By the time most of us are sitting down to dinner this evening, the Senate will probably vot to acquitt president* tRump of the two articles of impeachment the House brought against him. This, after the "world's greatest deliberative body" voted not to hear witnesses or subpoena documents related to the charges. While this should not surprise anyone who follows politics even in a desultory manner, it is disappointing.
Ex senator, Jeff Flake, opined recently if there was a secret ballot on impeachment, at least 30 republicans would vote to oust tRump. As it now stands, Mitt Romney may be the only vote from the republican caucus to register against the walking advertisement for corruption which now inhabits the oval office. A majority of the country feels he should be removed, but only one GOP senator (Maybe), feels the same way. Not to mention there may be one or two democrats who may also vote for acquittal now that they see which way the Beltway breeze is blowing.
Many Americans will feel the democratic system has failed us, allowing a manifestly corrupt and unfit man to continue in office for at least another year, during which he may do untold damage to our republic. The only response is to work our collective tails off to make sure it is only one year. There will be plenty of criminal charges waiting for tRump when he leaves office next January. Let's make sure it happens!
Friday, January 31, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Parody, sarcasm and their deaths
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
No upside
Democrats have desperately chasing the witness car at the tRump impeachment trial and they may have finally caught it, hopefully not to their dismay.
The trial has so far gone according to plan. Both sides have energized their bases with tales of the other side's perfidy and despite a mountain of evidence clearly showing the president's* guilt, he is on the verge of acquittal. This was never in doubt, despite the outrage of the House managers and Senate democrats. Now comes the John Bolton surprise and it fuels more outrage.
If I was Moscow Mitch, I would allow four republicans to join democrats calling for a witness. Bolton's book is going to come out anyway, so McConnell's reasoning goes, so let's limit the evidentiary part of the trial to a single witness. Bolton will confirm the charges and not a single republican will defect anyway. Now they can all say the trial was fair and quite a few moderate dems and independents will agree. Instead of a sham trial that will keep their partisans engaged until election day, many will despair and drop out. Meanwhile, tRump supporters will still be outraged at this witch hunt and will probably even re-elect Susan Collins. I know this is a cynical view of the likely outcome, but I hope McConnell has his 51 votes so the trial has a quick, unhappy ending.
The trial has so far gone according to plan. Both sides have energized their bases with tales of the other side's perfidy and despite a mountain of evidence clearly showing the president's* guilt, he is on the verge of acquittal. This was never in doubt, despite the outrage of the House managers and Senate democrats. Now comes the John Bolton surprise and it fuels more outrage.
If I was Moscow Mitch, I would allow four republicans to join democrats calling for a witness. Bolton's book is going to come out anyway, so McConnell's reasoning goes, so let's limit the evidentiary part of the trial to a single witness. Bolton will confirm the charges and not a single republican will defect anyway. Now they can all say the trial was fair and quite a few moderate dems and independents will agree. Instead of a sham trial that will keep their partisans engaged until election day, many will despair and drop out. Meanwhile, tRump supporters will still be outraged at this witch hunt and will probably even re-elect Susan Collins. I know this is a cynical view of the likely outcome, but I hope McConnell has his 51 votes so the trial has a quick, unhappy ending.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Killing them loudly
It must be killing the democratic senators running for president that they must sit through the tRump team's "defense" during the president*s trial. A first grader with reading skills could poke holes in the ridiculous arguments. They are mostly about process, since the evidence is overwhelmingly against their client. Meanwhile, the primary season grinds on without some of the polling leaders.
The Bolton revelations in yesterday's NYT threaten to drag out the trial, since now there is mounting pressure for actual witnesses to present evidence. It will not materially change the verdict unless someone introduces a video of the president raping an underage girl and then paying for her abortion. Even something like that will be spun by the conservative media as a momentary aberration in an otherwise spotless life. Meanwhile, all the oxygen is sucked out of the room and Sanders, Warren, Klobuchar and Bennett lose precious chances to convince us their vision for America's future is in tune with our own.
