Fmr. Defense Secy. Cohen Urges GOP Senators To Convict: The Constitution Is Worth Defending | MSNBC

Former Republican senator and Secretary of Defense William Cohen speaks to Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchell about the importance for GOP senators to convict former president Donald Trump and uphold the constitutional oath of office. "They're either afraid, or they're complicit," he says. "Either one it marks them as being really ashamed, I think, to say they're a member of the Senate and didn't vote to protect that document to which they swore allegiance to." Aired on 02/12/2021.
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Fmr. Defense Secy. Cohen Urges GOP Senators To Convict: The Constitution Is Worth Defending | MSNBC

83 comments

    1. @Lion Home the constitution is priceless. Quantify that, Red. Go give your obeisance to the dear leader. He needs his boots licked, and that’s all that your disloyal tongue is good for.

    2. @Lion Home ONE STUPID COP WHO WOULD GET OFF THE KNEE OFF AFTER THE PRISONER WAS IN CUFF WOULD OF STOPPED SO MUCH MAHELM

    3. @tranvietx I have posted similar arguments showing that the majority of violence, burning, etc. was committed by RW white supremacist groups….The delusional nut jobs never reply or reply that it is fake news……they will not accept facts…….they will continue to spew their lies and delusional CTs and whataboutisms!!

  1. *_Courage is getting out of the boat, when the guy in front of you is just shot. Look at these spineless Senators who can not even vote for America._*

  2. Trump’s impeachment defense team just proved that Democrats can say “fight” without starting an insurrection.
    They also proved that Democrats did the right thing when they stopped complaining about the 2016 election.

    Both prove that Trump and his actions are the difference between a speech and an insurrection.

    1. @shadelings assaulting a star president, constantly berating and insulting him, disrespecting him for more than 4 yrs and culminating that with a flagrant in your face admission (actually exposing) the biggest voter fraud organization in the history of American politics is nothing to you ????

    2. @Douglas Robinson you admit that there are 2 faces to the same coin, each side sees it differently . Here you hv a demented pathological liar in chief sitting where a star president sat and you don’t see or recognize. Do you the same format here ? Ignoring the obvious? The difference is that half of America want it to be liberal and the other half wants it conservative. Why can’t the people accept such difference and just live peacefully ? Where is tolerance and acceptance of others ??? No the current trend is canceling half of America and you want people to vanish !!! You want to fight but the other side should not fight !!!

    3. @bilo Z For many years there was a peaceful coexistence. I have voted for candidates of both parties. I have voted for the most qualified candidate regardless of party. I have always accepted that there are good actionable ideas coming from the left and right. Both parties have always had zealots that remained on the fringes.

      Acceptance and cooperation are the keys to make democracy work. Democracy is a constant negotiation of give and take (i.e. compromise). The current political situation is the result of several forces and factors.

      First, many issues stemming from the civil war are still festering. American is still an incredibly racist society. Racial inequality still exists on many levels. Trump’s election was partly a reaction by racists to the election of a black president, Obama. Racism is not something people should agree to disagree about. It’s evil in any form.

      Second, president Reagan rescinded the media fairness doctrine. Britain still has a fair media policy. Conservative media like Fox News and Newsmax arose after this. Now. all of a sudden facts became optional. Half truths name calling, racist, slander, libel took the place factual accuracy. The Undiscriminating and racists loved the lack of reason and truth. These were not opinion segments, this became mainstream news. The left has its own media. They present less of a bias and seem to relay news more factually, most of the time. US citizens are lazy and believe whatever is on the internet or presented on the TV and social media. This all lead to the perpetration of a 4 year lie that the elections are rigged. This is in spite of a history of 200+ years of fair accurate elections and peaceful power transfer. The current insurrection was the result of a blatant lie. Untruths and lies were spread endlessly via social media and conservative news media. No one was crying foul and that’s not true. No one can agree on what the facts are.

      Third, a supreme court decision on free speech decided that money was free speech. Now, unlimited amounts of money finance campaigns. In addition, businesses are now people and can contribute to election funds. The lose of this restraint has opened the gates to business and special interests. Much misinformation is generated via the committees who oversee these funds. Money talks in politics. A political science experiment performed by many an undergrad. They compare the desires of the 99% and the 1% and then examine the legislation that gets passed by congress. The 1% have purchased and captured congress for their benefit at the expense of the 99%. Just look at the history of the Koch Brothers.

