GOP Lawmakers Said That They Were Forced To Go Along With Donald Trump's Ways Or Face Retirement

[Nevilledog]

https://politicaltribune.org/gop-lawmakers-said-that-they-were-forced-to-go-along-with-donald-trumps-ways-or-face-retirement/

After a rather telling interview with the New York Times, it was revealed that both past and present Republican lawmakers are and have been so deeply under the thumb of Donald Trump that they have virtually no choice but to go along with whatever hair-brained, manic, and unhinged policy Trump has laid on the table that day — or face his ire and consider an early retirement.

Per the Times report, “Just under four years after he began his takeover of a party to which he had little connection, Mr. Trump enters 2020 burdened with the ignominy of being the first sitting president to seek re-election after being impeached,” continuing, “But he does so wearing a political coat of armor built on total loyalty from G.O.P. activists and their representatives in Congress. If he does not enjoy the broad admiration Republicans afforded Ronald Reagan, he is more feared by his party’s lawmakers than any occupant of the Oval Office since at least Lyndon Johnson.”

One former GOP lawmaker admitted that he was personally faced with the quandary of bucking Donald Trump back in 2017 and knew full well the consequences he would face if he decided to do so.

“By the summer of 2017, Dave Trott, a two-term Republican congressman, was worried enough about President Trump’s erratic behavior and his flailing attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act that he criticized the president in a closed-door meeting with fellow G.O.P. lawmakers,” the report reads. “The response was instantaneous — but had nothing to do with the substance of Mr. Trott’s concerns. ‘Dave, you need to know somebody has already told the White House what you said,’ he recalled a colleague telling him. ‘Be ready for a barrage of tweets.'”

*snip*


So retirement is worse than selling your soul? Noted.

[Aristus]

1. Because it never occurred to the cowardly idiots that if they stood up to him,

that would rob him of the illusion of power.

Stand up to a bully, and he will back down. He may cover by saying "All right; I'm lettin' you off with a warning..." but he's backing down nevertheless...

[malaise]

4. +1,000

All wimps and tools

[plimsoll]

65. Just tools.

These guys would give wimps a bad name.

[Iliyah]

10. Plus 10 . .

why are they whining now? Oh yeah it's an election year . .

[cilla4progress]

21. Exactly

Scared bunch of lily-livered....

This is part of the source of my view that BIPOC should run the country, and I'm glad to see their rising numbers in US politics. They have withstood the most heinous oppression and terrorism at the hands of white oppressors and racists with courage, dignity, and perseverance .... ref. John Lewis and so many others.

I don't know a white man who doesn't reach for his balls in fear when he senses his power over the status quo at risk. I see more terrified white men in politics, journalism, industry, the professions ... and we are all subjugated to their infantile fears and anxieties. It's all there has ever been in this country.

[Nay]

132. This. They aren't fit to govern because they are such cowards. nt

[chia]

29. +1,000,000 I will never forgive or forget their cowardice.

[OAITW r.2.0]

33. The typical Congressional Republican is genetically engineered to accept and vote on whatever a

Republican President tells him to do. Attributes like critical thinking and independent voting has been bred out of the modern Republican caucus. They are promoted to the national stage, only after proving their Party over Country bona fides. Preferably, they have a closet full of personal compromising situations which help ensure their loyalty.

It's the Russian Party model ideal.

[olegramps]

61. I wonder just how many actually agree with him. That is even more frightening.

We know that his constituency is heavily comprised of whites with at most a high school education. He has little problem feeding them total nonsense with little or no rejection. That even high school educated men and women can be easily misled can be directly attributed to the fact that we rank very poorly in literacy and basic mathematic skills compared to many countries. For example out of 22 countries surveyed in as international sampling the United States scored 19th out of 22 countries in basic math skills. And far below average in literacy. If only those with a high school or less education were surveyed we would have ranked dead last in every category.

