A little over a year ago I wrote about the first impeachment of former President Donald J. Trump. Reading back over that screed now, I can’t help but see how adorably naive I was then. November of 2019 was before Covid-19 cost the US over 450,000 lives, before staying home was the safest bet, before we knew just what kind of fuck up our former president really is.

Embed from Getty Images

If someone figures out time travel and I get to choose a trip, we’re going back to Britain in the thirties to punch that first guy that put “May you live in interesting times” into the English lexicon right in the face.

The only thing I was right about back then is that it all sucks. Tomorrow, when the Senate kicks off their hearings, is going to suck too. The president’s lawyers are going to suck. Most GOP Senators are also going to suck. The press is going to be basically salivating, which sucks, and we’re all going to have to sit here for another day and try to figure out how we’re supposed to be working when our country is still ablaze.

The truly galling part is that we’re right back in the same spot. All of the Democratic side of the aisle and a few Republicans that have a conscience left will vote to convict. Everybody else will vote no because it will be a public ballot and god forbid someone loses the support of team tinfoil hat. Trump will retain his ability to run for office, scare the shit out of everybody for three years, and then run Ivanka and Don Jr. for Senate spots in places they are guaranteed a win.

Embed from Getty Images

This is not to say that the majority party does not have to do something. January 6th was a historical level shitshow, and getting this on the record as much as possible is important to the future of our country. Maybe avoiding having a bunch of angry people who feel like our government doesn’t serve them learning yet again that all you have to do is show up with weapons and you too can squat on federal grounds or disrupt the peaceful transition of power!

Basically, the second go-round? Get the detail on the record of how the orange menace’s network put together their little tantrum, get the vote on the record, and then let’s move the hell on with saving our lives, planet, and our democracy.