      We have climate deniers driven mostly by “dirty industries”. 90% of the world’s scientists all agree we need change and need to start now to avoid a 2 degree rise in global temperatures. I have had PHDs and educated people tell me this bunk. I am a scientist/engineer myself and the 90% of scientists are correct. There is a mistrust of experts and scientists which makes conspiracy theories seem plausible. People are ignoring and dismissing proven scientific data and studies. It’s been a difficult conversation. If this issue is not resolved, out children and grandchildren will be living very different lives due to lies and the resultant inaction.

      Fourth, globalization has not been beneficial to all segments of society, US lost millions of jobs to emerging economies. Middle class Americans were now in the unemployment line and very angry. Jobs are being creating but require a technical certificate or college degree. A mismatch of workers’ skills and job openings. American education system and the government have failed these workers.

      I am all for cooperation and live together in peace. There are segments in our society whose only goal is power and wealth. These segments do not desire compromise, change, or even a conversation. Until the general populous wises up to these malevolent underground forces, change will not happen. Maybe it will take an environmental catastrophe or a second or third bloody civil war to bring the sides back together again.

  3. It’s so incredibly obvious that Trump is guilty, but millions of us are just watching the alternative reality party claim otherwise. Luckily, the republican party is falling apart. Turns out, the truth matters to many old school republicans too.

    1. The only reason why the Republicans are falling is because they’re becoming the party of trump. Not good at all !
      trump party needs to be stopped NOW !!

    2. @Kaden Love yep theyre fascist autocrats. Watch for Democrats running in 2022 and 2024. You can be sure, Trufmp and his minions are already organizing for the midterm elections.

    3. Comrade Putin is having a good laugh in the Kremlin. Hahaha! all it takes to destroy America is Moscow Mitch, Leningrad Graham, Horse face Cruz, Gymmy Jordan …. so EASY! GOP Senators, suggest you sing the national anthem before you start any sessions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOAtz8xWM0w , and pledge allegiance to Russia, otherwise the Proud Boys and KKK will come after you.

    4. The saddest part is, we need alternating points of view to keep any party honest. If there’s only one party, there’ll be only that point of view. And no one to correct them when they go wrong. Doesn’t matter what you call the party, Whig, Rep, Dem, Green…. They go bad in the end without checks and balances.

    5. @Uniquely Lily State legislators in 28 states have filed 106 bills restricting voting thus far in 2021 — and the overwhelming majority have come from Republicans.

  4. Watching his cult storm the Capitol while wearing his hats and waving flags emblazoned with his name, was the greatest day of Trump’s presidency. He has never felt more like the dictator he’s always wanted to be than he did on that day.

    1. AND TRUMP USED 50 MILLION OF THE CAMPAIGN MONEY TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS, INCLUDING THE ARMOR SOME OF THE GUYS ERE WEARING.

    2. With criminal Trump: neither Black lives matter, nor Blue lives matter but also common American people doesn’ t matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    3. @Anna B Please don’t become like the trumpers, spouting false information. Some money trails are being followed, but this is not a proven fact. 🙂

    4. @John Swo I actually watched an interview of a Trumper recently and he literally said that he was so disappointed that Biden wasn’t turning out to be an autocrat. WTF?! They truly want the US to become a fascist dictatorship. They’re just that stupid.

  5. If 500 people were killed including their own families they wouldn’t do anything to go against their biggest orange crush. It’s sad how spineless and unamerican they are.

    1. @Dutch American can’t tell if you’re joking. One thing is crystal clear. These Republican Senators who are denying the blindingly obvious facts, the derelicts who have repeatedly failed in their oath to this country and once again will enable Trump’s bottom-feeding corruption and criminality, these people are no better than the insurrectionists currently facing federal charges. They do not deserve the office that they hold, and they clearly will throw any of their supporters under the bus in a heartbeat if it helps them cling onto power for a moment longer.

  6. My dad lied about his age and entered WWII at 15. He was on 2 ships that sank, and was there at Normandy. He was a blue collar Republican. I was grateful he didn’t live to see 9/11. I am REALLY grateful he never saw what the Republican party has become.

    1. Thank you for your father’s service and it is true that the GOP has become a gang all breaking the law together, lying and sticking together with no honor – glad your dad did not see these Republicans squander the democracy your father fought so bravely for

    2. @Shadow Sage For some reason, Trump’s extremist racist supporters think it’s OK to come out of the woodwork…

  7. Just remember one thing. The current GOP is NOT the GOP we once knew. This new GOP that represents the States they came from reflects that States beliefs. Awfully scary notion isn’t it.