I am not surprised that he continues to have the blind support of this lower educated segment of the population. His recent interview in which he made ridiculous asinine claims in regard to our response to testing and treatment of the Corona Virus will be taken as factual by his followers. In light of the abysmal level of our citizens ability to even comprehend simple basic facts it should not be any surprise that he continues to have a significant following who are attracted to him. Their lower ability of comprehension is coupled with his pandering to their prejudices and religious extremism making it difficult if not impossible to for any reasonable discussion.

There is only one solution. That is the total defeat of Republicans for any office for local and state to federal government.

[StarfishSaver]

71. Exactly!

Power is an illusion. If people think you have power and act accordingly, you have power. If no one acknowledges your power - especially those you need to actually carry out the acts that result in consequences - you are powerless.

It's like the Scarecrow. He wasn't smart until he got a diploma that "proved" he was smart.

If these people - even a handful of him - had stood up to Trump, he would have had no power over them.

I call bullshit. They went along because they wanted to and they liked the results, not because they were afraid of him.

And even if they were afraid of losing their seats, SO WHAT? Lose your seat and get another job ...

[Illumination]

75. How right you are Aristus! Bullies hate getting a taste of their own medicine!

[Illumination]

83. Bottom line is that GOP lawmakers HAVE NOT DONE THEIR JOBS! Our country & Americans

come FIRST! NO EXCUSES! Mitt Romney stood up to that bully-in-chief. What a pathetic bunch of GOP lawmakers! There are so many good qualified people out there that can & will take your jobs!
I suppose you would have given Hitler the green light to do whatever also! This village idiot is much more dangerous! Shame on you all! You will be remembered for being on the wrong side of history...

[Aristus]

85. Thanks. Welcome to DU.

[Illumination]

122. Thank you for the welcome & cute meme Aristus!

Aristus,
Love the quote! So true! Without our sense of humor we would be sobbing miserably now. People like you, others here & DU give us some hope & lots of laughs!

[erronis]

86. Paul Ryan telling other (r)epuglicons: What's said in the family stays in the family

New Yorker, May 18 2017 - citing piece in the WaPo

“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy said, according to Entous, a superb reporter who heard a tape recording of the colloquy. “Swear to God.”

Dana Rohrabacher is a Republican from California with a peculiar amalgam of views: pro-marijuana, dubious about climate change, pro-torture. For this last position, in 2007, Keith Olbermann awarded him his periodic “Worst Person in the World” award, on his old MSNBC show. Like Trump, Rohrabacher has been highly solicitous of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last year, Politico ran an article on Rohrabacher called “Putin’s Favorite Congressman.”

In the Post piece, McCarthy’s remark is met with laughter, and Ryan cautions his colleagues, “This is an off the record . . . No leaks! . . . All right?”

And then, amid more laughter, Ryan says, “This is how we know we’re a real family here.”

“That’s how you know that we’re tight,” Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, says.

“What’s said in the family stays in the family,” Ryan concludes.

[soldierant]

124. Considered as a faily,

they are damned good at putting the "Diss" in Dysfunctional..They diss absolutely everyone who isn't them.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

125. Abusers

Abusing people in domestic violence situations demand what they do and how abusive they are"stays in the family" ya know

[EarlG]

2. It's all falling apart on them

So now that Trump is going down the tubes, we're going to get "Waah, I had no choice, he made me do it!" from the people who've been propping him up this whole time.

What a bunch of cowards.

[empedocles]

6. In the meantime, Dems will take their votes, etc.

[McKim]

133. Some Have Retired with Honor

Some have retired with honor, like Jeff Flake. So what is wrong with retiring? Giving up power is hard I guess when you don’t have a soul! I was able to retire from a racist school district, thank heavens I could afford it! These guys, however, are very rich.

[LakeArenal]

3. Now they are "concerned"?

Lay down with Donald come up with zip!!!

Losers if they did, losers anyway.

[JHB]

5. And they've all knuckled under, even the supposedly "reasonable" ones

Gutless apparatchiks unfit for the offices they hold.

[empedocles]

9. They can read the tea leaves, and Du, and know there will be no reward from

anywhere for their 'courage'.

Hell, we tend to 'vigorously' attack Never Trumpers.

[JHB]

116. Only the ones who spent their careers building the road Trump is parading down...

...namely, the foaming, insular Republican base.

