Breaking: Romney Plans Vote to Convict Trump of One Charge

By artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:09pm |

I started to post updates concerning this on my last Romney thread on his "Excommunication" from conservative land. But now I think it deserves a new thread. Link is to NYTimes' entry on this at its live coverage of the impeachment vote. Because as Peter Baker sez:

As has been pointed out, Romney now becomes the first senator in American history to vote to remove a president of his own party in a Senate impeachment trial.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 5, 2020

URL:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/impeachment-vote.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

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The Hill has the video up of his remarks:

Sen. Mitt Romney: "The great question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes he did." #MittRomney #ImpeachmentDay pic.twitter.com/EYuVJeZ6nE
— The Hill (@thehill) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:15pm

Quite a line from @MittRomney: "Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?"
— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:19pm

Romney's vote strikes me as not only brave, but politically significant. The "most partisan impeachment in history" line is now simply false, and the headlines will read very differently now in major outlets.
— Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:22pm

He talked to The Atlantic about his decision. I find that appropriate as they've been covering the American polity since 1857:

Romney also invoked his faith talking w/@TheAtlantic.

“To use an old Mormon hymn phrase, that makes reason stare ... The idea that Congress would have to anticipate all of the offensive things a president could possibly do, and then make them a statute?” https://t.co/mGzWZ8VtKp
— Elana Schor (@eschor) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:30pm

Ben Wittes:

Prediction: The next round of this scandal will involve the president seeking some kind of an investigation of Mitt Romney.
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:37pm

Nate Silver retweeted, so I look:

Yes, Romney has advantages some GOP Senators lack. But Alexander is retiring, 80, also rich & wouldn't even vote for witnesses, per @TimAlberta b/c his golfing buddies might be mad or whatever. Romney IS complicating his own political situation. 1) https://t.co/RSXpXmjyRL
— David Karol (@DKarol) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:42pm

he also just retweeted this:

This is one of the most destructive attitudes in politics, but you see it over and over again. The last thing you want to do is alienate the people on the other side of the aisle most likely to ally with you. https://t.co/kOjrS26cU7
— Matt Glassman (@MattGlassman312) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 3:02pm

this guy is amazing, he has a quote from the ancients for nearly every news occasion:

“Do not acquit this man, citizens, do not acquit and leave unpunished someone who has signed off on the misfortunes of this state and the world, a man who has been caught in corruption against the state….”
https://t.co/nylYrmAaBB via @sentantiq
— sententiae antiquae (@sentantiq) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 2:52pm

Junior is so very triggered. pic.twitter.com/a4BIKeeJqt
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 3:10pm

The judgment of history in a few decades will decide Trump is guilty and that Romney was among the few, likely the only republican senator with the honor and integrity to say so. I"m not really surprised or only mildly so. To pat myself on the back, I made this point several times in 2012 when I defended Romney against many of the stupid and unfair attacks against him.

by ocean-kat on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 3:28pm

Gayle Collins mentioned Mitt's dog on the car roof in like 25 op-eds that year - should've lost her journalism credentials for that.

by PeraclesPlease on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 4:32pm

Would the nation, the world and the future be better off if Romney won in 2012? Not criticizing Obama, but 8 years of Romney would beat 4 more of Obama followed by 4, or likely 8, years of Trump.

Romney, "the last honest Republican in America?"

by NCD on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 4:35pm

Hard to imagine him picking Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

by PeraclesPlease on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 4:57pm

Possible supreme picks have always been my priority in voting for prez, it's the most important thing the prez does, as we are stuck with it for a lifetime.

Comes to mind, tho: but that was when I was looking at a lifetime ahead of me. Now I'm not. I'm not as honorable, more selfish than, Mitt, I guess.

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 5:13pm

Well I disagree with almost all of Romney's policy positions. But he's a good and honorable man who takes his responsibilities seriously. What a contrast to what we have now.

by ocean-kat on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 6:26pm

"One of just four senators on hand for Romney’s speech, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), walked off the Senate floor in tears Wednesday afternoon. He remained speechless for several seconds, fighting back tears.” https://t.co/C9sPZSbiEK
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 5:25pm

I could not disagree more with number three. With one stroke, @MittRomney has singlehandedly reminded us of what it means to be an American, and to put Country & Constitution over party. He will go down in history. https://t.co/McQglgxglP
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 5:33pm

sports fans admiring:

Amen@MittRomney https://t.co/Ho1TGNUATF
— Steve Caimano (@CTRSteve) February 5, 2020

by artappraiser on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 6:53pm

Too funny, Red State jumping in on the Romney hunt

Former Romney Adviser Worked on Burisma Board With Hunter Biden https://t.co/nnbSlDbUZ5
— RedState (@RedState) February 6, 2020

by artappraiser on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 7:01pm

Even more absurd. The wingers are really really frustrated:

Utah state lawmaker files resolution to censure Romney over impeachment vote https://t.co/E8vlX8OlLQ pic.twitter.com/HPJO2STNQD
— The Hill (@thehill) February 6, 2020

by artappraiser on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 7:03pm

GOP backed Biden on Burisma back then.

How times change.

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/old-letter-proves-gop-senators-echo...

by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 02/07/2020 - 7:25am

The Mitt Effect?

“I didn’t vote for the president, and I don’t believe that he should be in office." -- Vermont GOP Gov. Phil Scotthttps://t.co/bnh5vchalN
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) February 7, 2020

by artappraiser on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 11:05pm

Luntz to Geatz: looking to make yourself the minority party in the Senate?

Mitt Romney votes with President Trump 78% of the time, and 5 other GOP senators vote with the president at an even lower rate than that.

If you want to call them “Democrats,” then Republicans no longer have a majority in the Senate.

https://t.co/xtg3d334tH https://t.co/Z8KjIJa4TQ
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) February 7, 2020

by artappraiser on Fri, 02/07/2020 - 4:28pm

sound and fury signifying nothing real:

Timely opening for my story on Romney escaping retribution in Senate GOP after calls to expel him. Still on whip team, in good standing

Rubio: “The president’s going to do what he’s going to do ... But it won’t change [Romney’s] standing in the Senate.”https://t.co/9mGaOp4MIF https://t.co/NnCPYpNzwB
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) February 11, 2020

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/11/2020 - 5:14pm

Probably had an assistant do this for him, but so what. Clearly not writhing in misery because of bucking party solidarity:

Some things never change. Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart. pic.twitter.com/0a0vXRizxY
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 14, 2020

by artappraiser on Sat, 02/15/2020 - 12:03am

Standing ovation in Denver at Rasmussen Alliance of Democracies group:

ICYMI: Three weeks after becoming the first U.S. senator in history to vote to convict a president of his own party, Mitt Romney received a standing ovation in Denver #COPolitics https://t.co/fdTdIhctaV
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) March 1, 2020

by artappraiser on Sun, 03/01/2020 - 1:34pm

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