Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 5 February 2020

Continued from previous page of Alaska called the presi- the very core of what our
Collins voted to acquit for- dent's actions "shameful democracy is about."
mer President Bill Clinton at and wrong" in a powerful The Senate is scheduled to
his trial in 1999 . speech late Monday, but vote on the two impeach-
More typical of the GOP she also derided the highly ment articles Wednesday
side was Majority Leader partisan process. "I cannot afternoon. Trump is deliv-
Mitch McConnell of Ken- vote to convict," she said, ering his State of the Union
tucky, who again slammed though she also sees blame address Tuesday night, a
the impeachment drive of within the Senate. platform in which he ap-
House Democrats as "the "We are part of the prob- pears before Nancy Pe-
most rushed, least fair and lem, as an institution that losi, D-Calif., the powerful
least thorough" in history cannot see beyond the In this image from video, Sen. Joe Manchin, Joe, D-W.Va., House speaker who orches-
speaks on the Senate floor about the impeachment trial against
and confirmed that he will blind political polarization,'' President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Mon- trated last year's House im-
vote to acquit Trump. Murkowski told reporters af- day, Feb. 3, 2020. peachment drive.
The trial is cruising to im- ter her speech. Associated Press Also Tuesday on the Senate
peachment tallies that will Other Republicans, such as floor, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.,
fall short of even a major- Sens. Lamar Alexander of " The aid went; the inves- that he abused his power repeated a question that
ity of the GOP-held Senate, Tennessee, Marco Rubio of tigations did not occur," and obstructed Congress' Chief Justice John Roberts,
much less the two-thirds Florida and Rob Portman of Portman said. ensuing investigation — who is presiding over the
required to remove Trump Ohio, also say Trump's ac- Democrat after Democrat are "constitutionally inco- trial, refused to read last
from office and install Vice tions to withhold military aid took to the Senate floor herent" and don't "even week. Roberts' staff com-
President Mike Pence. from Ukraine while press- to announce they would approach a case for the municated to McConnell's
The final days of the trial ing Zelenskiy to announce vote to convict Trump, with first presidential removal in staff that he did not want
have focused attention an investigation into Biden senior Democrat Sheldon American history." to read the whistleblower's
on a handful of senators and his son Hunter were in- Whitehouse, D-R.I., out- The Kentucky Republican name, according to a Re-
in both parties who were appropriate, but fell short raged by the conduct of opened the Senate with a publican familiar with the
viewed as potential votes of warranting his removal White House lawyers, who scathing assessment of the situation who wasn't au-
to break with their party. from office, especially in an he said performed for an case presented by House thorized to speak on the
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski election year. audience of one — mean- Democrats, but he did not record.
ing Trump — while play- address whether Trump's Paul denies trying to out
ing fast and loose with the actions were inappropriate the whistleblower and
facts. or wrong, as some Senate notes his question didn't
"The presentation by White Republicans have conced- use the word. He questions
House counsel was char- ed. McConnell has dodged whether the whistleblower
acterized by smarminess, question about whether may have conspired with
smear, elision, outright mis- Trump's actions — pressur- House staff aides in writing
statement, and various dis- ing Zelenskiy to announce the August complaint that
honest rhetorical tricks that an investigation into the triggered impeachment.
I doubt they would dare Bidens — were inappropri- U.S. whistleblower laws ex-
to pull before judges," said ate. He led an effort last ist to protect the identity
Whitehouse. week to deny Democrats and careers of people who
West Virginia Sen. Joe any opportunity to call wit- bring forward accusations
Manchin, perhaps the only nesses before the Senate, of wrongdoing by govern-
Democrat seen as a likely and he has worked closely ment officials. Lawmakers
vote to acquit Trump, has with the Trump White House in both parties have histori-
floated the idea of censur- in shepherding the case cally backed those protec-
ing Trump instead, though through the Senate. tions.
the idea doesn't seem to Top Senate Democrat The Associated Press typi-
be gaining much traction. Chuck Schumer of New cally does not reveal the
Sen. Doug Jones, a former York weighed in immedi- identity of whistleblowers.
federal prosecutor and ately after McConnell's Separately, Trump's ap-
Democrat seeking reelec- remarks, accusing the Re- proval rating, which has
tion in strongly pro-Trump publican leader and his generally languished in the
Alabama, told reporters GOP colleagues of sweep- mid- to low-40s, hit a new
he's likely to announce his ing Trump's misconduct un- high of 49% in the latest Gal-
vote Wednesday morning. der the rug. "The adminis- lup polling, which was con-
No member of either party tration, its top people and ducted as the Senate trial
has indicated yet that they Senate Republicans are all was drawing to a close. The
will break with their party hiding the truth," Schumer poll found that 51% of the
colleagues. Republicans said. The charges are ex- public views the Republi-
hold a 53-47 majority in the tremely serious. To interfere can Party favorably, the
Senate. in an election, to blackmail first time the GOP's number
McConnell said the two a foreign country, to inter- has exceeded 50% since
charges against Trump — fere in our elections gets at 2005.q