With several Republicans apparently succumbing on impeachment witnesses, Mitch McConnell may need to go ‘nuclear’

Legal Insurrection

McConnell needs to go nuclear. Mutually Assured Destruction nuclear on witnesses — the Bidens or bust.

"The Wall Street Journal reports that Mitch McConnell has told Republican Senators that he does not have the votes to block witnesses:

… at a meeting of all Republican senators late Tuesday, GOP leaders told their conference that they don’t currently have the votes to prevent witnesses from being called, people familiar with the matter said. Republicans had hoped to wrap up the trial with an acquittal of the president by this week, but Democrats have said he should appear under oath to offer a firsthand account of the president’s motivations for freezing aid to Ukraine—a matter at the heart of the impeachment case.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said the vote total wasn’t where it needed to be on blocking witnesses or documents, these people said. He had a card with “yes,” “no,” and “maybes” marked on it, apparently a whip count, but he didn’t show it to senators.

"As detailed many times, the entire Democrat strategy has been to Kavanaugh the hearings, to call witnesses the House never called in order to turn the trial into a circus in which the process becomes the punishment.

"The House impeachment was in bad faith, and the Kavanaughing of the hearings also is bad faith. That four Republican Senators may succumb to these tactics speaks volumes about the weakness of Republicans.

"We knew it would be close, but it looks like there may be only one choice for McConnell.

Even Mitt Romney, the first link to break, has said that he thinks calling witnesses should be reciprocal. That means Joe and Hunter Biden, at minimum. But calling the Bidens in exchange for calling John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney has been rejected by Democrats.

"So McConnell’s way out it to force Democrats to reject a witness deal. That way, "Democrats are the ones responsible for no new witnesses. It provides cover to people like Susan Collins who may be concerned how voting against witnesses my impact their reelection chances.

"McConnell needs to go nuclear. Mutually Assured Destruction nuclear on witnesses — the Bidens or bust."