Toomey’s vote

In the midst of writing to Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., to commend his impeachment trial vote, I began to hear of Republican Party apparatchiks of various states initiating censures against their U.S. senators who had been persuaded of the former president’s guilt and voted to convict him.

I (unanimously) censure these censurers. And more: I charge them with aggravated enablement of the twice-impeached former president in his incitement of the riot and his many falsehoods about the election results. Better they had remained silent and been thought partisan hacks than speak and remove all doubt.

These state party functionaries should have commended their own senators who were able to weigh the rather blatant evidence of the lies, dereliction of duty, and violation of oath of office by the disgraced former president and then find the uprightness and courage to vote for justice and counter the cowardly and servile deceit of 43 Republican senators.

I was as surprised and perversely satisfied as anyone to hear Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s scathing assessment of the former president’s guilt. His conscience must have been intensely troubled, his anger undeniable, to make those statements— especially after his boho dance of cowardice and party cover in his vote to acquit — but fell short of true and lasting virtue.

So, are state Republicans just as cowardly and compromised, pandering to the base? Or are they “the” base?

Who’s this “we” that Washington County GOP chairman Dave Ball speaks of who sent Mr. Toomey to Washington to do their bidding? I believe Mr. Toomey is also there to represent Pennsylvania Democrats; I’m one of those, and grateful Mr. Toomey found his conscience — just in time!

CHUCK HAMMERSMITH

Ellwood City