A Motion to Dismiss The Charges

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 22, 1999 / 8:22 PM EST / CBS

Things are suddenly moving swiftly now in the Senate trial of President Clinton, but mostly behind the scenes.

Those Republicans in the Senate and in the House absolutely committed to forcing the President from office are moving swiftly--and where they can, forcefully--to keep the trial going.

Those Democrats absolutely committed to keeping the President in power are likewise moving to get the whole thing shut down, possibly as early as Monday.

Veteran Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia announced Friday he will introduce a motion to dismiss the charges on Monday. This, in the end, may or not prove to be significant. For this day, at least, it appears to many to be important.

Whether Byrd can actually get a vote up or down on dismissal Monday is unclear. Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott possibly has it in his power to use procedural maneuvering to prevent any actual dismissal vote.

If there is a dismissal vote, Monday or otherwise, it requires only a simple majority of 5l votes to pass. Conviction of the President, the ultimate goal of most Republicans in the House and Senate, requires a two thirds vote.

Republicans don't have that many votes, at least not yet, which is why most of them want to keep the trial going. Meanwhile, Democrats may not have, at least not yet, the 5l votes they need for dismissal--even if they can get a dismissal vote taken.

The highly partisan politic power game goes on, and has just heated up another notch.

Dan Rather Reporting. CBS News.