THE FIX IS IN!

SENATE REPUBLICANS FAIL TO RECLAIM THEIR SOULS AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Failed State?

Within four days the Senate will conclude the impeachment trial by voting to acquit Donald John Trump of “abuse of power” and the “obstruction of Congress.” Working hand in glove with the White House Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has successfully blocked the resolution for additional witnesses and documents necessary for a fair trial. Polls indicate that 75% of Americans are in favor of a fair trial by allowing relevant witnesses to testify and documents be admitted. McConnell and his Republican caucus pushed the Senate vote to prevent John Bolton to testify. The fix is in and acquittal as promised is assured.

THE HYPOCRASY OF REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP

Over two days of questions and answers in the impeachment trial Republican Senators has shamefully displayed their loyalty to a corrupt president. If we look back to the day Trump descended from the escalator to his inauguration many of us are left scratching our heads. During those early days of the campaign in 2016 and the debates Republican leaders spoke out that Trump was not a viable candidate. Yet from the first day of his presidency leaders of the Republican Party did a 180 degree turn from rejection of Trump to incredulous support.

The reversal from absolute rejection of Trump to undying support is astounding and defies all common sense and logic. It seems inconceivable Republican leadership would reverse their expressed opinions during the 2016 Presidential campaign. Here are just some of their public opinions of Donald Trump.

• ·         Lindsay Graham professed “he’s a kook, he’s crazy …unfit to be President”
• ·         Ted Cruz called Trump “a pathological liar “as Trump insulted the looks of his wife and blamed his father as an accomplice to the assassination of JFK.
• ·         Jason Javitz chairman of House Oversight Committee resigned from office upon the disclosure of the Hollywood Access tape saying he could not support the immorality of this man as an example to his daughters.
• ·         Marco Rubio became known as “little Mario” during the debates. His retort was to point out the “small hands” of Trump.

ABSENCE OF COURAGE

Television pundits and commentators (MSNBC) debated who among Republican Senators would step up and assume the profile of John McCain. They speculated from the opening arguments as to which four Senators would break the grip of Mitch McConnell to side with Democrats in a vote for witnesses and evidence. The names Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, a retiring Lamar Alexander, Cory Gardner and others were bandied about as possible defectors.

However, the result turned to wishful thinking. In the end only Susan Collins sided with Mitt Romney but to only to satisfy Trump voters in Maine where she faces a battle to retain her seat this November. Mitt Romney sacrificed an invitation to CPAC to insist on additional witness naming John Bolton as one he really wanted to hear from. Unfortunately, Senator Romney failed to convince at least two more Republicans to demand a fair trial for Americans.

Remember, it was Mitt Romney who characterized Trump [as] “a phony, as fit as a degree from Trump university” prior to the election. And during the transition Trump played Romney by entertaining him at a luncheon with a disingenuous offer to serve as his Secretary of State. It became an embarrassment.

WHY WOULD SENATE REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO SUBJUGATE THEMSELVES TO A CORRUPT PRESIDENT?

Yes, this is the $400 million dollar question. I have been pondering this for three years as so many others. I have attempted to discern this absence of all logic as to why Lindsay Graham, McConnell, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and every other Republican would reverse their opposition to Trump and become his staunchest allies?

I keep going back to that time where Republicans moved to eliminate Obama Care on the Senate floor and thought they had a majority vote. But, Senator John McCain rose from his deathbed in Arizona, travelled to Washington D.C. to stare down Mitch signaling a “thumbs down.” That was truly a profile in courage moment.

In the weeks to follow I found one possible answer that seems to fit. Richard Painter* commented posing another question. “Who is to say only the DNC emails were hacked? The email of Senators could have been easily hacked by Russia.” This theory is a viable answer. It is logical.

As Russia intervened in the 2016 Election, Vladimir Putin may have passed on compromising information tied to certain Senators to President-elect Trump. What better way to help his candidate solidify a grip on our government? After all, Vladimir Putin is the master at kompromat.


*Law Professor. Former chief White House ethics lawyer 2005-07. Independent. Host of Politics Podcast http://bit.ly/PainterPod,