Impeachment, Act II Scene 4 - The art of McConnell's comedy...

...is Timing. 

First, notwithstanding the fact that the issue was irrelevant, McConnell's argument about the constitutionality of the impeachment was self-defeating. He argued that impeachment was improper since it was for the sole purpose of removal from office and Trump was no longer in office.  But consider the timing.  The articles of impeachment were presented to the House and voted on while Trump was still in office. McConnell suggested that the articles were not transmitted to the Senate for trial until after Trump had left office which is why the trial was now unconstitutional. But the reason for that delay was that the Senate was in recess and could not receive them (Fedex anyone?). Why wasn't the Senate in session? Because McConnell chose not to recall it.  By not recalling the Senate he created this constitutional loophole for his party to walk though; that they could not try Trump after he'd left office though they could have done had McConnell convened the Senate after the House passed the articles and before Biden's inauguration.  

Second, his speech today on the Senate floor excoriating Trump was fun to hear, but as has been said many times in this blog, way too late. Had he come out forcefully as he did today condemning Trump's lies after the election rather than after the acquittal, Insurrection Day might not have happened.  But what about the legal challenges McConnell hid behind for so long; 'it is within his rights to pursue all legal avenues' McConnell said on the Senate floor in December.  But when all those challenges failed, then he could have made the same statement he made today and the course of history would likely have been changed. 

McConnell himself argued today that Trump's failure to act to stop the insurrection once it was underway made him guilty. He also argued that the consequences of Trumps lies leading up to January 6th were clearly foreseeable. So, by that same argument, if McConnell himself was able to predict the consequences of the Big Lie yet failed to challenge it as forcefully as he has just done, he too is guilty by negligence of contributing to the insurrection. And so he should resign.