Who, as it happens, tend to be the highest-visibility Never Trumpers, so yes, there is some vigor involved, but it's less an attack as it is a reminder of who and what they are.

[Mike 03]

7. Baloney. All they had to do was join together and unify, and that would have

immunized them to a large extent against Trump's shallow and laughable attacks. Trump would have been neutralized, and he would have stopped attacking because he would never 'win' the attacks because there would be immediate and embarrassing reprisals from the GOP.

What cowardice!

[empedocles]

14. Suspect its the voters and their poll support that is key.

Hopefully, 'education', will continue to happen, and polls will follow.

[spooky3]

80. Agree. But (a) most of them could have gotten

High paying jobs in private sector and (b) in the long run, the more right wing their base gets, the more general elections they will lose, even with voter suppression, big money support, foreign interference, etc.

[sarchasm]

60. How do you do that...

...when they use the same omerta-or-else tactics as the Police unions?

[DonaldsRump]

8. Cowards is exactly what these fools are

It's falling apart and now they are looking to blame everyone but themselves....much like their leader, the Infector-in-Chief.

It is disgusting.

[DBoon]

11. We look at Nazi Germany and think, "How could this happen?"

Turns out we are even more craven.

Trott didn't even face the threat of arrest and torture. He only faced a tweetstorm and he buckled.

[vlyons]

12. So what if he gets angry and says mean things about them?

He's ALWAYS angry. He cultivates anger. So what, if they don't get re-elected, and then have to go out and get a REAL JOB?

They are all a bunch of corrupt disgusting slimy grifters.

[samnsara]

13. they could switch to Dem or Indy....

[empedocles]

17. . . . and lose.

[lindysalsagal]

15. frump took advantage of their cowardice and guilt. They propped him up willingly.

[CrispyQ]

16. This guy nailed it perfectly:

[captain queeg]

128. Exactly. Moscow Mitch is much worse than trump.

The thing is most of these cowards were on the same page as trump with most things so why rock the boat?

[NRaleighLiberal]

18. complicit, dirty cowards. Corrupt to their core.

[central scrutinizer]

19. Profiles in Cowardice!

Thanks for betraying America and the Constitution, assholes

[highplainsdem]

20. We don't need invertebrate lawmakers. Spinelessness is no justification for complicity.

[Iliyah]

22. UGH . . pity party . ..

Almost 5 million infections, over 158,00 deaths, Americans that do survive may have medical issues for life …….

Recession is looming and may go into a depression while the stock market is doing ok . ………

Racism and hatred rising ………………

DHS trying to tie peaceful protestors as terrorist...……….

Americans losing healthcare and jobs...……………. small businesses loses ……………

And republicans are whining UGH

[GeorgeGist]

23. COWARDS!

But then we knew that since Reagan caved to Khomeini!

[spanone]

24. 'Never had a choice'? No, Never had a spine.

[global1]

25. Can Somebody That Is A Complete Idiot And Said To Have Dementia Take Over A Party.....

like they are saying Trump has taken over the Repug Party - i.e., lawmakers deeply under the thumb of Trump?

Wouldn't you think - these same lawmakers - that must have something on the ball - would not fear a person like Trump if he is a 'senile idiot'?

Why do they fear Trump? Why don't they challenge Trump? Why do they keep circling the wagons around a 'senile idiot'.

I have posted a number of times here on DU - you can't have it both ways. Either Trump is a 'senile idiot' or he is the 'stable evil genius' he says he is. He can't be both.

How has Trump survived this 3 3/4 years of his presidency - virtually eluding the consequences of every criminal, illegal and maniacal action he's attempted during this period if he's a 'senile idiot'?

How has Trump maneuvered himself into the current situation where anything he says or does - is the topic of the day on MSM where he gets away with going contrary to the laws and the Constitution of the U.S.. My God - he survived 'impeachment' and wears it like a 'badge of honor'.

Look at what he is doing now. He's suggesting that voting by mail during a pandemic - is tantamount of rigging the election - when at the same time he put one of his toady's into the spot of sabotaging the post-office to basically help support his suggestion of rigging - only he's rigging things to his advantage.

