MSNBC’s post-impeachment vote coverage on Wednesday was predictably littered with former Republicans, ready, willing, and able to disingenuously express dismay about the state of the GOP and hail Democrats as saviors (while still insisting they hold conservative principles). For The Last Word, former GOP Congressmen Tom Coleman (MO) and David Jolly (FL) filled that role.
Asked to react to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to, as of late Wednesday night, delay submitting the articles to the Senate and thus delay the Senate trial, Jolly reminded MSNBC viewers why he belongs to the farcical wing of politics alongside the likes of The Bulwark, Tom Nichols, Jennifer Rubin, and Rick Wilson.
Jolly bragged that Pelosi had made “a very wise and prudent decision...based on what Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham and others have already said, that there would not be a fair trial in the Senate.”
He then went into overdrive about how wondrous Pelosi is and that the impeachment vote “reflected” both “the greatness” and “strength of the republic” (click “expand”):
I think what we're seeing in Nancy Pelosi is somebody who understands that today was — reflected the strength of the republic, the greatness of the republic in some ways that we have an independent legislative body that's able to hold the executive accountable, but also recognizing the weakness of the moment, that in many ways, our national spirit is a little damaged and torn tonight. Republicans don't trust the Democrats. They think this is a witch hunt. They truly believe that. Democrats don't understand why Republicans continue to overlook facts....The two sides are speaking past each other, but what they know is they don't trust each other and Nancy Pelosi recognizes in this moment that the articles that were passed today said the President betrayed the nation. That’s a quote from the article.
He subverted constitutional government and so if you have a Majority Leader in Mitch McConnell who has said I don't want to hear anything of it, I’m already in the bag for the President. The Senate is not going to recognize the gravity of the moment, so why give him an opportunity that behave in a way that offends the Constitution? Hold it back until you can give some assurances from the Senate that they intend to do their job and honor the special impeachment oath that the constitution requires that each Senator, including Mitch McConnell. must do impartial justice. He arguably has violated that oath that he has yet to take.
Prior to Jolly, Coleman quipped that not only does he believe Trump “doesn't understand the Constitution,” but “I doubt if he's ever looked at the Constitution.” This lent itself to O’Donnell offering up a softball about “what was your feeling tonight” watching the GOP and if he could “explain what has come over the Republicans on the House of Representatives.”
Coleman followed up by subscribing to the Brian Stelter view of his political enemies on the right, suggesting that the GOP’s refusal to go along with impeachment because they’re under “this psychological feeling of a cult” since “that's about the only thing I can think the Republican Party has become and that is the Trump cult.”
“I mean, that's about the only thing I can think the Republican Party has become and that is the Trump cult. It’s the Trump Party. It's not the Republican Party that Dave and I served in,” he added.
Longtime liberal journalist Jonathan Alter followed both, sounding just like Coleman and Jolly. On the subject of McConnell, Alter grouched that “[s]hamelessness is contagious” and “the problem with Trump is that, when you're in his orbit, you're tainted and you start acting worse than you would otherwise.”
Since what was a full-blown conspiracy theory has gained life, Alter boasted that McConnell wanted “a fake trial,” but swing-state senators “need it to be a real trial, so I think by the time this is over, Lawrence, there will be a genuine trial in the U.S. Senate.”
We all have dreams in life. And for Alter to imply that Democrats will get what they want in the form of a “genuine trial” that would presumably result in the conviction then removal of Trump, talk about a genuine pipe dream.
To see the relevant transcript from MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on December 18, click “expand.”
MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
December 18, 2019
10:42 p.m. EasternFORMER CONGRESSMAN TOM COLEMAN (R-MO): I've looked at the Declaration of Independence and actually a precursor to our Constitution, the Constitution says nothing about having to have a crime to be impeached. It's very clear. The President doesn't understand the Constitution. I doubt if he's ever looked at the Constitution, so when he says these things, some people will believe him, but there's no basis to it. He can be impeached for what he was impeached for tonight, he can be removed from office in the Senate for abuse of power and obstruction of justice or obstructing Congress.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: What was your feeling tonight watching Republicans on the House floor, of whom were there when you served. Can — can you explain what has come over the Republicans on the House of Representatives?
