Joe Manchin wants witnesses

In an interview this afternoon, Joe Manchin told Fox News that he wants to hear from witnesses:

"I don't know how I go home to West Virginia and explain that I had to make a decision in a trial, the most important thing that I have ever done or will ever do as an elected official, an impeachment of the president of the United States, without having all the evidence and all the witnesses that had the knowledge," Manchin told host Neil Cavuto.

The video is at the link. By the way, the Fox News headline for this story is:

Joe Manchin frustrated with 'hypocrisy' of Schumer, Dershowitz and Starr in Trump impeachment

That’s certainly an interesting Fox headline given all that Manchin says in the 5 minute interview. (“Hypocrisy” is a minor point and he mentions Schumer only once.)

Additionally, on the issue of how Manchin might vote on impeachment, he told Politico that he was still undecided:

Manchin insisted Tuesday he hasn’t figured out where he will come down. And won’t until the trial ends.

“I know it’s hard to believe that. But I really am [undecided]. But I have not made a final decision. Every day, I hear something, I think ‘this is compelling, that’s compelling,’” Manchin said in an interview. “Everyone’s struggling a little bit.”

Shelley Moore Capito is still reserving judgment (of course, she is)

Here’s what The Washington Post reported this morning:

Numerous other Republican senators — including Joni Ernst (Iowa), Rob Portman (Ohio), Mike Crapo (Idaho) and Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) — reserved judgment on Monday, particularly on whether the Bolton revelations make them more likely to favor calling him and other witnesses.

And here’s what Capito told CNN today:

"I guess we'll know as the days go on. I don't have a feel for that right now," when asked if the report about Bolton's book was a gamechanger.