Every day Pelosi delays the transmittal of the articles of impeachment to the Senate, she makes the whole affair seem foolish, when in fact the issues at stake are very serious.
The fact that Mitch McConnell is pushing through the same rules that applied during the Clinton impeachment is not a legitimate reason to withhold the articles. Joe Manchin surprised me this morning by saying he didn’t think a fair trial could be held without hearing from Bolton.
QUESTION: "So if you don't hear from John Bolton, it will not be a fair trial?"
MANCHIN: "I don't see how it can be."
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) January 8, 2020
Mitt Romney has said he would like to hear from Bolton.
Romney told reporters at the Capitol that he wants to hear from Bolton and find out “what he knows” about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
“I would like to be able to hear from John Bolton. What the process is to make that happen, I don’t have an answer for you,” he added.
But Romney and other moderate Republicans are, for now, siding with McConnell on the notion that the rules for how that will happen should contemplate making the decision once the articles are sent. That is not an irrational view and it does not mean that these same Senators will vote not to subpoena Bolton.
Trump is unlikely to be convicted regardless of what Bolton says. The advantage of impeachment for Democrats is to press the case that 1) what Trump did was wrong and impeachable (it was) and that 2) the Senators who vote to acquit are hacks (they are). If GOP Senators vote not to hear from Bolton, that makes the second point with greater force. If they vote to hear from Bolton, his testimony will likely reinforce the first point. As long as you accept the fact that acquittal is all but inevitable, the issue of the rules — at this point, after Bolton’s announcement — is a no-lose proposition for Democrats.
That is, as long as they send the articles over, with all speed.
The only way to lose is not to play. It’s time for Nancy to play.