GOP Mulls Dragging Out Impeachment Trial To Force Dem 2020 Hopefuls To Stay In DC

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 12: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., conducts a news conference after the Senate Policy luncheons to discuss  bipartisan agreement reached on government spending and border security on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Some Republicans are considering delaying and extending the impeachment trial in the Senate to force Democratic senators who are running for President to stay in Washington and out of the early primary states.

According to the Washington Post, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have acknowledged the possibility and are planning accordingly.

However, there is little consensus among the Republican conference about the best tactic for the trial.

Some think that the appearance that they didn’t take the issue seriously and hastened along a cursory process will reflect badly on them. Some more moderate members, like Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), may insist on a process that Democrats agree to, to infuse at least the beginning of the trial with some bipartisanship.

There is little agreement on what will be the least damaging for President Donald Trump as well. Some think that dispensing of the whole impeachment debacle quickly is best; others argue that the President needs time and space to make his case.

In the end, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will be forced to find some sort of arrangement agreeable to most of the factions of his caucus: rules for an impeachment trial must be passed by at least 51 senators, and Vice President Mike Pence does not get a vote. McConnell is working with a 53-member majority.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. It’s true, then; these dumb bastards will really cut off their noses to spite their faces.

    The longer this drags on, the worse it looks for the GOP in 2020.

    Honestly, their defense boils down to “Trump released the money and didn’t even get anything in exchange for his bribery and extortion.”

    Not a good look, guys.

  2. Avatar for ANNFFL ANNFFL says:

    Why are they confident that the impeachment will arrive in Senate? Dems could drag it out too. There’re enough crimes to explore.

  3. Yep. And in a very real way. Dragging it out in the Senate to keep Democratic Senators running for the Dem Presidential nomination also means keeping a whole lot more republicans running to save their seats and the republican majority off the campaign trail, too.

    While more damage is being inflicted upon their chances of holding those seats.

    My guess is that McConnell isn’t even remotely considering such a stupid act.

  4. In the end, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will be forced to find some sort of arrangement agreeable to most of the factions of his caucus

    Couple of thoughts here:

    1. #MoscowMitch is not very popular at home and not liked by Spankee – if he thinks there’s a chance he might get primaried by some RWNJ Pro-Spankee candidate, he may re-think this, as it would affect his own primary chances. Especially if Spankee jumps in for the other guy.

    2. If the hearings keep turning up even more damning evidence like the opening day, plus all the sideshows (Stone, Fruman, Parnas, etc., etc.) #MoscowMitch may decide that derailing everything a.s.a.p. to get this out of sight may be the only way for Goopers up for (re)election (both House and Senate) to survive.

  5. Avatar for denisj denisj says:

    Perhaps by the time it gets to the Senate the R’s will want to proceed as rapidly as possible so Trump does not drag down the possibilities of R wins in many “safe” states.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

87 more replies

Participants

Avatar for valgalky23 Avatar for butlerknights Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for krusher Avatar for george_spiggott Avatar for progress Avatar for sniffit Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for pastor_agnostic Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for pshah Avatar for guysmiley Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for khyber900 Avatar for brian512 Avatar for not_so_fluffy Avatar for mushr00m1e Avatar for carolson Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for c_stedman Avatar for paul_lukasiak Avatar for dicktater

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: