Fairness and Objectivity are All but Dead in the GOP

The Washington Post writes that at least one GOP senator is openly not concerned with fairness in any impeachment trial that may reach the Senate. WaPo quoted Senator Lindsey Graham as saying, “I think impeachment is going to end quickly in the Senate. I would prefer it to end as quickly as possible. Use the record that was assembled in the House to pass impeachment articles as your trial record. .... I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind. I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.”

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has said that he will closely coordinate the Senate impeachment trial with the president's lawyers. Total coordination with the president's defense team is how McConnell describes what he intends to do about impeachment. In essence, the Senate is acting as the president's defense counsel, not as a neutral arbiter of facts and logic.

These are clear signals that the most or all GOP is going to be as partisan and biased about impeachment as they can manage, which might be completely partisan and biased. Facts and logic are irrelevant. That total partisan attitude presumably reflects a GOP reaction to the perceived unfairness and partisanship that congressional republicans accused the democrats of in the House impeachment inquiry. On that point, republican accusations of democratic partisanship, bias and unfairness were bitter and repeated during. Republicans were adamant that fairness and objectivity were necessary but sacrificed in the name of narrow-minded partisan politics.

Two ways to do this - moral and immoral

For the sake of argument, assume the democrats acted immorally in the House impeachment on whatever grounds you like, e.g., unfairness, due process, equal protection, free speech, whatever. Regardless of whether republican complaints of bad behavior in the House are true, the Senate has three basic options.

The first is to be professional and take impeachment seriously and try to get to the real truth. The Senate conduct a real trial that tries to correct the alleged deficiencies the GOP complained bitterly about in the House proceedings. For example, to complete the fact record to their satisfaction, the Senate could call whatever the witnesses they want, e.g., Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Hillary, Barak, Adam Schiff, the whistleblower and anyone else they think has relevant information. This option is the public interest and country before party option.

The second option is that Senate could do exactly what they complained the House democrats did in their inquiry. They could hold a sham trial to mirror the alleged hoax House inquiry. The GOP could Senate repay alleged democratic partisan unfairness and immorality in the House with their own partisan unfairness and immorality in the Senate. This option is the party before the public interest and country option.

In the third option, the Senate could do some meaningful, not trivial, mix of both options, some moral professionalism and some partisan immorality. This option is mostly a party before the public interest and country option. The reason for that belief is that the congress is supposed to serve the public interest and country before party. That accords the GOP Senate no benefit of any doubt on this.

So far, it looks like the Senate is choosing the first option, i.e., partisan immorality. Statements by McConnell and Graham make it clear, at least for the time being, they're going with what's behind door #1. Maybe that will change. Time will tell.

In the current climate of partisan hate and distrust, two wrongs is about the best the American people can hope to get in the quest for what is right. That's good 'ole grade school morality at work in adult politics. If we get option 1, the losers will be the American people, democracy and the rule of law. The winners will be authoritarians, kleptocrats, America's enemies, and of course, the president.