The big headline coming from Moscow Mitch McConnell at the beginning of this tumultuous week in high crimes and misdemeanors from Donald Trump was "I would have no choice but to take [impeachment] up." But dig a little deeper to delve into the reality that is Moscow Mitch.
When asked by Politico last week about the revelation of Trump's abuse of presidential power to get Ukraine to help him politically, McConnell brushed it away, saying it is "laughable to think this is anywhere close to an impeachable offense." Coming from the man who squashed efforts by the Obama administration to inform the electorate that Russia was intervening in the 2016 election on behalf of Trump, lord knows what would reach an impeachable offense for McConnell. Other than a blow job in the Oval Office.
Over the weekend, an aide to Republican Senate leadership followed up on that story by sending reporters a note citing a "definitive memo" that the Senate parliamentarian had issued in 1986 saying that "both the rules and the precedents on impeachment argue for a rapid disposition of any impeachment trial" in the Senate. "Rapid" being the operative word with McConnell—remember the lead-in to his statement that "of course" the Senate has to take up impeachment: "How long you're on it is a whole different matter."
The note from the staff to reporters also said that while "it would take specific Senate action to suspend the rules for impeachment," meaning a supermajority two-thirds vote, under current Senate rules it would only take a simple majority vote of 51 to simply dismiss the articles of impeachment.
There are two critical things that have to happen to force McConnell to do his constitutional duty. The House committees must make an airtight case against Trump; and they must have overwhelming public sentiment with them. That means running a professional and all-encompassing evidence-gathering operation, in which getting at the truth trumps ego-stroking and camera-ready soundbites. That will help build pressure on the growing number of vulnerable Republican senators who will have to prove their independence to voters in 2020.
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