John Lewis is the last person Donald Trump should be picking a fight with right now

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Here is the question that lurks behind Donald Trump tweeting insults at civil rights icon John Lewis during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Is he trying to distract from another story — perhaps his national security advisor, Michael Flynn, making a strange call to the Russian ambassador during transition? Is he just so graceless and undisciplined that, during a week when he is writing a speech his transition team promises will be about “uniting Americans,” he couldn’t stop himself from attacking the last person in the country you would want to pick a fight with? Both? Neither?

There is backdrop here. Lewis, a popular member of Congress, said he wouldn’t attend Trump’s inauguration, and called the president-elect “illegitimate.” There were reasonable ways to respond to this. Ben Sasse, a Republican senator from Nebraska, modeled one of them.


Ben Sasse
✔
@BenSasse
To John Lewis, one of my heroes:

Please come to the Inauguration. It isn't about a man. It is a celebration of peaceful transfer of power.
4:51 PM - 13 Jan 2017

Another completely plausible response would have been to say nothing. Trump chose a third path:


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to......


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!
5:07 AM - 14 Jan 2017

It is, of course, repulsive to accuse Lewis of all talk and no action or results. As Michael Skolnick pointed out on Twitter, while Lewis was arrested 45 times ridding this country of segregation, Trump was dodging the Vietnam draft. Like with the Khan family after the Democratic convention, this is a fight Trump can’t win, doesn’t need, and shouldn’t want.

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/14/14273180/john-lewis-donald-trump

[dalton99a]

1. Yep, nobody is talking about the Russian ambassador anymore

[spinbaby]

8. Exactly

I watched NBC news last night and Russia wasn't even mentioned.

[Solly Mack]

2. John Lewis is right.

I credit people with the ability to read a tweet and respond, and still read news about Trump's cabinet choices and respond.

And how anyone can think it a celebration to install Trump as president is beyond the pale.

I'm supposed to celebrate that a would-be autocrat such as Trump, who aspires to a plebiscitary democracy, no different than Cheney's unitary executive, will be installed without resistance?

Seriously?

That's what people aspire to as a show of the strength of our democracy? That will we install an incompetent, ignorant, little tyrant and celebrate that no one tried to fight against it?

Yeah, we might have a Russian asset who aspires to be King as President, but goshly bum, we did it peacefully!

Ain't America great!

What's a little oppression compared to the dictated decorum of maintaining a facade?

Go, America! Let's all pretend respecting the office is ever so much more important than the kind of the man that is gaining that office.


I'm done ranting now.

[mnhtnbb]

9. Liking your rant, Solly.

That's what people aspire to as a show of the strength of our democracy? That will we install an incompetent, ignorant, little tyrant and celebrate that no one tried to fight against it?

Yeah, we might have a Russian asset who aspires to be King as President, but goshly bum, we did it peacefully!

Ain't America great!

What's a little oppression compared to the dictated decorum of maintaining a facade?

Well said!

[Amaryllis]

3. He compulsively tweets insults at anyone whom he perceives as criticizing him. He cannot tolerate

criticism in any form. He perceives Lewis criticized him; his reflex is to tweet an insult, so yes, he can't stop himself from going on the attack. Pure reflex. I don't think their is motivation beyond his inability to tolerate criticism and the need to lash out in retaliation when it happens.

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. Kinda funny that he didn't wait for Lewis' interview to air before insulting him.

Isn't Meet the Press on tomorrow?

[Worktodo]

5. War heroes, civil rights leaders..

He's insulted everybody. I'm surprised that Trump hasn't insulted Jesus or Santa Claus. "Just wait" I think.

The only person he has not critiqued or insulted is Vladamir Putin. They are snuggle bunnies.

Nothing weird about that.

[NanceGreggs]

6. "This is a fight Trump cant win ...

... doesn’t need, and shouldn’t want."

And THAT is the big tell as to who, and what, Trump is.

[roamer65]

7. Dump is a traitorous scumbag.

A sex addled, morally bankrupt asswipe.