>>>
>>> FOR
>>> FOR THE FOURTHS TIME IN MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY A
FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES HAS BEEN DONE.
IT TAKES NO BRILLIANT POLITICAL
SCIENTIST TO SAY THIS WILL BE A
VERY PUBLIC AND PARTISAN FIGHT.
BOTH SIDES MADE THAT CLEAR THIS
AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON. >> NO PERSON, REPUBLICAN OR
DEMOCRAT, PRESIDENT OR ANYONE
ELSE, SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO
JEOPARDIZE AMERICA'S SECURITY
AND REPUTATION FOR SELF SERVING
POLITICAL PURPOSES.
POLITICAL PURPOSES. >> AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
SOVIET-STYLE PROCESS, IT SHOWS
YOU THAT THEY DON'T REALLY WANT
TO GET TO THE TRUTH.
THINK WANT TO REMOVE A SITTING
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> YEAH, THAT BACK-AND-FORTH
BETWEEN THE PARTIES ONLY GOING
TO CONTINUE BECAUSE, YES, THIS
IS GOING TO PLAY OUT PUBLICLY
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. TODAY'S VOTE MEANS RULES ARE
GETTING ESTABLISHED ON HOW THIS
WILL GO DOWN, LIKE HOW
WITNESSES ARE QUESTIONED, WHO
DOES IT?
DOES IT?
DOES IT? STUFF LIKE THAT, AND ON BOTH
SIDES, IT HAS GOT TO BE FOCUSED
ON THE PRESIDENT'S PHONE CALL
WITH THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT
AND THE QUESTION IS IF HE
ABUSED HIS POWER IN THAT CHAT
SLEDDING UP TO IT, IN IT AND
AFTER IT, BUT ALWAYS PERTAINING
TO THAT SUBJECT.
AND TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE NOW,
THE HOUSE HAD TO VOTE.
EVERY DEMOCRAT SAID GO WITH THE
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS BUT TWO.
ONE OF THOSE DEMOCRATS WAS FROM
NEW JERSEY, THE OTHER RIGHT
HERE AT HOME, MINNESOTA
CONGRESSMAN COLIN PETERSON.
WHY DID PETERSON BREAK RANK ?
HE SAID HE THINKS THE WHOLE
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS SO FAR HAS
BEEN HOPELESSLY PARTISAN AND
THAT HE IS DARN SKEPTICAL THAT
GOING FORWARD THIS WILL BE
OPEN, TRANSPARENT AND FAIR.
BUT THE VOTES ARE IN NOW, AND
NO MORE CLOSED DOORS.
AMERICA AND THE WORLD WILL BE
ABLE TO SEE THIS UNPACK IN REAL
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. BOTH PARTIES HAVE A LOT TO WIN
OR A LOT TO LOSE HERE.
SO TONIGHT LET'S TYKE A LOOK AT
THE VOTE AND THE PROCESS AHEAD
FROM THE VIEW OF EACH OF THOSE
PARTIES SINCE DEMOCRATS CALLED
FOR THIS VOTE, WE START WITH
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. HERE IS ADRIENNE.
>> Reporter: THIS HALLOWEEN
SERVED A SWEET TREAT FOR HOUSE
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. >> THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT
POLITICAL SQUEEZE IN TERMS OF
PUTTING THIS MATTER NOW U
CLOSER TO THE GENERAL ELECTION
FOR 2020.
FOR 2020.
FOR 2020. IT COULD BE A WAY OF SQUEEZING
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. IT COULD BE A WAY OF SQUEEZING
REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND HOUSE
MEMBERS, BUT ALSO IT MIGHT BE A
WAY OF MOTIVATING THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY BASE.
>> Reporter: HANDLING -- THE
POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR
DAVID SCHULTZ SAID FOR SO LONG
THE DEMOCRATS WONDERED IF THEY
SHOULD START THE PROCESS TO
IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT, WITH THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTE
ON THURSDAY, THE QUESTION IS
WHY NOW?
WHY NOW?
WHY NOW? >> ONE COULD BE THIS IS A
MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, THAT
THEY'RE JUST HONESTLY BELIEVING
THEY'RE MOVING BECAUSE THEY
BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT HAS ACTED
UNCONSTITUTIONALLY AND SHOULD
BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE.
PUTTING THE IMPEACHMENT
CONTROVERSY AND PERHAPS A
POTENTIAL TRIAL IN THE MIDDLE
OF AN ELECTION YEAR MIGHT WITH
A WAY OF MOTIVATING THE
DEMOCRAT TO -- DEMOCRATS TO
COME OUT TO VOTE.
>> Reporter: THE DEMOCRATS ARE
THE FIRST OF THE FULL VOTE AND
IT WILL PUT MODERATE LAWMAKERS
FROM BOTH PARTIES UNDER
SCRUTINY MOVING FORWARD.
