UPDATE: He's backtracking.
I misspoke this morning, I do believe we should do everything we can to force the Senate to have a fair trial. If the Speaker believes that holding on to the articles for a longer time will help force a fair trial in the Senate, then I wholeheartedly support that decision.
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) January 9, 2020
***Original post***
It's becoming increasingly clear Speaker Nancy Pelosi has completely bungled the impeachment process in the House as Democrats in her caucus start to abandon her efforts to hold the articles indefinitely.
JUST NOW: (wow) "I think it is time to send the impeachment to the Senate and let Mitch McConnell be responsible for the fairness of the trial. "
— John Berman (@JohnBerman) January 9, 2020
That is Dem Armed Services chair @repadamsmith on @NewDay. First chair to move to that position?pic.twitter.com/pxlQWEdN41
The dam on Pelosi's antics started to break earlier this week when Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein questioned Pelosi's strategy of trying to control the Senate trial by holding the articles.
"The longer it goes on the less urgent it becomes. So if it’s serious and urgent, send them over. If it isn’t, don’t send it over,” Feinstein told POLITICO.
“I respect the fact that she is concerned about the fact about whether or not there will be a fair trial. But I do think it is time to get on with it,” Democrat Senator Chris Coons added.
As the process drags on, we're now learning where Pelosi got the idea to hold the articles.
In new @TIME profile: Speaker Pelosi got idea to withhold impeachment articles from watching John Dean on CNN. https://t.co/0GuN6o9h9o pic.twitter.com/2llM9dhEdp
— Byron York (@ByronYork) January 9, 2020
Oh man this is too good.
— Matt Wolking (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@MattWolking) January 9, 2020
“Master strategist” Nancy Pelosi got her disastrous idea to withhold the articles of impeachment from the Senate from ... WATCHING CABLE NEWS. pic.twitter.com/X8pJK6wwRW
In the meantime, Republicans are taking full advantage of Democrat mismanagement and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is winning this battle.
Mitch McConnell says if Nancy Pelosi doesn’t send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, the Senate will turn to “the people’s business” next week and could take up the new NAFTA trade deal or a war powers resolution.
— Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) January 9, 2020
"The speaker of the House has done the impossible ... the Senate might not agree on much but it appears most of us still recognize the threat to our institution when we see one"
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 9, 2020
Impeachment was urgent only when it seemed politically convenient.
— Oversight Committee Republicans (@GOPoversight) January 9, 2020
What’s @SpeakerPelosi afraid of? pic.twitter.com/StWn8HB2yz