At least a few of the republican senators who will vote against calling witnesses tomorrow will need to wear some makeup to cover their red faces. After the performance of the president*'s lawyers in yesterday's question and answer session, both irony and sarcasm died on the Senate floor.
Alan Dershowitz, the supposed neutral expert employed in the defense posited a president could do virtually anything if he believed it was in service of his re-election which he also believed was in the national interest. As one wag suggested, Dershowitz might have second thoughts if his torture and execution was believed by tRump to be in the this nebulous "interest".
This seemed to be the zenith of the president*s defenders' argument. The rest of it was encapsulated in tRump's declaration that "we have the material. They don't have the material", meaning the documents which would further prove the prosecution's case. The defense claimed the prosecution couldn't produce any first hand witnesses. They were reminded by Adam Schiff this was because the administration withheld the witnesses from testifying.
It is almost as if republicans are doing their utmost to mobilize the democratic base in the coming elections. By making a mockery of the impeachment trial, they are outraging democrats, independents and the tiny fraction of republicans who actually care about democracy. I think it is partially because they know witnesses and documents will so overwhelmingly prove the case against tRump they will be accused of rank partisanship if they vote to acquit. So instead they will vote against any testimony and hope this episode will disappear in our collective memory hole before November. It's a bad bet, but at this point the only one they have.
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