Fox News and the rest of you have forgotten that it takes two thirds, 66 votes, of the Senate to convict.
If Trump's team says these are not impeachable offenses, and yet McConnell lets the Republicans vote for witnesses, isn't that really the all-powerful McConnell de facto rejecting the President's argument?
Why waste the Senate's time with witnesses when the charges aren't impeachable in the first place?
A vote for witnesses is a rejection of the Trump team's core argument. Why would McConnell want to allow that?
-PJ
I'm not talking about removal (2/3 majority). I'm talking about legitimizing this whole farce with witnesses (simple majority).
Maybe you don't think that's a big deal. But it does create a dangerous precedent.
By not rejecting these unconstitutional impeachment articles straight away, the Senate will essentially concur with the House's new threshold of impeachment -- a threshold so vague and subjective that anything will be impeachable in the future. A fundamental change in the Constitution via a simple majority vote, without going through the provided means of altering the Constitution -- the amendment process.
That would be a coup against the very Constitution itself!
Uh, 67 votes, not 66.
“Fox News and the rest of you have forgotten that it takes two thirds, 66 votes, of the Senate to convict.”
That part is a given (and it’s 67 votes). But no, I haven’t forgotten. There are two things at play here where 51 votes counts:
1) Is the ‘trial’ allowed to become a circus, particularly when the end result is a given, possibly damaging him in some way?
2) Will Trump get the additional moral victory of a majority vote to acquit him in the Senate?
For us, it doesn’t matter, since the game is over for his removal, but for much of the country, it certainly does matter.
The issue of the day is "fair trial, and that requires witnesses."
Reframe the issue as those calling for more witnesses are undecided on removing Trump from office, that they are seriously considering the Senate should remove Trump from office. IOW, that there is a real case there, that what Trump thought or said (not what he did), is seriously grounds for removal from office.
67.
>> Fox News and the rest of you have forgotten that it takes two thirds, 66 votes, of the Senate to convict.
I don’t think that’s lost on anyone (with a brain)
The current irritant is the witness factor, the ongoing slander, the virtual imprisonment of Trump.
Romney, Collins, & Murky seem to be enjoying the abuse and are effectively contributing to it. And I agree with kevao that McConnell has the ability to keep them in line.
67 votes are required