Republican governor says Trump 'shouldn't be in office'

[Dennis Donovan]

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/republican-governor-trump-shouldnt-office-68807541

Vermont's Republican governor says he thinks President Donald Trump abused his power and shouldn't be in office

By WILSON RING Associated Press
February 6, 2020, 4:14 PM

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- President Donald Trump abused his power and shouldn't be in office, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a fellow Republican, said Thursday in a rare dissent from within party ranks.

The U.S. Senate should have been allowed to hear from more witnesses who could have provided evidence about the charges against the president, Scott, a frequent Trump critic, said at a news conference.

After being asked about the president's acquittal Wednesday in the Senate, Scott said the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion.

“If they'd taken more testimony, maybe they'd have had more information and maybe other senators would have acted appropriately,” Scott said.

</snip>

[Srkdqltr]

1. A little late? You think?

[soldierant]

14. "Scott, a frequent Trump critic, said at a news conference. "

"Scott, a frequent Trump critic, said at a news conference. " (emphasis mine)
I guess if you're only a small-state governor you don't get the press.

But if you meant the media are "a little late", yeah.

[paleotn]

20. Scott is the last of a dying breed....

A relatively moderate, northeastern Republican. And he want's another term, so even thinking something nice about the orange pseudo emperor around here will have him spending a lot more time with the family come 2021. Hallquist wasn't a strong opponent in 2018. Current Lt. Governor Zuckerman, his most likely opponent in Nov., is a whole different ballgame. Yes, for better or worse, we do the governor thing every 2 years.

[sl8]

30. Last year: "Phil Scott Is First G.O.P. Governor to Back Impeachment Inquiry"

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/phil-scott-vermont-governor-impeachment.html

Phil Scott Is First G.O.P. Governor to Back Impeachment Inquiry

[Squinch]

2. Do I see cracks forming??

[Dennis Donovan]

3. That's what I'm reading. It sounds like Romney's inspiring others to say something

The remaining decent repugs out there. All 3 of them.

[Squinch]

4. Uh oh. I guess we've heard from 2 now.

[Perseus]

19. LOL

[paleotn]

22. Yep....

A Mormon from a state where Mormons don't like Trump very much. And the Republican anomaly in arguably the bluest state in America. Not a representative sample if you ask me.

[riversedge]

5. We need a whole ocean of inspiration--

just saying.

[democrattotheend]

6. That's what I'm hoping

I feel like every Republican who says what Trump did was wrong undercuts his talking point about it being a partisan witch hunt.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. 100% Agree

We should also point out that most Republicans in the Senate basically agreed that what Trump did was wrong- even if they were too chickens**t or craven or selfish to vote to remove him from office. So, also be sure to point to that whenever the cultists start calling the whole thing a hoax.

[sprinkleeninow]

15. By cracky, I think yer onto sumpthin....🤠

[paleotn]

21. Nope. As a Republican...

Scott is as rare as unicorns. And he's well aware which side of the bread gets the butter in Vermont.

[ancianita]

7. Way too late. Therefore too little. He's not helping. Just virtue signalling.

[struggle4progress]

8. "When they were buying the guns and masks, I wondered if I should tell them

that robbing the bank might not be such a good idea, and I was still thinking of warning them later when they got back into the car with the moneybags and told me to drive fast, but what good would it have done?"

[Initech]

9. Their bubble is bursting.

And we're gonna need big ponchos for when they finally pop.

[alp227]

10. When will he back his fellow Vermonter

who is running for president?

At least the late Senator Jim Jeffords did not wait a year into the GW Bush presidency to quit the Republicans entirely.

[3catwoman3]

11. I wonder who this governor...

...voted for in 2016.

[sl8]

29. From June 2016: "What would I say to my wife and daughters?"

https://vtdigger.org/2016/06/12/phil-scott-the-quintessential-mechanic/
(speaking about Dick Wobby, his campaign manager)

[...]

They agree, he says, about 75 percent of the time and love to challenge each other. Wobby, for example, wanted Scott to try to tap into the enthusiasm for Donald Trump, to look at his record more closely before dismissing him, but Scott was so appalled by Trump’s comments about women that he rejected the idea. “What would I say to my wife and daughters?” Scott asked him.

[...]

It's impossible to know for sure who anyone voted for, but he said he wouldn't vote for Trump:
https://vtdigger.org/2016/05/05/douglas-trumps-the-donald-for-candidate-phil-scott/

He's been pretty critical of Trump since then, as well.

