Posted on 02/21/2018 11:19:41 AM PST by Mariner
WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney did not vote for Donald J. Trump in 2016. Representative Martha McSally of Arizona may not have, either, but she will not say. And Senator Dean Heller of Nevada now insists that he did cast his ballot for Mr. Trump, but for many months, he would not reveal his vote.
Senator Bob Corker supported Mr. Trump, but seemed to regret it last year when he concluded that the country had deposited an unruly toddler in the Oval Office.
Yet as each of these Republicans pursues a Senate run this year — or in the case of Mr. Corker, reconsiders one — they are essentially making peace with a president they once shunned. Their hopes for a détente with Mr. Trump, who effectively staged a hostile takeover of a party he joined only in 2012, reflect the realization that rank-and-file Republicans have come to embrace the president.
There is little appetite on the right for Trump skeptics in the halls of Congress.
“To the activists, those who vote consistently in Republican primaries, it’s very much Trump’s party,” said Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, who effectively decided against running for re-election because he did not want to accommodate such voters.
The reversals by Mr. Trump’s onetime foes are as revealing as they are glaring.
Mr. Corker, who once suggested that the president required day care and that he might blunder the country into World War III, has mounted a charm offensive to win back the president’s affection — a prerequisite if the senator is to delay his retirement plans and capture a Republican nomination in Tennessee. Mr. Romney, who in 2016 excoriated Mr. Trump as an amoral con man, graciously accepted the president’s Twitter-born endorsement on Monday night. Their change of heart has triggered no small amount of...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
This is as positive of an article as you'll ever see in the New York Times.
And, it publicly shames the never-Trump Republicans, and full acknowledgement of Trump's gracious declination of revenge.
He's not even endorsing against Heller in Nevada. Just wow.
Perhaps this is how parties are cleansed? Throw some out and convert the rest?
Steve Forbes and his liberal mag, included...it took me about 10 minutes to glean this issue of Forbes...big spread inside about Trump’s paying tenants and how they must be shady. Really pissed me off...Forbes is a weenie.
Mitt Romney did not vote for Donald J. Trump in 2016.
Baloney. These creatures of habit haven’t changed regarding Trump. They’re playing both sides against the middle. As soon as the chips are down — and President Trump needs THEIR support - they will vanish. Phonies all, motivated singly by political self-interest, of which Corker is the poster child. Had they genuinely supported the President’s MAGA agenda from the outset, they would not need to curry his favor now. President Trump has sought rapprochement, and too many of his own party have responded with outright hostility.
We need fewer Hellers, Flakes, Corkers and Romneys - not more.
“We need fewer Hellers, Flakes, Corkers and Romneys - not more.”
Getting rid of 3 out of 4 ain’t bad.
There’s no way to prevent Romney’s ascension to the Senate. It’s just not possible in Utah.
Heller and Corker don’t stand a chance with the high quality challengers they face, and Flake is already gone. Soon, McCain too.
Trump can appear magnanimous.
Trump is trusting the voters to take care of this problem.
Mitt Romney will turn on a dime against against President Trump once he wins that senate seat. Count on it. Perhaps the others will too.
The day after the carpet bagger is elected, he'll start attacking Trump, and won't let up until Trump is out of office. He won't have to worry about his job, because he has the mindless backing of what is apparently the largest cult in the state.
What Trump should think about is... if the Dems win back the House and proceed with articles of impeachment, will he have 60 dependable GOP Senate votes to keep Trump in office?
IOW, how many Corkers, Romneys and Grahams will switch on a dime to join the Dems in removing Trump and become Swamp Heroes? The Dems are very unlikely to have 60 seats to convict. If Trump is removed from office, it will be because he had enough turncoats in his own party that betrayed him.
Everyone knows there’s no crime and nothing to convict him with but that’s not going to stop a Democrat and there are likely to be a few GOP Senators that will join in.
I should have said 40 dependable GOP votes to convict.
The Bush League Republicans need to be removed from office before they give away the country.
Lindsay Graham has told us they will keep working for illegal aliens until removed from officer.
The AZGOP whispered sweet nothings in Joe Arpaio’s ear that he was needed in the Senate race.
He was needed to block Kelli Ward and sneak McSally in as the next Amnesty Senator.
Kelli Ward is another loss of seat.
She’s unelectable statewide.
McSally is a loss.
A loss of our country.
I’d rather take a chance on electing someone on our side.
My initial reaction is say “screw them”.
We will see where they alliances lay once we reach impeachment proceedings.
What I have been worrying about the last couple months. From their attitude and lack of cooperation towards Trump, I can count maybe 4 or 5 friends he has in the Senate. The rest are a big question mark come impeachment time. FWIW, I thought they needed 2/3rs, so 67 votes to impeach?
Two thirds...so Trump only needs 34 Senators on his side.
Sorry. It’s been awhile since Clinton. OK, so 34 GOP Senators to prevent conviction. It ought to be a slam dunk when you consider that there are no real crimes by Trump and it is a stain on the entire party to be convicted of impeachment. Like it or not, Trump is the standard-bearer of the party and convicting him on bogus charges makes the entire party look awful.
Then again, how many would rather win the approval of the Deep State than the approval of the voters?
There is one major difference here between Clinton and Trump (two if you count the media’s role in both). Clinton was in his second term while Trump is still in his first. Some voters in 2000 voted against Gore specifically because they believed Clinton should have been convicted and this was their only way to vote their displeasure. Trump, himself, would presumably be on the ballot in 2020.
Given their past history, having Trump endorse Mittens effectively puts Mittens in the position of having to shut up. He either low-keys Trump’s endorsement (contrary to his earlier pronouncements) or keeps quiet if he thinks that too much pro-Trump alignment would hurt his election chances.
I see a brilliant move by Trump to have Mittens take a bite out of the ol’ poop sandwich and enjoy watching him eat it.
Yes, I am probably pushing the fear too far. We can probably rely on the general cowardice of the GOP Senate. The Trump economic train is pulling past market one, and they likely know it would be crazy to turn against now. That’s what I hope anyways.
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