It was about humiliating Republicans.
Republicans are trapped, thanks to Nancy Pelosi
If not for the foresight of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to shine a bright light on the purpose of a trial — an evaluation of evidence — and to delay sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate, the White House, Republican senators and a hapless chorus of sycophantic pundits would not be in meltdown mode.
With an assist from former national security adviser John Bolton, Pelosi cornered Senate Republicans who had hoped to escape the spectacle of a full airing of President Trump’s unconscionable conduct. They can acquit, and in all likelihood will, but they cannot facilitate Trump’s cover-up without implicating themselves and entirely discrediting the process. They face humiliation when evidence eventually comes out. If they vote to acquit without hearing from Bolton, Trump will be denied the satisfaction of exoneration by a credible process.
A senior Democratic aide working on impeachment expressed confidence to me that Trump has not been able to introduce facts to dispute that he solicited a foreign government to interfere in our election by announcing an investigation into a rival. The more Trump’s lawyers call Bolton a liar, the more evident it becomes that they have waived any executive privilege. (Besides, Bolton is testifying anyway.) “Senators face a choice — hear from witnesses like John Bolton, or help the president hide his misconduct from the American people,” the aide said. “Americans want to hear from witnesses the president has blocked — don’t senators want to hear the truth before they cast their vote?”
With even former chief of staff John Kelly rooting for Bolton to testify, it likely is now a matter of when, not if, Bolton will appear. (Democrats aren’t about to let Republicans simply read the manuscript in secret, as they’ve proposed.) No, Bolton and all his notes are almost certain to see the light of day. Republicans will have to come face to face with evidence of a dangerously unfit president.
Republicans are trapped, thanks to Nancy Pelosi
If not for the foresight of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to shine a bright light on the purpose of a trial — an evaluation of evidence — and to delay sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate, the White House, Republican senators and a hapless chorus of sycophantic pundits would not be in meltdown mode.
With an assist from former national security adviser John Bolton, Pelosi cornered Senate Republicans who had hoped to escape the spectacle of a full airing of President Trump’s unconscionable conduct. They can acquit, and in all likelihood will, but they cannot facilitate Trump’s cover-up without implicating themselves and entirely discrediting the process. They face humiliation when evidence eventually comes out. If they vote to acquit without hearing from Bolton, Trump will be denied the satisfaction of exoneration by a credible process.
A senior Democratic aide working on impeachment expressed confidence to me that Trump has not been able to introduce facts to dispute that he solicited a foreign government to interfere in our election by announcing an investigation into a rival. The more Trump’s lawyers call Bolton a liar, the more evident it becomes that they have waived any executive privilege. (Besides, Bolton is testifying anyway.) “Senators face a choice — hear from witnesses like John Bolton, or help the president hide his misconduct from the American people,” the aide said. “Americans want to hear from witnesses the president has blocked — don’t senators want to hear the truth before they cast their vote?”
With even former chief of staff John Kelly rooting for Bolton to testify, it likely is now a matter of when, not if, Bolton will appear. (Democrats aren’t about to let Republicans simply read the manuscript in secret, as they’ve proposed.) No, Bolton and all his notes are almost certain to see the light of day. Republicans will have to come face to face with evidence of a dangerously unfit president.
