Democratic impeachment holdout Jeff Van Drew planning to switch parties

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Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a moderate Democrat who is strongly opposed to impeaching President Donald Trump, is expected to switch parties and become a Republican, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

Van Drew is one of two Democrats who voted against opening the impeachment inquiry into Trump and has remained against the effort, even as the House prepares to vote to impeach the president next week.

Van Drew’s congressional and campaign staff were informed he was planning to switch parties on Saturday, according to Democratic sources. The question was now when, not if, Van Drew was joining the Republican Party, according to several Democrats with knowledge of the ongoing conversations.

As of Saturday afternoon, it was still unclear if Van Drew would make the announcement before the House votes on impeachment, which is expected Wednesday.

“It was supposed to be bipartisan, it was supposed to be incontrovertible. It was supposed to be something that was always on the rarest of circumstances,” Van Drew told reporters about impeachment earlier this week. “Well it’s not bipartisan.”

Multiple senior Democrats tried to reach out to the New Jersey freshman on Saturday but were unsuccessful. Van Drew did not respond to calls and texts from POLITICO seeking comment.

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...parties-085036

[archives]

Sounds appropriate, if he had any real courage he would run as an independent as Amash did

[Nordberg]

He said he talked with Trumpy and nothing changed.

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[Darth Omar]

What else can a Democrat with principles do lol?

[Darth Omar]

Joe Manchin, pull the trigger.

You know you want to.

[canceled.2021.2]

Sounds appropriate, if he had any real courage he would run as an independent as Amash did

Why is that?

I wonder if he was threatened by Nancy? He should vote as a democrat instead of a Republican

[canceled.2021.2]

Joe Manchin, pull the trigger.

You know you want to.

We don’t want him. He is a gun control prick

[Darth Omar]

We don’t want him. He is a gun control prick

No he isn’t lol.

He has to play democrat.

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MN Democrat Collin Peterson says he won’t vote for impeachment ‘unless they come up with something’

Barring new information that could convince him otherwise, Rep. Collin Peterson said he will vote against impeaching President Donald Trump when the issue comes for a vote Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Peterson said he expects four or five other Democrats will do the same.

Peterson, who represents Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District on the western side of the state, made the comments Saturday while attending the annual meeting of the First District Association, a dairy cooperative in Litchfield.

Peterson said he normally doesn’t make a decision until an issue — and all the information — is on the floor for a vote but said “unless they come up with something between now and Wednesday,” he will not support the articles of impeachment.

“Maybe something will change. I doubt it,” he said.

Peterson said Trump “has not committed a crime” and most people in the Seventh District don’t think the U.S. should provide foreign aid, so they are not troubled at all if Trump withheld funds to Ukraine. Peterson also said the case against Trump only includes “second-hand” information about Trump’s questionable phone call with the president of Ukraine.

https://www.twincities.com/2019/12/1...ith-something/

[christiefan915]

<snip>

Peterson said Trump “has not committed a crime” and most people in the Seventh District don’t think the U.S. should provide foreign aid, so they are not troubled at all if Trump withheld funds to Ukraine.
Peterson also said the case against Trump only includes “second-hand” information about Trump’s questionable phone call with the president of Ukraine.

https://www.twincities.com/2019/12/1...ith-something/

I guess Peterson doesn't realize that the call was taped but he doesn't know more because trump released only an edited transcript of it. trump was hiding something about that call and the transcript looks like he wrote it himself, an ode of self-praise.

CAUTION: A Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation (TELCON) is not a verbatim transcript of a discussion.

[BRUTALITOPS]

Why is that?

I wonder if he was threatened by Nancy? He should vote as a democrat instead of a Republican

yeah, this imo makes democrats look better, so that instead of a democrat voting against impeachement, it's now a "republican"

I fail to see how this is a gain for the GOP in any manner. He'll just be a sellout rino and secret stealth democrat in republican clothing. there are already plenty of those in the GOP and they don't need any more.

That said, it's a nice summation of the loser democrats and how badly things are going for them.

[BRUTALITOPS]

MN Democrat Collin Peterson says he won’t vote for impeachment ‘unless they come up with something’

Barring new information that could convince him otherwise, Rep. Collin Peterson said he will vote against impeaching President Donald Trump when the issue comes for a vote Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Peterson said he expects four or five other Democrats will do the same.

Peterson, who represents Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District on the western side of the state, made the comments Saturday while attending the annual meeting of the First District Association, a dairy cooperative in Litchfield.

Peterson said he normally doesn’t make a decision until an issue — and all the information — is on the floor for a vote but said “unless they come up with something between now and Wednesday,” he will not support the articles of impeachment.

“Maybe something will change. I doubt it,” he said.

Peterson said Trump “has not committed a crime” and most people in the Seventh District don’t think the U.S. should provide foreign aid, so they are not troubled at all if Trump withheld funds to Ukraine. Peterson also said the case against Trump only includes “second-hand” information about Trump’s questionable phone call with the president of Ukraine.

https://www.twincities.com/2019/12/1...ith-something/

bi partisan opposition to impeachment

[Cinnabar]

Van Drew’s decision to oppose impeachment — and his willingness to proclaim his views on the GOP-friendly Fox News Channel — badly alienated Democratic voters in his district, sparking a primary challenge that threatened his prospects for reelection. Brigid Callahan Harrison, a Montclair State University political science professor, signaled last month that she is likely to run for the Democratic nomination.

A polling memo obtained by The Washington Post, citing results of a Dec. 7-10 survey of likely Democratic voters commissioned by Van Drew’s campaign, found that only 24 percent thought he should be reelected, with 58 percent wanting another Democrat nominated for the seat.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...cid=spartandhp

Well that should surprise no one. Out with the old, wrong and jaded and in with the new.