Former GOP Ethics Lawyer Explains Why 'We Need to Get the Republicans Out of the House and Senate'

[marble falls]

Former GOP Ethics Lawyer Explains Why 'We Need to Get the Republicans Out of the House and Senate'
Richard Painter has long been a Republican, but he fears what his party had become under Trump.
By Cody Fenwick / AlterNet
April 30, 2018, 10:33 AM GMT

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/former-gop-ethics-lawyer-explains-why-we-need-get-republicans-out-house-and-senate

Richard Painter is best known for his position as the White House's chief ethics lawyer under the Republican President George W. Bush, but he's running for the Senate in Minnesota as a Democrat.

He'll be running in the party primary against Sen. Tina Smith, who replaced Sen. Al Franken after he stepped down when multiple women accused him of unwanted groping.

On MSNBC Monday, he explained why he's decided to make his first foray into electoral politics and why he is running so passionately against the Republican Party.
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"I've been a Republican for a long time and tried to turn the Republican party around on a range of different issues, but I've given up," he said.

On the topic of his Democratic opponent, he said Smith is not going "as good a job as she could do. But I want to start with the fact that the number one priority is we need to get the Republicans out of the House and Senate who are not standing up to President Trump, that's the number one priority, whether the victor in the fall is myself or Tina Smith."

He added that Smith should "be a lot stronger against President Trump. She should have come out against his trade war, which is going to destroy agriculture in our state. She should call for his removal from office, quite frankly, because he is not showing that he can conduct himself as president in accordance with the Constitution."

Watch the clip below:

"The number one priority is we need to get the Republicans out of the House and the Senate who are not standing up to President Trump."

– Fmr. Chief WH Ethics Lawyer @RWPMinnesota, says after his announcement to run as a Democrat in Minnesota Senate race. pic.twitter.com/PKQj67wORJ
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 30, 2018

[Me.]

1. I Like Painter

but this plus his endorsement by Nina Turner is of concern to me

[madaboutharry]

2. He won't be the first person to change parties.

He deserves the opportunity to prove himself and then the voters of Minnesota will decide.

[marble falls]

3. Like I said, if he's the party's dog, he's my dog.

[Beartracks]

4. It's not just "Republicans under Trump."

Last edited Tue May 1, 2018, 01:25 AM - Edit history (1)

The problem is Republicans in general. They engendered 30 years of economic and social disparity and decline even before Trump.

========

[CrispyQ]

5. Great. The Democratic Party has shifted so far to the right,

that old time republicans are comfortable joining it.

[marble falls]

6. I got to agree.