Originally Posted by perotista
Originally Posted by Greger
Ah...but not to worry. Eventually the house will send it to the senate.
They've got a year to decide just when would be the best time. And I'm pretty sure Speaker Pelosi knows the legal ins and outs of this.
I'm sure you're right. Now if one was a political strategy advisor to the Democrats, when would be the best time?

Right after congress returns after the Christmas recess maybe? That's 7 Jan I think. The primaries start 3 Feb and run through 16 Jun. With a bunch of senators running for the nomination, do we want them off the campaign trail for the trial? The democratic convention is set for 13-16 July.

So January is open if the trial can be over in 3 weeks, same for the time period after the primaries and before the convention. Or do we wait until the official general election campaign begins on 1 Sep. Then there's the lame duck session after the election.

I'm under the impression the impeachment vote, like legislation doesn't carry over from one session to the next.

Now Speaker Pelosi can transmit or send over the articles of impeachment whenever she wants, if she wants. Along those lines, McConnell will determine when the senate holds the trial. He can put it off or immediately schedule it. There's no time frame for either in the Constitution. McConnell can play tit for tat.

One last thing, Senator Robert Byrd motioned prior to Bill Clinton's trial that the charges or articles be dismissed. It failed mainly because the Republicans controlled the senate. To dismiss the charges all it takes is a simple majority. Byrd set the precedence for this.

Like Pelosi and the democrats setting the rules in the House for impeachment, McConnell and the Republicans will set the rules for the trial in the senate. Interesting times.
I think Pelosi is being really smart on this. The Impeachment vote has occurred. Most of the public wants witnesses at trial and expect a fair trial. McConnell's posturing puts that in doubt, and Pelosi had a credible concern - she has to select impeachment managers and reasonably needs to know the procedures to make that selection. The longer McConnell holds out against witnesses, the more the perception of his insincerity gets baked in and the less "fair" the perception of the trial becomes.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich