So it is circumstantial always around then.

Circumstantial evidence is still evidence. When supported by hard evidence it adds to the case. In this case it is not required to prove things to be within a reasonable doubt although to my mind that threshold is easily achieved. However if there is a real defence then let's hear it. I haven't heard anything convincing yet.

Was there a date for the release of funds.
This could be normal procedure unless the ukraine had a DD to the bank of America.

Are you actually following these events? There was nothing normal involved. The military were about to release them and wanted to to support their allie. Until the President intervened.

As for non appearance there may be some who wish not to appear at the Senate.

There may be, but that's not the point. A case has been brought for which they have evidence either to exonerate the accused or condemn him. It's their duty to comply with the requests.

If some are democrats who have persued trump how would you see that.

I would praise them for doing their constitutional duty.

Would you think there could be a reason, that being that they may not have told the truth first time around.

I watched and listened to much of the evidence. They either told the truth or deserve Oscars. They aren't actors.

Even one refusal must be a light bulb moment about the whole thing being a set up.

If this is a set up then someone has missed their vocation. This is 100% real. Don't be fooled.

Whether anyone wishes to discuss these things with me is always a matter of choice. If they do then expect me to express my points of view with certainty and passion. If you cannot cope with that and come up with alternative arguments which provide at least a passably valid alternative then that's not my fault is it?

It must be blindingly obvious to anyone who actually followed the impeachment hearings that Trump did what he is accused of doing. There is no other reasonable conclusion based on the known facts.

Anyone who denies that is either politically motivated or delusional. I am more than willing to be proved wrong but cannot see a shred of truth in the excuses that have so far been offered in his defence.

He won't, of course, be impeached because of the state of the current Republican party who are as weak a bunch of sycophants as I have ever witnessed.

Whether this works for, or against, the Democrats is an open question due to the state of politics in the USA. However I don't think they had any choice other than to do this. Their own base would have been totally pissed off if they had given Trump a pass as it's their constitutional duty to oversee such wrongdoing by a President.

Impeachment being a political process, and not a legal one, makes it easy to understand what the outcome of the trial will be but not that of the perceptions of the swing voters who will decide whether Trump gets re-elected. Right now his approval rating is going up again so it looks as if it has backfired, but these are early days.

Putting another stain on his record, which already has a few, will provide useful ammunition later next year.

It's quite true that the Democrats have never accepted him and that's for completely good reasons. No-one with an ounce of respect for their constitution ought to accept such a man. That their system didn't weed him out long before the primaries reflects very badly on the GOP. That the "never-Trumpers" failed to stop it just shows how flawed it is. As I have said before US politics is in a bad place, even worse than our own and that's at the lowest point in my lifetime.

Can't understand why anyone bothers entering in debate with WE, he is always right and everyone else just doesn't understand

Whatever the rights and wrongs of Trump’s presidency why do people take it so personally? How has he adversely affected any of our lives? Even Maine Eagle hasn’t come up with anything Trump has done which has affected him in the slightest.
Beyond hurting feelings what has he done wrong?