57-43 Vote with 7 Republicans
- Richard Burr – North Carolina
- Bill Cassidy – Louisiana
- Susan Collins – Maine
- Lisa Murkowski – Alaska
- Mitt Romney – Utah
- Ben Sasse – Nebraska
- Pat Toomey – Pennsylvania
The rest are political cowards or delusional fools if not outright traitors.
Worthy Comments
Really sad there’s only seven Republicans worthy of their oath.
— Donna Hughes (@dpdx61) February 13, 2021
Really sad there’s only seven Republicans worthy of their oath.
— Donna Hughes (@dpdx61) February 13, 2021
https://twitter.com/imillhiser/status/1360694534221496326
As Expected
This of course was as expected.
For discussion, please see A Phone Call Proves Trump’s Guilt, But It Won’t Matter
Won’t Matter?
That statement pertains only the the impeachment process not courts of law or courts of public opinion.
Trump still faces criminal charges in Georgia, and tax evasion charges in New York.
Perhaps D.C. prosecutors will conduct a real trial over this because the impeachment process was a farce.
A Phone Call Proves Trump’s Guilt, But It Won’t Matter
The Senate won’t convict but Trump still faces criminal charges in GA, and tax evasion charges in NY.
Perhaps D.C. prosecutors will conduct a real trial because the impeachment trial was a farce.https://t.co/Q2FoHspCyU
— Mike “Mish” Shedlock (@MishGEA) February 13, 2021
Trump can be prosecuted for inciting a riot or dereliction of duty in D.C. And D.C. is the most democratic jurisdiction in the United States. Being tried in DC is Trump’s worst nightmare.
Coward Extraordinaire McConnell
After voting to acquit, McConnell is slamming Trump for his lies leading up to Jan 6 and the violence at the Capitol. A McConnell vote to convict could have changed everything.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 13, 2021
Mcconnell stating Trump is “practically and morally responsible” for the insurrection. Fork-tongued bastard.
Mitch McConnell’s cowardice and subservience to Donald Trump are now indisputable. Whatever he used to claim to be — statesman, institutionalist — is laughable now.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) February 13, 2021
Stepped away for a moment. And now McConnell is basically giving a speech verifying the Dems case?? Confirming all the worst aspects of the case. Calling it “unconscionable”? What the heck is going on? What’s the point, Mitch?
— Jane Sasseen (@janesasseen) February 13, 2021
Sad Day
Today was a sad day for the US Constitution. But this might be rectified in a real court of law.
Congratulations and praise to the seven Republican Senators who undoubtedly voted their conscience at the risk of ending their careers.
Mish
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I would take 100 Ben Sasses in the Senate to one Trump in the White House. Shame on the Nebraska state GOP for censoring this man. He is one of the few people in the GOP these days with character. The Nebraska state GOP should really pay attention to his message to them. They won’t. Their loss as the GOP dies.
Sorry for the extra n in Banana, But one is for US and one is for Maynmar.
US and Myanmar latest to become Bannana Rebublicans.
Nancy lost a lot of political capital on this adventure, I am happy the media now has more private citizen Trump material to obsess over, rather than minor things like out of control deficits, surging lumber and food prices, and bubbles everywhere. Can we just move on?
I’m not sure what you mean. Yes, Pelosi forced the Republican Party to take a position, and they took the position that Fascism is fine, and coup attempts are OK, so long as they happen in the last 60 days of a Presidency. That pretty much sets the tone for elections for the next decade or so, where people with any level of sanity will decline to vote Republican. Republicans are going to have a hard time winning many elections for a decade or more.
Actually they took a position that they are going to vote along party lines.
One would expect in the future that Democrats and Republicans to continue to do so on matters like impeachment.
I remember Mish being sure they would get the votes early on then changing his stance once he realized it wasn’t going to happen. From the start I knew there was no way they were going to reach the vote. Otherwise to the end of time there would be political persecution of presidents. This should end impeachment once and for all unless one side or the other dramatically controls both houses.