The Bolton revelations in yesterday's NYT threaten to drag out the trial, since now there is mounting pressure for actual witnesses to present evidence. It will not materially change the verdict unless someone introduces a video of the president raping an underage girl and then paying for her abortion. Even something like that will be spun by the conservative media as a momentary aberration in an otherwise spotless life. Meanwhile, all the oxygen is sucked out of the room and Sanders, Warren, Klobuchar and Bennett lose precious chances to convince us their vision for America's future is in tune with our own.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Passings
It was with heavy hearts the Divine Mrs. M and I bid farewell to Chazz, our faithful cat on Saturday. He had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, and he declined to the point we decided it was time to end his suffering. It was sad, but a peaceful end and we were left with the memory of a loving friend.
I think it is amazing we can give our pets the gift of an end of suffering while simultaneously forcing our fellow humans to suffer untold indignities at the end of life. Surely it makes more sense to allow someone to ease themselves off this mortal coil than to eke out a few more days at the cost of losing what made us cherish them in life. I know the arguments against suicide and the slippery slope it represents, but I firmly believe in the right of an individual to go gently into this good night. On the other hand, if someone wishes to extend their life at all costs, they should have that right also.
I think it is amazing we can give our pets the gift of an end of suffering while simultaneously forcing our fellow humans to suffer untold indignities at the end of life. Surely it makes more sense to allow someone to ease themselves off this mortal coil than to eke out a few more days at the cost of losing what made us cherish them in life. I know the arguments against suicide and the slippery slope it represents, but I firmly believe in the right of an individual to go gently into this good night. On the other hand, if someone wishes to extend their life at all costs, they should have that right also.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Last gasps
I didn't watch much of the televised coverage of the impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump yesterday. After months of coverage, I know most of the details and the repetition did nothing to calm the existential dread of the coming week of back and forth before the inevitable vote to dismiss charges.
It now appears the republican senate caucus has indeed sold its soul to tRump in the laughable attempt to ingratiate themselves. As one pundit said, there were never going to be 4 GOP senators voting to hear witnesses in this mirror image of a show trial. It was either going to be more than 4 or less, because no one wants to be the 51st and the primary target of tweet wrath. The democrats looked disheartened even after Adam Schiff's impassioned plea for at least the appearance of fair play.
The hard right will cheer and most of us in the center or left will weep, but both sides represent a small portion of the electorate. Most will not even begin to think about the election to come until after Labor Day. It is America's shame that most of us are so politically disengaged that republicans feel no shame as they dismantle our democracy.
It now appears the republican senate caucus has indeed sold its soul to tRump in the laughable attempt to ingratiate themselves. As one pundit said, there were never going to be 4 GOP senators voting to hear witnesses in this mirror image of a show trial. It was either going to be more than 4 or less, because no one wants to be the 51st and the primary target of tweet wrath. The democrats looked disheartened even after Adam Schiff's impassioned plea for at least the appearance of fair play.
The hard right will cheer and most of us in the center or left will weep, but both sides represent a small portion of the electorate. Most will not even begin to think about the election to come until after Labor Day. It is America's shame that most of us are so politically disengaged that republicans feel no shame as they dismantle our democracy.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Late night with Mitch
Having been forced by more moderate members of his caucus to at least forego the "dark of night' strategy of forcing impeachment managers and defenders to make the bulk of their arguments after most Americans are in bed, Mitch McConnell gave both sides 3 eight hour days too make their arguments to the Senate.
This call will have absolutely no effect on the ultimate verdict, but at least it will call in to question McConnell's latest nickname, Midnight Mitch. Meanwhile, the impeachment trial drags on and people are treated to the serious legal argument being made by the managers from the House vs. the nearly incoherent stylings by tRump's "legal" team. In a real courtroom, the president's* lawyers would have been laughed out of the proceedings by now. If this team had represented OJ, he would have never seen the light of day. Many people have said Bill Barr is tRump's Roy Cohn. Well, he has his Johnny Cochrane also. His name is Midnight Moscow Mitch.
This call will have absolutely no effect on the ultimate verdict, but at least it will call in to question McConnell's latest nickname, Midnight Mitch. Meanwhile, the impeachment trial drags on and people are treated to the serious legal argument being made by the managers from the House vs. the nearly incoherent stylings by tRump's "legal" team. In a real courtroom, the president's* lawyers would have been laughed out of the proceedings by now. If this team had represented OJ, he would have never seen the light of day. Many people have said Bill Barr is tRump's Roy Cohn. Well, he has his Johnny Cochrane also. His name is Midnight Moscow Mitch.
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