SCHULTZ SAY AS SENATE TRIAL IN
LATE SUMMER OR THE FALL WOULD
ALLOW THE DEMOCRATS TO PRESSURE
MITCH MCCONNELL AND THE
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FOR
CONTROL.
CONTROL.
CONTROL. THINK ABOUT IT.
IN 2020, THERE WILL BE 35
SENATORS FACING ELECTION.
23 OF THEM REPUBLICAN.
MCCONNELL AND THE REPUBLICANS
WILL FACE A DIFFICULT CHOICE.
HOLD A TRIAL AND ACQUIT OR, HE
SAYS, REFUSE TO HOLD A TRIAL.
>> EFFECTIVELY THE SENATE IS
SPLIT 53-47.
SPLIT 53-47. 53 REPUBLICANS, 47 DEMOCRATS.
IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY
IMPEACH AND REMOVE A PRESIDENT
FROM THE UNITED STATES, THE
SENATE MUST GYP HOLD ARTICLES
OF IMPEACHMENT WITH THE 2/3
VOTE THAT MEANS 6 VOTES.
YOU WOULD NEED APPROXIMATELY 20
REPUBLICANS TO MOVE THE VOTE TO
UPHOLD THE ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. RIGHT NOW THAT IS PRETTY
UNLIKELY.
UNLIKELY.
UNLIKELY. >> SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE
OBJECT THE GOP SIDE?
SHARON SAT DOWN WITH THE
PROFESSOR LARRY JACOBS TO BREAK
THAT DOWN.
THAT DOWN. >> Reporter: OTHER THAN THE
OBVIOUS, WHAT ARE THE
REPUBLICANS WANTING FROM THIS
AT THIS POINT?
>> I THINK THE MAIN STRATEGY OF
THE REPUBLICANS IS TO SLOW
DEPOSIT AND RAISE QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC DRIVE IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO
IMPEACH PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> Reporter: THE MINNESOTA
PROSERSOR LARRY JACOBS SAYS THE
REPUBLICANS HAVE FOCUSED ON
PROCESS THIS MORNING.
>> WHETHER THE PRESIDENT AND
HIS LAWYERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
RAISE QUESTIONS OF THE
WITNESSES THAT THE DEMOCRATS
HAVE CAYED, WHETHER THE PROCESS
IS FAIR TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
IN ALLOWING A GENUINE
ADVERSARIAL PROCESS THAT WE
OFTEN SEE IN THE USUAL
COURTROOM.
COURTROOM. >> Reporter: BUT JACOB SAYS NOW
THAT THE HOUSE HAS VOTED TO
FORMALIZE THE IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY, HE THINKS THE
REPUBLICANS BEST PIVOT TO
MAKING A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ACTIONS
INVOLVING THE REQUEST FOR
INVESTIGATING JOE BIDEN AND HIS
SON HUNTER BIDEN DESERVES A
DEEPER LOOK.
DEEPER LOOK. >> AND I THINK AT SOME POINT
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET
AWAY FROM RAISING QUESTIONS
ABOUT PROCESS AND TALK ABOUT
THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
DOES THIS MERIT IMPEACHMENT?
>> Reporter: AS FOR THE TYPING
OF THIS IMPEACHMENT PROCESS.
>> THE ELECTION YEAR DYNAMIC IS
A PROBLEM FOR BOTH DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS.
AND REPUBLICANS. THE DEMOCRATS DO NOT WANT TO BE
HAVING THIS PROCESS PRAY OUT
FOR MONTHS ON END.
IF YOU GO BACK TO 1996 AND 199
# WHEN BILL CLINTON WAS UP FOR
IMPEACHMENT, IT DID NOT WORK
OUT WELL FOR REPUBLICANS
BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE
LAUNCHED THIS ON AMERICANS AT
THE LAST MINUTE.
> Reporter: JACOBS ALSO ADDED
REGARDLESS OF THE DIRECTION THE
INQUIRY IS HEADED, BOTH SIDES
HAVE SOMETHING TO LOSE.
>> BRINGING DOWN THE
PRESIDENT'S PUBLIC STANDING OR
IN REPUTEUATING THE DEMOCRATS
AND MAKING THEN PAY FOR WHAT
MAY BE SEEN AS, YOU KNOW, A
POWER GRAB.
POWER GRAB. >> IT IS A GAMBLE FOR BOTH
SIDES THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN
BEFORE IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
YOU SEE BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS GOING INTO A RE-ELECTION
CAMPAIGN FOR A SECOND TERM.
WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE,
THOSE PRESIDENTS WERE ALSO IN
THEIR SECOND TERMS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
WELL, THE INQUIRY WILL NOW HOLD
OPEN HEARINGS.
OPEN HEARINGS. THAT IS WHERE STAFF COUNSEL,
LIKE STAFF LAWYERS, WILL BE
ALLOWED TO QUESTION WITNESSES,
45