We don’t usually seek out bylines for reporters. Ashley Parker is the exception. She’s a White House reporter for The Washington Post who has been given the freedom by her editors to spread her wings occasionally. In a piece headlined, “‘It’s a horrible thing they did’: Trump now bears the indelible mark of impeachment,” Parker writes of a president and a man who has seldom been answerable to anyone, until now. The Post calls it The Debrief; an occasional series offering a reporter’s insights. Let’s hope she’s allowed to do more like this. Here’s a sample:
“On Wednesday, President Trump became only the third president in the nation’s history to be impeached. The House vote also marked one of the rare moments in Trump’s life where he has faced concrete accountability for his actions.
“But for a man consumed with his legacy and legitimacy, the 230-to-197 vote on abuse of power and the 229-to-198 vote on obstruction of Congress are stains that undermine both.
“It is impeachment, and it is for life. It’s historical and it’s constitutional. It’s not something Trump can squirm his way out of, or cut a hush-money check to make disappear.“