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GOP Senator Cassidy explains his guilty verdict in the impeachment trial with three simple words

GOP Senator Cassidy explains his guilty verdict in the impeachment trial with three simple words

The day after the second impeachment acquittal of Donald Trump, the Republican party has split into two factions.

On one hand, you have the 43 GOP senators who voted to let Trump off on charges that were plainly proven by the Democratic impeachment managers from the House of Representatives. These folks are either so arrogant or ashamed of their votes that none of them would even respond to invitations from CBS’s morning show Face The Nation to discuss yesterday’s decision.

On the other hand, there are the seven brave GOP senators who broke from party orthodoxy and joined the Democrats in voting to convict Donald Trump by the biggest bipartisan majority in any impeachment trial in American history.

One of the most surprising defectors from the Republican minority who acquitted their still sacred cow was Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a usually reliable conservative vote who took seriously Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) advice that his colleagues should vote according to their consciences.

Senator Cassidy had a simple explanation for his decision and posted it to Twitter for the whole world to understand his rationale.

For his act of conscience — and rationality— Senator Cassidy earned a rapid censure motion from the Louisiana Republican Party.

“The Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Louisiana has unanimously voted to censure Senator Bill Cassidy for his vote cast earlier today to convict former President Donald J. Trump on the impeachment charge,” the state party said in a statement immediately after the vote was taken.
For all of the antipathy that Cassidy earned within his own party, he also earned thanks and respect from Democrats and independents on social media who expressed their gratitude to the Louisiana lawmaker in response to his explanatory post.
While Senator Cassidy may have alienated some of the more die-hard Trump supporters in his party, it looks like his principled stand on the ex-president’s responsibility  to be held acountable for his actions has earned him the admiration and respect of a wide swath of people across the country.
While those 43 Republicans who voted not guilty deserve the contempt and derision that they are now receiving from many quarters, Senator Cassidy — along with Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins(R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Pat Toomey (R-PA)  — all deserve a measure of reward for their decisions to judge Trump on the evidence rather than through a filter of partisanship.

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Vinnie Longobardo
Managing Editor
Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art.

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