Innocent though proven Guilty.

 

Mitch McConnell [right]
Sean Hannity, Fox News pundit who wants
McConnell sacked.

Is the shameful result of the attempted Trump impeachment an acknowledgement that the central truth of his divisive, vindictive, racist term of office in the White House, is that most Republican senators are too afraid to publicly cross him [and, importantly, his considerable base]. I am impressed with the speech I have just heard made by Mitch McConnell [a statement I never believed I could, or would 

Mike Pence

want to, make] in the Senate, post the impeachment acquittal. Had he only made it earlier THEN crossed the floor to vote for Trump’s impeachment, the persuasive power of it would have been amplified by a factor of ten. But what does the acquittal, underlined by the timing of McConnell’s stinging speech, say about the current Republican Party? “What was once the proud party of Lincoln and Reagan is now a Trump family rag.” as the Guardian says. Trump has abused and disabused it, similar to his total earlier indifference to his namesake university disaster; his bankrupt companies; his huge debts. His vitriol almost caused mortal harm to his loyal Vice-President, as dramatically demonstrated from videos of the rampage. Though Pence and his brother both voted against impeachment and the strange silence of Mike since January 6 suggests at least a lack of leadership and political courage! The very idea that the U.S. is the world’s greatest democracy has always been

Lisa Murkowski; renegade Republican.

laughable; now it is seen as ludicrous. One can guess that the generals in Myanmar are rather enjoying the current American pageant.

T

Bill Cassidy, another renegade.

he few senators who voted for impeachment have apparently been disciplined for their conduct by their local party leaders who presumably echo the feelings of their electorate and in at least one case, been vilified for their efforts by family members! The mystifying popularity of Trump among over 70 million people apparently remains strong and his support seems to be among the former slave states and the rural areas where Church and conservatism are commonplace and racism too, though whisper it not in Gath. According to Heather Cox Robinson in her excellent Letters From An American, in the latest Quinnipiac poll, 75% of Republicans want Trump to continue to lead the party, while 24%-28% blame him for the riot. But there must be, will be, millions of Republicans horrified by the personality and repugnant conduct of the 45^th President, and consequently, by the impeachment debacle and the cowed, dishonest attitude of their representatives. Let us hope that a sensible partition of the Party takes place and a new, sparkling, whiter-than-white [to use a loaded phrase!] version emerges, totally separate from the GOP Trump cult.

Historian Heather Cox Richardson

But the Trump supporters remain, more numerous in the 2020 election than in the 2016. How can this be? It seems they are solid in their metaphorical MAGA hats, red-faced and determinedly looking back as they desperately seek to keep America white, Christian and conservative. No apparent matter to them that America is splendidly diverse now, acknowledging a variety of gods or no god, and gloriously multi-cultural, a state denied, if I remember correctly, by Pompeo in the dying days of the Trump regime. This large and sad minority found its voice briefly in a man with no integrity or understanding of the direction of America’s journey, but with a megaphone-without-consequence, which led, predictably, to the well-planned assault on American democracy. Exhorted and inspired by Trump but well-planned by QAnon and the Oath Keepers.

A satisfying coda to this little diatribe, again from the divine H.C.R: the 57 senators who voted to convict Trump represent 76.7 million more Americans than the 43 senators who voted to acquit.

There is hope, visible even in the seriously anti-Trump Europe!

This is a man