Donald John Trump is the name on the indictment, but it is really the Senate Republicans who are on trial this week. Everyone in the nation who has been paying attention knows that the current president did commit various acts, despite his repeated denials, and at least some of those acts were illegal while others comprise obstruction of justice, contempt of Congress and subversion of the electoral process.
Furthermore, firsthand witnesses and new documents that would buttress the case are being suppressed by Senate Republicans. Those senators took a solemn oath to judge the defendant in an impartial manner, yet their “leaders” have proclaimed that they are not impartial and are working in coordination with the defense.
The Republican leadership continues to characterize the impeachment process as partisan, and in one sense this is true. So far, only Democrats have fulfilled their constitutional mandate to maintain a check on the conduct of the executive branch. The Republicans, to a man and woman — and, shamefully, that includes our two — have continued in lockstep with their party to shield the president from accountability. Unless they develop some courage in the next week or two, their inaction will besmirch the historical legacy of the once-proud Republican Party.
— Terry Johnson
Anchorage
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