Certainly it is true that both parties encourage their members to stay the course when it comes to supporting their their legislative agendas. But neither party has ever been vindictive when Representatives or Senators followed their conscience or took country over party in their votes. That all has changed within the Republican party as the second impeachment of Trump played out. Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump and the Senators who found him guilty became victims of the Republican doctrine that you must always do what the party demands of you. If you fail to do so you will be issued a formal statement of disapproval. You will be censured. No if or buts about it! Forget your oath to the Constitution and ignore your conscience and just be good soldiers and follow the commands of the party leaders. The penalty for failing to follow this doctrine immediately results in the GOP party censuring your behavior. That was done to GOP House members and now to Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Susan Collins is facing it in Maine. At a minimum it is severe intimidation of party members and at the maximum it expresses a total disregard to democratic principles.

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