(12-20-2019, 07:18 PM)flsprtsgod Wrote:

(12-20-2019, 01:45 PM)mikesez Wrote: Pelosi holding on to the articles is nothing good.  She has no leverage.  The Senate is supposed to be independent of both the House and the President, so that they can be brought in to arbitrate this dispute between them that we call impeachment.  The Senate is not supposed to be signalling that they will acquit before investigating the charges.  They are supposed to consider what both teams of lawyers want.

I agree Pelosi is not playing her role exactly right, and I'm not sure how this helps her cause, but the Senate decided not to play theirs first.

Two weeks ago Marco Rubio was giving interviews saying that he would respect the process and not decide his vote until both sides had their say, and now Mitch and Lindsey have scared Marco into submission.  Meanwhile Rick Scott has not said anything at all.  One of these guys needs to stand up to McConnell and give a crap about how history will remember all of this.

Look Sonnie, your team has achieved all they can with this play. You should bank your gains and call it a day. Even Pelosi knows that letting this get onto the Senate floor will result in the entire impeachment being even more discredited than Schiff and Nadler already made it. At this point you have no chance of winning and barely a chance that it doesn't run the entire Democratic party out of any semblance of power in Washington next year. Quit while the moronic half of the public thinks you're ahead else they might come to their senses if you hold on a minute too long.

Call me Sonnie if you want.  I agree that McConnell and other Senators hope to treat Schiff and Nadler like a joke, like they are unworthy of their time.  I just don't think that the public will buy it, but you apparently do.  
I think when the public sees someone with less power getting bullied and treated like trash, some of them say "well that guy must be trash" but most others say, "that bully is a terrible person. Who does he think he is?"

 I also think that Roberts is a wildcard.  While Roberts can't change the schedule or the roster of witnesses, once he gets there, each Senator must direct their speeches to him and he is free to reply to them. He is free to remind these Republicans that they are supposed to be impartial, repeatedly if needed. The Senators may not listen to the Democrats or to Roberts but the voters will try to listen to everyone.

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