Posted on 01/28/2020 10:14:31 AM PST by Antoninus
Both in front of the cameras and behind closed doors, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (UT) has embraced the role of leader of the Senate resistance to the party line on impeachment witnesses — and some of his colleagues are making brutally clear how they feel about it.
In a private lunch with fellow Senate Republicans Monday, the frequent critic of President Trump reportedly “made a strong pitch” for calling additional witnesses for the Senate trial, according to Politico’s sources.
In addition to trying to convince fellow Republicans to defect behind the scenes, Romney is going public with his plea. “The article in the New York Times I think made it pretty clear that [Bolton] has some information that may be relevant,” he said Monday, as reported by Politico. “And I’d like to hear relevant information before I made a final decision.”
The move followed reports based on the leaked manuscript of John Bolton’s upcoming book that reportedly claims that Trump “told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens,” as The New York Times reported Sunday.
While Romney has long supported calling witnesses, the conveniently timed leaks have given the Utah Senator and two of his centrist Republican colleagues, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, additional grounds for making the demands. All the trio needs is one additional Republican defector to side with Democrats to force additional witnesses in the trial, prime among them Bolton.
According to Romney, the claims in Bolton’s book has made it “increasingly likely” that his fellow Republicans will call Bolton to testify: Romney: "Increasingly like" other Senate Republicans will want to hear from John Bolton
Despite his public optimism about winning the witness argument, as Politico notes, the three moderate senators’ appeals seem to be going “nowhere,” and multiple Republican Senators have come forward to push back on Romney’s case for calling witnesses.
As The Daily Wire reported Monday, in a social media post that’s gained a lot of attention online, newly sworn-in Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler (GA) — who, along with her husband, New York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeffrey Sprecher, donated more than $1.5 million to a pro-Romney super PAC in 2012 — slammed Romney for his attempt to “appease the left.”
“After 2 weeks, it’s clear that Democrats have no case for impeachment,” she tweeted Monday. “Sadly, my colleague [Senator Romney] wants to appease the left by calling witnesses who will slander the [Donald Trump] during their 15 minutes of fame. The circus is over. It’s time to move on!”
Politico highlights a few other strong responses from Republican senators to Romney’s witness push:
“I’d rather he not” push for witnesses, said Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.). “He isn’t all that close to the administration. … I don’t agree with him.”
Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) has compared Romney to “Jeff Flake on steroids,” and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) asserted last fall that Romney “thinks the worst of the president.” Trump himself called Romney a “pompous ass” when he expressed concerns about asking other countries to investigate Joe Biden.
Sen. Mark Meadows (R-NC) has also addressed the issue of calling witnesses, sending a clear message to his colleagues considering caving to Democrats’ demands during an interview with CBS News Monday, as The Daily Wire reported. Asked if he thinks his colleagues with “face political repercussions if they break with the president,” Meadows said, “Yeah, I do. I mean, listen, I don’t wanna speak for my Senate colleagues. But there are always political repercussions for every vote you take. There is no vote that is higher-profile than this.”
“I’m also one that believes that when you get close to the president, whether it be his chief of staff or his national security advisor, you have to allow for that free flow of conversation back and forth, where ideas can be shared,” Meadows explained earlier in the interview. “And so I do believe that executive privilege should be invoked on that and that we shouldn’t hear from Ambassador Bolton.”
Who advises him?
The GOP is 90+% Pro-Trump.
What constituency does he think he is appealing to?
If he thinks there is this untapped demographic that yearns for his candidacy, ‘What’s he drinking, smoking, snorting or shooting up’?
Long past time for the junior senator to sit down and shut the hell up.
He's oblivious to his surroundings, politically tone deaf.
The senate trial is not a discovery phase. It’s job is to take the evidence provided by the house that got the articles written. (2) And neither one is covered in the Bolton book as he was not allowed to be called by the republicans as a rebuttal witness for discovery.
In other words, take home what you brought. If it isn’t worth keeping, toss it and go to the next party.
rwood
It’s amazing that the voters of Utah allowed themselves to be duped by this fraud. They basically gave one of their U.S. Senate seats to Massachusetts.
As with all things Pierre Delecto does, he is starting to find out that his leadership is not welcome, wanted or effective.
You can hear today a growing anger of the GOP and the voters against this guy. Pierre is easily turned it turns out. I would not be shocked if in short order, as the Bolton bomb fizzles, he is suddenly against witnesses. He just needs a way out. Then again, doubling down on arrogance also seems to be this guy’s forte.
One thing is for certain, many of the GOP Senators realize what this is. It is YET ANOTHER, leak from someone who has read something. What is missing, as with all the leaks including the whistleblower, is the actual THING that is supposedly being leaked. Instead, we have someone’s version of what the THING says. And the voters and base CERTAINLY see this for what it is. The Senators who do not, believe that we don’t see through it. They think we are rubes and will accept this if they vote for witnesses.
But we have seen by now a “whistleblower” telling us what was in a phone call with President,, except it wasn’t. How many thousands of leaks telling us that Mueller would conclude that Trump was colluding with Russia? But Mueller concluded the opposite.
But for Pierre Delecto, any premise from the left is to be accepted, you know, like Romney Care.
Pierre, you are a weak minded fool eager for approval and acceptance.
RE: Bolton WH departure - don’t they sign a confidentiality agreement not to reveal anything that was said during their service??
What exactly is McConnell supposed to do to Romney — throw him off a bridge?
Too late for 2020. Maybe you meant 2024. Romney will be 77. Somebody who’s been in Congress for 20 years or 50 years may think 77 is young enough for a presidential run, but I don’t think Romney, however deaf he might be, isn’t that deluded.
Ah, but the media put forth the premise that if they don’t vote with the dems, they will lose their Senate seats.
Of course, the weak minded fools have NEVER met a media premise with which they did not agree. They are nice little puppets on strings.
I wonder if they stopped to consider this. This issue may, may sway some independents in blue leaning states agains them. But it will DEFINITELY alienate their base. Without their base, they are not winning jack and squat.
If this POS Mitch gets his way his next move will be a secret ballot.
In addition, I believe Trump required all his senior appointees to sign an agreement that they could not work as lobbyists for 5 years after they left.
can’t wait to see if the Pierre Delecto will have as big an impact on the political landscape as Carlos Danger?
that’s gonna be hard to beat!
Good point!
See now? How/why my method works so well?
A little doubt, a little criticism, a little hostility from the establishment crowd...
Some patience and some backbone from the party stalwarts (not Mitchell, mind you, you don't see his quotes in the piece) and the team gathers in strength.
Always trust your Uncle Whitey, especially after his nap.
Romney is highly jealous of Trump, (and compares to Trump as a loser in every way).
One further suspects that undermining Trump is Romney's new life goal. He likely does not see how that makes him look like a petulant political child, resentful of Trump's successes and now wanting only to settle a score.
Now [Mitt the Zitt] reveals himself to be the monkey to the NY Times organ grinder.
Now [Mitt the Zitt] reveals himself to be the monkey to the NY Times organ grinder.
Now [Mitt the Zitt] reveals himself to be the monkey to the NY Times organ grinder.
Pierre Delecto is a Swamp Rat of the highest order.
He the the other RINOs will kill off the GOP.
And that means the GOP Senate will return to minority
status, as GOP voters will vote for Trump,
but not for these stupid idiots.
Enjoy Pierre Delecto.
AIh Utah... thanks for making the rest of us have to care about Mittens some more.. (Rolling Eyes)
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