Page 27 - Acquit News Today

Been, over the least few weeks, weeks, or so, a change in the done that i have been hearing from republicans that is no longer we wonder how many people we might lose. its more like we wonder how many democrats might feel pressured to vote to acquit president trump. someone said to me the other day we cant believe how lucky we have gotten. the facts, as damaging as they are. the president crossing clear lines that he should not have crossed, they have not changed over the course of the impeachme...

Impeachment and not removal. whats so interesting about that is those people recognizing there is a difference, that these are two different decision levels with different thresholds of proof. >> and, in fact, in american history there has never ever been a president who was impeached in the house and removed by the senate. it has never happened. and so to know that -- people are talking about this will be a failed impeachment effort if the senate acquits, the only thing weve had in american his...

Focus on those few senators who might at least be committed in this notion of wanting to have a sense of legitimacy, wanting to be able to look their voters in the eye and say look, even if i voted ultimately to acquit, i did care about this, i was concerned by it, i wanted to hear the evidence and see what it said. thats a pretty different method than what were hearing from people like lindsey graham or mitch mcconnell basically saying weve made up our minds, we dont think theres any real issue...

Against double jeopardy in an impeachment trial, and can the same person be impeached twice by the house? >> legally, yes. its never happened the same person has been impeached twice. double jeopardy applies in criminal cases, not to impeachment. of course there are political considerations. it would be difficult to impeach the same person twice especially on a new clarj. if theres new conduct its possible. whether or not a senate acquits or convicts a person can be prosecuted after being impeac...

Id sort of get out of the way. >> what cards does schumer have to play? >> it seems like theres not much he can do because people like senator graham have said theyve made up their minds without hearing from witnesses. i think thats a sound bite youre going to hear lots of democrats use moving forward, letting americans know that so many republicans, most of the republicans in congress and in senate are going to side with the president regardless of what he does and what he says that could put a...

He has not supported the impeachment inquiry. most likely, if he follows true to form will not be voting for impeachment either. might you see the risk of others going the other way, that your caucus can afford 17 votes defecting, no more? the current "washington post" 6 to 10 potentially are thinking no, im not going to vote for impeachment. that the number that youre sensing, feeling, that youve discussed with other members? >> yes. and i think the votes will be there. unfortunately, were in a...

Reality tv show but its up to the senator to decide how many witnesses there will be, whether they will be live or on videotape as was the case in 1999. thats why its so important for the two to work together and why mitch mcconnells kmengts hacom been so damaging to the process. >> the verbiage has been controversial. is this an opportunity for democrats to kind of sell their message for 2020? >> sure i mean, look, donald trump has sort of -- one thing you hear from the democrats over and over ...

Theres also a issue of mitch mcconnell saying he is lock step with the white house counsel here. some say, well, this is not a good thing to have been said. >> yeah, theres been this division between the white house and the senate over how fast to move through this trial with the white house behind the scenes saying the president actually wanted to be able to have some of these witnesses called, be able to dredge up some of these things like hundredth biden, issues around allegations of the bide...

Next year. and especially if they cast a vote to acquit donald trump. that will be a heavy vote around them. on the other hand, casting a vote to convict will cost them greatly in their base. so maybe well hear somebody else say they are casting the scottish votes. >> yeah, it will be interesting because were trying to speculate on whether we think anybody will cross that line. it will be difficult for lets say a cory gardner to acquit and then go back to the voters in colorado and say donald tr...

Caucus that he was coordinating everything with the white house? >> no, not at all. i mean, nothing like this. i mean, the template of the trial was difficult to try to figure out how we do this, but we did it. and -- but its a vastly different circumstance in the united states senate today. its very tribal. you know, i think when you look at the senate and you see now if this comes to the senate, the boat hasnt been declared in the house yet. theres a trial. you look -- look, i know there are a...