Stir that base up, Hugh Hewitt …

One of the most astonishing ideas coming from the Right Wing opinionators is to suggest Mitch McConnell use the “Merrick Garland strategy” in the case of a Senate trial of Trump. Just ignore impeachment.

I can only think the purpose of Hewitt and Limbaugh suggesting this is just to keep the base riled up. But there are some problems with this strategy.

Some argue he could simply ignore impeachment, but McConnell himself said Monday that he “would have no choice but to take it up.” He was notably vague on what exactly that would mean, adding that “how long you’re on it is a whole different matter.” But months ago, he said the Senate “immediately goes into a trial” if the House approves articles of impeachment. 
Let’s be absolutely clear, neither the Constitution nor Senate rules give McConnell any wiggle room to try to “Garland” his way out of this critical process of constitutional accountability.

To begin, Article I, Section 3 says, “The Senate shall have the sole power to try all Impeachments.” Every Senate to consider impeachment since the founding has read this critical passage to require them to undergo some sort of process…

Dereliction of duty, however, is not an option. One half of Congress indicting a sitting president for committing treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors, only to meet silence from the other half — no trial, no review of the evidence, no vote — leaves a cloud of illegitimacy hanging not only over the nation’s chief executive, but also over our nation’s founding charter.

Read the entire op/ed here.

George Kent transcript …

Pretty damning stuff.

Kent’s testimony sheds new light on instances where Volker appeared to press the Ukrainians to announce investigations if they wanted to secure a White House meeting, as well as Trump’s desire for Zelensky to “say investigations, Biden, Clinton” in announcing an investigation.