Posted on 01/29/2020 2:03:21 PM PST by Kaslin
The witness aspect of the impeachment trial for President Trump has been the controversy on Capitol Hill this week, especially after Former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s book preview insinuated he may have relevant information. Democrats, who have historically demonized Bolton, immediately pounced and demanded Bolton testify. Most Republicans have united against a hypothetical Bolton testimony, on account of national security, and dragging the taxpayer funded impeachment charade on longer than necessary. As multiple GOP senators pointed out, the timing of the leak of Bolton’s memo to the New York Times is suspicious, at best.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has thus far indicated that his majority does not yet have the votes to block witness testimony. Some Republicans have floated the idea of allowing Bolton to testify if the Democrats will concede former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden or Rep. Adam Schiff (R-CA). Democrats insist that the Bidens are completely vindicated, and have no place in this impeachment trial.
It appears that the game may be shifting. Senate Republicans are optimistic that witnesses will be blocked. Republicans in the upper chamber met with Leader McConnell this morning. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) is optimistic about GOP unity, per The Hill:
“If I had to guess, no witnesses...We’ll be in a place where I think everyone is going to have their mind made up and I believe that we’ll be able to move to a verdict, and the witness question will be clear at that point,” Braun said.
Leader McConnell can have up to four Republicans vote for witnesses; in the event of a tie, Chief Justice Roberts will cast his vote. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have been supportive of additional witness testimony; Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) appears to be a wildcard.
With witnesses off of the table, this impeachment trial could be over as early as Friday.
The Senators are all worn out, tired.
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They are not in the mood for many more weeks of sessions going to 1 in the morning.
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in the event of a tie, Chief Justice Roberts will cast his vote...
If they’re betting on this in Vegas I know what i’m putting my money on :)
I’ll hope it doesn’t get to him
Treachery never gets tired.
Just ask mitt.
Thank God there has to be four defections.
Nothing like reinforcing a negative to your cause. What a jerk.
Keeps the media going up, down, up, down, in rapid succession which is what they're best at.
Rush Limbaugh thinks that Mitch has the votes and is just screwing with the media.
My understanding is in an impeachment like this and there is a tie, the Chief Justice does not cast the final vote. The motion would be defeated which would mean there would be no Witnesses. Now I could be wrong on that but that was what I read somewhere during this process !
I tend to believe you.
Media isn’t what it once was.
McConnell is tricking the Dems into voting for NO witnesses THEN ALL pubbies vote no witnesses AND we end up with a few Dem votes making the vote bipartisan there are 3 Dems that will not go there!!!
“Report: GOP May Have Votes to Block Witnesses in Impeachment Trial”
most likely they ALWAYS had the votes, despite all of the fake reporting based on anonymous sources that the fake stream media has been screaming about ....
most of the probable witnesses would result in Federal court fights lasting years, and no Senator wants to spend years of 12-hour days in the Senate on his issue exclusive of all others, with no ability to campaign or do anything else for that matter ...
That would depend on Roberts recusing himself from this politically charged scenario. I’d say odds are 55-45% that he would indeed recuse himself.
I don’t want Roberts as a tie breaker.
My guess is that Mitch has let Romney know that might happen if any witnesses are called.
You are absolutely right about Roberts. The DS needs only to torque down that blackmail vice his balls are in a little more and he’ll vote whatever he’s told to vote.
I’ll be the socialist lefty senators who are running for president don’t want to sit there for weeks listening to witnesses who won’t provide anything to help Schiff’s scam.
YES!
What is the issue with having witnesses, so long as the list includes father and son Biden?
Wouldn’t the VP break a tie vote as in other proceedings in the Senate?
Scare the piss out of Romney and the rest by saying you have some Democrats on board.
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