The NYT is reporting that a draft of a book by Bolton provides first hand support for the Democrats’ position that Trump directed the withholding of funds to Ukraine purely for his own political purposes. To put it mildly, that revelation is going to be an embarrassment to Trump’s attorneys, if they try to make the case on Trump’s intent today, as they presumably will.
There is no particular reason to believe that the Senate is ultimately going to vote to hear witnesses. We have always known that Trump will be acquitted. That leaves the Democrats in the following position:
1. They don’t have to run the risk of actually calling Bolton;
2. The facts supporting their allegations are already public knowledge, anyway; and
3. Democratic candidates for Senate seats can run against both an unjust acquittal and a patently unfair process. Here’s looking at you, Susan Collins.
That’s about as good as it could get under the circumstances.