Posted on 01/31/2020 6:37:30 AM PST by billorites
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Senators today are expected to move toward acquitting President Trump on two charges without questioning witnesses as the third impeachment trial in American history lumbers toward a rancorous conclusion.
Republicans feel confident they have the votes to acquit Trump by this weekend after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who is retiring, announced Thursday night that he opposes any addition of witnesses and believes voters should render judgment about Trump’s actions with Ukraine, which he called “inappropriate” but not impeachable.
At the same time, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is running for reelection, said Thursday night that she wants witnesses, but with 51 votes required to back her position, it appeared likely that such motions will fail.
The most likely GOP senators who could join Collins and Democrats to support calling trial witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton, are Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah). But four Republicans, not three, would be necessary (The Hill).
Bolton, whose unpublished memoir and first-person knowledge of the president’s actions featured prominently during Trump’s trial, appeared before a group in Texas on Thursday and voiced support for the current and former diplomatic officials who testified during the House inquiry into the president’s behavior with Ukraine.
“All of them acted in the best interest of the country as they saw it and consistent to what they thought our policies were,” Bolton said during the question-and-answer period following his speech (KXAN.com).
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
So, Collins is going to bow to the hate mail and death threats she’s getting from the lefties?
We may be surprised to find that a couple Dem senators vote against witnesses as well. Time will tell today.
With Alexander voting against additional witnesses, there’s at least a tie that Roberts won’t be able to cast a vote to break. FTA:
“On Wednesday, Senate Democrats tried to include language in the rules resolution to allow Roberts to rule on motions for new witnesses or documents. However, the amendment was voted down in a party line vote.”
That means GOOD GUYS WIN.
And it will not gain her a single vote from the Democrats in Maine. By March, they will be calling her the devil again. Make that by February.
All hell will break out in the Dim party.
Franky for that I blame Trump.
He should have commenced the mass firings at 8:01AM on 1/21/2017.
Hopefully he won’t repeat the mistake on the first day of his second term.
I love the sound of Democrat tears in the morning.
They are assuming that Roberts won’t vote on a tie. Sorry I don’t trust him to not vote. If he is compromised as we all suspect, he will be threatened to vote. I may be wrong but I think he will vote vs. not vote.
They even mentioned on the news that Dem strategy left to play yet is to ensure that Roberts will vote in a tie vs not voting.
Sorry but the Dems always have another card to play when we think we are winning. Look at the Bolton book leak when we were winning defense arguments. Wow sucker punch not expected nor seen.
Their plan now is if there is a tie to ensure that Roberts votes.
This is just like the Kavanaugh confirmation. The Democrats creating little tornados at the last minute but it won’t work.
If its 50-50 the motion fails...needs 51 to pass.
Roberts is the facilitator only ...has no voting rights in the trial
Pence is not a Senator...so doesn't have voting rights in the trial.
Don’t forget Joe Manchin. It won’t be just Republicans voting AGAINST witnesses. Biden, Klobuchar, and Warren, in their own self interest (ENDING this fiasco so they can campaign) might just jump ship.
This impeachment sham has been a FIASCO for Democrats.
In for a penny, in for a pound, turned into “ALL IN”.
“The all-in moment in poker is a thrilling win-or-lose-everything crisis of dramatic clarity: you’ve wagered all you’ve got, giving your fate over to the cards, and you can’t go back out again. Going all in is often a spectacularly bad idea.”
They are assuming that Roberts won’t vote on a tie. Sorry I don’t trust him to not vote. If he is compromised as we all suspect, he will be threatened to vote. I may be wrong but I think he will vote vs. not vote.
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Looks like he’s not going to have a chance. FNC just reported Murkowski is going to vote against calling witnesses.
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