Page 1046 - Leverage News Today

Against a wall. >> this is a fight over whether and how to call witnesses in this trial. democrats look at the polls that show that calling witnesses is more popular than actually proceeding with impeachment, and they think theyve got leverage here. whether they do or not, i dont know. when mitch mcconnell talks about following the clinton model, im not sure what he means. the senate voted in secret on some rules of the road. they didnt have live witnesses, they had some videotape witnesses. the...

Leverage, really, their sole point of leverage, is the ability to focus public attention on the reluctance on the majority to have anything that approaches a trial. dont forget, even in the bill clinton case. there were several witnesses deposed in the senate trial. and that came after an independent counsel investigation in which everyone relevant spoke, including the president himself. here in a different situation where so many key figures have been blocked. and any documentary evidence has b...

Remain where it has been for days at an impasse. no conversations between the top two senate leaders have occurred or are likely before january. with the action tabled for the moment, a clear democratic strategy has emerged, to get under the presidents skin, something sources tell cnn is happening. >> theyre playing games, dont want to put in their articles, ridiculous phony articles. >> reporter: more important, democratic sources say, to exert pressure on senate majority mitch mcconnell. >> if...

Majority leader mitch mcconnell hopes to have control of all of his republican member, but it only takes 51 votes for any of these rules to change and to change the course of history. >> hope is the operative word on that one. thank you. everyone is back with me. right now, speaker police owe some level is leaving everybody hanging and no idea when the trial will begin or what the definition of a fair trial is in the eyes of house democrats. is this part of a grand plan or do you think the speak...

Articles of impeachment, naming of new managers, and really, pressuring all of us and the country to talk about what mitch mcconnell has been saying and the rules he envisions in the senate. with 53 votes, mcconnell can set the rules for republicans to break. its hard to see it getting up to that many. the one leverage that the democrats have is this period, where attention is being focused on mcconnells remarks about wanting to prejudge the case. and the question of whether that leaves a few of...

Good to see you guys. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> what are you hearing right now? i asked the democratic congressman yesterday if there are any conversations. i was like im not even asking content. are people even talking? he said likely, possibly, but definitely not definitely. >> nothing right now. i checked with mcconnells office, schumers office and pelosis office. no talks, no communications, no action right now. i think they all feel like they are where they need to be at the mome...

People who actually no what happened testify under oath. i do think, though, theres a point at which the democrats have lose control of this narrative for the points we were discussing, that they were moving quickly. thats why i give the window of a week or so when they come back. but none of this will stop. theyll continue to push all of the investigative things in the house. and theres no reason to believe that, you know, if something new breaks, it wont become part of the senate trial. >> wel...

As you say, there was some action on social media as you described it. let me read a couple of these tweets. i dont often read the presidents insults of people but im doing so because i think its important to hear your moms reaction and your reaction to these insults. here are just a couple. nancy pelosi has no leverage over the senate. mitch mcconnell did not nose his way into the impeachment process in the house, and she has no ha standing in the senate. crazy nancy should clean up her filthy,...

That one can use as leverage? is this just a game of chicken and someone has to move first? >> it will be interesting to see who blinks first. theres a calendar. these gentlemen have been in the senate for a long time. theyre institutionalists in the senate and there will be pressure on them to take action and not allow the senate to look like, in their minds, a clown show in the house where everyone was doing their own thing and there didnt seem to be organization. but the fact that president t...

Our constitution requires, that the president be forthcoming with the witnesses and information so there could be a real trial and not a sham. >> and the strategy, with holding the articles when it is possible she doesnt have leverage at all over mitch mcconnell other than to do something there in the public court of opinion, it looks political to many observers. why hasnt that deterred the speaker? >> well, i dont think it is a political thing. it is a real -- a real issue that she has to take ...