As the trial of the Republican Party in the United States Senate begins, I'm reposting this, which I originally wrote the day after the House voted to impeach Donald Trump:
"As far as I am concerned, knowing the fix is in once this gets to the Senate, knowing that McConnell is as corrupted and venal as they come, the inevitable refusal by the Senate majority to remove Trump from office does not mean Trump did not commit the crimes he is accused of committing. It means that the Republican-controlled Senate does not respect the oath of office, does not respect the rule of law, does not care about the future of America and American democracy, and is primarily concerned with consolidating and preserving power against the will of the majority of Americans. This question about to be before them is not about Trump, it is about the Republican Party."
It is gratifying to see that people I respect, like Josh Marshall, and Greg Sargent, are writing similar pieces today.
In the coming days, it's going to be frustrating and demoralizing as we watch McConnell and his allies engage in the most blatant coverup in American political history since Iran-Contra, and we have to remember that the facts are not in dispute at all: Trump broke the law, Trump violated his oath of office, Trump is PROFOUNDLY corrupt, Trump is a liar. Everyone who matters knows it, and everyone else is either ignorant, stupid, or as dishonest as Trump and his allies.
I wrote this post in December because I wanted my grandkids to know what I was thinking at this consequential moment in my nation's history, but also because I needed to remind myself that, even though it's very likely that the Republican Party is successful in covering up and protecting the most corrupt and dangerous president in American history, he is impeached for life, and he (and his enablers/defenders) will be remembered by history as the venal, corrupt, dishonest men and women they are.
It's going to be so frustrating and infuriating to sit by helplessly as Senators who KNOW Trump is guilty do everything they can to protect him and enable his crimes. But it's *so* important to maintain perspective:
"The Senate does not represent the American People the same way the House does. The Senate is undemocratic, privileges sparsely-populated states over the majority, and is controlled by a profoundly corrupt group of men who clearly do not respect the law, or take their oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution.
"In many ways, the Republican Senate majority is as illegitimate and unrepresentative of America as Trump’s presidency, and it’s clear that the fix is in when the Articles of Impeachment are presented to them."
It may appear that Donald Trump is on trial, but that's not really what's happening right now. Donald Trump's guilt has been clearly established. The real trial is the trial of the Republican Party, and the Senate Majority.
The real Constitutional test my country faces right now is: does the rule of law mean anything? Does a solemn oath mean anything to these Senators? Does America have a president, or a king?
The Republican party is on the wrong side of the law, the wrong side of the Constitution, and the wrong side of history. The trial of Donald Trump concluded in December. The trial of the Republican Party and the Senate Majority has begun.