What about cutting off the 'census'. Ending the counting of American's so that his administration can control the outcome versus letting it proceed the way it should and letting it conclude under the next administration - where it is likely that a Biden Administration would be in charge.

How has he gotten away with placing Barr in the DOJ - to become his own personal tool - and it appears to be working?

I could go on and cite countless decisions and actions he's taken that are equally damaging to our democracy that have taken place over the last 3 3/4yrs.

Is that the work of a 'senile idiot' or a 'stable evil genius'? We really can't have it both ways.

[Tracer]

30. I'll go with "senile idiot".

Because I do not believe that it is HIM who has dreamed up all the attacks on law, environment, voting, media, etc. etc.

He's got a table full of cabinet members who can fulfill their dreams of deregulation and any other issue they want and realize that they can fill up his empty head with those dreams.

He also has people like Jared and Miller who can also whisper in his ear with suggestions on this and that and take advantage of his innate vengefulness.

[judesedit]

43. He probably threatens harm will come to them or their families

Many people have died that got in his way.

[judesedit]

45. He probably threatens harm will come to them or their families

Many people have died that got in his way. He has many toadies to help with that.

[PCIntern]

88. I agree with you

And have been saying this for years. This is mob rule, and I guarantee you these people have been threatened, or threatened with exposure for some misdeed which would in their opinion, cost them their seats, their marriages, or even their freedom.

[panader0]

92. They all thrive on blackmail.

Putin blackmails trump, Epstein blackmailed everyone he got on tape with his stable of young
girls. Trump blackmails repubs that he knows took money from Russia. and on and on. Sick shit.
Lindsey is being blackmailed too.

[judesedit]

99. They do. And probably physical threats are a regularity

[judesedit]

98. Exactly right

[crickets]

51. trump is a senile idiot who also happens to be a Russian asset and longtime mobster,

and a lot of the more powerful Repubs who could and should stand up to him anyway don't, because they have taken Russian money. Be it dark money campaign contributions or a sudden influx of Russian business interests pumping money into their state, legally and otherwise, the rubles are just too good. They are bought and paid for, and fear the tweets not because they give a damn about orange julius, but because behind those petulant tweets could be an inconvenienced and unhappy Russian Mafiya.

That's my theory, anyway.

eta - I almost forgot the kompromat. In the runup to the 2016 election, both the DNC and RNC email servers were hacked. The DNC emails were leaked. The RNC emails were not, and still lurk in the background hiding untold secrets.

[luvtheGWN]

58. Follow the money.

Fortunately, there are plenty of investigative journalists who have been busy uncovering the source.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

126. It's the work of

An abusive sociopath piece of shit who knows how to abuse and create enablers. It's Trump's pathology. Neither an evil genius or senile idiot. He is a psychopath narcissist authoritarian sadist. Who creates the illusion of power via gaslighting and abuse.

Research why abused people take so long to dump abusive spouses.


We gotta keep dark triads out of the house,Senate and president because of their pathology.

[Laelth]

137. +1 n/t

-Laelth

[2naSalit]

26. So retirement is worse than selling your soul?

Apparently.

[Raven123]

27. Perfect argument for term limits.

“Retirement “ from Congress is incongruous with the idea of public service as elected officials in the House and Senate as envisioned at the inception of the nation. Elected officials should come from the populace and return to the same, resuming life among the rest of us, complete with the benefits, and burdens created by the laws enacted during their elected terms and without retirement benefits that many citizens will never see.

[Wednesdays]

32. Term limits tips the scale in favor of the Money Men

I'd be in favor of it if we could get the damn money out of politics.

[crickets]

54. 👆👆👆

https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2016/10/18/13323842/trump-term-limits

Term limits also strengthen the power of lobbyists and interest groups for the same reason. In term-limited states, lawmakers and their staff have less time to build up expertise, since they are there for a limited time. But like the executive agencies of the state government, lobbyists and interest groups are also there year after year. They are the true repeat players building long-term relationships and the true keepers of the institutional knowledge. This gives them power.

