If even a Robert Nichols voted to acquit on about half of the 16 counts ...

And, if even one-third of Democrats voted to acquit on Article 8, why were even here for half these charges? Why weren't they dismissed at the initial vote to do so? Senators had that 4,000-page dossier from House impeachment managers in advance of the trial, along with other materials.

By the time we got to Article 9, which had a similar vote of 18, a positive majority, to acquit, I knew we were done.

Article 16 and others also got an actual majority in favor of Paxton, not just a minority of above one-third, on a 16-14 count.

My Senatecritter, Springer, voted to acquit on just about all charges. I may have missed a "yes" vote or two, but no more than that.

And, conservatives who talk about wasting taxpayer money? If Senators had voted to dismiss the half the charges a majority voted against anyway, you would have cut the trial time in half, saved money, and not given us a show trial in reverse.

And,. I mean that literally, an actual flip of a Stalinist show trial. It walks, talks and quacks like a bunch of Senate Republicans, whether individually or collectively, thought in advance that Warren Kenneth Paxton was innocent, but, to satisfy the general public or whomever, figured he had to be put in trial. Was there higher-yet coordination? You know, from Christofascist Tim Dunn and his minions?

Add in Birdwell's motion to dismiss without hearing four articles held in abeyance and it looks even more that way.

Next thought? Brad Parscale and his wife blew a bunch of Dunn's (or whomever's) $50 a tweet social media walking-around money for nothing.

Thought after that? Especially on the House side of the Lege, what's the fallout going to be between the Dunnites and under Dade "Dade" Phelan, the last shards of the Straus/Bush wing? Will their division become even more brutal? 

Related? Goeb concludes by reminding all 30 (or 31?) senators that they can enter a written statement on the trial over the next 72 hours. He then made his own.

Says House sent articles on "very short notice." (Insert sound of bus getting ready to be backed up?) Then salutes senators in general, including above all the rules committee. Salutes their "time clock" idea. Wanted "to protect the integrity of this body ... this great chamber." (That actually went out the door long ago.) Then talks about wanting to present "full picture." (Bus revving up?) "With all due respect to the House ... we didn't need to be told how important the vote was. ... Your vote will be remembered." "No time to study the articles." "In the past ... the House [was transparent]." (That bus just went into overdrive. )

"In the next regular session, we should amend the constitution on impeachment." (The senate didn't take more than two weeks for the trial.) Then wants the part about a required step-down to be amended as well. Cites both Clinton and Trump impeachments. "Millions of dollars have been wasted on this impeachment."

"I'm going to call for a full audit of House money." "One difference? We didn't hire a huge outside team." (See what I said above.)

"We are the envy of the world [with other Great State of Texas BS]. No you're not. And, some of us who are here still hope to move on.