During last week’s impeachment vote acquitting President Trump of abusing the power of his office, only one Republican in the Senate had the courage to stand up to the president. Sen Mitt Romney of Utah (his party’s nominee for president in 2012) cast the lone GOP vote for conviction for what he called “an appalling abuse of public trust” while Idaho’s two senators — Sen. James Risch and Sen. Mike Crapo — blindly followed the Senate leadership. (Risch was reported as falling asleep during the hearings.)

Romney credited his (Mormon) faith and respect for his “oath of office” as leading to his vote. In his speech, Romney noted that “My promise before God to imply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and biases aside. Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, I would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke and the censure of my own conscience.”

Salt Lake City’s Desert News quoted a reader as saying, “It looks like America has one honest, fair, descent patriotic Republican senator.” What a pity that our two Idaho Republican senators could not summon the courage to vote like their Republican colleague in neighboring Utah.

JIM RAMSEY

Sandpoint