Well, it looks like the reality of the Ossoff/Warnock wins is finally sinking in in GOP world, or whatever is left of it. What a day. Elaine Chao bailed, Betsy DeVos followed her, telling Donald Trump in a letter, “there is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me.” Umm, ‘scuse me, but his rhetoric has been this way since forever.
In all events. DeVos and her billions just slapped Trump in the face and flounced away, leaving him on the dance floor, staring, and wait, this party is just getting rolling: that bastion of weak tea conservative justification, Rupert Murdoch’s legitimate love child — not Fox the bastard — but the Wall Street Journal is calling upon Trump to resign.. Occasionally I find myself typing a sentence and saying, “Did I just put that in illuminated pixels or am I dreaming?” This is one of those moments.
If Mr. Trump wants to avoid a second impeachment, his best path would be to take personal responsibility and resign. This would be the cleanest solution since it would immediately turn presidential duties over to Mr. Pence. And it would give Mr. Trump agency, a la Richard Nixon, over his own fate.
This might also stem the flood of White House and Cabinet resignations that are understandable as acts of conscience but could leave the government dangerously unmanned. Robert O’Brien, the national security adviser, in particular should stay at his post.
We know an act of grace by Mr. Trump isn’t likely. In any case this week has probably finished him as a serious political figure. He has cost Republicans the House, the White House, and now the Senate. Worse, he has betrayed his loyal supporters by lying to them about the election and the ability of Congress and Mr. Pence to overturn it. He has refused to accept the basic bargain of democracy, which is to accept the result, win or lose.
It is best for everyone, himself included, if he goes away quietly.
Here’s my first blush take: I think that the fact that the GOP wants Trump gone and Pence to take over is for the purpose of establishing Pence as the sane Republican daddy and inheritor to the GOP throne. I think that’s the gag.
Josh Hawley is toast and Ted Cruz was toast before he even got involved in sedition. Now he’s charcoal — on the rim of a volcano. Cruz may not be finished as a senator but he is effectively gone from rising in the party and I think it may go down really harshly for Hawley. Those red “S’s” on the forehead do make you stick out.
They both egregiously miscalculated and so they won’t rise in the party but Mike Pence is not only salvageable, he’s sympathetic. The GOP has decided to rally round good ole boy, man of God, white bread and mayonnaise, vanilla Spock, Pence.
And so if Pence can take over the ship, while the insane captain gets dragged off the bridge and down to the brig, or better yet sick bay, the Starship GOP can keep going.
Because the GOPers are pissed. I mean seriously so.
The lodestar of these columns is the U.S. Constitution.
Which Donald Trump has wiped his ass with, any number of times.
The document is the durable foundation protecting liberty, and this week it showed its virtue again. Despite being displaced for a time by a mob, Congress returned the same day to ratify the Electoral College vote and Joe Biden’s election. Congratulations to the President-elect, who will be inaugurated as the Constitution stipulates at noon on Jan. 20.
…on Wednesday the leader of the executive branch incited a crowd to march on the legislative branch. The express goal was to demand that Congress and Vice President Mike Pence reject electors from enough states to deny Mr. Biden an Electoral College victory. When some in the crowd turned violent and occupied the Capitol, the President caviled and declined for far too long to call them off. When he did speak, he hedged his plea with election complaint.
This was an assault on the constitutional process of transferring power after an election. It was also an assault on the legislature from an executive sworn to uphold the laws of the United States. This goes beyond merely refusing to concede defeat. In our view it crosses a constitutional line that Mr. Trump hasn’t previously crossed. It is impeachable.
The Wall Street Journal has just said that Donald Trump committed an impeachable offense. Mark this well, friends. You are not going to see it everyday.
Mike Pence is the future of the GOP. That’s been decided and that’s what I think this is about. And guess what? He’ll stop making an ass of himself talking about Space Force and the guardians.
So the question is: Will Trump do it? And then will Pence pardon Trump? Maybe that’s the deal. Stay tuned, we’re almost at the end of Apprentice: White House Edition.
Maybe? I never thought he would concede, either. Someone above him told him to put a cork in it.
But who’s got that power? And why is he listening now?
Senior staff, per CNN. They told him either did this or they ALL walked out the door.
Drag him down to the brig, or sick bay? Not only no but hell no. Drag him down to the bilge pumps and stuff him in!
I always suspected Cotton was as evil but smarter than Cruz. Now we know for sure.
If Russia, China, North Korea and Iran want to press their claims in Belorussia, Taiwan, South Korea and Israel, this would be the time to do it.
In international politics, it is always a mistake to assume one size fits all. Russia is dealing with as bad an outbreak of COVID and political turbulence as us, neither Taiwan nor South Korea are shrinking violets, China has blown its best opportunity to make headway on the world stage, North Korea seems to be in the process of getting its first female dictator and Iran also has to deal with Saudi Arabia.
Is it just me or is everyione missing the fact that Pence fully supported the Idiot in Chief until his a$$ was on the line when he was ordered to break the law and finally when he came under attack by a mob, egged on by assorted Trumps, in the US Capitol.
His actions aren’t that distant from the guy who got a big jail sentence and suddenly got religion coming up to a parole board hearing.
It’s not just you.
If Pence pardons Trump (and I still think that’s far-fetched) he is toast too. so who is next?
I always order my evil with a big glop of mayonaise.
Hand Trump over to Iran to face charges. They do have an arrest warrant for him. And it would give them a chance to show off their new twin blade guillotine. One blade lifts up the head, the other chops down. Problem Solved!
Why on earth would you want him to get off that easy?