I have to disagree with you. If they had convicted Trump, then it would have been shown by, first acquitting him of partisan charges, and then convicting him of valid charges, that Impeachment could be a useful too when used properly, and that it should only be used for valid charges. By acquitting him of even valid charges, they have shown that Impeaching is useless for valid charges, and that it’s only use should be harassing and persecuting Presidents along political lines. So, now it would seem there is no reason to wait for valid charges, as they don’t help anyway.
The only reason Trump survived this trial is because something like 80% of Republicans still backed him based on a disinformation campaign on FNC, and because it’s a cult. If the public stopped backing him, the senators would have voted to convict.
In defense of Mish, it looked like the tide was turning against him when Kevin Mccarthy and Mitch started speaking out against him, but they both got back in line shortly afterwards.
Of course some people equate dissent with treason. Fortunately the Founding Fathers gave treason a very narrow definition because they had lots of experience with the Crown using the word to put away anyone it didn’t like.
Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution defines treason as:
“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”
Are these senator stupid? Possibly. Are they unprincipled cowards? Maybe. Delusional? Sure, why not. Traitors? No not by the definition given in the Constitution.
They gave aid and comfort to the insurrectionists.
I am surprised it ended so soon. The senators voted to allow witnesses and a full investigation with subpoenas, cross examinations and everything like in the first impeachment but that didn’t happen. I can understand why the Republicans would want to cut it short, they see it as frivolous, but why would the Democrats agree to stop the process so soon? It’s a game of chicken and the Democrats blinked. They wanted a quick trial and condemnation. When faced with a real trial that digs down deep they decided to stop it. Many of you here wanted a quick trial with only a badly-made movie as evidence. That was enough for you having already made up your minds long ago. You wanted confirmation. Impeachment was set up on purpose to be hard. Like a real trial evidence must be presented and examined. Witnesses must be called. All this happened in the first time around and Trump was acquitted. The process was followed and a conclusion reached. It should have happened this time around but it didn’t probably because the Democrat leadership knew that they didn’t have a case and that if the process took place some unforeseen facts could surface as in the last trial. That’s a danger that the Democrat leadership didn’t want to risk.
The Democratic leadership backed off because they have met all their objectives. Trump is out of office and will now be delivered to the left wing media to be drawn and quartered.
They backed off when the Republicans entered into evidence Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s phone call to Trump and called her as a witness. It’s in the timeline.
“Witnesses must be called. All this happened in the first time”
Witnesses were blocked by the Republicans in the first impeachment.
You are right. No witnesses were called in that one. I confused it with Mueller’s investigation in which many were called.
Yeah, you are not in the states, so I don’t expect you to be current with what is going on here. But I hate misinformation.
Sure I know what’s going on. I talk to friends and family and I have access to the same news sources as you. There is quite a community of Americans who live and work here and they are probably more diverse in views than the people you talk to Manly Lance.
Ended due to lack of evidence. They were loosing and wanted to save face. If they had evidence…. they would presented it and not needed to manufacture and edit video. (see they Jan 3, 2020 tweets as well as the evidence they had to recant cause it was simply false.)
The Dem’s essentially relied on selectively editing video, it was powerful when the defense showed the whole clips in context right next to their propaganda. The last thing they wanted would be for Trumps lawyers to expose all their witnesses too. CNN actually played the full Trump quote from Charlottesville…first time ever……they don’t want any more of that occurring; best to duck out before the narrative crumbles further.
Since you did not know that the Republicans denied any witnesses on the first trial, I doubt it.
I confused it with the other trial. I admit the fault.
What other trial? There were 2.
You didn’t read what I put up before. I confused it with the Mueller investigation in which many witnesses were called. Checking back I realized the mistake and acknowledged to you that you were right. What would you have me do more? When I make a mistake I don’t try to hide it or deny it.
I suppose when President Harris gets to the end of her last legal term in office, all of these same Republicans will sit by when she sends BLM in to stop the certification.
It is indisputable now, the President has virtually unlimited powers if at least one branch of Congress is of the same party.
