OR EFFECTIVELY KILL THEM ON A
PARTYLINE VOTE.
I WILL SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE JOINED BY A
POLITICAL SCIENCE EXPERT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE SAW MITCH McCONNELL BUDGE A
LITTLE BIT BY ALLOWING ONE MORE
DAY FOR THE DEMOCRATS TO MAKE
THEIR CASE WITH THE OTHER
ARGUMENTS.
OTHER THAN THAT YOU HEARD THAT
AMENDMENTS ARE BEING ALONG
PARTY LINES .
THEY WILL LIKELY TO, THE
THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT AN
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL LIKE THIS,
THERE IS A SCRIPT FOR IT.
EVERYONE KNOWS THE SCRIPT, IT
IS LIKELY TO BE FOLLOWED UNLESS
THERE IS AN EVENT THAT SHAKES
IT UP.
YOU COULD BE AN OUTSIDE EVENT,
NEW INFORMATION COMING OUT,
INTERNAL EVENT, ONE OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN
MAJORITY GETTING WORRIED ABOUT
REELECTION AND BUDGING ON THE
ISSUE OF WITNESSES?
BUT THE SCRIPT THEY HAVE IN
THEIR HANDS NOW THIS WILL BE
VERY SHORT, INFORMATIVE, VERY
BORING AND, ULTIMATELY USELESS.
WHAT THE ISSUE IS, NEW
TESTIMONY.
WHAT ARE YOU MAKING OF THE
ARGUMENTS PRESENTED TODAY?
WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO WATCH
BETWEEN CLASSES?
I THINK WHAT THE DEMOCRATS,
HOUSE MANAGERS ARE ARGUING IS
NOT THAT WE NEED THE SENATE TO
REDO THE WORK OF THE HOUSE BUT
TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T
MADE AVAILABLE DURING THE
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS AND TO
FIND OUT WHAT THE EVIDENCE IS,
IF IT IS GOOD FOR THE PRESIDENT
GREAT, IF IT IS BAD FOR THE
PRESIDENT ALSO GREAT.
BUT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THESE
INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE THERE AT
THE TIME SO THAT WE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS
HAPPENING.
THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS ARE
SAYING THAT IS UNNECESSARY, YOU
HAD YOUR CHANCE, YOU SHOULD'VE
DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, YOU
SHOULD'VE SUED, TO WHICH THE
DEMOCRATS REPLIED YES WE WOULD
STILL BE IN COURT WAITING FOR
THEM TO COME THROUGH.
AGAIN, SAME ARGUMENTS MADE FOR
WEEKS, EVEN MONTHS ON BOTH
SIDES ON THIS ISSUE.
IT ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO
WHAT DO WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WANT?
DO WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT
HAPPENED?
DO WE WANT TO EVEN KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED?
OR HAVE WE MADE UP OUR MIND
ADULT CARE, IN WHICH CASE IT A
WASTE OF TIME, WHY BOTHER?
DEPENDING ON THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE DECIDE, IN THE END THIS
IS AN ABOUT CONVINCING THE
SENATE THIS IS ABOUT CONVINCING
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE .
HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS WHOLE
IMPARTIALITY.
WE KEEP.
THIS IS NOT A LEGAL PROCEEDING
THIS IS A POLITICAL PROCESS BUT
THE SENATOR STILL TAKE THAT
OATH?
QUITE HONESTLY, IF THEY
DON'T ABIDE BY IT, THEREFORE
SWORN, THEY HAVE MADE AN OATH
AND THEY ARE NOT FOLLOWING
THROUGH ON IT.
THE PROBLEM IS, IN THE
POLITICAL REALM WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE IMPARTIAL, DOESN'T MEAN
THAT YOU ARE NOT PARTISAN.
THEY FEEL THEY CAN BE IMPARTIAL
BUT TAKE A PARTISAN POSITION.
TRUTHFULLY, BOTH SIDES, THEY
ARE PARTISAN.
THEY HAVE A POSITION, THEY HAVE
A CONCLUSION THEY WANT.
THE QUESTION IS GOING TO BE,
ARE WE THE PEOPLE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO SEE THE PROCESS SUCH
THAT WE CAN MAKE UP OUR MINDS?
THE ODDS OF THE PRESIDENT BEING
REMOVED FROM OFFICE ARE VERY
SMALL.
BUT THE ODDS OF THE PRESIDENT
BEING AFFECTED BY THIS COME
ELECTION IN NOVEMBER COULD BE
BIG OR SMALL DEPENDING ON WHAT
HAPPENS HERE .
WHAT WE EXPECT THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS ?
THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS THEY'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO ARGUE OVER
PROCEDURES.
LAYING OUT WHAT SORT OF TRIAL
IT IS GOING TO BE.
IF REPUBLICANS GET WHAT THEY
WANT AND THERE ARE NO
WITNESSES, 10 DAYS TO TWO
WEEKS.
IF THERE IS SOME MOVEMENT FOR
BRINGING IN WITNESSES, THIS CAN
GO ON LONGER, WITNESSES WILL
HAVE TO BE DEPOSED AND
QUESTIONED IN THE SENATE.
IN FRONT OF TELEVISION.
SO, JUST HOW LONG THIS TAKES
AND HOW DETAILED THE STAKES,
DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY ARE
ARGUING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
WHICH IS THE RULES OF THE GAME,
WHICH THEY ARE GOING TO FOLLOW?
DOCTORS CHARLES, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
