America's 45th President, Donald Trump was impeached this past Wednesday by the U.S House of Representatives for the Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. Trump became only the third American President to be impeached and the first President to be impeached in his first term. The impeachment vote came after the impeachment inquiry and hearings where sworn testimony was given concerning Trump's impeachable acts.
The U.S. House gave Trump, his attorneys and chief advisors an opportunity to testify under oath during the process but the republicans in the HOUSE failed to call any witnesses to testify in defense of Trump. Trump obstructed the democrats effort in the hearings to have testimony from Trump's advisors by his orders to forbid them to testify. But there were enough witnesses in the know who had the character to testify on their own under oath and tell their story.
The articles of impeachment will now move to the U.S. Senate for trial and will convene some time after the holidays. The Senate is controlled by the republican party and their leader Mitch McConnell has already gone on record as saying he will not be impartial and will work with the President during the trial. That statement by McConnell is a grave violation of his oath of office as an elected official and as a juror who will sit in judgement during the trial. Those who sit on the jury are required to be independent and impartial and not work for either side. McConnell's actions mimic Trump's corruption.
Democratic speaker of the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi, said she will send the articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate when she receives the trial make up and procedures from the Senate. That is the correct position knowing the Senate republicans threat of a quick dismissal of all charges without calling any witnesses to testify. Those republicans who will sit as jurors sold their soul to Trump long ago and are ditto heads in the same gutter with Trump. The party had the power to do some thing about Trump's corruption for the past 35 months and they just looked the other way and joined his lies and fake news.
So once again, in a time of crisis, the democratic party stood up for the constitution, the rule of law, their oath of office and governed with fairness, character and integrity to bring an unfit President to answer for his High Crimes and Misdemeanors. The six page letter Trump sent to Nancy Pelosi on the eve of the impeachment vote to attack her and the impeachment process was another sad chapter in President Trump's mental unfitness to occupy the White House.
The ball is now in the Trump's ditto head Senate to forge a Senate trial with procedures that embrace the constitution, the rule of law, their oath of office and a fair jury pool of Senators. It is really not hard to stand up, be counted and be an American.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
