Serving the Trump administration has given US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a spotlight of his own, but many have speculated he could be considering a bid for the US Senate. Senator Pat Roberts, from Pompeo’s home state of Kansas, is retiring after having held the seat for 24 years. For the Republican Party, Roberts’ exit leaves the door open for a Democratic challenger for what has historically been an incredibly safe seat. 

Although Pompeo has been adamant about continuing to serve under Trump in Washington, his party (Pompeo previously served as a Republican representative) may need him to return to his roots. The 2020 election is already shaping up to be a pivotal year for the GOP after they badly lost the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. The Republican contingent of the Senate currently holds a six-seat edge over the Democrats, but many are predicting that could change after four incumbents including Roberts announced they would not seek reelection. 

Kobach, The Massively-imperfect Candidate

In Kansas, the situation is even more dire as the leading Republican candidate going into the primaries is an individual called Kris Kobach. While serving as the Kansas Secretary of State, Kobach supported controversial policies such as strict voter ID laws and a Muslim registry. In 2017, he resigned his position to run for governor, easily winning the Republican nomination. Kobach lost the election, however, to his Democratic opponent.

Kobach carries an enormous amount of baggage with him into the 2020 election. He has repeatedly marred his career with controversy, ethical complaints, and questionable election oversight. An in-depth analysis of his strengths yields few highlights. Even his appointment to Trump’s Commission on Election Integrity generated touchy court battles. Kobach effectively served as head of the commission, which was decommissioned a mere six months after its creation. 

A pattern of behavior such as Kobach’s creates legitimate concerns for the Republican Party ahead of the 2020 election. If Kobach manages to become the nominee, which is incredibly likely given his already established name recognition, Kansas could elect its first Democratic senator since 1932. Roberts’ seat itself has not been filled by a Democrat in over 100 years. Kansas is typically a Republican stronghold, to say the least.

Baggage-Free Pompeo Could Save The Kansas Seat For Republicans

Pompeo could enter the race to replace Kobach and quickly shoot to the top in the Republican primary. He is massively well-liked in Kansas and—unlike Kobach—brings no heavy baggage with him. Also unlike Kobach, Pompeo has managed to survive in Washington for longer than six months.

Both Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are supportive of the idea if they deem the situation critical enough.

“If he thought that there was a chance of losing that seat, I think he would do that and he would win in a landslide because they love him in Kansas,” Trump said recently in an interview on “Fox & Friends,” adding  “Mike would win easily in Kansas. Great state. And it’s a Trump state. He’d win easily.”

McConnell has pushed Pompeo even harder, perhaps because he is losing a solid Republican in Roberts and would like someone to fill his spot who he can rely on. Pompeo is certainly that party-line guy, aligning with the Republican Party at every opportunity. McConnell has provided Trump with poll numbers forecasting gloom in Kansas as a way of convincing him that Pompeo is their man to save the senate seat. 

What Does Pompeo Have To Say?

For his part, Pompeo has done little except deny that he will run. 

“I’ve watched my life take turns that one would never have expected. But it’s not something I want to do,” Pompeo said in a Fox News interview. “I want to stay here and continue to perform the mission that I’m serving President Trump and I hope doing a good term for the American people as well.”

However, on Dec. 27 he altered his website, MikePompeo.com, to direct users to his personal Twitter account, which was recently created. The change may be nothing more than cleaning up relics from his days serving as representative, but its timing naturally generated a buzz.

Pompeo understandably enjoys the gig he has now, but what happens if Trump loses in 2020? Where does that leave him? For a man loyal to his party, there is a certain argument to be made that sacrificing his post for the bigger picture may necessitate his run for senate. One thing is for certain: Kobach as a candidate is not an assured victory even in Kansas.

L'articolo Pompeo’s Senate Run May be Necessary to Save Seat For Republicans proviene da InsideOver.

US President Donald Trump was formally impeached by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 18. As only the third president to be impeached in American history Donald Trump has cast the process as a “witch hunt” and unsubstantiated political persecution. He now faces a trial in the Republican-held Senate, which is exceedingly unlikely to sustain the judgment and remove Trump from office. The previous week Democrats had approved two articles of impeachment that charged the President with abuse of power and obstruction of a congressional investigation.

How Did Impeachment Proceed?

A simple majority was needed for these articles to be confirmed. Under Wednesday’s setup this was 215 votes. 229 Democrats and 1 Independent voted in favor of the abuse of power article.

