Forget for the moment the question of when Nancy Pelosi will send over the articles of impeachment. Does the Constitution require Mitch McConnell to do anything with them except perhaps give the House a receipt? Georgetown law professor Bradley Blakeman argued yesterday evening in The Hill (via Twitchy) that an impeachment trial is neither required or needed, especially in this instance.
To be fair, Blakeman does write that the Senate will be required to take some action, but that it doesn’t have to be a trial. All McConnell needs to do, Blakeman writes, is to call a vote to dismiss before a trial even starts — and that would require only a simple majority, as it is just a procedural motion.
There are suggestions that McConnell and the GOP could pass a resolution to conduct the trial the day after the 2020 election. They also suggested that they first vote to dismiss the impeachment charges, then hold hearings regarding how shabby the House impeachment hearings actually were.
Could the Senate really hold hearings to provide oversight of the House? Well I guess when you can vote to impeach a President without any bi-partisan consent regarding actions that you don't either pretend to be criminal or pretend to be proven... then anything is possible.
I think the smart money is on McConnell calling for a trial where no new witnesses are called (which was what happened in the Clinton hearings). Basically each side would rely on the existing information gathered in the House and provide a witness or two to review (and make arguments) regarding that information.
This could all be done in a matter of a couple of days, the Senate would vote to acquit and the President would then run his victory laps.
2 comments:
Yesterday you bitched like a whinny ass old white guy that Pelosi's not sending the paper to the senate was a travesty....Now you advocate the senate not do anything based on HOTAIR!!!!!!! Make up your fucking mind Lil Scotty......going where the wind blows is a signal of a disturbed mind.....BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
The Senate can dismiss the articles of impeachment on a procedural motion. Then, when the dust settles, the Senate Judiciary Committee through its chairman, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) could hold hearings to show what a “witch-hunt” the House process was. He can, in effect, conduct his own trial to “acquit” the president through Senate hearings. This would allow hearings to be conducted at the exact time that Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination for president — one of whom could be called to testify.
More deep state conspiracy theories on Hotair.com!
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Post a Comment