Tag Archives: Lisa Murkowski

Guess Who is a Yes for ACB?

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by Daveda Gruber

It appears that on Monday Amy Coney Barrett will have an unlikely ally who will be voting to confirm her position on the Supreme Court of the United States.

On Saturday, Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Republican from Alaska was on the floor in the Senate giving a speech when she revealed that she will support Barrett’s confirmation on Monday.

On one hand, Murkowski said that she’s still opposed to the Senate taking up a Supreme Court nominee so close to the November 3rd election.

She knows that she has already lost the procedural fight and she must evaluate Barrett’s qualifications to the bench.

Murkowski said, “I will be a yes. I have no doubt about her intellect. I have no doubt about Judge Barrett’s judicial temperament. I have no doubt about her capability to do the job  ̶  and to do it well.”

The only GOP senator to oppose Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 was Murkowski.

She said that she’d still vote “no” on the procedural motion on Sunday to advance Barrett’s nomination.

In essence, Murkowski said that she still opposes the process, but won’t “hold it against” Barrett and therefore will vote “yes” on the merits of her nomination.

Murkowski said, “I have concluded that she is the sort of person we want on the Supreme Court.”

She basically praised Barrett’s temperament, legal writing and patience.

Republicans hold 53 seats, which is the majority in the Senate but two of them, Murkowski and Susan Collins, who is from Maine, have openly opposed moving on Barrett’s nomination before the election.

It looks like President Trump will have third nominee on the high court.

Democrats were opposed to Barrett’s confirmation so close to the election. They boycotted the Judiciary Committee vote on Thursday.

On Saturday, which is a rare day for anything in D.C., Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., staged a four delay tactic on Friday on the Senate floor. He even forced a brief closed door session. He tried to pause the confirmation proceedings by bringing up coronavirus relief legislation.

That effort was shut down by the GOP.

Saturday, Senator Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., said that two of her staffers had tested positive for coronavirus. Loeffler revealed that she had tested negative. That would mean that she will be present to vote for Barrett.

Loeffler’s office said in a statement, “Senator Loeffler is more energized than ever to vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as the next Supreme Court Justice on Monday before returning home and traveling the state to meet with hardworking Georgians.”

Most people across America would love to have another Supreme Court Justice that has conservative values.

I cannot wait to hear that the confirmation is done, finished and Barrett sitting on the high court.

God Bless America

TRUMP 2020

Will the Kill Switch Option be Used in Impeachment Trial?

 
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by Daveda Gruber:

Is it better to have a short impeachment trial or a longer drawn out impeachment trial? All this will depend on what the immediate evidence that is presented includes.

It has been reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., is working on finalizing a rule to be included that would be a safety valve to be able to dismiss the articles of impeachment after some evidence is presented.

Senator Ted Cruz R-Tx., has made statements that the Senate trial could last six to eight weeks or longer  if it is decided by Senators to hear from additional witnesses.

Hearing from additional witnesses could interfere with the campaigns of Senators. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. They could very well be pulled off the campaign trail.

It appears that GOP Senators consider that this is not to their advantage.

Republicans have said they supported affording Trump the opportunity to cut the trial short.

Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley R-Mo., said he would be “very, very surprised” if McConnell’s resolution didn’t include that kind of kill switch.

Hawley said in reports, “I am familiar with the resolution as it stood a day or two ago. My understanding is that the resolution will give the president’s team the option to either move to judgment or to move to dismiss at a meaningful time.”

Hawley tweeted:

Democrats are upset that McConnell has been holding the final resolution with the rules and not giving information until McConnell deemed his entire resolution fit for the Senators and the public to see.

McConnell doesn’t have to publish the final version of his resolution until Tuesday but it will most likely come out today.

Sources have said that the House managers have absolutely no idea what the structure of the trial will be.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak., said she’s comfortable waiting to decide if more information would be needed for the Senate’s impeachment trial until after hearing arguments from House managers as well as attorneys for the president.

Murkowski wants to see senators hear the case and ask questions, which would be in writing and handed to Justice John Roberts to read aloud before making any determination whether witnesses or documents would be needed.

Democrats may try adding certain witnesses to an organizing resolution. McConnell, at that point, could move to table such a request and Murkowski said that she would support a tabling motion.
No one wants to see a re-play of the circus that went on in the House. The Senate does not want to be seen in that kind of light and most Americans, who watch these things, don’t want to see that kind of nonsense.

Law professor Alan Dershowitz is set to present an argument against impeachment during the Senate trial. There will be no need for witnesses if his presentation succeeds. Criminal-like conduct is required for impeachment and Dershowitz allegedly believes there is none.

Will this be a long trial or a short one? Only time will tell. Which would be better? It depends on if Dershowitz is correct in his explanation.