[murielm99]

93. Great post.

[Raven123]

113. Seems tipped that way now.

[JI7]

114. That's not a reason for term limits. None of the Republicans who wanted to win in a red area

would have stood up to trump since they needed people who support him to vote for them.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

28. Many will be forcibly retired anyhow

[Wednesdays]

31. "I was just following orders"

[Auggie]

35. +1

[aeromanKC]

34. The Brownshirt excuse

HHmmm?? Where have we heard this before?

[Brother Mythos]

66. That mirrors my thoughts when I read about their situation.

They'll get no sympathy from me.

[Raster]

36. So... They were good Germans, eh?

What a load of shit.

[bucolic_frolic]

37. If you can't be a patriot in that position, you really ought to retire

so what is it they don't understand?

[keithbvadu2]

38. Whenever/however Trump is gone, there will be many GOP retroactive epiphanies.

As another poster noted; Profiles in Cowardice.

[Bettie]

39. Boo Hoo

No sympathy for any of them.

They KNOW what he is and they chose it. Eyes open, they chose a man who has loyalty only to himself and his owner, Putin.

Fuck him and fuck them all.

[tanyev]

40. Everyone considered them the cowards of the country.

[concretebluetwo]

49. I hope

Their papas understand....

[eShirl]

41. putting their career over doing their jobs

[luvtheGWN]

59. Putting themselves over the

people who elected them, and for whom they work.

[Canoe52]

42. Bunch of chickenshits...

[Peregrine Took]

44. But I thought they HATED the government and wanted to drowned it in the bathtub????

Or do they mean they HATE it for you and me but love wallowing in the trough themselves??

[Wounded Bear]

46. You gotta have a soul before you can sell it...

The idea that they "sold their souls" indicates that it wasn't a very good one to begin with.

[apnu]

47. Hey GOP, you made this bed, now lay in it. (nt)

[gratuitous]

48. Well golly, what do you expect?

Republican officeholders had a lot to lose. A cushy job with lots of perks, fully funded pension, revolving door entree into the private sector as a lobbyist or consultant, and a permanent spot on the swell party circuit. You can't expect them to jeopardize that just so they can stand up for the country and the Constitution, can you? It's far preferable for them to leave it to people who don't have quite so much to lose (who may, in fact, have nothing to lose). Sure, those dirty unwashed masses don't have any clout and nobody who matters listens to them, but let them take the heat for pushing back against Trump and his corrupt administration.

And, when this is all over, we can all be pals again and everything goes back to the way it was with them still being the haves (if not the have-mores) and you all being the have nots. We good?

[niyad]

50. Gutless cowards, and traitors to the oaths they took to "preserve and protect the

Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and. DOMESTIC".

I have absolutely ZERO sympathy for them. They created, and enabled, this traitorous, murdering monster every step of the way. I wish that I believed in the xian version of Hell, because that is where they belong.

[Brainfodder]

52. A reminder of that Impeached status should be in every ad against him thru Nov. 3rd?

[Magoo48]

53. Bullshit. They're all in. Onboard for the entire ride. E-fuckin' ticket, that ship sailed.

[keithbvadu2]

101. E ticket. You're aging yourself.

E ticket.

You're aging yourself.

Me too.

[Magoo48]

103. Wow, I guess I am. I'll be 72 in two months.

[keithbvadu2]

106. Me next Jan.

[mdbl]

120. I miss E tickets

they were much cheaper lol

[oldsoftie]

55. Bullshit. You dont HAVE to retire. You may lose a primary, but stand up for yourself

Unless there's "information" on you that would be revealed if you DONT toe the line!

[Duncan Grant]

56. They are not victims of trump. They are craven opportunists. Collaborators.

They knew what they were doing. Think of the most courageous, principled people you know — well, these Republicans are the exact opposite.

[blueinredohio]

57. In other words they didn't have balls enough to stand up to him.

Too little,too late.

[Dukkha]

62. They chose...poorly

and now they will suffer the same fate and be erased from history along with the Ass clown.

