Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is among those beating the pans that Senator McConnell (R-KY) is not acting as a fair juror.
However, comments made by Schumer in 1999 as a newly elected Senator about to sit in on Clinton’s impeachment tell a far different tale.
Now
Earlier this week, Schumer mocked McConnell for stating he would be coordinating with the White House and where he stood on this impeachment.
Schumer stated, “Let the American people hear it loud and clear, the Republican leader said, proudly, ‘I’m not an impartial juror. I’m not impartial about this at all.’ That is an astonishing admission of partisanship.”
It is important to note that McConnell made those statements after the House hearings were conducted and Democrats had every chance to make their case.
This also happened after the conclusion of the Mueller investigation and the Inspector General released his report on the origins of the investigation.
Point being, McConnell has more than enough information to make this judgment at this time.
Then
In 1999, Schumer appeared on CNN to give his thoughts on the Clinton impeachment.
He stated, “We have a pre-opinion.
“This is not a criminal trial, but this is something that the Founding Fathers decided to put in a body that was susceptible to the whims of politics.”
King, who was interviewing Schumer, asked, “So, therefore, anybody taking an oath tomorrow can have a pre-opinion; it’s not a jury box.”
Schumer then replied, “Many do. And then they change.
“In fact, it’s also not like a jury box in the sense that people will call us and lobby us.
“You don’t have jurors called and lobbied and things like that.
“I mean, it’s quite different than a jury. And we’re also the judge.”
When Schumer was called out by Republican leadership for going into the trial with his mind made up, he defended his position regularly, always citing that a Senate trial is not a normal judicial body.
In reality, Schumer made up his mind before he ever got into office.
He actually campaigned on an anti-impeachment platform.
Without haring a single witness testify or being privy to House hearings, Schumer, on the campaign trail, stated, “I came to the conclusion that it didn’t rise to the high crimes and misdemeanors standard and that there shouldn’t be impeachment.
“Now the voters know of my view. I’ve made it public, unlike the senator. And I will, they can judge me on that.”
Schumer’s office weakly defended his position, releasing the following statement:
“These quotes all came after the Starr investigation, which included testimony from key witnesses including President Clinton, had concluded and been made public for months and as Sen. Schumer was in the anomalous position of having already voted on impeachment in both the House Judiciary Committee and on the House floor.
“As is reflected in these quotes, Schumer believed then and still believes now that all of the facts must be allowed to come out and then a decision can be made — in stark contrast to the Republicans today in both the House and Senate who have worked to prevent all the facts and evidence from coming out.”
It is pure hypocrisy and sadly, Schumer is being permitted to get away with it.