*February 9, 1999 Day Sixteen ( 17? ). The Senate begins final Impeachment Trial deliberations.*

James Ziglar, the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms, read the proclaimation and then the Senate went in to final deliberations.

Senators Arlen Specter ( R ) and Paul Wellstone ( D ) offered up a motion to hold the final deliberations in open session, as opposed to the Constitutionally mandated closed door session. This measure failed to get the required 2/3rds majority and was defeated 59 to 41. All Democrats voted for this, but notably these Republicans voted for it: Bailey-Hutchinson, Kyle, Snowe and Specter ( their were 14 Republican votes for the open process ).

Majority Leader Trent Lott ( R ) offered a motion, that passed on a unanimous voice vote, to allow individual Senators to enter their speeches, statements or reparte' from the closed impeachment trial final deliberations into the Congressional record. What some folks may not realize, is that this does not mean the record will be available to the public any time soon! The motion to begin final deliberations passed on 53 to 47 simple majority.

Great, what do you guys have to hide, huh? Aren't the Republicans offering up an easy gopher ball pitch to partisan Democrats, guaranteed to provide fuel to the vicious talking head attack dog minions of the DNC/Whitehouse? While Democrats throw their integrity and decency out the window, the Republicans throw accountability and openess to the wind! The Republicans are committing political suicide in proceeding to closed deliberations, seemingly just to stop the partisan media pontification war that Democrats surely would have started!

- Bongo ( Shame on both parties! )