Trial: All Over But the Tapes

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WASHINGTON: The battle lines of impeachment have been redrawn, and Monica Lewinsky is free at last. At 3:30 p.m. (ET), the Senate voted 70-30 against subpoenaing the ex-intern for live testimony on the Senate floor. The result was predictable but instructive: Moderate Republicans are through toeing the party line. The impeachment hawks are now on the record. And the Senate looks to be 37 votes short of a presidential eviction. "The GOP moderates had had enough of witnesses," says TIME congressional correspondent John Dickerson. And possibly enough of conviction as well.

Special Reportand hear Lewinsky tell her story, familiar though it may be. Will it change any minds? Doubtful. That point was driven home by Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who followed his defeat on the videotapes with another one: A symbolic effort to skip right to closing arguments, which lost along strict party lines. But even as their party split on the Lewinsky question, Republicans scored a small victory when nine Democrats deserted the White House to vote for the screening of the tapes. Licking its wounds, the White House then asked to be notified in advance which segments the House managers were planning to use in Saturday's highlight film -- that motion failed as well, with Democrats back together in a losing effort. This trial is still very much a partisan affair -- but it seems there are a few more parties than we thought.

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