The Other Impeachment Trial

Besides the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, there is also a "trial" of the Republican members of congress and Trump supporters that is under way.

Former GOP Senator Jeff Flake has written an op-ed in the Washington Post. Here are some of the thoughts he offers:

"It might not be fair, but none of the successes, achievements and triumphs you've had in public office whatever bills you've passed, hearings you've chaired, constituents you have had the privilege of helping will matter more than your actions in the coming months.

President Trump is on trial. But in a very real sense, so are you. And so is the political party to which we belong."

"...there are members of our party denying objective reality by repeating the line that "the president did nothing wrong." My colleagues, the danger of an untruthful president is compounded when an equal branch follows that president off the cliff, into the abyss of unreality and untruth."

Further he argues,

"Call it the founders' blind spot: They simply could not have envisioned the Article I branch abetting and enabling such dangerous behavior in the Article II branch. And when we are complicit, we cede our constitutional responsibilities, we forever redefine the relationship between Congress and the White House, and we set the most dangerous of precedents.

My simple test for all of us: What if President Barack Obama had engaged in precisely the same behavior? I know the answer to that question with certainty, and so do you. You would have understood with striking clarity the threat it posed, and you would have known exactly what to do."

"But what is indefensible is echoing House Republicans who say that the president has not done anything wrong. He has.

The willingness of House Republicans to bend to the president's will by attempting to shift blame with the promotion of bizarre and debunked conspiracy theories has been an appalling spectacle. It will have long-term ramifications for the country and the party, to say nothing of individual reputations."

"Please don't accept an alternate reality that would have us believe in things that obviously are not true, in the service of executive behavior that we never would have encouraged and a theory of executive power that we have always found abhorrent.

If there ever was a time to put country over party, it is now. And by putting country over party, you might just save the Grand Old Party before it's too late."

There is no way that an honest person can deny that Trump violated the constitution, or that, as Flake says, that the Republicans would have impeached Obama if he'd done the same as Trump and they controlled the House. The Republican members of Congress who participated in the impeachment of Bill Clinton are particularly being hypocritical. Of course, some of the Democrats are also being Hypocrites.

Look, no-one is perfect, but this impeachment situation is clearly presenting the United States with a constitutional crisis. Trump is guilty of what he is charged, even if the charges are not for criminal offenses, and the charges meet the criteria the Constitution states for acting on impeachment.

I have reached a point where I feel contempt for anyone who claims that Trump does not deserve to be impeached. I can see how some would argue that the accusers are not without flaws or liabilities of their own. I can see where some argue that impeachment should have been used on Bush and Obama for their actions. But those are separate issues. Right now, we have a President who has already used the power of his office to get a foreign nation to influence an election to help him win. If he is not brought to justice, he will do it again and probably do it a lot more and a lot worse.

A recent focus group by Frank Luntz, of Democrats watching the December Democratic primary debate was asked the word they use to describe Trump supporters. Most said ignorant. I think it is more that they have become cult members who have drunk the koolaid. They may be smart. They may be goodhearted when it comes to some people, but they are brainwashed and have begun to be intolerant, even compassionless for some people, mostly people of color and "others."

I really don't think it's possible to change their minds. The only thing that may change the Republican legislators' minds is if they start seeing signs that their lies and telegraphed intentions to refuse to convict Trump will cost them their jobs, and, hopefully, their future reputations, integrity and legacy.

While I disagree with most of the values which define conservatives, I respect that they are based on good intentions. Supporting Trump and lying about him, saying he has done nothing wrong flies in the face of true conservative, or, for that matter, Evangelical Christian values, since, apparently, over 85% of Evangelicals are wholeheartedly supporting Trump.