Romney Makes HIstory

[Sandy]

Mitt Romney became the first senator in American history to vote to remove the sitting president of the same party in an impeachment trial. In the other two impeachment trials of Presidents of the US, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, no member of the President's party cast a removal vote. Romney's vote today is the first.

I watched the recording of his speech after the fact. I didn't vote for Romney in 2012, but I think the Republicans are going to come to deeply regret not drafting and nominating him in 2016. They are going to pay dearly at the ballot box for this past four years. What Romney did today was salvage a total disaster. His rationale and explanation was right on target. He got it. But that's not what impressed me, since it has become clear that about a dozen other Republican senators also clearly believe that Trump is guilty as charged, they just don't want to face his wrath or that of his mindless, potentially violent supporters and fobbed their responsibility off in some couched terminology about "letting the voters decide." As Romney said, the constitution gives this responsibility clearly to the Senate. What impressed me was that he, among the 53 Republicans in the Senate, appears to be the only one who took his oath seriously and equated it, as the words of the oath itself do, to his faith in God. In contrast to that are Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, both Southern Baptist Evangelical Christians, whose oath was a falsehood they admitted to before they ever took it. Who, by example, honored their God today and who acted like theirs' doesn't exist?

Romney's statement and vote affirmed the validity of the impeachment and the case made by the House managers. And while, as he said, it's one vote and therefore won't result in removal, Trump's immediate, explosive reaction to Romney's speech and vote confirmed his guilt. I'll admit to taking pleasure in the fact that the timing of his announcement gutted the press conference and the gloating, sent Trump into a blinding rage and once again exposed his complete unfitness to be President, and wiped the smile right off Mitch McConnell's face. More than one Republican was convinced that Trump had done something worthy of impeachment, one of them did the right thing as a result of it.

I have a feeling that if John McCain were still around, he'd have been a "remove" vote too.

[Haruo]

Definitely. As would Flake.

[Joseph Patrick]

From Gerry Milligan ... So, with Romney calling on his religious beliefs and the oath he took before God, where does this leave James Lankford, ordained Southern Baptist Pastor turned repuglican senator from Oklahoma? Oh, and even though it does not mean anything, the Reverend Lankford is P. Patterson's son-in-law. I have posted what a moderate Southern Baptist pastor said last week, that in Oklahoma anything that puts down those "God-hating" democrats is good and Lankford has received a hero's welcome.

[Haruo]

[David Flick]

[William Thornton]

Lankford has a great voice. One of the best I've heard since Adrian. He is called in his material a "minister." I don't know if he is ordained or not. He was referred to as a "youth pastor" and he was employed by the BGCO in a job labeled as "evangelism specialist" and has an MDiv from SWBTS. If he's not ordained, it would be a surprise but, lots of folks attend seminary who never get ordained. WAPO, in fact, calls him an "ordained Southern Baptist pastor." So, maybe Gerry is right on that. It's not relevant to anything other than a factoid for the trumphaing drive bys to use.

On his in-laws. I don't see anything on Paige Patterson. PP has a daughter named Carmen, not Cindy.

Maybe Gerry could exert himself to get the facts. Generally, Gerry is big on things other than concrete facts. He should watch more of Andy Griffeth and spout anti-trump stuff less. My lecture for the day.

Regardless, I like Lankford. I may not agree with all of his positions.

[Rvaughn]

[Joseph Patrick]

[Rvaughn]

[Rvaughn]

[Sandy]

[John Sneed]

Religion aside, Romney's dislike and distaste for this president is well known. His vote was absolutely foreseeable.

[Tim Bonney]

Evangelical's Christian theology doesn't mean squat if they can then turn around and support the most unChristian person in the White House in history. If your faith doesn't actually effect your actions it doesn't mean anything. At least Romney had the faith to fear God's displeasure if he broke an oath. Apparently none of the other Republicans did.

Evangelicalism has become a white washed tomb.

[Stephen Fox]

Not Patterson.

I call his DC office often and make reference to him as a son in law of an SBC Prez. They never challenge me

The definitive piece on this weeks mess is today nytimes editorial board on what it will take to stop Trump. That and Peter Wehner in the atlantic on how GOP Got to this point. .....Lindsay Graham is the most despicable Southern Baptist in this whole mess

[Stephen Fox]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_ ... Presidents

Unless Flick and his good wife can prove me wrong I'm sticking by this assertion cause it has traction with Lankford DC Staff and interns.

[Stephen Fox]

https://www.baptistmessenger.com/lankfo ... ary-upset/

[Joseph Patrick]

[Sandy]

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

https://www.salon.com/2020/02/08/americ ... Y-cEfmKtXA

[KeithE]