Steve Schmidt is not letting Ryan off the hook.

[catbyte]

I never can forgive Schmidt for propping up Palin in 2008, but I think he learned his lesson and seems to love America more than he loves the Republican party.

Link to tweet

[Cha]

1. We could have told Steve

Schmidt that years ago.

I'm glad he's speaking truth to power now.. he might get some trump/repubs to understand.

I'm guessing palin doesn't like him anymore.

Wonder what the real reason is... ayn ryan is quitting?

Mahalo, catbyte

[True Blue American]

4. Guess it took

Trump to open Steve’s eyes to what his party has become. Palin should have done the trick.

[Scarsdale]

8. The real reason?

Probably has feathered his nest with lots of "donations" from US and Russian sources. Maybe the Koch brothers will offer him a lucrative position in their organization? He has been a loyal servant to them over the years. I wonder if he will be returning to Janesville, Wi? He does not have the nerve to face his constituents there, so maybe he will have to settle elsewhere. Traitor has helped destroy the US, maybe Vlad will offer him a job. What will his evil twin, Chinless McConnell do without him?

[ProudMNDemocrat]

9. I will be in Janesville next month......

For a weekend Renaissance Festival at Traxal Park. Providing it is not cold or raining, both days.

Over the years, I gave seen yard signs for Ryan's Democratic opponents. I am sure to see a lot of Randy Bryce ones. Janesville cannot stand Ryan. It is Kenosha that keeps Ryan in office. I will be there in August for another Festival called Bristol. We will see.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. K&R! I have to admit, Steve Schmidt comes out with the best rants!

[True Blue American]

3. And Nicole turns him loose

Steve and Donny Deutsch are becoming regulars on her show.

Not sure why Donny shows on Scarborough. Joe is so nasty to him. His jealousy shows.

I have never seen Steve on Joe. He has the same,tired old men every morning.

[calimary]

5. Good. I think putrid and smoldering ruins are a fitting way

for that detestable selfish and hypocritical bunch to end up. Can’t happen soon enough!

[Hav]

6. I like him and criticism from his side is important

But it is very important to note that Ryan did not betray (current) Conservatism. Screwing the poor by giving even more to the rich has been their platform for years. Ryan has consistently stood for that for ages. He didn't stand up to Trump because this is how he finally achieved his goal. The tax reform with the massive increase of the debt is not Trumpism, it is the expected repub policy and conservative ideology.

[oberliner]

7. This is total BS - Ryan and Trump are the same

The Republicans in Congress are the problem.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

10. They are as complicit.......

In allowing this travesty of an Administration to happen. How they blocked Barack Obama at every turn.

[oberliner]

12. Not to mention the travesty of the Bush Administration

Or the potential travesty of a Pence administration.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

13. True dat....

Republicans today put party over country. They have lost their way. They are determined to destroy this country however they can.

[Achilleaze]

11. There you have it

Schmidt's got the real shit.

[karynnj]

14. He will be remembered for backing Nunes and creating a huge amount of debt

After siding with Nunes, he can never argue that his brief opposition to Trump, before the election continued.

That and creating the largest expansion of the debt in a good economy mean he failed on the two things he wanted to stand for- fiscal responsibility and morality.

This for someone who for almost no reason was deemed to be a leader because of both of these a dozen or so years ago.

[Volaris]

16. No, he was deemed a 'leader' because

He was willing to stab his own Speaker in the back in order to fuck over an opposition president.
At nearly every turn, Bohener was willing to sit and try to cut a deal (it wouldn't have been a good one, necessarily), but there was Ryan, leading the Tea Party with knife in hand, telling his own party leadership 'that's just not heartless enough.'

I've never approved of it, but I KNOW why John drank.

[karynnj]

21. I was speaking of his reputation long before he did that

Over a decade ago, he was routinely considered both a top conservative policy wonk and he was designated a "star" by much of the media. He was pushed as an obvious choice for VP for Romney in 2012. Paul Krugman retweeted an old article of his that took issue with that yesterday. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/opinion/06krugman.html

[moose65]

15. Speaking of Palin....

Where is she?? Don't get me wrong, I can't stand the sound of her voice and don't like to even see her face, but I thought she was going to be one of Trump's biggest disciples. Was there a falling out that I didn't hear about? I could understand it - both Trump and Palin are media hogs who only care about their own image, so he might have seen her as trying to steal his spotlight. Wasn't he going to put her on his cabinet or something?

[SDJay]

18. Divas dont want

Other divas around. The first time Churchy Spice stuck her mug in front of his for camera time, it would’ve been on like Donkey Kong.

Dump is basically Palin anyway. Same intellect and temperament. Just different genders and backgrounds.

[Volaris]

19. Lol she's probably busy trying to keep her own brood out of prison...

That wouldn't leave a whole lot of time to attempt to do the same for the Trump clan.

I'm glad she's gone back to her Small and Simple life. Better for all of us probably that nobody in media is bothering to check up on her. The daughter and granddaughter will need about 2 decades (each) to not be as fucked up as Sarah and the boys. It's just me; I hope they get it.

[kentuck]

17. I appreciate these Republicans that are putting country over Party.

Regardless of how much I disagree with their politics.

[MrScorpio]

20. Those are the kind of GOPrs that we can work with

The party hacks, not so much.

[wryter2000]

22. Ruins of the Republican party

And the conservative movement? The one thing I can thank Trump for. That's not exactly a criticism in my book.

[question everything]

23. To give him the benefit

Palin was considered a brave politician who ran for governor attacking the oil interests which, in Alaska, would be like attacking cotton interests in the south before the civil war.

And for that short time - she was elected in 2006 - did not appear to be incompetent or corrupt.

And after we ditched Hillary, it appeared like a nice counter punch to say: see, we, Republicans do want a woman president, at least a heart beat away. We know that McCain wanted Lieberman, so this was a way to sway him.

I do remember hearing her speech when she paid tribute to Hillary and was impressed. Perhaps even thankful that she mentioned her. (I suppose that it was Schmidt who wrote that, though..)

[Progressive dog]

24. Ryan had lots of help

building that smoldering monument.
The psychopath and his supporters have given the biggest tax cuts to those who need them the least and have done it with borrowed money while working to raise interest rates.
The psychopath and his enablers have created an imaginary reality, where the FBI, the EPA, the multiple intelligence agencies, every regulatory agency, and even the Post Office are part of some vast conspiracy against them.
People like Ryan were happy to have that deranged psychopath tearing apart our alliances and courting foreign dictators.
Their legacy is much more than just the destruction of the Republican party.