Senate Republicans are in trouble no matter what they do

https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/senate-republicans-are-in-trouble-no-matter-what-they-do/

Senate Republicans are in trouble no matter what they do
Written by Laura Clawson / Daily Kos January 29, 2020

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Now for a couple of side notes: Don’t fall for any of this ridiculous “witness trade” talk. Not only would it be stupid for Democrats to welcome a materially irrelevant witness like Hunter Biden in order to hear from Bolton, but the whole concept of a trade is a red herring. If Republicans have the votes to call Hunter Biden or Adam Schiff, they could and can do it. They have enough people in their caucus to authorize those witnesses without getting Democrats to sign off on it. So just let them stew in their juices over that. Democrats should remain focused on Bolton. And, as Schiff pointed out Tuesday, if they want a 1-for-1 trade, let them call someone relevant, such as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who has contradicted Bolton’s account.

Finally, let’s remember where this entire inquiry started—it was deemed a plank walk for Democrats at the outset when Pelosi first announced it last fall. But she has played it masterfully, threading the needles of duty, oath of office, and public opinion all the way through. House Democrats managed to execute an inquiry that was deemed fair and has convinced a majority of the public that Trump should be removed from office according to a preponderance of polling over the last month. Senate Republicans, at the moment, are now on the wrong side of the polling no matter what they do—whether they vote for witnesses and then acquit or forgo witnesses altogether and then acquit. Frankly, forgoing witnesses is their worst option as a national consensus has emerged that witness testimony must be heard. If Senate Republicans choose to ignore some 70% of the population, they will pay the price at the ballot box in November. However, if they vote for witnesses, it opens a Pandora’s box in which McConnell loses control of the process. Win-win for Democrats.

Ultimately, regardless of what Senate Republicans do, House Democrats still have the final play. If they aren’t satisfied with the process the GOP-led Senate has undertaken, Pelosi and Chairman Schiff now have more reason than ever to subpoena Bolton’s testimony. No one can be 100% sure all of what Bolton would say under oath, but House Democrats still have the opportunity to have the final say on what the public hears when Senate Republicans conclude their sham trial. That’s pretty damn close to a checkmate in terms of congressional chess playing.