[Fullduplexxx]

63. Cry me a river cowards

[KPN]

64. Fuck them all. If they had any shred of decency,

any shred of patriotism or respect for the Constitution, they WOULD RETIRE rather than fall in place under tRump’s tiny putrid thumb.

No frigging sympathy from me traitors.

[Texin]

67. Christ on a crutch. "Forced to..."? NOBODY is ever forced to do anything

unless it's at the point of a gun or the tip of a knife blade.

[Javaman]

68. cowards. nt

[StarlightGold]

69. I thought the same.

"Or face retirement". OK, so...retire.

[GoCubsGo]

70. What a bunch of fucking cowards.

May the voters retire every last one of motherfuckers in November.

[uponit7771]

72. No!!! Hell no!!! Hang Trump around their necks!!!!

[lindysalsagal]

73. Wait. Let me get my smallest violin in the world to play the saddest song....

They almost make me want hell to exist so they can fry there....

[Blecht]

74. Chicken shit traitor assholes

Fuck em all.

[Beartracks]

76. Gosh, GOP, you certainly don't sound like Soviet apparatchiks at all! No, siree. Nyet. Not at all.

< obviously

=============

[SiliconValley_Dem]

77. oh boo hoo, fuckers

bye felicia

[totodeinhere]

78. This is no surprise. A lot of people have suspected this for quite while. n/t

[Lonestarblue]

79. Senate Republicans had the opportunity to get rid of Trump and their supposed fear of him.

They refused. They could have convicted, removed him from office, and prevented him from holding any future elected office. I suspect they refused to follow the law not out of fear of Trump, but out of love for their power and Trump’s ability to take all the media attention away from anyone but himself, leaving them with cushy jobs where they do very little. Some of them may have feared Trump’s most rabid supporters, but all they had tondo was hold a secret vote. MAGATs would never vote for Democrats.

[ScratchCat]

84. Yep

Its mind boggling. I've said it multiple time. Trump has no power over any of them as long as they stick together and rebuke him. Pretending "we had to do it" to "keep our jobs" is a ridiculous excuse that ignores the strength in numbers fact.

[Nexus2]

81. *sigh*

So the people that stood up to other dictators (or didn't) were cowed by direct threats and implemented imprisonment, brutal torture and execution... These jerks are cowed by mean tweets and the possibility of having to find a new job (while often having multi million dollar savings, investments, etc, to live on ... speaking of incentive not to go back to work but that's another rant).

[marble falls]

82. Gotta keep them paychecks coming, the $600/wk supliment wouldn't equal $150,000/yr!

[DSandra]

87. These fucks have enough money and connections to retire comfortably. They are too greedy to retire

And of course we know of the notorious revolving door...

They chose to be a tool for Trump.

[Baltimike]

89. My bleeding heart bleeds EVEN MORE for them right now. nt

[cstanleytech]

90. I suspect that the main reason they did not buck him was they wanted to get as many of their people

on the courts as they could so to get them appointed they had to stay on his good side.

[BamaRefugee]

91. All those guys on trial at Nuremberg said the same thing.

[peggysue2]

94. Ah yes!

Here come the regrets and excuses for supporting and enabling the worst president in US history all the while watching the destruction said president has wrought and continues to wreak on our constitutional Republic.

Because mean tweets. Because verbal assaults and the specter of retirement.

Too little, too late.

All these people can burn in Hell along with their vindictive role model.

A better alternative? Burn the Republican Party to the ground, then stomp on the ashes.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

127. Yes burn it down!

The republican party is a revolving door for greedy narcissistic criminal coward fuckfaces vermin traitors! Time to get rid of them. And fuck the goddamn stupid ignorant foaming magats. Chase these toxins back into their hidey holes and take their fucking guns away.
No more militia wannabees. If they wanna fight for our country join re enlist in the real militia,the national guard or STFU about your fucking ignorant half ass understanding of what the second amendment says.

