Washington (CNN) The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate said Sunday that members have "gone too far" in hinting how they plan to vote before the impeachment trial has begun in the chamber.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois specifically called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham , who have both said they won't be impartial or fair jurors, because they believe the impeachment process is political.
"How can they hold their hands up and say I swear impartial justice, I'd would like to sit at the manager's table with the President's team? You can't do that. They shouldn't have done it," Durbin told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union."
When Bash pointed out that Democrats have done the same, Durbin replied, "Well they shouldn't."
"As far as I'm concerned, they can tell which way they are leaning or how they feel in terms of the probability, but when it comes to saying I've made up my mind, it is all over, for goodness sakes, that is not what the Constitution envisioned," Durbin, who was also in the Senate during the Clinton impeachment trial, argued.
djdavyjeff on December 22nd, 2019 at 17:22 UTC »
This is called a violation of impartiality. Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham must recuse themselves from the senate trial.
FredericShowpan on December 22nd, 2019 at 16:31 UTC »
Yeah but that was before Senators were popularly elected.
barneyrubbble on December 22nd, 2019 at 16:30 UTC »
It's very, very simple. Either you're OK with Republican senators completely ignoring and disrespecting the system we profess to revere, or you support America. You cannot do both.