Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss recent statements from a variety of Republican leaders saying that if and when the the Ukrainegate impeachment moves to the Senate for a trial, they are poised to call no witnesses and push for a quick end to the process.
No witnesses means that the public will never hear publicly, under oath, from Adam Schiff, the gossip-blower, Hunter Biden, Steele, Simpson, Chalupa and other characters entangled in the three year witch hunt to remove US President Trump.
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Senate Republicans do not expect to call witnesses President Trump might want to hear from most in an impeachment trial, conceding there are not the votes to summon key figures such as Hunter Biden and the unidentified government whistleblower whose complaint sparked the process.
Senate impeachment rules require a majority vote to call witnesses, and with just two out of 53 votes to spare, there is no “appetite” among Republicans to pursue testimony from people that Democrats blocked Republicans from subpoenaing during the House investigation. Indeed, Republicans might forgo calling witnesses altogether, saying minds are made up on Trump’s guilt or innocence and that testimony at trial on the Senate floor would draw out the proceedings unnecessarily.
“Here’s what I want to avoid: this thing going on longer than it needs to,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told the Washington Examiner. “I want to end this.”
Top Republicans are leaning toward calling for a vote to acquit Trump immediately after House Democrats and the White House have delivered their arguments to head off partisan disagreements that might lengthen the trial.
“At that point, I would expect that most members would be ready to vote and wouldn’t need more information,” said John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3-ranked Senate Republican. “Many people have their minds pretty well made up.”
That would amount to a slightly extended version of events (two weeks or so) of what some observers had once thought might occur, though was never seriously considered: Republicans holding no trial at all and simply voting to acquit.
House Democrats on Tuesday introduced two articles of impeachment, charging Trump with abusing his power in dealings with Ukraine and obstructing Congress. A vote to impeach the president is expected before Christmas, kicking the matter to the Senate for a January trial. Complaining that the Democratic-run investigation in the House was unfair, Trump is planning to wage a vigorous defense in the Republican-controlled Senate, where he expects more evenhanded treatment.
That has led some of the president’s defenders to hope the Senate calls witnesses such as Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden; the whistleblower; Democratic operative Alexandra Chalupa; and Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, whose firm, Fusion GPS, was contracted during the 2016 campaign to dig up dirt on Trump. The president is not in danger of being removed from office by the Senate, a move that requires 67 votes.
But in a trial, he is seeking exoneration. Some Republicans question whether that’s possible without hearing from witnesses, whether it be these or other less politically charged figures. “Not sure how you have a fair trial without calling witnesses,” said one Trump ally in the House. But with some Senate Republicans facing uncertain 2020 reelection contests and others privately unhappy with Trump’s behavior, mustering 51 GOP votes for Trump’s dream witness list appears impossible.
“How many senators would enjoy a Trump rally? That’s probably your whip count for calling Hunter,” a Republican senator said, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. Senate Democrats are not expected to provide any votes to call Biden or the others. Or they might ask so high a price, demanding that in exchange, they be allowed to call Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence, that Republicans balk.
“It becomes endless motions to call people, and I’m not sure what anybody gains from all that,” said John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2-ranked Senate Republican.
Any decision to forgo witnesses, not yet formally adopted by Senate Republican leaders, could run afoul of Trumpworld and his grassroots supporters off of Capitol Hill. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, and the president has yet to address the issue directly.
“President Trump’s allies will want to see witnesses called. How many, and which witnesses, will quickly become a dividing line,” said Jason Miller, a former adviser to Trump who now co-hosts a podcast with Steve Bannon that defends the president against impeachment.
Under Senate rules, the power of lawmakers to influence the impeachment trial is limited.
The chief justice of the United States, in this case John Roberts, presides, with the power to rule on motions brought by senators. Lawmakers can overrule the judge, but only by a majority vote. In an impeachment trial, the vice president is not available to cast tiebreaking votes on motions, which could include a request for witnesses to testify.
It is possible that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York might negotiate an agreement governing trial procedure. But even during the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton nearly 20 years ago, when Democrats and Republicans were nearly unanimously agreed on the rules package that dictated the trial, the motion deciding which witnesses would testify only passed on a party-line vote.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Graham Cracker gives Porky the Medal of Honor above while the Ukrainians are ready to slap a pair of handcuffs on him with a dozen criminal indictments.
Sounds about right.
Wasn’t he on that get_out_of_jail_free_card list that Pyatt sent prosecutors for X-Mas with a Biden family photo on it way back when?
Maybe we should look into that, somewhere….in another dimension.
The System will keep the Bidens and the Clintons out of the negative spotlight as is usual while Trump and the GOP will not be sidetracked during the 2020 ‘election’. There was never going to be an investigation into the US 2014 Ukraine coup and Burisma matter by the US.
WHY DO YOU CALL — the rich ruling-class, the 25% most wealthy who hoard 75% of the wealth, why do you call them “the system”?
