Ms. McCaughey, a scholar of constitutional law, is a former lieutenant governor of New York; this column first appeared in the New York Post.

As the impeachment battle moves to the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is wisely holding the line against Democratic efforts to drag it out. The minority leader, Charles Schumer, is demanding that Democrats be able to call new witnesses. He insists an impeachment trial has to “pass the fairness test.”
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Fairness? He must think Americans are fools.

House Democrats rushed to impeach President Trump without evidence he committed a crime. They concocted two phony charges, “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress.” Then they rigged the House hearings to exclude testimony from the whistleblower, whose complaint was the pretext for impeachment, and bar witnesses requested by Republicans. How fair is that?

Mr. Schumer’s insistence on more witnesses — in addition to the 17 already grilled in the House — is a ploy to boost the House Democrats’ pathetic case. Get ready for more demands for witnesses and investigations.

No wonder Senator McConnell is telling Mr. Schumer to pound salt. The public is fed up. Polls show independent and swing-state voters increasingly oppose impeachment. Ending it quickly will allow Congress to get back to serious problems instead of this invented crisis.

The Judiciary Committee chairman, Lindsey Graham, is proposing a brief Senate trial, with no witnesses. “Here’s what I want to avoid,” said Graham, “this thing going on longer than it needs to.”

House Democrats will rehash their feeble case to the 100 senators who serve as jurors. After the White House legal team rebuts, the Senate will deliberate and vote. It could all be done by mid-January. Better yet, start immediately, and have it done before Christmas.

Under the Senate’s longstanding impeachment rules, the trial format doesn’t require witnesses. Mr. Schumer falsely claims no witnesses means a coverup. He needs to read the rules.

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