WAPO: The cowardice among Republicans is staggering, By Michael Gerson Feb 5

[lindysalsagal]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-cowardice-among-republicans-is-staggering/2018/02/05/41852454-0aa9-11e8-8890-372e2047c935_story.html?utm_term=.5d1c10105ad6

Releasing the memo — while suppressing a dissenting assessment from other members of the House Intelligence Committee — was clearly intended to demonstrate that the FBI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party. The effort ended in a pathetic fizzle. Nunes’s brief, amateurish document failed to demonstrate that FBI surveillance was triggered solely or mainly by a Democratic-funded dossier. But for cherry-picking above and beyond the call of duty, Nunes (R-Calif.) deserves his own exhibit in the hackery hall of fame. This was a true innovation: an intelligence product created and released for the consumption of Fox News.

With the blessing of Republican leaders, the lickspittle wing of the GOP is now firmly in charge. The existence of reckless partisans such as Nunes is hardly surprising. The nearly uniform cowardice among elected Republicans is staggering. One is left wishing that Obamacare covered spine transplants. The Republican-led Congress is now an adjunct of the White House. The White House is now an adjunct of Trump’s chaotic will.

The political damage to the GOP as the party of corruption and coverup should be obvious as well. This is a rare case when the rats, rather than deserting a sinking ship, seemed determined to ride it all the way down.

[whathehell]

1. Great article...Michael Gerson rocks!

[gademocrat7]

2. K&R

Good read.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. From the article:

The United States Congress is an institution of great power. According to the Constitution, it can deny jurisdiction to the Supreme Court. It can remove the commander in chief. But now it watches as Trump makes the executive branch his personal fiefdom. It stands by — or cheers — as the president persecutes law enforcement professionals for the performance of their public duties.

Why can’t Republican legislators see the personal damage this might cause? Trump has made a practice of forcing people around him to lower their standards and abandon their ideals before turning against them when their usefulness ends. His servants are sucked dry of integrity and dignity, then thrown away like the rind of a squeezed orange. Who does Trump’s bidding and has his or her reputation enhanced? A generation of Republicans will end up writing memoirs of apology and regret.

(Emphasis mine )

[BamaRefugee]

4. Gerson gets it wrong. Its not Republican cowardice. Its Republican UTOPIA.

All of them, forever, have craved a big powerful Alpha male to TELL THEM WHAT TO DO, so that they don’t even have to engage in any critical thinking, they can just follow orders in lockstep with others, so that there’s absolutely no concept of any individual guilt.
Now they’ve got him and they are reveling in it. Groveling before him. Debasing themselves for his perverse pleasure.
REPUBLICANS: THE PARTY OF BOTTOMS
There will be no memoirs of regret. Just memories of how good it felt being bad.

[lagomorph777]

11. It's NRA Roubles.

Putin is pulling all the strings. He is using Roubles funneled through the NRA (and probably others). Those Roubles, of course, also become useful Kompromat once accepted.

[Perseus]

5. "I believe Ryan to be a good person."

Really??? How do you come to that conclusion? A guy who in high school and college was dreaming of ending all social services the government provides that help the poor? who, knowingly, pushed for a tax bill he knows benefits the very rich, including himself, and sets the path to destroying those services he has always dreamed of to destroy?

He is not a good person, in my book he is on the SOB list. He is a despicable man who seems to be having an orgasm while sitting behind the man-child, and working behind the scenes to destroy the fabric of the USA democracy. Who knows how much he has collaborated with the Russians? I hope Muller has done some research in this area. With actions with the Nunes memo he has raised suspicion to be part of the conspiracy that put the man-child in power, I am sure he understood Norquist well about the "monkey with a pen" and saw in the man-child the perfect monkey. How much money have the Russians "contributed" to his political career?

No, Ryan is not a good person, he is a total a&(*hole, and a liar.

[bronxiteforever]

6. The only thing that will change this is an election

And a tidal wave of blue.

[Nitram]

7. And Gerson is a conservative!

[BSdetect]

8. The GOP has failed to make it clear that no nuclear weapons will be used against NK

They must show the military that it is not alone if they stand up to drumph.

If they continue to enshrine drumph then they are responsible for allowing a real nutjob to ruin the entire world.

For that is what using those weapons will cause.

[wiggs]

9. The rats must not think the ship is sinking. They think they'll make it. Which is scary. nt

[Orsino]

10. When we let the money in, it immediately began selecting for weakness.

There are almost none left on the Republican side with anything we'd call courage.

[colsohlibgal]

12. It Is Staggering

And the everyday zombie Trumpites....supporting a serial liar who is in bed with the Russkies, which would have made righties nuts before now. They are Trump zombies, who probably would stay with him if he did shoot someone on 5th Avenue.