A piece I forgot to publish from a week ago …
Jennifer Rubin is right on the mark when it comes to the true purpose of the trial of President Trump:
Schiff and his fellow impeachment managers understand that Trump has been impeached, that a majority of the public believes he obstructed Congress and abused his power and that a really big majority want a real trial. They know Republicans are going to vote to acquit, so the purpose is not a favorable verdict. Rather, it is to hammer home to every persuadable voter that Trump violated his oath and engaged in a coverup, which Senate Republicans are enabling.
The jury is not really the Senate; it’s the public. The defendant is not really Trump; it’s the Republican senators. Understanding this, Schiff got off to a strong start. [WaPo]
The GOP and Trump have relentlessly ridden the horse that says this is all politics, but it’s not.
This is about governance: is it good and proper, or is it corrupt and bad? As Rubin points out, this isn’t just Trump on the stand, but the entire Republican Party. Do they even understand that? Or will they simply vote en masse, beholden as many are to Trump, and more caught in the toxic hold of team politics, to acquit, and thus seal their moral – if not political – fate?
That’s really what this is all about.
