Defensive Opening

   Pressure on the Senate is building to hear witnesses as more evidence is presidential behavior and actions becomes public.
   This, even as his defense team begins its presentation to the Senate, primarily attacking the process but insisting that even if he did do what he is accused of doing, there is nothing wrong or illegal about it and is therefore not impeachable.
   Note: He was in fact impeached. As of today, he has not been convicted.
   Meanwhile, published reports document just how, when and with whom the president met to plan withholding of aid to Ukraine unless its government announce an investigation of political opponents.
   Note that the demand does not call for an actual investigation; just an announcement of one.
   Former presidential aide John Bolton has written a book about his White House days, and the New York Times obtained a copy in advance of its publication date some two months from now.
   By that time, however, the impeachment trial likely could be over, so the book would have no influence on the verdict. But the breaking news has brought more calls for direct testimony from Bolton, and has led some Republicans to waver in their solidarity with party leadership.
   Bolton has said he is willing to talk to Congress if subpoenaed. In the past, however, the White House has not only defied subpoenas and told staffers not to respond, but has also gone to court to delay them.
   However, rather than spend many more weeks -- if not months -- fighting court battles over subpoenas, House investigators decided to proceed with whatever solid information they had, and they withdrew the subpoenas.
   But now defenders seize on that withdrawal as  proof of weakness in the case. In doing so, they ignore all the other evidence presented to the Senate.
   Defenders have said repeatedly that it was the duty of the House to do all the investigating and gather all the evidence. At the same time, they stressed the importance of a swift probe and a rapid trial, even as they used many delaying tactics.
   In doing all that, they ignore the historical reality that the Senate did its own investigating in prior impeachment cases. This tactic is also an attempt to ignore new evidence that was previously suppressed by the White House.
   And that in itself -- obstruction of a Congressional investigation into presidential actions and behavior -- is an impeachable offense.