Mitt, What The Hell Happened?!!

When politicians start talking about their religious conscience particularly with regard to a politically motivated impeachment proceeding one becomes suspicious because, to paraphrase la Rochefoucauld, it often turns out to be like the ghost that everyone talks about but no one has seen. 

His agonized conscience notwithstanding, Mitt Romney provided us with neither superior wisdom nor rational argument when he told us on February 4th. that he was voting to convict President Trump on the one charge of "Abuse of Power" but Mitt, like his Democratic friends, blithely ignored the salient fact that "Abuse of Power" is not a crime and it most certainly is not an impeachable offense. It is like charging someone with having an immoral character but that is not an impeachable offense either. If it were then more than half of our Congress could be impeached.....note to Pelosi, Schiff and Nadler. 

The Democrats embarrassed themselves when they submitted articles of impeachment that contained no impeachable offenses. Their claims look even more suspect when one remembers that President Zelensky of the Ukraine was not even aware that he was being threatened or pressured by President Trump which would seem to be a necessary prerequisite for any quid pro quo to have taken place. 

The testimony of so-called star witnesses like Lieutenant Colonel Vindman and Ambassador Sondland could be described as ipsissima vox at best. Furthermore if, as the Democrats alleged, our republic was in such mortal peril and our constitution was constantly and deliberately being breached why did it take them thirty three days, count them, to deliver the articles of impeachment to the senate?!

It is curious that Mitt failed to recognize any of the signs of an unfolding opera bouffe before he made his overwrought, hand-wringing and sanctimonious statement invoking his conscience. 

Paradoxically, his own call for more witnesses before he could decide how to vote did not stop him from voting to convict President Trump without the testimony of the witnesses he said he needed. Mitt sank to the level of the enterprise. 

This was a disappointing performance and it was particularly disheartening for people who voted for him in 2012. I voted for Mitt in that election and he inspired the only bumper sticker I ever created: "Vote for Romney. If He Ruins The Country At Least It Won't Be On Purpose!" Now, I'm not so sure. 

After Mitt addressed the senate and cast his vote to convict he was left in exactly the same position as he was in before the entire farce started which is to say holding an empty sack with all of his work still in front of him and to quote Joe Biden, that great American orator, looking like a "lying, dog-faced pony soldier."