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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcConnell Plans For Acquittal Vote To Avoid A Possible Tie Or Close Call
McConnell Plans For Acquittal Vote To Avoid A Possible Tie Or Close Call
By Kate Riga at Talking Points Memo
December 12, 2019 9:12 a.m.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/mcconnell-acquittal-vote-impeachment-senate
"SNIP.....
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is planning to hold an acquittal vote to clear President Donald Trump of all charges rather than a simple-majority dismissal of the impeachment articles to avoid a possible tie or nail-biter conclusion.
According to CNN, the Constitution requires 67 votes to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans, with their 53-seat majority, are confident that Democrats would not be able to rustle up enough defections to make that result a real possibility.
And by going for acquittal, McConnell would avoid any possible complications that could arise from a dismissal vote, which only requires 51 votes. Due to the obvious conflict of interest, Vice President Mike Pence would be barred from tie-breaking in that situation. Instead, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts would be called in to preside over the Senate trial, and any tied motions would fail.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) echoed this thinking to CNN, saying that it would make more sense to vote for acquittal or conviction than to decide this on a 51-vote threshold, with the potential tie and all the recriminations that would flow from that.
.....SNIP"
coti
(4,612 posts)Gives it way too much legitimacy.
Need to come up with a proper name, something like the "kangaroo vote," or better.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)RainCaster
(10,913 posts)Yep, that sumbitch is going to sell our entire country to Russia for a small pitance. He will be remembered as the one who sold out America for a small personal reward.
mucifer
(23,564 posts)Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)Horizens
(637 posts)Suspend reality for a moment.
What would happen if (by some miracle) 51 senators voted "nay" (against acquittal)?
coti
(4,612 posts)Best not to think in terms of anything other than the Russ-publicans completely subverting the process, regardless.
I'm aware of that.
It would lead to an interesting (to say the least) situation.
We would be left with a president judged "not innocent" of high crimes and misdemeanors.