Ben Sasse Could Have Been Profile in Courage Like Liz Cheney

 

It appears that Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse will resign his seat to become the next President of the University of Florida. 

Almost six years ago, unable to abide either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, I wrote in Sasse's name to be President of the United States.

But Sasse made his peace with Trumpism. Yes, Sasse was one of 7 GOP Senators to vote to impeach Trump following the events of January 6th and, previous to that, did not see fit to challenge the results of the 2020 election. For this I gave him two cheers. While Sasse took umbrage with the likes of Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, he engaged in moral equivalency when he claimed, "Democrats spent four years pretending Trump didn't win the election." Earlier this year, Sasse again took umbrage with his Senate Republican colleagues "performative jackassery" during the confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson. Nevertheless, he voted with the performative jackasses and against Judge Jackson. 

If Sasse wanted to he could have been a profile in courage like Liz Cheney. But he didn't want to be that. What he wants is to be in the good graces of Conservatism, Inc. Sasse won't get that by staying in Washington where Republicans will very likely remain in the minority, but he can do this by going to the cradle of Trumpism and the den of DeSantisland in Florida and posing as an intellectual conservative. 

While I have great contempt for the likes of Hawley, Cruz, Rand Paul and Rick Scott amongst others they no longer care to show any pretensions about preserving the sanctity of our democratic institutions. Sasse, on the other hand, makes a great show about supporting the Constitution and upholding civility but votes with Hawley, Cruz, Paul and Scott just the same notwithstanding his impeachment vote. 

Sasse could have followed Cheney's lead and used his impeachment vote as the starting point as to why Trump should never be allowed to seek public office. Instead, it was his last word.