says that is definitely not true but let's wait for the investigation so who can we believe i'm phil graham in berlin and this is the day. you know the thing that is clear to us and that we can say with certainty is that this plane was not hit by a missile. seriously the evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an arena surface to air missile the reigning state would never kill it some people this may well have been unintentional we do believe that it's likely that the plane was shot down by a rainy and something very terrible happened very devastating and when we get the results of that investigation i hope it will we and the world will take appropriate actions it was. also coming up australians demand that action on climate change as the country braces for more mega blazes brought about by high temperatures and strong winds this form was ferocious just standing up in a hero and you could just hear the rumbling the roar of. the sound that never forget its horrible. welcome to viewers on p.b.s. in united states and indeed around the world iran has denied western allegations that o

and at the time senators kenn y kennedy, ted kennedy and phil graham, liberal democrat, conservative republican basically brought all of their colleagues together and decided initially to support the basic guidelines for the beginning phase of the trial, for the phase of the trial that is similar to pleadings in a lawsuit. the complaint going to the president, the answer from the president, the replication from the house, all of this was scripted out and decided in a resolution that was adopted 100 to nothing. the smooth stuff was done by the leadership. >> and wasn't it that they waited on hard questions like witnesses until they got down the road when they had to decide live testimony versus videotaped, and of course opted just for three videotapes. >> they adopted the first resolution on january 7th. the contested resolution, the more difficult procedures were decided at the end of january. >> so it's interesting to think that when this starts next week, the senators are going to go into this capsule t. they will not be able to text. they will not be able to talk to their colleagu

senator ted kennedy from massachusetts and senator phil graham from texas polar opposites essentially agreed we should start the trial and then we'll have witnesses later, maybe. that's to say, start the trial. see how it goes and take a vote later when we want to decide whether or not to have witnesses. essentially punt the issue down the field. and i think that's something we're going to see possibly at this point because at any point in the trial, even after the senate rules have been created, senators only need 51 in order to essentially change the rules and allow witnesses to come in. so essentially whatever is decided before the trial happens doesn't really matter for when the trial gets going. >> you just need four republicans to break ranks to create a majority. listen, thanks to both of you, sabrina and jeffrey. there may be a surprise and here you have it, john bolton offering to testify. it ain't over yet. >>> the commercial vessels in the middle east are warned of threats today from iran. reel we'll be live from saudi arabia. theraflu dissolves in seconds, so it's ready to

it was only that far phil graham to agree on the little stuff and go forward on the little stuff, which was opening statements, briefings, the things they could agree on in the short term. that narrow issue is what passed 100 to nothing. when mitch mcconnell says this is the same as the deal that passed 100 to nothing 20 years ago, it was hotly contested back then. and it was only that compromise. the limited compromise, phase one as he calls it moved forward and passed. and passed very quickly because senators were worried if we don't agree with this now and start talking about it, it will divulge into debate and not go anywhere. so history actually repeats itself today. >> there is a lot of questions about the mechanics of how a procedure like this would begin. i think some people were maybe surprised yesterday seeing mitch mcconnell say he could actually start this thing, something that lindsey graham has been pushing for over the airwaves, start this without having the documents transmitted. is that even possible? is this a little political posturing and maneuvering with mitch mccon

as senator kennedy and senator bill graham of texas concluded, -- phil graham of texas concluded, theyid not have enough agreement to get to home plate but they had enough to get to second base. so they would write the rules to get to second base and once they got there, we would write the -- they would write the rules to go home. host: in 2020, unlike 1974 and 1999, this is an election year. what does that do to the process? mr. ritchie: in each of the previous cases, they were in their second terms. nixon and clinton were constitutionally unable to run for a third term. so it was not going to affect their elections. it might affect the vice presidents and what might happen to them, that this was the first time we have had an impeachment of a president serving in his first term and who is a possible candidate for reelection. we do not know how the public will react. president clinton in 1999 saw his popularity go up. the public thought he was being unfairly treated and he actually came out of impeachment with a better standing in the polls than before. it is not clear if that would wo

what was interesting to me phil graham, who represents a very conservative point of view, outlined thel. ted kennedy, on the other side of the political spectrum, said, and i quote, i think we're at third base. and there after that as has been discussed by my colleagues we reached a unanimous decision. this is in no way the same situation. totally different in my view. full display of witnesses in the house and then we had the videotaping, which many of us spent a lot of time listening to that. so we had the benefit of witness input before any of the proceedings began. >> you go to the well of the senate and there is a giant book, and you sign, you pledge that you are going to do impartial justice. so senators who have already announced what they are going to do, i mean, i am taken aback when mcconnell says he is working with the white house on how they are going to present their case. he is supposed to be a juror. he is not supposed to take a side. he is going to have to pledge to do impartial justice. >> you mentioned that precedent of going for something above partisanship. each of

we were hearing about how phil graham is ted kennedy was able to put something together. if you don't, this could slow down the try where there are interruptions at two and three days at a time. it is going to be hard for the public to follow, to be frank. >> we're close to the moment when four republican senators will stand up for the basic issue of witnesses. at that moment perhaps senator mcconnell will engage. he will realize they'll vote for witnesses and he may want to discuss things like depositions in advance. the secrets of the witnesses and how they'll be treated by the senate. all of these procedural issues are to be decided by senators who stand as both jurors and judges at the same time. if there are four republican who's come forward and say this is an issue that we need resolve a bipartisan basis, that could bring on a conversation that hasn't taken place yet. >> i'm not asking you to quote, unquote work the refs here. what is your understanding of what the chief justice' role is and is not? >> i can tell you, rehnquist, chief justice rehnquist, when he pre

phil with a robot. why can't americans just enjoy holidays and traditions without having to apologize? joining me with reaction, turning point usa spokesperson grahamng. i want to read a little bit of this letter, times change, traditions evolve, it is long overdue for long-suffering phil to be retired, gentle, vulnerable groundhogs are not barometers. they want to outsource his job to a robot. how do you feel about that? >> the outrage mob has struck again. like you said we have been going after jesus for years, christmas is against the law, columbus day and thanksgiving are racist, why not groundhog day? like you said earlier it feels like the movie groundhog day with bill mary. every single day it is the same thing over and over and over again. you are offended today, awesome, you were offended yesterday, what about tomorrow you will be offended again. can't we just go about our own business for once? i have never been the biggest fan of groundhog day but i could care less whether or not other people enjoy it, just move on. >> i've got to read these headlines to further your point. will americans ever go meet free for thanks giving, choose not t

lindsey graham said the president wants it to be over by the state of the union, in that first week of february. but then as you heard phil talking about witnesses there, robert ray was saying if there are going to be witnesses, john bolton, they want witnesses on their side too, which would mean people like hunter biden. >> and some democrats have said they would be open to that. we'll see how it plays out. kaitlan collins at the white house, thank you very much. joining me to discuss, bob barr, served as a manager in the senate impeachment trial of bill clinton and julian edleston. an essential presidential argument here or defense team is that you cannot have impeachment without a crime. it is interesting that alan dershowitz, on the president's team, had two contradictory positions on this between clinton and today. have a listen and then i want to get your reaction. >> without a crime, there can be no impeachment. certainly doesn't have to be a crime if you have somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty, you don't need a technical crime. >>

says that is definitely not true but let's wait for the investigation so who can we believe i'm phil graham in berlin and this is the day. after the thing that is clear to us on that we can say with certainty is that this plane was not hit by a missile. seriously the evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by entering in the surface to air missile the iranian state would never kill it some people this may well have been unintentional we do believe that it's likely that the plane was shot down by a arabian vessel something very terrible happened.