While we’re at it, throw Lugar and Voinovich under the bus!
Seriously, expulsion is a bit ridiculous.
However, the national party and the Senate GOP caucus need to sit down with these two and explain the concepts of “party discipline” to them. Harkening back to the “stimulus” vote, it didn’t matter whether they thought the bill was good or bad... the simple fact the the Democrats ramrodded it through without any discussion with the minority party demanded that the GOP be unified in their opposition, as was the House GOP.
This is not pettiness, but simply protecting the ability of the minority party to be in any way effective. By betraying the rest of the party, they have also marginalized themselves, for they had established a precedent that members of the GOP caucus could “defect” on any issue. The next time, it could have been one important to one of them, and they’d see themselves betrayed in turn. (Not likely, but theoretically possible.)
This is mostly moot, now that the ‘rats will have 60 seats. But it is still important to show party discipline. If the ‘rats force through another bill without any input from the GOP, then the ‘rats need to “own” it without ANY Republican votes.
This is why the GOP was in the minority for 40 years.
Getting 60% isn’t enough for you, but it is for the Democrats which is why they keep winning and moving the US left.
Why, once and a while they vote with Republicans. The thing to do is get them voted out in their primaries. Then hopefully the Pub will win the general and votes a little more party line. This is Maine we’re talking about.
When the GOP is down to two members, how do they decide which one gets to expel the other? Cut the cards? Arm wrestle? Duel to the death (making the expulsion moot, I suppose)?