THREAD -- The fact that @HouseDemocrats spent the first day of the #ImpeachmentDay trial in the Senate focusing on the need for more witnesses to make their case underscores the very weakness of their own impeachment effort in the House. They screwed up and they know it.
I spent almost two months re-directing my priorities in office to listen to depositions and determine if there was evidence presented meeting the constitutional requirement of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." In my view, no such evidence was presented.
If you are predisposed to believe the president engaged in conduct deserving of scrutiny, blame the House Democrats for failing to do their job, not the Senate.
@SpeakerPelosi rushed the case through to a partisan vote (losing Democrats, gaining no Republicans).
@SpeakerPelosi rushed the case through to a partisan vote (losing Democrats, gaining no Republicans).
They refused to make proper subpoenas in the first place. They pulled their subpoena of Kupperman rather than press their case regarding the dispute over executive privilege.
They could have pressed a subpoena for anyone they wanted. They didn't. They had complete control.
They could have pressed a subpoena for anyone they wanted. They didn't. They had complete control.
And more ... House Democrats sat on the Articles of Impeachment for 33 days to try to extract demands from the Senate because they knew the case they made was so weak it couldn't stand by itself.
@RepJerryNadler is claiming the "Senate is on trial in the eyes of the American people." In reality, his party failed to make its case and now wants the Senate to do it for them. That’s not how this works. In my view, once the cases are presented, they should be dismissed.
I hope our children and grandchildren see this bumbled process, which is supposed to be one of our most solemn duties under the Constitution, and choose not to make the same mistakes.
