole more will be dug up once Chris Wray and the Justice dept will be free to turn over what they have.

[Alpeduez21]

9. and they're gerrymandered to a fair thee well

so they won't lose their seat no matter how atrociously repuke like they vote.

[underpants]

20. They aren't worried about the general election

They are worried about the primaries and Q nuts running against them.

[kirby]

21. Senate is not gerrymandered...

A Senator represents the entire state and has nothing to do with the drawing of House Congressional Districts.

Just FYI because I have seen multiple people mention gerrymandering in relation to the Senate which is not applicable.

[lagomorph777]

32. Yeah, gerrymandering doesn't make sense for Senate seats,

unless you think that state borders are gerrymandered.

[Alpeduez21]

40. Yes, you're right. In this case

The post I responded to was referencing the house: "The House is staying in line with Trump because they are basically constantly running for office."

[kirby]

45. Ah, gotcha, thanks n/t

[JI7]

14. They are staying in line becsuse they are from mostly right wing distrcts

but Senators have to get support from the entire state.

[cstanleytech]

16. I suspect he will actually push them in private to vote to convict. Why? Not because its the right

thing to do.
No, why he will do it is first because he got what he wanted from Trump already which is an unbalanced court system in favor of the radical rights political agenda.
Second its because Trump is unstable and he needs a way to prevent him from getting back into office at the federal level and the only way to do that is to impeach him.
Yes, it will piss the moronic Trump supporters off but he can arrange to mitigate the damage in the next Senate elections by having enough of the Senators that just won another 7 year term to vote yes convict Trump.
That way the ones that are due to run for office in the next election will not be to badly hurt and the ones that vote to convict will have 7 years for the Trump supporters anger to cool and for them to forget which given they barely have two functional brain cells among them will probably happen.

[AntiFascist]

26. Public support for Trump is sinking like the Titanic...

ultimately all he cares about is his own power and trying to rescue the GOP.

[cstanleytech]

43. True but its still very high with millions of morons so Mitch will play it careful and that

is why I think we will see the number needed of Republican Senators to convict Trump come from those that just won in 2020 with the other Senators that are due in the next election cycle voting either not to convict or abstaining either in person or by refusing to attend.

[AntiFascist]

44. I'm hoping there will be enough refusing to attend...

only 2/3 vote is needed among those in attendance.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. How can you 'vote your conscience' if you don't have a conscience?

Better that they vote on whether or not rump broke the law.

[Maxheader]

18. Dismissed charges of...

collusion and quid pro quo...Dismissing a riot started by trump that trashed the white house...?

Piece of cake.....

[lagomorph777]

33. trashed the Capitol.

And tried to assassinate the entire Congress.

[hibbing]

49. + 1

You know things are crazy when I think Mitt is the only sane R Senator.


Peace

[milestogo]

58. + a brazillion

[CentralMass]

6. They are off looking up conscience in the dictionary.

[Toorich]

7. Very Nice

Full grown United States Senators have to get " Permission " to vote their conscience?

Do they have to raise their hands to get permission to go potty?

[Raven123]

10. Maybe McConnell has a mutiny. Everyone silent Senator over the past 4 years is an accomplice

If they held ranks because of McConnell, he’s feeling their ire.

[marie999]

12. Will he be the first ex-president whose trial is after leaving office?

[onecaliberal]

13. These people have sat idly by while a raping, murdering, imbecile has killed 400,000 people

in this country. They are without conscience. They are morally and ethically bankrupt.

[CentralMass]

24. This.

[Akoto]

17. Code Speak: "Vote yes, we won't throw you under the bus this time."

[Thekaspervote]

19. I don't think turtle has any intention of voting to convict regardless of what he said

[Bev54]

22. It is a matter of law and order or sedition, your choice senator!

[Harker]

23. Every vote should be 'of conscience' and in the best interests

of their constituents.

[Karma13612]

53. Exactly.

I can’t stand how controlled our Congress is.

For Dog’s sake, they represent US, not Mitch McConnell!!!!!

When does it end?????????

