Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 12-17-19

Political News
McConnell Faces Calls To
Trump Impeachment Advances As Historic Vote Sends Case To House
Recuse Himself From
Impeachment Trial After
The House Judiciary Com- mittee recommended the im- peachment of Donald Trump in a party-line vote Friday that reflected bitter partisan disagreement over whether the ultimate consti- tutional punishment fits the nature of the president’s al- leged misconduct.
The Judiciary Committee acted separately and without debate on each of the two counts -- one charging him with abuse of power and the other with obstruction of Congress -- approving both on identical 23-17 votes.
The votes to advance the articles of impeachment for consideration by the full House next week will in- evitably lead to Trump be- coming only the third president in U. S. history to be impeached.
Saying ‘No Chance’ Trump
Will Be Removed
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Fri- day faced calls to recuse him- self from President Donald Trump’s expected impeachment trial less than 24 hours after the Kentucky Republican said “there’s no chance the president’s going to be removed from office.”
Karen Hobert Flynn,
president of progressive watchdog group Common Cause, said McConnell’s remarks during a Fox News interview Thursday night “show that he is not suited to lead the Senate impeach- ment trial.”
“No judge would allow any potential juror who made similar comments about co- ordinating with a defendant’s attorneys, as well as pre-an- nouncing one’s decision, to serve on a jury,” Flynn said in a statement. “Senator McConnell must therefore recuse himself in the ex- pected Senate impeachment trial.”
Rep. Val Demings (D- Calif.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, also called for McConnell’s recusal Friday.
“The Constitution requires that after articles of impeach- ment pass the House of Rep- resentatives, the president
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL
must be given a fair trial in the Senate,” Demings said in a statement. “Senator McConnell has promised to sabotage that trial and he must recuse himself. No court in the country would allow a member of the jury to also serve as the accused’s defense attorney.”
“The moment Senator McConnell takes the oath of impartiality required by the Constitution, he will be in violation of that oath,” added Demings. “He has effec- tively promised to let Presi- dent Trump manage his own impeachment trial. The Senator must withdraw.”
Nadler afterward called it “a sad day” and said the House “will act expedi- tiously” on the articles.
1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were impeached by the House but acquitted in their Senate trials. That is all but certain to be the outcome for Trump.
The Judiciary Committee spent two days going over the articles, including a marathon 14-hour hearing last Thursday that Chairman
Jerrold Nadler abruptly recessed without a vote amid protests from Republicans. The committee reconvened at 10 a.m Friday and went straight to voting without de- bate.
Andrew Johnson in
Michelle Obama Springs To Greta Thunberg's
Defense After Trump's Twitter Bullying
Michelle Obama has got Greta Thunberg’s back.
The former first lady came to the defense of Thunberg early Friday after President Donald Trump attacked the 16-year-old environmen- tal activist from Sweden on Twitter.
Trump lashed out after Time magazine named Thunberg over Trump as its Person of the Year:
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, also criticized the accolade, call- ing it “a marketing gimmick,” as did other high-profile con- servative figures.
Obama responded with a heartfelt message.
“Don’t let anyone dim your light,” she wrote to Thun- berg. “Like the girls I’ve met
MICHELLE OBAMA AND GRETA THUNBERG
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin departed the gov- ernor's mansion three days ago, but the reverberations of some of his final actions are still being felt across the state. Bevin, a Republican who nar- rowly lost a bid for a second term last month, issued par- dons to hundreds of people, including convicted rapists, murderers and drug offenders. In one case, Bevin pardoned a man convicted of homicide. That man's family raised more than $20,000 at a political fundraiser to help Bevin pay off a debt owed from his 2015 gubernatorial campaign.
In all, the former governor
Outgoing Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin pardoned or com- muted the sentences of more than 400 people in his final days in office.
signed off on 428 pardons and commutations since his loss to Democrat Andy Beshear, according to The Courier- Journal. The paper notes, "The beneficiaries include one offender convicted of raping a child, another who hired a hit man to kill his business part- ner and a third who killed his parents."
Bevin's controversial deci- sions have been greeted with shock and consternation from many across the state.
Some residents reacted an- grily to a Thursday Twitter post from Bevin's official ac- count of a sunset along with #WeAreKY.
in Vietnam and all over the world, you have so much to offer us all. Ignore the
doubters and know that mil- lions of people are cheering you on.”
On His Way Out, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin Pardons Murderers, Rapists, Hundreds More
PAGE 6 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019