COLEMAN: Lawrence, I do not know. It is sad. I know a lot of ‘em. I know some of the leadership. It’s beyond to — to explain. I think it has something to do with this psychological feeling of a cult. I mean, that's about the only thing I can think the Republican Party has become and that is the Trump cult. It’s the Trump Party. It's not the Republican Party that Dave and I served in. It's — it’s different and we’ve got to recognize that and the people who identify themselves who are not office holders as Republicans, they’re thinking that this is the old Republican Party, it's not. It's the Trump party, and you can leave it. I have left it, David has left it and, you know, it's okay because just because you were at one time a Republican doesn't mean that this is party for you today.
O’DONNELL: David Jolly, we have this breaking news of the night just when you — the House of Representatives goes out there and makes history. Nancy Pelosi makes history by, in 85 days, leading them to an impeachment vote on two articles of impeachment and then after that, creates breaking news by saying I'm not answering the question about when and how we are sending these articles to the Senate, leaving open what is clearly some kind of an attempt of the Speaker of the House to negotiate terms of a Senate trial with the Senate Majority Leader.
DAVID JOLLY: And I think that's a very wise and prudent decision that Nancy Pelosi is contemplating based on what Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham and others have already said, that there would not be a fair trial in the Senate and I think what we're seeing in Nancy Pelosi is somebody who understands that today was — reflected the strength of the republic, the greatness of the republic in some ways that we have an independent legislative body that's able to hold the executive accountable, but also recognizing the weakness of the moment, that in many ways, our national spirit is a little damaged and torn tonight. Republicans don't trust the Democrats. They think this is a witch hunt. They truly believe that. Democrats don't understand why Republicans continue to overlook facts. Republicans quoting Alexander Hamilton as saying the Founders didn't want a partisan impeachment. Democrats quoted Hamilton saying he said that impeachment was to address the misconduct of public men. The two sides are speaking past each other, but what they know is they don't trust each other and Nancy Pelosi recognizes in this moment that the articles that were passed today said the President betrayed the nation. That’s a quote from the article. He subverted constitutional government and so if you have a Majority Leader in Mitch McConnell who has said I don't want to hear anything of it, I’m already in the bag for the President. The Senate is not going to recognize the gravity of the moment, so why give him an opportunity that behave in a way that offends the Constitution? Hold it back until you can give some assurances from the Senate that they intend to do their job and honor the special impeachment oath that the constitution requires that each Senator, including Mitch McConnell. must do impartial justice. He arguably has violated that oath that he has yet to take.
O’DONNELL: And Jonathan, he's going to take that oath on television, the same guy who on television has said I have no intention of being impartial, actually used the word from the oath, is going to raise his right hand on television and take an oath saying I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws so help me God.
JONATHAN ALTER: Shamelessness is contagious. You know, the problem with Trump is that, when you're in his orbit, you're tainted and you start acting worse than you would otherwise and —
O’DONNELL: Yeah.
ALTER: — in Mitch McConnell's case, that's saying something. McConnell is in a tough spot. We tend to think of him as this ace, you know, legislator who always gets his way and understands power than anybody else around him. But he's caught between three forces right now. Nancy Pelosi is holding cards. The committee chairs in the Senate, his colleagues, they do not want a situation where a precedent is established of the executive not turning over any documents or witnesses. 13 months from now, there could be, you know a President Warren or President Biden and these Republican chairman of these committees don't want to get stonewalled by that so they have institutional interests in seeing witnesses and documents and then you have the vulnerable Republican candidates who are up this year and they are clearly going to want to see some witnesses because they don't want to explain to their constituents, their independents that they need to win general elections. You know, why this was a fake trial, they need it to be a real trial, so I think by the time this is over, Lawrence, there will be a genuine trial in the U.S. Senate.
