Where Are We Now??
So, where are we in the trial process of President Trump’s impeachment? It’s easy to criticize the House Managers or the President’s legal team as they present their arguments for or against conviction. We can get caught up in the graphics, the tone of voice, hairstyles, etc. I know my mind tends to drift. It’s tempting to tune out and become disinterested.
Common Sense citizens spend a few moments reading a summary or listening to several commentaries/views. Let’s summarize what is known thus far:
The two articles of impeachment are:
1) abuse of power
2) obstruction of Congress
The abuse of power charge is where most of the House Managers’ time has been spent. They claim that the President delayed military aid to Ukraine in exchange for two investigations that he wanted:
-whether or not Ukraine interfered with the 2016 election
-the dealings of Burisma, a natural gas company (Former VP Joe Biden, son, Hunter, served on the board of Burisma Holdings
It is alleged that the charges stem from a potential Donald Trump/Joe Biden match up in the 2020 Presidential race. This is not proven. It may not even be relevant.
President Trump admits to asking for the investigations. It will be the Senate’s job to decide whether or not he had a valid reason to do so. The House Managers have spent the first two days proving that the President asked for the investigations. Since the President has previously admitted asking for the investigations, the proof needed is whether or not asking for these investigations is illegal.
Another factor in this impeachment trial is discovering the intent of withholding aid from Ukraine and the timing of the aid being released. Although President Trump asked for two specific investigations, it is alleged that Ukraine did not investigate election interference or Burisma.
A question yet to be decided is if the President had a valid reason to ask the Ukrainian President to do any investigations.
Common Sense citizens resist the temptation to throw up their hands and say, “Who cares?” If we don’t care, we are trusting our country’s future to elected officials whose motives aren’t discernible-at least, not yet.
Is this simple all about getting our votes? That’s the question I would like to have answered. If it is, that is a complete misuse of the Constitution. If President Trump is found to have violated the Constitution, he will be removed from office. Meanwhile, the House Managers have completed their portion of the impeachment trial. We will hear, for the first time, a defense from President Trump’s lawyers.
I hope you will find a way to stay engaged in this process. That’s Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. ??