[Xipe Totec]

25. So, the prior impeachment vote was not a vote of conscience? What was it, then? nt

[Raven123]

27. A violation of the oath to render impartial justice

[Ohioboy]

28. Frankly I don't know why they didn't just remove him Thursday morning after the riot

The way we do things in this country puzzles me. Why does a president impeached for insurrection get to stay in power for a week and a half?


Is it to get all his pardons ready? Is it to start some shit needing martial law? It doesn't make sense.

[BlueIdaho]

29. That's a fucking laugh...

As is there is a single Senate Republican left with a conscience.

[mvd]

55. That was my immediate thought

They don’t have a conscience to use.

[tavernier]

30. We are a country of laws.

That’s the only thing “your conscience” needs to know.

[PSPS]

31. "wants to listen to the legal arguments" means the bidding is still open.

[Massacure]

34. I was actually surprised this wasn't the approach McConnell took last year

I said at the time that McConnell's life probably would have been a lot easier running with a President Pence heading the party, but apparently McConnell either didn't agree or felt the benefit wasn't worth the backlash from the far right.

I suspect McConnell doesn't want to see Trump run again in 2024, and would be quietly quite thrilled to see 17 Republicans to vote with the Democrats to convict him.

[EarthFirst]

35. Oh; they're "allowed" to vote their conscious...

How quaint.

[Lil Mushakan]

36. ...

"McConnell later told other senators he hasn't made up his mind and wants to listen to the legal arguments before coming to any conclusions."

So, was Mitch not there when it happened? I don't understand. I wasn't there, I saw it, I don't know what he would get out of legal arguments other than solidifying that this whole presidency has been a farce and needs to be removed for the good of our nation. He was literally in the building. How much more proof does he need than to have been there and seen what happened first hand? Did anyone tell him about how they smeared human waste on the walls?

[LaMouffette]

39. That's just "McConnell speak" for "I know how I'm gonna vote, but I'm just not sayin'."

He didn't get to be Grand Turtle Pooh-Bah, All-Knowing, All-Powerful for nothing.

He knows that it's not in his own best political interest to share how he's going to vote. Best to keep his cards close to his chest, er, shell.

[LiberalLovinLug]

42. Why can't they make it a secret vote?

Where only the results are made public, not who voted for what. You could make that determination based on security concerns for those who have expressed fear for their families if they vote yes.

[JudyM]

54. Dems want the trumpers on record as basis to attack them next time they're in campaign mode.

[LiberalLovinLug]

56. That's a good point

But I'd rather they vote to turf Trump while hiding their identity, than not vote to do it because they are afraid for their families safety.

Because it would be better if the outgoing Senate with a R majority, actually removed the President. Firstly so that the process could be seen as bipartisan. Secondly if it was all done before the 20th, Joe Biden could get started on the huge problems facing the country right away.

[JudyM]

57. Yeah, unfortunately he still has the majority of rethugs in his corner and he's going to be an

albatross for the other 75% of the country until he’s in jail or incapacitated.

[bucolic_frolic]

46. I take that as permission to ignore evidence and vote however you want

This does not advance the reality or truth balls very much.

[KentuckyWoman]

47. Mitch looking out for MItch. That is all.

He has no morals. He does not give one single solitary care about the US Constitution. He doesn't care about anything but Mitch. He and Trump are the same animal.

I will not be at all surprised if Mitch votes to convict and also bar from future office. He will do it in a heartbeat if he thinks it will benefit himself.

[marble falls]

48. I'm surprised Mitch McConnell even had a concept of what "conscience" was. Shocked. ...

In the end this is a calculated and self-serving decision. Whatever it was that moved this decision, it surely was not purely his "conscience".

[George II]

50. That's a bizarre instruction - how many republican Senators have consciences?

[JohnnyRingo]

51. We'll see how many know what a conscience is.

"Is that like criminal science?"

[apnu]

59. What a weasel McTurtle is

He's not forcing lock-step, as his usual. But he's also saying "you all are lone wolves now, let nature eat you as it will"