Welcome to Talking Feds, a round table that brings together prominent former federal officials

for a dynamic discussion of the most important legal topics of the day.

I'm Harry Littman, I'm a former US Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General and

current Washington Post columnist.

Well they did it.

On the one hand it's no surprise to anyone who has watched the Senate in the last four

years and on the other it's completely astonishing.

51 Republican senators under the tight whip hand of Mitch McConnell determined that there

is no need for additional evidence, no need in particular to call John Bolton who was

practically doing jumping jacks outside the chamber in order to acquit the president

of the charges that the House managers had brought.

It's a moment of such pure pretzel logic at the highest levels and the most solemn

functions of the United States government that it's still hard to get your head around

even though we just saw it happen.

51 Republican senators declared themselves ready to acquit with no witnesses called

for the first time in any impeachment trial in history, president or anyone else and

with the assurance that the testimonial that they were stiff-farming was direct evidence

of the president's intentionally carrying out the scheme that the House has charged.

It's like a film noir where you see Mitch McConnell in the last frame but a torch to

the videotape and gleefully watch the flames rise.

So now it's all over but the voting which the Senate having checked in their capacities

as jurors to get the personal okay of the defendant, the president here, as set for

...