WASHINGTON — If you were a juror in a trial and the judge said there would be no evidence and no witnesses because the defendant didn’t want them, you would be nonplussed.
Well, you aren’t one of the Senate’s 53 Republicans, who voted six times against demanding White House documents and witnesses that could prove whether or not the president broke the law.
Donald Trump has been impeached (indicted) by the House on charges of withholding nearly $400 million in congressionally mandated, vitally needed military assistance for Ukraine. Ukraine is fighting for its life against attacks and invasions by Russian tanks. To receive its aid, Trump insisted Ukraine announce a sham investigation of Trump’s possible 2020 rival, Joe Biden.
When the House began investigating, Trump refused to let his people testify and refused to hand over any pertinent documents.
Trump stands charged with attempted illegal bribery to benefit his reelection effort and obstruction of Congress. The Senate, which must decide in a trial whether to remove Trump from office, so far is refusing to call witnesses or ask for administration documents.
Maybe the senators are cranky after hours of no cellphones and zero campaigning, a diet of milk and water (no caffeine), a ban on passing notes and talking to each other, napping while stuck in their seats hour after hour listening to House members demand a fair trial.
Let’s get this straight — every Senate Republican voted against seeing documents or listening to people involved tell what they know. Conviction or acquittal in an impeachment action is the most important vote senators will ever take. Sooner or later they will be held accountable for potential damage to the Constitution. Why don’t they see that?
We are witnessing an astonishing and sadly historic event: Republicans are following Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell in his vow to conduct the trial however the White House wants. McConnell, by the way, has a 34% approval rate in his state of Kentucky but is obsessed with keeping power. He himself once flouted the law by refusing to hold confirmation hearings on a Supreme Court nominee.
All 100 senators vowed by sacred oath to dispense impartial justice. And then, on a strictly partisan vote, 53-47, they voted against a fair trial.
Is this how democracy dies?
Our country has held three impeachment trials. There have been no convictions. (Richard Nixon resigned when fellow Republicans convinced him he would be impeached and convicted of obstruction of justice.) But this is the first time that senators who took an oath to be impartial said at the outset of the trial they already had made up their minds and don’t need the facts — as the world watches.
Is this how democracy dies?
Why have Republican senators been afraid to vote in favor of seeing 89 White House, State Department and Pentagon documents which would shed light on what Trump did? They haven’t even wanted to listen to eyewitnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mark Mulvaney. Mulvaney told reporters that military aid to Ukraine was withheld for political purposes (until a whistleblower blew the whistle) because that’s how the world works.
Once again, we ask why every single time Trump has a national security crisis, Russia benefits. Every. Single. Time.
The White House insists that Trump decides what documents Congress may see and who it may subpoena. No, he doesn’t. The White House says that Trump may decide the rules of impeachment. No, he can’t. Trump insists he can do whatever he wants as president. No, it should not work that way.
If a fake trial replaces the Constitution’s call for a fair trial, is this how democracy dies?
The White House lawyers have been stunningly off-point and illogical in this entire process: The president is above the law. The president cannot be prosecuted for anything. Yes, he withheld legal aid from Ukraine, but it was released (after he was caught) … and it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that the nonpartisan General Accounting Office said Trump violated the law. There basically is no such thing as abuse of presidential power because the president is all-powerful.
The votes of all 53 Senate Republicans thus far seems to mean they agree.
The world’s greatest deliberative body?
Is this how democracy dies?
We Americans are so justifiably proud of our form of government that we forget that there were republics before us that perished. Let’s hope senators come to their senses and ultimately insist on a fair trial.
Yes, Washington forgot about us. Angry and frustrated, many Americans decided Trump was the antidote to a rotten system. Instead, he turned out to be our worst nightmare — a vulgar opportunist using the power we gave him not for us, but to become richer, more powerful and potentially tyrannical. And then there is his undiminished servitude to Russia, our most dangerous enemy.
Is this how democracy dies? Will we let it? Remember in November.
Ann McFeatters is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Readers may send her email at amcfeatters@nationalpress.com.
