Posted on 10/26/2017 3:26:26 AM PDT by markomalley
A pair of Republican senators this week ripped President Donald Trump and earned one of the most coveted adjectives in Washington — courageous.
Noah Rothman wrote approvingly in Commentary Magazine of a “burst of courage among Trump-skeptical Republicans” in the wake of a caustically anti-Trump interview Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) gave to CNN and a speech delivered in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).
David Boaz, executive vice president of the libertarian Cato Institution, compared Flake and Corker to the politicians highlighted in former President John F. Kennedy’s “Profiles in Courage” book.
“If they use their time well, they will deserve a new chapter in Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy’s book about senators who suffered criticism and electoral losses after taking a stand on principle,” he wrote.
Forbes columnist John Baldoni wrote that, “History is populated by good men and women who believed in the courage of their convictions and exercised them, even when it cost them dearly.”
People can agree or disagree with the substance of what Flake and Corker said, of course, but critics contend it is a stretch to describe it as brave. Both men have announced they will not for re-election. They never will have to face the judgment of Republican voters.
“I don’t see what’s courageous,” said David Bozell, president of the conservative activist group ForAmerica.
Bozell said Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) routinely alleges that thousands of people will die if Republican health care reform — which Flake and Corker both support — become law.
“And these two gentlemen never say a word to counter that narrative,” he said.
Mark Meckler, president of Citizens for Self-Governance, also said Corker and Flake do not deserve credit for bravery.
“The only thing that I would do is laugh at the people who say they’re courageous,” he said. “These are the same people we’ve been trying to run out of the party for years.”
Christopher Devine, a political science professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio, said Flake — assuming he had not planned all along to step down after a single term — did take a political risk by criticizing Trump as far back as last year’s election campaign. But he added that Flake had nothing to lose when he delivered that blistering speech Tuesday.
Flake decided to leave office at a time when polls show him trailing Republican challenger Kelli Ward by double digits.
“It seems at this point, the most courageous thing would be to contest the election and see where the Republican Party really is,” Devine said.
Corker showed even less courage, keeping his mouth shut until after he decided not to run again, Devine said.
Flake made the rounds on cable TV shows Wednesday morning, complaining that he could not win a Republican primary — despite a generally conservative voting record — while criticizing the president’s conduct.
“Well, I can tell you that it’s very difficult to be re-elected in the Republican Party right not, in Arizona in particular,” he said on CNN’s “New Day.”
Anchor Alisyn Camerota asked Flake if not running amounted to surrender.
“You know, it’s tough. I’m competitive. I like to fight these battles,” he said. “But I also knew that I couldn’t run the kind of race that I would be proud of and win in the Republican primary at this time.”
Flake repeated his explanation on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.
“Well, the bottom line is if I were to run a campaign that I could be proud of and where I didn’t have to cozy up to the president and his positions or his behavior, I could not win in a Republican primary,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) pushed back on the same show at suggestions that Flake was being run out of office.
“Well, first of all, I want to be clear that Jeff Flake is not being run out of the Congress … He made a decision not to run again, and I respect that,” he said.
Even some progressives who love the internal strife inside the GOP acknowledge that criticizing Trump on the way out of office is not especially brave.
“America does not need Flake’s courageous retirement,” Vox founder Ezra Klein wrote. “It needs his courageous reelection campaign.”
Because the AP Style Manual defines "courageous" as anything the media agree with.
I wonder if the people now praising Flakey and Corked ever used the work “courageous” to describe anyone who dared to criticize Slick Willy, Hillary Rotten Clinton, or Barack Sheik Obama?
flake sour graped, then surrendered. he needs to get his nose fixed.
One pundit said that Corker is maximum pissed off that he wasn’t Chosen for Secretary Of State so he’s been thwarting Trump in every possible way. Some of these men in DC... children.
Yesterday ABC radio described Flake’s speech as a “take down”.
How is it a take down if Trump is the one still standing???
This is probably one way to show the overall fitness for the job - be an absolute brat if you don’t get the job.
Makes you wonder how the sabotage would have gone if Corker HAD become Secretary of State.
Would North Korea have gotten their major payoff by now? Would ISIS still be a viable force in the Middle East?
All good questions.
Some people don’t like Tillerson but I think he’s doing a great job. His tone and his persona give the right message beyond his actions.
The way Flake keeps running his mouth about the “Republican primary” makes me think he might pull a Murkowski and run for reelection as an “independent”.
Back in the 60s there was an anti war song. It kind of fits now.
Romping Through The Swamp
Dave Van Ronk
Song Lyrics:
Throw away your pomp
Romping through the swamp
Romping through the swamp in the month of May
Wading through the slimy ooze
You can drive away your blues
Romping through the swamp
Toking on your womp
Lying in the swamp
Looking at the ways glaze haze can raise
You can be a muddy satyr
Wrestling with an alligator
Romping through the swamp
You can spend your time
Covered up in slime
Saying I love you to the rot and goo
Lurching through the quagmire
Head aflame with swamp fire
Romping through the swamp
You can spend your time
Covered up in slime
Saying I love you to the rot and goo
Lurching through the quagmire
Head aflame with swamp fire
Romping through the swamp
To a Prog, a person with no moral absolutes, courage is equally squishy and limp-wristed. To them, agreeing with Obama was courageous just as throwing a tantrum over Trump is courageous. So, McCain and Flake are courageous.
these fools (corker flake and the like) don’t have a clue how to really fight.
Trump came out of left field and fought and won the presidency against so many various odds. He didn’t sit and take it easy because he won, he woke the next day and started fighting each battle of his new job.
Flake etc a truly lightweights. He doesn’t run because it’s hard to get elected in Repub party now??? It’s easy to get elected if you are truly for the constitution and rule of law etc. If that’s not Flakes view of republican, then flake should be gone today, not just be a seat warmer as he has been for a while.
On June second 1787 Franklin warned us about such people in his speech delivered to what has become to be called the Constitutional Congress. Our leaders didn't listen then.
In it he said;
" Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. Separately each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects. place before the eyes of such men a post of honour that shall at the same time be a place of profit , and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such places it is that renders the British Government so tempestuous. The struggles for them are the true sources of all those factions which are perpetually dividing the Nation, distracting its councils, hurrying sometimes into fruitless & mischievous wars, and often compelling a submission to dishonorable terms of peace.
And of what kind are the men that will strive for this profitable pre-eminence, through all the bustle of cabal, the heat of contention, the infinite mutual abuse of parties, tearing to pieces the best of characters? It will not be the wise and moderate, the lovers of peace and good order, the men fittest for the trust. It will be the bold and the violent, the men of strong passions and indefatigable activity in their selfish pursuits. These will thrust themselves into your Government and be your rulers. And these too will be mistaken in the expected happiness of their situation: For their vanquished competitors of the same spirit, and from the same motives will perpetually be endeavouring to distress their administration, thwart their measures, and render them odious to the people. "
There is more, much more, in this speech.
Senator Flake has always been a loyal servant of the various firms on K Street; representing their interests to the people of Arizona. I’m sure they’ll take real good care of him after he leaves the senate.
They are slinking away because the citizens have finally recognized that they have been selling us out to the Cheap Labor Express and would have been Cantorized if they stood for re-election.
Brave Sir Robin ran away Bravely ran away away When danger reared its ugly head He bravely turned his tail and fled Yes Sir Robin turned about And gallantly he chickened out Bravely taking to his feet He beat a very brave retreat The bravest of the brave Sir Robin
They should both leave now and let their governors choose replacements who they believe will do the right thing for the people’s agenda.
bkmk
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