PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

This, remember, is one of three departments I run as director with a free hand to do what I want.

The others are the Department of Pet Peeves and the Department of Just Saying (the latter of which is not open very often, but allows me to cite incredibly stupid statements by a variety of public officials, regardless of political party or standing).

With the impeachment process as a backdrop in Congress – by the way, I wonder how many regular Americans are watching? – there are many opportunities for good quotes to cite.

FROM COLUMNIST MICHAEL GERSON IN THE WASHINGTON POST: “It is another of President Trump’s dubious achievements to turn the ultimate constitutional check on presidential abuses of power into an utter farce.

“Watching Republican senators complain that there is ‘nothing new’ in the case made by House impeachment managers, while they are actively opposing the introduction of new evidence and new testimony, is confirmation of barefaced bad faith.

“In this matter, elected Republicans are mainly serving, not the president, and certainly not the republic, but themselves. Having decided that no amount of evidence would be sufficient for conviction, they realize that the presentation of a full and compelling case would convict them of servility and institutional surrender. So a quick and dirty Senate trial is the best way to limit the exposure of their malpractice.”

Comment: As usual, Gerson is right on with his analysis and conclusion. Senate Republicans don’t want a real trial; they want to cover-up the president’s cover-up. I hope history judges them harshly – and, make no mistake, as another columnist, Peggy Noonan wrote this morning in the Wall Street Journal, HISTORY is watching the charade in Congress.

FROM COLUMNIST JENNIFER RUBIN IN THE WASHINGTON POST: “Trump’s techniques are spreading. Take as an example Pat Cipollone’s (he’s one of Trump’s lawyers) opening statement in the impeachment trial. It was remarkable for the number of times he used the words ‘ridiculous’ and ‘outrageous.’

“This was a revealing detail. It didn’t matter that, in between those words, he strung together a series of misleading statements. No one would follow it all, but what they would take away were two words: ‘Ridiculous’ and ‘outrageous.’

“Such is the rhetoric of the conspiracy theorist. The opportunity to speak is a vehicle for a message. The words in between the message don’t matter much. All that matters is the chance to repeat the basic message frequently. Obama — no birth certificate; Obama — no birth certificate. Hunter — corrupt; Hunter — corrupt. Impeachment — ridiculous; impeachment — ridiculous.”

Comment: Rubin is right to heap derision on Cipollone and other Trump lawyers. They, of course, are entitled to advocate for their client, but to utter outright falsehoods? No. As lawyers, they should be upbraided for their conduct.

The clearest example was when Cipollone alleged that Republicans were not allowed in House Intelligence Committee hearings during the impeachment process. Wrong. Republicans were there and Cipollone knows it.

But, like Trump, truth is no barometer for what he says.

MORE FROM RUBIN: “There is actually an obvious and possibly accurate defense that no Republican senator dare advance. It goes like this: The president has never understood that there is a difference between his political/personal interests and national security.

“Trump has a narcissistic personality so he cannot intentionally betray the country for his own benefit because he thinks they are one and the same. He is also highly ignorant and malleable, so he will believe any illogical conspiracy theory that Russian President Vladimir Putin advances and/or that serves his interests.

“No matter how many times he was told that Ukraine did not interfere with our election, or that aid to Ukraine was in the United States’ interest, or that he could not stop aid in violation of law, he could not mentally process such information.

“He believed that advisers who told him such things were weak or out to get him. In other words, Trump is so mentally and emotionally defective, he cannot understand the import of his actions or concepts such as right vs. wrong, true vs. false and personal vs. national interests.

“As for obstruction, his lawyer told him to refuse to give up anything, so he simply took that advice.”

COMMENT: True again. Trump is the epitome of the narcissist. It is only what he thinks and wants that matters. U.S. national interests be damned.