Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

6 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

10 hours ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

10 hours ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

11 hours ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

11 hours ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

11 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

11 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

11 hours ago
Mitt Romney’s Vote to Remove President Trump Made This Californian Especially Proud
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 5 years ago on
February 8, 2020

Share

After 30 years in the business of politics, you find yourself to be alumni of several different campaigns. I’ve always been proud to be a Mitt Romney alum, as the California director of his 2008 presidential campaign.
I had decided over a year beforehand that I wanted to work to elect Romney as president. I was impressed with how he was a Republican who was elected governor in the blue state of Massachusetts and pragmatically steered a course with conservative hues.


Rob Stutzman
Special to CALmatters

Opinion
My friend and then business partner Mike Murphy had navigated Romney’s Massachusetts victory, and I was influenced by the atypical genuine high esteem Mike held for Romney. Romney was a skilled conservative of strong character whom I deeply believed would be a great president.
His 2008 campaign was of course unsuccessful. He lost the Republican nomination to John McCain. But my belief in Romney remained and he was a great friend to consequential GOP efforts in California, like supporting his friend Meg Whitman’s quest for governor in 2010.
All of this came into focus during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
Regardless of one’s belief about whether PresidentTrump should have been removed from office, you have to either be a rube or willfully discard plain truth that Trump did what he’s accused of doing.
Many GOP senators chose to be courtiers to their king, promoting the White House’s preposterous narrative that he did nothing wrong and the charges were a “hoax.”

Romney Clearly Acted in the Scope of His Conscience

But Romney did something different. He voted to find Trump guilty of the charge of abuse of power.  Mitt Romney doing what he believes to be right thing should come as no shock.
In an interview with Mark Leibovich of The New York TimesRomney soberly described his inability to ignore his conscience and oath. Clear eyed about the backlash from his party that was sure to ensue he referenced a refrain from a hymn from his church: “Do what is right let the consequence follow.”
Romney clearly acted in the scope of his conscience (greatly informed by his faith), his duty to his oath and his desire to be on the correct side of history by rendering “impartial justice.”
If you watched his speech on the Senate floor, the emotion gripping him from the gravity of his decision was apparent. This was clearly a man taking a path much more difficult than the one his GOP colleagues were choosing. And he was reconciled to the consequences that would follow.
Those consequences were swift and pathetically predictable. The president’s son, Donald Trump, Jr., in customarily sophomoric form posted a meme to Twitter mocking Romney for wearing mom jeans, and called him a slang term for women’s genitalia (just like his father infamously bragged about grabbing).
Romney’s niece, the obsequious chairwoman of Republican National Committee, Ronna Romney McDaniel, blasted him in a public statement, and there is clamor in Romney’s home state of Utah to pass legislation to allow for the recall of U.S. Senators. Trump has accused him of being a secret Democrat asset.

Photo of President Donald Trump holding up a newspaper that read "ACQUITTED"
President Donald Trump holds up a newspaper with the headline that reads “ACQUITTED” at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast, at the Washington Hilton, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Many of Us Hope That Mitt’s Decision Is a Moment of Leadership

Romney’s vote of course had no effect on the outcome of the trial. But it is my hope and prayer that it will have an outcome on what comes next in American politics.

But beyond the babble, many of us hope that Mitt’s decision is a moment of leadership that sears consciences and emboldens people to treat our politics with more dignity and complexity than Trump, cable news and the petulance of many Democrats present to us daily.
It has been so long since we’ve seen such a startling act of conscience from a politician that we may have forgotten what it looks like. For Romney to be eviscerated for his act of conscience, is further evidence that the GOP under Trump has become a gang with fidelity only to the capo.
The contrast of Romney choosing the difficult path of conviction and duty to the bootlicking capitulation of others, starkly defines the age upon us.
In the days ahead, Romney will be eviscerated by the Trump sycophants feeding at his trough for money and/or power, and he’ll ironically be lionized by a left tilting mainstream media which treated him quite unfairly as a presidential candidate.  It’s all going to be predictable.
But beyond the babble, many of us hope that Mitt’s decision is a moment of leadership that sears consciences and emboldens people to treat our politics with more dignity and complexity than Trump, cable news and the petulance of many Democrats present to us daily.
A good place to start in doing your part to resist our slouch toward banal tribalism is in defending Romney for his act of conscience, even if you disagree.
I stand with Mitt. Like all politicians, he’ll tell you he’s not been perfect and has regrets. Such is life in the arena. He would have been a great president, but maybe God’s intended moment for him was as a senator.
I’ve remain forever a proud Romney alum. And this week I couldn’t be prouder.
About the Author 
Rob Stutzman is a Republican strategist in Sacramento, Rob@Stutzmanpa.com. He wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s Capitol works and why it matters.
[activecampaign form=31]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining

UP NEXT

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

UP NEXT

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

UP NEXT

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

UP NEXT

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

UP NEXT

Things Netanyahu Might Say if Injected With Truth Serum

UP NEXT

California Politicians Ignore Ag’s Troubles, but Boost Movie Business

UP NEXT

Trump’s Courageous and Correct Decision to Bomb Iran

UP NEXT

How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle

UP NEXT

Groceries Are Now a Luxury. So Is Breathing.

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

4 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

4 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

4 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

5 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

5 hours ago

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

6 hours ago

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

6 hours ago

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

6 hours ago

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

6 hours ago

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

7 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

WASHINGTON – Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday struggled to pass President Donald Trump’s massive tax-cut...

3 hours ago

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the press, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
3 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

The Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County has rapidly expanded to 8,396 acres with no containment, prompting evacuation orders and warnings near New Cuyama. (CalFire)
3 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

Andrew Biscay, 40, was arrested Friday, June 20, 2025, after deputies found him with a fake U.S. Marshal’s badge, homemade firearm, and law enforcement-style gear during a warrant arrest. (Madera County SO)
4 hours ago

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, a Madera County sheriff’s deputy was injured while trying to arrest a wanted felon, Felix Adrian Nucamendi Carrasco, 40, who later fled and was captured near Raymond Road. (Madera County SO)
4 hours ago

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

A wildfire dubbed the Madre Fire has burned over 3,300 acres near New Cuyama with 0% containment, officials said Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (CalFire)
4 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

4 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

Jose Luna (left), 33, and Ralph Grajeda, 45, both of Visalia, have been sentenced for their roles in the 2020 shotgun killing of Robert Soto at a local motel. (Tulare County DA)
5 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (Reuters File)
5 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend