Can the American people get a fair impeachment trial from McConnell?

[kentuck]

He has publicly stated that he plans to be 100% coordinated with the White House Counsel? Is there any doubt but that he is carrying the water for Donald J Trump? They don't even want to call it a "trial".

So far, it appears that Mitch McConnell is preparing to screw the American people out of a fair trial?

The American people should take no solace in the direction McConnell and the Republicans are taking our country.

Do not expect a fair trial from the Senate.

[RKP5637]

1. Fair, is not a word in their vocabulary. n/t

[fleur-de-lisa]

2. No.

[John Fante]

3. Not a chance.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. Merrick Garland......

McConnell has made a political career of screwing over people.

[saidsimplesimon]

5. We oppose them because we are patriots.

They oppose the truth because of their criminal behavior.

[coti]

6. There's really no question about it, it's not going to be a "trial" at all.

We shouldn't even be using that word to refer to it.

[kentuck]

7. A sham?

An episode of Apprentice?

[TEB]

8. No

[Iliyah]

9. No.

[bluestarone]

10. Same kind of trial

Jesus had BEFORE he was crucified!

[PRETZEL]

11. The only way there will be any semblence of fairness

will depend on how many concessions Sen. Shumer can garner.

I believe I heard that McConnell and Shumer will negotiate the rules by which the trial will be held.

If Shumer sticks to his guns and forces McConnell to do a run around on the rules, that will be on McConnell and that will not go unnoticed.

[Bettie]

14. Don't recall where I read it

but Moscow Mitch has already indicated that he's not really planning to include Democrats in the process at all.

Here's one article: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/12/mitch-mcconnell-impeachment-senate-trial-republicans

McConnell told reporters Tuesday that he’s preparing a “back-up plan” for figuring out the Senate rules, in case he's not able to strike a bipartisan deal with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on how to structure the proceedings. And that plan, apparently, is to try and cut Democrats out entirely. “The first thing Sen. Schumer and I will do is see if there’s a possibility of agreement on a procedure,” McConnell said. “That failing, I would probably come back to my own members and say: ‘OK, can 51 of us agree how we’re going to handle this?’” The Majority Leader added that he wasn’t sure if he’d prefer a bipartisan deal or working solely with Republicans, telling reporters, “it would depend on what we would agree to.” Should both the bipartisan and partisan negotiations fail to figure out the trial procedure, the task would fall to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who will be presiding over the trial. Roberts would submit motions to the Senate about the procedure, which could then be passed with 51 votes.

[PRETZEL]

21. Again, I could very easily be wrong

don't remember where I heard it or from who it came from.

[NurseJackie]

12. No. But the Democrats have lived up to their duties and responsibilities.

[mopinko]

13. we citizens need to demand that they use the same rules as clinton's trial.

clinton rules.
sauce for the gander.
nothing.else.will.do.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

15. Absolutely not!...

Truthfully at this point with what McTurtle says he’s going to do, it’s kinda like “why bother?”.

This is going to be as big of a scam as O.J.‘S trial. All the evidence is stacked in front of them but all they can yell is “if the transcript don’t fit, you gotta acquit”; “It’s not obstruction, it’s Cinnabon.”

Best we can hope for is that the republicans are made to look so un-American, such liars and schemers it makes them irrelevant.

[oasis]

16. The foreman of the jury huddles with the defense counsel before the trial.

Nice.

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Rhetorical question I presume?

[CanonRay]

18. Short answer: No

[CousinIT]

19. NO. The people don't get ANYTHING fair from McConnell. n/t

[spanone]

20. Absolutely not.

[mindem]

22. No

[Ninga]

23. No. If interested see info on impeachment vote demonstrations.

https://act.moveon.org/event/impeach-and-remove-attend/search/

[H2O Man]

24. Recommended.

It's interesting .....Mitch's announcement that he was coordinating with Trump's team had some curious timing. For a couple of days previous, the "insider talk" in DC was that Trump and Mitch were arguing about how the trial would be unfolding. That was eventually reported, less than 24 hours before Mitch went on Fox.

I still think that the key will be in John Bolton testifies in the Senate trial. If he does, Trump will be found guilty. If he doesn't, Trump will skate.

Men like McConnell and Bolton, while they hold Trump in utter contempt, are all about themselves.

[kentuck]

25. Very interesting time in our history.

And a lot of unknown.

[H2O Man]

30. Another of the

"great unknows" is -- exactly as you have noted several times recently -- what role Chief Justice Roberts opts to play. This could be crucial. I don't think the lone recent example of Rehnquist during the Clinton trial is necessarily going to follow, Rehnquist knew, as did everyone in the Senate, that they were not going to convict Clinton. Now, that may hold true here, but for very different reasons. While Roberts isn't my cup of tea, I do think he is a serious man when it comes to understanding threats to the Constitution and nation. Time will tell.

I had a great conversation with my cousin last night. I really wish you could have participated! We were discussing all the things good and bad, great and terrible, that our generation has gone through. Never anticipated this shit.

[kentuck]

31. I hope Roberts decides to play a larger role than Rehnquist.

McConnell doesn't worry much about fairness, as we all know.

It would be a great step forward if we could just get them to be serious about it.

The best Democrats can hope for is a simple majority to convict. If Trump loses 4 Repubs, the Dems could declare a victory, in my opinion.

This will be the battle in the Senate trial.

I have a hunch it might be a little different than the House.

[H2O Man]

33. I can't remember

Rehnquist's exact quote, but he later said something to the effect that he played no role at all, and did so very well. But the circumstances going in were so different than today's. Still, as bad of an (In)Justice as Rehnquist was, when it came to the USSC hearing a case involving Nixon, he had the decency to recuse himself, because of his previous role with Nixon.

McConnell does not believe in fairness. There is no evidence that he ever has. He's solely concerned with power, including his party's, but primarily with his own. It is his essence, and is as much a part of his nature as it is my dog's to bark when someone comes up my driveway.

Roberts is a curious individual. In so many ways, he is a bland conservative. But he has shown the ability to view conflicts within a constitutional context, and attempt to put the country first.

[Thomas Hurt]

26. Isn't going to be a trial presided over by the Chief Justice per the Constitution.

There is going to be a dog and pony show run by Trump's lawyers.

[Baitball Blogger]

27. Not even American Kabuki.

Since they aren't even pretending.

[lame54]

28. Nobody ever did...

This is no spoiler

1000% predictable

Still - what the dems did is a must

They did a fantastic job of making the repug vote as shameful as possible

The thing is that they have no shame so the outcome is completely expected

[stillcool]

29. not in these times..

and not for a long time. It's a sad, sick, joke.

[GeorgeGist]

32. No,

[Hermit-The-Prog]

34. Moscow Mitch and the Russiapublicans do not care about "fair"

Their goals have been demonstrated -- power and money. The Constitution and democracy are obstacles to the goals of the GOP and will be treated as such by them.

[VOX]

35. NO, just as surely as the holidays are upon us, NO.

Not a chance in hell.

[Initech]

36. No, he'll just get a slap on the wrist, and they'll blame his trial on the Deeeeeeeeeeep State!!!1!.

And we'll basically learn nothing from this in the next election cycle, which is exactly what the PTB want.