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Every day of the trial, I'm going write a post giving my read on the day's events (and some behind-the-scenes vignettes) in order to make sure the trial is as transparent as possible. So here we go:

The vibe in the Senate was fundamentally different than any other day in the Senate. Totally somber. You could hear a pin drop when the House managers walked into the chamber. I sit next to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and we agreed that our overwhelming emotion was sadness.

After Congressman Adam Schiff read the articles, a group of Democratic Senators huddled, noting how lucky the country is to have Schiff leading this trial. He's serious, dispassionate, level-headed. The right loathes him, but for non-political viewers of the trial, he will strike the right tone.

After we were all sworn in, a surprise (at least for me): we were all requested to sign our names, one by one, in the trial's log book. Afterward, one of my colleagues showed me his notes, where he had kept track of how many senators are left handed.

I noticed there was less conversation today between R and D Senators. I think that's natural, on the first day. But I hope that doesn't become a habit during the trial. We need 4 votes to assure a fair trial, and that can only happen if we're talking to each other.

Finally, just a note on how surreal it is, starting the trial on a day when major news continues to break. This is still an unfolding scandal, but all the evidence tells one story: the president committed an intolerable act of corruption, one that cannot stand in a democracy.

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