The flagrant disregard for truth and decency
Trump’s going to be blistering up the Twitter now, after Jeff Flake’s goodbye speech.
Senator Jeff Flake, the Arizona Republican who has tangled with President Trump for months, announced on Tuesday that he would not seek re-election in 2018, declaring on the Senate floor that he “will no longer be complicit or silent” in the face of the president’s “reckless, outrageous and undignified” behavior.
Mr. Flake made his announcement in an extraordinary 17-minute speech in which he challenged not only the president but also his party’s leadership. He deplored the “casual undermining of our democratic ideals” and “the personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms and institutions, the flagrant disregard for truth and decency” that he said had become prevalent in American politics in the era of Mr. Trump.
Trump’s being president is as if Twitter trolls were president. Twitter trolls have been making personal attacks and flagrant disregard for truth and decency the social media norm for years, and now Trump is spreading that to the whole country. (They’re connected, too. Bannon is a troll, and Bannon’s boy wonder was Milo, who is definitely a troll.)
The announcement appeared to signal a moment of decision for the Republican Party. Last week, Senator John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, spoke in Philadelphia, denouncing the “half-baked, spurious nationalism” that he saw overtaking American politics. Former President George W. Bush, in yet another speech, lamented: “We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism.”
On Tuesday morning, Mr. Trump had renewed his attacks on another critic in the Republican Party, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, saying he “couldn’t get elected dog catcher in Tennessee.” Mr. Corker, appearing more weary than angry, said the president “is debasing our country.”
But Mr. Flake, choosing the Senate floor for his fierce denunciation of the president, appeared to issue a direct challenge to his colleagues and his party.
Which they will ignore in favor of setting up three committees to investigate Hillary Clinton.
“It is often said that children are watching,” he said. “Well, they are. And what are we going to do about that? When the next generation asks us, ‘Why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you speak up?’ What are we going to say?”
“I was busy investigating Hillary Clinton, and besides, shut up.”
“We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal,” Mr. Flake said. “They are not normal. Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified. And when such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy.”
We know. We’re living it.
Isn’t it odd that it is only those who are already wearing their life jackets and preparing to jump ship who are brave enough to suggest that the rest of the crew mutiny to take down their lunatic captain?
…Which they will ignore in favor of setting up three committees to investigate Hillary Clinton….
Um. The charge against Trump is that ‘liberals don’t like him’.
The charges against Hillary include corruption, fraud, perverting the course of justice, bribery, lying under oath and working with foreign powers against the interests of the United States.
As an outsider, I’d say they were investigating the right person…
Dodgy Geezer, Hillary has been investigated and cleared repeatedly – but you probably know that already. You don’t accept the decisions, because you believe that the system was rigged in her favor.
The Trump administration has been accused of collaborating with a foreign power to interfere in our elections; enriching themselves in violation of the Emoluments Clause, and general incompetence. The idea that the charge against Trump is “liberals don’t like him” is ridiculous. He is simply unfit for office, and he makes that more clear with every Twitter tantrum he throws.
It’s not just liberals that don’t like them… the vast majority of human beings on the planet Earth don’t like him. He’s the worst person alive (and yes that includes his pals Putin, Duterte, Salman, etc…).
Not only is he evil, destructive, impulsive, petty, rude, capricious, lecherous, and vengeful… he’s also dumb as a box of hammers.
I’m still stuck on Bush saying, “We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism.” That’s an intelligent point well said. We really have tilted over into Bizarro World. Next you’ll be telling me republicans can go out in the daylight.
Dodgy Geezer is a Trumpian troll who might not even be British. But if ‘conservative’ means anything anymore, it surely means burning everything down just to piss off liberals, who tend to get exercised by inequality and inequity and unfairness, even amongst those who don’t look liked them or don’t vote like them. So, in that sense, the geezer is a true conservative.
#2 Dodgy Geezer
Corruption: Trump’s business was under investigation for precisely that… until he used his presidential power to fire the district attorney running that investigation.
Fraud: Trump solicits donations for his charitable organisation, and then uses those funds for personal expenditures.
Perverting the cause of justice: Trump is under investigation for this very thing, due to his firing of Comey as Comey was investigating him.
Bribery: Trump has had multiple investigations into his businesses mysteriously disappear immediately after donating to the election campaigns of the people who have oversight over said investigations.
Lying under oath: Trump and his entire family and multiple of his elected officials have lied consistently about e.g. their contact with russian officials throughout the election process.
Working with foreign powers against the interests of USA: the Mueller investigation is looking at precisely this.
Geezer, please bear in mind that I only went with one example of each for the sake of brevity. And please remember that Hillary has been investigated multiple times and cleared every time for the emails and Benghazi.
I was willing to give you a pass on your first inept attempt to defend Trump as a lapse in knowledge or reasoning… but this one has made it obvious that you are a boring conservative liar.
Dodgy Geezer, thanks for the comment. I always get a chuckle from you. Your comments are always such blatant, shallow, factually incorrect and inept trolling that I don’t even need to think about them. They provide a moment of light relief between reading comments that actually do require thought.