Tom Campbell
In baseball, three strikes and you're out. In today's politics, it's one strike and you're out. Just ask Richard Burr. Our senior Senator listened to all the evidence in the Trump impeachment trial and voted the courage of his convictions, declaring the former president guilty. The North Carolina Republican Party Executive Committee wasted no time. They couldn't kick Burr out of the party, but they did vote to censure him.
Make no mistake: Republicans in Congress weren't sending Donald Trump an early valentine. Many, more than enough to convict him, are fed up with Trump. If they had truly voted their consciences, they would have joined Burr and convicted Trump. Instead, all but seven Republican senators voted to keep their jobs instead of doing their jobs. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said as much in excoriating Trump after the vote. McConnell cast a not guilty vote because he believed he would lose his position as caucus leader if he voted "guilty."