A charade in Senate
Well, the GOP senators are about to put their loyalty to Trump ahead of their oaths to protect the interests of America. There are so many aspects to this betrayal that it’s hard to believe anyone can keep a straight face while defending them.
Some senators like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham publicly stated that they were committed to acquitting Trump early on, and then swore an oath to God that they would be impartial. That was only the beginning.
Trump’s lawyers blatantly lied in their statements to the Senate. They complained that GOP House members were not allowed to attend closed depositions of witnesses. Simply not true: They were there, participating in the questioning. To say otherwise is to lie, but the lawyers were not under oath, so I guess that’s fair game. They also complained that neither Trump nor his lawyers were allowed to attend the House’s impeachment hearings. Another lie. Trump and his lawyers were invited to attend but refused. Then they lied about it.
Some of the GOP senators complained that the articles of impeachment sent over from the House contained no firsthand testimony from witnesses who were in the room when Trump discussed his withholding aid to Ukraine. Then they refused to admit witnesses who had firsthand knowledge—including one whose book on the matter is titled The Room Where It Happened. John Bolton was there when it happened and volunteered to testify under oath in the Senate trial. The GOP refused to let him do so. This completed a long history of the White House refusing to permit witnesses to testify and hiding all documents that would shed light on what happened. “Cover-up” comes to mind.
In the years ahead, high school, college and law school students will read about and wonder over this shameful episode in our national history, as they currently shake their heads over Watergate, Joe McCarthy, and other governmental disgraces. We must remember the names of all those who participated in this charade so they can be appropriately acknowledged in the years to come.
EARL BABBIE
Hot Springs Village