The days of non-reckoning

We are about to begin the impeachment trial of Donnie Trump or as the Republicans prefer to think of the imbleachment trial that will whitewash everything.

The Republicans have several theories of why this proceeding is a farce.The first is what I call the Monty Python defense.You may remember that when John Cleese started massacring wedding guests thinking that a princess was imprisoned and the truth was revealed to him he said"Lets not quibble about who killed who."The Republicans clearly  do not want to quibble about who incited a mob of murderous militia men to storm and take over the capital.They wish to talk about other matters such as the first amendment.Their theory appears to be that it is a violation of the first amendment right of free speech to punish someone for inciting an insurrection.Incredibly enough,they have found lawyers who will assert that position and have.This is theater worthy of Samuel Beckett. 

They also have their"How about"defense.The basis of this appears to be that democrat politicians have sometimes used the word"Fight"And that is somehow the equivalent of trump spending months urging congregations of murderous mobs to be inWashington DC on January 6 sixth and then urging them to march with him upon the capital.Of course somehowHe dropped out of the march himself,Returning to his sanctuary in the White House where apparently he watched with some pleasure the storming of the capital.

The favorite argument of Republican senatorsIs that the trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president.The beauty of this argument is of course that it allows them to avoid talking about what actually happened.That is not only true now but will become more important during the campaign for their reelection."We never addressed the merits of the articles of impeachment because the trial was unconstitutional."There is no clear legal precedent as to whether a president who is impeached while in office can be tried by the SenateAfter he is out of office.That question is not likely to be resolved this time because he will be acquitted by the Republican senators and therefore the question will not go to the Supreme Court because it will be moot.Were he to be convicted,the question could well go to the Supreme Court but it is not going to happen.So we will be left with"A tale told by idiots full of sound and fury and signifying nothing."This is what we call governing in this country.