There is a symmetry to politics that rivals sports team fandom. I grew up a huge fan of the football team in Washington D.C. I watched Diron Talbert chase and threaten Roger Staubach in the 1970s. My stomach churned when Ed “Too Tall” Jones pummeled Joe Theismann in the 80s. I anguished watching Emmitt Smith run rough-shod through weak 1990s Washington defenses. As much as I hated these Dallas Cowboys on the field of play, in the aftermath of games I would say to myself,” I gotta respect that guy.
During the Watergate Hearings, that exposed Richard Nixon to the world for the corrupt President he was, one of the most memorable moments came from a Republican. Tennessee Senator Howard Baker Jr. asked White House Counsel John Dean, “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
Baker had been a defender of the President for most of the Watergate break-in inquiry. I am a person of color, so my alliances hardly meshed with a southern Republican Senator in 1974. Famously Baker was recorded telling Nixon, “I'm your friend. I'm going to see that your interests are protected.” As much as I despised some of Baker’s political stances at the end of that day of testimony, I said to myself, “I gotta respect that guy.”
We are at that crossroads again. Yesterday it was revealed that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, may not only have had an Executive pardon dangled as a bribe to keep him quiet but had contact with a Congressperson and possibly other White House officials as well as Trump’s lawyers. Of course, Mr. Trump did what he always does, hide behind his ignorance and lies. He claims he was never warned about Flynn’s dalliances with foreign nations, but it is documented that President Obama and former DOJ Acting Head, Sally Yates warned him of the danger of Flynn as the National Security Adviser.
The new attitude of the GOP is no longer, ‘what’ and ‘when’ but “move on” or “case closed.” Two major figures in the Republican party who lived through the impeachment of Bill Clinton and took every opportunity to moralize, are not seeing, hearing or speaking to the evils of the President of the United States. Day after day Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell and other members of the party are ignoring lying, public perjury and un-Americanism as if they are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
The President is openly obstructing justice and to his historical shame Lindsey Graham has joined in by advising Donald Trump Jr. to ignore the law and defy a congressional subpoena. With numerous accounts, records and verbal testimony detailing meetings between Obama and Trump, Chris Christie and Trump and Sally Yates and Trump; the President Tweeted today:
Donald J. TrumpVerified account@realDonaldTrump
It now seems the General Flynn was under investigation long before was common knowledge. It would have been impossible for me to know this but, if that was the case, and with me being one of two people who would become president, why was I not told so that I could make a change?
10:35 AM - 17 May 2019
When does this madness stop and will there ever be a time, I can say about a Republican again, “I gotta say I respect that guy?”
Vote in 2020 for Change.