If McConnell postpones this hearing until next Wednesday, it means...

[kentuck]

that he doesn't have the votes. When he has the votes, he acts. He doesn't worry about the consequences. He is a cold-blooded, power-driven politician.

With Murkowski voting NO on witnesses, it is possible that there is another vote we do not know about, that would have given 4 Republicans for witnesses? Murkowski "no vote" may have only taken it back down to three votes?

If it is postponed, Mitch does not have the 51 votes needed. That is the way I see it.

[guillaumeb]

1. Has the hearing been psotponed?

[question everything]

6. Same here. Have not followed by I really really wish for Whiny Donny to give his.. whatever

while still under indictment.

[kentuck]

7. It is being reported in a couple of places that they may take it back up next week?

I have no idea if there is any truth to those reports?

[3_Limes]

2. The timing would seem to have some thing to do w/ SOTU on Tuesday.

But I can't imagine what.

[Tweedy]

8. Acquit him (after a "trial" without witnesses) right before State of the Union?

[Tweedy]

3. Makes sense. Hope you are right!

[dewsgirl]

4. It would be great, we wouldn't have to hear about Trump's

touchdown dance, I'm not hopeful though.😞
Is something happening?

[2naSalit]

35. Oh, just a couple little bombshells just dropped...

PArnas' lawyer sent a letter that's now revealed and it names a lot of names, and something else... this being after the revelation of Cipilloni's participation in the cover up.

[dewsgirl]

40. Wow😳

[2naSalit]

41. Oh, just wait...

it's early in the day! I stopped to check the sky activities for the day... rocky road all day with a couple blows to the bad guys early on but there's a big assed whopper of surprises coming way late tonight so that tomorrow we may awaken to a different ballgame, again.

[dewsgirl]

43. I really, really hope so.

I look away for a couple hours and stuff blows up.

[2naSalit]

44. Same here. ...nt

[budkin]

5. He might be concerned with the optics of "no witnesses"

And that's why he is giving Senators more time for closing arguments so they can try to slap some lipstick on this pig.

[kentuck]

11. I don't think Mitch worries too much about optics.

Think Merrick Garland. When he has the votes, he acts.

[uponit7771]

12. +1, they should do the Kavanaugh thing and do a half assed job and that would take away ...

... the "no witnesses" thing.

Somethings going on, I don't think Moscow Mitch has the senate tight like Pelosi has the house ... no way.

[cilla4progress]

9. Major problem is

several R Senators seems to accept 1) it happened; 2) it was bad; 3) not that bad...not impeachable.

We should "let the voters decide" in the upcoming corrupted, hacked, stolen election.

[kentuck]

16. If Mitch is not certain of the number, he will not call for a vote.

There may be some confusion and distractions amongst his caucus?

[cynatnite]

10. Someone on MSNBC said that some threatened to bolt if they ended the trial today or tomorrow...

The optics would look bad.

The optics look like shit anyway without witnesses and documents no matter when they end it.

[uponit7771]

13. +1

[SergeStorms]

48. Trump wants this rammed through today.

McConnell doesn't want to spend all night locked up in the Senate chambers again, and neither do a number of other rethuglicans. Of course Trump cares nothing about those Senators in his pocket. He looks at it like everyone works for him, and he wants his acquittal NOW!

[Blaukraut]

14. Claire McCaskill has a theory

That there are a number of republican senators who want to at least deny Trump his Superbowl and SOTU victory lap and might have threatened to not vote to acquit. And because Trump and McConnell want zero defections from their side in an acquittal vote, this might be the compromise McConnell hopes to achieve.

I don't think Trump is going to like that one bit.

[mopinko]

19. i do believe she is correct.

the bottom line for him is the re-election of his members, esp himself.
this all looks bad enough. the victory tour was only gonna blowback.

[Blaukraut]

23. I actually think that he might allow a censure of Trump

To give his vulnerable members something to latch onto.

[3_Limes]

24. There would also be a very embarassing display of gloating

during the SOTU if the vote were beforehand. MoscowMitch may want to avoid that by not allowing the opportunity. (Which is actually a good move on his part - giving the Devil his due.)