It is indisputable now, the party controlling at least one branch of Congress AND the Presidency has virtually unlimited powers. Corollary, if a party controls both branches of Congress and has a 2/3’s majority in the Senate, then that party virtually chooses the next President through impeachment.
The outright conclusion is the design of our present “democracy” is no longer stable, or represents the will of the people to have different parties in different branches of government.
Naw, the GOP doesn’t believe in consistency. They’ll say/do whatever is in their best interest at the time.
Just look at the ACB Supreme Court nomination for proof.
Can’t trust anything they say.
Yep. 7 shameful rhino Republicans and all 50 Demonrat clowns. All it means is Trump won again. He actually won the election too, but you already knew that and don’t care if it was fraudulently stolen through relaxed ballot security. Covid accomplished it’s objective. Problem for you liberals is, Trump 2024 is now in play.
It was a cop out for any Senator to vote against impeachment using the theory that Trump was now a private citizen. The Senate had a prior vote and decided the question. In essence 43 Senate may have violated their own voted on jury instructions
Sadly this reflects what we all know – we live with double standards for the rich and the connected. Full Stop.
Now tRump can continue his Trumpism Movement , and do more and more damage to the American Empire.
I’ve written before that impeachment only succeeds as a threat or promise. Nixon remains the only successful impeachment precisely because he knew the votes to convict were there, and thus the process was unnecessary.
Once the process of impeachment begins, acquittal is a foregone conclusion, as history has proved. And if what Fuckwad did wasn’t grounds for conviction, then nothing is. Or maybe cold-blooded murder in broad daylight is the standard now, who knows.
I doubt we will see another impeachment in our lifetimes, so ridiculously inadequate a tool it is. May the US justice system hound Fuckwad and his kin to their dying breaths.
Nixon’s approval was down to 25% nationally. Among Republicans Trump is close to 90%
Yes, 47 years is enough time for standards to change. Conservatives used to have shame or self-awareness. Now it’s all nihilism all the time.
That DNC leadership can not predict their chances of success, forces one of these conclusions:
With the benefit of knowing this outcome, do you think they made the right choice?
It’s clear neither party wants to be responsible for convicting one of their own. The Dems had every justification to convict Clinton but took a hard pass. I even postulate that convicting Clinton would have been in the best interest of the Dems, much in the same way convicting Trump would have saved the Repubs.
Impeachment as an actual process is dead, stillborn in fact. It can never succeed. Perhaps that’s the only positive of the Dems decision in this case, demonstrating its futility as a strategy but its only use as theater and publicity.
I don’t think the Dems had a choice. They chose the option of action over apathy.
Did the DNC make the right choice? Presuming that their goal was the achievement of the Democrat agenda, then yes, without a doubt. They backed the Republican Senators into a corner, where they had to either do what was right, or what was popular among their voters. Seven did what was right, and will likely face stiff tests in the next primary. 43 did what was popular, and will no doubt win the the primary, but will face stiff tests in there general elections, as no Republican who despises evil would vote for them.
The net result will be to drive moderates and liberatarians out of the Republican Party. Those people would rather face a liberal agenda than a fascist one.
I’ll take the other side of the bet that we won’t “see another impeachment in our lifetimes”.
Impeachment, recently used frivolously by both parties, is now simply another political tool, not unlike voting or gerrymandering.
If anything, this new tradition and custom have guaranteed that if the R’s take the house in 2022, they’ll impeach whoever is president then.
That said, is impeachment a “ridiculously inadequate tool”?
Politically? You bet!
But, to sell clicks? Works like a champ.
There’s no grounds to impeach Biden as yet. But your scenario is plausible.
It actually serves the party of nihilism to make a mockery of impeachment, thus making a mockery of government itself. That’s the GOP endgame anyway.
Two failed convictions, and a non-transparent election. Nothing to see here, move along.
…. I am watching CNN….LOL ! The lying, sore losers, spiteful hypocrites, socialist, Biden gang is quite disappointed, to say the least, losing face for the umpteenth time in almost five years, now desperately inventing motives for criminal prosecution…. PATHETIC ! Why can’t you just move on with your lives under your great new president? There are plenty of real urgent and serious issues to deal with, aren t there? STOP wasting your fckn time now, concentrating on fckn Trump for fckn once and for all !
