I’ve criticized Senator Mitt Romney in the past for being a flip-flopper on a variety of issues and even on his position regarding Donald Trump. And maybe he has wavered on some of these things to maintain his balance in congress, his career, and as a presidential candidate in 2012. But he didn’t flip-flop today, Wednesday, February 5th, 2020 regarding President Goldfinger.
Romney stood up as a man today and as a responsible United States Senator, as a responsible American, voting against the Republican Party line and to convict Donald Trump of abuse of power.
Romney will pay the price from his fellow Republican senators and from the Republican Party generally. He has already been dis-invited to CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) later this month for voting against the party line and to hear from witnesses which would have extended but probably not influenced Trump’s impeachment trial. CPAC is the popular annual event for republicans attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across America. It’s like the Republican Grammy Awards.
Senator Romney will also be taking flack from Trump himself in the wake of President Goldfinger’s ridiculous State of the Union address. It was more of an ‘over-state’ of the Union. It was the ultimate Trump reality show, a shameful insult to the truth using America and some heroic Americans as actors in Trump’s showcase of presumption.
Rush Limbaugh, Presidential Medal of Freedom? Please, give me a break! Trump’s dramatic soap opera continued with the announcing of a scholarship to a young girl to promote a school choice program. She was seated in the senate gallery with her mother. It was a nice gesture and a heartfelt moment, but a total use of show biz staging to promote Trump. The worst (or best depending on you point of view) was bringing home a soldier who was deployed in Afghanistan to surprise his family also seated in the senate gallery next to Melania Trump. Again, this was a beautiful gesture and a memorable moment, but the State of the Union started to look like ‘Queen for a Day‘ or ‘This is Your Life’ popular 50’s game shows featuring contestants being surprised with gifts and old friends from their past. Show biz, baby!
Trump’s litany of ‘accomplishments’ was a misrepresentation of the truth. He fooled half of America because it sounded great and everyone was high on partisan patriotism. The other half of America wasn’t fooled because they either already knew the facts or they bothered to fact-check Trump’s false claims.
Mitt Romney wasn’t fooled, and I appreciate his responsibility and courage to stand alone in the midst of this republican firestorm. Some democratic congressmen did not attend the 'Stage' of the Union event. Some walked out. Mitt Romney had the civility and courtesy to stay and listen and to participate. He even credited Trump with giving a strong, forward-looking speech, which it was. Watching the activities, you really wanted to believe all of it and believe in your president and in Trump’s America. But many of us know better and feel differently.
Romney agrees with many of Trump’s policies, so do I, but in the end Romney called ‘em like he sees ‘em, and I respect and appreciate that. I only wonder what was going through his mind as Trump raved on. I’ve just told you what was going through my mind. I must say, however, Trump had me bamboozled until he brought in the soldier from Afghanistan. Nice gesture, I thought, but then ....wait a minute, this is a game show!
So, nice goin’, Mitt on your heartfelt vote to convict. Trump will walk, but you have earned my respect, and the respect of many Americans, and you will go down in history as a truly great American and as a man of conviction.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762
Some past articles and op-eds
https://muckrack.com/john-kushma/articles
