October 24, 2017
As Bob Corker’s ‘No F__ks Tour’ continues apace, came word today that Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona would not seek re-election. Flake made the announcement in an elegant speech, which mournfully detailed the debasement of our democratic ideals and civic culture occurring under the Trump presidency. Flake called out the “reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior” coming from the Executive Branch (Source: “Read Flake’s bombshell Senate Speech: ‘I rise today to say: Enough!’” Azcentral.com; 10/24/17). Flake quoted Teddy Roosevelt to remind his colleagues that calls to “stand by the President, right or wrong” are “unpatriotic and servile.”
Flake’s speech, coming on the heels of McCain’s and W’s takedowns of Trumpism last week, is evidence that those Republicans with a shred of principle have concluded that it is untenable to remain silent in the face of the full scale abandonment of any fealty to Democratic norms or fundamental decency by this President. They have also concluded that there is no path to electoral victory in the current Republican Party for those unwilling to traffic in dehumanizing stereotypes to attain power.
If they are self-reflective at all, though, they all must admit that the use of racism to divide the white working class from the Black and Brown Americans that should be their natural allies is a venerable tradition that stretches back to the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870. In more recent political history, starting with the Southern strategy of Richard Nixon, Republicans have mined the rich vein of American racism to ensure their electoral success. From patrician George H. W. Bush’s use of the “Willie Horton” ads to defeat Mike Dukakis in 1988 to the openly racist anti-Latino ads being run by Ed Gillespie in the current Virginia governor’s race, Republicans have never been shy about invoking racism and fear to win elections.
Even now, as Republicans no longer in office look aghast at the white supremacist horror show unfolding in The White House, their colleagues in Congress are lining up to endorse secessionist theocrat, Roy Moore for the Alabama Senate seat. Out of 52 sitting senators, only Flake, McCain and Corker have spoken out against Trump’s reckless bellicosity and unfitness for office. Only Collins, Murkowski and McCain voted against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The others go along in timorous silence or zealously pursue baseless witch-hunts against their eternal adversary, Hillary Clinton, while stymieing all efforts to get to the bottom of the Russian interference in our election.
Craven House Speaker Paul Ryan urges us to “forget” about Trump’s Twitter feud with Bob Corker (and presumably to ignore the substance of Corker’s criticisms) and focus on tax cuts instead (Source: “Paul Ryan says Corker will vote for tax reform despite Trump feud,” by Sunlen Serfaty, CNNpolitics.com, 10/24/17).
Thus, while we should welcome the words of Corker, McCain and Flake, we cannot laud them for words alone. We must remind them that with knowledge comes responsibility. All three remain in office until January of 2019. Corker is Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and could blunt Trump’s rash moves on the Iran deal. McCain, as chair of the Armed Services Committee, could convene hearings to determine what actually happened to Sgt. Johnson and the other three service members killed in Niger. Flake, as chair of the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law could commence hearings on the use of social media platforms by the Russians to influence our elections. Their road to Damascus conversion is welcome, but should serve as a stark reminder to us all– those who sow the wind reap the whirlwind.
On point, as always