I think I'll send these links to all my reps. They're all Republicans, unfortunately.

I think they honestly believe that having the power justifies whatever was done to get the power, and keeping power justifies whatever has to be done in defense of the indefensible. If doing their Constitutional and, moreover, their moral duty, means they risk losing their grip on power in DC, then their duty be damned. Power is all that matters now.

Trump defeated Hillary (so they think, forgetting who won the popular vote: it was a fluke of the Electoral College that gave Trump his office); so they need him as their figurehead to keep their hold on all the disaffected conservative white males that he brought out in 2016 (and, sad to say, a large number of disaffected conservative white women too).

@Paul4747 I think you're right, at the very least for the Republican leadership and the most vocal in the party. And the rest... they're probably scared. And probably see fallout no matter which way they vote on impeachment.

@bingst That much is certain. Voting Guilty will bring out the conservative PACs and "interest groups" who are supposed to be independent (and who believes that fiction, regarding either side?) to punish them next fall if they're up for reelection. I've already seen pressure groups advertising against representatives here in Michigan in Republican districts who were planning to vote their conscience and vote for impeachment. At the same time, voting Not Guilty will be forgotten by Trump, who has all the loyalty of a rabid Rottweiler- so what's the payoff there?

I'm hoping there are enough senators who aren't running next year that count on voters' short memories and will do the right thing, but the realist in me says, "Don't count on it."

@Paul4747 Agreed.