REX TILLERSON DID CORRECTLY CALL THE PRESIDENT AS HE SAW HIM

 THE GOP AND DONALD TRUMP WANT TO BETRAY OUR CONSTITUTION

 

                                           …This is the real Donald J. Trump!

 

The Republicans refuse to deal with the January 6^th domestic terrorist attack on our capitol.

 

It is disturbing to see the detailed memo from conservative lawyer and Federalist Society bigwig, John Eastman, who spoke at the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally.  He laid out out a step-by-step process for throwing the election into turmoil, just so Trump could be installed.

We already know Donald Trump tried to steal the election.  We have the tape of his call to Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger pleading to “find” more votes.  We have notes from then-acting Deputy Attorney General, Richard Donoghue, documenting Trump’s attempt to have the Justice Department declare the election “corrupt".  That was when Trump said: “leave the rest to me and congressional allies”.  And we have Trump’s own words over many weeks, when he called for protesters to march on the Capitol ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Trump continues to falsely insist he won the election and recently demanded Georgia’s Raffensperger to “decertify” the election.

This underscores that so many Republican lawyers are eager to go against the U.S. Constitution and to betray our democracy.  They actually supported the a half-baked scheme involving then-Vice President Mike Pence violating his oath.  It is disgusting because Pence might actually have tried it, if not for the advice of former vice president Dan Quayle.  But mostly it is totally amazing because so many Republicans remain in what has become the MAGA cult. These individuals refuse to deal with the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol and they will apparently eagerly support the former president’s candidacy in 2024.

No one can seriously pass this off as the impulsive actions of one unhinged egomaniac such as the former president. This was a detailed, wide-ranging and multi-level plan to stage what is generally known as “a coup”.  One that all but two House Republicans refuse to investigate.  Moreover, to this day, the Republicans’ stick with their willingness to overthrow our democracy.  They demonstrate this in both their states laws to suppress the votes and to subvert future elections based on their violent rhetoric.

Republican pundits today avoid the issue. “Nothing to see here.  Just move along.”  The Federalist Society has become mute, and GOP lawmakers have nothing to say.

But the constant stream of these actions makes it all the more difficult for the Justice Department to avoid prosecuting the former president or his cronies.  Responsible prosecutors would never ignore so much evidence revealing an insurrectionist instigator’s intent (Which is critical in proving serious crimes).  Nor would prosecutors upholding their oaths miss the seriousness of the plot to overthrow a government.  Refusal to prosecute will amount to an invitation to repeat the coup in 2024, and even beyond.

The California State Bar has been silent on the obvious malpractice and deliberate misdirection revealed in the Eastman memo (and no, vice presidents can’t throw out electoral votes to keep their bosses in office!). And the media (especially the Fox Network) refuses to confront Republicans.  They should be demanding they address their party’s embrace of banana republic-style coup attempts.

The term “un-American” is overused by Trump’s cronies, but there is no other way to describe Trump and his army of enablers. from Eastman to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).  The inescapable conclusion is that the GOP would destroy elections and the peaceful transfer of power if given an opportunity.

If that were not the evidence of irresponsibility, recklessness and lack of patriotism among Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) recently displayed total indifference to potential economic calamity. “We will not support legislation that raises the debt limit,” McConnell said flatly.

This follows a statement from this Republican leader last week that perfectly crystallizes the GOP mind-set: “Let me make it perfectly clear. The country must never default. The debt ceiling will need to be raised. But who does that depends on who the American people elect.”  Other Senate Republicans seem inclined to filibuster on raising the debt ceiling.  It’s just another gross abuse of the Senate’s arcane mechanism.

McConnell’s logic (that only the majority is responsible for the debt ceiling) is another new “rule” that has never existed before.  It is a blatant effort to shirk responsibility for keeping the country running. Even “reasonable” Republicans such as Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) won’t raise the debt limit to pay for spending already passed by Congress.  (BTW: An increase in debt run up by the Trump administration.) This is basically a declaration of total, unbridled obstruction.

The GOP insists the Democrats can raise the debt ceiling in a reconciliation package (which does look iffy). But why should they? Instead of letting Republicans off the hook, Democrats should change the filibuster rules.

The filibuster is supposed to promote compromise and debate; Republicans are incapable of either and have announced their intention to do great harm through their pure obstruction.

Republicans have proudly announced that they have no interest in governing and intend to operate to the detriment of the country.  This whether it’s on the Jan. 6 commission or on raising the debt limit. Since Republicans refuse to govern responsibly, Democrats are stuck alone with the job.

To accomplish that and to protect the country from harm, they must able to operate on 50 Senate votes, plus the vice president. The Republicans who have renounced their obligation to work on the country’s behalf cannot be permitted to hold the country hostage on the debt.  And on voting rights or on anything else. That is an argument that even Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would find difficult to reject.

It is time to take Republicans at their word and hold them accountable for their blatant efforts to undermine America’s democracy and the economy. The media needs to do it, and the voters must do it.  But will they?

The Democrats now have the perfect opening to do the same by dispensing with the filibuster, but do they have the ability, and the desire, to do that? 

It would be appropriate, but who has the guts take on that role?

Copyright G. Ater 2021