In Congress, Republicans are quiet and meek as mice - By Eugene Robinson

[DonViejo]

Imagine how Republicans would have reacted if President Barack Obama had attacked a retailer for dropping his daughter’s product line. Or asked senators to confirm a Cabinet pick who said guns are needed in schools to defend against grizzly bears. Or tried to undermine the independence of the federal judiciary. Or equated the United States’ moral standing with that of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

There would have been howls of outrage, of course, and multiple investigations, and even calls for impeachment. But it’s President Trump doing all those things, so Republicans in Congress are as meek and quiet as mice.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the chaotic and exhausting first three weeks of the Trump administration is the degree to which Republicans have held together, placing loyalty above all else. The party of Lincoln has sold its soul — and like all Faustian bargains, this one will not end well.

Trump looks likely to get every one of his Cabinet nominees approved. Billionaire Betsy DeVos gave the worst performance in memory, surely one of the worst in history, at her confirmation hearing, displaying a level of ignorance that was truly shocking. Only two Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — had the integrity to vote against her. Vice President Pence had to break a 50-50 tie, but DeVos is now the secretary of education.

And that was the closest thing we’ve seen to a GOP revolt in these confirmations. Not one Republican voted against confirming Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as attorney general, despite his ugly history on civil rights. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went so far as to formally squelch Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) so she could not read aloud a letter criticizing Sessions written decades ago by Coretta Scott King.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-congress-republicans-are-quiet-and-meek-as-mice/2017/02/09/f5071708-eefd-11e6-9973-c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html?utm_term=.02d5d13c5b9a&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

[DonCoquixote]

1. let's not mince words

These folks are hiding out hoping they can get the Social security and medicare killing bill signed, then Trump is done

[manicraven]

2. Pence will sign those but tRump said he would not; however, maybe the GOP will threaten

Scrotus with impeachment for any number of crimes, such as colluding with Putin, if he does not agree to "save" the social safety net. The GOP had better do something soon, though, because tRump is becoming a bigger and bigger liability, and if polls and the town hall Jason Chaffetz just held are any indication, voters are losing patience.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rep-jason-chaffetz-faces-angry-town-hall-crowd-utah-n719231

[DonCoquixote]

7. a possibility

I can easily see that happening. It's not like Steve Bannon is going to really fight hard to keep social safety net, he's too busy trying to go ahead and fight racial holy war. Of course, Trump also knows that whatever popularity has with Joe working class is in part because he hates Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, so he is going to have to fight to keep that act up, because in his world, he really thinks he's popular. He wants us to be like his trophy wives, tell him he is handsome and young, service him in whatever way he wants, and then go away, save that his trophy wives get paid a hell of a lot more money to be treated as objects. However, we know that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell would love nothing more than to ride in as saviors for the conservative cause. They also know that replacing that New Yorker Trump with Mike for Puritan penance from Indiana would play right to red states. You know that the churches, oh yes the churches would preach from the pulpit for Trump was merely an instrument of Jesus to put yet another middle American, God-fearing, conservative and Christian over the Lords dominion, a.k.a. what us liberals think is the United States of America.

It's not going to be a question of if Bill be some blackmail being done, but by who, and heaven knows that there is a whole cast of characters who easily could have gotten information from questionable sources, by that I mean an Australian currently in London, and Moscow, to say nothing of the never nation who is very good cyber espionage, and thanks to H1B visas, many of the Chinese are already in our Internet structure, because they are the poorly paid interns have to do the grunt work to build it in this country. Do not be surprised if the fatal blow comes to either Trump or Bannon or even McConnell from the East. McConnell could because this to especially because the last thing he wants to have come out is proof that he did know what the Russians were doing and that he kept his mouth shut. Yes first into that now but no smoking gun, whoever has that smoking gun has him by the neck, and let's face it neither Bannon nor Putin nor even Beijing want to see president Mike come in, because while Mike will do his best to make every non-Christian American miserable, he won't go ahead and give plenty of fodder for warfare, and in America always Ray to go to war is the best friend the desperate around the world need, foreign and domestic.

[DetlefK]

3. They stopped being the party of Lincoln a long time ago. Stop using that term.

They are the "Party of the Southern Strategy."

And now they are the "Party of Trump."

[kimbutgar]

4. No don't you know according to the rethugs the Democratic Party is the party of the kkk?

I heard some cretin say this and spit out what I was drinking. Whenever they come on to a progressive radio show they say this all the time!

[dugog55]

6. Actually the Party of Reagan

Things started to change under St. Ronny for the Republican Party. Going back to the 50's and 60's both Party's supported Social Security, Unions, and welfare programs. When Reagan became President, he painted a black face on social programs, very subtly but consistently. His Administration actually used Psyops personnel to help spread disinformation, the lady in Chicago that was drawing on food stamps and housing vouchers under 90 different names is one prominent story they fabricated. He also pushed the notion that the "Government was the problem, not the solution".

His Administration was anti-labor, anti-union, pro big business and banking. He loosened the reins on lobbyists turning DC into a rats nest of free money for votes. He also included the Conservative Christian Right that had been trying to weasel into politics for years. Once they got their foot in the door, all this theocracy crap started up with the lawmakers. Abortion became a big issue, as well as guns with the NRA. All the while money was pouring into the pockets of Republican Congressmen. In ten short years the Republican Party had changed tremendously, all for the worse.

At local levels the Repubs started gerrymandering districts, then in more recent years instituting voter suppression laws. They have not done or passed a single bill or law that benefits 99% of the American Public, yet they keep winning elections. They are very good at 'Politicking" but absolutely for shit politicians.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Rats is a more apt term for them