McConnell Signals to GOP Trump Impeachment Is a Conscience Vote

[CatWoman]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is signaling to fellow Republicans that the final vote on Donald Trump’s impeachment is matter of conscience and that senators who disputed the constitutionality of the trial could still vote to convict the former president, according to three people familiar with his thinking.

The Kentucky Republican has also suggested that he hasn’t made up his mind how he’ll vote, two of the people said, even though he voted Tuesday to declare it unconstitutional for the Senate to hear the case against a former president.

That position is starkly different than McConnell’s declaration at the start of Trump’s first impeachment trial last year that he did not consider himself an impartial juror.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-09/trump-s-trial-starts-with-fight-over-whether-case-can-proceed

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-10/mcconnell-signals-to-gop-trump-impeachment-is-a-conscience-vote?srnd=premium

[Rustyeye77]

1. Conscience? You're kidding

[Vivienne235729]

2. Right? What a joke. Coming from the guy who delayed this

Trial and then turns around and says it’s unconstitutional. He is so FOS.

[dutch777]

3. Yeah, really!!! I think no spine goes with having no conscience...please, surprise me!

They all just want to get re-elected and have power. Period. Sell soul of their first born? No problem!

[moonscape]

4. Lemme guess where your vacant

devoid conscience will lead you Mr. Moscow.

[msfiddlestix]

5. Says the Grim Reaper with no Conscience or Soul

[canetoad]

6. Great, I knew Mitch would see sense

And do the right thing.

Oh wait, what I really meant to say was you are a spineless, unprincipled amoeba.

[WHITT]

7. Problem Is

You got to HAVE a conscience in order to vote your conscience.

[StarfishSaver]

8. This is actually a bfd

It means the GOP won't be whipping the vote and he's essentially released his caucus to vote however they want without official retribution. That doesn't happen often, especially on important votes like this.

It doesn't mean that 17 Republicans will flip, but it makes it more likely that it could happen.

[CatWoman]

13. i'm thinking in the same terms

[uponit7771]

22. "without official retribution." this was an easy call for Moscow Mitch he's not running for another

... 6 years and he knows there's no kGOP senator whos going to vote against Trump seeing Trumps numbers with the kGOP as of a week ago are where Obama's was with the DNC near same time after his second term.

The kGOP cult base loves Red Don's dirty socks, McCarthy from FAUX News was correct: "... dems are raising Trumps profile so they can fracture the party ... "

Damn right

[Dan]

9. The Grim Reaper is a cold blooded ass political animal.

I don't think that Mitch says a single word without considering the impact and how it plays to the base. Not the MAGA base, but the political donor class. I think that by taking his position (that it is a matter of conscience) he's indicating that he is willing to throw Donald's ass to the wolves. I think that Mitch is aware that they need to get Donald off their necks going forward. Take the pain now and try to salvage the GOP, he knows that he cannot win with just the crazies.

As more and more information is exposed about the last four years (5 actually) - the public is going to be mad and will want someone to blame. Today it was announced that Ukraine has released information about the incident that formed the basis of the last impeachment.

Georgia may or may not bring charges against Trump. We'll still waiting on the shoe to drop in NY. The rape allegation is pending (they're going to get his DNA) and that will be ugly. As the various District Attorneys put the squeeze on the Trump family, I am willing to bet the Donald Jr. will sing like a bird to save his own ass.

More and more are attacking his revenues streams - he owes money everywhere and his brand is toxic. Melania is not giving it up to a poor man, she didn't come to this country to be a poor man's wife, or plaything.

So, the smart move for the GOP to avoid being branded the party of QGOP - I think that the signal is in - via the Donors - throw Trump's ass to the wolves. My opinion.

[Clearly fogged in]

29. Exactly. This is a clear signal to the Republicans in Congress

The message is simple:

If you vote for trump to walk and he does, the party loses. A broken party can't protect you. Good luck.


If you vote for trump to walk and he doesn't, you lose the support of the party and probably your constituents.


If you vote to convict and he is, the party loses and can't protect you. Back at home your constituents don't trust you anymore and you've alienated your donors.


If you vote to convict and he walks, it is the worst case scenario - you lose everything.

Figure out how to survive the remaining years of your term and lie, steal, and obstruct while you still can. Your future in politics depends on how much you can stuff your pockets and when you change party affiliation. These things are expected of Republicans and will go a long way in regaining support at home.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. Oh bullshit! This melting ball sack keeps playing this shit and the

press eats it right up.

[StarfishSaver]

27. This a bigger deal than you think it is

[trueblue2007]

11. gop traitor terrorists hate our country

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. That slimey reptilian Moscow Mitch is calculating public reaction to RepubliQans.

[SergeStorms]

14. So definitely no conviction then.

Since none of them has a conscience to burden them with feelings of humanity.

[ecstatic]

15. GMAFB. I don't know his endgame here.

It's clear to me that he's full of shit, especially after his vote Tuesday.

[DFW]

16. There is your vote result right there

There aren‘t 17 Republican Senators that have a conscience to begin with. Moscow Mitch just announced the outcome of the vote in fluent Republicanese.

[Kablooie]

17. He's pretending to be neutral and honorable

Because he sees some advantage for himself in it.

He knows the Republicans will all vote the way their base wants them to.
No conscience needed.

Their base are all ignorant bigots who don't keep up with the news or impeachment.
Their view is totally uninformed and prejudiced so that's how the Reps will vote no matter what happens int the trial.

[BGBD]

18. He has no reason

not to vote to convict.

He's not going to have another election. He certainly doesn't want to keep dealing with Trump.

Unless he thinks doing it would bring down his party, but bad news Mitch, the parties already gone.

[Squinch]

19. Oh, please. Like Mitch knows what a conscience is.

[no_hypocrisy]

20. Conscience Vote Jury Nullification

Not based on facts and law, but the gut. This is not the way a trier of fact and law is supposed to reach a conclusion.

[Dem4Life1102]

21. Republicans don't have a conscience

[Vogon_Glory]

23. A conscience vote, eh? That means a vote to acquit

If the Republican senators had consciences, they’d vote to convict.

With one or two exceptions, most of the Republicans with consciences either retired or forced out by right-wing RINO-hunters.

[apnu]

24. Never listen to McTurtle, watch what he does.

He lies 90% of the time. Never ever trust him on anything.

So far there have been 2 test votes in the Senate on the subject of Impeachment #2. Rand Paul's just before and recently this week. 44 Republicans have shown exactly where their conscience is. McTurtle is in that 44 both times.

Essentially only 6 Republicans have some form of integrity, morals, and ethics.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

25. He's referring to the conscience of Reagan and Gingrich.

Republicans don't think well for themselves and always defer to some leader, past or present. They have a bountiful supply of those available - - politicians, preachers, right-wing scholars, mystical gods, etc.

Just like justifying doing (or not doing) almost anything based on something buried deep in the Bible, that allows them to deflect all responsibility for anything.

What a sorry, primitive way to live........

[Nanjeanne]

28. McConnell - the master of doublespeak.