[Mr. Sparkle]

12. I cant see any scenario where the republican senators would have acted appropriately.

Their republicans, they never act appropriately.

[blakstoneranger]

13. THIS IS NOT A GAME

This is not a partisan game of us versus them or vice versa. Trump is crazy! We should be worried that our country is in the hands of a lunatic whose being controlled by some Qanon nutjobs (barr included). This should be a bipartisan effort to bring our presidency back to some kind of normalcy. We have a president whose acting like a spoiled child (see the super bowl video of him at his trash resort). MANA (lets Make America Normal Again...DUMP TRUMP).

[ehrnst]

16. Vermont has a GOP governor?

Did not know that.

[paleotn]

23. Weird, ain't it?

Then again, we're a weird little state.

[Mopar151]

27. If Vermont is wierd, then normal sucks.

Honest. Ask my wife if she likes Dorchester MA, her hometown, vs Dorchester NH. The first time that riding over the southbound Zachem Bridge meant "going home again" she asked me, without sarcasam: "How did I ever do this?"

Ask any of the good working engineers herabouts _ DeeCee overalls, or the DC power suit just tells you where your'e allowed to walk on the job! The failing social experiments to the south offer ample evidence that neckties, bullshit and "messaging" are obstacles to progress, and that "Overthinking" and Conservative Principles should be in the DSM!

Ask the guy in the overalls- "Why in the world would you want to be normal? Did'nt your Mom tell you to not to associate with trash?"
Or the mechanic from NO Money Excavation (A lottery every payday) a good 7th Day Adventist who wonders: "If you love your faith, why would you let the goverment near it?"

[paleotn]

31. It's weird in a good way.

After growing up and living in the south most of my life, moving up there was quite an adjustment. There are some crazy Rethugs, particularly up in the kingdom, but most R's are of the species Republicanis moderatensis, that I was convinced were extinct. Phil Scott is a prime example. They never existed in the south. Dixiecrats simply changed their D to an R when being a racist asshole wasn't acceptable in the Democratic Party anymore.

[Mopar151]

32. Not "normal" - BETTER!

The Asperger's version of "Why Be Normal?". Kind of resonates with folks who've seen "normal", and would rather not, if you don't mind.

[C Moon]

17. Those senators didn't need more information. They know Trump is guilty.

I believe those Republicans are all owned by Russian billionaires.

I also believe this next election is going to be heavily hacked, because we have done ANYTHING since 2016, and that's why they are not worried about reelection of Trump or themselves.

I'm still going to vote, but I think this next election will be more rigged than 2016.

[Evolve Dammit]

18. JHC. You waited three years for this revelation?? Better late than never I guess, but JHC!

[roamer65]

25. The Repukes are now staring elimination from the core blue states right in the face.

This is a good thing. Next step is secession for these states if Dump steals the election.

[Mopar151]

26. Phil Scott?

The Governor won a top-division stock car race at Thunder Road "up the hill from the state house". When he M/C'd a 'groundbreaking" at a new schoolish place ( Where my racin' buddy's Kid goes - he says they're on top of it, like he wishes his deal was.), they did'nt need to keep a good man on standby for "Look at Me Dig". "He stepped up on the seat, and got busy! No politics required!"

The Republicans wish that he was'nt such a good man, really. He made it abundantly clear (Like the Chief of Police in your living room!) that no issue to be made of his opponents gender during his election. He had known the lady when he ran an electric co-op in the state, and was having no part of treating a friend and colleague badly."We dont do that here!" is why he's governor today. Folks hereabouts "got" gay marrige right off - why would you not treat good people well? The New England Church Lady will not let some salacious back fence gossip keep her from kind to a guest.

Phil Scott is not a unicorn or outlier. His politics are straight up, authentic Republican - from the 1956 Eisenhower platform. If we're going acronym here he's an AC - Actual conservative a "small c" on the Maddow scale, an "IKE", Tesla technology The screeching subhuman primates are DC Dirtbag Conservative Edison/Marconi tech #proud liars, not good liars! - So self deceiving and loathing that they prefer their lies to any sort of truth or decency. AKA TRUMP

[Mopar151]

28. Phil Scott

Charlie Baker, Bill Weld, even good 'ol Mittens (Rommney) These are the true, authentic, museum grade, full provenance Republicans. The last national Republican that "met the standard" was Ike.

The REPUGNANT PARTY, in reality, was born from the bitter tears of Fred Koch, Prescott Bush and the rest of the over-annuated "rich", who've never forgiven the "Evil Roosevelts" and DAMMED LIBERALS for busting up their scams.