WHAT A COLOSSAL DISGRACE, BUT IT SOON WILL BE OVER – AT 5:31 P.M. ET:  The mighty United States Senate has voted to proceed with the Trump impeachment circus.  But the vote spells doom for those hoping for a conviction.  From CNN: 

Washington (CNN)The Senate tabled an effort by Sen. Rand Paul Tuesday to force a vote on the constitutionality of former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, but the vote offered an indicator for how Republican senators -- who overwhelmingly voted for Paul's measure -- feel about the trial.

Paul's motion was killed on a 55-45 vote, with five Republicans joining all Democrats, meaning 45 Republicans voted for Paul's effort. Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania crossed party lines to vote with Democrats.

In order to convict Trump at his trial, at least 17 Republicans will need to vote with all Democrats when the trial begins next month. Significantly, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell sided with Paul in the vote -- a potential indicator that he agrees the constitutionality of impeaching a former President is in question.

Paul argued after the vote that the fact that 45 Republicans sided with him "shows that impeachment is dead on arrival."

"If you voted that it was unconstitutional then how in the world would you ever hope to convict somebody for this?" Paul asked, adding ,"45 of us, almost the entire caucus, 95% of the caucus, voted that the whole proceeding was unconstitutional. This is a big victory for us. Democrats can beat this partisan horse as long as they want -- this vote indicates it's over, the trial is all over."

Even those Republicans who voted against Paul's measure -- including Collins -- said Tuesday's vote was a sign of the eventual outcome of the trial.

COMMENT:  Of course it's unconstitutional.  The Senate has no power to try a private citizen, even a former president.  And the Constitution specifically states that an impeachment trial of a president must be presided over by the Chief Justice of the United States.  In this case, Chief Justice Roberts has declined to participate.

President Biden could have been a hero here, and reinforced his clearly phony call for unity, by asking Democrats in the Senate to drop this crazy trial.  He did not, and it will be noted.

January 26,  2021