Impeachment commentary
For the stable folks among us who tore themselves away from impeachment of late, allow me to provide my biased summary:
1) The President blocked first-hand witnesses from testifying and refused to provide critical documents requested by the House;
2) Despite this, the House majority deemed the evidence they had more than sufficient and moved the proceedings to the Senate;
3) First-hand witness John Bolton was then given legal clearance to testify;
No witnesses? How? Acquittal was never in question but hearing additional witnesses remained possible. For that to happen, at least four Republican senators would need to vote with Democrats. Thursday, retiring senator Lamar Alexander emerged as the most likely fourth Republican.
Thursday night, Alexander, a long-time friend of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, showed his hand. Convinced that the House managers had successfully proven their case, and finding the President’s actions inappropriate, he saw no need for any additional evidence.
I can’t know Alexander’s mind but I sure know what it looks like. Did he not need to hear more witnesses or just not want to? Or that Mitch McConnell didn’t. You can guess what I think. Still, for the first time in history an impeachment proceeding will have taken place without the presentation of a single witness. Gosh, I’d have liked to hear Bolton – maybe Trump’s act went past merely being ‘inappropriate. Without Bolton, how can we be certain it didn’t?
4) The Senate has defeated a motion to hear witnesses, and is poised to acquit the President.
Now what? Suppose a future President doesn’t feel he or she is being fairly impeached – a President whose party holds a majority in the Senate. That President will be able to refuse to cooperate, just as President Trump did, and still be acquitted. Just flat out refuse.
Welcome to our future.
Paul Mack
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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