    1. You dont realise just how things have changed until you tell people that know you as a solid republican for 30 years that you wont vote for Trump….thats when you realise the GOP is not a political party anymore, its now a cult that has a lot of its members convinced we are living in the end times and that Trump is there last hope. Im hoping they really believe that without Trump the country they love will end, because if they dont believe that then they are just full of rabid hatred for no reason and then people shouting how im a traitor to my race just hate me for no reason at all, and id prefer there be a good reason to despise me if i get a choice in the matter. And I know its a cult not political because some of this hatred is coming from people that were democrats until Trump showed up, I might lean rightwing but there has to be limits.

    2. @Don Shults; Right they stuck with Nixon until they themselves would be found out. They went with the Warren Commission, which was a total farce which they had to later admit too.

    3. @Neil Rusling Hadn’t thought of the Trump cultists believing in the end times. You’ve hit the nail on the head. He’s their savior come to save them from whatever evil they see…

  8. He’s right. They each took an oath, they are obligated to that oath, to the the puerile they represent. It’s about doing what’s right even when it’s hard because they’re afraid. They’re loyalty is to the Constitution, not to Donald Trump.

    1. This is why we need to speak up. We the People need to raise the Voice of the People to relentless levels. We need to call and leave messages or voice mails for our own US Senators, insisting that they vote to convict. We need to ask our friends and families to do the same! Main Congressional switchboard 202-224-3121, or use home state office numbers.

    2. The Republican senators claim they were following the wishes of their constituents to object to the electoral votes, What they did not do was fairly represent the election results to their constituents and state that the election was fair and accurate and their candidate lost. This did not happen. First it is irresponsible and second it is a blatant lie.

      They are educated people and were smart enough to know that the election was lost. They simply were thinking of their own reelections and grasping to remain in power. They owe no allegiance to the US or the constitution. They pray to the GOD of power. The party of law and order… NO WAY, party of religious righteousness…NO WAY. Party of fiscal responsibility…NO LONGER. Thou shall have no idols before me….YOUR IDOL is TXXXP.

      The party has always held these traits. TXXXp unashamedly brought these traits to the forefront. Constitution be damned…we want power and are willing to sell our souls to get it.

  9. Many lawmakers in Italy have been murdered bringing down the mafia…. those who do not do their duty are an insult to courageous people like this.

    1. Falcone e Borsellino…our heroes, paid with their lives. We left Sicily in 1974, because of the Mafia and now seeing this ….I want to go back. 😪😔 thank you for getting it right.

    1. The only thing Republican senators must show is some courage and don ‘t stay cowards the rest of their miserable lives!

    1. With criminal Trump: neither Black lives matter, nor Blue lives matter but also common American people doesn’ t matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. @Dan Ozomatli
      We can get the country back, but to do that we will have to weed out Republican Senators who refuse to live up to their oath. An oath is not to be taken lightly. It must be enforced.

    2. @tom Bird agreed. I’m talking about the cowardice of our elected Republican leadership. Cowards who will not live in truth and honor 🐻

    3. @Dan Ozomatli
      Right now, no one. But that is a real problem. Trump started his term refusing to allow House oversight as spelled out in the Constitution. The House issued subpoenas, and Trump went to court to stall. In the first impeachment, Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans, snd CJ John Roberts sabotaged the proceedings by refusing to live up to their oaths of office as well as their separate impeachment oath. They voted to acquit Trump without a trial, essentially saying that Trump was above the law.
      Is it a crime to refuse to live up to your oath to support and defend and defend the Constitution?
      If not, then what’s the point of the oath.
      The only thing that gives the Constitution validity is that oath.
      Who enforces it.
      Republicans know that no one does.
      If there is a law against robbing a bank, but there was no accountability, what would happen?
      Maybe we should just stop enforcing laws.
      Congress has it made. No accountability !!

    1. With criminal Trump: neither Black lives matter, nor Blue lives matter but also common American people doesn’ t matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    2. The repugnicans aren’t the brightest tool in the senate. They won’t convict because they’re soooooooo afffraid of the orangeturd if they acquit him he’ll be even more dangerous. Pence backed him up and what did he get a bounty on his head.

    1. It seems to be slipping away but that is because it seemed as though we accepted trump, the vast majority of sane, caring America did not, they are not suffering with ‘confirmation bias’!

  10. Take all those cowardly GOPers out to Arlington and tell them to start counting, and to keep cutting until one full day has gone by. Then to add the following words to the number they reach “… died for the constitution.”

  11. We all know what the outcome of the impeachment trail is, however, it shows the whole world that the Republicans and trump are not better than Hitler and his Nazi party.

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