“I cannot vote to convict,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski on the Senate floor late Monday afternoon. She said the process has been flawed and was built on a rotten foundation from the outset.
Murkowski went on to argue how the House had rushed through the process on a self-imposed deadline and had failed in its responsibilities. She also took on her fellow senators, saying they should be ashamed by the rank partisanship that has been on display.
“We cannot be the greatest deliberative body when we kick things off by issuing letters to the media instead of coming together to set the parameters of the trial and negotiate in good faith on how we should proceed. For all the talk of impartiality, it is clear to me that few in this chamber approach this with a genuinely open mind.
Some have been calling for the president to be impeached for years, she said.
“Indeed, we saw just today the clips that indicate headlines, 19 minutes after the president was sworn into office, calling for his impeachment. Others in this chamber saw little need to even consider the arguments from the House before stating their intentions to acquit,” she continued.
“It’s my hope that we’ve finally found bottom here,” she said, as the last speaker of the day. “That both sides can look inward and reflect on the apparent willingness that each has to destroy not just each other, but all of the institutions of our government. And for what? Because it may help win an election? At some point, Mr. President, at some point for our country, winning has to be about more than winning, or we will all lose.”
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