As for the second article of impeachment, the majority was also reached handily with 229 votes in favor (228 Democrats and one Independent). All 195 Republicans opposed it, in addition to three Democrats. Congressman Jared Golden of Maine voted yes on abuse of power but no on Trump obstructing the investigation, leading to the one-vote discrepancy between the two votes.

Democrats Who Are Not Onboard With Impeachment

The Democrats who voted against one or both articles of impeachment are Representatives Jared Golden from Maine, Collin C. Peterson from Minnesota, and Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey. Van Drew had already announced before the vote that he will leave the Democrats and switch to the Republicans. In fact, Van Drew sought the President’s blessing for the move during a meeting at the White House on Friday, which might guarantee his reelection next year, considering the powerful boost that a Trump endorsement has given to Republican candidates in the past.

Meanwhile, Colin Peterson, who has been in Congress for twenty-eight years, has had a history of being one of the most conservative Democrats in the House. In order to win his district in rural Minnesota, one that Trump carried by 31 points in 2016, Peterson seemingly sought not to alienate Trump voters in his district. Moreover, Jared Golden, just like his two colleagues, also represents a district that was won by the President in 2016.

Tulsi Gabbard’s Refusal To Take Part

Another delicate detail that is likely to receive some attention in the next few days is Democratic Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to vote “present” in both cases. Gabbard said that she could not support impeachment “because removal of a sitting president must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country.” Gabbard, who has been persona non grata in the Democratic party for quite a while now, has kept her option for an independent run in 2020 open with her decision.

Republicans Slam Impeachment As A Disgraceful Sham

The historic vote had been preceded by an eleven-hour session in which Democratic and Republican members exchanged verbal condemnation, with Republicans calling the impeachment invalid and corrupt. The Democrats justified the opening of the trial against Trump as based on their obligation to protect the US Constitution. The Republicans accused the Democrats of acting on purely partisan grounds and having sought to remove Trump from his first day in office and cast his every decision in a negative and menacing light.

The highest-ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Doug Collins, accused the Democrats of only impeaching the President because they could not beat Trump in the election.

In the debate, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Democrat Adam Schiff, summarized the allegations against Trump once again, namely that Trump abused his office by forcing Ukraine to investigate domestic rival Joe Biden. “For this, and for his continued efforts to intervene in our election abroad, impeachment proceedings must be instituted against Trump,” Schiff said. The evidence against the president was “irrefutable,” according to Schiff, who further referred to Trump’s telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and testimony from senior diplomats and Trump’s Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney.

The Democratic Party’s Position On Impeachment

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, opened the pre-vote debate with an appeal to the members’ consciences, as they all had vowed to protect the Constitution from foreign and domestic enemies. “If we do not act now, we will give up our duty,” she warned, adding that “he gave us no choice.” The president abused his office for his own benefit and was a continuing threat to the country’s democracy and national security, according to Pelosi.

Impeachment In Name Only

However, despite the now official impeachment, the scenario for implementing the decision in the Senate has not changed. The GOP will set the trial’s ground rules, just as Democrats have set the rules for the House stage of the impeachment inquiry. However, Democrats have already raised concerns that Senate Republicans could attempt to nullify the work done in the House. Following the impeachment vote, Democratic leaders did not say they would withhold articles of impeachment, but they also left that possibility open if no fair trial could be guaranteed. The latter could already indicate how the Democrats may attempt to end this political dilemma the only way they can still win it: blaming the Republicans to disrespect not only the process but the Constitution.

For Trump’s removal from office, at least 20 Republicans would have to vote against Trump, which remains inconceivable. Furthermore, the united front the GOP displayed yesterday has not increased the Democrats’ chances. Some commentators even believe the perception of political persecution may increase Trump’s prospect of being re-elected and strengthen him.

The Next Step Will Show The Full Democratic Strategy

All in all, the voting did not offer any real surprises. Even the defectors within the Democratic Party were somewhat anticipated. What died yesterday, however, was the idea that resistance within the GOP could emerge and join the Democrats in their fight. Nonetheless, the next days will show whether the Democrats are willing to accept the inevitable defeat in the Senate or will choose to escalate the political rhetoric and pressure on Republican lawmakers.

L'articolo President Trump Has Been Impeached By The House proviene da InsideOver.