Meet The GOP Defectors

As individual senators cast their votes on President Clinton, it became clear that not only was there a chasm between the nation's two major political parties, but division within the GOP as well.

It was largely Eastern Republicans who stepped across party lines on Friday and voted not guilty on at least one of the charges against the president.

But the biggest split came from the Republican senators from New England. All but two - Bob Smith and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire - voted to acquit.

The defections meant that Republicans were unable to muster even a simple majority on either the obstruction of justice or perjury charge.

To get a conviction, both counts would have required at least 67 votes. It was a threshold that senators have known for weeks would not be met, but many thought at minimum a simple majority of 51 could be achieved on the obstruction charge.

Senators rejected the charge of perjury by a 55-45 vote, as 10 Republicans joined the Democrats. The final tally for the obstruction of justice count came in at a vote of 50-50.

Sen. Susan Collins (AP)

Republicans who voted against conviction on perjury were: Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, James Jeffords of Vermont, John Chafee of Rhode Island, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Fred Thompson of Tennessee, John Warner of Virginia, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Slade Gorton of Washington, Ted Stevens of Alaska.

GOP senators opposing the obstruction article were: Collins, Snowe, Jeffords, Chafee, and Specter.

Crossing party lines was not a decision anyone made lightly. "Other than declaring war, it is difficult to imagine a weightier decision," Collins said in a written statement. "As much as it troubles me to acquit this president, I cannot do otherwise and remain true to my role as a senator."

Sen. Olympia Snowe (AP)

Snowe echoed her sentiments. "From the day I swore my oath to do impartial justice in this trial, I determined that the only way I could approach this case was to ask myself, 'If I were the deciding vote, could I remove this president under these circumstances?' The answer, I have concluded, is no," she said.

Both said the offenses did not rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors when asking themselves whether the president's misconduct posed a threat to democracy and the Constitution.

Bucking the GOP trend has had ts price. Vermont's Jeffords has been the target of death threats since he announced he would vote to acquit Mr. Clinton. Quietly others are concerned about what their defection will mean in the next election.