The new thing will be watching the liberal agenda being adopted. In prior years, Democrats always governed ran to the center during elections, and governed as moderates, usually as fiscally conservative moderates (Carter, Clinton). There is no longer a reason for them to do that. Republicans have destroyed themselves, and it will be a decade before they overcome the stigma of embracing evil.
So, now we can sit around and complain about all the new liberal agenda, but it is now inevitable.
Turn off the life support you’re wasting electricity.
Because they are morons. They got nothing to expect out of Biden and his goons except crazy social woke agendas. All I hear him saying is that he wants to print money. New boss same as the old boss, except the old boss didn’t want your cities burned to the ground.
Hardly a waste of time. The Republican Part y will lose quite a number of registered Republican voters (me included) over their totally shameless behavior. The GOP stinks to high heaven.
Ironically, Trump himself wouldn’t have it any other way. He always wants the discussion to be about him, for good or ill.
Trump is a travesty but you got to admit his team demolished the House with those videos. Compilation of them citing hearsay was brutal and the video showcasing the selective cuts to take him out of context was damming.
Sad, but expected. No sane person would vote for the party of evil. The Democrats can go as liberal to the extreme and I still would never vote for a Republican again.
Couple of points:
This was the most bipartisan vote in favor of convicting a President ever.
McConnell’s speech was damming. Made it clear House managers proved their case on the facts and the vote was based on an unwillingness to convict an ex-president. Schumer’s remarks were meh in comparison.
House managers did an incredible job. Trump’s defense came off as 3rd string. Van der veen came off as odious and all over the place. Schoen even quit Thursday over tactics objections. I think now more than ever Trump’s political future is dead as it should be.
I’m still gobsmacked three Republicans including Cruz and Graham were marching in and out of defense quarters offering suggestions.
Trump and Graham face crimimal probes.
Susan Collins learned her lesson
Trump did not need a defense this was a political move another example of a waste of monies by the Feds!
Trump is now the most acquitted President in history.
7 members from the other party joining in to vote guilty is a record. so Trump can claim that title as well. Once again Trump is dead, he just won’t lie down
The whole idea of trying to impeach a private citizen was clearly unconstitutional. As for Trump, his rejection of a lawful election is inexcusable. He should be dropped and the Republicans should find a new leader. The Democrats and also in need to new leaders in the house and senate. Three cheers the circus is over. Time to solve the problems of the of the US.
“his rejection of a lawful election is inexcusable.” See 1/2 the democratic party since 2016.
You act like election fraud has never been brought up before. Search “Russian interference lies” or “CNN hot mic russia nothing burger”
He was impeached on Jan 13. A full week before leaving office.
Pass the buck again. Legislative branch wants the judicial branch to do their job for them. So tired of officials side-stepping when it’s important.
And your an idiotic buffoon that should get a life.
I said in the beginning that criminal prosecution was better than an impeachment, and that the Senate would acquit a second time.
That was McConnell’s Pontius Pilate POV…..the Senate can deny jurisdiction and the criminal courts can handle it…..problem solved.
I wonder if there will even be a criminal indictment…and if there is, whether they can get a conviction…..I doubt it…but I do hope it gets pursued…..the odds are much better than they ever were in the Senate.
Moral cowards and traitors, the lot of them. May all their houses be accursed.
Apparently your wish has come true, the home of Trump’s attorney has been vandalized. Perhaps you are guilty of incitement?
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Now we will have to find something else to talk about.
climate lockdowns?
Cold weather and energy maybe. Here in Europe we having a real cold spell. Good opportunity to look at the renewables and see how they are holding up.
Trump won’t disappear from discourse anytime soon. There’s still a bunch of people saying he will return on 3/4, for starters.
The nation went mad these past four years when Trump became the yardstick for any political stance. Half the voters thought he was evil incarnate while the other half viewed him a savior, but they’re all wrong.
He is great for generating clicks and generating ad revenues. A lot of blogs jumped on the click wagon.