One thing that I think is apparent is that Congress needs term limits. Out of 53 US GOP senators, only 2 of them dared to vote for simply hearing witnesses in an impeachment trial of a man whose morals (the lack thereof) can be best illustrated by the transcript of a deposition he gave prior to his election regarding his net worth (a figure that does have some actual importance in finance):
Trump: My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with the markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings, but I try.
Attorney Ceresney: Let me just understand that a little. You said your net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?
Trump: Yes, even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day ...
Attorney Ceresney: When you publicly state a net worth number, what do you base that number on?
Trump: I would say it's my general attitude at the time that the question may be asked. And as I say, it varies.
Trump's lack of honesty and morals is nothing that can be dismissed as "fake news". From his well known extramarital affairs to his off-color comments to Billy Bush about grabbing a lady's nether regions, he is clearly a debauched lecher. From his well documented history of corporate bankruptcies to the many documented allegations of defaulting on contractual obligations both personally and in business, we know that he is a charlatan and a mountebank. In the words of Shakespeare, "he's an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker".
There would have been nothing lost in hearing witnesses. In fact, the majority of American's were in favor of hearing witnesses. The accepted history of Donald Trump's past conduct would have provided enough circumstantial evidence to warrant subpoenas in a criminal or civil proceeding, and it should have been enough for the US Senate.
The GOP of my youth would have rejected such a man as unworthy to be considered for public office. Indeed, the GOP of 2015 and 2016 tried to keep themselves distant from the man in the hopes that his candidacy would come to naught. However, the GOP learned to play mental gymnastics and to turn a blind eye to the man's utterly corruptible nature.
While writing this, I can hear Trump-licans already keying the epithet "liberal" in this essay's comment feed. Ironically, with the exception of the xenophobic GOP view of undocumented aliens (which helped elect Trump) I am in lock-step with most conservative policies. If you want me to narrow it down, I am fine with gay marriage - the fact that men can marry men and women can marry women doesn't diminish the value of my marriage in the least. However, the fact that I cannot ignore the rank odor than permeates Donald Trump's character, has now made me an irredeemable liberal in the eyes of a vast majority of the current GOP. Indeed the zeal of some Trump supporters has echos from followers of another world leader from 80+ years ago.
The recent vote on witnesses in the impeachment trial illustrate how Mitt Romney and Mike Lee provide a good case study that supports the need for term limits.
Most senators on both sides of the isle try and follow the Orrin Hatch career path. They get elected, the pay and benefits far exceed their pay in the private sector, the develop notoriety, and in the end most of them will make connections that will guarantee a great deal of wealth once they are either voted out of office or when they decide to retire from politics. This is their career, if the majority leader says vote this way - you do it.
In Mitt Romney, I believe we find the antithesis of this career path.
He is worth a trustworthy 250 million dollars that can in fact be verified with numbers (not the wind that blows between his ears). He doesn't need his Senate seat to support his family or secure a fortune - his has already been earned. He would like to serve another term, but it he is voted out of office (which is likely with Utah's rabid GOP) he can go back to his fortune without any real problems. Mitt Romney in the Senate has the ability to step back and vote according to his conscience (and to see Trump as he is). I would argue there is a de facto term limit in the case of Mitt Romney.
Counter that with the younger senior senator from Utah Mike Lee. As of 2015 (the most recent numbers I found) his net worth was 218k. He short sold a home when he decided to run for the senate 9+ years ago. Compared to Mitt Romney, he needs his career in Washington. He depends on the high pay that a career senator receives and he is counting on the astronomical income he can make as a lobbyist when he retires. There is no political oxygen for a senator like this to cross the Senate majority leader or a President that uses Twitter with the efficiency of a middle school mean girl. He is left to squirm about how Trump's Billy Bush comments made him uncomfortable as a father, while doing everything he can to stay in the President's good graces. He has no choice.
The only way to bring Congress back is to enact limit terms. This will provide representatives and Senators the political oxygen in their careers (at least for one term) that will allow them to vote for what is right even when party leadership insists that they are wrong. Members of Congress with political oxygen would have the ability to bring reasoned debates and compromise back to our countries decision making processes - if only in my dreams.
