Donald Trump was impeached for obstruction of Congress, which last time I checked includes the Senate. Now, Senate leader Mitch McConnell is actually arguing that no witnesses be called and only the evidence collected by the House be used. There is one simple explanation for McConnell’s positions: Senate Republicans are complicit in the cover-up of Trump’s actions.
Why is this so hard to communicate to the nation? Yesterday’s marathon of House Republicans refusing to ever, even a single time, acknowledge the historic assertions of immunity to any investigation, Congress or otherwise, being made by Trump. Even as Republican after Republican expressed their sincere disgust and outrage at the Democratic House members lack of “direct evidence” the irony was too much for me to bear.
It is the Democrat’s time to use the nation’s this attention on moving impeachment into the Senate trial to use this moment to focus on the Republican Party’s complicity in the cover-up. They need to recount that while the Republican led House investigated the multitude of Russian contacts with Trump’s campaign that the investigation’s leader, Devin Nunes, was secretly coordinating directly with Trump. It’s what Republicans do: look out for their own above all else. Democrat’s should thank Mitch McConnell for dispensing with any pretense of objectivity, unlike Nunes. Mitch McConnell has confirmed what has been obvious for a long time: a Republican led Senate is not going to perform any oversight of this administration. Period.
Democrats should explain to our country that long ago the Republican Party learned how to weaponize investigations, be it Whitewater, Benghazi or her emails. Republicans learned that just the existence of an investigation could be used as a basis for attacks, conspiracy theories, and lies. That is why all Trump wanted from Ukraine was an announcement of an investigation of the Biden.
But Democrats are not Republicans. Democrats have never failed to do their duty regardless of the Party involved. Unlike Republicans.There are plenty of clips of McConnell, Lindsey Graham and others arguing passionately about the danger and threat to this nation that would exist if certain Democrats were not punished. These clips can be played side to side with these same Republicans saying exactly the opposite today, because the target is one of theirs.
Chuck Schumer said today that to have a trial with “no witnesses and no documents is a sham trial” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chuck-schumer-impeachment-witnesses_n_5dfba9ade4b01834791d3f3c
Wrong.
It. Is. A. Cover-up.
It is what Republicans do.
Schumer, you suck. God, where is Harry Reid when we need him.
It is not about a fair trial because McConnell has already ruled that out. At this point it can be argued by Republicans that any trial that ultimately takes place will have been fair because the Democrats agreed to the terms. If the impeachment moves to the Senate, then any complaints by Democrats will be used against them by Republicans as Democrats always moving the goal posts, crying, etc.
Lawrence Tribe is right. Democrats should not send impeachment to the Senate but use it to strengthen their legal demands that subpoenas be enforced, and to argue that the evidence the Senate Republicans say they need but have never, ever used their power to get, is exactly why Republicans are complicit in the cover-up.