[Liberty Belle]

95. He may have dirt and be blackmailing some of them. They are all guilty of abetting a mass murderer.

Of course the spineless cowards could simply have impeached him. Those most vulnerable could have refrained from voting. It would only have taken a few Senators to join Romney and Dems and this entire pandemic could have been prevented. The nation needs to be reminded: They knew how crooked and incompetent he was, and they were too cowardly to remove him from office and put Pence in charge, which would have been the honorable action for them to take. The blood of over 150,000 Americans who died of COVID is now on the Republican Senators' hands, not just Trump's.

[Andy823]

104. Blackmail is a good possibility

That would explain why some of them are cowards. The others could be afraid of his retribution if they cross him. He could make their life miserable and get his cult followers not to vote for them come election time.

I still think the only way they get rid of this "bully" is if he doesn't win the election, and they know that. I would be willing to bet many of them are praying daily that he does't win. They created the monster, but they couldn't control him. Now he "controls" them.

The big problem with a narcissist like trump, it that the more he gets his way, the more he will push the limits of his power. If they are afraid of him now, how much worse will it be for them if he wins another four years?

[keithbvadu2]

107. "He may have dirt and be blackmailing some of them."

"He may have dirt and be blackmailing some of them."

Lindsey Graham was strongly against Trump until they had a golf game together.

Then he became in love with Trump.

Even more than Rocketman Kim.

[bluestarone]

109. THIS is what's going on!

[dchill]

96. Gee that's too bad.

They all have my disingenuine sympathy.

[ananda]

97. Preparing their defense for treason and crimes against humanity?

Sheesh

[IcyPeas]

100. how can one stupid reality TV host wield so much power over our government?

couldn't they have all banded together and said "NO".

Unbelievable

[PCIntern]

102. How did he get away with that shit at the Republican debate's?

Not one of them stood up to him and shouted him down. All they needed was one Joseph Welch moment and he’s been finished.

[AmyStrange]

105. Well, that explains everything...

-

NOT!
========

[Blue_true]

108. Then, they are fucking useless. Get rid of them and send people with a backbone to Washington DC. n

[BadgerMom]

110. The voters of America will usher them into retirement anyway.

[Firestorm49]

111. Boo Fucking Hoo! Prissy little shits now want redemption.

[warmfeet]

112. They are still facing retirement.

But now, they have revealed themselves for what they are - shitstain cowards. They will face consequences.

[SammyWinstonJack]

115. A barrage of tweets? OMG! Sticks and Stones....

What cowards.

[LiberalFighter]

117. Just an excuse for not having a spine.

[Mr. Ected]

118. They are an abomination

They took an oath of office, they were elected to represent the people of their home states, they are integral to our nation's system of checks and balances. They single-handedly allowed the rise of fascism with their subordinate, cowardly acquiescence. They should be stripped of any and all benefits their office permitted them.

[DeeDeeNY]

119. Did they not take an oath of office?

Call the waaahmbulance

[bucolic_frolic]

121. This is a subject our Democratic candidates should EXCORIATE their opponents with!

GOP just admitted, collectively and individually, that they are TOOLS! Unable to make independent judgment, or AFRAID of Donald Trump! WHAT do we PAY them for? To be a RUBBER STAMP????

Take it to them! Don't let this angle float by unused and unnoticed. GOP is trying to sound like snowflakes and curry sympathy! Weak, fragile, afraid of their own shadow!

[Alpeduez21]

123. Fuck you, GOP Shitbags

[Kablooie]

129. They were handed a get out of jail free card and tossed it in the trash.

They deserve no sympathy.
They did this to themselves and I hope it destroys every single one of them

[TNNurse]

130. They worked for themselves, not for the people who put them in the job.

Do any of them even see it that way? Do any of them have a soul??

[Solly Mack]

131. Fart noises

[Hotler]

134. I call bullshit. These fuckers knew what they were doing. To use the power of the orange one's thumb

is no excuse for their behavior. Their number one goal all along is to own the liberals and hurt the Democrats.

[Va Lefty]

135. Spineless sycophants

[calimary]

136. Boo-fucking-hoo.

One of our favorite sayings around our house is - "YOU crawled into bed with him. Now he gets to fuck you."

I feel sorry for these short-sighted schmucks NOT ONE MOLECULE'S WORTH.