McConnell and White House counsel agree to coordinate impeachment trial plans

When I first read that I thought "There goes any chance that Trump get's a fair trial. The jury foreman is meeting with the accused to discuss trial strategy." But then I got to thinking. Where we stand now is Trump is guilty, as Clinton was, and like Clinton there isn't enough support to oust him for his charges although considerably more than for Clinton. Republican Senators worry that to quickly vote against him would hurt their re-election chances, bear in mind more than twice as many Republican senate seats are up for grabs as Democrat senate seats, yet at the same time many of those senators loath the man. Similarly many Republicans senators must be more than a little concerned with what Trump will do if left in office after getting essentially a green light that there will be no oversight of his presidency. We've seen him leashed to a long tether, I shudder at the thought of unleashed. There's still plenty of time to name a new candidate for 2020.

So where do these meetings come in? It could be that the Republicans are going to let Trump have enough rope to hang himself. By all means Mr. President call some witnesses for your defense. Biden? He should laugh and go to the trial and testify, insist on it in fact, it's a free opportunity to defend himself, under oath, in front of a huge audience, that is if Roberts allows it because he really has nothing to do with the case in hand. Giuliani? Now that would be a hoot, I've never seen a lawyer so intent on hanging his client out to dry. Seriously, it's sad to watch a once respected man go through the process of descending into dementia, it really should be a private thing. Mulvaney? He's already said Trump is guilty, publicly, that would be fun to see him talk around. Pompeo? Trump seriously burned that bridge. Trump himself? OH please please please let it happen.

Yep, Trump's team could make it easy for the Republican senators to toss him out by turning public opinion so far against him.

 

Has anyone ever seen a trial where the defendant has strategy sessions with the jury?
Because that is exactly what is happening here.

2/3’s are needed to convict but only a simple majority is needed to bar him from serving for public office.

 

It's pretty sad that Republicans and McConnell complain of a fixed process while fixing the process.

 

Take heart that it's 2/3's of the vote not 2/3's of the senate. Some senators could vote "absent" reducing the number of guilty votes needed. Some senators may go that route, "He was guilty but it wasn't worth dismissing him but at the same time I do not want to encourage this behavior in any president by voting for his acquittal." For every 20 non voters that means 10 less guilty votes needed.

 

What a heaping load of dog poo. Trump is not guilty. The dems have nothing. There is no high crimes or misdemeanors here. This is a political circus. Well, the clowns in the House have had their turn and now it is time for the lions to come out and eat the clowns for lunch. Just sit back and take it.

 

Sit back and take what?
Them not calling a single witness?

 

Is that how the Senate rules are currently written?

Could they change the rules for the trial so as to allow an abstention to not count as against the total needed to convict?

Would BLOTUS supporters accept that as legitimate if all of the GOP Senators abstain and then the BLOTUS is found guilty on purely Dem votes?

 

Not Senate rules it's in Article1 of the Constitution.

It would take a constitutional amendment to change.

 

Awesome catch!

So if they ABSENT themselves that could change the entire dynamic.

 

The flu is going around. I hear that the Red Flu can be highly contagious.

 

As I recall they said that America would only have a black POTUS when pigs could fly and sure enough, right after Obama was elected, we had Swine Flu!

 

You have no shame do you? What a horrible pun. OK I laughed but it was still horrible.

 

It's a good out for them "I couldn't just oust a president for what he did but at the same time I can't encourage that kind of behavior by exonerating him."

 

The fix is in, the GOP Senators will not risk a backlash from the Trump myrmidon voting bloc. The party wants control of the WH, even if it means letting the scorpion hitch a ride on the frog...

 

McConnell wanted to dismiss the whole thing. After 24/7 smear merchandising by the most despicable bunch of treasonous partisans, Trump wants his chance to reverse some of the damage the animals caused. In the real world, since we've witnessed the Democrats' 2020 Presidential campaign at taxpayer expense, the perpetrators of campaign finance felonies would be frog marched to jail. In our world, they will continued to get paid at taxpayer expense.

 

This isn't a trial...

 

What, specifically would Trump be guilty of here? There isn't a concrete example of "abuse of power", there is no legal violation that has been charged. The imperious charge of contempt for congress is more a recognition that the child like democrats are mad that they didn't get enough attention. So, what, specifically will Trump be guilty of? Mitch is well within his rights to dismiss the entire charade for what it is.

 

Unfortunately the process won't be as amusing as watching the leftist clown circus at play in the House because mostly the senate is filled with professionals rather than clueless radicals. It's going to be as if suddenly the adults entered the room . . . boooooooooring!

 

This is a political process, not a legal proceeding -- or did you forget?

 

"And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present."
So, no.

 

If only 10 Senators show up then they only need 7 votes

 

Ah. You are unaware of the quorum rules specified by Article I Section 5 of the US constitution.

 

Ok, then 35 members are all that is required.

 

"Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business;"
The senate has how many members? A majority of that number is...?

 

From https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/quorum.htm:
“quorum - The number of senators that must be present for the Senate to do business. The Constitution requires a majority of senators (51) for a quorum. Often, fewer senators are actually present on the floor, but the Senate presumes that a quorum is present unless the contrary is shown by a roll call vote or quorum call.”
A minimum of 26 votes will be required to not allow trump to hold future office
A minimum of 35 votes will be required to convict him in the trial

At full membership attendance:
50 votes will be required to not allow trump to hold future office (51 after Jan 8 )
66 votes will be required to convict him in the trial (67 after Jan 8 )

There are currently 45 Democrats, 2 Independents, 52 Republicans and 1 Vacant seat
To date, 5 Republicans have announced they will not be seeking re-election and 3 have voiced some support for removal

It only requires three senators to switch the process to a secret vote. Might be an interesting outcome