As RedState reported, because Republicans can never do anything right, a censure resolution authored by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna targeting Adam Schiff failed on Wednesday. 26 Republicans helped sink it by either voting no, present, or not voting at all.

That led to immediate accusations that the Republicans who voted against the measure were “traitors” and “RINOs.” Is that true, though? Or is life more complicated than cheap, immature online tropes? I think you can guess where I’m going with this so let’s start with the explanations from some of those who voted no. I think digging deeper than Twitter insults is actually important here.

Let’s start with Rep. Thomas Massie, perhaps the most principled, conservative member of the House. He’s the guy who even voted against the Republican-supported CARES Act, a boondoggle Trump-era COVID bill that helped create the inflation that has cost all of us so much money.

He believed the resolution (likely correctly) was unconstitutional.

If a simple majority of the House can lay claim to $16 million from one member of Congress, our Republic is doomed if Democrats ever get the majority back.

Glad to see the author of the censure resolution is removing this provision from the resolution and going to try again.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 15, 2023

The Constitution says the House may make its own rules but we can’t violate other (later) provisions of the Constitution.

A $16 million fine is a violation of the 27th and 8th amendments.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 14, 2023

On no planet is Massie a “RINO.” He’s earned his stripes and the country would be such a better place if we had a few hundred more congressmembers like him. He’s also not the type of guy who is going to do something he believes is wrong just because the online outrage mob is whipped up. I’d say that’s a good thing over the long term.

Rep. Kevin Kiley is also being attacked. He’s another rock-ribbed conservative and someone many of you have come to know and love through our reporting on him. That Kiley also won a swing seat in California to become the 218th called race, officially securing the current House majority for the GOP is worth mentioning to his sudden hysterical critics. I guess loyalty only goes one way these days, though.

There are other representatives who had legitimate reasons for voting no as well (Young Kim, who won another hard-fought swing seat last November, explained her reasoning on an LA morning show on Thursday). Let me say this as well. It is legitimate for some members to vote based on the concerns of their constituency. Would you rather Republicans lose the House by forcing a bunch of irrelevant purity tests on California representatives who took back Democrat seats in 2022? What is accomplished by doing that?

In short, almost none of the Republicans who voted against the censure resolution are “RINOs” who secretly love Adam Schiff. I know that reality doesn’t make for good headlines, but I’d rather tell the truth about the situation than frame something falsely for cheap clicks.

Here’s the point. Instead of chasing clout online by putting forth the most bombastic, controversial, and possibly illegal resolution possible, why not get together with those who have concerns to ensure what’s brought to floor passes? Is that really so difficult?

And guess what? Word on the street is that a new resolution will be put forth now that doesn’t have the same problems. Miracles never cease.

I will never vote for a bill that I believe violates the Constitution, even one aimed at historic abuses that brings desperately needed accountability. I appreciate the author of H. Res 489 working to address the constitutional issues and look forward to voting on a revised…

— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) June 15, 2023

Look, I’m sure Luna wanted to send a message, but it was short-sighted to try to levy a $16,000,000 fine on another congressman for the sin of what essentially boils down to being a partisan hack. Is that a precedent you’d like Democrats to use the next time they take Congress, which could be as soon as 2024? It’s the same kind of mistake Harry Reid made when he blew up the judicial filibuster. If you aren’t thinking five years down the road, you aren’t thinking at all.

Republicans like Massie and Kiley shouldn’t be trashed by supposed conservatives for sticking to their principles and having the ability to think past next week. Both men have proven their salt in the trenches. Everyone on the right needs to take the temperature down a bit. Not everyone who disagrees with you is a “RINO.” That has become a dumb, immature criticism that has no actual meaning anymore. I’d hope that Republicans could be better than that.