The fate of the republic, we are now supposed to believe, hinges on whether there are witnesses at a Senate impeachment trial.

Upon the long-anticipated transmittal of the articles of impeachment to the Senate, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler said if the upper chamber doesn't obtain the witnesses and documents the House impeachment managers want, it is engaged "in an unconstitutional and disgusting cover-up," indeed would be participating "in the president's crimes."

It's not clear what constitutional provision mandates that the Senate do whatever House managers say, nor what alleged crimes President Trump committed, but let's put that aside and chalk up the chairman's rhetoric to an excess of sorrow and prayerfulness.

What Nadler and other Democrats are insisting on is that the Senate take up its investigative baton. In other words, the body controlled by the party that was desperate to impeach Trump wants to outsource its work to the body controlled by the party that rejects Trump's impeachment.