US Senator Lisa Murkowski, an unpredictable moderate Republican in a polarized Washington, on Monday declared she will vote to acquit US President Donald Trump, but not before leveling an attack against the president and fellow lawmakers of both parties during a partisan impeachment ordeal.
“The president’s behavior was shameful and wrong. His personal interests do not take precedent over those of this great nation,” Murkowski declared in a speech to a near-empty Senate chamber.
The Senate today is scheduled to wrap up a two-week impeachment trial and vote to either acquit or convict Trump on charges leveled by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives that the president abused his powers and obstructed Congress’ investigation of his dealings with Ukraine.
Photo: EPA-EFE
It was no surprise that the 62-year-old senator attacked House Democrats, accusing them of a slapdash investigation of Trump’s actions toward Ukraine and his alleged withholding of US aid in order to pressure Kiev to investigate one of his political rivals, former US vice president Joe Biden, a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.
However, Murkowski, with her fellow senator from Alaska presiding over the chamber after other senators had left for the night, took on not only Trump, but also fellow Republicans, Senate Democrats and the media.
Alluding to a “demon” burning its way through Washington during the impeachment process that began in September last year, Murkowski blamed “a careless media” that she said “cheerfully tried to put out the fires with gasoline.”
“I cannot vote to convict” Trump, she said, indicating a preference for a much softer penalty than the removal from office that Democrats have been clamoring for — a “censure” by Congress.
She went on to list transgressions on both sides of the political divide that she saw unfolding during this impeachment process, only the third in US history:
She cited Trump supporters’ eagerness to “have just dismissed the case as soon as it reached” the Senate and Trump’s detractors’ acting as if “the only way the trial could have been considered fair was if it resulted in the president’s removal from office.”
With a broad-brush criticism of both political parties, Murkowski spoke of their “apparent willingness ... to destroy not just each other, but all of the institutions of our government. And for what? Because it may help win an election?”
Murkowski wrapped up her approximately 11-minute diatribe on a note of faint optimism: “It’s my hope that we finally found bottom here.”
US Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, also called for the censure of Trump.
Although the evidence was strong that Trump abused his power to solicit political support from Ukraine, “I see no path to the 67 votes required to impeach President Trump and haven’t since this trial started,” Manchin said on the Senate floor.
“I do believe a bipartisan majority of this body would vote to censure President Trump for his actions in this matter,” he said.
Only one US president in history has been censured, Andrew Jackson in 1834, over his opposition to an early version of a US central bank.
The Senate vote comes one day after Trump delivers the annual State of the Union speech to Congress.
The White House promised Trump would be “relentless” in talking up the US economy and the “blue collar boom” when he takes to the podium at about 9pm last night.
As for whether he would mention the impeachment, White House officials said they did not know what he would do.
“It’s never safe to assume anything,” the administration official said.
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