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"No" on Impeachment Unites Today's GOP. In the 1950s, a Renegade Dared to Break Ranks

Breaking with party unity can be costly. In the 1950's, Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine faced backlash after she condemned McCarthy, a fellow Republican.
"No" on Impeachment Unites Today's GOP. In the 1950s, a renegade dared to break ranks.
Karen M. Sughrue/Retro Report

Revelations of political wrongdoing have emerged in the impeachment hearings. Nevertheless, nearly every Republican in Congress has stood by President Trump. Breaking with party unity can carry a political cost. In the 1950’s, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, a Maine Republican, alienated Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and others in their party when she condemned his fiery efforts to suppress Communism.