Published on January 31, 2020 at 05:28AM by By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican seatmates Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski on Thursday passed a piece of paper back and forth, nodded — and then sent the note on an unusual journey across the Senate aisle, into the hands of Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Two hours later, Sinema posed the trial's first bipartisan question. On behalf of the power pocket of moderates, she asked: Will President Donald Trump assure the American public that private citizens won't conduct foreign policy unless the State Department requests it?
The query referred to the president's private lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, pressuring Ukraine to give Trump political help. But by asking it together — with Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia — the impeachment trial wildcards showed off their combined, potential influence over the deeply polarized Senate in only the third such proceedings in U.S. history.
Its outcome is all but known: With a 53-seat Republican majority, the Senate is expected to acquit the impeached president of the abuse and obstruction charges against him. Questions remain, however, including whether they will call witnesses like John Bolton. And both sides are keeping close tabs on where the moderates stand.
Everyone's watching Collins, who faces a tough reelection race in Maine, and the frequently independent Murkowski of Alaska. Neither has said how she'll vote on witnesses or on the ultimate verdict to convict or acquit Trump.
The president would like nothing more than to claim a bipartisan acquittal, so Sinema and Manchin are being closely watched for any sign they might vote to clear him.
Sinema has said almost nothing publicly about whether she would vote for witnesses, let alone her final judgement. But she's drawn attention during the trial for huddling on the...
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