Dem Senators in Red States are Worried Impeachment Will Hurt the Party in 2020

According to a report from TheHill, Democrat Senators in Red States including Joe Manchin  (WV) and Jon Tester (Montana) are worried impeachment could hurt chances to flip the Senate for Democrats in 2020.

Their hope? That the investigation will be as narrowly focused as possible on the Ukraine call and not spiral out of control.

The Hill reports Senate Democrats representing red states are worried the House impeachment process may spin out of control and destroy any chance their party might have of winning back the majority next year.

These Democrats hope the House keeps its impeachment focus on the Ukraine controversy, and that Democrats act relatively quickly. If they do not, the red-state Democrats warn President Trump could turn the tables on them.

“It’s really incumbent on the House to really be laser-focused. The president is a master of pivoting and deflecting and I think it’s really important to stay focused,” said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who narrowly won reelection in a Republican-leaning state in 2018.

Tester said the impeachment inquiry should be focused on Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he pressed for an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D), who represents Trump-friendly West Virginia, also warned of Democrats focusing on old issues.

“I think it’s much better if it’s going to be focused because there’s a whole load of hay out there that they’ve been talking about for so long,” he said.

Like Tester, he said the effort should be focused on Trump’s attempts to push Zelensky to investigate Biden.

“I just think anytime a foreign entity is involved, it needs to be investigated,” Manchin said.

Manchin isn’t sure his warnings will be heeded, particularly since many liberal Democrats favor a broader investigation that would pull in efforts related to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, along with complaints that Trump has used his office to benefit his businesses.

At the same time, Democratic leaders in both chambers appear to want to keep the focus on Ukraine, particularly with polls showing a growing number of voters back impeachment.

One Democratic senator who requested anonymity to discuss the dynamics within the Democratic caucus said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has told his colleagues that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wants to keep the scope of the impeachment inquiry as narrow as possible.

The senator, who favors a broader scope, said that “people are worried” about potential political fallout within the Democratic caucus.

“The stakes go up for both sides at this point,” the source added.

Pelosi told reporters Thursday that the House inquiry will focus on Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, at least initially. She said there is a “consensus in our caucus” that Ukraine “is the focus of the moment because this is the charge,” referring to the whistleblower complaint against Trump. Even so, the six other House committees will continue to examine various allegations of presidential misconduct.

By Jon Heltzel

Source: theconservativeopinion

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