The Senate struck a deal Saturday morning to forgo calling Washington state Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (and perhaps others) as a witness in the Trump impeachment trial in exchange for reading Beutler’s stunning statement into the record. It was inevitable that no sooner than the deal was announced that a “Democrats caved” narrative would spread.
The point of calling for and winning a vote was not to get Beutler to testify, but to get her statement admitted as part of the historical record. So I have to agree with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) here:
“We could have had 500 witnesses, and it would not have overcome the kinds of arguments being made by Mitch McConnell and other Republicans who were hanging their hats on the claim that it was somehow unconstitutional to try a former president,” he said. “They’re going to have to live with those arguments that they made, but we think that we overwhelmingly proved our case.”
“The point of witnesses was to make it as UGLY AS POSSIBLE for Republicans,” The Nation‘s Elie Mystal counters. “‘The show’ was the only point.” But shamelessness is their superpower, as Digby says regularly. That applies not only to Republican electeds in Congress but to the Republican base.
For whom would a parade of witnesses make Republican senators’ votes to acquit “as ugly as possible”? Not to them. Not to their base. For whom then? For Democrats seeking vengeance and needing to see Republicans punished somehow?
There are plenty of more winnable fights ahead. Legislative ones. Fights that if won will deliver relief and visible, dramatic improvements in the lives of voters Democrats need motivated to vote in 2022. Control of Congress is already on the line and the clock is ticking.
Given Republican obstruction and bad faith during Barack Obama’s first term, President Joe Biden has a rough road ahead for delivering tagible improvements for Americans before November 2022. Democrats had no choice but to impeach Trump again even if it meant some legislative delay. But there is little return in trying to make the rubble bounce for emotional gratification. I’d rather win elections.