Defense Rests in Impeachment

The Defense Rests

Wednesday, January 29 2020, 1:00 PM (EST)

Watched as much of the Senate “trial” defense as an old man can.  Mostly watched FOX because they have best update chyrons and I could keep most of the talking stuff on mute.

The basic facts did not appear to be in dispute:  A call was made, for which we have a partial transcript; funds appropriated by Congress were “held”, etc.

The defense offered seemed a bit disjointed.  Someone listed 29 different arguments put forth.  Some of these conflicted with others, and a few were fatuous.  For the most part all the well-worn talking points trump wanted to hear got TV time.

Mercifully, they took about half of their allotted time.  This was at least in part because they had no actual contra-arguments to make.  Some of time used was wasted on chasing down “Red Herrings” and saying some “Straw Man” did worse.

Overall it would have gone more quickly, and been more bearable, if they had stuck to the real legal arguments:  The Articles of Impeachment presented do not reach the level of removal from office.  In this they were most effective.

As this is being written questions of witnesses, evidence, and an actual trial have not been settled.  These questions, as with the final outcome, are purely political in nature. 



My lingering questions and current opinions:

QUESTION:  If true Democrats moved too fast for truth to come out, is it not also true Republicans moving too fast to ‘get over it’?  Oddly, both can be true.

QUESTION: The majority Party is doing everything they can to protect trump; it that supposed to be their job?

QUESTION:  Given known facts and circumstances, and given nature of trump, is this an offence against the Constitution rising to the level of removal from office?  Turns out that is the only question.

OPINION: I remain convinced that lacking secret ballots we, and history, will never know if we got an honest outcome.  Believing they cannot win, how many Democrats see no need to vote their true belief and vote to acquit?  Believing they cannot lose, how many Republicans see no need to vote their true belief and vote to remove?   There will be no secret ballot.

OPINION: As written in my letter to Senator Mike Brawn –

Frankly, my original assumption had been there might be some kind of bi-partisan “censure” motion passed and that would be the end of it.  Unfortunately, trump continues to be his own and the Republican Party’s worst enemy.  Thus, as Dr. Fiona Hill testified, “And here we are”.

I’ll be glad when important things take back the news – things like fires, earthquakes, terrorists, war mongering, torture of immigrants, and good old political in-fighting!