The gamesmanship by Pelosi continues, even with such high stakes.
After the impeachment vote passed (along party lines), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) decided to hold off on sending the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.
The Waiting Game
As far as the Constitution goes, once the articles are passed, they are to be forwarded to the Senate for a full trial.
Pelosi, however, is once again changing the rules of the game.
Rather than forwarding them to the Senate, Pelosi is now going to hold them until she approves of the Senate process.
She stated, “We’ll make a decision… as we go along.
“We’ll see what the process will be on the Senate side.”
The only problem is that the Senate process is not her call.
That role lies with the sitting members of the Senate, yet Pelosi seemed to insist that unless the Senate is willing to run a fair trial, at least in her eyes, she will hold the articles.
Shoddy Work
When McConnell got word the articles would not be headed his way just yet, he was fuming, as were several GOP Senators.
McConnell said that “House Democrats may be too afraid … to even transmit their shoddy work product to the Senate.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was also a bit perturbed that the House was going to sit on its hands for a bit before proceeding…
If House Dems refuse to send Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial it would be a breathtaking violation of the Constitution, an act of political cowardice, and fundamentally unfair to President @realdonaldTrump.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2019
McConnell and Senator Schumer (D-N.Y.) had a scheduled meeting today, but that may end up getting delayed since they don’t have the articles yet.
The rhetoric has already started from the Democrat side, with Schumer stating, “Will Leader McConnell, breaking precedent, strongarm his caucus into making this the first Senate impeachment trial of a president in history that heard no – no – witnesses?”
Schumer is trying to make McConnell the bad guy over a process that is outlined in the Constitution as well as the fact his party failed to make a legit case in the House.
By law, a motion can be introduced to dismiss the charges, so if that is the route McConnell chooses to go, he has every right to do so.
Trump, of course, used Twitter to make his feelings known…
I got Impeached last night without one Republican vote being cast with the Do Nothing Dems on their continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history. Now the Do Nothing Party want to Do Nothing with the Articles & not deliver them to the Senate, but it’s Senate’s call!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2019
Honestly, we have no idea what to expect next.
Just how long Pelosi will hold the articles is unknown at this point, nor do we know what the Senate will do without actually having the articles in place.
The one thing I do know is that Democrats are clearly abusing their power in a desperate move to regain the White House.
Hopefully, everyone makes them pay come election day.