6/ That said, Trump has indeed now poisoned the whole Republican Party. It didn't have to be so; had the party upheld its professed values, it could've credibly claimed it too considered Trump a unique threat to American democracy and rule of law—one *outside* of normal politics.

7/ I mention all this not because my opinions are in any way whatsoever special, but because I'll be writing a lot about impeachment in the coming weeks/months, and I want people to understand the perspective I'm coming at this from: I approach it as an attorney, pure and simple.

8/ As those of you who follow this feed know, I also approach this as someone who's published 1,400 pages on this topic in the last 18 months—pages supported by over 6,000 major-media citations. So no, I proudly *don't* come at the impeachment cold. I've a handle on the evidence.

9/ I also, like many of you, come at this from the perspective of someone who thinks a lot about how we individually and as a nation will be regarded by history centuries on. I believe we're being judged right now in the eyes of history on our commitment to America's core values.

10/ If you believe Trump's policies are cruel, know that I *agree* with you *wholeheartedly*. But know also that I consider discussion of those policies in the context of an impeachment process—unless they themselves are criminal or impeachable—beside the point of *this* inquiry.

PS/ It's sad that this presidency has cast as "radicals" those of us who simply believe in the healthy operation of our democracy and rule of law.

My opposition to this criminal presidency as a lawyer has nothing to do with my policy views—which are progressive, but not radical.