A Fast Turtle

“ You know, we always called each other good fellas. Like you said to, uh, somebody, “You’re gonna like this guy. He’s all right. He’s a good fella. He’s one of us.” You understand? We were good fellas. Wiseguys.” Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) ‘Goodfellas,’ 1990.

This all could be over with by dinner. If Mitch ‘The Turtle’ McConnell has his way, maybe before. There will be a vote on Witnesses early this afternoon and if it’s 50–50, which might happen, it will speed up the vote on the two articles.

This has been a farce. Lamar Alexander’s ‘decision’ to vote no on witnesses at the stroke of midnight last night could have been predicted three years and eleven days ago, when everyone knew he was going to be impeached even as the current occupant* was taking the oath.

Alan Dershowitz’s Nixon-esque, inane argument of ‘if the president does it, it’s not illegal,’ is right out of Old Tanned, Rested & Ready’s playbook. It is laughable on its face, as is Alexander’s ‘yes, the House managers convinced me he’s guilty, but we don’t need to hear (witnesses).’

Jesus, can these guys be more obtuse and obvious at the same time. This is Kabuki Theater the Japanese couldn’t even dream up. McConnell was never going to allow a vote in favor of witnesses and everyone and Sean Hannity knew it.

(‘Obtuse and obvious’ could also describe Lindsay Graham. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

This is a RICO case, writ large. It is what got the mob, depicted in “Goodfellas,” as well as…