From The Washington Post:

Paul Rosenzweig, who served as President George W. Bush’s deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department on Homeland Security, said he personally would have gone further than the group’s comments, which are stern, but measured in tone.

“It strikes me that no reasonable attorney can doubt that there was a quid pro quo here,” said Rosenzweig, referring to Trump’s holding back military aid to Ukraine while requesting the country investigate former vice president Joe Biden.

“I would vote for impeachment, and I would vote for conviction and removal in the Senate as well,” Rosenzweig said.

Rosenzweig said the goal of the joint statement is to give Republicans “intellectual cover” to stand up with other conservatives and say, “the emperor has no clothes” and “do the right thing.”

The Republicans in Congress have “been a greater disappointment to me than Trump himself,” Rosenzweig said. So far, not one has come out in support of an impeachment inquiry.

“Trump is Trump. His nature is his nature. He’s not any different than the person I knew he was going to be three years ago,” Rosenzweig said.

“But the people who I cannot hold any honor for are the Republicans. There’s lots of really smart Republicans who understand what’s at stake here. They are not stepping up and throwing a flag,” he continued. “They all know it’s wrong. They’re not idiots. They just need the courage, so if others say it first, perhaps that helps.”

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