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.”
The problem with “punishing” a U.S. Senator is: (1) Utah has another one who would ALSO be punished, and (2) Utah has House members, too.
message left!! Felt good to let steam off on the machine!
Yes, that works.
Seems like a few of our recent presidential loser candidates just won’t go away now. Maybe they need to go to an ego reduction therapist.
Seems like a few of our recent presidential loser candidates just won’t go away now. Maybe they need to go to an ego reduction therapist.
Top Romney Adviser Worked With Hunter Biden On Board Of Ukrainian Energy Company
Federalist ^ | September 26, 2019 | Erielle Davidson Posted on 10/4/2019, 8:14:46 PM by cocoapuff Federalist—According to Burisma’s website, Joseph Cofer Black (Romney adviser) was appointed in February of 2017 and continues to serve on its board. The timelines would indicate that Black and Biden worked together at Burisma,
Top Romney Adviser Worked With Hunter Biden On Board Of Ukrainian Energy Company
Federalist ^ | September 26, 2019 | Erielle Davidson Posted on 10/4/2019, 8:14:46 PM by cocoapuff Federalist—According to Burisma’s website, Joseph Cofer Black (Romney adviser) was appointed in February of 2017 and continues to serve on its board. The timelines would indicate that Black and Biden worked together at Burisma,
Romney isn't up for re-election until 2024. In the meantime, he has decided to serve as a third U.S. Senator from Massachusetts ... and there is really nothing these other Utah Republicans in Congress can do about it.
Works for me.
One of Trumps best decisions was NOT to appoint this snake as Sec of State. He wpould have been the Democrats #1 star witness.
so Romney hopes trump is removed so he can run?
Trump helped him win the senate seat and Romney is an ingrate who’ll never learn. Republicans should have no time for that stooge.
EXACTLY! If they want to have more witnesses send it back to the House and let them ass around with it. All that will happen if Bolton makes it in front of the Senate is that the day he testifies, and it's found that what is being said isn't what he said, is that they will drop another "bombshell" of another person that we simply must hear from. It's got to stop.
He must be listening to the Mormon angel Peyronie.
John Bolton hasn't said a damn thing. John Bolton hasn't published a damn thing. John Bolton has offered no opinion on any of this. All that is out there is a second or third hand anonymous leak to the NY Times that there is something in a manuscript that the NY Times nor anyone else that can speak freely has seen. With the NY Times track record of pushing anonymous leaks that turn out to be completely false there is no credibility of the press release they put out.
Not to mention that the book became available on Amazon for advance purchase a couple of hours after the leak was published is very suspect as to the intentions of the leak.
John Bolton, whom, in the past whom I never thought was a patriot (since he took a dive to make sure his lover and friend nobama won and there is deep dirt on him somewhere), really is no more than a little deep state pissant’s tool for revenge after all...sell your sole for a dime’s snort fool! You are an a**holes single wipe - smitt momey!
If Biden WERE called, the MSM would do exactly what they did yesterday to Pam Bondi -— they wouldn’t broadcast it, and half the country would STILL be ignorant of Biden’s criminality. NO WITNESSES!!! The democrats had their chance. The Senate’s job is to decide based on the impeachment case it sent to the Senate.
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