Well, this was totally predictable. Just minutes after the senate voted to acquit President Trump, CNN's token Republican, and never Trumper Matt Lewis claimed that Mitt Romney was 'Brave' for voting to convict on one count. I think petty is the better word to describe Mitt Romney, aka Pierre Delecto.
I say predictable because last year when Romney started denouncing President Trump Lewis took to twitter and used the word brave, even claiming Romney was the bravest man in Washington.
Lewis makes a passing reference to it, but Romney really spilt his votes, he voted to convict on "abuse of power", and voted not guilty on "obstruction of congress". I guess in Lewis's mind Romney did the right thing on one article and the wrong thing on the other.
If Lewis thinks Romney did the 'right' thing that would mean that all 52 Republican senators did the 'wrong' thing. And for Lewis Republicans doing the wrong thing is the normal order of the universe, like the sun rising in the east. What else would a CNN guy say but Romney and Pelosi are brave, smart and principled. Big orange man bad.
As far as Romney being "brave" or a profile in courage, well lets compare his vote to the votes of other senators. Alabama Senator Doug Jones is in a tough re election battle. He must know that his vote to convict in a very red state will probably end his career in the senate.
Republican Susan Collins is facing election this year in a blue leaning state. She has a tough race. Probably the easier thing for her to do was to follow Romney. Yet by voting to acquit she stood up for the Constitution, which requires an actual crime to impeach.
Lewis wouldn't understand it, but it was Collins who was faithful to the Constitution, and cast a tough vote in Maine. She is more of a profile in courage than Romney.
Romney's rationale for voting to convict was extraordinarily weak. The charge "abuse of power" is not a high crime or misdemeanor, it is a characterization. The Constitution requires a crime. Romney didn't cite one.
If the Romney defense is that he went with his conscience fine. But you have to accept that he is constitutionally illiterate. That is, there is nothing impeachable in either charge.
Lewis thinks it is remarkable that Romney, who was the last Republican Presidential nominee, "voted to remove the current Republican President." But Lewis fails to mention that Romney didn't even vote for Trump in 2016.
True, Trump and Romney were both Republican standard bearers, but Trump voted for Romney in 2012. Romney didn't vote for Trump in 2016. Romney will never vote for Trump, and when given a chance to join Democrats and vote to remove Trump, well, of course he was going to do it.
Did Romney cast a tough vote today? I don't think so. He was recently elected to his six year term. He has plenty of time, and he may have decided to only serve one term. He is no spring chicken after all so one term may be enough.
I do believe that the main reason he decided to move to Utah and run was for the purpose of being a thorn in President Trump's side. That doesn't make him brave or principled. That makes him petty and small.
Ironically, last week Romney claimed the need for more "witnesses" and documents. But when it came time to vote to convict Trump he had all the information he needed.
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