Impeachment trial oath is true test of integrity

The U.S. Republican Senators all raised their hands and swore “under God” and on the Constitution and signed that they would be impartial in the President’s impeachment trial. How many do you think will actually keep that sacred oath? Probably zero — at best maybe 1-2 who will then be doomed to Republican Senatorial Hell — like Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, who went against his Republican cohorts and was publicly humiliated by Trump.

Flake was essentially damned by his own party and will not run for re-election. Shunning, banishment, loss of their base, and especially public humiliation and excoriation by Trump — all things Republican Senators deathly fear as they know they will become an ex-Senator. Is this the new Republican Party? Our new democracy?

Remember the blame, humiliation and excoriation Republican Majority Leader McConnell received from Trump when the health care bill was defeated? Then when the tax cut bill passed, the Republican Senators, many of whom reviled Trump in 2016 and before, including Senators McConnell and Hatch, publicly groveled before Trump on the White House lawn and proclaimed him to be shown as the best president in US history. It was downright stomach turning.

Now we will see if the Republican Senate can finally muster the courage and integrity, as Republican Senator Flake warned, to vote as pledged “under God” for the truth as to Trump’s guilt.

— Linda Cheffet, Oroville