HARD.
It should surprise no one that the Republican Senate—the most inept collection of politicians in recent memory—will end the Trump era in a state of disarray, discord, and dysfunction.
What Americans have witnessed over the past four years, as I’ve written several times, is a textbook example of political power squandered. Republican senators, rather than maximize the unexpected gift of a Republican White House, Senate, and House of Representatives to advance long-promised “conservative” policies, wasted the opportunity while giving political cover to both the corrupt president who preceded Donald Trump and the one who will succeed him.
A once-in-a-generation chance to purge the Beltway of fossilized institutionalists was bypassed. Ditto for major reforms of immigration law, foreign affairs, trade agreements, federal regulations, and climate change activism. The president almost single-handedly retooled failed national policies through executive orders or administrative decree; in most cases, especially related to U.S. military presence abroad, Senate Republicans thwarted rather than aided the Trump Administration.
“Conservative” achievements over the past four years belong solely to the president and his team, not to congressional Republicans.
Now, after undoubtedly getting an earful from their constituents, a dozen Republican senators are attempting a last-minute play to salvage their reputations and mollify the party’s infuriated base. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and others plan to reject certifying the election results on January 6 unless a full audit is conducted.
Trump, in the messy way that is admittedly part of his political brand, is left to fight the powers-that-be alone, recognizing that this battle isn’t just about him but about the fate and future of the country as a whole.
As for Cruz and his compatriots, their counterattack is too little, too late. The Senate should have shut down all other business from November 3 on and held one hearing after another on election irregularities and illegalities in the disputed states, demanding action from the Justice Department and state lawmakers. Threats to reject certification should have been made several weeks ago, not a few days before Congress is scheduled to certify the Electoral College vote.
But just like so many other instances over the past four years, Senate Republicans cowered and caved; Trump has had to do all the dirty work so craven Republicans could keep their own hands clean.
And this is what should be rewarded with Republican victories in Georgia?
A fitting coda to such a dismal stretch of Republican treachery should be for McConnell to lose the Senate. Romney and his NeverTrump caucus should pay a price. Their final acts of betrayal not to Trump but to Republican voters must have consequences.
If they won’t stand against a rigged presidential election, they certainly won’t stand against Joe Biden and the Democrats.
It would be both unwise and unfair to expect any such thing of them anyhow. They’re all playing for the same team.
And people sneer at pro rasslin’ for being rigged. Myself, I’ll take the WWE and its “sports entertainment” over this tiresome, played-out Uniparty shitshow any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.
- Entries
“They’re all playing for the same team.”
I’ll never understand the thought that R’s lack a spine. They have a spine, it’s just a filthy dirty one. There are at most a handful of politicians that are Americans. Most are just grifters.
Yup. They’re not spineless, they’re just on the other side.
Hang the traitors first.
While I bow to no man in my contempt and disdain for the GOP over the last 20 years, I think (not so)Great Britain may have the edge on us in this one.
It took the British government how many fucking years to follow through on a clear Brexit mandate from their voters?
Our GOP runs a very, very close second, though.