Some people have to play their little games
By 
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a key impeachment swing vote, announced Thursday that he will not join Democrats in voting to call witnesses in President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, suggesting that there may not be enough GOP votes for the trial to advance to that next stage.
“I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense,” he said.
Alexander, who’s retiring from Congress at the end of the year, was among a small group of Republican senators who had hinted during the trial they could vote to hear from witnesses who had first-hand knowledge of Trump’s conduct towards Ukraine.
In a lengthy statement, Alexander also said Trump’s conduct on the July 25 call with the Ukrainian president was “inappropriate,” but suggested that it was not an impeachable offense.
“It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation,” Alexander said.
“When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year’s ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate.”
Alexander also appeared to adopt the argument made by the president’s defense team during the trial, calling the inquiry a “partisan impeachment.”
“Even if the House charges were true, they do not meet the Constitution’s ‘treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors’ standard for an impeachable offense,” he added, saying American voters should decide at the ballot box.
Romney, Collins and Murkowski may cast kayfabe yes votes on witnesses, although I doubt all three will use any golden ticket they may have been handed by Lord Vader.
I’m too depressed to discuss this, but I’m sure others feel differently.