The United States Senate likes to call itself “the world’s greatest deliberative body.” But as we are seeing with Trump’s impeachment trial, the only thing senators are doing is deliberately violating their oaths of office.
The Oath Act of June 1, 1789, was the first legislation passed by the Senate and the first law signed by President George Washington. It simply read: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.”
Following the Civil War, the Oath was amended several times to now read:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
Besides the above oath taken by each senator-elect before assuming office, all 100 senators took the following special oath before the start of Trump’s impeachment trial:
“I solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of [Donald John Trump], now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God.”
We all know, because some have actually told us, not all Republican senators will be living up to their sacred oaths to do impartial justice.
I’m guessing while mindlessly mouthing their prescribed oaths, these were the words that actually registered within their brains:
“I solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump I will do all I can to exonerate him even though I will be presented with a mountain of incriminating evidence which will clearly show he violated his oath to the Constitution and laws: so help me my constituents.”
Of course, the more religious members of the Senate had their fingers crossed behind their backs while the impeachment oath was administered by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Photo | msnbc.com
When those who have a closed mind, take this oath, it is mere mutterances to show that they were awake. Moscow Mitch and his cronies are all in the bag for his douche. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a Howard Baker among them who will have the balls to finally say “NO, this is not going to happen on my watch.”
Oh, if only!
Yes,. this Impeachment “trial” is a sham, but not just for one party. Many Republicans already decided to find him “not guilty” and many Democrats already decided to find him “guilty” before the “trial” even began. In a criminal case, those members of the “jury” could and probably would be removed.
But this is not the first Impeaching trail sham I remember. In Bill Clinton’s case, many Republicans had already determined him “guilty” and Democrats “not guilty” before Impeachment began. To me, both “trials” make the American judicial and political system look like a joke.
I wrote my own take on this so-called trial which you can find by clicking my name or below.
https://loveshade.org/blog/2020/01/28/trial-without-witnesses/