[cannabis_flower]

39. There will be.

embarrassing gloating no matter when he is acquitted.

[Wellstone ruled]

42. Understand it was Schummer who

went head to head with Moscow Mitch about delaying the vote until Wednesday late in the day. Schummer must have had a Ad ready to roll just in case Mitch would not budge .. Old Mitch would have to eat the Optics,which is all the Orange Anus cares about,if he ran a vote today.

[Kota]

15. Maybe he has the votes on witnesses but not acquittal.

[DeminPennswoods]

18. Maybe the new news via Bolton about Cipollone and Sekulow

being witnesses to Trump ordering Bolton to call Zelensky and ask for help getting dirt on the Bidens has thrown everything off kilter.

[3_Limes]

25. Wouldn't that make the Rs even more eager to get this over with?

Do it going into the weekend. (Super Bowl weekend at that)

So they can get "it under the carpet" sooner.

[DeminPennswoods]

49. According to txts McCaskill got, the fight is

between the WH, which wants deliberation and acquittal tonight and some "moderate" Rs who don't for their own unknown/unstated reasons.

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Could be, but it also could be...

they are well aware that whatever the vote is, an uproar is going to ensue. They may just want to delay it past the SOTU.

Essentially knowing what the outcome will be, but postponing the inevitable shit storm. May have nothing to do with votes and everything to do with managing media/propaganda timing.

[PA Democrat]

20. There was speculation that some Republicans do not want the optics

of Trump crowing about "exoneration" during the State of the Union. Especially when the "exoneration" was affected by dirty, complicit Republicans who blocked testimony from witnesses, against the wishes of 75% of the American public.

[JudyM]

34. He'll still undoubtedly say that he's *going to be* acquitted because it's a witch hunt.

[matt819]

21. All the more important

for a Bolton interview with Rachel Maddow ASAP. Or a House subpoena and hearing on Monday.

[3_Limes]

26. Bolton? Or TRMS? Ha!

I keep hearing this idea, but there's not a chance in Hell that he would do her show! What would the other war lords think?

[matt819]

36. We live in strange times

He clearly wants to tell his story, i.e., make money on his book. The RW doesn’t want to aid him in this. They want him gone. Dems usually hate him I know I do - but the enemy of my enemy ...

[EndlessWire]

50. I won't be buying the book. n/t

[DarthDem]

22. Is This Confirmed about Wednesday Or

Just more standard Gooper messaging tricks? The whole "Mitch doesn't have the votes to block witnesses" silliness was, what, two or three days ago?

[dchill]

27. He doesn't have the votes to ACQUIT!?

[kentuck]

28. Anything less than 67 votes is an acquittal.

But maybe not the votes that Trump would like to see?

[dchill]

30. Maybe some Repubs don't want to see a Super Bowl...

...victory lap. So they want to postpone. Just a guess.

[Scotch-Irish]

29. I hope some republicans lie to him just like he is lying to the country.

I hope they TELL him they'll vote with him, and then stick it to him.

[2naSalit]

37. +1

[getagrip_already]

31. It's the political equivalent of a pitcher throwing a brushback pitch.....

Don't crowd my plate.

They are likely upset he put them into this position, and while they will suck it up and acquit him, they are still going to send the message he can't be an ass to them.

If that's their play, it will slide past the red hats in the end. It will also be lost on trump. His ego won't see it as a rebuke. He couldn't accept that. So he will blame it on someone else and wait it out.

[Amaryllis]

32. Either way, at the rate things are breaking a whole lot could still happen between now and Wed.

[kentuck]

33. Absolutely!

But the moment McConnell gets the votes, he will end it.

[Amaryllis]

45. True, and the more stuff that comes out first, the bettter. Every day Rachel is reporting on stuff

that is coming out as she's on air, which has been going on for a long time, but it seems to be ever accelerating.

[2naSalit]

38. A whole lot. ...nt

[Ohioboy]

46. It totally disgusts me

It totally disgusts me to think that this whole thing is based on vote calculations and not the truth!

[lastlib]

47. Welcome to Senate Politics 101....

And WELCOME to DU!