Wednesday, at the Davos conference 4,000 miles from Washington, D.C., President Trump boasted about his successful obstruction of the House's investigation of his Ukraine shakedown. Speaking of the impeachment trial, he declared: "Honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material."
Trump couldn't have wrapped a neater bow around the rather impressive case that House Democrats have still built, obstruction notwithstanding.
In a masterful two-and-a-half-hour opening statement, lead House manager Rep. Adam Schiff laid out what's at stake, making clear why the country can't just wait until November to vote Trump out of office: He's invited foreign interference in elections multiple times, and his behavior demonstrates his willingness to use all levers of government to interfere with any legitimate attempts to prevent further abuse of his power.
Schiff laid out the timeline of the Ukraine pressure campaign, the facts of which are beyond dispute and beyond defense, and effectively used video of Trump himself, aides and cooperative administrative officials to strengthen the case.
Schiff underlined the intense ongoing obstruction that is likely obscuring the depth of the president's involvement in the plot _ including the blocked testimony of nine officials subpoenaed by the House.
Which is why much of the integrity of the trial depends on whether more witnesses and documents will be let in.
On Tuesday, during the debate over the trial rules, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer offered 11 amendments related to hearing from pertinent witnesses _ including former national security adviser John Bolton, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and various OMB, State Department and Pentagon staffers _ and demanding unquestionably relevant documents.
Eleven times, putting their fealty to a president of their party before their duty to country, Senate Republicans rejected those amendments. For shame. For deep, lasting shame.
