WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's decision to slow down the speed of the impeachment trial's opening arguments came after appeals by fellow Republicans, including U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.
Arkansas' senior senator said he encouraged the Kentucky Republican to give each side three days to make their initial presentations.
The original trial blueprint had given each side two days for opening arguments.
With the trial convening each day at 1 p.m. EST and with each side allotted 24 hours, Democrats would have been making arguments long after most Americans had gone to bed.
Factoring in dinner time and other breaks, lawmakers were bracing for court sessions lasting until 2 a.m.
"I didn't really understand the idea of doing two days. Both mentally and physically, that would've been very difficult," Boozman said in an interview Wednesday.
In addition to taxing members of the court of impeachment, the marathon sessions would have made it harder for Americans to follow the proceedings, he noted.
"Having viewers and ourselves trying to sit there in the middle of the night ... was not appropriate," he said. "As I said earlier, the most important thing is that this is done in a fair manner."
With cellphones banished and laptops banned, lawmakers have fewer distractions.
Boozman typically watched the proceedings with a pen in hand, his eyes focused on the House manager speaking. From time to time, he jots down a short phrase and then shifts his focus back to the dais.
But some of his colleagues are more fitful, fidgeting in their seats. At least one has fallen asleep.
The restlessness increases as the day lengthens.
The first day, when trial rules were being debated, proceedings lasted until nearly 2 a.m.
"The arguments were very similar. There's a lot of duplication," Boozman said. "People were working very, very hard to stay awake, people were working very, very hard to pay attention, and I think, for the most part, they did."
Fidget spinners have been distributed to some of the lawmakers. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., nabbed one of them; a purple model rested Thursday atop his desk.
The presentations, he suggested, have been predictable.
"The House Democrats have been very repetitive over the last two days, so if you dip in for 30 or 60 minutes, you've probably gotten everything they have to say," he said.
During the dinner break Thursday, he dashed across the Capitol for an interview on Fox News.
Afterward, he bantered back and forth with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who was headed for the CNN cameras.
A passing Democratic colleague informed Schumer that he'd be making an appearance of his own on Fox News.
"Excellent. Fox News is more important," Schumer said, adding with a smile. "[You've] got to undo the evil influence of Tom Cotton."
A Section on 01/24/2020