And why is the effect of your comment to obscure the reality that the all-encompassing goal of the rich is to make sure that socialist Sanders does not pass any socialist bills?
Ukraine missing $7.4 billion to Obama era graft. $30 million can be traced to Biden(s). I’ll vote for Trump just to see them outed.
Crimes are on both sides and they will protect their own…few will pay the price. The US economy is in big trouble….a major recession could haunt Trump as he and his team have made some bad calls and have under estimated China and some of our Allies.
Not so, for crimes committed by paid actors on both sides, they are ordered by the rich to fool the public into thinking we have a real government.
It’s a big club and you ain’t in it. The longer this thing takes, the bigger the rug that can be “negotiated”. But the damage to America’s image, the elite’s influence and the “shining city on the hill b*llshit” is irreparable. I have very little respect for any of the players in this Kabuki theater. All these participants are either stupid, crooked or hypocrites. NO EXCEPTIONS. And any pressure to participate in this “you’re either with us, or you’re against us” just pisses me off mightily. I fear some “black swan” (even an orange swan) that blows this thing all… Read more »
I think you are being naïve here — talking about the law is all very well but it only needs a few republicans to take bribes from the deep state — I remind you, you were saying not to long ago that the republicans would get them before the senate and expose them and that hasn’t had happened so it keeps moving up the ladder while you keep saying there’s nothing to it –just as likely is that some republicans will take a bribe and trump is gone. Its clearly not about the law. you’ve just admitted the republicans can’t… Read more »
My thoughts exactly. Its entirely possible that “no witnesses”=no defence, and the fix is in. I have been fearing/suspecting this for some time. The corrupt system that Trump is at least talking about taking down crosses party lines, and is endemic, not an “aspect” or illness of the American system, but in fact IS the American system. And the infection has spread to every country in the Western world. The whole right/left dynamic that most are so wrapped up in is just the elite playing three card Monte on the moronic masses.
I beg to differ, as your upper-half of society are Empire builders to a man and far from “moronic masses.” For they are the most physically intelligent, most educated and that is why they are the most greed driven upper-half the world has ever known.
For your upper-half is best described as stupid, it being the lowest level of moral intelligence.
I beg to differ, for a bunch of slave owners designed the U.S. Constitution to give the 25% most wealthy a “rule of law” that empowered them to enforce economical slavery upon the lower-half of society, the root cause of why we have the 50% working poor. All in full compliance to the “rule of law.”
We need a wall of our own, right along the 49th parallel. We do not want the flotsam and jetsam from this failed cesspool rushing into Canada when this finally all goes shitside up, which is happening NOW, live action, right in front of the bewildered gaze of the rest of the world. The venality, corruption and sheer stupid evil being trotted out on display is staggering, so compelling that it has started to beggar belief. Everyone knows politics is “corrupt” but THIS??? “Shining city on a hill” REALLY???
Oozing fetid pustule.
WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE?
For all we need do to organize a solution, is to reach agreement on the solution.
For rehashing the misery without stating the root cause, this causes all harm and no good.
John, it would be appreciated if you could not respond directly to my posts. I don’t think we are capable of communicating, and I have no interest in the dogma that you post. Nothing personal, I just don’t see that we are capable of speaking the same language. Thanks.
I am not writing to you.
I am writing to the public and using your fake reality is an object of scorn.
If you do not want to be scorned, than either turn off your darkness or walk in the light.
WHO ARE THE 25% OF SOCIETY THAT ALWAYS WIN ALL ELECTIONS?
The 25% most wealthy who hoard 75% of wealth and enslave
by poverty the 50% working-poor who refuse to vote.
And if you did not know the answer to a question so self-evident,
you are part of the problem.
That makes sense.
Only if the good members in Congress outnumber the bad,
otherwise all is nonsense.
If you have the slightest common horse sense, you must agree that most Republicans and Republicans in Congress have sold their decision making powers to the highest bidder and the only purpose for the impeachment theatrics is a smokescreen to hide that the rich want nothing changed by Congress.
WHAT SAY YOU — Did not the FBI know full well that any investigation of candidate Trump, would sooner or later see the full light of day?
For an absolute, which means that the rich ordered all their paid actors in our one-Party Congress to play their part in the Russia-gate Soap Box Opera. All to hide the fact that Obama obeyed orders from the rich to execute a fascist coup in Ukraine.
All is theatrics in our make believe government, all orchestrated by
the rich and the only reason for no more witnesses is to maximize a
smokescreen hiding the deep state, another term describing the rich.
MORALTY = EQUALITY
Morality is equal wealth, equal power and equal desire to protect nature. And so,
to be moral one must be a pacifist vegetarian with no more wealth than the poor.
And as seven billion sinners now cause the one billion least intelligent humans to suffer death by starvation, modern Christianity is a fake morality.
But, not so the early Christians, as they were all pacifist vegetarians who made
a vow of poverty.
They want a quick end before it exposes much much more and takes down a lot of people….can’t have that.