Trump 2nd Impeachment News/Talk Megathread

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Politico reports that Dems expect at least Kissinger to vote for impeachment.

Kinzinger?

You heard him. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

-  Anywhere from 10 to 20 Republicans have indicated privately that they will back impeachment, according to multiple reports. 

-  Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the chair of the Republican conference and third-ranking GOP House member, is reportedly among those “very seriously” considering the move.

-  Other Republicans who could be in favor of impeachment include Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), who said Tuesday he’s “strongly considering” supporting the measure, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), according to Politico.

-  Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told ABC News on Sunday he would “vote the right way” if the vote comes up, but doesn’t think it’s “the smart move” right now because it “victimizes Donald Trump again,” saying he hopes Trump will resign or be removed by the 25th Amendment.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Odds of Senate convicting Trump are trading at 26c on PredictIt. Given how much MAGA money has overrun the site I'm surprised at these odds, I would have put the probability around 10%.

https://www.predictit.org/markets/detail/7050/Will-the-Senate-convict-Donald-Trump-in-Biden's-first-100-days

Yeah, that definitely seems high.  I count maybe five or six solid yes votes along with like two or three maybe's.  But outside of that, I don't see where the other eight to ten will come from. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

I kind of feel bad for Matt Gertz.

No worse than Jeff Van Draw. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/JonathanTamari/status/1349123603577634817?s=20

Thank you, Miss Cheney.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

What is the point of McConnell supporting impeachment? I still doubt 17 GOP senators will vote to convict, especially with Trump out of office.

It helps distance himself from Trump (in practice, anyway).

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

(Sorry for bouncing back-and-forth between the two threads -- not sure on which one I should be posting). 

From CNN, here's the anticipated schedule for today:

-  The first debate: It will last begin after the House convenes (9:00am EST) and will [last] about an hour and it will revolve around the rules governing the impeachment article.

-  After that: The House votes on the rule. Remember: Voting in the House takes time because of coronavirus protocols (and now metal detectors, which was its own scene last night as Republicans lashed out at police and fellow members when they were asked to go through them to get to the House floor.)


-  Once the House passes the rule in the early afternoon: Representatives will proceed to a two-hour debate.


-  The final vote: We expect it will begin between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Rules Committee Chair and Ranking Member talking now.

Tom Cole (R-OK) has gone full "both-sides" and claimed that impeachment will be more divisive than the events of the 6th of Jan.

It's galling.

He's calling it a "snap-impeachment", and saying that the trial is a dangerous breach of precedence.

I'd say that armed rioters storming the Capitol is a dangerous breach of precedence. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Cheney hates Trump because Trump ripped daddy's Iraq War.  No surprise.

Grumps,

It is my 70th birthday today, and it would be great if you would favor me with a complete list of your most "out there" beliefs as to who is doing what to whom when and why. You have certainly gotten off to a splendid start with your report as to what precipitated  Ms. Cheney becoming an "angry women" (remember that meme by one of our posters?) at the moment.  Thank you.

(Wishing you a very Happy 70th today, Torie!)

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/RepNewhouse/status/1349424165653274624

(R, WA-04 for the unfamiliar)

I believe that makes six confirmed House Republicans who will vote for impeachment -- two from Washington state.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

With Jaime Herrera Beutler (R, WA-03) and Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04) planning to vote for impeachment, that leaves Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05) as the presumed lone member of Washington state's House delegation to vote against impeaching the President.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/RepNewhouse/status/1349424165653274624

(R, WA-04 for the unfamiliar)

I believe that makes six confirmed House Republicans who will vote for impeachment -- two from Washington state.  

No, all 3 members of the WA GOP delegation (JHB, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and now Newhouse) are now backing the resolution. Interesting that we got all of WA before one UT representative.

Also, don't expect any Freshmen to back the articles unless they were elected on a platform diverging from Trump. The GOP Freshmen classes of 2018 and 2020 were brought to power with the approval of Trump and Trumpism, they will protect him rather than the Republican party, whereas those from before Trump's time are those more concerned that the Party must not become indebted to one man.

Haven't seen anything about C.M.R. voting to impeach -- Seattle Times says she's been silent on the issue as recently as an hour ago. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

My head officially hurts (usually happens when I think too hard...or at all):

We must hold the President accountable, but impeachment won't hold the President accountable.  We must hold him accountable at a later point in time, but we also must move on and move past the events of January 6th.  But we must hold the President accountable.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/JonathanTamari/status/1349465180661542913?s=20

That one made my stomach drop just a little bit.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Has Gabbard voted yet?

Gabbard is sitting on a beach right now, sipping on a cocktail.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

The district PVI's of the ten House Republicans who voted yea:  

Miss Liz Cheney (WY-AL): R+25
Mr. Dan Newhouse (WA-04): R+13
Mr. Tom Rice (SC-07): R+9
Mr. Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16): R+8
Mr. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16): R+8
Mr. Peter Meijer (MI-03): R+6
Mr. Fred Upton (MI-06): R+4
Miss Jaime Herrera-Beutler (WA-03): R+4
Mr. John Katko (NY-24):  D+3
Mr. David Valadao (CA-21): D+5

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Has Gabbard voted yet?

Gabbard is sitting on a beach right now, sipping on a cocktail.  

Probably hanging a sign in her lounge that says "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why they call it the present."

Ooo, that'd go nicely with my hanging wooden sign that has "CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY" in fancy white-painted letters.  

(Basic af.)

But I digress.  Back to impeachment discussion...

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

The 4 abstentions are: Granger, Murphy, Webster, and Harris

For as much as I disagree with her social positions, I've always had a level of fondness for Kay Granger.  Pretty disappointing that she was unwilling to take a stance here.  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Sources close to Tom Rice have confirmed that his vote was no mistake, and he decided to vote his conscience.

https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/in-a-stunner-sc-gop-rep-tom-rice-votes-to-impeach-president-trump-after-capitol/article_6728d754-55b1-11eb-8212-f3f46f16f88e.html

Despite quite a lot of awfulness in his record, big props for this vote. Very brave, and quite ironic that he, not Nancy Mace, was the lone SC House Republican to vote to impeach.

 

Honestly he’s kind of a badass for just turning up with no prior warning and delivering a massive ‘F*** you’ to his MAGA constituents.

Will definitely be up there on my list of "Maverick Republican Moments" from the last five years (along with John McCain's thumbs-down and Romney's pre-conviction-vote speech last February).  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/sambrodey/status/1349488066294132737

Thank you, Mr. Rice. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

The Pentagon is refusing to do the Military farewell for him now. lol

Good!

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Anyone know when the House will send the articles to the Senate?

Tweet from Fri., Jan. 15th

https://mobile.twitter.com/cnnbrk/status/1350162531235590145

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Butch Bowers will represent Trump at his trial.

(NOT the character from It).

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1353878866604011529

"Having said that..."

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Wow, the impeachment manager (i.e. "prosecution") is playing a video compilation from the day that included the shooting. Looks like they could try to make "Trump has conservative blood on his hands" an implicit part of the argument.

That video was so incredibly hard to watch.

Just absolutely infuriating and horrifying.