Open warfare breaks out among conservatives: March in lockstep behind Trump, or show some infinitesi

[applegrove]

Open warfare breaks out among conservatives: March in lockstep behind Trump, or show some infinitesimal spine?

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON at Salon

http://www.salon.com/2017/06/02/open-warfare-breaks-out-among-conservatives-march-in-lockstep-behind-trump-or-show-some-infinitesimal-spine/

"SNIP...............


What is more interesting is that the Republican Party, which has everything — Congress, the courts, the White House and a large majority of statehouses all over the country — seems to be coming apart at the seams. This is, to say the least, unusual. But then, it’s also not usual that winning political parties elect intellectually inadequate, inexperienced, incompetent, narcissistic celebrities to lead them. It is causing more than a little distress at a time when the party should be in position to enact a sweeping agenda.

This doesn’t mean that party officials aren’t enabling the president. As I wrote in this earlier piece, the GOP leadership has a lot to answer for. Their cowardice and hypocrisy will be remembered for the ages. But even as leading Republicans continue to excuse President Donald Trump’s monumental unfitness, they are finding it almost impossible to coalesce into anything resembling a successful working majority, despite a remarkable degree of ideological coherence.

It remains to be seen whether or not the leadership under House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can corral their caucus and get some major legislation onto Donald Trump’s desk. We’ll know they’re in serious trouble if they fail to pass their Holy Grail, the monstrous tax cuts for the wealthy. One suspects they will find a way to get that one done, if almost nothing else.

President Trump's speech on the Paris accord, in less than 90 seconds
But the more interesting argument is happening among the thought leaders in the party. This past week all-out war broke out between the NeverTrump faction and the Trump loyalists. Here’s one skirmish that took place on CNN on Wednesday night between two conservatives, Matt Lewis of the Daily Beast and Jay Sekulow of the Center for Law and American Justice:

.................SNIP"

[sharedvalues]

1. Jay Sekulow is a POS

Here's his ACenterLJ - a group named to confuse people about the ACLU.
It's also a group whose mission is -- get this, to scare old people to take their money in donations. Coincidentally, just like Fox News and Limbaugh.
https://aclj.org/national-security/fourth-circuit-incorrectly-upholds-injunction-against-national-security-executive-order
Look at the conservative-written talking point pablum above.

Notably, ACenterLJ only exists because Koches and other GOP donors pay them to attack liberals. Like Bernie Sanders said, about 15% of the country would be conservative if not for all the GOP donor money in media and fake think tanks like this.


Some exposes on Sekulow:
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-secrets-of-jay-sekulow-the-sequel/
https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-09-05/Tenn-lawyers-family-firm-collect-millions-from-charities/50259614/1
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/oldspeak/the_secrets_of_jay_sekulow

[applegrove]

2. He's pretty creepy.

[gratuitous]

3. A lot of conservative outlets are toys for selfish rich men

The question is, why are they ceded outsize influence by the popular media? Every time you see some self-assured smug fuck smoothly reciting some serve the rich bullshit (and you see this a lot), everyone on the program proceeds as if this is a legitimate spokesperson representing any constituency larger than the selfish rich man paying his (and in a handful of cases her) salary.

Sample question offered to the media chuckleheads with the lazy producers: "Mr. Sekulow, you're the cats paw for the Koch brothers. Is anything you're saying actually backed up by anyone who isn't likewise on their payroll?"

[applegrove]

4. I so hope they get asked that question. (Later) It is starting to happen:

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/this-is-corruption-economist-goes-on-full-attack-of-trumpster-steven-moores-ties-to-the-koch-brothers/