WHEN DOING THE RIGHT THING BECOMES THE EXPEDIENT THING:

Next year, 23 Senate Republicans will be up for reelection with Trump at the top of the ticket.

Murphy warned that, given Trump's antics, Senate Republicans are thinking they are "going to lose Colorado with Cory Gardner. We're going to lose Maine with Susan Collins. We're going to lose Arizona with Martha McSally. And the Democrats will put the Senate very much in play."

At one time, Trump kept Capitol Hill Republicans in line by threatening to have his supporters back a primary challenge to any dissenting GOP member seeking reelection.

Now, that threat has to be weighed against the increasing fear of a weakened president handing the Senate to Democrats.

There is evidence that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) sees impeachment imperiling his majority next year.

Last week, McConnell showed independence from Trump by coming out publicly in support of continuing military aid to Ukraine.

More important, he also pushed the White House to share the whistleblower complaint with Congress.

And McConnell has to deal with a well-known Senate Republican daring to separate himself from Trump on the Ukraine scandal -- Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

Romney said he is "deeply troubled" to see reports of Trump pressuring the Ukrainian president to damage Biden. And he later told reporters: "I can't imagine being in the Senate or in any other position of responsibility and looking around to see who's with you. You stand for what you believe in." [...]

But Romney is not the only Republican willing to speak out.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) -- who was recently endorsed for reelection by Trump -- is on the record as saying Republicans "ought not just circle the wagons."

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