GOP senators too busy, unwilling to view impeachment hearing

Millions of Americans are expected to watch on live TV Wednesday as House kicks off public hearings on wher to impeach President Donald Trump. Just don’t expect many Republican senators to be among m, if a quick sampling of m is to be believed. Of eight Senate Republicans questioned Tuesday evening, seven said y wouldn’t watch Wednesday’s start of Democratic-led process or suggested it wasn’t a priority. “Tomorrow I’m going to be paying attention to what we’re doing in Senate,” said Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said he’d be chairing an Environment and Public Works Committee session. He invited reporters to attend — an offer that even on a slow day on Capitol Hill would likely garner few takers. “I’ll be doing something else,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., an ardent Trump ally. Graham said he didn’t want to legitimize a process that he twice called “bulls---” because it was an unfair effort by Democrats aimed at weakening Trump.

Of course, skeptics might say it was possible senators might privately sneak peeks, at least, of hearing while claiming y’d t watched. That assertion could let m avoid answering reporters’ questions about day’s developments. Yet even Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, GOP senator who’s seemed most open to considering impeachment, said he’d t be watching. He said he’d focus on it when, if it seems likely, Senate holds a trial on wher to remove Trump, when charges can be “weighed in a balanced manner.”

Among or Republican senators, Texas’ John Cornyn said he didn’t need to “waste time going through all drama over re” in House. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said he didn’t have time on his schedule to watch while Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, doubted he’d view “partisan circus.” Only Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she’d “probably watch some of it.” “I’ll see what America’s going to see,” she said.