He is confident that he will prevail in Senate trial if no censure deal is reached in advance, this friend said.

Does the Senate become the venue for a censure deal?

Already, several conservative Republican senators are demanding that the Senate complete the trial and vote on conviction before "negotiating" a censure deal.

Democrats made clear that just like their House counterparts they would prefer a quick censure deal.

The markets have discounted the possibility of a long impeachment trial in the Senate, because everyone knows what's coming: a censure deal.

They contend that if Mr. Clinton were already acquitted, he would not be inclined to accept a censure deal.

Mr. Clinton has begun calling party leaders and Democrats in Congress to signal that he would be open to a censure deal.

The sunny spin: Senate moderates are ready to end this mess if Clinton will just confess to lying and sign a censure deal.

The conventional wisdom says Clinton shouldn't polarize the Senate along partisan lines, because this would disrupt the movement toward a censure deal.

The President's failure to take the lead in seeking a censure deal can be excused but not satisfactorily explained by his fear of a perjury indictment.