DL Open Thread: Tues., Jan. 21, 2020
McConnell Reveals Rigged Rules. No evidence, no documents, no witnesses, and testimony up to and past midnight. We can take him at his word. He and the White House moved in lockstep on this:
The White House, which has worked closely with Mr. McConnell on the trial’s parameters, indicated it was pleased. Eric Ueland, the president’s congressional liaison, said the team was “gratified that the draft resolution protects the president’s rights to a fair trial.”
When the Clinton trial opened, the Senate “admitted into evidence,” printed and shared with senators all records generated by the House impeachment inquiry into Mr. Clinton. Not so this time.
Though the House’s evidence from the Trump impeachment inquiry would still be printed and shared with senators, it would only be formally considered by the Senate as part of its official record if a majority of senators voted to do so. That vote could only take place after the Senate decided whether to call witnesses and seek additional documents — that is, as the trial moves toward conclusion.
As For Bolton…: The White House and the Senate GOP are conspiring to ensure that Bolton’s testimony never sees the light of day. While Trump may or may not be Teflon-proof, I don’t see this applying to the senators. More and more, I think there may be a sea change in the Senate.
Here’s What D’s Must Do. By ‘D’s,’ I mean the Chris Coonses of this world. There are no moderate R’s. They’re all complicit to one extent or another. They’re all gonna vote to adopt McConnell’s rules today. Take names and make them pay.
Marriott Guilty Of Greenwashing? Since I don’t trust Marriott at all after having been subjected to a 90-minute ‘hard-sell’ for their bullshit vacation club, I say, yesyesyes. The victims: The housekeepers. You might want to consider boycotting them. Just keep in mind that they are buying up hotel chains faster than the President is prevaricating on Twitter.
Police And Feds Place Victims On Trial In Tennessee Civil Rights Arson Case. Cops are among white supremacists’ most dependable allies here.
How Weak Is The Argument To Throw More Money At Wesley? David Bonar, who is a real piece of work, makes this case:
The argument that government shouldn’t contribute to Wesley is silly. Taking that attitude, why then did the state contribute billions to Astra Zeneca only to see it move many of their jobs elsewhere? Why did legislators, including some on the committee reviewing economic assistance for Wesley, vote to approve a program for a renewable energy firm that gave idle promises of jobs that have never materialized and cost Delmarva Power consumers, even today, hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs? Why does the Joint Finance Committee continue to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the University of Delaware with scant oversight and accountability as to how it is truly spent?
Uh, that’s an argument in opposition to horrible choices the state has made, and continues to make, not an effective argument to continue to throw bad money at yet another failing institution.
What do you want to talk about?
What’s somewhat amazing is that Bonar used to work at the Public Service Commission and his job (I forget the precise title) was essentially to be the “public advocate.” He’s hardly advocating for the public now, though he’s pushing for the city of Dover, whose businesses clearly won’t be happy to see the revenue generated by Wesley and its students disappear.
He was indeed the Public Advocate, a position in which he did no advocating for the public. Which is why an Inspector General, so often seen as a panacea by its supporters, would be about as effective as the Mueller Report.
When government is corrupt, it corrupts everything it touches.
He used to work in the Senate when I was there. Disappeared at lunch, rarely came back. That appointment as Public Advocate was a gift to the utilities.
“McConnell Reveals Rigged Rules. No evidence, no documents, no witnesses, and testimony up to and past midnight. “
Hopefully this will school the Dems on how to play political hardball.
A hardball Obama would have recess appointed Merrick Garland to the SCOTUS.
Yet we still have people campaigning on a promise to “bring the country together.”
We all know the traditional way of doing that.
BTW, Claire McCaskill says that it is now McConnell’s intent to move into a closed session to debate the proposed rules. In other words, hide his proposed sham process from the public. Whether this survives the Senate Rethuglican lunch remains to be seen.
Don’t worry. Coons has begged Susan Collins to save us. That should work this time.
🙃
McConnell has reversed himself on one key element of his proposed impeachment rules. Got a feeling that he got pressure from some of his R senators. Oh, the change? From Talking Points Memo:
“Woah: McConnell’s resolution has been revised to allow the House’s evidence to be automatically submitted in the trial without requiring a vote.
The original proposal mandated the exact opposite: “Materials in this record may be admitted into evidence by motion made after the Senate has disposed of the question of whether it shall be in order to consider and debate under the impeachment rules any motion to subpoena witnesses or documents.”