eric76 said:
BuddysBud said:
Can the Senate just make up rules that are obviously biased, and vote that if the House doesn't bring the case within a certain time (say 3 days), the trial is over?
It's not like the House impeachment process was an open, unbiased investigation with due process and both parties were allowed equal opportunities to present evidence.
Do you really want the Senate to do an end run around the Constitution?
The House impeachment process was screwed up, but not for the reason you think. Do you really believe that someone is denied due process if they are not permitted to be a part of the investigation against them? Let's empty out the prisons if that is true.
And don't forget that the House Judiciary Committee extended an offer to Trump to be represented in their hearings and Trump turned them down. That should pretty much end any nonsense about due process violations.
I'm going to bang this drum over and over because it's important, and is important regardless of the party in power:
The Dem's process expressly refused Trump the right to produce exculpatory information from the Obama administration. This is a denial of due process. Remember, a key fact for the impeachment is what did Biden do, when did he decide to do it, and why.
Ask yourself: why was it so important for special rules to be passed for this impeachment process? Why not just use what's been done before, as recently as the 1990's? It goes back to Executive Privilege. Trump can't just turn over Obama documents without resolving the issues of Executive Privilege.
Two critical procedural points that most Americans won't recognize:
- All the evidence and factual testimony were taken before the Articles of Impeachment were written.
- The Judiciary Committee denied the minority a rule required day of hearings after the Articles of Impeachment were written.
In my opinion, the Articles of Impeachment, when formally introduced, define the around which Executive Privilege is weakened or removed.
The Dems never gave the Republicans, much less Trump, an opportunity to genuinely participate once the Articles were drafted and being considered. The process was manipulated to protect Democrat Party sacred cows and in that manipulation, America was schiff on.
Rant suspended, though I'll almost certainly post it again.
PatentMike, J.D.
BS Biochem
MS Molecular Virology